YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
Whether in a clinic setting or out in the community, the staff members at Jordan Valley Community Health Center aim to meet health care needs from access to services to financial assistance.
“We have a culture of change for exactly that reason,” says spokesperson Courtney Furgerson. “We will grow and adjust to meet needs as they are brought to our attention.”
Growth and change has been a big part of the story for JVCHC.
The health center began with community members who saw the need for access to dental and medical services for the underserved. They formed a committee called The Advocates for a Healthy Community and applied three times for funding from the government before it was approved. The first location of JVCHC opened in 2003, and 20 years later, they have nine locations, 695 staff members and serve more than 65,000 patients each year.
In addition to medical and dental care, JVCHC also offers behavioral health care/services, including individual and group therapy, psychiatry services, behavioral medicine with a psychiatrist, a mobile unit and school-based care, and community services such as transportation and housing.
As a federally qualified health center, JVCHC provides care for uninsured or underinsured individuals, Medicaid patients or those who can benefit from sliding scale payments based on income to help patients access affordable health care.
“We strive to provide health care simplified,” says Furgerson. “We know that many of our patients are overcoming barriers to receive care, and we want to make it as easy as possible to access care by simplifying processes and providing multiple resources and services in each location.”
JVCHC is a large Medicaid provider in southwest Missouri for outpatient care and also serves as a resource for those who need help with enrolling or renewing services, in partnership with the Missouri Family Support Division and other community partners. Some patients saw a change in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many individuals gained Medicaid coverage during the pandemic and have not experienced the renewal process,” says Furgerson. “One of the largest concerns is that many have moved since applying and have not updated their mailing address with the state and won’t receive their paperwork.”
To help meet that need, the JVCHC staff contacts patients, based on their renewal month, to ensure they have updated their paperwork and to offer assistance with filling it out or answering questions.
JVCHC has also been scheduling days to have the mobile unit set up in the Tampa location’s parking lot to provide care and the outpatient walk-in Substance Use Treatment Clinic.
As the needs grow, Furgerson says JVCHC will continue to look for ways to meet them.
“Our organization is focused on creating a pathway for our community to access care,” she says.
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