AIDS Project of the Ozarks earns federal designation

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Springfield nonprofit AIDS Project of the Ozarks has earned a rare federal designation.

The organization received approval from the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to become a federally qualified health center look-alike, according to a news release issued yesterday.

APO Executive Director Lynne Meyerkord described the federal status in an Aug. 29 Springfield Business Journal article.

"The main benefits of an FQHC look-alike is better reimbursement on Medicaid and Medicare patients, and also more folks who would be eligible for our 340B pharmacy program, which is what keeps our doors open," Meyerkord said at the time. "We hired consultants to help us with this."

FQHC look-alikes are community-based health care providers that meet the requirements of the HRSA Health Center Program but do not receive Health Care Program funding, according to HSRA.gov.

An HRSA database of FQHCs and look-alikes shows only a handful of local results. Advocates For A Healthy Community Inc., dba Jordan Valley Community Health Center, and the Fordland Clinic are local organizations with FQHC status, according to the database.

In the August interview with SBJ, Meyerkord said the look-alike status also would help provide care for people who do not have HIV.