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2010

Johnson Health Center named Federally Qualified Community Health Center

After a highly competitive process, the Johnson Health Center will receive a three-year federal grant and become a Federally Qualified Community Health Center – a change that will mean additional medical staff, expanded services and medical care for a greater number of low-income and uninsured people in central Virginia.

"In its first five years, the Johnson Health Center exceeded our expectations as far as the number of patients served and lives aided," said George W. Dawson, Centra Health president. "We can all share in the pride of the Johnson Health Center's success, and look forward to the future with confidence that we have fresh resources and commitment at the federal level to be a success."

The grant from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services will provide $554,125 a year for three years for operations at the Johnson Health Center on Federal Street in Lynchburg. In addition, as a federal center, the Johnson Health Center will receive cost-based reimbursement for the Medicaid and Medicare services it renders.

The grant is one of 79 awarded as a "new access point" grant from more than 400 applications across the country. These grants are part of more than 200 federal grants that are being awarded as part of President George Bush's initiative to expand community health centers across the nation. Federal health centers are non-profit, community-based centers that deliver preventive and primary care to patients regardless of their ability to pay.

Centra Health opened the Johnson Health Center in 1998 in response to a need identified in a community-wide needs assessment conducted by the Centra Health Foundation. The center fulfilled a longtime vision of Centra Health, physicians and community leaders to provide consistent medical care for the region's most medically under-served. The Centra Health Foundation and its donors have provided significant annual contributions to support the creation and operation of the health center.

"The concept of the Johnson Health Center had many parents," said Tom Jividen, Centra Health senior vice president. "We looked for a way to expand the availability of services to the community and the idea for the health center took shape.

"At the time no federal dollars were available," he said, "so I am proud that Centra Health and the Centra Health Foundation stepped in and made this dream a reality. Ultimately, however, the program and the patients served by the health center will benefit by the expanded programs and services made possible by this grant – the grant establishing the Johnson Health Center as a Federally Qualified Community Health Center."

For the Johnson Health Center, the grant means:

Additional medical staff, including two physicians
Expansion of hours, including some nights and Saturday mornings
Expansion of dental services, pharmacy services and mental health and outpatient substance abuse services
An increase in the number of patients served, from 4,200 to approximately 8,250 in the first two years of operation
Governance by a board comprised of a majority of consumers
Access to operational expertise from the Bureau of Primary Health Care, The National Association of Health Centers and the Virginia Primary Care Association

The grant application was supported by a number of state and regional leaders, including U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode, U.S. Sen. John Warner, U.S. Sen. George Allen, state Sen. Stephen Newman, and Del. Kathy Byron.

"Many families in Virginia do not have adequate health care, and health centers like the Johnson Health Center in Lynchburg will provide vital services to Virginians in need," said U.S. Senator George Allen. "I applaud their efforts and support their endeavor to positively impact the community."

Other supporters included Joanna Harris, M.D., of the Lynchburg Health Department; Gus Fagan of Central Virginia Community Services Board; Bob Barlow, executive director of The Free Clinic; Kimball Payne, Lynchburg City Manager; Chuck Bennett, Lynchburg Police Chief; Julian Adams, City Council member and businessman; Samuel Fuller, M.D.; Aubrey Barbour, Johnson Health Center board member; Samuel Cardwell of the Centra Health Board of Directors and Centra Health Foundation Board of Directors; Anne Bond-Gentry of the Lynchburg Public Schools; the Rev. Haywood Robinson Jr. of the Centra Health Board of Directors; Joan Phelps of United Way; Irma Seiferth of the Centra Health Board of Directors, and Neal Graham, executive director Virginia Primary Care Association.