Saint Alphonsus Medical Center Ontario obtains grant funding to continue underserved patient support

SEATTLE - Dec. 1, 2016 - PRLog -- Ontario, Oregon –Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Ontario has received $250,000 in grant funding from Trinity Health to equip existing facility space at the Saint Alphonsus Ontario Health Plaza to continue work of the Health Resource Center, which provides mental/behavioral, social, clinical, and financial support to patients that are resource constrained.  The grant, allocated by Saint Alphonsus' national affiliate Trinity Health, will assist in better coordination between the Health Resource Center and local primary care providers to address mental health concerns, provide access to preventative and chronic disease management, and assist patients in overcoming barriers to healthcare such as transportation, insurance, and financial limitations.

The Health Resource Center at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Ontario has been providing these support services to the area since 2014, and has provided care to more than 1,100 patients and reduced emergency room readmissions by over 34%.  In conjunction with the Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization and Lifeways, the Saint Alphonsus Health Resource Center has served as a hub for low-income and resource-constrained patients that require additional support services aside from clinical care alone.  These services include:

·  Clinical and resource support for those with ambulatory care sensitive medical conditions such as COPD, diabetes, and congestive heart failure

·  30-day proactive primary care programs with access to preventative, chronic disease management, and routine health screening services

·  Resource linking for patients with barriers to transportation, insurance, and adequate finances

·  Support for individuals with mild to moderate mental health conditions and substance abuse issues

·  Linking patients to resources to help overcome socioeconomic barriers to care

·  Transition support from unmanaged conditions to regular relationships with medical providers in a 'patient-centered medical home'

"The Health Resource Center at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Ontario is a community support program that we're really proud of," said Karl Keeler, President of Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Ontario.  "As an organization whose mission calls us to serve the area's most vulnerable, we feel very fortunate to receive this generous grant from Trinity Health to support the continued work of the Health Resource Center.  The services offered exemplify care that goes beyond the physical symptoms, so that we may also address the health of mind and spirit for the patients that need it most."

The Health Resource Center at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center – Ontario seeks to achieve a 15% increase in the number of patients it will be able to see due to the expanded and equipped space funded by the grant from Trinity Health.

For more information visit: https://www.saintalphonsus.org/