HILLTOWN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, INC. 58 Old North Road • Worthington, MA 01098 (413) 238-5511 Fax: (413) 238-5570

Pioneer Valley Community Health Center

VISION STATEMENT

Hilltown Community Health Centers, Inc.(HCHC) is proposing to establish a satellite community health center in Amherst, the Pioneer Valley Community Health Center. The proposal is the result of Hampshire County health care advocates’ two decades-long planning process to link underserved residents to essential health care services. Several organizations have worked together to provide volunteer physician and hospital services, and have funded enrollment assistance services to state and federally sponsored programs and other private insurances. More recently, the Hampshire County Health Care Access Task Force set a goal of creating reliable, accessible, culturally competent, affordable and responsive health care for people in the most populated parts of the Hampshire County. But the need for a more permanent solution to health care access remains high, as existing services are often difficult to access, particularly for special populations.

After months of exploration and study, the Task Force proposed the creation of a satellite facility, and approached HCHC’s Board of Directors to develop a location in Amherst or Hadley. The facility would be ideally located on a bus route and accessible to the most densely populated areas of the County that house the target underserved populations that we have identified: • Uninsured and underinsured individuals and families • Veterans • Homeless individuals • New Americans • Undocumented residents • Seasonal workers • People experiencing trauma or who have other mental health needs

In the assessment process, members of the target population identified barriers to care including financial burdens, lack of transportation and few culturally sensitive providers.

In addition to poor access to medical care, dental/oral health care continues to be a challenge due to the lack of providers that will accept state and federal programs as payment. The lack of accessibility of dental care causes individuals and families to delay oral health care until they either access services on a crisis basis in a hospital emergency department or until their condition worsens causing other medical problems.

Worthington Health Center • 58 Old North Road • Worthington, MA 01098 • (413) 238-5511• Fax (413) 238-5570 Huntington Health Center • 73 Russell Road • Huntington, MA 01050 • (413) 667-3009 • Fax (413) 667-8746 Hilltown Social Services • 9 Russell Road • Huntington, MA 01050 (413) 667-2203 • Fax (413) 667-2225 Gateway School-Based Health Center • 12 Littleville Road • Huntington, MA 01050 • (413) 667-0142 • Fax (413) 667-0145

“This institution is an equal opportunity provider.”

Pioneer Valley CHC Vision Statement – p. 2

An initial staffing model for the Pioneer Valley Community Health Center proposes the equivalent of approximately one full-time primary care provider, as well as support services such as case management and behavioral health services. This staffing model should allow HCHC to test the demand for the health center and validate the business model assumptions. Sometime during the second year of operation, dental/oral health services could be added. It should be noted that the Pioneer Valley Community Health Center will be locally managed and will have representation on the HCHC Board of Directors. Finally—and with some emphasis—it should be noted that HCHC is committed to partnering to the greatest extent possible with the existing healthcare provider community in the Pioneer Valley, and welcomes the opportunity to share the care of these patients.

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Hilltown Community Health Centers, Inc. (HCHC) is a federally qualified, safety net health care organization whose mission is to provide primary medical, oral health, and behavioral health services to everyone without regard to insurance level or ability to pay. HCHC is a not-for-profit organization run and owned by its Board of Directors, which is comprised of the users (consumers) of its services. The health center has been incorporated since the early 1950’s and has served the communities of the western MA Hilltowns since that time. It currently operates in three locations: the original site at 58 Old North Road in Worthington, MA; 73 Russell Road in Huntington; and at the Gateway Regional School on Littleville Road in Huntington, MA. In addition, HCHC maintains a family center and other social support and outreach services at 9 Russell Road in Huntington.

HCHC practices a healthcare service model that is team-based and focused on comprehensive care tailored to the individual needs of consumers. In addition to the more typical, office-based healthcare visits, the model includes case management and services that address the socioeconomic factors that impact health care. The consumer (patient) is encouraged to participate in treatment decisions and healthcare planning to the maximum extent possible, and ideally is a full partner in her/his own treatment program. The care is delivered in a way that is sensitive to the cultural context of the patient and family.

Invited to establish a site in Amherst, HCHC expects to replicate this model within the Amherst community and to customize it to the unique requirements of the mid Pioneer Valley demographic. Consistent with its mission, HCHC will target those individuals without a ‘medical home’ who are otherwise adrift in the health care landscape due to linguistic, cultural, insurance, economic, behavioral health, or health literacy barriers. While everyone will be welcome, this target population will be the primary population to be served.