Community Health In Partnership Services d/b/a CHIPS Health and Wellness Center

Direct beneficiaries per year: Over 5,500 individuals

Programs: CHIPS Health and Wellness Center is a nurse managed free and charitable health clinic established in 1990. Volunteer physicians, dentists, chiropractors and other providers care for low and moderate income individuals that cannot afford health insurance. The health center has been located at the same site in north St. Louis for over 25 years. CHIPS has served patients in the clinic from 100 zip codes in Missouri and 20 in Illinois. Racial disparities in healthcare access and mortality are significant in the St. Louis area. In zip code 63106, where CHIPS' free health clinic is located, total families living below poverty level is 46. 3% and the surrounding zip codes are almost as high. This area also has the highest rates of mortality from diabetes and heart disease in the City. (City of St. Louis Department of Health, "Public Health - Understanding Our Needs" 2012 update. ) In Missouri, hundreds of thousands of people, including residents of CHIPS' targeted service area,fall in the health insurance coverage gap. They do not qualify for Medicaid, but are too poor for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. (http://missourihealthcareforall. Org/medicaid2015/#sthash. 94wba0si. Dpuf) These challenges are not limited to city residents. Twenty-five percent (25%) of CHIPS' clinic and outreach clients live in North St. Louis County. The number of individuals in poverty rose 51% in St. Louis county between 2000-2010, mostly in North St. Louis County. Uninsured emergency department encounters at the two north county hospitals have increased 69% since 2009. At CHIPS Health and Wellness Center patients are not charged the co-pay that is required by federally funded health centers. Services include primary care, internal medicine, pediatrics, women's health, men's health and specialty services such as asthma/allergy and psychiatry, dental, chiropractic treatment, nutritional counseling by a dietitian, social services and chronic disease support groups. The clinic is open Tuesday through Friday and two evenings a month. Health Care Beyond Walls is a community outreach health screening, health education, and referral and case management program. This program benefits a population that often misses opportunities for early detection and treatment of disease. At over 100 community based health screening events a year in predominately African American neighborhoods, CHIPS' community health nurses, volunteer physicians and other providers screen low and moderate income adults, seniors and youth for medical conditions that include hypertension, diabetes, obesity, asthma and allergies, as well as behavioral health and quality of life needs. Individuals with symptoms of untreated and undiagnosed medical and behavioral health conditions are identified at outreach events and referred to their provider of choice, or to CHIPS. The need for preventive care, mammograms, nutrition and exercise for healthy lifestyles, chronic disease self-management, and smoking cessation is discussed. Participants receive educational materials and referrals to providers and community resources. Services provided during outreach included free health screenings to measure blood pressure, glucose and body mass index (bmi). Screening results and health risks are explained. One on one interviews identify other symptoms and needs. Individuals with abnormal screening results or specific needs are referred to an appropriate provider. CHIPS' outreach staff and nurses then follow up by phone to answer questions and make sure services were accessed. CHIPS also provides a youth leadership development program that trains urban youth to be peer health educators. CLUB CHIPS delivers health care and life style support messages (that they create under the guidance of professional performers and health care specialists) through creative presentations performed at area schools and other venues. Health Education and Chronic Disease Management. The diabetes support group has met twice a month for educational presentations and discussion since 2002 with up to 20 people attending each meeting. The group has been successful in providing encouragement, self-management strategies and nutritional guidance to men and women newly diagnosed with diabetes as well as long term diabetics. The group takes occasional trips to grocery stores to identify healthy food choices and physicians, dieticians, pharmacists, certified diabetes nurses, educators and exercise instructors have been frequent presenters.