Two Marin health clinics will get promised federal money

April 21, 2016

Two of Marin’s federally qualified health clinics received confirmation Thursday they will receive their full year’s funding from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.

Marin Community Clinics was notified it will receive an additional $1.55 million this year, and the Coastal Health Alliance received word it will get an additional $1.15 million.

Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, announced that the Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded more than $16 million in discretionary funds to 11 health centers throughout California’s North Coast.

“These funds will help thousands of people get the care they need,” Huffman said in a statement.

Steven Siegel, executive director of Coastal Health Alliance, said, “All these health centers have a base grant that is annualized. Because of the appropriations process, we’re only confirmed that we get a quarter of the money at the beginning of the year. What has happened now is that we’ve received confirmation that we get the other three quarters of our money.

“It’s not new money,” he said. “I’d love another $1 million.”

Linda Tavaszi, Marin Community Clinics’ CEO, said, “This grant is the federal government’s contribution to caring for patients who are at the federal poverty level.”

Expanded Medi-Cal eligibility due to the Affordable Care Act has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of patients receiving care at the Marin Community Clinics. In 2015, Marin Community Clinics had approximately 35,000 patients and 161,128 patient visits, including both medical and dental treatments. In 2008, before MCC began treating large numbers of dental patients, it had 51,990 patient visits.

MCC has five medical clinics: two in Novato, two in San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood and one in Larkspur. One of MCC’s Novato clinics provides confidential teen services. MCC has an annual budget of $37 million.

Coastal Health Alliance has about 6,000 patients and 18,000 patient visits annually. It has clinics in Point Reyes Station, Bolinas and Stinson Beach, as well as a new mobile van for dental treatments. Coastal Health Alliance has an annual budget of $5.6 million.

 


Source: by Richard Halstead