Country Doctor Community Health Centers Programs
Country Doctor Community Health Centers (CDCHC) is the healthcare home for those who wouldn't otherwise have a place to go for their family medicine healthcare needs. CDCHC’s two clinics, Carolyn Downs Family Medical Center in Seattle’s Central District and Country Community Clinic on Capitol Hill welcomes anyone regardless of whether they can pay the minimum per visit fee of $15. CDCHC does not charge per service as in the practice in traditional healthcare settings. Services are provided in patients’ languages, clinic hours include weeknights and Saturdays, staff reflects patients’ ethnicities, and services are tailored to meet the changing needs of our patients. For example, CDCHC responded to an increased need for behavior health counseling by increasing the size of the behavioral health program, adding 3 additional mental health counselors.
The need for Country Doctor Community Health Centers (CDCHC) will not vanish with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and Washington State’s Healthcare Exchange. What will continue to be true is that will continue to be the need for a comprehensive healthcare home that welcomes everyone, regardless of their financial circumstances, possible language or cultural barriers, or insurance status. Not every one of CDCHC’s 7,220 uninsured patients will qualify for coverage under health care reform. Income status, and factors such as homelessness will prevent many from obtaining either Medicaid coverage or coverage in the Exchange. CDCHC staff will help all eligible patients to enroll in whatever program they qualify for, but for many even with the subsidy the premium cost will simply be too high.
The range of CDCHC’s healthcare services includes the single pregnant mom who is receiving prenatal care as well as the elderly gentleman struggling with end-of-life issues. Our services include maternity support services, the full spectrum of pediatric primary care, chronic disease management, behavioral health counseling, HIV case management, and geriatric health assessments. On-site services include pharmacy and lab. CDCHC physicians provide obstetrical and newborn services at Group Health Cooperative with general medicine in-patient services provided at Swedish Medical Center. Collaboration with International Community Health Services (a sister community health center) ensures 24 hour on-call services to hospitalized patients. CDCHC also partners with Project Access Northwest to connect patients with specialty health care providers (i.e. cardiologist, ophthalmologist) -- services even less accessible to those with no health insurance. CDCHC providers continue to monitor patients' progress and manage their primary health needs while their patient is under a specialist’s care. It’s all part of being a healthcare home.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
In spite of financially challenging times, CDCHC continues to provide high quality care to the patients it serves. In 2012, CDCHC’s program/clinical accomplishments included:
- Surpassed the goal of enrolling 85% of pregnant women in prenatal care during the first trimester. The range was 87%-89%.
- Surpassed the goal of providing 60% of women 21-64 years of age one or more PAP tests during the required measurement year or during the two years prior to measurement years. By fourth quarter 2012, 66% of women in this age group received one or more PAP test.
- Surpassed the goal of reducing HbA1c levels in 80% of diabetic patients to less than or equal to 9%. By end of 2012, that number had increased to 82%.
- Screened 636 moms and 25 children for depression. Of those screened 26% of moms and 76% of the children screened positive.