VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Patrick Gulbranson, CEO of Family Health Center in Fargo, a designated Federally Qualified Health Center spoke at the Rhoades Science Center on the campus of Valley City State University on the topic of health care in the U.S. and that of developed countries around the world on April 12th.
Gulbranson talked about how health care is delivered via FHQC’s in the U.S. and discussed the possibility of providing that opportunity in Valley City.
Noting what is already widely known about different health systems, he talked about how the US spends more on health care than most countries and ranks far below many of them on measures of quality and satisfaction. He said the U.S. tied for number ten with Spain for access to healthcare which is one of the biggest concerns; The Netherlands, France Germany, Australia and the UK are the leaders. A key to this difference is systems that emphasize primary care, using specialty care only when necessary.
He then described how the FQHC’s were started in 1991 as a partial answer to the problem, especially as it relates to populations of low income, who continue to be under served. This program was created by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS), supervised by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and provide federal subsidies to the FQHC’s to provide primary care, including dental, behavioral health, preventive and immunization, prenatal services, and in the case of the Fargo unit, at 301 NP Ave., obstetric services.
Gulbranson stressed that the clinic, though receiving federal supervision and subsidies, is governed by a local board of directors, and also that throughout its history has received bipartisan support. The majority of their board members are required to be patients of Family Health Care.
One of the keys to the success of the program is that no one is denied care, regardless of ability to pay. Built into the system is the Access Plan, available to anyone with an income of less than 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). For those people, billing is strictly on an ability to pay, but care is the same quality as for everyone else. Where insurance, Medicare or Medicaid are available, they are billed for the services.
Gulbranson stressed that they are responsible for providing quality care and have been certified by The Joint Commission for Health Care, the recognized accrediting agency for healthcare organizations. They have their own pharmacy, funded under another federal program.
An additional mandate for the FQHC’s is to provide care for rural as well as urban under served populations, so they and the other 4 FQHC systems in North Dakota have begun operating satellite clinics around the state.
Family Health Care in Fargo and the City County Health District in Valley City/Barnes County have begun discussions to have Family Health Care provide services here; this has met with approval from the private clinics and government leaders in Valley City.
This event was sponsored by What In The World Is Going On, a local group of university and community leaders. For more information about What In The World Is Going On or to get on the email list to learn about upcoming presentations, call 701-845-7321.
