Modesto Bee Article
By Ken Carlson, Modesto Bee Staff Writer
last updated: November 14, 2008 09:35:14 AM
Stanislaus County's efforts to provide medical and psychiatric services for the poor received a $200,000 shot in the arm from Memorial Medical Center and Sutter Health, officials said.
The grant to the county Health Ser- vices Agency is a glimmer of hope at a time when funding sources are scarce and support for public health is threatened by the state budget mess.
It will provide professional resources for county health clinic physicians who have patients that struggle with moderate to severe mental disorders.
It also could provide support to the county's pediatric health clinics. Some of those young patients have signs of mental illness and the doctors need guidance in assessing the children.
"We are pleased that Sutter Health and Memorial acknowledged these needs in the community and are helping to support the safety net," said Mary Ann Lee, managing director of the Health Services Agency. "This money will be used to provide better health outcomes and better use of scarce resources."
The one-time funding comes from the Sutter Health Community Clinic Access to Care program, which is giving $2.5 million to 26 medical and dental clinics in Northern California that serve low-income and uninsured patients. The county Health Services Agency is getting $99,000 from Sutter Health of Sacramento and $101,000 from its affiliate, Memorial Medical Center.
Memorial and other hospitals in the Sutter system have donated to community organizations in previous years. This year, Sutter gave matching grants after its affiliated hospitals identified needs in their communities.
Memorial has worked with the county health agency on community projects such as the Heart Coalition and Asthma Coalition, and suggested that the agency apply.
"We have worked with the Health Services Agency for at least 10 years," said David Benn, Memorial's chief executive officer. "It was clear a lot of the things they do at the agency are worthy of support."
In March, about 160 indigent patients with mental disorders were threatened with losing the drug therapy they received at county health clinics. Most of the patients also received care for medical problems.
Because of the nationwide shortage of psychiatric professionals, patients with bipolar disorder or depression often have their medication managed by primary care physicians, and some uninsured patients have resorted to county health clinics.
Concerned that the county doctors didn't have the expertise, the Board of Supervisors decided in March to exclude mental health services from the medically indigent adult program, which covered the patients, and told county staff to arrange for more appropriate care.
A two-year pilot project was developed and is drawing on assistance from county Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and the county's Community Services Agency. Some patients have received mental health evaluations and some could qualify for other government health programs to cover their medications.
The grant will help fund the pilot project, but officials are still deciding how to spend the money. It could offset the cost of mental health assessments and consultations for the patients. Other ideas are to purchase telemedicine equipment, so patients could have consultations with a psychiatrist in another city, or contracting with a clinical social worker to assess pediatric patients.
Lynn Padlo, president of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in Stanislaus County, was pleased to hear about the grant. Her adult daughter was being treated for bipolar disorder through the medically indigent adult program, but now receives treatment through another county service.
"The MIA patients haven't been dropped," she said. "I'm glad to know they are still being served."
Bee staff writer Ken Carlson can be reached at kcarlson@modbee.com or 578-2321.
