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National Recognition for Seminole County Healthcare System Model

Seminole County Health Department Administrator, Mike Napier, and East Central Florida Health Council Executive Director, Karen van Caulil, presented “Access to Care-Defining a Healthy Seminole County” at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) – NACCHO Conference in Sacramento, Calif., Sept. 11. Selected from among hundreds of session proposals, their presentation detailed Seminole’s MAPP process and the resulting strategic plan that led to sustainable financial support for a volunteer-driven, acute primary care clinic and development of a secondary care referral system that includes pharmacy, dental and mental health services.

In 2006, community partners came together to find ways to increase access to healthcare for approximately 56,000 uninsured/underinsured Seminole County residents. Together, a plan was developed and implemented to address those needs by community leaders. One of the first components of the project provided additional parking at the local federally funded community health center so that a new provider could be hired and more patients could be seen. This one time expense allowed an additional 6500 medical visits to be provided at the center.

In 2007, local churches lead by Holy Cross Lutheran Church and Shepherd’s Hope, an organization that sets up free clinics through faith based organizations by eliciting both medical and non-medical volunteers to run clinics, opened a free clinic in Longwood at the Sharing Center. Through partnerships with the hospitals, local doctor’s offices, county government, and 500 volunteers, a clinic was developed that is open four nights a week providing free medical care to those who cannot afford it. This clinic, in its first 18 months, has provided nearly 5000 patient visits and continues to see an increased number of patients. The Health Council and Shepherd’s Hope have obtained limited grant funding that provides for support functions such as a health navigator and a compassionate drug program coordinator. The health navigator assists uninsured Seminole County residents to with access needed primary and some specialty medical care and the compassionate drug program staff secures free medications for the uninsured.

“Improving the quality of life for the uninsured by organizing community partners to provide medical care to those who really need it has been rewarding for everyone involved” said Mike Napier.

These partnerships have allowed Seminole County to improve care to the uninsured/underinsured, keeping them out of the local emergency rooms. This partnership was recognized as an emerging best practice by NACCHO.

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