The National Association of Community Health Centers www.nachc.com reports that an innovative collaboration is taking place in Hayward, California to shift patients away from being treated in more costly and crowded emergency rooms to being treated in a primary care setting. However, primary care services must be open at the right time and be immediately accessible to people when services are needed.
The concept of the Firehouse Clinic (FHC) www.firehouseclinic.net a full service primary and preventive care clinic was first conceived by the Alameda County Health Care Service Agency Director Alex Briscoe. Recently, the FHC was initiated and co-located on the grounds of a newly constructed fire station in Hayward California north of San Francisco.
The FHC a collaboration with the Hayward Fire Department, Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, Acute Care Hospitals, FQHCs, and the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency is focused on serving vulnerable, low income, and uninsured individuals and families.
Over 3,800 patient visits are projected for the first year and will likely keep increasing. Common visits to the FHC include ear, nose, and throat infections, urinary tract infections, asthma, bacterial pneumonia, hypertension, cold and flu symptoms, tuberculosis tests, blood pressure checks, and wound care. FHC plans to add dental services later in 2016.
In addition to medical services that can include follow-ups to emergency room visits, the FHC also provides population health services and will help patients find the best insurance available to them and will guide a patient to a medical home for chronic care. Often the staff will refer patients to specialty and behavioral healthcare specialists.