BUSINESS PLAN

Mission

“The Hope Health Clinic is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization that seeks to enhance the quality of life for uninsured Spalding County residents through education, prevention, and treatment of non-emergent adult health issues.”

Vision

“Providing interim health care to our patients until they attain health care independence.”

Board of Directors

Health Care for the Uninsured

Spalding County benefits from the presence of Spalding Regional Medical Center in the community. This facility meets many of the needs of the community—and the area—for health care. The county’s uninsured citizens, however, are almost always unable to afford the services they need. Necessary laboratory testing and medications are also out of their reach. As a result, health issues that should be managed are ignored until a crisis arises.

The uninsured typically use the emergency department of the local hospital for this crisis. This is inefficient and expensive for the individuals, the hospital and the community as a whole. Beyond the immediate personal and economic impact lies the long-term increase in death from manageable concerns.

In assessing the level of indigent care needed for Spalding County, begin with the number of uninsured adults: 5100. Using the American College of Physicians’ recommendations, most people should receive a medical exam every two years. If this standard alone is used, the Clinic needs the availability of seeing 2550 patient visits per year. As Spalding County has a transience rate of 46.6 percent, this number would logically be even higher.

Health Statistics for Georgia

According to “Faith and the City,” a website dedicated to gathering data on social issues, Georgia’s uninsured are more likely to use the emergency room as the main source of medical care. They are more likely to visit emergency rooms or stay in the hospital for asthma and other chronic conditions.

Among Georgia’s uninsured, 77 percent are between 18 and 64, according to “Faith and the City.” Nearly 80 percent of the uninsured have been without insurance for over a year. About 68 percent of the uninsured live in families headed by full-time, full-year workers.

The Georgia Department of Community Health has documented many statistics regarding the health of our state. According to the DCH, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among men in Georgia, accounting for 34 percent of all male deaths. Cancer is second, responsible for 24 percent of all male deaths. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women in the US.

Both lung and prostate cancer death rates for males are 19 percent higher in Georgia than they are nationwide. Georgia has one of the nation’s highest stroke rates with 18.2 percent of the state’s deaths caused by stroke in 1997. In Georgia, the stroke death rate is about 50 percent higher for blacks than for whites.

Death rates for cardiovascular disease are 67 percent higher for black women than for white women in the US. The rate of death from diabetes for black women in Georgia is three times higher than for white women, according to the DCH.

The State of Georgia is working to address health care inequities. To that end, A Business Plan for Health has been developed. That plan states that the uninsured typically live in families where the primary wage earner works in a firm with fewer than 100 employees. They are likely to work in agriculture, construction or service industries. The uninsured are usually over 25 years of age.

A Demographic Description of Spalding County

Spalding County’s population is divided 51.8 percent female and 48.2 percent male. The racial divide shows that the county has yet to feel a strong impact from immigration. The county is 66.5 percent white, 31.1 percent black and 2.4 percent “other.”

The county’s population is very transient. Nearly half of the county’s residents (46.6 percent) moved during the five-year period between 1995 and 2000.

The long-term poor economic condition of the community is evidenced by the value of owner-occupied homes in Spalding County. The median value of such homes in Spalding County is $ 86,600. This compares with a statewide median value of $ 111,200.

The county’s per capita income in 1999 was $ 16,791. This is more than 20 percent lower than that of the state, which is $ 21,154. Across Georgia, 13 percent of residents live below the poverty level. In Spalding County, this rate is 15.5 percent.

Business Site

The Hope Health Clinic is located near downtown Griffin. The site is within walking distance of many of the city’s pockets of poverty. A van service that provides low-cost transportation recently began serving the community, making the Clinic location even more accessible.

The facility itself is a former bus depot, converted for its current use in 1998. The building has 1640 square feet of space. There are three exam rooms, two restrooms, a lab area, a waiting room, and four offices.

Storage space is currently lacking within the facility. A trailer placed at the rear of the property contains many donated goods. Two off-site storage buildings are rented for this purpose as well.

A food pantry is located on the property behind the Clinic. A church that oversees an ecumenical emergency assistance fund is located across the street.

Partnerships

The Hope Health Clinic is an active participant in the Spalding County Collaborative Authority for Families and Children. Through this avenue, the Clinic has established programmatic relationships with the following entities:

• Action Ministries’ Housing for the Homeless
• District IV Public Health
• Fatherhood Initiative
• Georgia Department of Labor
• Griffin-Spalding Chamber of Commerce
• Griffin Technical College
• Habitat for Humanity
• St. George’s Soup Kitchen
• Four local churches
• Behavioral Health Services
• Midway Recovery Systems
• Salvation Army House of Hope
• Spalding County Department of Family & Children Services
• Spalding County Health Department
• Gordon College Nursing Program
• Local optometrist

Revenue Sources & Expenses

As previously stated, the Hope Health Clinic has benefited over the years from a strong relationship with the Griffin-Spalding Hospital Authority. The GSHA currently provides about 50 percent of operating expenses for the Clinic. Griffin-Spalding United Way has also been a strong supporter of the Clinic. The Clinic receives about 6 percent of its budget from United Way.

The Clinic has the support of many individuals, businesses, civic clubs and churches. Donations from these—and the receipt of grants from foundations in the area—flesh out the funding needed for annual operation of the Clinic.

The primary expense of the Clinic is personnel. Approximately 64 percent of the budget covers personnel expenses, including the contracted services of the medical director. Medication expenditures total about 16 percent; diagnostic laboratory testing accounts for another 10 percent.

Only 10 percent goes toward all other expenses. This includes utilities, medical supplies, office expenses, and facility upkeep.

Home Page | History | Plans for the Future Services & Staff | Contributions Copyright © 2004 Hope Health Clinic. Design donated by Ethical Designs.				HopeHealthClinic.com 125 North Tenth Street Griffin, GA 30223 Phone: (770) 412-1053 Fax: (770) 412-1318 info@hopehealthclinic.com
HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.