Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout19 Bridgercare - Final AgreementDocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493 2/18/2021 2/18/2021 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493     COVID Non‐Profit Grant Applications  Applicant Name: Bridgercare  Amount Requested: $ 50,000  Funding Recommendation:  $ 50,000  General Category:  Medical  Detailed Description Submitted:  See attached.   Attachment: True  Contact Info:  Stephanie McDowell 4065870681ext.131 smcdowell@bridgercare.org  Entity Address:  1288 N 14th Ave  201 Bozeman MT 59715  Other Entities Funding has been Requested From: Yellowstone Club Community Foundation One  Valley Community Foundation/Greater Gallatin United Way State COVID Relief Funding   10,000  10,000 220,000  Date Submitted:  12/18/2020 6:13:00 PM  Financial Information Submitted?  True  Page 51 of 196 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493 Detailed description of the Funding Request including description of operational and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and description of benefit of the grant to the citizens of Bozeman in meeting immediate needs, as well as if the grant will have lasting impacts in our community beyond the pandemic. Attach a form as necessary. The City may contact applicants for additional information, if needed. Dear Jeff Mihelich and Bozeman City Commissioners, Bridgercare, the local nonprofit reproductive health clinic for south central Montana, is requesting $50,000 in emergency COVID relief funding from the city of Bozeman under the “Physical health or medical assistance” priority area. Bridgercare Services and Demographics: For those who aren’t familiar with Bridgercare, Bridgercare is located in Bozeman and is the only Title X family planning clinic in south central Montana. Bridgercare’s mission is to provide excellent, affordable reproductive and sexual healthcare and education in a safe, supportive, empowering atmosphere. Services include birth control, annual wellness exams for all genders, STI testing and treatment, pregnancy tests and options counseling, cancer screenings, vaccination, infection checks, pelvic pain, mental health screening and referrals, LGBTQ+ services, and genetic cancer testing/counseling. Bridgercare’s purpose is to give people the education and tools they need to take control of their own health and make decisions that align with their values and future goals. We see over 5,000 patients a year from Gallatin, Madison, Park, and Sweet Grass counties. Patients are people of all genders of reproductive age which ranges from teens throughout adulthood, and live in surrounding towns and counties, many of which are frontier rural regions. In Fiscal Year 2020, 84% of patients were women, 15% were men, and we saw 131 trans visits. 19% of our patient visits were teens. The majority of patients are white, and last year, the clinic saw 24 visits in which the patient had Limited English Proficiency (usually Spanish-speaking patients), although it should be noted that our Spanish speaking patient numbers have noticeably increased in the last 3 months (which we are thrilled to see!). Patients include many MSU students and seasonal workers, such as those who staff ski resorts in the Big Sky area and Yellowstone National Park. Bridgercare utilizes a sliding fee scale in which patient fees are based on their income. No one is ever turned away from services due to inability to pay, and patients of all economic status are seen at Bridgercare. In Fiscal Year 2020, 60% of clinic visits received a discount via the sliding fee scale. (The sliding fee scale begins discounts when a patient’s household is up to 250% of the federal poverty income level, which is considered low-income.) How the COVID-19 Pandemic has affected Bridgercare: In the first three months of the pandemic, Bridgercare experienced an immediate $500,000 shortfall due to the fallout of COVID-19. That deficit has since been made up through federal PPP money, state grants, and the immense generosity of our local community! The people of Bozeman have made it clear that they believe in Bridgercare and want these services to continue without disruption throughout these challenging times. Page 52 of 196 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493 In the first two weeks of the pandemic, Bridgercare transitioned all of their services to telehealth to protect both patients and staff. As we have learned more about transmission and safely providing services in these extraordinary times, we have moved to a blended model of telehealth and in person visits. The use of telehealth has added additional costs to our annual operating budget as has the need for rigorous cleaning regimens to keep patients and staff safe during in person visits. Additionally, we are seeing a large increase in the number of patients accessing care at Bridgercare right now. In September, we saw an increase of 8.7% in patient number over last year (approximately 54 more visits than in 2019). October showed the same trend and was up 6.4% over last year, with an increase of 43 appointments in that month alone. The increase in demand for our services does not show any indication of slowing down any time soon. And with the growth of our valley right now, we predict and need to prepare for this elevated patient number to be the new normal. In fact, we have just hired a new Patient Care Coordinator and are in the process of hiring a new Medical Assistant to simply meet current demand. While it is very encouraging to see more people proactively taking care of their health especially during a pandemic, this is a double edged sword as we now require more funding to both keep pace with the current demonstrated need and also advance our work more broadly in the community. In summary, COVID-19 itself has created addition and ongoing costs (telehealth, cleaning supplies, etc), as has the increase in number of patients Bridgercare is serving (staffing costs, more need for discounted services, etc). In addition to the salaries of the two new staff members mentioned above which increases our annual expenses, 60% of our patients receive a discount on our sliding fee scale and we offer all referrals from our local domestic violence advocacy agency free completely free care regardless of income. The expenses of these two programs increases directly with the number of patients being served. Breakdown of increased monthly spending for Bridgercare: $6,000/month in extra staffing costs (Additional Medical Assistant and Patient Care Coordinator) $1,000 overtime pay to cover when people are out on quarantine $325/month now on PPE and extra cleaning supplies $280/month in extra tech costs (telehealth, Zoom, etc) TOTAL: Total/month = $7,605 This $50,000 would cover these additional costs and would get us through 6-7 more months of the pandemic! And by late summer, we (like the rest of the world) are hoping to see the majority of people vaccinated and a marked decrease in the community spread of COVID-19. Immediate Benefits of Granting Funding to Bridgercare: This grant will be used to support Bridgercare’s services which take pressure off of Urgent Cares, the health department, our local Emergency Room so they can focus on COVID patients. These facilities are Page 53 of 196 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493 overwhelmed with screening and treating COVID patients in addition to their normal caseloads. By treating pelvic pain, STIs testing/treatment/contact tracing, infection, anxiety and depression, sexual assault, and patients experiencing intimate partner violence at Bridgercare, we can help take the heat off these already stressed frontline clinics and healthcare workers. Also health departments in rural areas are inundated with COVID tracing and new protocols. And thus family planning and preventative care has largely been put on hold in many small, one-stop-shop community health clinics. This makes Bridgercare’s ability to absorb more patients that much more important to ensure we are available to all who need us right now. In fact, absorbing patient overflow from other facilities both locally and across the region could explain the increase in patient demands at our facility, in addition to the overall growth in our valley and the need for affordable healthcare options. Long Term Benefits of Granting Funding to Bridgercare: Just because there is a global pandemic doesn’t mean the need for high quality and comprehensive healthcare stops. This is especially true when it comes to reproductive healthcare. Having access to birth control and regular STI screenings can help people avoid unintended pregnancies and long lasting consequences of an untreated infection (which can cause infertility and lifelong struggles). Preventative care, like annual exams and cancer screening, have always been key to a long and healthy life. How heartbreaking would it be to survive the pandemic only to be diagnosed with stage 4 cancer that could have been treated had it been caught earlier? Additionally, experts believe that the emotional toll this pandemic is taking on people’s mental health will impact our communities for years to come. Because of this reason and the overall dismal access to mental health services in Montana, Bridgercare is currently onboarding a full time medical social worker. With their help, Bridgercare will now be able to offer whole-person health to all of our patients and make sure that both their physical and mental needs are cared for in a place where they already feel safe and respected. Lastly, your investment today in Bridgercare is an investment is a brighter future for all people in Gallatin Valley. This grant would allow Bridgercare to meet the evolving needs of our growing population, employ more local workers, and elevate the health of 5,000+ patients a year regardless of their insurance coverage or ability to pay. Thank you for caring for all of our Bridgercare patients, especially this year and especially those who live at the intersection of so many social and economic injustices. May this grant be a big step towards equity for all in our beloved valley. In solidarity, Stephanie McDowell Executive Director Page 54 of 196 DocuSign Envelope ID: 6613D453-3D57-475A-B509-201F7DBD4493