Community Health Alliance of Pasadena is among the 228 recipients of federal grant monies awarded by Health Resources Services Administration to community health centers across the country to add or increase mental health/substance abuse, enabling services, oral health or pharmacy services. The funds will be used to help initialize both behavioral health services and an expanded dispensing pharmacy at the CHAP Health Center Fair Oaks site.
These additional resources will aid CHAP patients by granting better access to the care they need. They will be able to get prescriptions filled onsite during a visit; saving patient’s time and allowing providers the ability to better explain how to use the medications patients require. Many CHAP patients have chronic conditions which require regular monitoring. With the integration of behavioral health services, patients will have access to counseling and educational programs to better help them understand their conditions and manage their health, thus allowing them to take better control of their lives.
According to Dr. Luis Artavia, CHAP’s Medical Director, more than 30% of CHAP’s patients suffer from diabetes or another chronic illness. “Low-income, chronically ill patients require a significant amount of our limited resources. Increasing their access to behavioral health care and pharmacy services will improve the health of these patients as well as lower the long-term cost of their care,” Dr. Artavia said. At a time when CHAP sees new patients daily due to recent job losses and no longer being covered by employer insurance, these funds are a positive light for the organization and the people it serves.
