Body of Christ Community Clinic

The working poor, unemployed, and uninsured in the community are able to access primary medical and dental care. Other than the local emergency room, there is no other resource in East Bell County for unemployed residents to receive this care. Having an evening clinic allows the working poor to see a physician without having to miss work. By establishing a Diabetes Clinic, patients are receiving continuity of care. The diabetes educator provides one - on- one counseling to patients to help them manage their disease as well as to encourage them that they can “live well” with a chronic disease.

In addition, 51.6% of the community members do not have access to dental care. Dental care is one of the largest unmet needs among the low income population. Emergency rooms will provide medical services, even to those uninsured or unable to pay; however, they will NOT provide any form of dental care, other than antibiotics. There is ample evidence that dental health contributes greatly to overall physical health and well-being, and that severe dental problems contribute to or exacerbate serious illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes1. While preventative dental care can stave off a host of health problems, many Central Texans cannot afford the insurance or the care they need to maintain healthy teeth and gums. This leaves low-income, no-income, some Medicare and Medicaid recipients and uninsured, with only temporary relief and no actual solution.
Bell County has a large retired military population. Dental care is not available to Veterans unless their service is 100% military disabled.

The clinic recently added a licensed provider trained in integrated behavioral health and can expand our screenings and services as a result. The clinic has not historically screened for mental health, substance use, adverse childhood experiences or social determinants of health. The main driver of health costs are chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking). Behavioral health providers are desperately needed to support the overall health of our patients and to reduce the overall costs of medical care.
The World Health Organization (2016) defines SDOH as the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, including the larger issues that impact the quality of daily life. These systems include economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies and political systems (p. 7). SDOH include factors such as income, social support, education, housing, personal safety, and transportation. Decreased income, education, social status, and social support are correlated with increased morbidity and premature mortality.

The clinic will provide support and case management services for patients who screen positive for SDoH needs. The trained Diabetes Navigator will give support to patients diagnosed with Type II diabetes.
Patients will receive brief evidence-based therapy on the topics of chronic pain, insomnia, weight management and improving overall health through health coaching.

The clinic will also recruit and train volunteers for the clinic that can provide support in the four areas:
Career Coaching, ESL Classes, Healthy Me and Support Groups. The clinic will also provide bi-annual training to the community on overall Health. The goal will to be to increase attitudes, knowledge, beliefs and improved utilization.
All staff will receive training on Screening and Brief Intervention and Referral To Treatment, Counseling Around Access to Means (CALM), PhQ9, GAD, SDOH, HOPE, and ACES. Staff will receive a training on burn-out and self-care and training on supporting the health of vulnerable veterans and their families.

Provide follow up phone calls to all patients with BMI> 30 and no outstanding appointments
95% of diabetic patient will receive Glucose or A1C at every visit to verify their current outcomes regarding diabetic care
95% of patients coming into the clinic and patients with Blood pressures above 120/80 provide a follow-up appointment in a month to follow up.
Measure changes in BMI over six months and record the medical interventions and provide a qualitative interview to patients as to what were the external factors that influenced the patients going from a BMI >40 to BMI <35.

Increase by 30% dental visits from patients utilizing the medical clinic. The goal is to help individuals increase their employment opportunities, avoid costly emergency department visits, and increase the ability of patients to eat nutritional foods.

The recent addition of a Behavioral Health Counselor will provide training on Screening and Brief Intervention and Referral To Treatment, Counseling Around Access to Means (CALM), PhQ9, GAD, SDOH, HOPE, and ACES. Staff will receive a training on burn-out and self-care and training on supporting the health of vulnerable veterans and their families.

The clinic has 6 part-time employees and approximately 175 volunteers staff the clinic, including doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, dentists, dental assistants, dental hygienists, lab techs and receptionists. Some volunteer weekly and others once a month. The medical clinic is open 2 days per week and the dental clinic is open 3 1/2 days per week.

The clinic provided 3012 patient encounters in 2022.