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4. How does your program differ from similar ones provided in the community? How do the programs complement those <br />offered by other agencies. <br />The county health department is the only agency charged by Florida Statute with control of communicable disease, the <br />provision and regulation of environmental health services, and primary care, primarily to those who are uninsured or <br />underinsured. We are responsible for protecting the public health of the community. By Florida Statute 154.01, county <br />health departments operate in partnership with the county. This relationship is solidified each year in the state and county <br />contract, signed by both agencies. <br />Our primary care services focus on prevention and education as part of the medical visit, and we are the largest provider of <br />primary care to the indigent in the county. The health department's vision is to work in concert with a number of community <br />agencies towards an integrated health care system. We view ourselves as part of a publicly funded primary care network <br />that serves as a safety net for Medicaid, uninsured, underinsured, and working poor. The health department's primary care <br />programs, including the Gifford Health Center, serve the majority of our county in cooperation with Treasure Coast <br />Community Health, and the VNA mobile van, which provides episodic care throughout the county. We most recently <br />responded again this year to Hurricane Irma with staff at the Special Needs Shelter. Hurricanes Matthew and Irma costs <br />for our portion of unreimbursed FEMA expenses that will not be reimbursed is at $170,390. <br />5. Please describe the staffing requirements of these programs. Be specific in indicating the number of paid professional <br />positions and paid support staff positions. <br />Communicable Disease -26.45 FTE Primary Care -76.11 FTE Environmental Health -15.88 FTE* <br />*Further information on breakdown of programs within these categories is included with this request. <br />6. Do these programs utilize volunteers? If yes, please briefly describe. <br />As part of our primary care program, we have partnered with the Indian River County Medical Society for the We Care <br />program. We Care provides limited access to specialty care through volunteer physicians who receive sovereign immunity <br />for those patients they see under the program. Patients are referred through the health department or Treasure Coast <br />Community Health Center. The patients must meet income qualification for charity care through Indian River Medical <br />Center. We Care Coordinators then arrange for services through the program. Referral to the program does not guarantee <br />services, and emergency care is not provided. As the patients are dependant on the generosity of volunteers, and services <br />are entirely donated, there are often long intervals between referrals and care provided. <br />The We Care volunteer physician program provided $1,254,312 worth of services to patients referred in 2017, a 13% <br />increase over 2016. A second nurse coordinator was hired in the beginning of 2015, and we hired a physician in March <br />of 2016. <br />• 217 Primary Care Patient Visits seen in the health department by volunteer physicians <br />• 269 Specialty Care Patient Visits seen in the health department by volunteer physicians <br />• 541 Specialty Care Patient Visits seen in the physician's office <br />• 1054 Radiological Procedure Interpretations <br />• 297 Special Procedures/Surgical Procedures with Anesthesia <br />26 <br />