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CBIRS Request 180
 
Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #180
Charlotte Dental Services - Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida
 
Requester: Lalai Hamric, President and CE Organization: Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida, Inc.
 
Project Title: Charlotte Dental Services - Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida Date Submitted 1/15/2003 9:57:04 AM
 
Sponsors: Bennett, Carlton
 
Statewide Interest:
This request is for a one time appropriation of non-recurring, general revenue dollars to fund a documented need for equipment to provide for dental health care services in Charlotte County for individuals that are uninsured or underinsured for such services. The availability of dental health care services is fundamental to public health. The failure to provide for preventive and therapeutic dental care on a regular basis causes a deterioration of public health in the community that public agencies will ultimately pay for in other ways. There is a statewide interest in insuring that Medicaid patients who have dental coverage and others without dental insurance have access to dental health care services in order to promote public health.
 
Recipient: Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida, Inc.   Contact: Dan Halvatzis, Chief Operating  
  2256 Heitman Street   Contact Phone: (239) 278-3600  
  Ft. Myers 33901
 
Counties: Charlotte
 
Gov't Entity:   Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): Yes
 
Project Description:
Family Health Centers operates 12 health care offices in three counties in SW Florida that offer primary health care services, dental services, obstetrics and gynecological services and pharmacy services to approximately 40,000 patients. The patient mix is roughly one third Medicaid, one third Medicare and one third private pay or medically indigent without insurance. The Port Charlotte office is located 3.5 miles north of Punta Gorda in Charlotte County and currently offers primary health care services. These funds will provide part of the capital cost of purchasing equipment for six dental treatment operatories for the existing Port Charlotte office so that that facility may begin offering dental care services. The total project cost is estimated to be $420,000 of which $250,000 is being requested from the State of Florida. All of these funds would be used to purchase dental equipment for treatment rooms. Currently, Family Health Centers only provides dental care services at its Ft. Myers office in Lee County, 27 miles south of the Port Charlotte office.
 
Is this a water project as described in Chapter 2002-291, Laws of Florida? No
 
Measurable Outcome Anticipated:
Family Health Centers plans to use these six new treatment rooms at its Port Charlotte health care office to begin offering dental care to uninsured and underinsured residents of Charlotte and surrounding counties who are not currently receiving such care. There will be a measurable outcome in terms of the number of patients that will receive dental care services that presently do not receive such services. Family Health Centers will maintain records of those that receive such services at its Charlotte office.
 
Amount requested from the State for this project this year: $250,000
 
Total cost of the project: $420,000
 
Request has been made to fund: Construction
 
What type of match exists for this project? Local, Private
  Cash Amount $170,000  
 
Was this project previously funded by the state?   No
 
Is future-year funding likely to be requested?   Unknown
 
Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?   No
 
Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? No
 
Is there a documented need for this project? Yes
  Documentation: FL Gulf Coast University Study, Health Care and U.S. Census Data
 
Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?   Yes
  Hearing Body: Charlotte County Legislative Delegation
  Hearing Meeting Date: 12/03/2002