Health Care Services
Mission: To provide curative, preventative and diagnostic medical, dental and pharmaceutical care or specialist referrals to Catawba County residents who do not have access to these services, through the efforts of area health care professionals and volunteers.
We provide quality medical and pharmaceutical services to uninsured residents of Catawba County between the ages of 18 – 64 who meet 200% of federal poverty guidelines. If you are currently on Medicaid or Medicare, you are not eligible for our services.
Overview of Health Care Services in 2009
One of our fastest growing needs is Health Care Services. The qualified uninsured people of Catawba County are our focus population. The qualified uninsured of Catawba County depends on GHCCM for medical assistance and their medicines. The Diabetic Education Center partnership with Catawba Valley Medical Center and Catawba Valley Community College Nursing has graduated 48 individuals as of May 2009. This is well ahead of the 50 individuals projected for all of 2009. The high unemployment rate (hovering around 15%) in Catawba County along with the expansion of the client base of several local social services nonprofits has resulted in greater pressure on GHCCM Health Care Services to meet this growing need and to recruit more volunteer medical professionals. We are a member of the North Carolina Association of Free Clinics. Included in collaborations presently underway: working with local health leaders developing a collaborative network in Catawba County with the Care Share Health Alliance, several specialty clinics to support uninsured with chronic illness, and the Nightingale's Nest for nurse advocacy (patient case management).
In 2010, we served over 13,000 residents without health insurance. Our Clinics have over 6,000 patient visits annually. These visits include Primary Care Clinic, Dental Clinic, and Vision Clinic. MACC (Medical Access for Catawba County) is now in partnership with 110 Medical Practices. The Diabetic Outreach collaboration has seen over 160 individuals “graduate” from the ADA approved education program. The GHCCM Pharmacy is filling nearly 4,000 prescriptions monthly, now filling prescriptions for Catawba Behavior Health patients. The Diabetic Outreach Clinic now has classes in English and Spanish. HIV/Aids testing takes place at GHCCM partnering with ALFA. GHCCM serves more people than any other local crisis agency in the area and is the only local 501(c)3 receiving 4 out of 4 stars from Charity Navigator. GHCCM collaborates and partners with many local groups and organizations to improve the quality of life and human relations in Hickory.
Health Care Links
http://www.bcbsncfoundation.org
Catawba Valley Medical Center
(http://www.catawbavalleymedical.org/index.html)
Frye Regional Medical Center
(http://www.fryemedctr.com/en-US/Pages/default.aspx)
ALFA
(http://www.alfainfo.org/)
Catawba Valley Behavioral Health
(http://www.cvbh.org)
Catawba County Public Health
(http://www.catawbacountync.gov/phealth)
Catawba County Social Services
(http://www.catawbacountync.gov/dss)
Piedmont Urgent Care
(http://www.piedmonturgentcare.com)