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“ In 2021

we provided $12-plus million

in uncompensated care.

As our community grows,

the need for our services will

increase which will in turn

increase our need for

community and

philanthropic support.”

Ulmer addresses Press Club of Southwest Florida.
(Courtesy Kathy Wheeler)

This team provides screenings (blood pressure, glucose tests, reduced costs. Health Centers then pass the savings on to their
etc.) and helps connect individuals with a medical or dental patients through reduced drug prices and invest additional savings
center. To reach farm workers and Spanish-speaking community to expand access and improve health outcomes.
members, a Community Health Worker from our Outreach Team Nearly 34 percent of our patients are uninsured and rely on
hosts a weekly radio segment on Radio Conciencia 107.7 FM -- a 340B discounted drugs to treat chronic conditions including HIV,
radio station from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, dedicated diabetes, respiratory disease and hypertension.
to keeping farmworkers informed and educated -- about important Despite the critical role of the 340B program in sustaining
health topics. the nation’s safety net, pharmaceutical manufacturers have
Q. How important is philanthropy to your mission? continuously attacked the program. Since 2020, 18 pharmaceutical
A. As a health center committed to caring for everyone in our manufacturers have restricted or eliminated access to 340B
community, regardless of income or insurance status, funding is priced drugs through contract pharmacy partners, with eight
always a challenge. We are supported by a combination of patient manufacturers specifically targeting contract pharmacies at
reimbursements, federal funding, grants and public and private Federally Qualified Health Centers, such as Healthcare Network.
philanthropic support. They are commonly known as Community Health Centers, which
In 2021 we provided $12-plus million in uncompensated are community-based and patient-directed – 51 percent of their
care. As our community grows, the need for our services will boards are patients. FQHCs are safety net providers that primarily
increase which will in turn increase our need for community and provide services typically furnished in an outpatient clinic.
philanthropic support. This reduced pharmacy access is harmful to the patient
Q. Is there any state or federal legislation on the horizon that populations that Health Centers primarily serve as an essential
may affect the network's work? resource for vulnerable patients.
A. Yes. The 340B Drug Pricing Program is an essential source
of support for Community Health Centers, like Healthcare
Network. The 340B program allows us to stretch increasingly
scarce federal resources and reinvest in patient care. The program
lets health centers purchase outpatient drugs at significantly

Life in Naples | February 2023 61