Horizon Health Care, Inc. Receives Federal Start-Up Funding to Open Community Health Center in Huron
Horizon’s Community-Based Health Care Network Welcomes the Opportunity to Provide Huron Patients Quality Medical Care and Financial Resources
(HOWARD, SD) – Horizon Health Care, Inc., a rural, community-based network providing affordable, high-quality primary healthcare throughout 15 medical and dental clinics in South Dakota, received federal funding August 9, 2011 to open a community health center in Huron.
Horizon’s newest community health center will provide patients with personalized, quality, primary health care with the extra benefit of enhanced resources like the Sliding Fee Program, participation with Avera and Sanford networks and acceptance of most health insurance. The funding will help Horizon cover start-up costs and allow Horizon to offset the costs of providing reduced patient fees through the Sliding Fee Program.
“Our main focus is to offer quality health care that is accessible to the community as a whole,” said John Mengenhausen, CEO of Horizon Health Care, Inc. “And with Horizon’s Sliding Fee Program, partnerships with providers in neighboring areas, as well as expanded medical services, we’re excited about being able to serve even more people in the Huron and surrounding communities.”
Scheduled to begin serving patients 120 days from August, 1 2011, Horizon Health Care is actively looking for the location of the new health center and new staff recruitment is underway. Horizon’s existing providers in the surrounding areas will be available for training and to provide specialty services.
With Horizon’s access to comprehensive medical services and financial assistance resources, the Huron clinic will be the only community health center in the Huron area offering financial assistance through the Sliding Fee Program, a chief resource for uninsured or underinsured members of the community. The program offers reduced prices on office visits and all other services provided in the clinic to all individuals and families who qualify. The Sliding Fee Program is based on family income and may reduce a patient’s bill by 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, or more. Patients may qualify even if they are covered by Medicare, Medicaid or health insurance.
The new community health center will provide the Huron community with a wide range of health services such as family medicine, pediatrics, emergency treatment, x-ray and lab services. The Huron office will begin as a paperless office with the implementation of Horizon’s Practice Management/Electronic Medical Record and telemedicine capability. Horizon’s comprehensive network also will provide patients referral and telemedicine resources to include oncology/hematology, nephrology, dermatology, pulmonary, infectious disease, wound/ostomy/continence, behavioral health, endocrinology and cardiology.
For over 30 years, Horizon Health Care, Inc. has been providing personalized, affordable, high-quality primary healthcare through a rural, community-based network of 15 medical and dental clinics throughout South Dakota. Horizon serves the health care and dental needs of South Dakotans in rural, medically underserved areas through 63,000 patient visits annually in the following communities: Bryant, DeSmet, Howard, Lake Preston, Martin, Mission, Plankinton, Springfield, Wessington Springs, White River and Woonsocket. For more information please visit http://www.horizonhealthcare.org/.
