Community Health Center takes over WIC program Feb. 1

When Lincoln County ends its role of the Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) on Jan. 31, patients served by the federally funded program will scarcely miss a beat as the Northwest Community Health Center will assume care on Feb. 1.

“It makes perfect sense,” said CHC Executive Director Maria Clemons. “Many of the same participants who are served by WIC are already coming here as our patients.”

Clemons said the county approached the CHC about the WIC program.

“Conversations started a really long time ago,” Clemons said. “And, I think the county was looking for a way to save budget dollars, but really had an interest in continuing WIC services in the county. So, they really didn’t want to do away with it not knowing whether someone else would pick it up.”

Clemons said she and the county began talking about assuming the WIC program more than a year ago and “got pretty serious about last September.”

“They said, ‘We feel like we’re subsidizing this. We don’t feel like we can subsidize this. If you’re still interested, would you respond,’” Clemons said detailing the exchange.

Lincoln County Presiding Commissioner Tony Berget said as the county looks to trim a fifth of its budget during the next five years, the WIC program was one that was considered as long as another agency could pick it up.

“That’s the way we looked at it,” Berget said. “We were subsidizing it. we didn’t want to do away with it if no other agency was going to take it over. For the CHC, it’s makes sense.”

Clemons said the CHC expressed an interest in “maintaining the service.”

Asked about the efficiency of providing WIC services at the CHC as opposed through a county office, Clemons said the change is a good match for the CHC.

“I think with the services we provide here, the WIC program is a good complement,” she said. “So, I think from an efficiency and patient-care standpoint, it makes a lot sense because they can save another visit, an extra leave from work because they have their health-care and WIC visit all in one. But, I can’t say we can run it any more efficiently. It’s a really structured program.”

Clemons said the CHC will hire one person to handle the WIC program and perhaps another in six months, who will be half-time, sharing time between the CHC and WIC.

As for the budget, the program will run on $42,000 for the next eight months and then will be renewed by the USDA in September.

To handle the added load of the WIC program, the CHC is discussing expansion.

“Nothing is final, but there are tentative plans for expansion,” Clemons said. “Nothing is approved by our board, but we are moving forward with preparing schematic designs.”

The expansion may include an additional 6,000 square feet, and that expansion would be upward as opposed to outward.

In the interim, Clemons said there is sufficient space to accept the WIC program.

“There is enough room now, but it will be tight,” she said. “We’re really at capacity, and we’re starting to plan for our future. What that looks like, I’m not exactly sure. I can’t put another person in another closet.”

Clemons said the expansion really has more to with county demographics than just the addition of WIC services.

“We’re still in a health-provider shortage area. We could use more physicians, so it’s really a big-picture planning process. WIC will really be just a small component of the process here.”

While the WIC program will assist fewer than 400 participants, the CHC served more than 6,200 unduplicated patients last year.

The WIC program offers nutritional information, health assessments, information on breastfeeding, health referrals and benefits to buy healthy foods. Services will be offered in Libby, Troy and Eureka.

The CHC also can assist with registration for Obamacare. For more information about all these services, contact the Northwest Community Health Center at 293-6900.