Communities InCharge

Communities in Charge Jacksonville - is a coalition of public and private entities and individuals working toward a fully coordinated community effort to increase healthcare access for low-income working uninsured in Duval County through a partnership between government and the private sector. Care is currently delivered to the uninsured through a... variety of providers and funding sources: The Duval County Health Department and Federally Qualified Health Center have public funds to provide healthcare services to the low-income uninsured. The Health Department also sponsors specialty services for HIV and tuberculosis. The WE CARE Program has a small amount of funding for infrastructure and offers needed medical care provided by volunteers to the low-income uninsured through its 10 donated clinic sites. The IM Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless is a public-private initiative that includes a comprehensive health program that provides medical, dental and behavioral health services to the homeless. Hospitals provide in-patient emergency care to the uninsured on a regular basis. Despite targeted interventions, many of the uninsured continue to use the hospitals as urgent care centers and rarely if ever, participate in primary or preventive services. The Florida Department of Children and Families funds community agencies that provide mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment. The City of Jacksonville funds social services such as mental health and housing assistance. Our community agencies including faith-based organizations offers a variety of social services. The City of Jacksonville allocates $18.5 million annually to Shands Jacksonville to subsidize care to the indigent uninsured. In 1997, a managed care approach was developed to improve cost effectiveness of the funds through proactive management. The program called FirstCare, emphasizes primary care, disease management and utilization review. Enrollees are assigned to a primary care provider and given a membership care plan description and ...Read More