The Ingham County Health Department has been awarded $1.3 million dollars in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 monies to support increased health care services to Ingham County residents. 
The two year grant will support the hiring of 21 additional staff--nine providers and 12 support staff.  These providers include physicians/dentists/nurse practitioners but will also include much needed mental health and substance abuse providers.  These funds will increase our capacity so that we can serve an additional 4,766 clients per year.

Additionally the award will designate four of our Community Health Centers as Section 330e funded Federally Qualified Health Centers. Three of these centers are currently have FQHC Look-Alike designation. The advantages of becoming a FQHC, versus a Look-Alike, is that the Department will receive direct grant support from the federal government for providing services to the uninsured, we will become eligible for grant opportunities for which we are currently ineligible, our physicians and dentists will be eligible for professional liability coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act, and we may now become eligible for capital expenditures available only to FQHCs under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009.

All of us at ICHD are excited about this wonderful opportunity to better serve the residents of Ingham County.