By SALINA POST
The team at Salina Family Healthcare Center (SFHC) was excited to host US Senator Dr. Roger Marshall for a tour of its Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) on Tuesday.
“The healthcare system faces many challenges today. Showing our leaders in Washington, D.C. how healthcare is being delivered locally helps inform federal policies that promote the health and wellbeing of the friends and neighbors in our communities,” said CEO Dr. Bob Kraft.
“Senator Marshall has been an advocate for enhancing primary care for the state of Kansas and the role that health centers must play in promoting the health of our communities. Doc Marshall knows the health center network in Kansas very well. He recognizes the value that health centers bring to our patients, our communities, and to the healthcare system. Salina Family Healthcare Center appreciates his ongoing support, particularly in a Washington, D.C. environment that underappreciates those working to solve real problems forreal people.”
Senator Marshall started his visit with a clinic tour. On the tour, SFHC showcased:
• Their integrated care model - where patients can see their primary care provider and have mental health and dental consultations at the same time in the same place
• The statewide impact the Smoky Hill Family Medicine Residency Program has on filling physician shortages across Kansas
• How the Federal 340B program not only passes on discounted prescription prices to qualifying patients, but also funds valuable clinic services with low-reimbursement rates such as food assistance, nutrition, and mental health services.
After the tour, Senator Marshall and the SFHC team discussed healthcare legislation of mutual interest and how the two could work together to better the health of Kansans, both in Salina and across the state, especially in areas of preventative care and workforce.
Senator Marshall is currently working in a bipartisan fashion to help with health center funding in the Senate HELP (Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions) Committee.
“It is clear that through his experience as a Kansas physician and in his work as a U.S. Senator, that Doctor Roger Marshall has a special interest in and a role to play in improving healthcare in Kansas and across the country,” said Dr. Kraft.
“SFHC always seeks to improve the health of our patients, regardless of their ability to pay. We feel encouraged that Senator Marshall’s leadership and collaboration on healthcare issues will improve the lives of those we care for and care about. We look forward to working with all elected officials like Dr. Marshall who genuinely care about our community.”
Senator Marshall, M.D. was invited to visit this facility and gladly took the opportunity to do so as a former physician who ran a hospital. August is also the month that the National Association of Community Health Clinics celebrate National Health Center Week – Salina is a Federally Qualified Health Center and part of the state’s community health clinic system. We were glad to get an inside look at their operation and discuss their unique success and challenges.