Healthcare Network expands care for our growing community | Opinion – The News-Press

 

Healthcare Network’s Strategic Expansion in Collier County and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Bridging Healthcare Gaps in a Growing Community

In response to the rapid population and economic growth in Collier County, Healthcare Network, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), is implementing a strategic expansion of services and infrastructure. This initiative is directly aligned with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily focusing on ensuring community health and well-being while reducing systemic inequalities.

Programmatic Enhancements for Health and Well-being (SDG 3)

To address critical health needs and promote well-being for all residents, Healthcare Network has introduced a series of new and enhanced programs. These efforts directly support SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by expanding access to comprehensive and specialized care.

• Primary Care Addiction Treatment (PCAT): A new program offering compassionate, judgment-free treatment for adults with substance use disorders.
• Specialized Medical Services: Introduction of optometry and infusion therapy to treat chronic conditions such as Lupus, Rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn’s disease.
• Pediatric Care Advancements: With support from the Naples Children and Education Foundation (NCEF), new services include intravenous sedation for pediatric dental patients with disabilities or severe anxiety, ensuring access to essential care.
• Convenient Care Options: New models are being deployed to ensure greater access to comprehensive care for traditionally underserved communities.

Infrastructure Development to Reduce Inequalities (SDG 10 & SDG 11)

A core component of the strategy involves significant investment in physical and mobile infrastructure to eliminate “health care deserts” and improve access in underserved areas. This work contributes to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

1. Van Domelen Community Health Center: Supported by $9.25 million in state funding, a new comprehensive health center is being constructed in the Orangetree area of Golden Gate Estates, a community with no existing primary care providers. It is projected to serve nearly 30,000 patients in its first year.
2. Marion E. Fether Medical Center Renovation: A $5 million renovation is underway to upgrade technology and enhance patient access at the Immokalee center, one of the most underserved areas in Florida.
3. Van Domelen Health Express: A 45-foot mobile medical and dental unit was launched in December 2024 to deliver essential services directly to remote areas like Everglades City and Chokoloskee, as well as schools and neighborhoods.
4. Veterans Park Health Center Consolidation: The relocation of Family Care North and Infusion Care practices to this center creates an integrated hub for women’s care, pediatrics, family medicine, lab services, and behavioral health, improving convenience and care coordination.

Fostering Partnerships and Quality Education (SDG 17 & SDG 4)

The success of this expansion relies on strategic collaborations and a commitment to developing future healthcare professionals, aligning with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).

• School-Based Health Clinic: A partnership with NCEF established a clinic at Manatee Middle School, providing on-campus primary care. This initiative supports SDG 4 by reducing student absenteeism and removing barriers to academic success.
• Professional Training Programs: In collaboration with Lee Health and Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH), a family medicine residency program was created. A new pediatric dental residency program has also been launched to train the next generation of community-focused providers.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article’s central theme is the expansion of healthcare services by the Healthcare Network in Collier County. It details efforts to provide accessible, quality health care, including primary care, addiction treatment, dental services, and specialized therapies, directly contributing to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The article emphasizes bridging “health care gaps” and reaching “underserved communities,” “at-risk populations,” and “health care deserts” like Immokalee, Everglades City, and Chokoloskee. This focus on providing services to marginalized and previously unserved populations directly addresses the goal of reducing inequalities in access to essential services.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The initiatives described aim to make communities in Collier County more inclusive and sustainable by ensuring access to basic services. The construction of a new health center in an area where “no primary care providers currently exist” and the deployment of a mobile medical unit improve the infrastructure and service provision within these communities.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• The article mentions the launch of a school-based clinic at Manatee Middle School. This initiative is explicitly linked to supporting education by helping “keep students healthy, reduces absenteeism, and supports academic success,” thereby contributing to safe and effective learning environments.

Specific Targets Identified

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
   • The article describes the work of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) committed to making healthcare “accessible, affordable and comprehensive for everyone.” Initiatives like the new Van Domelen Community Health Center in an unserved area, the mobile Van Domelen Health Express unit for “health care deserts,” and the expansion of services like optometry and infusion therapy all work towards increasing access to quality essential healthcare services.
2. Target 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol.
   • The introduction of the “Primary Care Addiction Treatment (PCAT) for adults combatting substance use disorders” is a direct action aimed at strengthening the treatment of substance abuse within the community.
3. Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
   • The provision of infusion therapy for non-communicable diseases like “Lupus, Rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease” and the integration of “behavioral health counseling” contribute to this target. The focus on preventative care in school clinics also aligns with this goal.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

1. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
   • The entire strategy of the Healthcare Network is focused on inclusion by targeting “underserved communities,” renovating facilities in areas like Immokalee which is “one of the most underserved,” and providing specialized care for “children with disabilities or severe anxiety.”

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

1. Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
   • The article details the construction of a new health center in the “Orangetree area of Golden Gate Estates, where no primary care providers currently exist.” This directly provides access to a basic service (healthcare) in a previously unserved residential area.

SDG 4: Quality Education

1. Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
   • The launch of a “school-based clinic at Manatee Middle School” to provide primary care services directly on campus enhances the learning environment by removing barriers to health, reducing absenteeism, and supporting student well-being and academic success.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

Indicators for SDG 3

• Number of patients served by new facilities: The article states the new Van Domelen Community Health Center “will serve nearly 30,000 patients in its first year,” which is a direct quantitative indicator of increased access to care (Target 3.8).
• Coverage of new services: The number of adults enrolled in the Primary Care Addiction Treatment (PCAT) program would be an indicator for Target 3.5. The number of patients receiving infusion therapy or optometry services would indicate progress on Target 3.4 and 3.8.
• Geographic reach of services: The number of stops made and patients seen by the “Van Domelen Health Express” mobile unit in “health care deserts” like Everglades City and Chokoloskee serves as an indicator for expanded universal health coverage (Target 3.8).

Indicators for SDG 4

• Student absenteeism rates: The article implies that a key metric for the success of the school-based clinic is its ability to “reduce absenteeism.” Tracking this rate at Manatee Middle School would be a direct indicator for Target 4.a.

Indicators for SDG 10

• Service provision in underserved areas: The number of patients treated at the renovated Marion E. Fether Medical Center in Immokalee and the number of children with disabilities receiving intravenous sedation for dental care are specific indicators of progress in reducing health inequalities (Target 10.2).

Indicators for SDG 11

• Availability of basic services: The establishment of a new comprehensive health center in an area where “no primary care providers currently exist” is a binary indicator (from 0 to 1) of providing access to basic services in a community (Target 11.1).

Summary of Findings

SDGs	Targets	Indicators
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.8: Achieve universal health coverage and access to quality essential health-care services. 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse. 3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases.	– Number of patients served by new health centers (e.g., “nearly 30,000 patients in its first year”). – Number of patients reached by the mobile medical unit in “health care deserts.” – Number of adults enrolled in the Primary Care Addiction Treatment (PCAT) program. – Number of patients receiving specialized care like infusion therapy for non-communicable diseases.
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	10.2: Empower and promote the social inclusion of all, irrespective of disability or economic status.	– Number of patients served in historically “underserved” areas like Immokalee. – Provision of specialized dental care for “children with disabilities or severe anxiety.” – Deployment of mobile health services to isolated communities like Everglades City.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate basic services.	– Establishment of a new health center in a community where “no primary care providers currently exist.” – Renovation and technological upgrade of medical centers in underserved areas.
SDG 4: Quality Education	4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities to provide safe and effective learning environments for all.	– Establishment of a “school-based clinic” at Manatee Middle School. – Implied indicator: Reduction in student “absenteeism” rates.

Source: news-press.com