October 12th, 2021 — On September 16th, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services awarded over $48 Million to various HRSA-supported health centers nationwide. The grant funding is directed towards ending the HIV epidemic by expanding HIV prevention and treatment services. With Texas only receiving five of these grants, Community Health Network (CHN) received the second-largest grant in the state.
The two-year funding enables CHN to purchase a mobile van for outreach purposes to provide free HIV testing and education, establish Opt-Out HIV testing for patients, and hire two HIV case managers who improve patient access to PReP. The primary goal is to prevent new infections and link newly identified individuals with HIV into primary care for treatment.
“Community Health Network is pleased to provide increased efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in our communities. Our work to address HIV disease will focus on prevention measures that will integrate into our current care system,” said Mark Young, Community Health Network’s Chief Executive Officer.
“CHN is grateful for the opportunity the funding affords us to serve the community and improve linkage to care for individuals we identify as positive for HIV. The grant will continue our mission to provide quality care and access to new patients and conduct outreach and testing in our service area,” said Penny Pabst, Community Health Network’s Chief Administrative Officer.
Community Health Network is a system of federally qualified health clinics located in Brazoria, Galveston, and Harris Counties that provide pharmacy, primary care, pediatrics, women’s health, men’s health, senior health, oral health care, psychiatry, and therapy. Community Health Network is dedicated to developing systems of care that are of high value to the people we serve. CHN accepts Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare, private insurance, and self-payments. Individuals and families that are uninsured may be eligible for care at a discounted price. Patients’ ineligible for discount pricing will find substantial value and savings for office visits, lab costs, and pharmacy pricing.
Community Health Network offers access to virtual and in-office appointments for pediatric, counseling, therapeutic services, gynecology, prenatal care, and adult medicine. For additional information, visit www.mychn.org or call 281-824-1480.
