Promote the recruitment and retention of additional primary care physicians and dental practitioners serving Macon County was identified by Macon County Public Health as an action, that when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in access to health care in our community. This is an ongoing program in our community.

Current standards/rates of pay have not been effective in attracting medical professionals to rural areas within Macon County. A new hospital has been completed. Hopefully this, plus increased rates of pay, additional benefits, and better advertising will help in attracting talent to our area.

The customers for this program are local medical practices, and the patients they serve. This recruitment program aims to make a difference at the organizational change level. Implementation will take place in local medical offices.

In turn, once medical staff in the area increases, the community care clinics within Macon County will be better able to serve the uninsured and underinsured. Non-Profit clinics in rural areas tend to use local doctors who are willing to provide services at reduced cost. More doctors equals more availablity to more patients.

The partners for this program include:

• Established data sharing with Community Care Clinic of Franklin, Community Care Clinic of Highlands, and Vecinos Health Hub to share monthly visit data to guage patient access to care for low income patients.
• Established monthly data measure to track Primary Care utilization at Macon County Public Health to guage clinic utilization for low income patients. 

• Established School Based Telehealth Program in Macon County Schools.
  • In partnership with Health-e-School, Center for Rural Health Initiative, Macon County Public Health and Macon County Schools established the School-Based Health Center. This program provides access to a licensed medical provider for health care needs directly from each school within the county shools. 
  • Telehealth appointmenst are available each school day, Monday through Friday.

  • Our goal is that ALL children and their parents are connected with a primary care medical home. This program is available to supplement the health care services of students and school staff in Macon County.

  • When appointments with primary care may not be possible; the school-based health program provides access to evaluation by a licensed medical provider during the school day.

  • The school-based health center provides an option to have a child evaluated before leaving school. This saves time from parents having to leaving work. The school nurse determines the student needs to be further evaluated and schedules an appointment with SBHC. 

• ​​​​​​​North Carolina Medicaid Expansion