Community Care Clinics of Macon County
Vescinos Mental Health Visits for Macon County Residents
Current Value
5
Definition
Number of Mental Health Visits provided by Vecinos to Macon County Residents
Story Behind the Measure
The mission of Vecinos, Inc. truly began in April of 2001 when their founders, Josie Ellis, RN and Dr. Mark Heffington, began visiting migrant labor camps in Jackson County, NC, as a program of the Jackson County Health Department. In February of 2004, we were incorporated as a nonprofit organization and, operating with a grant from the North Carolina Farmworker Health Program (NCFHP) and volunteering a lot of their time, Josie and Mark pioneered what is now the Vecinos, Inc. medical outreach model.
Since their inception, Vecinos, Inc. has been providing medical outreach and advocating for the social and economic well-being of farmworkers and their families in our communities. In 2022, our board and staff rededicated Vecinos to serving any uninsured, low-income adult with a specific focus on those in need of Spanish-language services. Their dedication to farmworkers and migrant workers remains at the core of our organization and they are excited to expand their service model to better meet the needs of the community.
Vecinos means ‘neighbors’ in Spanish, and this is the foundation of the organization’s mission. Vecinos believes in reaching out, with open hands and hearts, and being good neighbors.
Vecinos is planning on opening a Community Health Hub in Spring 2024. The Community Health Hub will be the physical co-location of long-allied regional organizations who serve low-income, uninsured adults with services offered in English and Spanish. Vecinos is the anchor organization and will own and operate the building. The Hub will be centrally located at 19 Smoky Mountain Drive, Franklin, NC 28734, where community members can safely seek a variety of services and resources from bilingual staff who highly value cultural humility, integrated care, and respect for the patient. Staff will be cross trained in all organizations’ services to provide a streamlined user experience.
The project is currently 48% funded.
Current funders include:
- Dogwood Health Trust’s Impact Investing
- US Department of Agriculture
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Company and Foundation
- Kates Foundation
- Nantahala Health Foundation
- Church of the Good Shepherd
- Generous individual donors like you!
Coalition Partners:
- Blue Ridge Free Dental Clinic
- Pisgah Legal Services
- 30th Judicial District Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Alliance
- El Centro Comunitario of Macon County
- Vecinos, Anchor Organization
What Works to Do Better (Performance)?
Vecinos is a free clinic, serving 100% uninsured and underinsured patients with free primary and behavioral health care.
Vecinos was started by the Jackson County Health Department in 2001 to meet the health needs of migrant farmworkers, nearly all of whom are Latinx. In 2004, Vecinos was incorporated as an independent 501(c)(3) to carry that mission forward. In 2021, in recognition of a broader need and having grown substantially to meet most farmworker needs at 35 migrant camps, Vecinos broadened its focus to serve all uninsured adults with incomes at or below 200% of poverty level in six counties (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, and Swain). Vecinos is a primary care safety net provider and medical home for indigent patients, with mobile and outpatient clinics and telehealth services providing bilingual integrated preventive, primary, behavioral health, pharmacy, and wraparound services to address social determinants of health. Vecinos has MD, DO, NP, RN, CMA, LCSW, and LCAS providers working at hours that accommodate patients’ work schedules.
Vecinos mobile and outpatient clinics, and the teams that operate them, work collaboratively to deliver patient-centered primary, preventive, and behavioral health care to uninsured adults.
The Integrated Care team is comprised of the Clinical and the Behavioral Health teams. Services include:
- Clinic: Twice-weekly out-patient clinics where patients receive all primary care and behavioral healthcare services. If you can receive it at your primary care doctor or behavioral health specialist, Vecinos probably also offers it — and in Spanish!
- Pharmacy: A limited licensed pharmacy provides prescription and over-the-counter medications with a strong focus on chronic disease management.
- Diagnostic Lab: Patients are able to have labs drawn immediately in the clinic, with immediate results available for some tests.
The Outreach team is comprised of certified Community Health Workers who augment and complement the clinical services offered. Services include:
- Mobile Clinics: Twice-weekly mobile clinics serve patients in their home and community settings. The primary focus of the mobile clinics is migrant farmworkers, breaking down the many barriers to accessing healthcare that migrant workers face. Mobile clinics are a replication of the out-patient clinic services, with full integrated care, pharmacy, and lab services.
- Care Plans: Community Health Workers certified in the Stanford University Living Health with Chronic Diseases curriculum accept referrals from Vecinos’ providers to conduct home visits and create individualized care plans with patients living with uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension. They also conduct regular support groups focused on culturally aligned nutrition and fitness.
- Social Assistance: Vecinos is one of just a few organizations in the region that offers Spanish-language services and, furthermore, a fully bilingual staff. Patients often come to us with needs beyond the normal scope of a health clinic. The Outreach Team helps patients find resources and make connections for all social needs identified, from food insecurity to winter clothing.
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