HEALTH

Rapid Testing of COVID-19 in Bay County by: Ashley Kelley, Pancare FL

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about an immediate need for a nationwide response strategy, “When we as a nation first learned of the COVID-19 health crisis, we knew this had the potential of radically expanding throughout the United States. We at PanCare immediately took action to increase our personal protective equipment inventory to keep our staff safe and began putting a plan together to obtain and administer testing within our communities. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, it is our responsibility to aid our communities during a public health crisis, and we rose to the challenge,” stated Mike Hill, PanCare’s Founder, President and CEO. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, PanCare utilized their mobile healthcare units to support community drive-thru testing sites. The first testing site was opened on March 23, 2020, and they have since expanded to open five additional stationary community testing sites as well as establish mobile COVID-19 response teams to set up at businesses and large neighborhoods to provide testing on-site. PanCare has since

provided Antigen, Antibody, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing to thousands, and will continue to provide testing as long as it’s needed.

Prior to school closures due to COVID-19, PanCare provided high-quality healthcare for students on school campuses throughout the school year and will continue to do so once schools are back in session. This school-based health services program is designed to appraise, protect, and promote the health of students as well as provide preventive and emergency school-based health services in accordance with the local School Health Services Plan. PanCare currently employs health technicians in 29 Bay District School and provides health screenings, school and sports physicals, and dental services on campus. PanCare also continues to expand its TeleHealth program by providing access to primary medical care, behavioral health, opioid counseling, and education for children and youth in underserved service areas. PanCare currently operates 33 TeleHealth clinics on school campuses with

plans to continue expanding. School TeleHealth sites are staffed with a licensed practical nurse who assists students during their TeleHealth encounter with one of PanCare’s medical providers. This approach continues to increase access to needed services for students while leveraging PanCare’s existing resources, including primary healthcare providers, behavioral health counselors, a psychologist, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner. All services provided through this program are provided at no cost to the student’s parents or the school.

PanCare operates Florida’s largest mobile healthcare fleet comprised of eleven mobile units, two semi-tractors, and six chase vehicles. These mobile clinics provide health screenings, lead testing, school and sports physicals, primary healthcare services, as well as dental exams, cleanings, extractions, and sealants at numerous schools, community events, and assisted living facilities. This program has allowed for nearly 20,000 patients to receive healthcare services each year conveniently.

PanCare’s in-house pharmacy is now open and providing comprehensive and fully integrated pharmaceutical care for PanCare patients. As PanCare is a Federally Qualified Health Center, they have qualified to be a 340b pharmacy. This allows for previously high-cost medications to become available to patients at remarkably lower prices through income-based sliding scales. Having an on-site pharmacy provides for real-time communication with PanCare’s medical providers, enabling PanCare to overcome many barriers that would cause delays in patients initiating or continuing their pharmacological care and treatments. PanCare’s pharmacy staff strive to create and maintain genuine relationships with patients to enable them to lead healthier, happier lives.

PanCare’s proposed Regional Healthcare Center located at 15th Street and Sherman Avenue in Panama City will provide specialty care in Women’s Health, Cardiology, Physical Therapy/Chiropractic, Gastroenterology, Primary Care, and Internal Medicine/Infectious Disease. Also planned on campus is a joint-use facility used for training, special needs shelter, community events, Infusion Therapy, and Ophthalmology. PanCare’s existing clinic building adjacent to this six-acre site will be converted into a Pediatric clinic, and Pharmacy services will be relocated to a stand-alone building on the property. Approximately 38% of PanCare’s current patients require a referral to a specialist, with 42% of patients

having Medicaid or Medicare, and 42% being uninsured patients having difficulties following through with specialist referrals. The Regional Health Center Specialty Clinics will accept patients with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, as well as be the only specialty provider in our region that provides services on a lowcost sliding fee scale for uninsured patients. It’s projected that this Regional Healthcare Center will cost approximately 30 million dollars to complete. PanCare is actively seeking grant funding and low-interest loans to make this Healthcare Center a reality, and with expeditious funding approval, the hope is to have this campus completed in 5 years.

PanCare continues an aggressive investment strategy allowing for continued expansion to provide essential healthcare to Northwest Florida to meet the ever-growing needs of our communities. This includes additional property acquisition as well as expansion in all healthcare services provided. As the needs of our communities continue to grow, PanCare strives to proactively anticipate future growth, needs, and trends in innovative ways. People in our communities deserve to have convenient and affordable access to healthcare, whatever that takes, and PanCare remains fully committed to this endeavor.

About PanCare

PanCare of Florida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community health organization providing medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, school-based health, TeleHealth, and mobile healthcare services to communities throughout Northwest Florida. PanCare has continued to expand and grow at a phenomenal rate adding new clinical sites, pharmacies, mobile units, programs and personnel to the organization. PanCare’s mission is to provide a comprehensive system of quality healthcare services which is easily accessed by all persons and families within their service areas through an efficient, community-based network of caring professionals who ensure the dignity and respect of each individual they serve.

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