HEALTHY PEOPLE

STORIES PROGRESS of Ykeisha Govan-Sykes, LMSW, Behavioral Health Care Manager at Access Health in Woodworth:

“The grant from The Rapides Foundation has allowed Access Health to improve and provide better care to our patients through integrated collaborative care management. Patients who have a diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety are able to receive primary and behavioral health care at the same location.”

Access to quality healthcare is important to reduce health disparities and improve health status for people in The Rapides Foundation’s service area. Factors limiting care include financial barriers; personal and cultural barriers; not knowing what to do or where to go; physical or geographic barriers; and shortages in healthcare professionals and facilities. The initiative has a four-component approach to improve healthcare access in the region.

PRIMARY CARE ACCESS, INCLUDING INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

This component seeks to support and increase the capacity of Community Health Centers to integrate behavioral health services and provide quality patientcentered care.

The Foundation offers the Integrated Behavioral Health Implementation Grant to increase access to, and improve the quality of, behavioral health services within the primary care settings of Federally Qualified Health Centers. The goal is to improve health outcomes for patients with behavioral health conditions, including mental health and substance abuse. These multi-year grants are the second of a two-part funding opportunity that begins with an assessment and planning grant. In 2022, Access Health Louisiana was awarded a $300,000, threeyear implementation grant to improve health outcomes for patients presenting with behavioral health conditions at its Woodworth clinic.

The Rapides Foundation continued to monitor 2019 recipients of the Healthcare Quality Improvement Grant, which has the goal of improving chronic disease management at community health centers. These grants assist centers with