The general philosophy for services funded under the Health Care Services Section is that related program services provided to eligible Broward County residents in need of health related services are both targeted and specialized. The goal of these services is to develop skills through the delivery of health related care that maintain consumers of those services in the least restrictive environment as possible.

This vision is achieved through values that demonstrate the funded Applicant Agencies’ understanding of disparities in healthcare outcomes within traditionally underserved and low-income segments of our community who are often disenfranchised from medical care and social services. In doing so, funded Health Care Services agencies will integrate the most up to date standards of care/guidelines and use of National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in programs as described in Section D of this Chapter. Further, the shared vision embraces the Provider’s commitment to the delivery of the highest quality clinical and social services available to the consumer.

Finally, funded agencies providing health services will share in our philosophy, which is that the expected outcome from services received by consumers will produce and maintain self-sufficiency.

Continuum of Care

Broward County’s health delivery system is anchored by an established public primary health care system comprised of two tax-assisted hospital districts offering inpatient and emergency care, and outpatient primary medical care services.  In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, close to 300,000 County-funded primary care service encounters were delivered. Healthcare services in Broward County are complimented by a local health department that is supported in part by funds provided by Broward County under Florida Statute (Chapter 154) and two Federal Qualified Health Centers. The Veterans Services Administration also operates two outpatient clinics located in central and west Broward County.

Funding provided by Broward County’s Health Care Services Section is intended to augment health and support services provided in the County’s health delivery system. Eligible health program funding will not supplement existing program funding, but provide residents with access to health related services that are traditionally not provided within the continuum of care.

Eligible health program funding may also bridge access to such services while clients are on a waitlist, or expand access where service caps or restrictions prevent clients for achieving self-sufficiency while maintaining their ability to reside in the least restrictive environment as possible.

The delivery of funded services will be provided to clients in a coordinated manner across Federal, State and Local programs and will demonstrate how the Provider will continuously monitor applicable wait-lists to ensure that Broward County is the payer of last resort.

Broward County’s healthcare continuum also includes several targeted health related programs and services. These include: 

1. Special Health Services (SHS) – These services include targeted health services delivered by not-for-profit organizations to adult clients with special health care needs that assist those clients to remain in the least restrictive environment possible and achieve self-sufficiency.  The goal of these programs is to provide clients with access to health related services while on a wait-list or expansion of approved services due to existing program caps or restrictions.
   
2. Special Health Initiatives:
   a) HIV Health and Support Services - HIV core medical and support services are provided through community partnerships to promote rapid engagement of persons with HIV to early medical care and interventions that assist Clients with adherence to medical care and retention in care. 
   b) Fetal and Infant Mortality Prevention - Provides support to community coalitions and other partners to promote early access to prenatal care, education, advocacy and public awareness for Broward County residents in the 33311 Zip Code to lower infant mortality rates.  The goal of this initiative is to reduce high rates of infant mortality.
   
3. Health Care Responsibility Act (HCRA) – Provides reimbursement to other Counties’ HCRA approved hospitals for services provided to indigent Broward County residents in emergencies.
   
4. Mental Health - Provides funding for adult mental health services including mobile crisis, inpatient psychiatric services, mentoring and consumer support services.  The County contributes to Local Community Mental Health Match funding to assist approved community mental health providers receiving Florida Department of Children and Families funding for adult mental health services in meeting a portion of their local match obligation.
   a)Domestic Violence - Provides targeted counseling services to persons regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion or gender identity who have experienced a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.