Athens Health Network Conceives Membership

“Athens has the highest poverty rate for a county of its size in the entire United States,” said Erin Sullivan, nurse practitioner at Athens Nurses Clinic. “The uninsured have a very difficult time getting any health care.”

 Sullivan is one of many local health providers who serve on the board of the Athens Health Network, an umbrella organization that serves as a safety net for people who need healthcare here.

 According to Alexandria Chambers, executive director of the organization, the board is made up of the healthcare institutions that provide direct service to the uninsured and underinsured in Athens-Clarke County.

 During a recent meeting, participants talked about taking a new approach to providing health care services in Athens.

 “I think the most exciting thing that has come out of our committee was that we proposed moving the Athens Health Network to a membership organization,” said Dr. Trina Von Waldner, director of postgraduate continuing education in UGA’s College of Pharmacy. “We felt like members would be those who have a role or interest in caring for our population,”

 People who want to belong will probably be asked to pay a small cost.

 Board members talked about charging minimal dues, along the lines of $25 for organizations and $15 for individuals.

 If the changes go through, not only health care providers but also anyone with an interest in helping the uninsured and underinsured in the community will be able to join.

 A possible risk, some suggested, was that providers could be marginalized if newer members are elected to the board.

 Any member may be nominated to the board, but the majority has to be providers. At least 50 percent of the board must be representatives of direct service providers who serve the underinsured, said Chambers, reflecting proposed changes to the group’s bylaws.

 Having members who aren’t direct care providers would be a philosophical shift in how the organization thinks of itself.

“It’s a more holistic view of what community health is about, a less allopathic view, if you will,” said Patricia Thomas, who teaches health journalism at the University of Georgia and has been following the group since its inception.

 Board members agreed that the new approach to membership needed refinement, and possibly discussion at another meeting, before it is finalized.

The Athens Health Network evolved from OneAthens, a community-wide initiative to address persistent poverty in Athens-Clarke County. Health was one of the main concerns of OneAthens, and in 2008 the OneAthens Health Team made detailed recommendations about how health disparities could be addressed in Athens-Clarke County.

 As a result of these recommendations, the Athens Health Network was established in May 2010 as a new entity. Its goal is to reduce healthcare disparities so that low-income residents have access to quality care. AHN has applied for tax-exempt status and is in the process of revising its bylaws: the membership discussion is part of this effort.

 Board members represent Advantage Behavioral Health Systems, Athens Area Community Foundation – Health Partners Committee Representative, Athens Neighborhood Health Center, Athens Nurses Clinic, Athens Regional Medical Center, Athens-Clarke County Government, Athens-Clarke County Public Health Department, Clarke County School District Nurses Program, Health Partners Committee Representative, Mercy Health Center, St. Mary’s Hospital and Health Care System, the UGA College of Public Health and the UGA College of Pharmacy.

Although the membership discussion dominated the board’s Oct 13 meeting, the group’s leaders gave updates on legal and financial issues, website development, the Health Information Exchange (HIE) and the Whatever It Takes (WIT) initiative. The group reviewed data about services provided by local free and low-cost clinics.