| Name | Christin |
|---|---|
| Last Name | McWhorter |
| Home Address | 2287 Edgmon Forest Lane Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 United States |
| Organization Name | Purpose Point Community Health |
| Describe Your Role In The Organization | Program Coordinator for Purpose Point Community Resource Center, which oversees Purpose Point Community Health |
| Organization Address | 2800 North Chamberlain Avenue Chattanooga, Tennessee 37406 United States |
| Website | https://purpose-point.org/community-health/ |
| Best Phone Number To Reach You | (423) 414-6283 |
| Alternate Phone Number | (423) 541-5950 |
| Email Address | info@purpose-point.org |
| Alternate Email Address | christinjj@hotmail.com |
| Please Describe Your Project In Detail | Purpose Point Community Health promotes the development of healthier communities by providing physical, spiritual and emotional care. A health and wellness clinic, located in the heart of East Chattanooga (37406), Purpose Point comprehensively addresses the critical health needs of this and other low- to moderate-income communities. The nonprofit clinic is modeled after Church Health Center, a 501c3 non-profit based in Memphis and the largest charitable clinic in the country; serving over 50,000 working, uninsured individuals with primary care, wellness, and education for over 30 years. A faith-based, charitable health clinic, Purpose Point offers primary medical care and health services to adults with little or no access to care. The clinic’s purpose is to provide an intentional, patient-centered experience, where staff and volunteers use the core values of Love, Respect, Compassion, Dignity, Wellness and Community. It integrates faith and health principles into sustainable action steps for patients to reach their optimal level of well-being. This comprehensive clinic model differs for two reasons. First, it will address a patient’s physical health, while also addressing his/her social, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. The clinic will concentrate on the social determinants of health that limit individuals from improving their overall health, such as housing, transportation, etc. Second, knowing that people are charged to care for one another, the clinic has and will continue to build on community engagement to cultivate relationships with individuals within the community. Its specific focus will be on building healthy communities. With funding from the American Rescue Plan to support the startup costs of the clinic, Purpose Point Community Health will primarily serve residents living in the 37406 and 37416 zip codes. Approximately 30,000 individuals live in these two communities. Among those in 37406, some 80.5% are African-American and almost one in three live below the poverty level, according to U.S. Census data reported in 2019. Some 43.9% of residents in 37416 are African American. The median household income and home values are below those in the City of Chattanooga. A high percentage of residents in both zip codes reported having no earnings. Almost half (47%) or about one of every two residents in 37406 reported having no earnings. In 37416, some 33% or one in three residents reported having no earnings. Some 52.2% of those in our targeted zip codes live below the poverty level in female-headed households; while only 19.5% live in male head-of-households; and 14.9% live in married head-of-households. |
| Please explain how your project meets the requirements of the American Rescue Plan | COVID-19 has highlighted barriers to accessible and equitable care for at risk and vulnerable individuals. These populations disproportionately are at a higher risk of not having access to accurate information, care and supplies to protect themselves and their families from the virus. What we know and have found to work through many of our programs and services is to meet people where they are. Opening in 2020, at the height of COVID, Purpose Point Community Health quickly realigned its services to meet the needs of residents impacted by the economic, healthcare, food access, and mental health challenges brought on by this global pandemic. Clinic staff, along with volunteers, worked directly with community partners to provide direct relief to the most vulnerable. The clinic served as a distribution site for individuals needing food and assisted in checking with these residents to ensure they were well and had other basic needs met. In October 2021, Purpose Point signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Chattanooga’s Office of Community Health to promote and conduct outreach among minorities to increase health literacy, build trust, and improve outcomes and COVID vaccination rates within the City’s targeted communities. Purpose Point Community Health’s strategy going forward is to continue to work with and provide services to adults and families in the targeted communities (37406 and 37416), who have been directly impacted by COVID-19; in relation to a loss of income or economic insecurity. The clinic will provide care for at-risk or vulnerable populations to mitigate COVID’s effects, including compliance with public health precautions and reducing COVID hospitalizations related to complications from diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma and other chronic illnesses and diseases. In addition, the clinic will continue to provide weekly food distribution at two locations: Purpose Point Community Health (East Chattanooga) 2800 N. Chamberlain Avenue Chattanooga, TN 37406; and Mt. Canaan Baptist Church (Bonny Oaks/Hwy 58) 4801 Hwy 58, Chattanooga, TN 37416. The clinic also will provide drive thru COVID testing and vaccinations, in an effort to increase vaccinations (above 40%) among Hamilton County’s African American community. |
| Where would your project take place? | Clinic is in 37406 area; also targeting residents in 37416 area |
| How much will your project cost in total? | 500000 |
| Do you have any matching funding sources from other local governments, private entities, non-profits, or philanthropic entities for your project? | No |
| Please describe the source and list amounts of any other funding. | |
| What portion of the project are you asking the city to fund? | |
| If funded, when would your project start? | July 1, 2022 |
| How long would your project take to complete? | Two years - thru 2024 |
| What milestones would you use to measure your project’s progress? | Provide primary treatment to 10 patients per month. 80% served receive education, information and resources regarding COVID health precautions. Provide 100 food boxes a week to eligible families. Improved health status for patients in 37406 and 37416, particularly those suffering from diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, asthma, depression, obesity, and complications from COVID. Coordination of medical, behavioral, and spiritual care. Improvement in personal accountability (healthy foods, exercise, prevention) for patients. Provide health education to patients through Community Health Coaches. Increased referrals to other medical providers or social service providers. Increased number of uninsured patients served (screened and/or treated). |
| How would you ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle? | Purpose Point Community Health will provide reports and other documentation, as required, to the City of Chattanooga to support grant reports to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, City Council, etc. These reports will outline funding uses, expenditures, milestones reached, and other information requested. City representatives also are encouraged to visit the clinic. The health clinic also provides an annual report to the Purpose Point Community Resource Center, which is the 501c3 nonprofit arm of Mt. Canaan Baptist Church and has oversight of the clinic. In addition, Purpose Point Community Health will post photos and information on its website and Facebook page (Purpose Point Community Health) and seeks available opportunities to market its wholistic health and wellness services to the media and throughout the City of Chattanooga – particularly, to those families in need of our services. |
| If successful, how would your project benefit the community? | In East Chattanooga (37406), some 2,910 residents receive Social Security benefits; 695 are disabled workers; 250 are children (birth to age 17); some 1,825 are over the age of 65; and 1,770 are retired. Though there are local health care services in the targeted communities (37406 and 37416), including primary care and hospitals, many residents in both communities do not access these health care services or do so only during emergencies. Some 75% of low-income residents in 37406 are not accessing healthcare, medical care, or wellness and prevention services. Purpose Point Community Health can be a trusted resource for these residents. Purpose Point Community Health will address healthcare barriers, including: misinformation about COVID; and timely healthcare services and preventative actions to mitigate chronic illnesses and diseases like diabetes, asthma, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, obesity, pre- and post-natal care, cancer, etc. The clinic will provide quality, affordable primary medical care to working uninsured and underinsured individuals and their families. Considering the health statistics of residents in the 37406 and 37416 zip codes, potential clients will greatly benefit from the services offered by Purpose Point Community Health. Our target area will mainly consist of individuals and families at or below the poverty level, who adversely are living with chronic and poor health conditions. Other barriers to health and wellness services that impact low- to moderate-income communities include: fragmented enrollment services, stigmas concerning utilization of services, geographic location of agencies, transportation, and lack of income and insurance. |
| How will you attract community buy-in for your project? | Purpose Point Community Health is under the auspices of Purpose Point Community Resource Center, the non-profit arm of Mount Canaan Baptist Church. The organization’s purpose – to serve the community as a trusted resource that provides health and early education resources to positively impact lives in the Chattanooga area – aligns with the mission of the Mount Canaan Baptist Church. Mount Canaan has been a beacon of light and hope in the East Chattanooga community for the past 79 years. The health clinic is located in the original church in the 37406 area; and the church’s new location is in the 37416 area. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mt. Canaan served as a lead partner and one of several testing site locations among minority faith-organizations and churches. Some 647 tests were administered. Through Purpose Point Community Resource Center, food was distributed to 1,212 families (or 3,217 household members), many of them residents of East Chattanooga. The long-term vision and goals of Purpose Point Community Health are healthier individuals and healthier communities in which everyone thrives. We believe we can achieve our goals by: reducing the incidences of chronic, often preventable, illnesses and diseases; increasing our community’s knowledge of disease interconnections, prevention and treatment by hosting a minimum of 10 workshops and community events monthly; promoting the importance of being more self-aware and employing comprehensive self-care; and responding pro-actively to the emerging spiritual, physical, and emotional health and well-being needs of our neighbors and communities. |
| Name | Pastor Ternae Jordan, Sr. |
| Contact Information | (423) 598-9365 |
| Name | Walter Hitchcock |
| Contact Information | (423) 322-4988 |
| Name | Lucia Cook |
| Contact Information | (570) 650-4676 |
| Name | Timothy Scotton |
| Contact Information | (423) 598-9796 |
| Name | Andrew Thompson |
| Contact Information | (423) 468-0404 |
| Name | Gregory Williamson |
| Contact Information | (248) 830-9132 |
| Name | Hal Bowling |
| Contact Information | (423) 400-6422 |
| Name | Ken Stripling |
| Contact Information | (423) 432-9696 |
| Name | Mark West |
| Contact Information | (423) 240-8288 |
| Name | Lurone Jennings, Sr. |
| Contact Information | (423) 314-3861 |
| Name | Stephen Duggins |
| Contact Information | (423) 635-7113 |
| Name | Lorraine Miller |
| Contact Information | (423) 260-6344 |
| Is there anything else you would like us to know about your project? | Purpose Point Community Health is a wellness center in the heart of Chattanooga with a focus to serve the overall wellbeing of a person. Our vision is to be holistic in providing healing and access to care through our core values: Chronic Disease Management; Care Navigation; Public Benefit Assistance; Health and Wellness Education, Activities and Support; Assistance locating Community Resources; Community Garden; Physical Fitness Opportunities; and Health and Meal Design and Nutrition. At Purpose Point Community Health, Care Coordination holistically addresses both medical and social needs to provide supportive services necessary for a person to have improved wellness. Care Coordination is intended to help reduce barriers and bridge the gaps in services which often serve as risks for people with complex health and social needs. The clinic’s It Matters Wellness program is designed to address health and wellness by providing supportive group activities, health education and hands-on classes, such as cooking classes for adults and families. The program’s four objectives are: ENGAGE, EXPOSE, EQUIP AND EMPOWER. The tools and activities that are given to participants offer them the opportunity to not look at their challenges related to health and wellness as barriers but rather ENGAGE them in community activities that EXPOSE them to new things, EQUIP them with what they personally need to meet their health goals, and EMPOWER them to take what success they have gained and build on it. Purpose Point Community Health’s Traumatic Healing Center is a community-based approach to addressing the epidemic of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) in urban neighborhoods. Healing extends beyond the physical – it is an integration of mind, body, and spirit. Purpose Point Community Health, The Village Church at 2800, and other organizations recognize the need for safe places for people to share their stories of trauma, healing, hope, and recovery. “Can We Talk” is the centerpiece of the center. It is a time where folks can come together and share. Everyone has a gift they can use to benefit others. Purpose Point volunteers bring their skills, time, and energy to serve our community in a variety of ways. Our commitment to children, adults, and families is to ensure that those in our communities from cradle to older adults are provided environments to learn and that individuals are empowered to prevent illnesses to live healthier. Pastor Ternae Jordan, Sr. of Mount Canaan Baptist Church has a compassion for reaching people that extends far beyond normal pastoral duties and impacts entire communities. His vison is more of a holistic approach that individuals themselves and leaders no longer can address just the spiritual needs of a person but must also address the physical and emotional needs. Pastor Jordan has buried over 105 young people who have died because of gang violence. This personal experience with the families of these victims as well as the emotional and physical health problems that plagued them afterwards became one of his biggest motivations to make a difference in our community. Pastor Jordan knows this pain personally as his oldest son was an innocent victim of gun violence and, while his son survived, he has a bullet still lodged in his skull. At the height of his fight against gang violence in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Pastor Jordan had to relocate to Chattanooga due to a decline in his father’s health. His father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Pastor Jordan had to take the role as caregiver. He is painfully aware of the health care disparities within our communities. As a spiritual leader, he’s called to go to hospitals, funeral homes and crime scenes to assist people in crises. These factors have motivated him to improve the conditions of the community. |