DORCHESTER HOUSE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, INC.

In 2008, Dorchester House Multi-Service Center (DHMSC) grew by 8% the number of patient visits to the health center for primary care services alone. Current trends in the growth of our neighborhood¡¦s low-income population, the economy, and the state of healthcare reform in Massachusetts, ensure continued and increased growth over the next 5 years, especially in the Vietnamese, Black, and Hispanic populations in Fields Corner where the center is located. Current Space Constraints Severe space limitations in our facility restrict the number of exam rooms per provider ¡V creating inefficiencies in the number of patients each provider can see during their session. Our new walk-in/urgent care clinic is already bursting at the seams despite its less than optimal location, tucked away on the third floor offering only three exam rooms and no space for a dedicated waiting room or administrative desk. The pharmacy, which fills over 9,000 prescriptions per month, struggles to stock enough medication due to lack of space and often has long lines. We are unable to accommodate all necessary laboratory testing on-site due to space constraints. Patients needing extensive wellness or fitness services are referred elsewhere. Our storage is overflowing with stockpiles of emergency supplies. Our providers¡¦ schedules are more than full and our patients need increased access to avoid long waits for often urgently needed services. The Plan By expanding our facility by 17,900 square feet and renovating 11,700 existing square feet we can: ?Ï Open 15 new exam rooms ¡V increasing from 33 currently to a total of 48. ?Ï Improve our provider efficiency to 4,200 visits/year with 10 of the new exam rooms for primary care. ?Ï Expand access and improve patient flow to walk-in/urgent care services with 5 of the new exam rooms and a waiting/administrative area located on the first floor ?Ï Increase appointment availability and patient access by 20%with more capacity for primary care appointments & walk-in/urgent care services. ?Ï Alleviate long lines with a larger, more comfortable waiting area and expanded space for prescription storage & pharmacy work. ?Ï Increase patient compliance by including new laboratory testing in-house and developing a wellness center ?Ï Establish a Disaster Response Center to house emergency supplies and serve as the nerve center enabling us to expand our role as a community based first responder as we face health crisis such as the H1N1 flu pandemic ?Ï Upgrade our radiology and mammography systems to digital quality. ?Ï Create efficiencies by combining administrative areas into one space. Overall DHMSC will be able to expand access to 5,500 new patients ¡V Adding 22,000 patient visits annually.

Clarification of Codes