The Black Physicians and Healthcare Network (BPHN) is providing a key service in the County. It has helped connect nearly 1,700 residents with dozens of medical professionals since the program began during the pandemic in 2020. However, BPHN is at a crossroads and facing some uncertainty.
Budget Request
The County Council initially approved $2.5 million for the program to continue for the current fiscal year that began July 1. That is about the same amount the Council approved a year ago. However, in this year’s budget request, the County prohibited BPHN from using any money to help patients fund co-payments and other out of pocket expenses.
The National Center for Children and Families (NCCF), a non-profit child and welfare organization, oversees the program. It initially requested $4.9 million from the Council for this fiscal year. When the Council turned down that request, BPHN appealed for more money. The Council approved an additional $1 million last May. However, the network has yet to see the money. That is impacting the services it can deliver.
The network planned to use the additional $1 million to help patients with their co-payments and other out of pocket fees. Last year the County had covered those costs. The current fiscal year is now in its third month, and BPHN is still waiting for the Department of Health and Human Services to approve how BPHN can use the additional funding.
“BPHN and NCCF are still awaiting an amended contract, so we can deliver the health services part of the model. People are waiting and this is delaying health care,” said Dr. Sheryl Chapman, the Executive Director of NCCF.
Chapman said the additional funding is crucial because even if patients have health insurance they may not have the money to pay out of pocket expenses. Those patients, then, may choose to forego seeing a doctor which counters the whole purpose of the program.
History Of The Program
Funding for the network began when County leaders realized a disproportionate number of black people were dying from Covid-19. In 2020, there was no organized structure to help connect black people with the medical treatment they needed such as testing and vaccines.
Chapman said, historically, the black community has not trusted the health care system. She said an important goal of BPHN was to enlist the help of black medical and health care professionals. Her group, NCCF, began collecting data, and “found a lot of black folks did not have a relationship with a medical professional,” Chapman said.
She added that research showed when black patients were matched with a health care professional who had a culturally specific connection, their health outcomes were better. Chapman said the key is to build continuity and trust between doctor and patient.
The network is still in its infancy. The mission and the services it provides are unique.
“We spend so much time talking about black folks and disparities, but we don’t spend time talking about what the corrective action is. So the Black Physicians Healthcare Network is person centered. We are not just a referral source for black residents to get a doctor. It is holistic. We provide one on one navigation support. We have staff members who work individually with patients and we assess their needs,” Chapman said.
Program’s Impact
Montgomery County health officer, Dr. Kisha Davis, recognizes the importance of BPHN’s work.
“It has been instrumental in connecting patients to Black physicians that can provide culturally appropriate care. They were instrumental during the COVID-19 pandemic in helping to increase our vaccination rates in the Black/African American populations in the county. Since then they have helped to promote connections to primary care, mental health, and dental providers,” Davis said.
Growing Pains
The network though has had its share of growing pains. BPHN lost $500,000 last year because it lacked the proper funding. The County did not reimburse it when the Council approved this fiscal year’s budget. Despite those challenges, Chapman said she believes the network can fulfill an important mission.
“We have an opportunity to help the black community normalize health care, and normalize the feeling that it’s okay to be well. If I have a headache or a stomach ache, I am not just sitting there and saying it is indigestion. But because I have a relationship with a doctor, I can pick up the phone and say this is what is going on with me,” Chapman explained.
Currently, there are about 50 health care providers associated with the network. They include doctors, dentists, and mental health care professionals.
“We have this network of providers who want to make a difference in the black community. It’s their passion. It is their desire to have patients who look like them,” Chapman said.
She remains hopeful the County will soon approve the reimbursement model the Department of Health and Human Services is creating, so the network can determine how it can spend the additional $1 million the County Council approved.
Chapman said some patients have delayed getting their check-ups because of the current uncertainty. She said once DHHS establishes the network’s guidelines, BPHN could potentially seek other funding such as private grants to help expand and fill in any financial gaps.
