In 2006, the Hollister clinic had 17,000 patients, marking a 15
percent increase from 2005 and a 31 percent increase from 2004,
Dowty said.
Hollister – A $200,000 grant received by the Hazel Hospital’s Foundation will provide additional staffing for the hospital’s community clinic.
The private grant, awarded by The California Wellness Foundation, will provide the Hazel Hawkins Community Clinic with $200,000 spread over a two-year period.
The money will go toward hiring a licensed vocational nurse at the Hollister clinic while paying for the employee’s salary and benefits for two years, Foundation Director Leah Dowty said.
“This will allow us to more adequately serve the people that we already have … It will just make patient flow easier,” Dowty said.
Through the new position, Dowty said, the clinic not only will serve its current population better, but also additional patients will be taken on.
In 2006, the Hollister clinic had 17,000 patients, marking a 15 percent increase from 2005 and a 31 percent increase from 2004, Dowty said.
“Our patient census continues to grow each year,” Dowty said.
The community health clinics, in Hollister and San Juan Bautista, provide same-day appointments. Many of the patients lack health insurance or are on Medi-Cal, Dowty said.
“It’s costly for us to provide those services, and this (grant) will help us to continue to serve those populations.”
Dowty said the foundation has considered pursuing grants for a building expansion, but that the plan is in “discussion phases.”
