History

Carolina Community Health Partnership is a part of the Access II/III Network developed by DMA and the Office of Research, Demonstrations and Rural Health Department. Carolina Access II began in 1998 in Cleveland County as CLECO Primary Care Network and Partners. Early in 2003 The Access II/III Program Office added Community Care Program to the name and the name was changed to Cleveland County Carolina Access II Community Care Program. When the Access Program was mandated by the state legislature to expand to include more Medicaid recipients, Cleveland County then expanded into Rutherford County in November, 2003. With the expansion, the Network name was changed to Carolina Community Health Partnership to reflect Cleveland County and Rutherford County collaboration. The original partnership in Cleveland County included:

CLECO Primary Care Network Providers:

  • Kings Mountain Medical Center
  • CLECO Medical Center of Shelby
  • Ellenboro Family Medical Center
  • Cherryville Family Care
  • Upper Cleveland Medical Center
  • Belwood Medical Center
  • Shelby Medical Associates
  • Kings Mountain Pediatrics
  • Cleveland County Health Department Maternity / Child Health Clinics

Community Partners:

  • Cleveland Regional Medical Center
  • Cleveland County Department of Social Services
  • Cleveland County Health Department
  • Pathways LME (Local Management Entity

In 2003/2004, the program has expanded in Cleveland County to include:

  • Cleveland County Health Department Diabetes Clinic
  • Pediatric Associates of Cleveland County
  • Internal Medicine of Cleveland County
  • Irving Williams Internal Medicine
  • Shelby Children's Clinic
  • Family Medicine of Cleveland County
  • Internal Medicine of Shelby

 

 

In 2003/2004, the expansion into Rutherford County added the following new practices and partners:

  • Rutherford Pediatrics
  • Spindale Family Practice
  • England & Godfrey Family Practice
  • James Medical Clinic
  • Rutherford East Medical Services
  • Anna Schilling Pediatrics
  • Rutherford Hospital
  • Rutherford County Department of Social Services
  • Rutherford County Health Department

As of July 1, 2004, Carolina Community Health Partnership Network has 25 medical practices and a total of 52 providers participating in the project. The Network serves approximately 19,000 local Medicaid enrollees.

In 2006-2007, The following new practices were added:

  • Foothills Family Healthcare
  • Boiling Springs Children's Clinic

In 2009, Cleveland County added the following new practices:

  • Shelby Family Practice
  • Shelby Family Practice - Boiling Springs

As of May, 2010, Carolina Coummunity Health Partnersip Network has a total of 19 medical practices, 44 medical providers, 23,251 Carolina Access Medicaid patients including disease management and chronic care patients with a staff of 11 nurse care managers.

The Community Care Program has been credited with saving millions of Medicaid dollars for North Carolina helping to ensure continued Medicaid services..