The Escambia Childrens Trust on Oct. 14 approved a sole-source grant request from Community Health Northwest Florida to purchase and operate a mobile vision clinic intended to provide eye exams, glasses and related triage services for children in Escambia County.

Community Health representatives told the board the proposal differs from a statewide nonprofit eye-exam program in several ways: it is operated by a federally qualified health center (FQHC) with the capacity to bill payer sources, perform medical triage and refer children into other health services the clinic provides; the vehicle will be equipped to accommodate ophthalmology-level care; and the FQHC business model allows for a payer mix that staff said should reduce the trusts long-term subsidy needs.

Staff noted vendor and program capacity distinctions in supporting the sole-source determination and said the proposal is primarily a start-up request: vehicle purchase, equipment and supplies are the immediate outlays. Community Health provided a budget showing a vehicle cost of about $403,312, equipment at about $117,000 and a $100,000 supply line; staff said if actual costs come in below estimates, unused funds would return to the trust.

Board members asked how the Community Health model differs from other eye-exam programs. Community Health staff said the organization is the only local FQHC able to integrate optometry with broader primary care, behavioral health and pharmacy services and said the FQHC reimbursement mix and federal LIP support can make the model sustainable over time. Staff said the trusts share would support start-up costs; operational costs would be offset by insurance billing and other payer sources as credentialing and billing come online.

After discussion the board approved the sole-source request by voice vote.

Ending: Staff will prepare a contract and funding schedule to cover start-up vehicle and equipment costs and will report back on credentialing, payer-mix progress and any draw-downs against the trust allocation.