Dr. Rob Ryan, president and CEO of Bowen Health, and colleagues briefed the Kosciusko County Commissioners on Bowen’s integrated mental and physical health services and on ways county funding supports those services.
Dr. Ryan told commissioners Bowen has added primary care and dentistry to its traditional community mental health center (CMHC) services to address a shorter life expectancy among people diagnosed with serious mental illness. He described two illustrative client narratives to show how earlier intervention and integrated care can change long‑term outcomes.
Mark Roller, Bowen staff, and another presenter described Bowen’s status as both a community mental health center and a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). They said Bowen provides a sliding‑fee discount program based on federal poverty guidelines: roughly 900 patients in Kosciusko County receive about $800,000 in discounted or free care, according to Bowen staff. Presenters said transitional living services are mission‑driven but not profitable; they reported an approximate $1,500,000 loss in the most recent fiscal year for transitional living and estimated a roughly $2.5 million operating shortfall related to the inpatient hospital.
Bowen staff said a new facility that will include dental services is scheduled to open Sept. 8; dental services will be prioritized for patients at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and will be integrated in Bowen’s electronic medical record to support continuity of care. Presenters also noted Bowen maintains a $120,000 community support budget this fiscal year to help local nonprofits connect residents to Bowen services and attend community events.
Discussion versus decision: the presentation was informational; no county action on Bowen funding was taken during the meeting. Commissioners thanked Bowen staff and posed no substantive questions requiring follow‑up in this session.
Ending: Bowen staff said they will remain available to answer commissioners’ questions throughout the year and framed their request as partnership rather than a single funding ask during the presentation.