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Southeast Kansas Mental Health seeks county letter supporting FQHC look-alike status for Ashley Clinic; commissioners express pay and oversight concerns
Summary
Southeast Kansas Mental Health requested a county commission letter of support for an HRSA FQHC look-alike application for Ashley Clinic and Yates Center services. Commissioners expressed concerns about nonprofit salary levels even as other commissioners noted the move could stabilize local medical services.
Jennifer (Jen) Taylor, grant and program coordinator for Southeast Kansas Mental Health (SEKMHC), asked Neosho County commissioners on Aug. 12 to authorize a county department head to sign a letter of support for SEKMHC's application to be designated a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) federally qualified health center (FQHC) "look-alike." Taylor said the look-alike designation differs from an FQHC grant-funded site in that it does not bring federal grant dollars but would allow participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs and other programmatic benefits that can stabilize local clinics.
Taylor said the application would cover Ashley Clinic in Chanute, Ashley Clinic Yates Center, and Yates Center Dental and that SEKMHC had sought formal community letters of support as part of the application process. She explained she had contacted the county health department but was told a department head could not sign without commission authorization.
Commissioners discussed the request and several raised concerns about executive pay within nonprofits. One commissioner said some nonprofit salaries appeared to be "20 times" median county income and said that made it difficult to endorse a support letter without further information. Other commissioners and SEKMHC representatives responded that recent salary adjustments at the agency affected multiple staff groups and were part of broader efforts to stabilize services: "It wasn't just one group. It was like everybody got increased ..." a SEKMHC representative said.
SEKMHC's representatives emphasized that the look-alike status would help keep Ashley Clinic solvent and maintain access to medical services in parts of the county, noting that the clinic has received county support in the past, including property tax exemptions. Commissioners did not adopt a formal motion to sign the letter at the meeting; the conversation concluded with requests for additional information about salaries and the program's local impacts.
Why it matters: FQHC look-alike status can affect the financial stability and billing options of rural clinics and influence local access to primary care and dental services. Commissioners must weigh support against public concerns about nonprofit compensation and use of local recognition or endorsement.
Details and next steps: SEKMHC asked for a county-authorized letter of support; commissioners asked for more information on salary structures and local program impacts before authorizing county signature.
