Bowen Health outlines service expansions and secures MOU with county for Health First funds

Bowen Health leaders on the county commissioners' agenda described upcoming clinic and program openings, financial pressures on several behavioral-health operations and won approval of a memorandum of understanding with LiveWell Kosciusko covering Health First Indiana funds.

The MOU, presented by Bowen Health President and CEO Dr. Rob Ryan, was approved by motion during the meeting. County officials voted to authorize the agreement on behalf of the health department; no detailed vote tally was recorded in the meeting record.

Bowen Health officials said a new Bowen clinic building will open September 8 and will offer dental services under the federally qualified health center (FQHC) umbrella. The organization also described ongoing work on a transitional living facility and an inpatient psychiatric hospital in Pearson that together support the agency's continuum of care, including crisis receiving services.

Shannon Hannan, Bowen Health chief operating officer, told commissioners the agency provides Medicaid Rehabilitation Option services (therapy and skills services) and delivers those services in schools and clinics across the county. Bowen leaders said the organization provided roughly $350,000 in sliding-fee discounts and about $450,000 in uncompensated-care writeoffs to Kosciusko residents in recent periods.

Bowen officials also disclosed operating deficits for specific programs: about $1.5 million for the transitional-living services and roughly $2.5 million for the inpatient hospital operations. They said parts of crisis receiving services are currently grant-funded, and that ongoing funding for those services is uncertain.

Dan Woods, a Bowen board member; Mark Groller, executive director; and Mike Murphy, director of community engagement, joined Ryan and Hannan in describing how the organizations coordinate care. Murphy noted Bowen’s community engagement and fundraising activity, citing about $120,000 planned in sponsorships and donations next fiscal year.

The commissioners approved the requested memorandum of understanding between the county (on behalf of the health department) and LiveWell Kosciusko to accept Health First Indiana funding. The motion passed without a recorded roll-call in the public portion of the meeting.

Commissioners and Bowen officials said the county funding supports continuity between Bowen’s community mental health center services and FQHC services, enabling coordinated care and some uncompensated supports for residents who cannot pay full fees.