HealthWest expands and receives new grant
HealthWest Inc., a community health center that serves Pocatello, Chubbuck and the area south, has been growing rapidly over the past year and a half.
Now it has a more than $100,000 grant to help in the area of behavioral health. The grant was awarded by the Cambia Health Foundation, the donor arm of Blue Shield Insurance.
HealthWest said behavioral health usually deals with depression, anxiety or stress, and can crop up in someone with a chronic illness. HealthWest said sometimes the depression, anxiety or stress issue can go unaddressed.
“For individuals who have a chronic illness,” said Stephanie Heaton, director of Grants and Special Programs, “it’s very difficult for them to get better if they’re not looking at their depression or their behavioral health also.”
The grant money will span two years and be used to hire two care managers. The care managers will coordinate behavioral health with a patient’s primary care provider.
They say the positions will stay even after the grant money is used up. But these aren’t the only new positions they’ve added in the past year.
“We need more space. We’re expanding like crazy,” said Amanda Collins, community outreach manager. “HealthWest went from about 35 employees 18 months ago. We have about 120 employees now. And we’re adding more every day with every grant we get.”
HealthWest is moving to a permanent, brand-new building on the corner of 8th and Young streets, set to open in March. HealthWest said that center will have full behavioral health, medical and dental services.
