Connection to care

A Nassau County resident lost her health insurance more than five years ago and stopped receiving regular medical care until she found a lump in her neck.

The woman, in her 50s, found help at Barnabas Center, whose medical team swiftly arranged essential imaging through collaboration with Baptist Medical Center Nassau and connected her with an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. She also later needed emergency help with a retinal tear and was referred to two other community partners.

Barnabas Center, which has offices in Fernandina Beach and Callahan, has seen an increase in people needing services. The agency provides medical, dental, food assistance, empowerment services and more. Barnabas Center has a long history of support from Baptist Health and hopes to serve even more people in need with recent funding from the health system. This critical funding is helping Barnabas Center expand healthy food assistance, behavioral health services and other resources for residents in Nassau County.

Need for services on the rise

The need for nutrition assistance in Nassau County alone has quadrupled in a little over a year, with Barnabas Center providing over 775,799 pounds of healthy food, which equates to 645,000 meals to more than 12,000 different households. That's up from about 3,500 households and an increase of 104,167 meals. More than 1,000 people were helped last fiscal year with medical, dental, behavioral health, telehealth and vision services. Overall health services have increased by 100 patients.

Jamie Reynolds, Barnabas Center president and CEO, attributes the increase to many factors: the high cost of living in Nassau County, the rising costs of health insurance, and changes in national assistance programs.

Over the past five years, the agency has also grown to serve the west side of the county with a more strategic focus in areas such as Callahan, Hilliard, Bryceville, Yulee and Kings Ferry.

“There were parts of the county that were never served before. We made a concentrated effort to increase food services to those areas and reach every part of Nassau County,” Reynolds said. “We also partner with amazing funders who understand the need.”

Baptist Health, as part of its mission to strengthen the health and well-being of all those living in Northeast Florida, recently provided funding over a three-year period to Barnabas Center. The investment will help in several areas, including funding for a trauma-informed counselor/case manager for behavioral health counseling and wrap-around services in their Fernandina and Callahan offices, and via telehealth. Funding mental health providers is a crucial strategy for improving access to care, reducing disparities, and promoting overall well-being.

Baptist Health support is far-reaching

The Barnabas Center, which started in 1987, provides medical services for uninsured or underinsured adults 18 and older, including primary care, chronic disease management, mental health counseling, specialty care and more. In addition to a range of medical and dental services for free or at a low cost, the agency also provides healthy food to adults and children in need through its food pantries and distribution locations. Empowerment programs also help individuals and families in crisis with financial aid for rent, mortgage and utilities to divert them from homelessness, as well as access to essential clothing and household items.

Reynolds said Baptist Health’s support for a behavioral therapist helps Barnabas Center look at what people are facing holistically. Stress, for example, could be a barrier to someone obtaining a job or other services.

“Underlying issues such as being stressed can become barriers to getting help, and that is an incredible thing Baptist Health provided for Barnabas and Nassau County,” Reynolds said.

To increase access to food, Baptist Health also provided funding that the agency used to purchase a refrigerated box truck and healthy food, including produce and proteins, for distribution in Callahan, which serves the rural western reaches of Nassau County.

Reynolds said the refrigerated truck helps to provide quality and safe handling of food during transport to distribution locations and to pick up donated food from vendors. Baptist Nassau team members also volunteer with the agency, and Baptist Nassau provides in-kind services for clients referred from Barnabas Center for lab work and imaging.

“Food is really medicine, and we are truly blessed with our relationship with Baptist Nassau and Baptist Health,” Reynolds said.

Baptist Nassau supporting neighbors

The support aligns with the Community Health Needs Assessment, a report created by Baptist Health and other local nonprofit hospitals to guide efforts to improve the region’s health outcomes. Statistics from the Community Health Needs Assessment show Nassau County has a higher percentage of people with low access to food than the state and national averages. Low food access is defined as living more than 1 mile (in urban areas) or 10 miles (in rural areas) from the nearest supermarket or grocery store. Nassau County has 44% of the population with low food access compared to 25% statewide and 22% nationally.

Baptist Nassau is working alongside community agencies such as Barnabas Center to create meaningful change.

“Baptist Health is proud to support Barnabas Center in its mission to address food insecurity in Nassau County,” said Tara Beth Anderson, president of Baptist Medical Center Nassau. “Together, we can ensure healthier futures for our neighbors.”

A new Baptist Health Community Health Clinic Fund, which Baptist Health recently started with a strategic investment of more than $1.6 million, will provide even more help to agencies like Barnabas Center for operational support.

“Lack of health insurance is a primary barrier to health care access, including regular primary care, specialty care and other health services,” said Katie Ensign, Baptist Health’s vice president of Community Impact. “Charitable health clinics, such as those that will benefit from this fund, help to reduce that barrier to care.”

Learn more about Baptist Health’s commitment to improving health and well-being in Northeast Florida by working together with local nonprofit agencies to address a variety of needs. Read the Community Health Needs Assessment.