The applicant, the Community Health Association of Mountain/Plains States (CHAMPS), is the regional primary care association for U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Region VIII (CO, MT, UT, WY, ND, SD). CHAMPS provides support (financial, educational, resource and technical on special projects) to clinicians from federally funded Community and Migrant Health Centers and Homeless Health Centers. These health centers provide primary medical care and dental services to the medically undeserved at community, migrant and homeless health clinics located in urban and rural areas. CHAMPS receives funding from the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) and the CHAMPS work plan is guided by BPHC priorities. The BPHC will require all C/MHCs and Homeless Health Centers be electronically connected in the near future. Funding for this is virtually non-existent due to more urgent priorities such as access to care and filling clinician shortages. Being connected by way of the Internet and electronic mail will improve the quantity, quality, and timeliness of clinical educational and resource materials, and accelerate the response to clinicians? requests (by CHAMPS, BPHC, colleagues, and resource agencies). In addition, it will allow clinicians to network with colleagues, conduct research, and access databases. Many of the clinical sites in Region VIII are located in rural communities with no access to medical libraries or universities. Having Internet capability will allow health care providers of C/MHC?s and Homeless Health Centers access to the wealth of clinical information available on line which is a standard commodity to their peers in the private sector. Five health centers in Region VIII are requesting funding to become Internet connected. Each site has developed a plan to become Internet connected, to assure technical support (TCP/IP experience) and to train staff CHAMPS has furnished the resources to complete the application and will provide guidance on the project?s implementation and evaluation.
