KentuckyHomeplace services, an advocate agency that helps rural and low- income residents get prescription drugs and other medical supplies, will resume operations in Fulton and Hickman County July 21, after being cut suddenly June 5.
The Department of Public Health, which provides the program’s $1.9 million budget, announced over the July 11 weekend it is reversing its earlier decision to cut $80,000 from the program.
The program is run through the Univerersity of Kentucky.
State Rep. Steven Rudy (R-West Paducah) and State Sen, Ken Winters (R- Murray) jointly announced July 14 that $80,000 has been allocated in order to restore the program in eight counties.
There had been a total of four layoffs and three vacancies not filled in the agency in June, which reduced the number of counties served from 59 to 51. Going without services when the cuts were made were Fulton, Hickman, Perry, Warren, Clay and Jackson counties.
Livingston and Crittendon Counties will now be able to keep their services, he said.
Even with the $80,000 restored, Warren County can only be open two days a week and Fulton-Hickman counties combined will reopen with the hours cut to 30 hours per week.
Sherri Morris, the program’s regional director, said she believes the two legislators were a key factor in getting $80,000 in funds for the program restored.
“It is most important that we continue this program,” Winters added.
Morris said Donna Hooper, the Kentucky Homeplace Family Health Care advisor for Fulton and Hickman counties will return to work July 21, and will work out of the same Mears Street office.
Her new office hours will be, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“I am very happy to have my job back,” said Hooper.
“We are extremely happy to have her back,” Morris said.
Over the past two and one-half years, Homeplace has served more than 460 clients in Fulton County.
They have received, among other things, more than $1 million in free prescription medicine, and 16,957 in other services, valued at $131,491.
In Hickman County, 175 clients were served during the same time period and received nearly $550,000 in free medicine and 6,835 other services valued at $21,883.
Both legislators contacted other state officials by letter and spoke at legislative committee meetings when they learned of the cut and attempted to save the targeted program services.
“I am so pleased to get $80,000 back in there for it,” Sen. Winters said in a telephone interview Monday.
“I know there are so many people who fall through the cracks. It is a great program in many of our counties that are not adequately served by the regular system,” the senator said.
“The clients are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare and are too poor to afford private insurance,” reported Homeplace Director Fran Feltner.
Winters said, “State Rep. Steven Rudy has been a great help on getting the funds restored. I thank him and his colleages who have worked with us on it.”
Rudy said, “Words cannot express the importance of this program in the lives of the people in my district.
“Health Care options are a basic necessity that every citizen should enjoy and, by restoring this funding, they will be able to do so.”
Fulton-Hickman clients have received everything from free medicine for diabetis to dentures.
One Fulton client said through Hooper and the Homeplace program, a large hospital bill was written off that he would never have been able to pay.
