Scenic Bluffs Community Health Centers Help Team

Description

Scenic Bluffs Community Health Centers is an independent, non-profit healthcare provider serving western Wisconsin. As a Community Health Center, Scenic Bluffs provides high-quality, affordable healthcare for all, regardless of income or insurance status. In addition to offering comprehensive medical, dental, chiropractic, behavioral health, and pharmacy services, Scenic Bluffs also focuses on addressing the broader factors that influence health within the communities it serves.

Beyond the walls of the clinic, Scenic Bluffs actively works to reduce barriers to care through a variety of outreach and support services. The Help Team, which includes patient access coordinators, outreach and enrollment specialists, and health educators, provides personalized assistance to help individuals and families navigate healthcare and social support systems.

This team guides community members in locating, understanding, and obtaining healthcare benefits, insurance coverage, transportation solutions, and prescription drug programs. They also provide information and referrals for local resources, such as food pantries, thrift stores, energy assistance, and community care applications.

The Help Team also utilizes Scenic Bluffs' Certified Application Counselors (CACs) to assist individuals in applying for and enrolling in health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace (Affordable Care Act), BadgerCare Plus (Wisconsin Medicaid/ForwardHealth), and the organization's own Healthy Neighbor Plan sliding-fee program. Additionally, the Health Education team offers community-based programming, workshops, and outreach events focused on preventive health, chronic disease management, and overall wellness – empowering residents to take an active role in their health.

Services offered

Help Team services are available in multiple locations in the Scenic Bluffs' service area, or virtually. Help Team Services are free and available to everyone, regardless of whether they are a patient of Scenic Bluffs.

Services include:

• Insurance enrollment assistance
• Program eligibility screenings
• Transportation assistance
• Prescription assistance
• Connections to local agencies and resources

Results

In 2024, nearly 1,500 people received support and guidance from the Help Team regarding programs, resources, and health insurance enrollment. In total, 411 individuals were enrolled in health insurance.

Challenges

Scenic Bluffs has found that addressing community health needs requires ongoing listening, flexibility, and collaboration. A key challenge – and opportunity – lies in continuously understanding what barriers community members face and adapting services to meet those needs.

• Listening to the community: Ongoing conversations with patients, partners, and residents help identify emerging needs such as food insecurity, transportation gaps, or challenges accessing affordable medications. Scenic Bluffs uses this feedback to shape outreach priorities and expand services accordingly.
• Building and sustaining partnerships: Many health barriers require solutions that extend beyond the clinic walls. Working closely with schools, public health departments, local government, and social service organizations helps create coordinated, community-based solutions.
• Meeting people where they are: Finding trusted, accessible spaces and flexible hours that meet the needs of working families can be challenging. Continuous experimentation with outreach locations, event participation, and virtual options has been key to increasing engagement.
• Encouraging timely enrollment: Many individuals wait until the last minute to enroll in health insurance. Early outreach, education, and reminders – especially through trusted community partners – help ensure more people are covered year-round.
• Evolving community needs: As community challenges change, so must services. Scenic Bluffs regularly assesses unmet needs and adapts programming – such as adding new health education topics or increasing partnerships around mental health and food access.

Replication

Rural providers aiming to build similar outreach and enrollment programs can draw on several best practices from Scenic Bluffs' experience:

• Engage your community. Build trust by listening to residents' experiences and incorporating their feedback into program design.
• Learn the landscape. Understand the Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid, and local assistance programs so your staff can identify and support those who may qualify.
• Leverage Certified Application Counselors (CACs). If your organization doesn't have one, connect with a nearby health center or nonprofit that does, and establish a referral or partnership process.
• Develop local partnerships. Collaborate with public health agencies, schools, and community organizations to expand outreach capacity and connect people with broader resources.
• Offer accessible, compassionate support. Provide flexible scheduling, multiple contact options, and clear information to make enrollment and assistance as simple as possible for community members.

Contact Information

Topics
Benefit enrollment and application · Federally Qualified Health Centers · Health insurance

States served
Wisconsin

Date added
May 22, 2014

Suggested citation: Rural Health Information Hub, 2025 . Scenic Bluffs Community Health Centers Help Team [online]. Rural Health Information Hub. Available at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/project-examples/752 [Accessed 27 October 2025]