Lakewood-based spinal clinic becomes Medicaid provider - #lakewoodnews

Spinal cord injuries are some of the most life-changing events that can happen to a person.

Chanda Hinton-Leichtle experienced this firsthand at 9 years old, when she was paralyzed below the chest as the result of an accidental shooting.

"I had a lot of health complications, was eventually bed-bound and I weighed only 69 pounds at age 21," Hinton-Leichtle said. "Eventually my doctors and I had to find a new way to address my health in a preventative and proactive way."

She said relief from near constant pain came from integrative therapies --; activities like acupuncture, massage and adaptive yoga.

"I learned this story wasn't just mine alone," Hinton-Leichtle said. "There were so many similar stories from people who found healing in these therapies."

The results of the integrated approach are reduced pain and need for pain medication, lessened time spent at medical visits, and in-creased hours engaged in community or work, she added.

Along with her sister Crystal Hinton, Hinton-Leitchtle started the Chanda Plan Foundation in 2005 to provide direct access to integrative therapies for treatment of spinal cord injuries muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida and brain injury.

And after more than 10 years, the Chanda Plan is seeing significant growth in the services it provides the patients it can reach.

Currently, Chanda Plan programs are offered at provider locations throughout the nation and also free-of-charge at a small facility in Lakewood, 8725 W.14th Ave., Suite 170. But that facility isn't going to be small for long.

The Plan is working on a new 6,000-square-foot Patient Centered Medical Home, which will house all services under one roof, as well as primary care options from the Metro Community Provider Network.

"We reached out to the people we serve and asked what needs of theirs aren't being addressed," Hinton-Leitchtle said. "We heard that they wanted primary care that has a deeper understanding of the disabilities they are facing."

The facility will be finished around December, and the Chanda Plan is working on a capital campaign to raise $3 million for the new building and $1 million to support programs. Recently, the plan received a $200,000 Daniels Fund grant to supply equipment for the center and a $500,000 Colorado Health Foundation grant for capital support.

One of the Plan's main tenants has been increasing access to integrative therapy, since Medicaid and many health plans don't cover these therapies. In 2009 the Plan helped pass the Spinal Cord Injury Medicaid Waiver, which means Medicaid is now examining the results of acupuncture, massage and chiropractic services and the cost savings for persons with spinal cord injuries in Colorado.

On March 29, it was announced the Plan is becoming a Medicaid provider to offer acupuncture, massage and chiropractic care to individuals covered by Colorado's Medicaid Spinal Cord Injury Waiver. The Foundation will be one of two Medicaid SCI-designated providers in the state.

According to information provided by the Plan, current waiver coverage is limited to 67 individuals per year, and 30 people are on a waiting list for coverage. Last week the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services approved an extension of the waiver through 2020 and expanded the annual capacity to 120 individuals.

This expanded coverage will be a major boon for patients like Thornton resident Curt Wolff, who was paralyzed from the neck down due to complications from West Nile.

"The Plan is really into adaptive exercise and massage therapy, and that has helped a lot with my severe muscle apathy," he said. "The great thing about the Chanda Plan is they won't say no to anyone --; if you have the ambition to heal, they will do whatever they can to help."

Since using the integrative therapies, Wolff has regained enough upper-body function to operate a computer, work part time, and take lessons in adaptive driving.

"At Chanda you see people worse off than me with a great attitude," he said. "You can either be miserable or happy in a wheelchair, and do something about it."

For more information, visit.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Lakewood-based-spinal-clinic-becomes-Medicaid-provider,210721?branding=15