2006 - AHA Community Connections

40 Pages·2005·2.05 MB·English

T
oday, more than 5,000 hospitals, Far from a comprehensive list, Community
urban and rural, large and small, Connections begins to illustrate where and
are making their communities how hospitals are meeting their commu-
healthier in ways that are as diverse as nities’ many needs. The stories cover four
the needs of each community. The men broad categories:
and women who work in hospitals are not u Social & Basic Needs
just mending bodies; their work extends u Health Promotion
far beyond the literal and figurative four u Access & Coverage
walls of a big brick building – with free u Quality of Life
clinics, job training, smoking cessation Every day in America there is tremendous
classes, back-to-school immunizations, lit- good being done. The instantly recogniz-
eracy programs to name a few. Regularly, able blue and white “H” sign points patients
resources are brought, with little fanfare, and families to the one place they can rely
directly to the people of the community. on to meet their needs – the local hospital.
This book highlights the unique and inno-
vative ways hospitals are doing this work.
Photos in this publication are courtesy of Doug Haight, photographer, and illustrate programs from recent Foster G. Mc-
Gaw Prize winning organizations. Since 1986, the Foster G. McGaw Prize has honored health delivery organizations that
have demonstrated exceptional commitment to community service. The Prize is sponsored by The Baxter International
Foundation and the Cardinal Health Foundation and the American Hospital Association.
© 2006 American Hospital Association January 2006
Social and Basic Needs ....................................................................................................................3
Health Promotion .............................................................................................................................11
Access and Coverage .....................................................................................................................19
Quality of Life ......................................................................................................................................29
Index ............................................................................................................................................................35
communityconnections 
 American Hospital Association
Social & Basic Needs
Divider page
(waiting for cover selection)
Non-medical needs are often intricately tied
to personal health and well-being. Hospitals
are working to address social, basic, and
personal needs as a way to improve
community health. The programs described
in the following pages illustrate various
approaches hospitals are taking to meet
the basic needs of everyday life from food
and shelter to education and self reliance—
ultimately improving the long-term health of
the communities they serve.
communityconnections 7
S o c i a l a n d B a s i c N e e d s
Palmetto Health Alliance – Columbia, Why do they do it? The Windsor area has a large
South Carolina elderly population. Anticipating insufficient space
in the existing nursing homes as the community
Program: Palmetto Health’s Vision Health Initiative
ages, Mount Ascutney Hospital and Health Center
What is it? Working with area school districts and partnered with its community to provide additional
business partners willing to provide free or discount- options for the elderly by upgrading and expand-
ed services, the Vision Health Initiative provides free ing existing residential services. The finished
comprehensive eye exams and glasses so that kids product not only increased options but improved
the downtown area while preserving three historic
can learn and perform their best in school.
buildings and setting up a revolving loan fund for
Who is it for? Uninsured and low-income children.
future community development.
Why do they do it? In assessing the needs of its Contact: Mary Lou Campbell
community, Palmetto Health found that many Nursing Home Administrator
children had poor vision but were forced to go Telephone: [phone]
without glasses because their families could not Email: [email protected]
afford them. The health care provider also found
a strong link between vision problems and lower New Hanover Health Network – Wilmington,
academic performance. North Carolina
Recognizing that eye care is an often overlooked Program: Kangaroo Kapers
but important part of health, Palmetto Health
What is it? Kangaroo Kapers is a free educational
created the Healthy Vision Initiative as part of its
program for expectant mothers and their young chil-
commitment to its community’s overall wellness. dren – ages three to eight years old – that teaches
Since 1999, the effort has provided more than soon-to-be big siblings baby safety and eases their
2,000 pairs of glasses to children in need. anxiety about the changes in their family. The pro-
gram stresses:
Contact: Tiffany Sullivan
Director t Safety – The most important “ask first” rule is
Telephone: [phone] followed by basic baby safety lessons. Weighted
Email: [email protected] baby dolls are used to teach the proper way to
hold, feed and diaper baby;
t Assurance – The class emphasizes that hospitals
Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center –
are places where people come to be taken care of
Windsor, Vermont
and made better, and where moms, who are not
Program: Windsor Elder Care Project/Historic sick, come to give birth. Soon-to-be siblings play a
Homes of Runnemede game in which they help mom pack for the hospi-
What is it? This historic renovation program provides tal, as their involvement in packing lessens anxiety
44 elderly residents with a place to live while pre- and conveys a message that they’re helping, not
serving and improving the historic downtown area. being left behind; and
Both independent living and traditional nursing home t Excitement – Children get to view an empty room
care are available through the program, which complete with bassinet waiting for baby and then
includes three properties: see a bathed and diapered newborn through the
nursery window. At the end of class, each child
t Stoughton House – The project allowed for reno-
receives a “Graduation Certificate,” a gift bag con-
vation and upgrading of this existing assisted living
taining a coloring book and crayons, and a round of
facility to better accommodate residents;
applause.
t Evarts House – Briefly known as the Summer White
Who is it for? Expecting families in the Wilming-
House, this historic home had been abandoned. It
ton area.
now provides 12 units for assisted living; and
Why do they do it? Kangaroo Kapers was de-
t Cox House – Also an abandoned historic mansion,
signed to lessen children’s anxiety over a new
this facility now houses seven apartments for inde-
baby and teach them infant safety – all in the
pendent-living seniors.
context of an event in which the entire fam-
Who is it for? Elderly residents of Windsor. ily participates. The program has been well
 American Hospital Association
received, with more than 1,100 children having t Training for community leaders to help them
attended in the past five years. achieve change.
Contact: Diann Disney Who is it for? Neighborhoods in the community
Communication Specialist, with the highest rates of uninsured residents.
Department of Volunteer Services
Why do they do it? After conducting regular
Telephone: [phone]
community health studies, the hospital decided
Email: [email protected]
it could make the most material impact on its
community’s health by focusing on improving the
Kittitas Valley Community Hospital – Ellensburg, neighborhoods with the most at-risk populations.
Washington The effort is part of Memorial’s mission to improve
the health status of the community it serves.
Program: Patient Assistance Program
Contact: John Benz
What is it? This volunteer-run program helps low-in-
Chief Strategic Officer
come citizens without prescription coverage obtain
(Lily Salgado, Administrative Assistant)
the drugs they need free of charge. Acting as a liai-
Telephone: [phone]
son between patients, doctors, and pharmaceutical
Email: [email protected]
companies, volunteers ensure that all paperwork
is completed as required. Volunteers also maintain
ongoing and frequent contact with the patients so St. Vincent Hospital – Green Bay, Wisconsin
that refill requirements are met and their medica-
Program: SANE – Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner
tions are available without interruption. Currently,
five volunteers serve 175 patients. What is it? A program about care, compassion,
and comfort, the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner
Who is it for? Low-income citizens who need
(SANE) program helps prosecute sexual abuse
regular medications.
crimes and begin the healing process for survi-
Why do they do it? The extensive application pro-
vors. The program, which St. Vincent provides
cedures and forms overwhelm many patients and
in collaboration with the police department and
can interrupt the continuity of care. To ensure their
a rape crisis center, is made up of specially
community stays healthy, KVCH volunteers step in
trained registered nurses who collect medical
to help. On average, each patient receives three
evidence and perform the necessary examina-
prescriptions at $70 per prescription. In 2004, the
tion in a sensitive manner and in complete
program procured $36,750 in free medications.
confidence. Program nurses:
Contact: Karen Schock
Volunteer Coordinator t Help survivors understand all of their options,
Telephone: [phone] from disease treatment to pregnancy;
Email: [email protected] t Help survivors develop a medical follow-up plan;
t Testify on behalf of the survivor if a case goes to court;
Memorial Healthcare System – Hollywood, Florida
t Maintain an ongoing, working relationship with
Program: Healthy Communities
other organizations that can help, including
What is it? As part of its commitment to improving human service and law enforcement agencies,
the health of the community it serves, Memorial the area’s Sexual Assault Center, and the district
Healthcare System partners with community orga- attorney's office; and
nizations to identify troubled neighborhoods and
t Ensure a sexual assault advocate is available for
rejuvenate them. The process includes:
all survivors.
t Two surveys that identify leaders in the neighbor-
Who is it for? Anyone who has been sexually
hood, both formal and informal, and the area’s
four most-pressing needs (e.g. job training, family assaulted. Nurses help people of either sex, of
counseling, etc.); all ages.
t Follow up with the county and other levels of gov- Why do they do it? Recognizing that victims of
ernment to see that all that can be done is being sexual assault need special care and sensitivity, St.
done for the neighborhood; and Vincent developed the SANE program as part of its
communityconnections 
S o c i a l a n d B a s i c N e e d s
125-year commitment to compassion and concern Spectrum Health – Grand Rapids, Michigan
for human welfare. The program provides assis-
Program: Nutritional Options for Wellness (NOW)
tance to anyone who has been sexually assaulted
What is it? Spectrum Health created the Nutritional
and is available through the emergency department
Options for Wellness (NOW) program in 2003 to help
any time of the day, any day of the week.
the food-insecure population of surrounding Kent
Contact: Sue Robertson County obtain the food they need to live healthy, ac-
Telephone: [phone] tive lives. Families with limited or uncertain access to
Email: [email protected] food often suffer from chronic health conditions that
could be improved with proper nutrition.
Provena St. Mary’s Hospital – Kankakee, Illinois t Partnering with local food pantries, community
health centers, and multiple local health and hu-
Program: The Caring Tree
man service agencies, NOW gives residents “food
What is it? Dedicated to helping meet the prescriptions” and referrals to local food banks for
needs of low-income families throughout the healthy food items; and
year, instead of just during the Christmas sea-
t This collaborative program also provides chronically
son, the Caring Tree is a year-round program to
ill and food-insecure families with disease self-man-
help families with the items they need but can’t
agement education, healthy lifestyle education and
afford.
referrals for other identified needs.
t The program provides less fortunate families
Who is it for? Low-income Kent County residents,
with vouchers that can be redeemed to pur-
ages 18 to 65, who receive care through par-
chase beds, mattresses, blankets, and other
ticipating community clinics. Eligible patients are
household items;
identified through direct referrals from these clinics.
t Individuals and families are authorized through any
Why do they do it? Recognizing that more than 75
one of 16 community agencies — from churches
percent of families who are “food insecure” also
and schools to mental health programs and social
have a family member in poor health, Spectrum
agencies — to choose clothing or other items they
Health felt nutrition could play a strong role in
may need; and
chronic disease management, healing, and long-
t Since its inception, the Caring Tree program has term wellness. To help the food insecure in other
assisted more than 3,000 individuals. communities, Spectrum Health has created a
program development guide and made detailed
Who is it for? Members of the community who
information available on its Web site for communi-
are experiencing a need for clothing or household
ties interested in starting a similar program.
articles that they cannot afford.
Contact: Shawn Fleet
Why do they do it? A kindergarten teacher from
NOW Program Coordinator,
a low-income school district in the community
Spectrum Health Healthier Communities
commented on how generous people are to needy
Telephone: [phone]
children at Christmas and suggested it would be
Email: [email protected]
great if these children were remembered through-
(Or, visit www.spectrum-health.org/NOW)
out the year. The hospital’s director of volunteer
services brought this idea back to the hospital
auxiliary, which committed to the project. The The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh,
project compliments the health provider’s mission Pennsylvania
to bring “healing and hope” to its community. Program: Operation Safety Net®
Contact: Melissa Tanner What is it? Operation Safety Net® (OSN) is an
Marketing Coordinator innovative outreach program to help Pittsburgh’s
Telephone: [phone] homeless population. The program’s 30 vol-
Email: [email protected] unteers and health professionals – including
primary care physicians, registered nurses, a
paramedic, and a dentist – walk the city’s streets,
alleys, and riverbanks, visiting those who have
fallen through society’s “health safety net.”
 American Hospital Association
They deliver medical care, support, and referral their parents. The program uses interactive pro-
services directly on the streets of Pittsburgh, 24 grams at local elementary schools to foster healthy
hours a day. Among program activities: living and reading habits, and encourage parental
t Medical services are provided in response to involvement in the education process.
patient needs and include wound and infection Who is it for? Area children.
care, respiratory services, foot care, mental health
Why do they do it? Jamaica Hospital views health
counseling, and referral to drug and alcohol reha-
care as a process that begins outside the hospital
bilitation centers;
doors with education, access to care, and com-
t Prevention measures include prenatal care, TB
munity service. The hospital implemented the
and HIV testing, health counseling, and protec-
Reading Remedy Program in keeping with this
tion from severe weather conditions through an
philosophy, and in recognition that literacy is part
organized shelter; and
of greater health.
t The program trains approximately 100 residents,
Contact: Dr. Andrew Rubin
medical and nursing students annually in street
Department of Public Affairs
medicine.
Telephone: [phone]
Who is it for? Homeless individuals living on the
Email: [email protected]
streets of Pittsburgh.
Why do they do it? OSN began in 1992 as part
Cleveland Clinic Foundation – Cleveland, Ohio
of Mercy’s 150-year commitment to provid-
ing compassionate, individualized health care. Program: Creating Possibilities (Creando
Mercy attributes the success of the program to Posibilidades)
the trusting relationship developed between the
What is it? Developed in partnership with the
outreach teams and the unsheltered homeless
local community organization El Barrio, this
they serve. Mercy also believes the program is ef-
program seeks to bring bilingual workers into the
fective because it responds to homeless patients,
health care field, build education and employ-
many of whom have physical and mental barriers
ment opportunities for the Hispanic community,
that prevent them from seeking care in traditional
and eliminate economic and cultural barriers that
health settings, in their own environment.
compromise the quality of care. The program
Contact: Linda Sheets or Dr. Jim Withers
includes:
Telephone: [phone]
Web site: www.operationsafetynet.net t An intensive, five-week bilingual training program
consisting of both classroom and clinical training
and leading to a position as a nursing assistant at
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center – Jamaica,
the Cleveland Clinic;
New York
t A nursing academy, in partnership with the local
Program: Reading Remedy Program & Community
public school system, that enrolls high school
Family Literacy Program
juniors in advanced classes in math, science,
What is it? Reading Remedy Program: Designed to medical terminology, time management, and
promote literacy through Jamaica Hospital’s am- counseling, and offers them part-time work
bulatory care units, this program has “prescribed” and training at the Cleveland Clinic, as well as
20,000 free books to children under the age of
assistance in enrolling in professional nursing
six since it began in 1998. Through the program,
programs and schools; and
children who come to Jamaica Hospital’s ambula-
t Bilingual community outreach efforts to educate
tory care center for care are given a “prescription”
the Hispanic community on important health is-
from their doctor for a book, and that prescription
sues and health care careers.
is filled at the center.
Who is it for? Members of the Hispanic community.
Community Family Literacy Program: Building
on its commitment to literacy, Jamaica Hospital Why do they do it? The Hispanic community is
in 1999 initiated the Community Family Literacy the fastest growing population in Cleveland; yet,
Program, for children up to the third grade and many area Latinos face substantial barriers to
communityconnections 7
S o c i a l a n d B a s i c N e e d s
care, including language barriers and a lack of commitment to improving the health status of the
health insurance. The Cleveland Clinic Founda- people and the community it serves, INTEGRIS
tion teamed up with El Barrio to establish Creating stepped in and transformed the school. Today, the
Opportunities in an effort to reduce these barriers school no longer is on the state’s “low-performing/
by increasing employment opportunities for the high-challenge” list, and test scores have im-
proved in reading, writing, and math in all grades.
local Hispanic population, expanding the number
of bilingual health care workers and increasing the Contact: Tobi Campbell
share of people with health care benefits. Director
Telephone: [phone]
Contact: Michelle Dumpe, Ph.D., M.S., R.N.
Email: [email protected]
Director, Nursing Education
Telephone: [phone]
Email: [email protected] St. Joseph’s/Candler – Savannah, Georgia
Program: St. Mary’s Community Center
INTEGRIS Health – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma What is it? An outreach program in the
historic African-American neighborhood of Cuyler-
Program: Western Village Academy
Brownsville in Savannah. St. Joseph’s/Candler
What is it? For more than seven years, INTEGRIS lead and involved local businesses to provide
Health has run Western Village Academy, a char- services that helped revitalize and build neighbor-
ter school in Oklahoma City. The health system’s hood pride. Services offered include:
involvement began with after-school and summer
t The Center provides free daily blood pressure checks
programs and health services and graduated to and sugar screenings, a weekly cardiovascular clinic
full sponsorship of the school through Oklahoma’s for high blood pressure, quarterly mammography
elementary school charter program. The program screenings and cervical cancer screenings, annual
enables INTEGRIS to provide site-based manage- prostate screenings and flu vaccinations;
ment, financial oversight, and decision making.
t The Center partners with Savannah Technical Col-
Since it assumed sponsorship of the school, lege to offer free workforce development certificates
INTEGRIS has: of credit for Professional Baking and Hospital Pa-
tient Transporter, as well as basic nursing courses
t Developed a new curriculum that engages stu-
to help students enter the nursing field;
dents by using art, music, and drama to teach
t The Center is committed to raising the communi-
subjects such as math and language;
ty’s literacy rate by offering language development
t Set up after-school, summer, and Saturday-school classes for moms and toddlers, adult literacy, and
programs, as well as sports/health/wellness and GED training classes;
parent outreach initiatives;
t The Center offers an after school program
t Recruited 300 mentors (one for every student) (K – 8) and a Summer Camp (K-8) to neighbor-
from the business community; and hood children;
t Made significant facility improvements, which t Recognizing that housing is a greater part of health
have enabled the school to become a community and wellness, and working with Rebuilding Together,
the Center has repaired more than 30 neighborhood
center that serves the health care needs of the
homes at no cost to the residents; and
students and their families and provides adult
education opportunities. t Through its free tax preparation program, more
than 329 tax returns have been filed with over
Who is it for? A predominately low-income student
$634,150 in refunds.
population that is 90 percent African-American,
Who is it for? Urban residents of Cuyler-Browns-
5 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Caucasian and 1
ville neighborhood.
percent Asian. Eighty-nine percent of students
Why do they do it? St. Joseph’s/Candler has a
qualify for free or reduced lunches.
strong commitment to promoting wellness, not
Why do they do it? With the lowest test scores and just treating illness. Recognizing that unemploy-
highest truancy rates in the city, Western Village ment and illiteracy directly affect health care, they
Academy was in danger of closing before INTE- designed a series of programs and found ways
GRIS Health’s involvement. In keeping with its through community collaboration to provide as-
 American Hospital Association