/ en Fri, 25 Apr 2025 20:17:53 -0500 Mon, 21 Apr 25 13:50:56 -0500 /role-hospitals-uconn-health-community-outreach-program-improves-access-mammograms <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-7"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-uconn-mammogram-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="UCONN Health. A patient is escorted to a mammogram screening" width="700" height="532" class="align-left"></p></div><p>The benefits of screening for breast cancer are well documented; for example, having regular mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. Saving lives is the impetus behind a community outreach and engagement program led by UConn Health, based in Farmington, Conn.</p><p>As part of this UConn Health program, community health workers attend events in the community and at other UConn Health offices to share educational information about prevention and screening for breast cancer. They also help people who are uninsured or underinsured schedule mammogram screenings and follow-up appointments.</p><p>During a presentation at a local YWCA literacy group in New Britain, Conn., community health worker Rosa Agosto spoke with Vanessa Neira, a New Britain resident with a history of breast cancer in her family. At the time, Neira did not have insurance, so Agosto helped Neira connect with the UConn Health free mammogram program. Neira’s mammogram detected a “concerning spot,” but follow-up testing ruled out cancer. Neira remains grateful for support from the UConn Health team.</p><p>Agosto emphasizes that lack of insurance “should not be a barrier to mammograms, and here at UConn Health we are proud to be able to provide assistance to those who need mammograms, so they have access to early diagnosis, interventions and treatment.”</p><p>“To tell a woman with no insurance we can offer her a free mammogram can be life changing,” adds Kim Hamilton, program coordinator, community outreach and engagement, at UConn Health.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://today.uconn.edu/2024/10/uconn-health-community-programs-helping-under-insured-and-uninsured-with-breast-cancer-screenings" target="_blank" title="Learn More">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/advocacy/access-and-health-coverage">Access to Care</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Mon, 21 Apr 2025 13:50:56 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-southeast-colorado-hospital-district-taking-skies-how-doctor-cares-patients-rural-colorado <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-7"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-southeast-colorado-hospital-district-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Southeast Colorado Hospital District. Rural landscape under cumulus cloud-filled sky" width="700" height="532" class="align-left"></p></div><p>Many daily commutes are on the ground — car, train, bikes — but what if you took to the air? Dr. Charles Frankum has spent over two decades flying himself to some of the most remote hospitals in Colorado and Kansas, including the <a href="https://www.sechosp.org" target="_blank">Southeast Colorado Hospital District</a> in Springfield, Colo. His daily four-hour commute in his plane showcases the need and complexity of providing critical medical care to rural communities.</p><p>Frankum's journey as a pilot-doctor began in 2003, driven by the need for an efficient way to reach multiple rural hospitals. His efforts have been crucial in towns like Springfield, where the Southeast Colorado Hospital District serves as a vital health care hub. “[Frankum] comes in once a month, and just since I’ve been here the last couple of years, I know numerous people he has found cancers on or snipped polyps off of,” said Heather Burdick, chief nursing officer and nursing home administrator at the Southeast Colorado Hospital District. “His work not only saves lives but also strengthens the health care systems in these small towns.”</p><p>“My work makes it so that only one person has to travel instead of all these other people having to travel,” said Frankum, “and it allows some very rural hospitals to turn their wheels and do procedures in their town.” Frankum’s efforts, and those of many other traveling physicians, ensure that residents of these rural areas receive the medical attention they need without having to travel long distances.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.rmpbs.org/blogs/housing-transportation/charles-frankum-colorado-doctor-pilot" target="_blank" title="Learn More">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/advocacy/access-and-health-coverage">Access to Care</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Thu, 03 Apr 2025 11:57:53 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-st-lukes-regional-medical-center-idahos-first-hospital-home-program-showing-promising-results <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/TTHS-St-Lukes-Regional-Medical-Center-Hospital-at-Home.jpg" data-entity-uuid="870e9f8a-ba45-4d6b-b28f-0d2f38f63a58" data-entity-type="file" alt="Idaho’s First Hospital-at-Home Program Showing Promising Results. A paramedic listens to a women's heartbeat using a stethoscope as part of hospital-at-home care in Idaho." width="700" height="532"></div><p>The St. Luke’s Hospital at Home program, launched in late 2024, provides hospital-level care to patients in the comfort of their homes. This initiative is especially timely given Idaho's rapid population growth, which has increased the demand for health care services. The program allows patients with conditions such as heart failure, infections requiring IV antibiotics, pneumonia or asthma to receive necessary treatments at home, reducing the strain on emergency departments.</p><p>Patients in the program are equipped with medical devices like scales, tablets, blood pressure monitors and IV pumps. Paramedics visit patients twice daily and are connected to doctors and nurses through a tablet, ensuring continuous care. This setup not only provides medical support but also allows health care providers to understand the patient's living environment and involve social work if needed, enhancing overall care</p><p>The program is supported by Medically Home and offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional hospital stays. St. Luke’s is the first hospital in Idaho to start the program, which has been around since the 1960s. “We have a type of care that is very comparable to the outcomes of a brick-and-mortar hospital,” said the program’s Medical Director Adam Balinger.</p><p>It also provides a healing environment where patients can be with their families and pets, which can aid in recovery. With Medicare authorizing billing for hospital care at home since 2021, programs like St. Luke’s Hospital at Home are becoming more viable and beneficial, especially during times when hospitals are overwhelmed, such as during the pandemic.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/hospital-care-at-home-st-lukes-launches-hospital-at-home-program/article_e740f5ca-ea40-11ef-94d8-bbde4c8e5aba.html" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/promoting-healthy-communities">Supporting Public Health</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Mon, 24 Mar 2025 09:19:29 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-mainehealth-learning-collaborative-closes-gaps-care-people-experiencing-homelessness <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-7"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-03/ths-mainehealth-homeless-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="MaineHealth. A homeless man sits on steps outside a building, listening to a person doing community outreach" width="700" height="532" class="align-left"></p></div><p>More than 771,000 people in the U.S. experienced homelessness in 2024 — the highest number ever recorded and an increase of 18% from 2023, according to a <a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf" target="_blank">Department of Housing and Urban Development report</a>. The HUD report estimated that homelessness in the state of Maine dropped by 36% in 2024. But Maine government officials and housing advocates believe that statistic underestimates the actual number of people who are experiencing homelessness, including those living in cars or in the woods.</p><p>To provide outreach, engagement and safe, person-centered care to those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, the MaineHealth–Preble Street Learning Collaborative (PSLC) was founded by MaineHealth Maine Medical Center, Preble Street — a nonprofit social service agency — and other community partners in Portland in January 2017.</p><p>Overall, the PSLC helps to identify gaps in care and reduce emergency department visits that could be addressed by primary care providers. Specific services offered by the collaborative include walk-in medical services, urgent care, follow-up care and wound care; case management and care coordination with other health care organizations for additional primary and specialty care; mental health outreach; dental care; and help accessing community resources.</p><p>Another element of the PSLC is engaging Maine Medical Center medical residents, along with behavioral health, dental, pharmacy and nursing professionals in training, for on-site learning activities. By meeting a client at a soup kitchen and then accompanying them to a PSLC visit or leading a support group session addressing the stress of living on the street or in a shelter, these medical residents and students become more aware of the needs of people dealing with sustained hardship and the impact of health disparities.</p><p>Community partners involved with the PSLC include Greater Portland Health, a federally qualified health center; Community Dental; Portland Public Health; Northern Light Mercy Hospital; and VA Maine Healthcare System.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.mainehealth.org/maine-medical-center/education-research/preble-street-learning-collaborative-pslc" target="_blank" title="Learn More">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/advocacy/access-and-health-coverage">Access to Care</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Wed, 12 Mar 2025 16:32:44 -0500 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-monadnock-community-hospital-rural-hospitals-mobile-integrated-healthcare-program-closes-care-gaps <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-02/THS-Monadnock-MIH-team-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Monadnock Community Hospital’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) team" width="700" height="532"></p><p class="text-align-center"><em>MIH team at Monadnock Community Hospital</em><br><em>(Photo courtesy of MCH)</em></p></div><p>Monadnock Community Hospital’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) program is closing care gaps in the rural community of Peterborough, N.H., and the eastern Monadnock region. The 25-bed critical access hospital launched MIH in 2020, and the team now includes two board-certified community paramedics who provide care in patients’ homes, plus a project manager, dispatcher and medical director. Patients give the MIH program high marks for quality of care, promptness, ease of scheduling, and respect and compassion shown by the providers.</p><p>As a hospital-based program, the MIH team at MCH offers health care services beyond those provided by a traditional paramedic. The MCH community paramedics collect all types of laboratory specimens, place Foley catheters, address wound care, evaluate home safety, provide health education, administer immunizations and medications, and manage medical equipment needed for chronic health issues. The team also can help facilitate a patient’s telehealth visit with their primary care physician — “being [the PCP’s] eyes, ears and hands” — by obtaining vital signs, laboratory samples and other information that a standard telehealth visit doesn’t provide.</p><p>The hospital emphasizes its MIH program is “not a substitute for home health care, emergency medical services or any other service” available in the community. Instead, the team works in collaboration with those organizations “to ensure services are not duplicated and to prevent gaps within services.”</p><p>Another part of the MIH program at MCH is <a href="https://monadnockcommunityhospital.com/services/mobile-integrated-healthcare-mih/cradle-monadnock/" target="_blank">Cradle Monadnock</a>, launching in 2025. Anyone giving birth at MCH is automatically enrolled in this program but can opt out anytime. The MIH team makes pre- and post-delivery home visits to evaluate the health of the mother and newborn, connect families to essential community resources and social support, and offer practical advice and health education — such as discussing safe sleeping practices for babies and age-appropriate development — all of which helps parents “navigate the challenges of early parenthood.”</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://monadnockcommunityhospital.com/services/mobile-integrated-healthcare-mih/">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/community-benefit">Benefiting Communities</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Wed, 05 Feb 2025 12:00:54 -0600 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-adventist-health-specialty-bakersfield-doctors-office-wheels-brings-immunizations-kerns-children <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><img src="/sites/default/files/2024-12/ths-adventist-mobile-immunization-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Advent mobile clinic vehicle" width="700" height="532" class="align-left"></div><p>Any parent of a young child knows that coaxing them to the doctor’s office for their annual immunization shots is not always a smooth or easy task. But it becomes much easier when the doctor’s office comes to them instead.</p><p>Adventist Health’s unique mobile clinic — think of it as a doctor's office on wheels — helps families and their children in and around Bakersfield, Calif., by offering immunizations for young people from birth to 19 years old at various locations around Kern County.</p><p>The service operates year-round but is most in demand in late summer, leading up to the start of the school year.</p><p>The mobile clinic welcomes all little ones under the age of five with or without an appointment. Families with children over age six are asked to make one in advance.</p><p>Appointments generally take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, making it a quick and accessible option for busy families.</p><p>The rolling clinic also does pop up at events on the weekends, driven by its mission of delivering maximum flexibility and accessibility for all families.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/eyewitness-mornings/doctors-office-on-wheels-brings-immunizations-to-kerns-children">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/promoting-healthy-communities">Supporting Public Health</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Tue, 17 Dec 2024 14:41:55 -0600 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-indiana-university-health-working-all-angles-indy-health-district-supports-health-every-side <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-7"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2024-12/ths-indiana-university-health-indy-health-district-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="IU Health. Indy Health District community members and leaders" width="700" height="532" class="align-left"></p><p><em>Photo courtesy of IU Health</em></p></div><p>Access to high-quality health care is crucial to a community’s well-being, but it’s not the only component of health. Neighbors need economic development, transportation, education and infrastructure that promote a healthy lifestyle.</p><p>The <a href="https://indyhealthdistrict.org/" target="_blank">Indy Health District</a> launched in fall 2024 to create healthier communities across 1,500 acres on the north side of Indianapolis. Led by neighborhood associations, business executives, city leaders and health professionals from IU Health, the nonprofit wants to address socioeconomic and health disparities from all sides—and reverse alarming data showing residents in the district have much lower life expectancies compared to residents in other parts of the Indianapolis metro area.</p><p>“Over the last several years, we have listened closely to the voices of community members within the district’s boundaries to guide the development of this organization and will remain committed to listening to their input and feedback,” said Jamal Smith, executive director of the Indy Health District. “Our ultimate goal is to create physical and institutional frameworks that elevate the health and well-being of everyone who lives, works and plays in the Indy Health District.”</p><p>To monitor progress in its long-term mission, the group created a Health Impact Dashboard to track health outcomes and changes in primary social determinants of health. One of their six guiding principles is to ensure community access to high-quality medical care and health care amenities. Other efforts include cleanup and restoration of landscapes, reconfigured streets and intersections, and new public art installations.</p><p><a href="https://indyhealthdistrict.org/about" target="_blank">Learn more</a> about the Indy Health District.</p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/advocacy/access-and-health-coverage">Access to Care</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Tue, 03 Dec 2024 12:15:34 -0600 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-university-maryland-medical-system-marylands-eastern-shore-boosts-health-care-access-innovative-medical-training <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><img src="/sites/default/files/2024-11/ths-maryland-rural-training-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="University of Maryland Medical System. Stock image of a diverse team of clinicians talking in a hospital hallway" width="700" height="532" class="align-left"></div><p>More than 1 million people in Maryland live in medically underserved areas — mostly on the state’s rural Eastern Shore. The University of Maryland School of Medicine aims to change that.</p><p>A new training program has been launched to address the area’s physician shortage by eventually placing 10 new physicians per year into Eastern Shore health care facilities. The program features special training on the specific needs of rural patients, as well as the challenges practitioners will face while working in medically underserved areas.</p><p>The state of Maryland is funding the program with a $1.4 million grant; six first-year medical students have already been accepted, with three of those on full scholarship. The scholarship recipients have committed to four years of medical service in the region.</p><p> </p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/promoting-healthy-communities">Supporting Public Health</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Tue, 26 Nov 2024 15:34:00 -0600 Promoting Healthy Communities /news/chairpersons-file/2024-11-25-chair-file-thank-you-week-and-every-day-our-incredible-health-care-workforce <p>In October 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln decreed that Thanksgiving be held across the U.S. to “heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it … soon.” In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed that the U.S. would celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November.</p><p>During tumultuous times, expressing gratitude and giving thanks are more important than ever. As a health care leader, I am grateful on Thanksgiving — and every day of the year — for the people working at our nation’s hospitals and health systems.</p><p>I’m grateful for the extraordinary expanse of care and treatment delivered by health care professionals and teams at hospitals and health systems. Their skill, commitment and sacrifices keep individuals and communities healthy in so many ways. They are the people: </p><ul><li>Healing body and mind — think of the clinical teams delivering cutting-edge medical procedures and providing behavioral health care — with innovative treatments and therapies.</li><li>Providing preventive care.</li><li>Ensuring a clean and safe environment for treatment.</li><li>Offering nutritious meals every day to patients, families and staff.</li><li>Connecting patients and families with community resources to address social needs.</li></ul><p>And when public health emergencies occur — such as natural disasters or mass violence incidents — health care professionals are ready 24/7/365 to provide care and comfort, even while their own lives and loved ones are affected.</p><p>Please join me in giving our heartfelt thanks to those working at hospitals and health systems across our nation for providing compassionate care, saving countless lives and improving the quality of life for countless others. The AHA has developed <a href="/forevergrateful" title="Download files">downloadable social media graphics and sample posts</a> for thanking people working at a local hospital or health system, using the hashtag <strong>#ForeverGrateful</strong>.</p><p>Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving and peaceful holiday season ahead.  </p> Mon, 25 Nov 2024 11:26:37 -0600 Promoting Healthy Communities /role-hospitals-barbara-bush-childrens-hospital-mainehealth-first-tooth-supports-oral-health-care-kids-maine <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-5"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2024-11/ths-barbara-bush-mainehealth-pediatric-dentistry-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital/MaineHealth. A young girl with afro puffs and yellow bows sits smiling in a dentist chair" width="700" height="532" class="align-left"></p></div><p>Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease affecting children in the U.S., according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/npao/oralhealth.htm#:~:text=Cavities%20(tooth%20decay)%20are%20the,childhood%20in%20the%20United%20States" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>. More than 50% of children have had a cavity in their primary, or baby, teeth by age 8. Kids who get cavities in their baby teeth risk having more dental problems as adults.</p><p>Most tooth decay is preventable, so protecting a child’s teeth is important. Studies show that poor oral health can have an adverse effect on children’s quality of life, their performance at school and their success later in life.</p><p>Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, part of MaineHealth, is working to ensure children have access to quality oral health care, even before a child gets their first tooth. MaineHealth, in partnership with MaineGeneral Health, Northern Light Health and other organizations, is part of From the First Tooth initiative (FTFT), which promotes and supports integrating oral health into primary care for infants, toddlers, children and young people up to age 21 across Maine.</p><p>FTFT promotes implementing an evidence-based prevention approach to oral health, encouraging pediatricians and family practice providers during every well-child visit to incorporate 1) oral health risk assessment, 2) fluoride varnish application, 3) parent or caregiver education and 4) referrals to dental services. FTFT offers technical assistance to primary care providers, including virtual training, clinical practice guidelines and videos, and rack cards available in several languages.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.mainehealth.org/healthy-communities/prevention-and-wellness/first-tooth">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/advocacy/access-and-health-coverage">Access to Care</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Mon, 04 Nov 2024 13:45:33 -0600 Promoting Healthy Communities