For more information, or to participate on any of these initiatives please contact Gail Witwer
I. Initiatives
Medicare Part D Prescription Program
There are over 30,000 seniors in Cumberland County and more than 3,000 persons with disabilities who not only must enroll in one of multiple Medicare Prescription Plans (over a limited amount of time), but must also apply for subsidies to defray their out-of-pocket costs in many cases. Two new part-time/temporary coordinators funded by the Foundation will focus on the new Medicare Prescription program and assist with public education, training of professionals and volunteers, and oversee enrollment opportunities.
Healthy Community Rx: Prescription Initiative through Sadler Health Center
From its beginning, the Foundation recognized that access to prescription medications was a problem in our region. Our 2002 Health Status Assessment (HSA) documented this challenge, and our subsequent Continuum of Care (COC) study reconfirmed it. Diagnosing chronic, life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension and COPD and serious behavioral health problems is only the first critical step in guiding people toward a more healthy future. In most cases, patients require medication to improve their chances of overcoming these health situations. With an additional $200,000 to fund this pilot initiative, Sadler is receiving the assistance needed to provide prescriptions for life threatening or behavioral needs of uninsured and underinsured persons at or below 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines. This focused program will be open initially to only Sadler patients, and then open to the wider region during 2006.
Wellness at Work/Pilot Project
Based on the recommendation from the Prevention & Education Task Force Report to develop a regional collaboration to champion and monitor nutrition and activity strategies, the Carlisle Area Health & Wellness Foundation ( CAHWF ), in partnership with the Greater Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce, has developed a pilot workplace wellness project among seven area employers to improve their employees' health through enhanced activities and programs.
Employers include the public, private and nonprofit sectors and range in size from 100 to 1200 employees, with a total of about 2600 employees in the pilot project. Participating companies include: Borough of Carlisle, Carlisle Area School District , Carlisle Tire & Wheel, Chapel Pointe, Cumberland County, Keen Transport, and Tuckey's. After this pilot is completed in about one year, CAHWF will be able to share data and lessons learned about changes in health-related behavior and status with the broader employer community. We will be more knowledgeable and better equipped to facilitate “Wellness at Work”.
This is a great opportunity to not only provide an educational benefit for employers and employees in the Carlisle region, but to also consistently measure the changes in health and behavior over a one year period. Our expectation is that this will lead to replication among other employers through reports and presentations that highlight the successes and benefits of workplace wellness efforts. The workplace culture is critical to changing our wellness norms and values in the community. We believe this effort will provide a legitimate platform to advocate for wellness programs within the workplace in the future.
Assessment data on the seven worksite wellness initiatives is near completion in terms of primary/secondary topics identified, health information preferences, session structure, recommended ways to change heath habits, existing barriers, and incentive choices. Individual and collective calendars of events are being established for the year. Many events will be open to employees of all seven project sites. Calendars will include monthly national observances, educational materials format, and classes/wellness activities locations.
AHCS (Adams-Hanover Counseling Services) “Carlisle Psychiatry”
Significant progress in responding to growing behavioral health demands is being achieved through expanded access to evaluations, treatment and consultations through CAHWF funding for a new psychiatric practice in Carlisle in conjunction with Adams Hanover Counseling Services. This full-time practice focuses on medical evaluation, management and stabilization
for a mix of public and private patients.
The psychiatrist will also be available to consult with and train area primary care physicians.
Goossens Estate
The Carlisle Area Health & Wellness Foundation was directed by the courts to oversee the deposition of funds from the Marjorie F. Goossens Estate. The court directed these funds to be used for “health and medicine programs and services” in the central and western parts of Perry County. The consensus from the Carlisle Area Health & Wellness Foundation boards was to collaborate with a group of residents appointed to prioritize and prepare recommendations on issues identified, and work through Carlisle Area Health & Wellness Foundation's system for approval and funding. The Goossens Task Force has identified two specific projects and is currently in the process of developing a lending program for durable medical equipment and a home care/community nurse.
II. Collaborations Supported by Carlisle Area Health & Wellness Foundation
CRANA
The Carlisle Regional Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (CRANA) is a broad-based collaboration that was formed to improve the nutrition and activity levels of people in the Carlisle region at the community, school/youth and workplace levels through behavior-based education, programs and activities. Activities are coordinated and sponsored by the Carlisle Area Health & Wellness Foundation ( CAHWF ).
Three subcommittees have been formed around specific levels of work. The Community subcommittee is working on identification of best practices, development of “mobile” programs and Walking, Trails and Parks utilization. The Schools/Youth subcommittee is working to develop and assist School Health Councils in the region and provide assistance on the upcoming BMI mandate for schools in our region. The Workplace subcommittee is working on the development and implementation of the “Wellness at Work” pilot project to enhance employee health knowledge and behavior at seven participating worksites within our region.
Behavioral Health Implementation Team
“Opportunities and Challenges,” the in-depth report produced by the CAHWF Behavioral Health Task Force in 2005, provided the direction to boost the community's response to persons struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues. The Foundation's “I” (Implementation) Team applies these strategies through three committees to implement meaningful changes in:
• Prevention – partnering with mental health consumers to offer stigma reduction presentations.
• Clinical – creating a network to increase skills and communication among providers, consumers, persons in recovery and families.
• Supportive – advocating for behavioral health parity through appropriate employer insurance coverage.
Cumberland County Partnership for a Healthy Community (CCPHC)
The mission of CCPHC is to improve the overall health and wellness in the area we serve through a collaborative community-based partnership by convening work groups to address gaps in health and wellness related services, and to serve as an advocate to access available funding through the provision of information regarding resources.
Thus far CCPHC has convened an Enrollment Task Force that has partnered with Carlisle Area, Big Spring and West Perry School Districts to enhance enrollment in the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and is exploring pilot efforts for Adult Basic insurance in the region.
Continuum of Care Task Force
This collaboration is based on the Continuum of Care Study which looked at healthcare systems in need of enhancement and regional attention. The Cumberland County Partnership for a Healthy Community, the Sadler Health Center , Health Share and Carlisle Area Health & Wellness Foundation served as the lead organizations. The seven key focus areas of work efforts are: Workforce, Access, Coordination, Prescriptions, Enrollment, and Public Policy. This collaboration and these key areas have been identified as the focus prevention areas for system change that will have the most impact on our healthcare.
III. Collaborations with Carlisle Area Health & Wellness Foundation Representation
• Cumberland-Perry County Tobacco Control Coalition
• Cumberland-Perry County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition
• Cumberland LINK: Aging and Disability Resource Center
• Harrisburg State Hospital Closure Advisory Committee
• United Way of the Capital Region: Vision Council on Health
• United Way of Carlisle and Cumberland County : Planning Committee
• United Way of Carlisle and Cumberland County : Emerging Needs Coalition
• Perry County Family Service Partnership Board |
