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Health Fundamentals Newsletter

An online newsletter published by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.

September 2007

Health Fund News

Trustee News
The Health Fund wishes to congratulate Nathan and Brenda Stanton on the recent birth of a son, Eli Alan. Eli came into the world July 27th at 7 lbs. 11 oz and 19 ¾ inches long. Nathan is a Health Fund Trustee and is pastor at Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church in Wichita.

The Health Fund is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees, all United Methodists from the Kansas West UM Conference.

Inspirational video available for checkout
“Celebrate What’s Right with the World,” with National Geographic photographer Dewitt Jones, encourages us to celebrate the things that are right with the world, to recognize our possibilities, and to find solutions for the challenges before us. Filled with inspirational photography and dialogue, the video is designed to help viewers approach their lives with celebration, confidence, and grace.

Nonprofit organizations may check out the video by contacting the Health Fund at healthfund@healthfund.org, 620-662-8586, or 800-369-7191. Availability is limited and subject to previous scheduling; please contact us well ahead of the requested viewing date.

Access to Health Care

Working to make primary health care available to all

Kansas Health Policy Authority listening tour comes to Hutchinson
The Kansas Health Policy Authority made a stop at the Health Fund’s offices in Hutchinson August 24th as part of its listening tour on health care reform. Twenty local residents attended to voice concerns and provide suggestions for improving the health care system.

Health Policy Authority executive director Marci Nielsen and chairperson Connie Hubbell conducted the meeting.

Many of those attending shared their personal experiences with barriers to health care and offered insights and ideas for improvement. The discussion ran the gamut from encouraging personal responsibility to trying to make sure all Kansans have health insurance. Issues concerning continuing health insurance coverage when changing jobs, the challenges for young adults who “graduate” from parents’ insurance policies, and high costs for small groups were among many raised during the one-hour meeting.

The Kansas Health Policy Authority has been charged by the Legislature and Governor Sebelius with developing a plan for health care reform in Kansas. In order for the plan to be responsive to the concerns of Kansans, KHPA is holding a series of meetings to hear about issues concerning health care access and health insurance coverage from local citizens throughout the state. Different groups—providers, payers, and consumers, are targeted in each session. The Hutchinson session was intended to gain an understanding of the consumer viewpoint.

For more information, visit the KHPA website at www.khpa.ks.gov or the Kansas Health Institute news service site at: www.khi.org.

Faith Community and Health Care Reform group holds first meeting
Almost 300,000 Kansans lack health insurance coverage and thousands more are under-insured. Access to health care is materially affected by health insurance coverage, which means that thousands of Kansans struggle to receive the care services necessary for their health. Reports underwritten by the Health Fund in 2006 demonstrated clearly the increasing burden of medical debt on persons of low income and farmers right here in Kansas. There is a sense of growing insecurity about health insurance coverage in virtually all demographic groups in Kansas, including middle-income Kansans.

In general terms, the Kansas Legislature and Governor Sebelius have directed the Kansas Health Policy Authority to evaluate options for improving health care coverage in Kansas and present their findings to the Legislature for consideration during the 2008 session. In other states which have succeeded in adopting major health coverage improvements, the coordinated voices and actions of the faith community have played key roles in overcoming self-interest and securing benefits for consumers.

An initial meeting was held August 16th at the Health Fund offices to bring together faithful people concerned about health care reform to form a steering committee and plan for coordinated actions down the road. 23 people from across Kansas representing a cross-section of Christian faith traditions and sharing a common belief in the need for improved health care access came together for discussion and prayerful thought. Andy Allison, Deputy Director of the Kansas Health Policy Authority gave a special presentation to the group.

GraceMed Clinic, Wichita, receives federal grant awards
GraceMed Clinic, a health ministry of the Kansas West Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, recently received news that it has been designated a Federally-Qualified Community Health Center. This status will allow GraceMed to receive a minimum of $650,000 in federal grant support each year. The Health Fund has supported the growth and work of GraceMed with a number of grants throughout the years, and a $25,000 Health Fund grant supported professional assistance to GraceMed in preparing its Community Health Center grant application. Community Health Centers provide care regardless of a person’s ability to pay, with charges for services set according to income.

Kansas Health Care Reform - Op Ed article by Kim Moore
Something must be done to improve the reliability of access to healthcare in our state. Virtually everyone agrees with that. Attempts have been made at reform in the past, but political maneuvering and the power of self-interest groups have diffused those efforts.

Now the Kansas Health Policy Authority is preparing a health reform plan for the Governor and Legislature with three very worthy goals:

  1. providing and protecting affordable health insurance for all Kansans,
  2. paying for prevention and a primary care medical home, and
  3. promoting personal responsibility.

It is critically important that each of us support this opportunity to have substantive change which will actually benefit consumers.

Insureds feel insecure
Opinion polls show that even Kansans with insurance are concerned about their employer-sponsored health insurance. They feel insecure. The very real possibilities of larger co-pays, increased deductibles, and more limitations on benefits create added financial pressure as well as apprehension about future medical needs.

Insecurity becomes reality when a child "graduates" from a parent's health care plan, a person attempts to retire early, an employer increases employees' premium share, or death or divorce separate a person from a group plan.

Losing health insurance can happen to any of us. Right now there are 300,000 Kansans who are uninsured. Thousands more are under-insured, with many forced into medical debt and medical bankruptcy. Expensive medical and pharmaceutical treatments receive most of the health care dollar, with minimal investment in prevention and public health.

With the obvious need and the equally obvious failures of the current "solutions," it would seem the Health Policy Authority goals would be enthusiastically embraced and their accomplishment a certainty.

The influence of special interests
Standing in the way, however, are competing ideologies and interests which threaten affordable, comprehensive, and accessible health care for all Kansans. Promoters of laissez-faire markets will not support expansion of our state government to accomplish these goals. Others, however, believe government must now address the crisis because health care is a social good, not merely a market commodity.

Adding to the challenge is the power of special interest groups. Healthcare for all Kansans is not the foremost interest of insurance companies, some healthcare providers and their associations, or health insurance agents. The naturally have concerns for their direct economic interests and will most likely oppose solutions which are counter to those interests even if of benefit to consumers.

In this thicket of conflicting philosophies and vested economic self-interest, Kansas health consumers need to become engaged and expressive if meaningful health coverage expansion is to become reality. We need to listen and learn about terms such as health insurance connector, premium assistance for Medicaid families, and re-insurance. We need to reflect on our own health insurance situation, realizing that reforms may cost a little more for some of us but can give all of our families more security and better health care access in the future. Consumers need to insist that the Kansas pragmatic tradition of "getting it done for the common good" be practiced by the Authority, legislative leaders, and the Governor. We need to encourage and support those who are willing to work in a bipartisan spirit to achieve the worthy goal of all Kansans having health insurance. This can be accomplished when the effort is based on the evidence and data, rather than ideology and rhetoric.

Consumers must respond
Consumers will have to step up in this endeavor. There will be many trying to alarm the public during the coming months, and they will have big marketing budgets to spend. Their goals are not fully aligned with those of health coverage for all Kansans. Consumers will need to be skeptical of claims and sensitive to the self-interest and ideologies behind the information. Consumers wanting to participate and become more informed should contact the Kansas Health Consumer Coalition (KHCC) at www.kshealthconsumer.com and keep up-to-date on health reform progress through the website of the Kansas Health Policy Authority at www.khpa.ks.gov.

There is much to be done and much to overcome, but we have a great opportunity to realize comprehensive and affordable health insurance coverage for all Kansans. Active health care consumers can make the difference in securing a better health care environment for all Kansans.

Kim Moore
President
United Methodist Health Ministry Fund

Kansas Health Institute offerings aim to explain health insurance complexities
Understanding Health Insurance in Kansas: Who Has It, and Where Do They Get It is an issue brief developed by the Kansas Health Institute to provide information about the distribution patterns and availability of health insurance in Kansas. From the KHI website:

"About 89 percent of Kansans have health insurance. That’s better than most states. Even so, nearly 300,000 Kansans lack coverage. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other sources, this brief examines the insurance status of Kansans and the reasons some lack coverage."

Health Insurance in Kansas: A Primer aims to clarify some of the basic issues regarding health insurance with a Flash-based multimedia primer developed by former KHI Senior Policy Analyst Sheldon Weisgrau, M.H.S. As described on the KHI website:

Health insurance is one of the most pervasive public policy issues of our time. About 300,000 Kansans lack it and many who have it are worried about losing it in the future. Despite its significance as an issue and its importance to the health of Kansans, many of the most basic principles of insurance are little discussed and not well understood.

The issue brief, primer, and other health insurance-related information is available through the Kansas Health Institute’s website, www.khi.org/insurance, or a free CD may be requested by emailing a request to mailbox@khi.org. This can make a great presentation for a civic club, Sunday school class, or other group interested in health insurance issues.

Related resources available through the KHI website include a transcript of the multimedia primer, associated presentations and notes, and a glossary of health insurance terms. Funding to develop the primer and the issue brief was provided in part by the Health Fund.

Oral Health

Working to improve oral health through education, prevention, and access to care

Dental Hubs Initiative for Kansas receives funding
Four safety net clinic programs recently received substantial grant awards to become regional dental hubs. A dental hub will have at least two dentists at the base of operations and will utilize dental hygienists holding expanded permits to offer screening, preventive services, and referrals back to the base. The hygienists will extend the reach of the program into several neighboring counties around each hub. With 12 to 15 hubs, the entire state of Kansas will have a thin but available safety net of dental services. Private grant support from the Health Fund ($500,000), the Delta Dental Foundation ($213,000), the Jones Trust ($574,000), the REACH Foundation ($175,000) and the Sunflower Foundation ($500,000) went to programs in Garden City, Emporia, Pittsburg, and Topeka/Leavenworth to create fully operating dental hubs within two years. Additional private funding went to five other applicants to support further planning, and $500,000 in state dental hub funding was spread among eight programs.

The Health Fund’s support of the dental hubs concept is a continuation of the Fund’s strategic interest in oral health which dates back to 1998 when the Fund identified oral health as one of the major health issues facing Kansas and began its Healthy Teeth for Kansans initiative; a commitment which has been reaffirmed and will continue to guide the Fund’s work at least through 2009. The Health Fund worked with the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved, a number of state-level groups and agencies, and private funders to help the dental hubs idea progress from concept to reality.

Oral Health Kansas annual meeting November 1-3
In conjunction with the Kansas Dental Association, Oral Health Kansas, a statewide organization dedicated to improving oral health in Kansas through advocacy, public awareness, and education, will hold its fourth annual conference November 1-3 at the Marriott Courtyard at Old Town, Wichita. The theme of the conference is “Making Oral Health a Priority in Kansas…Because it Matters!” The keynote address, “Open Wide – New Horizons in Leadership,” will be presented by David Adkins, Vice Chancellor for External Affairs, Kansas University Medical School. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has been invited to present a luncheon keynote address.

Workshop sessions planned include topics such as:

The meeting is supported in part by a $3,000 grant from the Health Fund.

CEUs are available for oral health and medical professionals. For questions or more information, please contact Oral Health Kansas, Inc. at 785.235.6039 or ohks@oralhealthkansas.org. or visit www.oralhealthkansas.org

Healthy Congregations

Working together with local United Methodist churches for a healthier Kansas

Healthy Congregations in Action pilot churches celebrate successes
Representatives from churches which participated in the 18 month Healthy Congregations in Action pilot project gathered at First United Methodist Church, Wichita, recently to celebrate and share the successes achieved in their health ministries through their involvement with the program. Healthy Congregations in Action is an initiative of the Kansas Area Healthy Lifestyles Advisory Committee which aims to:

27 churches completed the HCIA pilot program, having undertaken over 140 total health ministry activities and projects through their participation. The HCIA celebration event included the sharing of highlighted activities, posters with photos and stories of HCIA ministries, and a performance by Rose Hill UMC-based praise band Cross Focus. Highlighted activities ranged from self-care workshops which 11 congregations held to parenting classes, emergency preparedness, walking and exercise programs, healthy nutrition programs and policies, and social activities to bring church members and community members closer together. Participant churches commented that in many cases the HCIA program resulted in positive changes both within the congregation and in the churches’ relationships with their surrounding communities.

Work is continuing to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the HCIA pilot program and to determine how to best apply those learnings to future efforts supporting health ministries throughout Kansas and beyond. The Health Fund provided funding and technical support to the Healthy Congregations in Action pilot project.

Two Kansas United Methodist Churches awarded Healthy Congregations grants
First United Methodist Church of Dodge City receives a Healthy Congregations Grant of $4,480 to help establish youth programs that serve the congregation and surrounding community. The grant funds will be used to purchase equipment, supplies, and other health ministry tools. The grant project director is Beth Love, and the pastor is the Rev. Lance Carrithers.

The Mt. Hope United Methodist Church has been awarded a $4,188 Healthy Congregations Grant to help expand their health ministry program to serve the congregation and community. Grant funding will be used to provide training, equipment, and to purchase other health ministry resources. The grant project director is Patricia Kissick, and the pastor of Mt. Hope UMC is the Rev. Donna Wise.

Healthy Congregations Grants Available to Kansas UM Churches
The Healthy Congregations Grants RFP makes one-time grants of up to $5,000 available to Kansas United Methodist churches to stimulate the development of comprehensive ministries of health and wellness. Projects funded will emphasize wellness, prevention, volunteer caregiving, social support, and congregational health education and awareness. Examples of such ministries include parish nursing and health promotion projects. Grant funding is not intended for projects focused on a single disease, disability, or health issue.

The Health Fund hopes that these one-time grants, added to local church resources, will mobilize strong volunteer efforst to address many facets of health, healing, and wholeness in congregations and communities throughout Kansas.

Please visit the Health Fund website or call us for application information.

National Congregational Health Ministries Conference Coming to Kansas
The United Methodist Church General Board of Global Ministries and the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits are co-sponsoring the Third Annual National Health Ministries Conference for United Methodists, which will be held at the Spiritual Life Center, Wichita, Kansas. The theme of this year’s conference, scheduled for September 23-26, is “Empowering Ministries of Health: Starting, Implementing, Advancing.” The Health Fund has been coordinating with the conference sponsors to help promote the event, and several Fund staff members will be making presentations at the conference.

The training objectives of the conference are:

United Methodists including health and welfare chairpersons, clergy, parish nurses or faith community nurses, Christian educators, and those with a passion for health ministries are the conference’s target audience. CEUs are available for clergy, nurses, and some health educators.

For more information, visit the GBOPHB website at www.gbophb.org and click on the “Events and Education” link. A direct link is available here.

Health Through Faith and Community Study Curriculum and Website Available
The Health Fund is making copies of “Health Through Faith and Community: A Study Resource for Christian Faith Communities to Promote Personal and Social Well-Being” available at no charge to Kansas churches. The book, produced through a Health Fund grant and written by a team led by KU social work professor Ed Canda, Ph.D., has been more than five years in the making. Published by The Haworth Pastoral Press, the curriculum contains eight study sessions which can be used independently or together as a multi-week class. The book provides information and learning activities on the physical, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental aspects of health from an ecumenical Christian perspective.

The book is designed as an instructor resource, containing handouts and worksheets which can be copied and distributed to class participants. Participants do not need individual copies of the curriculum book. The Health Fund has purchased a quantity of books from Haworth Press and is making them available at no charge to Kansas churches (both United Methodist and other denominations) upon request while supplies last. Out of state persons or churches are encouraged to purchase the curriculum through Haworth press.

Supplemental materials to aid in teaching the curriculum are available at www.healthfaithstudy.info . The supplemental materials include electronic versions of the overheads and handouts contained in the book, and a special supplement available only online.

Healthy Congregations Recognition
The Healthy Congregations Recognition program, now in its twelfth year, highlights what Kansas United Methodist churches are doing to nurture, reach out, and educate through ministries of health, healing, and wholeness. Healthy Congregations Recognition also provides a way for churches to share their health work with others, encouraging and inspiring the growth of congregational health programs. An electronic version of the Healthy Congregations Recognition 2006 brochure, including a list of the churches most recently recognized for their health ministry work, is available on our website at: www.healthfund.org/pdf/HC_Recognition_2006_brochure.pdf

All congregations meeting the basic requirements of the Healthy Congregations Recognition Program receive a free health resource and recognition at the Healthy Congregations Annual Retreat and at the Kansas East and Kansas West Annual Conferences. Six congregations are selected to receive a $1,500 Healthy Congregations of the Year award for outstanding health and wellness ministries.

Report forms are available online, with features designed to make reporting easy and simple. Churches that submitted an online 2006 report can roll-over recurring activities to their 2007 report with a few mouse clicks. Start your report today and work on it throughout the year as activities are completed.

More information about Healthy Congregations Recognition, including report forms for 2007 activities, is available on the Health Fund website at www.healthfund.org/hc.php. Completed reports must be submitted online or mailed by March 1, 2008.

 

C 2007 United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
www.healthfund.org – healthfund@healthfund.org – 620.662.8586 – 800.369.7191