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Health Fundamentals Newsletter

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

December 2006

Throughout 2006, the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund is celebrating its 20th year of seeking to improve the health of all Kansans. In 1986, the Health Fund was established by the Kansas West Conference of the United Methodist Church with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. Since the Health Fund’s founding, grants totaling more than $44 million have supported hundreds of health-related projects in Kansas.

Best wishes for a healthy and happy new year from the Health Fund!

Health Fund News

Health Fund Trustee Receives 2006 Young Alumnus Award

Health Fund Trustee Dr. Sean Herrington recently received Kansas Wesleyan University’s 2006 Young Alumnus Award. The award is presented to KWU alumni 35 years of age or younger in recognition of their extraordinary service and achievement. Herrington, who joined the Health Fund Board in early 2006, is a family practice physician in Salina and serves as a Flight Surgeon in the Kansas Army National Guard. In addition to his service with the Health Fund, Herrington serves on the Salina Regional Health Center Board and on the Board of the American Red Cross North Central KS chapter. Sean has also served as the Co-president of the Coronado Elementary School PTO and as a Cub Scout/Webelo Pack 214 Council Chairman.

Health Fund Trustee Appointed to New Charge

Health Fund Trustee Rev. Nathan Stanton has been appointed as the new pastor of Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church, Wichita beginning January 1, 2007. Stanton, who joined the Health Fund Board of Trustees in early 2006, served as pastor of Anthony UMC prior to this new appointment.

Over $1 Million in Grant Awards Announced

The Health Fund today is pleased to announce new grants totaling over $1,068,000 for health improvement projects in Kansas. The grants support efforts to increase access to health care, improve oral health, and promote healthy lifestyles through better nutrition and exercise. Throughout 2006, the Health Fund made grants totaling over $3,102,000 to support projects benefiting the health of Kansans.

A grant of $150,000 will go to Inter-Faith Ministries, Wichita. The grant will support development of the Kansas Benefit Bank, a web-based service for low-income Kansans to apply for a variety of government benefits to which they are entitled. With partial support from the Health Fund grant, Inter-Faith Ministries will contract with software developers to make more benefit applications available and help Kansas organizations establish sites to offer the service. Federal tax filing is already available through the Kansas Benefit Bank. Medicaid and HealthWave applications will soon be available. Other applications to be added include food stamps, childcare subsidies, utilities assistance, and voter registration. Through this grant, development of sites to make the Kansas Benefit Bank available in the southwest region of the state will be emphasized. Organizations offering the service will have trained volunteers available to assist with applications.

The Wichita-based Institute of Minority Health, Education, & Research will receive a two-year grant totaling $50,000 to go through the process of becoming accredited with the American Diabetes Association. With accreditation, its diabetes self-management training and medical nutritional therapy services are expected to be reimbursable through Medicare and private insurance. The Institute was established in 2003 with the aim of promoting healthy lifestyles through education and research. The focus over the next two years will be providing an exercise and nutrition educational program for patients to use in controlling diabetes, training others to use the same program, and developing Community Health Workers to provide home-based diabetes education in local communities.

GraceMed Health Clinic of Wichita will receive a grant of $114,300 to expand its dental clinic. A second full-time dentist will be added to the current staff and additional space at the GraceMed 1122 N. Topeka facility is being remodeled to accommodate four additional dental operatories. The Health Fund grant will pay for the cost of remodeling additional space for the expansion. With the expansion, GraceMed Health Clinic is expected to serve approximately 17,600 dental patient visits a year.

With a grant of $9,151, the Sedgwick County Department on Aging plans to start a pilot project that will provide oral health education and free screening services for older adults at senior centers, senior housing, and dining centers. Registered dental hygienists will conduct the free screening events. Annette Graham, Director of the Department on Aging, said oral health is among the top unmet health needs of older adults. “Gum disease, tooth decay, or ill-fitting dentures can really compromise overall health and these conditions are aggravated even more by medical conditions and medications taken by older adults,” she explained. About ten percent of inquiries received by the department each month are regarding oral health needs, according to Graham. “We hope this program will help our older citizens understand that they don’t have to tolerate toothaches, bleeding gums, and clicking dentures,” she added. “There is help available.”

A grant of $35,651 was awarded to the Medical Service Bureau, Wichita, to support administrative expenses in 2007 for the Non-Profit Pharmacy developed with a Health Fund grant in 2002. The Non-Profit Pharmacy makes commonly used generic and select brand name medications available to low-income clients at wholesale costs plus a $5 dispensing fee.

A grant of $25,000 has been awarded to Rural Health Education and Services, University of Kansas Medical Center. The grant will support a needs assessment and feasibility study to determine potential use of services to support rural Kansas communities in recruiting dentists. Rural Health Education Services provides similar services for physician recruitment.

Health Ministries of Newton will be awarded a $100,000 grant to remodel and equip space in its clinic to expand dental services. The expanded dental program—which provides dental care on a sliding fee scale based on income—will be part of a regional program to improve access to dental care in cooperation with PrairieStar Clinic in Hutchinson. More than 1,600 patient visits are expected to be provided in the Newton facility during the first year. Services will initially focus on children and pregnant women.

Oral Health Kansas, a statewide coalition dedicated to improving the oral health of Kansans, will receive two grants totaling $198,600. The grants will help support the operation of Oral Health Kansas over the next two years and the continuation of the Dental Champions Leadership Program. The coalition, headquartered in Topeka, has a membership of more than 130 organizations and individuals.

With a $10,500 grant, Southwestern College plans to pilot a web-based seminar for rural business leaders on the issues of providing health insurance. The Winfield-based college plans to engage human resource directors and office managers of up to 20 rural businesses in an exploration of the responsibilities and options for providing access to health care for employees.

With the help of a $30,000 grant, the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Pittsburg will expand its dental services to include onsite visits to schools and long-term care facilities by a dental hygienist. Services will include dental cleanings and preventive services such as sealants. If it appears treatment may be needed for a dental problem, the hygienist will refer patients to make an appointment with a dentist. The new service will be an extension of the Community Health Center’s dental clinic which has three full-time dentists on staff serving close to 900 patients a month. Clinic services are provided on a sliding fee scale based on income.

A grant of $53,050 will go to the Kansas Head Start Association, Shawnee, to develop and evaluate a health literacy program for parents of young children. The program will be designed to be used by health departments, community health centers, and other agencies serving young children from low-income families. A program with similar goals was used in Kansas Head Start centers with promising results. Parents using the program reported a decrease in the number of emergency room visits and doctor visits for minor illnesses or injuries and a decrease in the number of days children missed school and parents missed work.

A grant of $10,000 will go to Legacy, A Regional Community Foundation, located in Cowley County, to develop and launch a website dedicated to its Tiny Teeth program. Tiny Teeth is an oral health education program aimed at parents of young children and was developed with an earlier Health Fund grant. The program and its early childhood oral health education materials will be available for ordering online through the new website. The website is expected to be launched in late January.

A grant of $266,407 was awarded to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The grant addresses the need to make the link between the environment and health more visible. The grant will fund the creation of a new position of Environmental Health Director for its first two years. The grant will also upgrade data analysis tools to allow more efficient use of data to identify and evaluate potential links between environmental hazards and health status.

A grant of $3,000 is underwriting expenses for the Community Health Council of Manhattan to host a community meeting on regional oral health issues, particularly the lack of access to dental care for low-income families. The meeting is being planned for early in 2007.

A grant of $7,913 was awarded to Kansas State University to support the full implementation of a website designed to help enable communities in Kansas to obtain tools with evidence-based science to combat youth obesity. The website was launched in October and is aimed at youth workers, parents, and community advocates interested in information and resources on diet, physical activity, obesity, and overweight for Kansas teens. The website address is www.knackonline.org.

The First United Methodist Church, Emporia, has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Health Fund to help establish a Health Ministry program to serve the congregation and community. Grant funding will be used to provide training and purchase equipment and other health ministry resources. The grant project director is Susan Stone, and the pastor of First UMC Emporia is the Rev. Nancy Gammill.

Under the Health Fund’s Healthy Congregations initiative, start-up grants of up to $5,000 are available to local Kansas United Methodist churches to stimulate the development of comprehensive congregational health and wellness ministries. It is the hope of the Health Fund that these one-time grants, added to local church resources, will mobilize strong volunteer efforts to address many facets of health, healing and wholeness in congregations and communities throughout Kansas.

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 the possibilities before us, 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.

Health Fund website relaunched with new look

The Health Fund recently launched a completely redesigned website with a fresh and colorful new look which we hope will make the website a pleasure to visit.

In addition to the new look, the underlying framework has been refreshed to take advantage of advances in web technology which have developed since the previous version's launch, and to provide a platform for future growth. The graphic design for the new website was developed by Bill Leslie of Catalyst Creative Services, the Health Fund's communications partner. We invite you to spend some time getting to know the new site and to check back often as we continue to add new features and information.

We would like to know what you think of the new site and any comments or suggestions you may have are welcome. Please e-mail your thoughts about the new site to Jeff at jgamber@healthfund.org.

 

Oral Health

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

Oral health resource booklets available

Limited quantities of an oral health resource booklet are available from the Health Fund on request. The booklet, titled “Oral Health: Resources & Information for Kansas Medical Professionals,” provides medical professionals information on assisting patients with dental referrals, links to online oral health training information, and information regarding fluoride varnish (a decay-preventive treatment which can be applied to teeth by medical as well as dental professionals). Fluoride varnish is a simple yet effective tool for preventing tooth decay, especially for young children, with studies indicating 25-45 percent reductions in decay with fluoride varnish use.

The booklet is designed as a supplement to a recent oral health publication by the American Academy of Family Physicians, which is also available on request. To receive these materials, contact the Health Fund office at healthfund@healthfund.org, 620-662-8586, or 800-369-7191.

 

Healthy Lifestyles

Promoting healthy nutrition and healthy activity to maintain and improve health

KNACK Online Health Resource Website Available

Knowledge of Nutrition and Activity for Communities in Kansas (KNACK) Online is a deep and detailed website designed to help parents, community advocates, and adult youth workers address adolescent overweight and obesity through evidence-based, reliable, useful, and action-oriented resources. The goal of KNACK Online is to empower stakeholders to influence the environment and social norms of children to help them become more physically active and make healthier eating choices. KNACK Online was developed by the Kansas State University College of Human Ecology with guidance and input from Kansas health leaders.

KNACK Online includes resources and tips anyone can use to achieve a longer, healthier life and reduce health care costs both at a personal level and to provide guidance to those in their care. The site, located at www.knackonline.org, holds a wealth of current and relevant information about the importance of physical activity and good nutrition, tools to achieve improved health through basic lifestyle changes, and links to other online health-related resources. A recent Health Fund grant will support operation of the website in 2007.

Nominations Sought for Governor’s Hometown Health Hero Award

Do you know someone in your community who has made a significant difference in getting people to increase their activity levels, eat better diets, or reduce tobacco use? If so, Healthy Kansas would like to hear from you about your hometown health hero. Through the Hometown Health Hero award, the Governor and the Governor’s Council on Fitness seek to recognize the efforts of individuals across the state who have made a significant contribution to the health of their communities or attained a great personal achievement in the areas of physical activity, promoting healthy nutrition, or tobacco use prevention in Kansas.

The simple nomination form is available online at the Healthy Kansas website, www.healthykansas.org. Healthy Kansas is an initiative of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius designed to encourage Kansans to commit to making healthy life changes through greater physical activity, improved nutrition, and tobacco use cessation, basic steps that have a significant effect toward living a longer, healthier life with reduced health care costs. Virginia Elliott, Health Fund Vice President for Programs, serves on the Governor’s Council on Fitness.

Project Workout on Wheels Exercise Study for Wheelchair Users

Researchers at the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas Medical Center are seeking manual wheelchair users between the ages of 18 and 65 who are interested to begin a physical activity program.

The study will investigate the effectiveness of behavioral interventions for promoting physical activity adoption and maintenance, the physical and psychosocial effects of the interventions, and the complex interplay of factors influencing the effectiveness of the interventions.

To be included, a participant must: have had a permanent disability or chronic condition for at least 6 months; have not been regularly physically active over the last 6 months; use a manual wheelchair as the primary method of mobility; live within a 35-mile radius of Kansas City; and be able to obtain a medical release to participate from his or her personal physician.

Participant recruitment for this home and community-based exercise study, Project Workout on Wheels, is now underway. To learn about the study, please call (913)588-7832 or (913)588-5000, extension 1324.

 

Healthy Congregations

Working together with local United Methodist churches for a healthier Kansas

Health Through Faith and Community study curriculum published

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.

Healthy Congregations Recognition report forms online now - due March 1

The Healthy Congregations Recognition program, now in its eleventh 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.

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 $1,500 Healthy Congregations of the Year awards for outstanding health and wellness ministries. For 2005, 81 churches participated in Healthy Congregations Recognition.

Report forms are available online, with new features designed to make reporting easy and simple. Churches that submitted an online 2005 report can now roll-over recurring activities to their 2006 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 2006 activities, is available on the Health Fund website at http://www.healthfund.org/hc.php. Completed reports must be submitted online or mailed by March 1, 2007.

Register Today! 6th Annual Healthy Congregations Retreat, April 13-14

The 2007 Healthy Congregations Annual Retreat for United Methodists will be held April 13-14 at Rock Springs 4-H Center.

Keynote speakers featured at this year’s retreat include Larry Hollon, General Secretary of United Methodist Communications (UMCOM) and Rod Bremby, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).

Register online or call today to reserve your place at the retreat and look forward to enjoying two days of relaxation, interesting and informational sessions, and networking with friends and peers in a beautiful and peaceful natural setting. The retreat is provided entirely free of charge by the Health Fund; the $25 per person deposit, which is required to finalize registration, will be returned at the retreat. The retreat offers CEUs for health professionals through Hutchinson Community College. CEUs are also available for clergy.

The event brings together United Methodists with shared interests in congregational health ministries and the promotion of holistic health and healthy lifestyles. The retreat features a variety of sessions covering the spiritual, mental, physical, and social dimensions of health.

Who should attend the retreat?

A full schedule, additional event information, and online registration forms are available at www.healthfund.org/hcar.php. Available space is limited; register early to ensure your place at the retreat! Please note that pets are not allowed at the Rock Springs center.

Healthy Congregations Grants request for proposals extended

The Health Fund recently extended its Healthy Congregations Grants Request for Proposals (RFP) to make the program available through December 2007.

The Healthy Congregations Grants RFP makes one-time grants of up to $5,000 available to Kansas United Methodist churches to stimulate 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.

Call us or visit the Health Fund website for application information.

C 2006 United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
www.healthfund.org – healthfund@healthfund.org – 620.662.8586 – 800.369.7191