Health Fundamentals Newsletter
An online newsletter published by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.
January 2006
Oral Health
Working to improve oral health through education, prevention, and access to care
Oral Health Request for Proposals (RFP) Issued
The Health Fund has issued a new Request for Proposals (RFP) offering funding to projects aimed at improving oral health in Kansas. Although significant progress has been made since 1998 when the Health Fund started providing grants through its Healthy Teeth for Kansans initiative, much more remains to be done to assure adequate access to both prevention measures and dental care. Recognizing that there are more opportunities than ever before in Kansas to make a difference in oral health, the Health Fund remains committed in 2006 to providing resources for improving access to both prevention and treatment through sustainable projects and programs that serve Kansans who need help because of poverty, geographic location, or special needs. Health Fund Trustees have committed up to $750,000 for oral health grants in 2006.
Grants under the RFP will support strategies for increasing access to dental care for underserved Kansans and for the integration of appropriate oral health prevention measures into schools, medical practices, child care settings, health departments, long-term care facilities, and community water systems.
The next deadline for proposals under the Healthy Teeth RFP is March 20, 2006. Proposals received by this date will receive a funding decision by May 19 and those approved for grants will have funds available starting July 10. For application information, see the below article on Health Fund grant application procedures or visit our website. The full RFP is available on the Health Fund website at: http://www.healthfund.org/oralhealth/htkrfp.php
Fifth Kansas Mission of Mercy Event January 27-28
The fifth Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM)
event will be held in Wichita January 27th and 28th at the Kansas
Coliseum. Organized by the Kansas Dental Association and the Kansas
Dental Hygienists’ Association, KMOM offers free dental services
to all patients on a first-come, first-served basis. The four prior
events have provided nearly 8,900 people with $3,394,358 worth
of dental services provided by volunteer dentists, dental hygienists,
dental assistants, and support staff. The Health Fund has provided
support for each KMOM event and is funding the presence of the
Hutchinson District Hot Foods Trailer as well as helping to underwrite
the expenses of KMOM Wichita. As in the previous KMOM events, the
Health Fund has contracted with the Kansas Health Institute to
analyze exit surveys from the event.
For more information, visit the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation
website: http://www.ksdentalfoundation.org/kmom/kmom.htm
Two Dental Clinics Celebrate Grand Re-openings
On January 12, the Health Partnership Clinic of Johnson County celebrated the grand re-opening of its Olathe Dental Clinic after an expansion which will allow free and reduced-cost dental services to be provided three days a week to low-income patients. The expansion was funded by a $50,000 Health Fund grant in addition to funds from the REACH Foundation and the City of Olathe. The clinic now has three fully-equipped dental stations. Services are provided by a staff dentist and dental students from the University of Missouri-KC Dental School, with additional services provided by local volunteer dentists.
The WSU Dental Hygiene Clinic celebrated its re-dedication November 4 following an extensive renovation in the summer of 2005. The clinic, re-dedicated as the Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation Dental Hygiene Clinic at WSU, provides services through over 4,000 patient appointments each school year while providing hands-on training for students in the WSU Dental Hygiene Program, the largest in the state. The expansion was supported in part by a 2003 Health Fund grant of $100,500 over five years. The grant provided diagnostic equipment, support for the application of dental sealants through the clinic, and funding for additional faculty, allowing the Dental Hygiene Program to increase the number of students in the program.
Oral Health Book Available from Health Fund
Limited quantities of an oral health resource booklet are now available from the Health Fund on request. The booklet, titled “Oral Health: Resources & Information for Kansas Medical Professionals,” provides 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. To receive
a copy, contact the Health Fund office at healthfund@healthfund.org,
620-662-8586, or 800-369-7191.
Healthy Congregations
Working together with local United Methodist churches for a healthier Kansas
Healthy Congregations Recognition Reports Due March 1
The Healthy Congregations Recognition program, now in its tenth year, highlights what 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 can also receive a $1,500 Healthy Congregations of the Year award for outstanding health and wellness ministries.
More information about Healthy Congregations Recognition, including report forms for 2005 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, 2006.
5th Annual Healthy Congregations Annual Retreat, April 7-8
The 2006 Healthy Congregations Annual Retreat for United Methodists will be April 7-8 at Rock Springs 4-H Center. Register today to reserve your place - attendance is free, but spaces are limited. 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 components of health.
Who should attend the retreat?
- United Methodist parish nurses, local pastors, and other laity who are actively involved in congregational health ministries
- Those who want to initiate new health and wellness ministries in their congregations
- Church teams of two or three persons are encouraged to attend for mutual support after returning home
Kansas United Methodist Bishop Scott Jones will deliver two keynote addresses at the event.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available to clergy and health professionals. To view the retreat schedule or download a pdf version of the retreat brochure, click here.
Key benefits for participants:
- Discover ways congregations can advance health, healing, and wholeness within and beyond the local church
- Learn what some churches are doing to increase healthy lifestyles of Kansans through physical activity and healthy food choices
- Gain useful information about current health ministries in Kansas United Methodist congregations
- Network with others who have similar interests and motivations toward congregational health ministries
- Find renewed personal energy in a scenic retreat setting
Find out more about the 2006 Healthy Congregations Annual Retreat on our website.
Healthy Congregations Grants Request for Proposals Extended
The Health Fund has extended its Healthy Congregations Grants Request for Proposals (RFP) through December 31, 2006.
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.
See the grant application procedure article below or visit the
Health Fund website for application information.
General/Other News
Health Fund Grant Application Procedure
The Health Fund has current Request for Proposals (RFP) available for Oral Health grants and Healthy Congregations grants. For RFP-specific information, see the above articles under Oral Health and Healthy Congregations, or visit the Health Fund website for full details.
Persons wishing to assess the possibility of Health Fund grant funding for a project are encouraged to call and discuss their ideas with a program officer. The Health Fund continues to seek funding opportunities within its strategic focus areas of access to primary health care, oral health, and healthy lifestyles (nutrition and exercise), even if the proposed project may not fit a current RFP.
The program officer will determine if there is potential for Health Fund grant funding and if so will provide guidance in the application process. In most cases, persons authorized to apply for grants will be given access to our simple online application system. Applications are considered by our Programming & Evaluation Committee and our Board of Trustees at meetings scheduled four times a year. The next grant application deadline is March 20, 2006.
Healthy Congregations Grants RFP
Healthy Teeth for Kansans
oral health RFP
General information about the Health Fund grant process
The Health Fund extends a warm welcome to three new members of its Board of Trustees.
Sheila Frahm, a Colby resident and member of Colby United Methodist Church, is the Executive Director of the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees. Frahm brings an extensive public service background, having served as a member of the Kansas Board of Education, a member and majority leader of the Kansas Senate, as Lieutenant Governor of Kansas, and as a United States Senator. Frahm served the Health Fund as a non-trustee member of the Programming and Evaluation Committee for two years before joining the full Board.
Sean Herrington, MD, is a family physician from Salina and active member of Trinity United Methodist Church, Salina. Herrington, a graduate of Kansas Wesleyan University and the University of Kansas Medical School, has served on the boards of the North Central KS Chapter of the American Red Cross and Salina Regional Medical Center. A flight surgeon in the Kansas Army National Guard, Herrington returned in October from a three-month deployment in Iraq.
Rev. Nathan Stanton is the pastor of Anthony United Methodist Church and an Elder in the Kansas West UMC Conference. A graduate of Kansas Wesleyan University and the St. Paul School of Theology, Stanton has served as a member of the Sedgwick County Suicide Prevention Task Force, as a board member of Positive Connections, Wichita, and has served as Regional Prevention Center Director for North Central Kansas, providing drug and alcohol prevention services to a nine-county area.
The Health Fund is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees, all United Methodists from the Kansas West UM Conference. The Health Fund relies on the expertise of its several non-trustee committee members to provide a wider perspective in a number of issue areas.
Hutchinson, KS—The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
announces the award of nine new grants totaling $496,559 for projects
to improve the health of Kansans. The Health Fund grants an average
of nearly $3 million each year to support health projects in its
three strategic focus areas: access to health care, oral health,
and healthy nutrition and exercise.
Saint Mark United Methodist Church, Wichita, is the recipient of
a grant of $57,400. The grant will provide equipment and supplies
for a planned dental clinic. The dental clinic will be an expansion
of Saint Mark UMC’s E.C. Tyree Health Clinic and will offer
free and reduced-cost dental services by volunteer dental professionals
two evenings a week. Annually, it is expected to serve 500 patients
who might not otherwise be able to afford dental treatment. The
new service is expected to be offered this coming June.
A grant of $66,500 has been awarded to GraceMed Health Clinic of Wichita to make dental hygiene services more accessible to elementary school children in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Healthy Children Center at Lincoln School and Evergreen Clinic near Cloud School will be staffed with registered dental hygienists with extended care permits. With parental permission, students will receive preventative oral health services including screening, cleaning, and sealants. Children will also be taught appropriate daily care for their teeth and mouths. Those needing restorative care will be referred to their own family dentists. If students do not have a dentist, they will be referred to a sponsoring dentist working with the project. The dental hygiene clinics are expected to provide 2,400 student visits a year.
Medical Service Bureau, Wichita, has been awarded a grant of $43,383 to provide outreach and education in Sedgwick County concerning the new Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit which recently went into effect. The goal of this effort is to help Medicare beneficiaries make informed decisions on a Prescription Drug Plan during the enrollment period. Through manufacturers’ indigent drug programs and its own nonprofit pharmacy, Medical Service Bureau currently provides assistance with free or reduced-cost medications for people who cannot otherwise afford them. “People are coming to us confused about what they should do when the new Medicare program is implemented,” explained Medical Service Bureau Executive Director Rosa Molina. “It will be a big job answering all the questions and helping people become aware of their responsibilities and options before the May deadline, so we’re glad we’re in a position to help—but it’s going to be a cooperative effort involving a lot of agencies.”
The LIFE Project Foundation, Wichita, has been awarded a grant of $75,000 over three years, subject to matching funds, to help with the development of the statewide parish nurse network. The network will provide continuing education opportunities, resources, and other support for parish nurse programs of all denominations. JoVeta Wescott, the former manager of parish nursing services for Via Christi, will staff the project.
The Health Partnership of Johnson County received a $50,000 grant from the Health Fund to expand its Olathe dental clinic. The clinic provides free and reduced-cost services to low-income patients. With this grant and other funds raised, the clinic expanded to provide services at least three days a week. A partnership with the University of Missouri Kansas City Dental School provides a dentist and dental student support to staff the clinic. Local dentists also volunteer at the clinic to further expand services.
A grant of $100,000 will support the Dental Champions Leadership Program developed in 2005 by Oral Health Kansas, Topeka. The grant will partially support the second year of the program and the selection of 15 to 20 Kansans to participate in the leadership skills and personal development training as well as orientation and planning for improved oral health among all Kansans. The new class is expected to be selected by April 2006. A highlight of the experience is participation in an intensive week’s leadership skills training at the Center for Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs. Oral Health Kansas is a statewide coalition with a membership of close to 150.
The Governor’s Health Care Cost Containment Commission (HCCCC) is developing a statewide strategy for health information technology and health information exchange. The Health Fund has awarded a grant of $25,000 to assist with costs of a consultant to conduct an assessment of Kansas readiness for health information technology and exchange. The consultant will also provide information about initiatives of the federal government and other states in this important field. The consultant’s work will be used in a multiple-state summit on health information technology and information exchange. Lt. Governor John Moore is leading this effort in his role as Chair of the HCCCC. The work is also supported by the Division of Health Policy and Finance within the Department of Administration.
An award of $10,000 goes to the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation, Topeka. This grant will be used for operating expenses of the upcoming Kansas Mission of Mercy event to be held in Wichita on January 27-28. The Kansas Mission of Mercy provides free dental care on a first-come, first-served basis for hundreds of Kansans at each annual event.
The Kansas Health Institute, a nonprofit health policy and research organization based in Topeka, has been awarded a grant of $69,276 to increase awareness of health insurance issues, health care costs, and potential policy options in Kansas.
Speakers Available to Provide Information About the Health Fund
Interested in learning more about the Health Fund, our strategic focus areas, and philanthropy? Speakers are available to come to your church or civic group to provide information about the who, what, and why of the Health Fund; the reasons for our current focus on access to care, oral health, and healthy lifestyles; and about philanthropy and grants. If you would like to schedule a speaker to visit your meeting or event, please contact the Health Fund at 800-369-7191 or email healthfund@healthfund.org and we’ll make the necessary arrangements.
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 DVD is designed to help viewers approach their lives with celebration, confidence, and grace.
Nonprofit organizations interested in checking out the video should contact 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. The video is currently booked through the end of April.
C 2006 United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
www.healthfund.org – healthfund@healthfund.org – 620.662.8586 – 800.369.7191