Health Fundamentals Newsletter

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

July 2005

Oral Health

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

Save the Date – Oral Health Kansas Annual Meeting, September 29-October 1, 2005

Oral Health Kansas, a statewide organization dedicated to improving oral health in Kansas through advocacy, public awareness, and education, will hold its annual conference September 29 through October 1 at the Grand Prairie Hotel & Convention Center in Hutchinson. The theme of this year’s conference is “Working Together for a Healthier Smile.” Mark Siegal, Ohio State Dental Director, will provide the keynote address. Sessions are planned on advocacy; disability and aging concerns; workforce issues; extended care permits; dental billing; and pregnancy and early childhood caries. For more information, contact Teresa Schwab at 785-235-6039 or visit http://www.oralhealthkansas.org

Healthy Teeth for Kansans Oral Health RFP Deadline July 11, 2005

The Health Fund has a current Request for Proposals (RFP) offering funding to projects aimed at improving oral health in Kansas. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to:

Access to Treatment and Prevention Services
Community Water Fluoridation
Integrating Oral Health into Medical and Social Service Settings
Workforce Recruitment, Retention, and Career Education Projects

The next deadline for proposals under the Healthy Teeth RFP is July 11, 2005. Proposals received by this date will receive a funding decision by September 20 and those approved for grants will have funds available starting November 1. Interested organizations should contact Health Fund program staff to discuss project characteristics. If the program officer determines that the project has the potential to be funded, authorization to submit a grant request will be provided. The Health Fund has an online grant request submission system which makes applying for a grant simple and straightforward. View the full RFP on the Health Fund website at: http://www.healthfund.org/oralhealth/htkrfp05.php

Kansas Mission of Mercy – Salina Exit Survey Results

The fourth Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM) free dental clinic was held February 18-20 in Salina. The event, a project of the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation, provided 2,330 patients with free dental care provided by volunteer dentists, dental hygienists, and assistants. The Health Fund contracted with the Kansas Health Institute to analyze and summarize information from exit surveys completed by patients at KMOM-Salina. Some of the insights provided by the exit survey analysis include:

Almost 80 percent of KMOM patients had no type of dental insurance. Of the 20 percent with insurance, one third were covered by a public program and two thirds through their employers.
Over 80 percent of KMOM patients had not visited a dentist in over a year. The largest barriers to care cited include lack of insurance, cost of services, and monetary hardship
Nearly half (48.2 percent) of the patients required additional care after the Salina clinic. Of those patients needing further care, two thirds had no place to go after the clinic to receive services.
More than half (56.3 percent) of the patients reported experiencing pain prior to attending the clinic. Almost half of those who reported pain had experienced it for more than one month.
Adults were twice as likely as children under 18 years to have experienced pain.
Geographic proximity to the clinic appears to be a relevant factor to a patient’s attendance. Approximately 9 out of 10 patients traveled two hours or less to attend.

The full exit survey report is available on the Health Fund website at:
http://www.healthfund.org/publications.php

Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM) Receives Project of the Year Award

Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM), a program sponsored by the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation, received the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund’s Janet Sevier Gilbreath 2004 Special Project Recognition Award. The four KMOM events held since the program’s beginning in 2003 have mobilized thousands of volunteers including dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and volunteers from churches and the local community to provide free dental care valued at over $3.4 million to over 8,800 persons.

For persons served by KMOM events, many of whom had been unable to receive oral care due to financial or geographic considerations, the value of the events is immediate and visceral. But in a larger sense, the greatest contribution of KMOM to oral health in Kansas may be due to the effect the events have had in raising awareness of the serious unmet oral health needs throughout the state. The picture of hundreds of people waiting in line through the night to receive care when the gates opened in the morning--the stories of people who preferred having no teeth to suffering the pain of untreated oral disease--the quantifiable reports of unmet need from exit surveys sponsored by the Health Fund--combined to provide compelling evidence of a very real health issue, captured the attention of the media, and put a face on oral disease in Kansas.

The Janet Sevier Gilbreath Special Project Recognition Award, named in honor of the Health Fund’s first Board Chairperson, is awarded to one project each year selected from among all current grant funded projects as the one which has done the most to advance the Health Fund’s vision of the Christian health community.
The specific criteria used to select the award recipient from among all funded projects are:

The attainment of goals and objectives established for the project
The utilization of volunteers in the project
The development of community, church, and other support for the project
The institution of good management and financial practices to assure quality service delivery

“Each year, in memory of our first Chairperson—Janet Sevier Gilbreath—we recognize one project that exemplifies the highest standards of nonprofit work in health,” said (Mr.) Kim Moore, president of the Health Fund, in announcing the award.

The Health Fund has provided funding support for KMOM events and has commissioned exit surveys for each event to gather data about access to oral health care in Kansas and to provide feedback useful for improving future KMOM events.

The full 2004 award citation and additional information about the Janet Sevier Gilbreath Award is available on the Health Fund website at: http://www.healthfund.org/jsg.php

Learn more about KMOM at the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation site:
http://www.ksdentalfoundation.org/kmom/kmom.htm

Healthy Congregations

Working together with local United Methodist churches for a healthier Kansas

Healthy Congregations Grants

The St. Mark United Methodist Church, Wichita, has been awarded a $5,000 Healthy Congregations grant to help expand its health ministry programs to serve the congregation and community. Grant funding will be used to purchase medical equipment, educational materials, and other health ministry resources. The grant project director is Shaunta James-Boyd, and the pastor of St. Mark UMC is the Rev. Junius Dotson.

First United Methodist Church, Pittsburg, receives a $4,114 Healthy Congregations grant to help expand its parish nurse program. Grant funding will be used to purchase a computer, blood glucose monitor, and other health ministry resources. The project director is Cheryl Carlson and the pastor of First UMC Pittsburg is the Rev. Tom Sims.

Under the Health Fund’s Healthy Congregations initiative, start-up grants of up to $5,000 are available to local 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.

The Healthy Congregations Grants RFP (request for proposals) is available on the Health Fund’s website at: http://www.healthfund.org/hcgrants.php

Healthy Congregations Recognition

Health ministries continue to grow in United Methodist churches across Kansas. Eighty-five UM churches from the Kansas East and Kansas West conferences reported their health activities to the Health Fund and received Healthy Congregations designation.

The Healthy Congregations Recognition program, now in its ninth 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.

Six congregations received $1,000 Healthy Congregations of the Year awards for outstanding health and wellness ministries and two received the new $1,500 special recognition award recognizing the integration of the many other health issues with spiritual health. Awards were presented in April at the Healthy Congregations Annual Retreat at Rock Springs 4-H Center and all designated Healthy Congregations received recognition at the Kansas East and Kansas West annual conferences.

In Kansas West Conference:

Copeland UMC – Healthy Congregation of the Year (100 or fewer members category)
St. Paul’s UMC, Wichita – Healthy Congregation of the Year (101 to 500 members)
First UMC, Hutchinson – Healthy Congregation of the Year (501 or more members)
Pleasant Valley UMC, Wichita – Special Recognition Award

In Kansas East Conference:

Ogden Friendship House UMC – Healthy Congregation of the Year (100 or fewer members)
Grace UMC, Topeka – Healthy Congregation of the Year (101 to 500 members)
First UMC, Pittsburg – Healthy Congregation of the Year (501 or more members)
Asbury UMC, Prairie Village – Special Recognition Award

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. Start your report today and update it throughout the year!

Healthy Congregations in Action Pre-Application Workshops for 18-Month Pilot Projects

The Health Fund is looking for action-oriented churches to participate in an exciting 18-month pilot project to improve health in local churches and surrounding communities. Healthy Congregations in Action, an initiative of the Kansas Area Healthy Lifestyles Advisory Committee, aims to:

Encourage self-care
Provide accessible exercise venues and healthy eating knowledge and experiences
Develop local partnerships to increase opportunities
Increase health issue communication in churches
Develop policies and activities which support and model health
Collect church-specific health behavior data
Network United Methodists who are active in health issues for additional training and support.

We are conducting four workshops around the state to better familiarize churches with this pilot project and help them determine if they would like to be considered for a grant to participate.

The Pre-application Workshops, offered at no cost and with no obligation, will take place on the following dates and sites:

Monday, July 11 – First United Methodist Church, Great Bend
Monday, July 25 – United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, Hutchinson
Friday, August 12 – First United Methodist Church, Ottawa
Saturday, August 20 – United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, Hutchinson

Complete information about Healthy Congregations in Action, including pilot program details, is available on the Health Fund website at: http://www.healthfund.org/hcia.php

General/other news

Current Health Fund Requests for Proposals and Grant Application Procedure

The Health Fund has current Requests for Proposals (RFPs) available for Oral Health grant and Healthy Congregations grants.

The next deadline for proposals under the Healthy Teeth for Kansans RFP is July 11, 2005. Proposals received by this date will receive a funding decision by September 20 and those approved for grants will have funds available starting November 1. For additional information, see article under Oral Health above or follow the link below to additional information on the Health Fund website.

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.

For 2005, the Health Fund has committed an additional $100,000 in funding for the Healthy Congregations Grants program. There are no set deadlines for Healthy Congregations grants, but unless extended by the Health Fund, this invitation to apply expires December 31, 2005 or when the $100,000 is expended, whichever first occurs.

Grant Application Procedure:
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.

The Healthy Teeth for Kansans RFP is available at:
http://www.healthfund.org/oralhealth/htkrfp05.php

The Healthy Congregations Grants RFP is available at:
http://www.healthfund.org/hcgrants.php

General information about the Health Fund grant process:
http://www.healthfund.org/grants.php

Board of Trustees news

The Health Fund extends a warm welcome to a new member of its Board of Trustees and two non-trustee committee members. Pat Gomez, a retired RN from Wichita and an active member of St. Mark UMC, is the Health Fund’s newest trustee. Gomez brings her insight and years of experience in the health field to benefit the Health Fund’s grantmaking mission.

Laurie White, OD, a Dodge City optometrist and an active member of Dodge City First UMC, brings her vision and perspective to the work of the Health Fund as a non-trustee member of the Programming and Evaluation (P&E) Committee. The P&E Committee is responsible for considering grant proposals and evaluating the Health Fund’s effectiveness as a grantmaking organization.

Roger Brown, of Citizens State Bank, Cheney, brings the benefits of his financial background and experience to the Health Fund as a non-trustee member of the Investment committee. The Investment committee is responsible for ensuring the maintenance and growth of the endowment which makes the mission work of the Health Fund possible.

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.

2004 Health Fund Annual Report Available Online

The Health Fund's 2004 Annual Report is now available on our website at http://www.healthfund.org/annreports.php. A good source of information about the purpose and work of the Health Fund, the Annual Report features information about our strategic focus areas, our work in congregational health ministries, a list of grants made in 2004, and financial and other background information. If you would prefer a printed copy of our Annual Report, please contact us and we’ll be happy to send one.

New Grants Announced June 27, 2005

The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund announces new grants totaling over $175,000 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.

The Sedgwick County Health Department is the recipient of a $25,176 grant to expand its Children’s Dental Clinic. The clinic will add a third dental chair and needed equipment. The Children’s Dental Clinic, providing free dental care to children who lack insurance, was established in 1975. It provides free dental care to more than 500 new clients each year.

A $60,000 grant to the Kansas Area Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (KACCRRA), Salina, will support continued child care provider training in oral health for young children. Quality Training Incentive Project—Oral Health or QTIP-OH was started last year with a grant from the Health Fund and provided 63 training workshops for child care providers. The new grant will enable the organization to offer at least 48 additional workshops statewide. Workshop participants receive oral health supplies and materials, such as toothbrushes, children’s books on oral health, and tooth-friendly cookbooks. These items have been popular, according to project director Lana Messner. “Over 70 percent of the grant goes to purchase these materials,” she said, “so it is a real commitment to helping child care professionals integrate oral health into the child’s day.”

Legacy, a Regional Community Foundation located in Winfield, will expand its Tiny Teeth oral health education program with a $39,360 grant. Started with an earlier Health Fund grant to coordinate oral health awareness and education among Cowley County agencies serving young children, Tiny Teeth will be made available statewide for agencies serving infants and toddlers with developmental delays. These 36 Kansas agencies provide services to more than 5,000 children each year. Rebecca Scott, the Tiny Teeth program coordinator, said the program’s aim is prevention. “Waiting until children start school is often too late to avoid serious oral disease,” explained Scott. “Children with developmental delays are at even greater risk of having problems with their teeth. Tiny-K equips parents and service providers of young children with tools for developing a lifetime of oral health, an essential component of oral health.”

United Methodist Western Kansas Mexican-American Ministries (UMWKMAM), Garden City, has been awarded a grant of $22,262 to continue and expand its Lifetime Smiles program. This program, started in part with a grant from the Health Fund, screens school children for oral disease, provides assistance with needed dental care, and raises awareness about the need for oral health. The new grant will expand oral health education and disease prevention to serve clients of the medical clinics. Penney Schwab, director of UMWKMAM, said only about 20 percent of patients seen at the clinics have dental insurance. “That means they do without treatment until there is an urgent need,” said Schwab. “Prevention is really the key. We want to start with our prenatal patients and children to give them a good foundation for oral health.”

A grant of $20,000 will go to the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved (KAMU) to support staffing and training for the Director of Community Development position. The director will be responsible for providing technical assistance to safety net clinics expanding services to include dental care.

St. Mark United Methodist Church, Wichita, and First United Methodist Church, Pittsburg, receive Healthy Congregations grants of $5,000 and $4,114 , respectively, to expand health ministries. See Healthy Congregations Grants article above for full details.

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 the Health Fund and we’ll make the necessary arrangements.

C 2005 United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
www.healthfund.org – healthfund@healthfund.org – 620.662.8586 – 800.369.7191