Health Fundamentals Newsletter

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

June 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 $41 million have supported hundreds of health-related projects in Kansas.

Health Fund News

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Health Fund Seeking Public Input with Listening Learning Tour

As part of its 2006 strategic planning process, the Health Fund is organizing a series of events to provide background information about the Fund and engage participants in a discussion designed to provide input for the Health Fund’s strategic planning. The new strategic plan will guide funding focus areas for the next three years.

The “Listening Learning Tour” will run from June 26 through June 30, with Health Fund staff visiting 14 communities in the Kansas West Conference for a meal and conversation.

Locations and times for the Listening Learning Tour are:

• 6/26 7:30-9:00am Hutchinson
• 6/26 12:00-1:30 Salina
• 6/26 5:30-7:00pm Clay Center
• 6/27 7:30-9:00am Phillipsburg
• 6/27 12:00-1:30 Hill City
• 6/27 5:30-7:00pm Colby
• 6/28 7:30-9:00am Bison/LaCrosse
• 6/28 12:00-1:30 Garden City
• 6/28 5:30-7:00pm Ulysses
• 6/29 7:00-8:30am Dodge City
• 6/29 12:00-1:30 Anthony
• 6/29 5:30-7:00pm Winfield
• 6/30 12:00-1:30 Wichita
• 6/30 5:30-7:00pm Newton

The Listening Learning events are free and open to the public, but registration is required to provide counts for the included meal at each session. To register, visit http://www.healthfund.org/tour2006.php or call us at 800-369-7191.

Health Fund Celebrates its 20th Anniversary

Throughout 2006, the Health Fund is celebrating its 20th year of working to improve the health of all Kansans with a series of special events and activities. In early May, the Health Fund invited former and current trustees, staff, and friends to a 20th anniversary dinner gathering. The evening featured a presentation by Gene Cochrane, president of the Duke Endowment, on the changing role of philanthropy. A reflection session by a panel of former and current trustees and a “Millions for Ministry” Health Fund trivia game in the style of a popular TV game show were also included. Over 100 people attended the event, renewing old acquaintances and making new friends.

The Health Fund also celebrated the occasion at the Kansas West Annual Conference with a “Health Fund Oasis” booth. Visitors to the Oasis could receive a chair massage, participate in a computer-based health self-assessment, and find out more about the Health Fund and its missional work. Conference-goers were also treated to healthy breakfast options and received commemorative stadium seat cushions.

During the last week of June, several Health Fund staff members will tour fourteen communities in the Kansas West Conference for a “Listening Learning Tour.” At each event, a brief presentation about the Health Fund will be given, followed by a discussion to gather input on health priorities. The free events are open to the public but registration is required due to the need for meal counts. See the above article for additional information.

Health Fund 2005 Annual Report Available

The Health Fund's 2005 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 2005, 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.

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 asked 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 July 10, 2006.

The Healthy Congregations Grants RFP: http://www.healthfund.org/hcgrants.php
The Healthy Teeth for Kansans oral health RFP: http://www.healthfund.org/oralhealth/htkrfp.php
General information about the Health Fund grant process: http://www.healthfund.org/grants.php

New Grants Announced

New grants totaling over $266,000 were recently awarded by the Health Fund. Each year, the Fund grants an average of nearly $3 million to support health projects in its three strategic focus areas: access to health care, oral health, and healthy nutrition and exercise.

Voices for Children, a support foundation for the Topeka-based children’s advocacy organization Kansas Action for Children, will receive $150,000 over three years. The grant supports continuation of the Fiscal Focus initiative. The initiative is also receiving funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Fiscal Focus is part of a national project to develop state-level budget and tax policy analysis that considers economic security for low- and moderate-income families. Fiscal Focus was launched by Kansas Action for Children in the summer of 2003 and has developed and distributed five reports on tax policy issues in Kansas.

Marian Clinic, Topeka, will expand its dental services with a grant of $12,733. The grant will help establish a portable dental hygiene service that will travel to schools, Head Start centers, and other locations to reach children of low-income families lacking access to dental care. Services will include cleaning teeth, applying fluoride varnish or sealants to prevent tooth decay, and lessons on taking care of teeth for overall health. For children without a dentist and needing dental treatment, Marian Clinic Dental provides care on a sliding fee scale and accepts dental insurance including Medicaid and HealthWave public insurance for children.

“For families of limited resources, preventive dental care is often not a priority and taking time off work to take children out of school for appointments is problematic for many parents,” Marian Clinic Dental Director Jose Lopez said of the need for the Healthy Smiles portable dental hygiene service. He named tooth decay, which can lead to delays in school readiness and school absenteeism, as the most common chronic disease among children. Marian Clinic has offered dental services in Topeka since 1989. The non-profit dental clinic is located at 3164 East Sixth Street and is open Monday through Friday.

Oral Health Kansas, a Topeka-based coalition, will receive $81,320 over 18 months to continue to provide technical assistance for establishing dental hygiene services for disadvantaged Kansans. Legislation passed in 2003 allows Kansas dental hygienists licensed with Extended Care Permits to provide services in schools, health departments, long-term care facilities, and similar settings. In response to requests for guidance on implementing these services and with the financial support of an earlier Health Fund grant, Oral Health Kansas provided technical assistance and consultation to both hygienists interested in qualifying for the Extended Care Permit and eligible organizations interested in establishing a dental hygiene service. With this Health Fund grant, Oral Health Kansas will be able to continue raising awareness and providing assistance in improving the dental workforce available to low-income Kansans.

“Legislation that allows something to happen isn’t the same as implementation,” Oral Health Kansas Director Teresa Schwab commented about the need for this work. “There have been some barriers, but Kansas is now poised to reap the benefits of more accessible preventative care for our most vulnerable citizens.”

With a grant of $5,500, two methods of providing education for improved oral health will be evaluated at the Haskell Health Center in Lawrence. Under the direction of University of Kansas pediatric psychology professor Michael Roberts, Ph. D., the study will be conducted by Joanna Mashunkashey, a graduate student with the Clinical Child Psychology Program. The study will compare the effectiveness of interactive computer games with more intentional parental involvement in teaching and encouraging Native American children to brush and floss their teeth for improved oral health. The study will involve 100 children who are dental patients at Haskell.

Native American children have a particularly high rate of tooth decay, according to Roberts. Ninety-one percent have untreated dental caries by the age of 19. The dental office of the Haskell Health Center serves about 400 children between the ages of six and 16 each year.

A grant of $17,200 will help the Leavenworth County Health Department establish a dental hygiene clinic. The clinic will be located at the Health Department and provide preventive dental hygiene care and education for disadvantaged young children and pregnant women. A local dental hygienists, Susan Rodgers, will staff the new clinic under the sponsorship of Leavenworth dentist Darren Haun.

“The dental problems we see at the Health Department can really affect overall health and are largely preventable,” Sylvia Burns, Health Department Administrative Director, explained. “By concentrating our dental hygiene service on young children we hope to be able to prevent a lot of these problems from developing in the first place.”

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 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. The video is currently booked through the end of July.

Oral Health

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

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Oral Health Request for Proposals (RFP) Available

The Health Fund has a current 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 remaining deadlines for proposals under the Healthy Teeth RFP are July 10 and October 9. 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

Kansas Mission of Mercy – Wichita Exit Survey Results Available

The fifth Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM) event was held in Wichita January 27th and 28th at the Kansas Coliseum. Organized by the Kansas Dental Association and the Kansas Dental Hygienists’ Association, KMOM events offer free dental services to all patients on a first-come, first-served basis. The five KMOM events to date have provided 10,317 people with services valued at $4,422,997 through the efforts of volunteer dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and support staff. The Health Fund has supported each KMOM event and funded the presence of the Hutchinson District Hot Foods Trailer and other event expenses.

As in the previous KMOM events, the Health Fund has contracted with the Kansas Health Institute to analyze and summarize information from exit surveys completed by patients at KMOM-Wichita. Some of the insights provided by the exit survey analysis include:

• Almost 85 percent of KMOM patients had no type of dental insurance. Of the 15 percent with insurance, roughly half were covered by a public program with the other half covered 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, inability to afford out-of-pocket costs for needed services, and refusal by providers to see publicly insured patients.
• Almost 40 percent of the patients required additional care after the Wichita clinic. Of those patients needing further care, two thirds could not identify a place where they could obtain it.
• A little over half (53.5 percent) of the patients reported experiencing pain prior to attending the clinic. About half of those who reported pain had experienced it for more than one month.
• Most of the patients treated were from Wichita and nearby areas. Almost 80 percent of the patients traveled one hour or less to attend the clinic.
  

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

For more information about KMOM, visit the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation website: http://www.ksdentalfoundation.org/kmom/kmom.htm

Lifetime Smiles Program Receives Project of the Year Award

United Methodist Western Kansas Mexican-American Ministries (MAM), Garden City, recently received the Janet Sevier Gilbreath Special Project of the Year Recognition Award presented annually by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund to acknowledge its project of the year. MAM holds the honor of being the only organization to have received two Janet Sevier Gilbreath awards; the first award ever presented went to MAM in 1988 for a low-income medical clinic project covering four cities in southwest Kansas.

MAM’s Lifetime Smiles program was selected to exemplify the vision of a Christian health community. Started in 2000 in response to growing unmet oral health needs recognized at the MAM clinic, Lifetime Smiles is a comprehensive oral health program aimed at education, decay prevention, and access to dental care in southwest Kansas. Having provided screening for over 25,000 children in its first five years of operation, a significant improvement in oral health became evident as the percentage of students with oral health problems requiring referral to a dentist fell from 51 percent in the first year to 39 percent in the fifth.

In addition to the school screenings, Lifetime Smiles was responsible for a media campaign over five years which reached an audience of 70,000 each week and an education campaign that reached 39,000 people, providing information and handouts at 635 events. Lifetime Smiles implemented monthly free clinics providing sealants and fluoride varnish to prevent dental problems as well as providing treatment of existing problems. Working to address barriers to treatment, the MAM project expanded the number of dentists providing free and reduced-cost care and increased the number accepting Medicaid/HealthWave patients.

A current Health Fund grant of $22,262 supports the program coordinator’s position through this year; after the grant ends, the program will continue with MAM supporting the coordinator’s salary.

The Lifetime Smiles project was selected from among the 164 projects funded during 2005 by the Health Fund in fulfilling its mission of Healthy Kansans through cooperative and strategic philanthropy guided by Christian principles.

The Project of the Year award is named in honor of Janet Sevier Gilbreath, the first Chairperson of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund. The criteria for selection include the attainment of goals, volunteer support, development of community support, and good management and financial practices to assure quality of service delivery.

More information is available at: http://www.healthfund.org/jsg/jsg2005.php

 

Healthy Congregations

Working together with local United Methodist churches for a healthier Kansas

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Healthy Conference Leadership Training, July 12-15, 2006

The United Methodist General Board of Pension and Health Benefits and the Health Fund are co-sponsoring a Healthy Conference Leadership Training workshop July 12-15 at Mount Sequoyah Conference and Retreat Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The workshop, designed to be attended by a five-member team from each UM Conference in the South Central Jurisdiction, will help participants develop skills to be Self-Care Workshop trainers for their conferences while at the same time learning the importance of self-care at a personal level. The Health Fund’s long-running Healthy Congregations Recognition program will be featured at the workshop. Health Fund staff Kim Moore and Matt Kuzma will help lead the workshop.

Healthy Congregations Recognition

The Healthy Congregations Recognition program, now in its tenth 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 a $1,500 Healthy Congregations of the Year award for outstanding health and wellness ministries.

This year, 81 churches participated in Healthy Congregations Recognition. The six churches which received Healthy Congregations of the Year awards are:

• Kansas City Central United Methodist Church (Kansas East – 100 or fewer members)
• Grace United Methodist Church, Emporia (Kansas East – 101 to 500 members)
• Valley View United Methodist Church, Overland Park (501 or more members)
• Bison United Methodist Church (Kansas West – 100 or fewer members)
• United Church of Bennington (Kansas West – 101 to 500 members)
• Trinity United Methodist Church, Hutchinson (Kansas West – 501 or more members)

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.

Healthy Congregations Grants Request For Proposals Available

The Health Fund is continuing to offer 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 above 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