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Health Fundamentals Newsletter

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

March 2007

Health Fund News

Health Fund Staff Recognized for Milestones in Service
Health Fund President Kim Moore and Vice President for Programs Virginia Elliott recently received congratulations and commemorative awards for their many years of commitment and service to the mission and work of the Fund. At the February Board of Trustees meeting, Kim and Virginia heard warm words of thanks for their work on behalf of the Fund from the Board and their fellow staff members, and each was presented a commemorative desk clock with an engraved panel in recognition of their years of dedication to improving health for all Kansans. A slide show of Kim and Virginia throughout their years with the Fund stirred memories and provided some light-hearted entertainment. This year, Kim celebrates 20 years of leading the Health Fund and Virginia celebrates her 10th anniversary of Fund service.

2006 Health Fund Grants Overview
Working to fulfill its mission of “Healthy Kansans through cooperative and strategic philanthropy guided by Christian principles,” the Health Fund in 2006 awarded $3,104,133 in grants to increase access to health care, improve oral health, and promote healthy nutrition and exercise in Kansas. A total of 88 grants were made, with amounts ranging from $500 to $266,407. The average grant size in 2006 was $35,274. Since its establishment in 1986 with an endowment of $30 million, the Health Fund through 2006 has awarded a total of $44.7 million for projects to improve the health of all Kansans.

Innovation Funding Grants Letters of Intent Due April 16

Request for Letters of Intent
The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund announces a special allocation of $500,000 for “innovation funding” grants in 2007. The funding is earmarked specifically to support practical, promising ideas to improve oral health, access to health care, and physical activity and nutrition.

The Innovation Funding Grants Request for Letters of Intent and an online Letter of Intent form are available on the Health Fund website, www.healthfund.org. The first step in applying for an Innovation Funding grant is to complete an online Letter of Intent by April 16. Letters of Intent will be reviewed, and invitations will be extended to those selected to submit a proposal.

A conference call was recently held to review the Innovation Funding process and answer questions. For a call transcript, see the Request for Letters of Intent on our website.

If you have questions, contact Virginia Elliott, Vice-President for Programs velliott@healthfund.org or Kim Moore, President kmoore@healthfund.org , 800-369-7191 or 620-662-8586.

Health Fund President Kim Moore Elected to GIH Committee
Kim Moore, Health Fund President, was recently elected Secretary of the Grantmakers In Health Executive Committee. Grantmakers In Health (GIH) is a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to helping foundations and corporate giving programs improve the health of all people. Its mission is to foster communication and collaboration among grantmakers and others, and to help strengthen the grantmaking community's knowledge, skills, and effectiveness. Kim has served as a member of the GIH Board since 2004.

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.

 

Access to Care

Working to make professional health care available to all

New Access Grants Announced
A grant of $10,000 will fund a health care needs assessment in Montgomery County. Under the leadership of the First Presbyterian Church of Independence, a coalition is forming to improve access to health care in the region. The group plans to hire an experienced consultant to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment as its first step toward addressing what appears to be a growing problem in southeast Kansas.

Susan Kleinbeck, RN, PhD, the Health Ministries Coordinator for First Presbyterian Church, estimates more than 4200 people living in Montgomery County lack health insurance. “Many are working and trying to raise families,” she said. “An illness can become a crisis—even a short term hospitalization can mean months or years of debt.”

The needs assessment will help the group determine the extent of the need and the best method of delivering accessible medical, mental, and dental health care.

Kansas Action for Children has been awarded $25,000 to provide education on the importance of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and its role in access to health care for Kansas children. HealthWave, Kansas’ SCHIP program, provides access to healthcare for thousands of children—35,567 were enrolled in HealthWave as of October, 2006. The federal law authorizing SCHIP expires on September 30, 2007. Until SCHIP is re-authorized, no new federal funds will be available for fiscal year 2008 and beyond. If funding for SCHIP remains level during re-authorization, Kansas could face a projected shortfall of $6.6 million in the next fiscal year.

Kansas Health Institute Releases Health Insurance Primer
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 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 presentation is viewable through the Kansas Health Institute’s website, www.khi.org, or a free CD may be requested by emailing a request to mailbox@khi.org. Also available through the KHI website are a related glossary of health insurance terms, a transcript of the multimedia primer, and related presentations and notes for additional information. Funding to develop the primer was provided by the Health Fund and the Sunflower Foundation.

 

Oral Health

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

Health Fund Sponsoring Delegation to National Oral Health Conference
The Health Fund is sponsoring a Kansas delegation to attend the National Oral Health Conference April 30 through May 2 in Denver. Ten Kansans actively involved in oral health activities on a statewide basis have been invited to attend. The National Oral Health Conference provides information on a variety of oral health topics and showcases exceptional oral health programs throughout the nation. The Health Fund has supported participation from Kansas for the past six years.

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

UMHMF Grant Funds Self-Care Workshop
A grant of $1,500 funded a workshop for the United Methodist Kansas West Conference Board of Ordained Ministry’s entrance program for Conference clergy. The workshop—Servant Leadership: A Model for Personal and Professional Self-care—was developed and presented by the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita. The workshop has been presented to several clergy groups and is part of the Healthy Congregations in Action pilot program with Kansas United Methodist churches. The centerpiece of the workshop is a covenant of health that commits participants to personal changes each will make for a healthier life.

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 Health Fund grant provides partial support for the operation of the website in 2007.

 

Healthy Congregations

Working together with local United Methodist churches for a healthier Kansas

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.

Health Through Faith and Community study curriculum 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.

81 Churches Participate in Healthy Congregations Recognition
We would like to thank the 81 Kansas United Methodist Churches which participated in the Health Fund’s 2006 Healthy Congregations Recognition program by completing a report of health ministry activities conducted during 2006. The 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 public recognition of their health ministries. Six congregations are selected to receive $1,500 Healthy Congregations of the Year awards for outstanding health and wellness ministries.

The Healthy Congregations Advisory Committee will soon review the reports and the recognition awards will be presented at the upcoming Healthy Congregations Annual Retreat. The Healthy Congregations designees will also be recognized at the Kansas East and Kansas West Annual Conferences.
More information about Healthy Congregations Recognition is available on the Health Fund website at http://www.healthfund.org/hc.php.


Healthy Congregations Throughout the Years
Since its debut in 1996, 229 different United Methodist churches have participated in the Healthy Congregations Recognition program. Throughout the program’s existence, 758 Healthy Congregations reports have been filed, an average of 69 per year. This year, the Health Fund is pleased that 11 new churches participated for the first time. Four congregations—College Hill UMC, Wichita; First UMC, Winfield; Pleasant Valley UMC, Wichita; and Trinity UMC, Hutchinson—have the distinct honor of having participated in all 11 years of the Healthy Congregations Recognition program. For more information, including highlighted health ministry activities, visit the online Healthy Congregations Hall of Fame on our website.


Healthy Congregations Recognition Hall of Fame Now Online
The Health Fund has launched a new website feature to recognize the health ministry efforts of the many Kansas United Methodist churches which have participated in the Fund's Healthy Congregations Recognition program over the past 11 years.

The HC Hall of Fame contains a searchable listing of all churches which have received Healthy Congregations awards over the years. A list of highlighted health ministry activities which have appeared in Healthy Congregations brochures is also available in the Hall of Fame. The highlights list is still under construction but is growing each day. View the full list of highlighted activities and you may find inspiration for new health-related activities in your church!

We invite you to search the Hall of Fame for your church or community. If your congregation isn't listed, we hope you’ll consider participating in the future.

The Healthy Congregations Hall of Fame is available at: http://www.healthfund.org/hc/hc_designated.php

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