Current Network Initiatives
Healthy Choices Education/Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Through various state and federal grants we have been able to provide healthy choices education to help reduce STDs and teen pregnancy within our rural communities. We were engaged in a major teen pregnancy prevention initiative which was funded by a Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Community Based Abstinence Education Grant. Although this was a five year grant, funding for this program was eliminated at the federal level and thus provided only two years of program funding, ending on September 29, 2010. The education initiative covered Highlands, Hardee and DeSoto Counties. Our partners in this project were the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalitions of all three counties, all of the Middle and High Schools of all three counties, the Highlands, Hardee and DeSoto County Health Departments, the University of Florida, Central Florida Health Care and the Central Florida Area Health Education Center.
Through a Florida Department of Health Abstinence Education Grant we have been able to continue providing programs in Highlands and Polk Counties in partnership with the Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties, the Avon Park Youth Academy, and public and private schools within both counties. We are using the evidence based Making A Difference! curriculum which our instructors and sub-contractors are certified to teach. Instructors are available to teach Making A Difference in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, community settings, church groups, after school clubs, and other venues. Our target audience are youth between the ages of 11-19. Instructors are also available to present parent programs which explores ways which parents can increase or better communicate with their teens. For more information or to schedule a class please call 863-452-6530.
Below is a video that highlights some of the successes staff and partners had through the 2008-2010 federal Community Based Education Grant that provided healthy choices education to middle and high school students in Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto Counties, FL.
Through a Florida Department of Health Abstinence Education Grant we have been able to continue providing programs in Highlands and Polk Counties in partnership with the Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties, the Avon Park Youth Academy, and public and private schools within both counties. We are using the evidence based Making A Difference! curriculum which our instructors and sub-contractors are certified to teach. Instructors are available to teach Making A Difference in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, community settings, church groups, after school clubs, and other venues. Our target audience are youth between the ages of 11-19. Instructors are also available to present parent programs which explores ways which parents can increase or better communicate with their teens. For more information or to schedule a class please call 863-452-6530.
Below is a video that highlights some of the successes staff and partners had through the 2008-2010 federal Community Based Education Grant that provided healthy choices education to middle and high school students in Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto Counties, FL.
Go Girls Program
Go Girls stands for "Giving Our Girls Inspiration & Resources for Lasting Self Esteem!" The Network is very thankful to continue this program through private/foundation grants and community donations. This is an after school program designed for middle school females that addresses various health and social related topics such as STDs, teen pregnancy, goal setting, cyber-bullying, Internet Safety, and other topics geared towards providing information to teens to make positive, health decisions that can impact their futures. A recent $5,000 donation from TD Charitable Foundation has helped this program continue during the 11-12 school year in Highlands County. Thank you to the TD Charitable Foundation! Go Girls can be facilitated in various community settings as well. For more information on this program please call 863-452-6530.
Diabetes and Cardiovascular Quality Initiatives
The significant increase in the prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases across the United States, including Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto Counties has been a source of concern to local health care providers for several years now. Studies have shown that the prevalence of diabetes has increased by 33% over the last decade as a result of an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, the epidemic of obesity, the growth of ethnic groups at risk for the disease and the aging of the population. To help address this issue the Heartland Rural Health Network, Inc. received a Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement grant from the Federal Health Resources & Services Administration, Office of Rural Health Policy. The grant is for a three year period totaling $300,000. The funding for subsequent years is based on availability of funds. The purpose of this grant is to improve patient care and chronic disease outcomes by assisting rural primary care providers with the implementation of quality improvement initiatives using the chronic care model and electronic patient registries (EPR). We have partnered with the Florida Academy of Family Physicians Foundation and Medical Director, Dr. Edward Shahady, to implement the Diabetes Master Clinician Program (DMCP) without our rural communities. EPR’s capture information on specific conditions and has a population-based focus. The DMCP’s EPR provides an opportunity for patients to see how well they are doing in achieving their diabetes goals through patient “report cards” and providers have access to various quality reporting tools. The patient “report card” is issued at each office visit and uses patient oriented language and informs them of their goals, reasons for obtaining tests, performing and exam and receiving medications. The EPR also provides reports that indicate how well a practice is doing in achieving goals compared to all practices utilizing the EPR. Through the Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Grant, HRHN will now have an opportunity to not only focus on diabetes but also work with local providers to address quality improvement strategies relating to cardiovascular disease outcomes.
Medical care providers can attend the Diabetes University which is creation of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians Diabetes Master Clinician Program and the NF SG chapter of the American Diabetes Association. The program goal is to assist nurses and medical assistants in Primary Care Offices with diabetes education of patients with Diabetes. For more information you can visit their website which describes this online course or view the document below for a summary of this program.
Medical care providers can attend the Diabetes University which is creation of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians Diabetes Master Clinician Program and the NF SG chapter of the American Diabetes Association. The program goal is to assist nurses and medical assistants in Primary Care Offices with diabetes education of patients with Diabetes. For more information you can visit their website which describes this online course or view the document below for a summary of this program.
| Diabetes University Information |
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Heartland Rural Health Network is assisting the eligible elderly population in our service area enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps). According to local data, 67% of the eligible elderly population in our counties have not availed themselves of this benefit. We see this as a health issue since often these individuals are unable to pay for their prescription medications and put food on the table as well. The project was initially funded from a $74,000, 2-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Services. Through the grant period there was a 10% increase in SNAP participation rates within the senior population with an average monthly benefit of $107.00. Federal funding ended in June, 2011. This program continues on a smaller scale through a donation from the Winn Dixie Foundation and funding from the Florida Department of Children & Families as an ACCESS partner. The Winn Dixie Foundation just awarded us another donation for the 2012 year! Thank you to the Winn Dixie Foundation for your generous donations and continued support of this beneficial program! If you know of someone who needs assistance applying for SNAP benefits please call 863-452-0638.
Drug Free Highlands
The Drug Free Communities Support Program, created by the Drug Free Communities Act of 1997, is the Nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth drug use. Directed by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), in partnership with SAMHSA, the DFC program provides grants to local established drug-free community coalitions to strengthen collaboration among community partners and to prevent and reduce youth substance use. This is a five year grant totaling $625,000. The funding for subsequent years is based on availability of funds. Based on the fundamental concept that local problems need local solutions the DFC grant funded coalitions engage multiple sectors of the community and utilize a variety of strategies to address local drug problems. The Network, in cooperation with Drug Free Highlands, is the recipient of funds and manages the grant. The Drug Free Highlands coalition is comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement, and the media. According to Gil Kerlikowske, Director of ONDCP, data reflects that communities receiving DFC funding have seen significant reductions in past 30 day use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana among middle and high school students. For more information on Drug Free Highlands activities please contact Amanda Sherley, Project Coordinator, at 863-382-2138.
Breast Cancer Prevention & Education
We provide vouchers for free mammograms and ultrasounds for women that are uninsured and cannot afford to pay for them and who meet certain financial and other eligibility criteria. This service is provided in cooperation with our partners, Florida Hospital Heartland Division and DeSoto Memorial Hospital. We also recently received a $10,000 Florida Breast Cancer Foundation Education Grant to focus on educating women on the importance of regular breast self exams, mammograms, and Clinical Breast Exams. Two Community Health Workers visit client homes to provide one-on-one and family based breast health education as well as distributing information at various local health fairs in Highlands and Hardee Counties. For more information on this program please call 863-452-6530.
Rural Health Care Division of the Universal Services Administrative Company
We assist our eligible hospitals and health care providers by completing the cumbersome application that enables them to be reimbursed for a portion of their electronic transmission costs. For Funding Year 2010 (July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011) a total of $23,390.59 was provided to Florida Hospital (Heartland, Lake Placid, Wauchula) for telecommunication lines through this program. Since HRHN started assisting our local health care providers through this application process in 2004, Florida Hospital (Heartland, Lake Placid, Wauchula) and DeSoto Memorial Hospital have saved $239,732 in telecommunication costs through this program. Click here for more information on this program.
ACCESS Partner
We are an “ACCESS” partner with the Department of Children & Families. We are site whereby individuals and families can file their applications for Medicaid, Food Stamps, disability and other needed benefits. Additionally, we serve as advisors to clients; answering the many questions that they have and also faxing documents to the regional office of the Department of Children & Families. We see approximately 25 clients per month or about 300 individuals a year for this purpose.
Health Planning & Community Engagement
We are significantly involved in establishing and addressing health priorities and doing health planning in the counties that we serve. This is being done through our involvement with agencies such as the Community Health Improvement Planning Council of Highlands County, the Hardee County Health Care Task Force, DeSoto County’s Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships, Highlands Teen Pregnancy Prevention Alliance, Drug Free Highlands, the Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands & Polk Counties, and others.
Grant Writing Technical Assistance
We work with our local network members and partners to provide grant writing technical assistance.
