Senator Obama Secures Funding for Mobile Health Clinics

Chicago, IL – The Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation received a $300,000 grant for the acquisition and operation of a new Asthma Van. The Foundation provides free and comprehensive asthma care and health education to children in Chicago's underserved communities via mobile medical clinics, the Asthma Vans. Asthma is a growing burden on Chicago. A recent study by the University of Illinois at Chicago reports that 16% of non-Hispanic Black children and 20% of Puerto Rican children in Chicago have asthma while another 16% of each ethnicity exhibit symptoms of asthma without a diagnosis, compared to only 11% with asthma in the general U.S. population. Chicago also has the unwanted distinction of having one of the highest death rates from asthma in the entire nation. Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation is a member of Mobile Health Clinics Network and the Mobile Health Providers Coalition of Chicago. For more information about the Foundation, contact: Stephen Samuelson, Executive Director at (773) 254-4030 or ssamuelson@mobilecarefoundation.org; or go to www.mobilecarefoundation.org

 

Godfrey, IL – Senator Barrack Obama has announced that Lewis and Clark Community College’s Nurse Managed Center for Healthcare and Education will receive a grant totaling $287,000 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will be used to purchase a mobile clinic.

The mobile clinic will allow the Nurse Managed Center to provide dental, general health and mental health screenings to more than 90,000 residents in the counties served by Lewis and Clark. The funding will allow Lewis and Clark to perform ongoing services through the mobile clinic for approximately 3,500 children in 11 targeted schools, in addition to community services such as pre-natal examinations, obstetric and gynecological examinations and general public education programs. The mobile clinic includes a reception and patient education area and two patient rooms, which will include equipment for both medical and dental exams.

“Our nation’s health care system should place greater emphasis on prevention, and this mobile unit is a small step in that direction. The unit will not only provide preventive medicine to medically underserved rural areas, but also provide The Nurse Managed Center, which has been operating under a three-year grant received in 2006 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Health Resources and Services Administration), has been providing direct care to residents of all or parts of Madison, Calhoun, Greene, Jersey and Macoupin counties. The Center provides outreach medical, dental and mental health services to underserved communities under the guidance of nurse practitioners.

Lewis and Clark is the first and only community college to have received a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to operate a nurse managed center. The nurse managed center is the only one in the state operated by a community college.

The Center is managed by three nurse practitioners and a dental hygienist, who also serve as faculty at Lewis and Clark. The practitioners not only provide medical and dental care, but also have the resources and the ability to coordinate health promotion programs for all age groups. Working with the faculty and staff from the dental and nursing programs at Lewis and Clark and representatives from Lewis and Clark’s counseling program, the Center is multifaceted in its offerings to the community.

“Our mission is to expand existing healthcare services to the medically underserved residents of the College’s district,” Dean of Allied Health Donna Meyer said. “Not only do we strive to provide quality health care services, but we are also working to educate people to take charge of their own health.”

Meyer said the Center also engages students in the nursing and dental programs, and provides them with a rich, hands-on clinical experience.

“Experience has shown that nursing and dental hygiene students who complete their clinical training in their own local communities tend to stay and practice in those communities after graduation,” Meyer said.

Currently the Center is working in Macoupin and Greene counties to provide primary care services to residents. Meyer said a third site opened on campus this semester for students, faculty and staff in conjunction with the health services department.

“We are thankful to Sen. Obama, who has helped us secure the necessary funds to take us to the next step in our healthcare outreach efforts,” Meyer said. “The money for this mobile clinic will allow us to further expand our services to other parts of our district, as well as provide immediate healthcare services without having to worry about finding permanent locations to house our services,” Meyer said.

“Sen. Barrack Obama has been keenly aware of the success of Lewis and Clark’s nurse managed clinic and our allied health programs, and sees this is an opportunity to pilot this model as an underutilized healthcare delivery system to underserved populations in southern Illinois and perhaps throughout the nation,” L&C President Dale Chapman said. “The residents of Lewis and Clark’s district will benefit for years to come because of Sen. Obama’s concern for their healthcare needs.

“This is the kind of direct service that aligns well with state officials’ goals of providing cost effective healthcare to particularly underserved areas of the state,” Chapman said. The mobile clinic is a model that we can foresee being utilized by other organizations throughout the state and the nation to expand healthcare access.” Lewis and Clark’s Nurse Managed Center, a member of the Mobile Health Clinics Network, is one of only 250 nurse managed centers located in the United States. For more information about the Center, contact: Donna Meyer, Dean of Allied Health at (618) 468-4446 or dmeyer@lc.edu.

 

Charles M. Goldstein, DDS, MPH Receives CDA Foundation Humanitarian Award

Los Angeles, CA - Dr. Charles (Charlie) Goldstein was honored with the first California Dental Association (CDA) Foundation Humanitarian Award in a presentation at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by family, friends and colleagues on Saturday, May 10. Dr. Goldstein passed away the following night. He was 87 years old.

 

The Foundation recently selected Dr. Charles Goldstein as the inaugural recipient of the 2008 Humanitarian Award for his involvement in the USC Mobile Clinic as well as many other philanthropic oral health activities. Dr. Goldstein was presented the award by close friend and CDA Foundation Ambassador Dr. Santos Cortez, Jr. He was nominated by CDA President-Elect Carol Gomez Summerhays, DDS who was mentored by Dr. Goldstein. “Charlie had such an incredible heart. He was a model of a true servant leader. Those around him were compelled to follow his example. His legacy will live on in the lives he has touched so deeply,” remembered Summerhays. A $2,500 award contribution will be given by the CDA Foundation to the USC Mobile Clinic in Dr. Goldstein’s name.

 

The CDA Foundation Humanitarian Award was established to recognize California dentists who have distinguished themselves by outstanding, unselfish leadership and contributions to fellow human beings in the field of dentistry, through the dedication of extraordinary time and professional skills, to improve the oral health of underserved populations in California, the United States or abroad.

 

Dr. Goldstein gave an inspiring and heart warming keynote address at the 2006 MHCN Annual Forum in San Diego and was presented with the MHCN First Annual Mobile Health Leadership Award.

 

Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Appointment of MHCN Member

Debra Diaz, 50, of Salinas, has been appointed to the California Committee on Dental Auxiliaries for the Board of Dental Examiners. Since 2006, she has served as Executive Director for Community Oral Health Services (COHS), formerly Appolonia Foundation for Children’s Dental Health. From 2000 to 2006, Diaz was Program Director for the Children’s Oral Health Program, a project of the Appolonia Foundation for Children’s Dental Health; from 1989 to 2000, she was office manager and Director of Marketing & Education for Dentistry for Infants, Children and Teenagers. Prior to that, she was a Registered Dental Assistant for Dr. Gerald W. Cheang, DDS (1981-1989) and Dental Assistant for Gerald Dannemiller, DDS and Dennis Andresen (1979-1981). Diaz previously was a Registered Dental Assistant and Lab Assistant for Dr. Donald Rogers (1977-1979) and was a Dental Assistant for Dr. Gerald W. Cheang (1975-1977). Community Oral Health Services operates two mobile dental vans and focuses on serving Central Coast farm workers. Debi Diaz is a founding member of Mobile Health Clinics Network, a nationwide association of mobile healthcare providers, and currently serves on the MHCN Advisory Board. The Committee on Dental Auxiliaries (COMDA) examines and licenses California dental auxiliaries and advises the Dental Board of California on auxiliary issues. For information about examination and licensing, prohibited and required conduct, and more, go to … http://www.comda.ca.gov

 

Kids First Dental Care Serves the Poorest in Kentucky

BARBOURVILLE, Ky. — In the 18 years he has been visiting nursing homes, seeing patients in his private practice and, more recently, driving his mobile dental clinic through Appalachian hills and hollows, Dr. Edwin E. Smith has seen the extremes of neglect. Mostly he has seen everyday people who are too busy putting food on the table to worry about oral hygiene. Many of them savor their sweets, drink well water without fluoride and long ago started ruining their teeth by chewing tobacco and smoking. Dr. Smith is trying to catch these problems before they progress. Each week, he drives his mobile clinic, Kids First Dental Care, up the windy Appalachian roads to visit schools and to provide free check-ups to children in the poorest counties of Kentucky. Dr. Smith is a member of the Mobile Health Clinics Network and was a speaker at the MHCN 2007 Annual Forum. To read more of this article, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/24/us/24kentucky.html?_r=1&ex=1199250000&en=c8da0a8a0832e0ca&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

 

Telehealth World e-Report

A FREE monthly eNewsletter published by Webcom Communications. The e-Report provides current news on products and services and events related to telemedicine/telehealth technology. To receive this publication, go to … http://www.infowebcom.com/newsletters_form.php

 

The Continue Health Alliance

The Alliance is comprised of technology, medical device and healthcare industry leaders dedicated to making personal telehealth a reality. Their mission is “to establish a system of interoperable personal telehealth solutions that fosters independence and empowers people and organizations to better manage health and wellness.” Their quarterly newsletter is available FREE to healthcare providers and colleagues. To learn more about the Alliance, go to … http://www.continuaalliance.org/about To subscribe to the Alliance newsletter, go to … http://continuahealthalliance.forward-email.com/?r.nvtyo.ofhi.73b1374d

 

Mobile-Portable Dental Manual – An Online Resource

Services using a mobile vehicle or portable equipment can be provided as a private practice or an extension to a private practice, or using various public health models. Mobile/portable dental systems can serve as dental "safety net" programs for people who lack the resources to acquire those services on their own. Safety net programs usually are administered by agencies such as community health centers, dental schools, hospitals, non-profit associations or health departments. Public health approaches lend themselves to providing services in settings such as schools, Head Start centers, senior centers or homeless shelters.

The Mobile-Portable Dental Manual was developed to fill an information gap expressed by people trying to address dental access problems in areas where offices or clinics in fixed locations were not meeting the oral health needs or demand for care. The Manual offers resources to help people compare various mobile and portable dental systems with basic details for designing, purchasing and operating programs. To access this Manual go to … http://www.dentalclinicmanual.com/menu.html

 

Food USA Navigator.com –

11/27/2007 – The List of health problems associated with obesity continues to grow, with a new study linking excess body fat with poor bone health. Published in the November issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the new study found that the bones of people with high body fat were eight to nine percent weaker than those of normal body fat participants. To read more, go to … http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=81652&m=1FNUN27&c=eepddtxhprfgmgi

 

Future Healthcare

Published by CGI Group, Inc., this new publishing service offers information on new emerging technologies and therapies, technology trends, solutions, interviews and Podcasts. To subscribe to the FREE e-Newsletter and publication, go to … http://www.futurehealthcareus.com/?page=home

 

Thank You For Smoking

After years of health warnings, fewer Americans are smoking. But while Washington is encouraging Americans to quit, it has been helping big tobacco push cigarette smoking in other countries, using trade pacts to force poorer nations to accept American cigarettes and helping cause an epidemic of health-related problems. [The Washingtonian, December 2007]. To learn more, go to… http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/5856.html

 

 

Grant Funding Sites To Consider

 

NIDCR Oral Health Research Education (OHRE)

 

The goals of the NIDCR Oral Health Research Education (OHRE) Grants program are to infuse an appreciation of science and the results of scientific research into the dental school curriculum and to develop a pipeline of students interested in pursuing a career in oral health research. The main emphases of this new program are to strengthen the research component of dental education, to enhance the application of basic and clinical research findings to clinical training and to encourage both dental school and undergraduate students to pursue oral health research. Projects funded through this grant should encourage students and faculty to participate in broadly defined scholarly activity and monitor the latest science, and provide undergraduate, dental and postgraduate students with an appreciation for oral health research so they may be more likely to pursue academic careers, advanced research degrees and research training. Through these grants, clinical, basic and behavioral science researchers will become an active part of the educational fabric and interact with students throughout all four years of dental school as well as during the postgraduate specialty-training period. This funding opportunity will use the research education grant (R25) mechanism.

 

Because the nature and scope of the proposed research education program will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the quality, duration, and costs of the applications received. Direct costs requested may not exceed $150,000 in any year of the project period. Applicants may submit more than one application, provided they are scientifically distinct. For details, visit: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-06-160.html

 

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health

CCPH promotes health (broadly defined) through partnerships between communities and higher educational institutions. This organization is the Higher Education Senior Program Advisor for the Learn and Serve America National Service-Learning Clearinghouse … visit the Clearinghouse at www.servicelearning.org

 

Poor oral health is much more than just an issue of dental decay and bleeding gums? National and international government officials, as well as major health care leaders understand the urgency of working toward a solution to this critical problem. Why so critical? Failure to prevent or treat oral diseases can have major effects on overall health. Gum disease can be related to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, poor nutrition and even low- birth weight babies. That’s right, untreated diseases of the gums during pregnancy can result in significantly lower birth weight babies — a situation that can put some of these infants at great risk. There is also a significant correlation between poor oral health and increased mortality risk. Yet millions of people—children and adults—in the United States lack dental insurance. And the issue is even greater when you look at underserved communities without the means and resources to comprehend the health implications. The relationship between oral health and systemic health means that there is a lot more at stake than teeth.

 

The Forsyth Institute is the world’s leading independent organization dedicated to scientific research and education in oral health and related biomedical science. Forsyth’s mission is to lead the discovery, communication and application of breakthroughs in oral health and disease prevention that will significantly improve the health and well-being of our nation and the world. For more information about Forsyth, contact Kathleen Hill Zichy, President and COO, @ 617-892-8601, or jkelly@forsyth.org

 

 

News Briefs courtesy of the Association for Community Health Improvement

"Tooth loss is associated in a consistent and graded fashion with the self-reported prevalence of heart disease," the authors write. "Health promotion counseling should include the prevention and control of cardiovascular disease risk factors and the maintenance of good oral health." [Medscape Medical News, 1-10-06] http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/521192

 

Reaching the Poor with Health, Nutrition, and Population Services marshals the available evidence about pro-poor strategies that have proven to be effective and that can help in the development of programs to better assist disadvantaged groups. In doing so, it can serve as a resource for policy makers, development practitioners, and policy analysts concerned with health conditions among the poor. [The World Bank] http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPAH/Resources/Reaching-the-Poor/complete.pdf

 

This report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes public health activities in Louisiana the first two months after Hurricane Katrina, when local authorities reopened portions of New Orleans and some residents began to return. Efforts included disease surveillance in evacuation centers to detect potential outbreaks and measure the burden of selected chronic conditions on the health care system; daily surveillance to monitor for trends and aberrations in illness and injuries at acute-care facilities; and efforts to assess the health-related needs of returning residents. [AHA News Now, 1-20-06] http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_wk.html

 

U.S. hospitals incur costs of $25–$50 billion annually in providing "community service," primarily in the form of health professions education and standby costs. They also provide approximately $30 billion in uncompensated care. Historically, such "community service" costs have been subsidized explicitly by Medicare and implicitly in the prices paid by private payers. The sustainability of that system is highly uncertain. [Health Affairs, Vol 25, Iss. 1, 2006] http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/25/1/34

 

Prevention Institute is updating its Community Approach to Addressing Disparities in Health with the revision of THRIVE: Toolkit for Health and Resilience in Vulnerable Environments. A centerpiece of THRIVE is a set of community level factors that are linked to Healthy People 2010 Leading Health Indicators. It now features a simplified list of thirteen factors to facilitate use of the tool at the local level. Details: http://www.preventioninstitute.org/thrive.html