|
|
Nicholas County Rural Health Outreach Grant Program
| Topics |
Aging
Health insurance and uninsured
Health promotion and disease prevention
Public health
|
| States served |
West Virginia
|
| Description |
The Nicholas County Rural Health Outreach Grant Program
provided health care services to medically underserved populations. The project also offered health education and prevention programs for the population at large, as well as continuing assessment, screening, and follow-up services. The target population included the working poor, local school students, and senior citizens.
The project developed an extensive network of local
government agencies, schools, a hospital, and nonprofit
organizations. It included Summersville Memorial Hospital, the Rural Health Clinic, Nicholas County High School, the Friends-RFun Child Development Center and Family Learning Center, and the Nicholas County Health Department. |
| Services offered |
The project used the Outreach Grant funds to launch three
major initiatives:
• a wellness clinic for 1,300 students, faculty, and family
members during school hours.
• planning a free clinic to serve the working poor and those without medical cards or insurance
• coordination of the health education and prevention
program with the public health department targeting senior
citizens. |
| Results |
The Summersville Wellness Center opened in September 2000 and closed for the summer in June 2001. During that time, it recorded more than 3,400 visits. The center offers health screenings, hepatitis education, hepatitis B immunizations, hunting safety education, health fairs, sports physicals, allergy injections, lab test results, and
many other services. The project also established a Web site at www.summersvillememorial.org. According to the State School- Based Health Assembly, the Summersville Wellness Center has been the most successful of any new program established in West Virginia.
A great deal of work has gone into planning the new free clinic, which is scheduled to open in the near future. Tentative plans are to begin offering limited primary health care services and a medical assistance program using physicians and staff who agree to volunteer one evening a week. It is hoped that an afternoon may be
scheduled to offer medication assistance to eligible older persons who cannot afford to purchase medications.
In terms of the health education and prevention program, a total of 15 health education topics were covered in classes that drew 628 participants. Topics included a blood pressure clinic for senior citizens, a diabetic clinic, healthy and nutritious cooking, an exercise and weight management class, a cooking school for men, and a youth drug prevention program. |
| Replication |
Two of the three components implemented by this program
were modeled on similar projects developed in other rural areas, so it is likely that these models will work in other rural communities as well. It may be difficult for other communities to implement all three of the projects launched through the Nicholas County Rural Health Outreach Grant Project, so program planners may want to replicate each of these components one at a time. Or, they can
leverage all of their resources toward implementing a single project and dedicate their efforts to ensuring its success. |
| Source |
Outreach Sourcebook, Vol. 8, 1998-2001, Office of Rural Health Policy
|
| Contact person |
Paula R. Fields, R.N., M.S.N.
Program Director
Summersville Memorial Hospital
400 Fairview Heights Road
Summersville, WV 26651
Phone: 304-872-2157
|
| Date added |
July 14, 2005 |
Summaries of success stories are provided by RAC for your convenience. Please contact the success story contact person directly for the most complete and current information.
|
