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Individual & Community Health Topics of GVPH Door-to-Door Health Survey

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Lindsey Bickers Bock, health education supervisor for Granville Vance Public Health (GVPH), was on Tuesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk to discuss the health department’s current Community Health Assessment survey.

Conducted once every three years and required by all counties in North Carolina, this assessment is designed to identify the health needs of the community and to use the collected information to prioritize the various issues that receive attention and funding.

“All of the work Granville Vance Public Health does is really related to the Community Health Assessment,” said Bickers Bock.

The door-to-door process is nearing completion in Granville County, with surveying to begin in Vance County on Thursday, July 26 at 12 p.m. and concluding on Saturday, July 28.

The assessment includes questions on individual health behaviors, nutrition, physical activity, access to health care and awareness or opinions on community issues.

“The Community Health Assessment is the way we receive feedback from individual members across the county about their experiences related to their own personal health and how they view resources that either are or are not in place to support community health needs,” Bickers Bock said.

GVPH’s prior assessment, conducted in 2015, identified three major areas of need for Vance County: nutrition and physical activity, mental health and substance use disorders and education.

Results also demonstrated that poverty and health equity were two cross-cutting themes of the previous survey. “As a part of the [2015] health survey, we got feedback from both individuals and organizations in the county saying they saw poverty as an issue that impacts health and safety in the community,” said Bickers Bock.

To complete the 2018 survey process, the health department needs approximately 30 volunteers to serve over the three-day period. While Thursday and Friday are covered, there is a need for additional volunteers on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

According to Bickers Bock, survey volunteers are paired up and visit homes in randomly identified neighborhoods to ensure a cross-section of data from all areas of the county. Volunteers may be identified by a GVPH visor and will collect survey information on a tablet.

“We will provide training for interested volunteers,” said Bickers Bock. “Volunteers need to feel comfortable talking with community members, asking survey questions or supporting the person conducting the survey.”

Volunteers are provided lunch, a visor and a gas card if driving their own vehicle to conduct the survey. Those wishing to ride with someone else can be paired with a driving volunteer.

“If you’re not available to work as a surveyor, we hope people who are at their homes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and receive a knock on the door will be available to spend 10 minutes answering questions and sharing their experiences with our volunteers.”

Bickers Bock assured listeners that the information provided to surveyors is kept anonymous and participants are free to answer only the questions with which they feel comfortable.

A Steering Committee consisting of representatives from civic organizations, churches, hospitals and primary care physician offices will meet monthly through March 2019 to review data and provide feedback on survey results. The next committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 9 at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center in Henderson.

Survey results will also be shared via community forums to be held in early 2019. Community members will have a chance to view the findings, ask questions and provide feedback.

If interested in volunteering as a surveyor or in joining the Steering Committee, please contact Bickers Bock at (919) 693-2141 – ext. 148. For more information on the Community Health Assessment, including reports from previous years, please visit the GVPH website.

Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging to Host Dementia Education Conference

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-Press Release, Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments

The Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and Dementia Alliance of North Carolina will host a Dementia Education Conference on Tuesday, August 7 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. The event will take place at the Vance-Granville Civic Center, 200 Community College Road, Henderson.

The event is open to the public including caregivers, students, local leaders and aging professionals. The cost includes $10 for caregivers and $40 for Aging and Health Professionals. Register online at www.dementianc.org/henderson. Deadline to register is Tuesday, July 31.

Conference topics include Aging and Memory: What’s Normal and What’s Not, Redefining Technology for Caregivers, Adjusting Activities as Dementia Progresses and more! Breakfast and lunch will be provided, courtesy of Chef Christian Brown with Lake Gastronomy Catering.

Contact Harvey Holmes, Family Caregiver Specialist, with any questions or concerns at 252-436-2040 or hholmes@kerrtarcog.org.

Medical Arts & Mako Labs to Hold Ice Cream Fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis

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-Information courtesy Cara Kirby, Medical Arts Pharmacy

Medical Arts Pharmacy and Mako Medical Laboratories are partnering to raise awareness and funds to cure Cystic Fibrosis.

Join them this Friday, June 15, 2018, from 12 to 3 p.m. for an Ice Cream Fundraiser at Medical Arts Pharmacy, 253 Ruin Creek Road, Henderson.

Ice cream provided by FRESH. Local Ice Cream.

All proceeds go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Granville Vance Public Health Releases 2017 Report

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Granville Vance Public Health (GVPH), a provider of public health services related to communicable diseases, primary care, maternal health, child health and family planning, recently released their annual report for 2017.

According to the report, GVPH’s status as a health district allows greater flexibility to procure grant-based funding; however, overall state and federal funding has decreased in recent years. The agency has “worked hard to partner with local, state, and federal entities that can support and expand community health efforts in Granville and Vance counties.”

During the July 2016 – June 2017 fiscal year, GVPH managed over $2,500,000 in grant-funded projects. These funds helped support valuable community-based projects in both counties while also maintaining critical staffing. These grant dollars help ensure that evidence-based care and health promotion practices extend into rural communities in Granville and Vance counties.

GVPH reported $5,984,265 in revenues and $6,072,389 in expenses for fiscal year 2017, an increase of $683,672 and $103,848, respectively, from fiscal year 2016.

A major undertaking for 2017, GVPH was subject to the North Carolina Local Health Department Reaccreditation process and was recognized as an accredited health department with honors. Local health departments receiving the honors designation excelled in their accreditation assessment, missing one or fewer within each of the five standards set by the accreditation program, a total of 147 activities.

The next reaccreditation assessment for GVPH will occur in the fall of 2021.

Notable statistics from the January 1 – December 31, 2017 reporting term include:

  • 4,529 unique patients seen for 9,743 individual clinical care visits
  • 1,914 uninsured patients totaling 3,705 clinical care visits
  • 1,636 patients rely on Medicaid for medical care received during 3,037 Medicaid clinical care visits
  • 3,994 immunizations given to 2,409 individuals
  • 1,989 immunizations were given to 720 children and adolescents under 18 years of age
  • 1,799 flu vaccines provided
  • 2,408 WIC participants served
  • Child Health Program conducted 1,034 visits for 715 children
  • 12 CenteringPregnancy® groups conducted in 2017 with 109 women participating

In a letter recently sent to healthcare professionals and other parties, Lindsey Bickers Bock, health education supervisor for GVPH, stated “In our role providing safety net services for vulnerable populations, GVPH sees the clear impact of social determinants of health and the necessity of protecting and promoting health by facilitating policy, system and environmental changes to prevent disease, address health equity issues and improve population health.

For more information on the services offered by GVPH, visit their website at www.gvph.org. To view more detailed information on the 2017 report, specifically, click here.

Home and Garden Show 05/08/18

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Home and Garden Show 05/01/18

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Diverse Healthcare Leader To Speak To Students, Public On April 24

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— courtesy VGCC

The Medical Office Administration program at Vance-Granville Community College will host a presentation on medical office careers by a veteran healthcare instructor and manager on Tuesday, April 24, at 6 p.m. on the Main Campus.

Marianne Durling, currently an associate compliance officer with the Duke University Health System, will be in the Conference Room in Building 8 to speak with students in VGCC’s Health Services programs. The public is also invited to attend.

Durling has been active in some aspect of healthcare for more than 37 years, including clinical patient care, insurance and auditing, resulting in a diverse background, according to Christal Thomas, program head and instructor for Medical Office Administration at the college.

She has developed and taught a successful medical coding degree program, as well as a healthcare management degree program, for local colleges, for more than 11 years, garnering praise from employers and students. She won Instructor of the Year in 2012 at one of those colleges and was nominated for a state instructor of the year honor. She works with the American Academy of Professional Coders curriculum and credential development and serves as a member of the Healthcon Education Committee.

Durling has a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health Information Administration, a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences, and an Associate’s Degree in Health Professions. She has credentials in RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CPC, CPCO, CIC and CPC-I.

She is described as a coding, auditing and revenue cycle subject matter expert for lawyers as well as a seasoned textbook editor for multiple publishers.  She has been published in national professional publications.  She has served on the AAPC National Advisory Board and has served multiple terms as president and president-elect of the Oxford Tri-County North Carolina chapter of the AAPC. She has also served two terms as coordinator of the Triangle Region chapter of the North Carolina Health Information Management Association. In 2017, she was awarded the NCHIMA Special Recognition Award for her work with NCHIMA.

For more information, those planning to attend can contact Christal Thomas at (252) 738-3325 or thomasc@vgcc.edu.

— VGCC —

Free Mobile Pharmacy and Health Care 4-27-18

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— press release

Community Partners to Bring NC MedAssist’s Free Mobile Pharmacy and Health Care Resources to Individuals in Need

NC MedAssist will hold a Mobile Free Pharmacy Event in Henderson on Friday, April 27.  The event, which is in collaboration with Triangle North Healthcare Foundation, is open to any low-income individual or family needing free health screenings, education and over-the-counter medications.  The event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church (205 W Winder Street, Henderson, NC 27536).  Identification is not required to participate.

“Triangle North Healthcare Foundation is again pleased to partner with NC MedAssist on the Mobile Free Pharmacy event,” said Executive Director Val Short. “The event is expected to have a huge impact on the community.  Triangle North values the work we do in our community for those who are vulnerable and don’t have access to healthcare.  We hope to educate participants on the healthcare resources available in Vance County and surrounding communities.”

Individuals will receive up to up to 10 medicine cabinet items for their family/home.  Additionally, participants will receive other free healthcare services like information on NC MedAssist Free Pharmacy Program and community health resources.  NC MedAssist’s overall goal is to help ease the burden for those who are making the choice between buying food or purchasing medication.

The event is completely volunteer run.  Serving 800 individuals in one day takes many hands to make sure the event runs smoothly and ensures that all participants are served before the door closes. NC MedAssist is partnering with Triangle North Healthcare Foundation, First Baptist Church and other safety-net organizations to recruit community members to serve in roles such as pharmacy consultation, client ‘personal shoppers’, and sorters.   If you would like to volunteer, please visit www.medassist.org to sign up.

“NC MedAssist is excited to work with Triangle North Healthcare Foundation and our area partners to give back to our neighbors in need,” stated CEO Lori Giang. “Through our collaboration we are able to reach more and more individuals and educate them on our free resources.  No one should go without medicine and this program is enabling us to reach those who are unaware of our free medications.”

There are currently more than 3,600 people in Vance County that live below the Federal Poverty Level and do not qualify for insurance.  Last fiscal year, NC MedAssist dispensed over $48 million in free prescription medication statewide.  For more information on the Mobile Free Pharmacy and NC MedAssist, please visit www.medassist.org.

About NC MedAssist: Founded in 1997, NC MedAssist is a statewide non-profit pharmacy that provides free prescription medicines to low-income, uninsured North Carolinians. NC MedAssist offers three programs that address the needs of children and adults: the Free Pharmacy Program, the Mobile Free Pharmacy, and the Senior Care Program. NC MedAssist dispenses more than $48.5 million worth of free prescription medication to 15,000 low-income North Carolinians each year. To learn more about NC MedAssist and find out how to get involved, visit www.medassist.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

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Home and Garden Show 04/17/18

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Letters of Interest Are Due May 1, 2018

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— press release

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation Offers Grant Opportunities for Health Programs

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation is seeking partners to help measurably improve health in Vance, Warren, Franklin, and Granville counties. The 2018 grant cycle is now open. Letters of Interest are due May 1.

To be considered for a grant with Triangle North Healthcare Foundation, you must represent a nonprofit organization, school, or governmental agency that serves the Triangle North region— Warren, Vance, Granville, and/or Franklin counties, according to the Foundation’s executive director Val Short. “Your project should fall into one of our five funding priorities, which are Chronic Disease, Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Nutrition & Physical Fitness, Success in School as related to Health & Fitness, and finally, Reproductive Health,” said Short.

The first step in the grant application process is the Letter of Interest, which is actually a form, available on the online Grant Portal, and accessed via the Foundation’s website, www.tnhfoundation.org.

“We ask that anyone interested in applying for a grant should contact us first to schedule a meeting,” said Short. “We can discuss the details of a project and determine if it falls within our funding guidelines.” To schedule a meeting to discuss a potential grant project, call 252-598-0763.

Since its first grant cycle in 2013, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation has awarded over $1 million in grants to a variety of programs and projects throughout the region, including the Henderson YMCA’s Save Our Kids and Girls on the Run programs, Boys & Girls Clubs’ healthy teen programs, N.C. MedAssist’s free pharmacy for the uninsured, Smart Start, and many others. A full listing of TNHF grant programs is available on the Foundation’s website.

The mission of the Foundation is “to encourage, support, and invest in quality efforts that measurably improve health in the Triangle North region.” The Foundation cannot accomplish this alone. “Through our partnerships with community organizations, formed through grantmaking, this Foundation can make a difference in the health status of our communities,” said Mrs. Short. “Please let us hear from you!” she added.

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation is a nonprofit regional grantmaking organization based in Henderson, NC, which supports and invests in health and wellness initiatives and programs that will impact health in a positive way in Warren, Vance, Granville, and Franklin counties. Funding for the Foundation’s grantmaking was made possible by the endowment established after the merge of Maria Parham Medical Center and Duke Lifepoint.