DELTA STATES RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK GRANTEES
By State and Region
FY 2007 – FY 2009

• printer-friendly Directory of Delta States Rural Development Grantees (pdf, 188kb)

The Delta Rural Assess Program (DRAP) will focus on HRSA priority areas: 1) providing a delivery of preventative services for individuals who are at-risk of developing chronic health diseases (i.e., diabetes, heart disease, obesity, chronic disease health promotion and education); and 2) increasing access to prescription drugs for the medically indigent, which include Medicare and Medicaid populations.

The Delta Rural Access Program (DRAP) will implement focus/priority area 1) in 15 of Alabama Counties: Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Hale, Macon, Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Washington, and Wilcox; and provide the remaining Delta counties, (Greene, Sumter, and Marengo), the counties where in RAPCS is currently providing access to healthcare in churches and schools; increase access to prescription drugs through establishing medication assistance programs for the medically indigent, which include Medicare and Medicaid populations.

These counties are rural, medically underserved, and ranked among the poorest in the State and Nation. The prevalence rates of numerous chronic health disorders are higher in these areas than other comparable areas in Alabama, which overall has higher rates than other states in the U.S. In addition to higher chronic disorder rates, this area suffers from inaccessibility to health care due to the unavailability of public transportation, limited to no healthcare insurance, low education, and unavailable employment, often results in poor health practices and lack of knowledge about accessing and using health care resources. These factors and others provide insurmountable barriers to healthcare in this area of Alabama.

DRAP’s overarching goal is to improve the health of the rural communities throughout Alabama, and to ensure access to health care for the underserved, including the uninsured and the underinsured that are at risk of suffering with chronic illnesses due to an inability to pay for services.

It is our belief that the most difficult problems facing our communities cannot effectively be addressed by one organization. Because the intention of the Delta Program is to support as much of the rural Delta as possible, the THA’s DRAP program has developed an approach that encourages the participation of all eligible counties within its Delta Region by forming a partnership with seven key organization, referred as Key Partners, from Seven of the Delta Counties, to provide services to two additional counties. The Consortium will charge these Key Partners with the responsibility for carrying out the goals and objectives of the program. The pre-determined areas are as follows:

1. Pickens, Sumter, Choctaw – Health & Wellness of Sumter County, Key Partner
2. Clarke, Washington –Washington County Hospital, Key Partner
3. Monroe, Conecuh, Escambia – Monroe County Hospital, Key Partner
4. Marengo, Hale, Greene – West Alabama Mental Health, Key Partner
5. Wilcox, Butler - Key Partner - TBA
6. Macon, Bullock, Barbour - Key Partner - TBA
7. Dallas , Perry - Key Partner - TBA

Delta Rural Access Program in collaboration with the consortium members and partners will provide resources to help rural churches design a health care program that will assist them in addressing their congregation health problems that could not be solved by them alone.

The primary target audience for this program includes all churchgoers, particularly adults in rural hard to reach areas. Some of the key primary services this audience will receive is (1) the training necessary to do basic first-aid, CPR, blood pressure and diabetic checks so care can be administered, if necessary, until more trained help arrives; (2) participate in health assessment surveys designed to capture the number of people in local churches who developed or experienced exacerbation or new diagnoses of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease a lack of resources, medication and treatment, and loss of insurance; (3) assistance in the development of their own health care program; and (4) assistance with their medication at little to no cost.

Rural churches will be the crux of this program because these are places where most people gather at any given day of the week. Health Care Workers (HCW) (preferably nurses) who are well experienced and are familiar with Delta counties will provide the services.

Tombigbee Healthcare Authority (THA), Rural Assistance Program for Church and Schools (RAPCS) Consortium of 35 members, represents academic, health, faith-based, community outreach, and public health. For the sake of implementing the Delta Rural Access Program activities effectively, the Consortium agreed to select 6 organizations, THA inclusive, to oversee the program. These organizations are Health and Wellness of Sumter County, Fitz-Gerald and Perret Family Practice Center of Marengo, West Alabama Mental Health of Marengo County, Cornerstone Church, Inc., M.S. Brasfield, M.D. Pediatric Care Center, and Tombigbee Healthcare Authority as lead agent.

ARKANSAS (Service Region A)

Mid Delta Community Consortium, Inc.

D60RH08532
Anna Huff
Mid Delta Community Consortium, Inc.
P.O. Box 2524
West Helena, AR 72390-0524
Phone: (870) 572-5416

Mid Delta Community Consortium (MDCC), a 501?3 in collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Health (ADOH), the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Public Health (COPH), and Community Health Centers of Arkansas (CHCA) was created in 2001 to increase resources and understanding of partnerships to enhance and promote community driven health improvement. MDCC the Delta based partner has served as the lead agent for the consortium, the Arkansas delta rural Development Network (ADRDN). The consortium will establish a comprehensive approach to address cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related risk factor disparities among African Americans in the Delta region of Arkansas, specifically nineteen counties (Region B). The focus of this program will be on utilizing the Community Health Advisor (CHA) and related lay-leader models to reduce disparities between African Americans and whites in cardiovascular disease and related risk factors in rural communities.

MDCC through the Arkansas Delta Rural Development Network (ADRDN), proposes to create a comprehensive program utilizing CHAs throughout nineteen Delta counties to assist in the reduction/elimination of risk factors associated with CVD (diabetes, hypertension, obesity): Key objectives will be to: maintain and expand the ARDDN network and partnerships with communities, agencies, and organizations to address chronic disease management; identify relevant programs and models in operation; to develop systems of communication for networking and coordination among networks and communities; to provide expertise in promising strategies to address health disparities; assess baseline statues of health disparities and related factors in local networks; develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive model program for CVD risk reduction; provide finding to five multi-county networks all 3 years; to provide training activities, for students interested in Community Based Public Approaches (CBPA) to reducing disparities in CVD; and provide/enhance prescription assistance programs across nineteen Delta counties.

ARKANSAS (Service Region B)

Health Resources of Arkansas

D60RH08552
Nancy Coleman
Health Resources of Arkansas
25 Gap Road
Batesville, AR 72501-8679
Phone: (870) 793-8900, ext. 1161

The primary goal of this project is to improve the health care status of residents in 20 Arkansas Delta counties, by strengthening and expanding the local rural health networks in the targeted region. Specifically, our objectives are to (1) provide continual technical assistance, training, and resources to aid in developing existing and expanded local rural health networks; (2) monitor and evaluate the work performed by local networks; and (3) develop and implement a process by which local networks can secure funding from the U.S. Office of Rural Health Policy, as well as from other local, state, and national sources, to help sustain these activities.

Region B of Arkansas contains 20 counties of the Delta. As indicated in national health data, Arkansas ranks in the bottom 20% of states in terms of health status indicators. This target region is extremely poor and reflects very poor health status indicators, especially infant mortality rates, age-adjusted death rates (including high age-adjusted cancer and cardiovascular disease death rates), and high rates of low birth weight babies. Health statistics also show that the Delta Region of Arkansas has over 15% of its population with no health insurance and a very large portion of health care services are rendered to uninsured and/or under-insured patients. The region’s population lacks a generally good access to health care services and all of the targeted counties are designated as Medically Underserved Areas. Several of these counties do not have local county based hospitals, and some are not currently served by locally based community health centers. Since the region has no public transportation system, access is an extremely strong barrier to the existing medical and health care facilities in the region.

The Delta-Hills Rural Health Network (DHRHN) is a consortium of state and local health care providers and will operate this program under a 10 member Network Steering Group to develop continue the implementation of local health care programs, through 4 local program networks, each composed of 5 counties. The DHRHN is led by a three member consortium, named the Delta-Hills Community Consortium (DHCC). It includes Health Resources of Arkansas (lead), Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc., and the Hometown Health Centers Branch of the Arkansas Division of Health. HRA, based in Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas, will receive and administer all grant funds from HRSA. Each of these 3 consortium members will be represented on the Network Steering Group, along with 4 other organizations in the State and region, who are also actively involved in the provision of health care services, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, Arkansas Drug and Alcohol Prevention, Division of Aging and Adult Services and the office of Senator Blanche Lincoln. The NSG will be primarily responsible for the advisement and oversight of the subcontracts to the four regional networks and assisting with monitoring, reviewing and approving performance/outcome measures. Under this plan, the NSG will meet quarterly. Since all local networks are existing grantees, under the Delta State grant program, we expect a very rapid and seamless implementation of programs and services, this year. Under this program, the DHCC will be able to insure continued and strong implementation of the programs funded in all 4 rural health networks and 20 counties of Region B of the Arkansas Delta.

ILLINOIS (Service Region A)

The Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University,
Center for Rural Health & Social Service Development

D60RH08547
Tess D. Ford
The Board of Trustees of SIU, Center for Rural Health & Social Service Dev.
900 S. Normal
Carbondale, IL 62901-4709
Phone: (618) 453-1262

The Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development (CRHSSD) at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, located within the Illinois Delta Network area, is the state-side applicant for the Office of Rural Health Policy, Delta State Rural Development Network (DSRDN) grant. Since 1989, the CRHSSD has supported the development of healthier communities in the Illinois Delta Region through research, planning, training, and development services. The CRHSSD is located in Jackson County in Southern Illinois and provides supportive services to the entire Illinois Delta Region, which is complementary to the DSRDN project.

The Illinois Delta Network (IDN) will strengthen community organizations within the Illinois Delta Region and will work to expand the abilities of these organizations to develop and implement successful projects that address local needs. The overall goal is to improve access to primary care services for residents of the Illinois Delta Region. The population to be served includes residents of the 16 southern counties of Illinois that comprise the Illinois Delta Region. During the development phase of the project, for the first six (6) months of the grant, the IDN members will meet bi-monthly.

The overall goal of the IDN is to improve the health status for people living the Illinois Delta Region. The Delta program helps rural Delta communities develop partnerships to jointly address health problems which could not be addressed effectively by single organizations.

The IDN will strengthen community networks within the Illinois Delta Region to expand the abilities of these organizations to conduct local needs assessments, plan, develop, and implement successful projects that address local needs. Primary needs identified through last year’s needs assessment for the Illinois Delta are Oral Health, Transportation, Awareness of Existing Services, Assistance with Health Care Costs, Coordination of Health Care Services, Emergency Transportation, and Mental Health.

KENTUCKY (Service Region A)

Trover Health System

D60RH08553
Joe Larin
Trover Health System
435 North Kentucky Avenue, Suite A
Madisonville, KY 42431-1768
Phone: (270) 824-3584

The proposed program will address health needs of the growing population, but notably those of the 48,029 elementary and middle school students residing in Kentucky’s 20 rural Delta counties. The service area encompasses 6,790 sq. miles, an area approaching the size of New Jersey, and is characterized by highly unfavorable economic, social, and health indicators. Service area residents have high rates of chronic disease with adult obesity rates ranking 5th highest in the nation and childhood obesity ranking 1st.

The goals of the proposed project are: 1) reduce childhood obesity and enhance the health and well being of elementary and middle school children in Kentucky Delta Rural Project’s (KDRP) service area; and 2) increase access to prescription medications for low income populations in KDRP’s service area through support and expansion of organizations offering RxAssist Plus to their clients.

The proposed scope of work is intended to maintain and expand KDRP’s School Health Initiative which was introduced the last grant cycle in 57 out of 69 public elementary schools. The major program components/activities include the following: 1) the introduction of Take 10! curriculum in classrooms which incorporates short physical activity breaks with core curriculum to keep children energized and mentally alert; 2) the introduction of Healthy and Wise, a comprehensive, cross-curricular approach to teaching health and physical education; 3) formation of Wellness Committees to help implement policies, programs, activities, and services that foster the health and well being of students; 4) school assembly 2-Hour Tour productions to promote healthy choices and behaviors in an instructional format appealing to students; and 5) teacher training in the implementation of Take 10!, Healthy & Wise, and Wellness Committees. In the new grant cycle, KDRP will take its School Health Initiative to middle schools.

To publicize and inform the public about the seriousness of the obesity epidemic in Kentucky, and to galvanize support for its School Wellness Initiative, KDRP staff will make presentations to civic and school-based organizations throughout its service area. This grant cycle, KDRP will expand its efforts to address youth substance abuse which is a significant problem among school children. In this regard it will take Operation PARENT to all counties in its service area. Operation PARENT is designed to inform parents, guardians, and teachers about the different kinds of substances available to young people, how they obtain them, how they use them, and the effects they can have on users. Also presented are the telltale signs of substance abuse and how to intervene effectively if necessary. Similar instruction and training will be offered to teachers this coming grant cycle.

LOUISIANA (Service Region A)

The Multipractice Clinic

D60RH08545
Patrick Cowart
The Multipractice Clinic
P.O. Box 130
Independence, LA 70443-0130
Phone: (985) 345-1119

Almost 1 in 3 Louisiana school-aged children are overweight or obese putting them at risk for a multitude of chronic diseases. The alarming obesity rate of children in Louisiana will be addressed by Growing up Fit, a chronic disease prevention project designed to prevent obesity in the 21 rural, Delta parishes of Service Region B (SRB). The program will include all first grade students in one demonstration school in each parish and will follow them throughout the grant period (N~2100).

Growing up Fit will introduce participating schools to a creative low cost, easily replicated program designed to increase health and wellness knowledge and encourage exercise to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity. To ensure program continuity and promote community buy-in, a local Program Shepherd from within each school will be selected and receive a small stipend for nurturing the program in their school.

Growing up Fit has a two strategy approach. The first is to facilitate awareness of the total wellness environment of each school by completing the CDC School Health Index Self-Assessment and making BMI and blood pressure testing available to all program participants annually. Cumulative findings will be shared with school administrators to be used in health policy decisions and individual results will be sent to parents. The families of children found to have a BMI > 85 percentile, at risk for overweight, will be offered the opportunity to participate in nutritional counseling.

Growing up Fit has a two strategy approach. The first is to facilitate awareness of the total wellness environment of each school by completing the CDC School Health Index Self-Assessment and making BMI and blood pressure testing available to all program participants annually. Cumulative findings will be shared with school administrators to be used in health policy decisions and individual results will be sent to parents. The families of children found to have a BMI > 85 percentile, at risk for overweight, will be offered the opportunity to participate in nutritional counseling.

The second strategy focuses on teaching positive individual wellness choices through the development of 18 classroom modules, containing nutrition, physical activity and home-life components to be presented monthly in ~75 SRB classrooms. Monthly modules will be developed based upon findings unique to the rural community’s health needs as identified through the School Health Index and BMI/blood pressure results.

SRB has elected to provide dental priority health services. Rural Healthy People 2010 identified oral health as number 5 in a top ten of rural health priorities. Based on dietary patterns both childhood obesity and dental cavities are nearly twice as likely to affect Americans with lower income, those with less education, and those of specific ethnic groups. THEN’s Seal-a-Smile program currently provides services to all 1st, 2nd and 6th graders in five SRB parishes. Funding will be used to set up systems unique to each of these parishes to transition Seal-a-Smile from a Delta subsidized project into a viable, self-sustaining program supported by local sponsors that will serve more than 6,000 children annually into the future. Seal-a-Smile will also reach out to all 21 SBD parishes, 18 of which are designated as Dental Shortage Areas, enrolling all 16,094 first graders in the CREST School Program providing them each with toothbrush, toothpaste, early elementary education and parental handouts on age-appropriate oral health topics.

Growing Up Fit’s affiliation with Pennington Biomedical Research Center and LSU Ag Center will allow for improved data collection and analysis of physical activity levels and nutrition knowledge and practice over an expanded rural, geographic area. This data in report form will be made available to schools, school districts and interested health organizations for use in continued program development and research in the Delta Parishes of Louisiana.

LOUISIANA (Service Region B)

The Health Enrichment Network, Inc.

D60RH08554
Donna Hines-Newton
The Health Enrichment Network, Inc.
P.O. Box 566
Oakdale, LA 71463-0566
Phone: (318) 335-2112

Fiscal Year 2007 2008 2009
Grant Award

Almost 1 in 3 Louisiana school-aged children are overweight or obese putting them at risk for a multitude of chronic diseases. The alarming obesity rate of children in Louisiana will be addressed by Growing up Fit, a chronic disease prevention project designed to prevent obesity in the 21 rural, Delta parishes of Service Region B (SRB). The program will include all first grade students in one demonstration school in each parish and will follow them throughout the grant period (N~2100).

Growing up Fit will introduce participating schools to a creative low cost, easily replicated program designed to increase health and wellness knowledge and encourage exercise to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity. To ensure program continuity and promote community buy-in, a local Program Shepherd from within each school will be selected and receive a small stipend for nurturing the program in their school.

Growing up Fit has a two strategy approach. The first is to facilitate awareness of the total wellness environment of each school by completing the CDC School Health Index Self-Assessment and making BMI and blood pressure testing available to all program participants annually. Cumulative findings will be shared with school administrators to be used in health policy decisions and individual results will be sent to parents. The families of children found to have a BMI > 85 percentile, at risk for overweight, will be offered the opportunity to participate in nutritional counseling.

Growing up Fit has a two strategy approach. The first is to facilitate awareness of the total wellness environment of each school by completing the CDC School Health Index Self-Assessment and making BMI and blood pressure testing available to all program participants annually. Cumulative findings will be shared with school administrators to be used in health policy decisions and individual results will be sent to parents. The families of children found to have a BMI > 85 percentile, at risk for overweight, will be offered the opportunity to participate in nutritional counseling.

The second strategy focuses on teaching positive individual wellness choices through the development of 18 classroom modules, containing nutrition, physical activity and home-life components to be presented monthly in ~75 SRB classrooms. Monthly modules will be developed based upon findings unique to the rural community’s health needs as identified through the School Health Index and BMI/blood pressure results.

SRB has elected to provide dental priority health services. Rural Healthy People 2010 identified oral health as number 5 in a top ten of rural health priorities. Based on dietary patterns both childhood obesity and dental cavities are nearly twice as likely to affect Americans with lower income, those with less education, and those of specific ethnic groups. THEN’s Seal-a-Smile program currently provides services to all 1st, 2nd and 6th graders in five SRB parishes. Funding will be used to set up systems unique to each of these parishes to transition Seal-a-Smile from a Delta subsidized project into a viable, self-sustaining program supported by local sponsors that will serve more than 6,000 children annually into the future. Seal-a-Smile will also reach out to all 21 SBD parishes, 18 of which are designated as Dental Shortage Areas, enrolling all 16,094 first graders in the CREST School Program providing them each with toothbrush, toothpaste, early elementary education and parental handouts on age-appropriate oral health topics.

Growing Up Fit’s affiliation with Pennington Biomedical Research Center and LSU Ag Center will allow for improved data collection and analysis of physical activity levels and nutrition knowledge and practice over an expanded rural, geographic area. This data in report form will be made available to schools, school districts and interested health organizations for use in continued program development and research in the Delta Parishes of Louisiana.

MISSISSIPPI (Service Region A)

Delta Health Alliance

D60RH08555
Karen Fox
The Health Enrichment Network, Inc.
P.O. Box 566
Oakdale, LA 71463-0566
Phone: (318) 335-2112

The Delta Health Alliance, working in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Health, the University of Mississippi’s Diabetes & Metabolic Center and Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, the University of Tennessee Hamilton Eye Institute and the Mississippi Delta Area Health Education Center, have collaboratively developed a project plan to systematically address the high incidence and prevalence, and devastating effects of diabetes mellitus – known as “sugar” in our communities. All 21 counties will receive services, with clinical locations selected to ensure even distribution of new access points for care. Clinical services will include medicine, nutrition, metabolic specialists, ophthalmology, and nursing.

This comprehensive initiative is a multi-targeted approach, utilizing several components to meet the needs of patients with or at risk for developing diabetes. The first component will be the deployment and ongoing support of new diabetes clinical services to four health department clinics that do not currently offer such services, implemented in a phased approach. Clinicians at these clinics will be trained in evidence-based diabetes care, staffing will be deployed to help establish new diabetes clinics including patient enrollment and follow-up, case management will be supported by metabolic specialists, and both patient and clinician education will be provided in an ongoing capacity. The second component involves vision screening services in six counties to address unmet needs in the timely identification of diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts in the diabetic population; so that treatment may be delivered before significant sight loss occurs. The third component involves community based education at schools, pharmacies, churches and other venues for the prevention and management of diabetes. The fourth component includes developing and maintaining mechanisms for technical assistance, practice management, and coordination of diabetes education programs across the 21 county area.

This initiative addresses two key focus areas of the Delta States Rural Development Network grant program through the following goals:

Goal I: Implement an integrated, comprehensive and sustainable diabetes care network for and clinical services for individuals with or at risk of developing diabetes.

Goal II: Provide practice management technical assistance services to improve the operational and financial efficiency of outpatient clinic and health department providers.

By the end of the third year, this collaborative effort will be providing clinical care to 20,000 diabetes patients, with an additional 40,000/year receiving education and screening services. Evaluation of this effort will be independently conducted utilizing OHRP’s newly developed uniform outcome and performance measures. Results of the effort, including a toolkit to support replication in other communities, will be distributed to state and national parties

MISSISSIPPI (Service Region B)

Jefferson Comprehensive Health Center, Inc.

D60RH08549
Shirley Ellis
Jefferson Comprehensive Health Center, Inc.
225 Community Drive
Fayette, MS 39069-0098
Phone: (601) 786-3475

The Southern Mississippi SHINE Project (Southern SHINE) aims to provide health services to twenty rural Delta counties in the southwest corner of the state of Mississippi. The primary health issues to be addressed include chronic health diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and lack of access to prescription drugs among medically indigent residents.

Health services, programs, and education will made available to all residents of the defined service area. However, the primary target population for this initiative will be the approximately 114,573 residents living below the federal poverty designation.

The primary methodology to be employed involves maintaining and enhancing the exiting network infrastructure previously established as part of the MS SHINE Project from 2001-2007. Five local lead agencies will continue to operate multi-county networks that range in size from three to five counties. The funding amount that will be provided to each local lead agency will be $14,000 per county, plus another $3,500 in the event that additional funds are received for the supplemental Innovative Project Funding Request.

Annual service volume goals are identified for each primary health issue. The final adoption of pharmacy assistance goals is dependent on approval of the supplemental Innovative Project Funding Request. Annual service volume goals are clearly presented in the following table.

As demonstrated in the stated service volume goals, the aim of Southern SHINE is to provide services to a total of 60,538 residents by the end of Year 3. This represents over half of the primary target population of 114,573. The potential for impact is great since most of these residents experience limited access to preventive, primary, and educational services.

MISSOURI (Service Region A)

Missouri Highlands Health Care

D60RH08551
Mary Peterson
Missouri Highlands Health Care
P.O. Box 157
Ellington, MO 63638-0157
Phone: (573) 663-2313

Medically indigent residents of Missouri Service Region A are more likely to lack a regular source of medical care, to suffer high rates of mortality and disease, and to be hospitalized for preventable conditions. The medically indigent and the individuals with chronic health diseases experience significant disparities in access to preventive care and prescription drugs. When chronically ill patients fail to follow the recommended treatment regimen by not adhering to medication regiments by not adhering to medication regiments or diet and exercise programs, their health suffers significantly. The uninsured and underinsured suffer from medical problems that have worsened because they cannot effort preventive care, early intervention, or medications. A lack of access causes critical warning signs to go unheeded, leading to costly and preventable complications.

The Missouri Service Region A Consortium will address unmet needs and prevalent health disparities through innovative project activities in fourteen rural Delta Counties. The regional consortium of a community health center, two critical access hospitals, a faith-based organization, and a county health department will unite multi-county health networks to jointly address issues that are too great for single entities to address alone. Consortium members will develop common goals, share performance data, support providers, engage consumers, and improve health care quality. Chronic disease outcomes will be improved by strengthening improvement programs; stimulating learning and information exchange; expanding the number of practices and clinics that implement chronic disease improvement programs through expert consultation, physician champions, and successful learning models; promoting self management; and disseminating evidence-based practice models. Strategies to increase access to medications will enhance compliance with prescription drug therapy among the target population. Practice management technical assistance will improve financial, operational and clinical performance of regional health care systems. These activities will eliminate disparities and improve health outcomes.

MISSOURI (Service Region B)

Southeast Missouri Health Network, Inc.

D60RH08550
Ann Lawrence
Southeast Missouri Health Network, Inc.
208 Main Street
New Madrid, MO 63869
Phone: (573) 748-7712

The initial focus of this program will be building a local community health network consisting of the three FQHCs - SEMO Health Network, Cross Trails Medical Center, and Great Mines Health Center and other key health providers. The network will work together to examine the ecological factors, community capacity, and health care system to determine the approaches and methods for community health improvement in order to improve access to health and human services, identify methods of improving coverage and reimbursements, and improve overall health status.

The goals and objectives of this program are based on the Healthy People 2010 goals. Specifically to increase the number of persons seen in primary health care who receive mental health screening and assessment, to increase the proportion of adults with mental disorders who receive treatment and to increase the proportion of persons with co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders who receive treatment for both disorders. In addition to these goals, the goals of the Chronic Care Model for diabetes will be addressed.

The objective of SEMO Health Network’s program will be to identify patients in need of mental health services and refer them for appropriate treatment. This project will reach communities in the six counties of Mississippi, New Madrid, Scott, Stoddard, Pemiscot, and Dunklin counties of Southeast Missouri and will improve health outcomes and integrate self-management for diabetic patients in Southeast Missouri’s low-income, uninsured, and underserved population.

Cross Trails Medical Center will expand the services currently provided to patients diagnosed with chronic disease focusing on diabetes and the mental health problems that often occur with this disease. CTMC will also provide case management and referrals for mental health services for the chronic care patients identified with depression and other mental health problems. This component will provide services to Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, and Stoddard and surrounding counties.

Great Mines Health Center is expanding their current Chronic Care Services to enable uninsured and under insured patients with diagnoses of chronic diseases will have access to mental health assistance and referrals to higher levels of care. Services will include assisting patients with needs in the areas of depression and substance abuse counseling in Washington, Wayne, Perry, Madison, St. Francois, and St. Genevieve counties.

TENNESSEE (Service Region A)

Hardeman County Community Health Center

D60RH08546
Mary Heinzen
Hardeman County Community Health Center
P.O. Box 720
Bolivar, TN 38008-0720
Phone: (731) 659-3114

The purpose of this proposal is to seek funding from the Delta States Rural Development Network Grant Program to deliver preventative and clinical health services for individuals with or at risk of developing chronic diseases in rural West Tennessee. The lead applicant for this proposal is the Hardeman County Community Health Center (a federally-funded 330 community health center) on behalf of the Fit for Life Network. The Fit for Life Network is a formal, multi-county consortium of multiple health care and social service agencies that offers services designed to address risk factors associated with chronic diseases including obesity, heart disease, stroke, hypertension and diabetes. In addition to the Hardeman County Community Health Center, the Network includes three hospitals, multiple school systems, UT Extension Service offices, and two more federally funded 330 community health centers.

The target area for this proposal is 20 counties in rural, West Tennessee. The service region is part of the Mississippi Delta and is bordered to the west by the Mississippi River and to the east by the Tennessee River. Often referred to as the “stroke belt”, individuals in this area suffer disproportionately from chronic diseases. Services provided through the Network include Chronic Disease Management, Pharmacy Assistance, Dining with Diabetes, Lace Up for a Good Life, Tennessee Shapes Up, and the Food and youth Initiative. The goals of the Network are to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with chronic disease by decreasing risk factors such as elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, improving access to quality care, improving access to prescription medication, and increasing the knowledge of patients about their diseases and how to manage them.

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