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CHAP Holds Reunion Celebration, Mount Vernon (OH) News , Friday, December 5, 2003 Osteopath Foundation Grants $280,000, The Athens (OH) Messenger, November 20, 2003 Building More Stories of Hope, Ronald McDonald House Newsletter, November 2003 Health Department Earns $180,000 in Grants, The Madison (OH) Press, Monday, November 3, 2003 Columbus State Gets Grant to Help Nursing Students, The Columbus Dispatch, Sunday, November 2, 2003 Fraedrich Scholarship Fund is Growing, The Athens (OH) Messenger, Sunday, October 26, 2003 Plus and Minus, The Athens (OH) Messenger,
Friday, August 22, 2003 CHAP
holds reunion celebration
By Aly Ark DANVILLE - "The right way to begin is to pay attention to the young, and make them just as good as possible." This quote from Socrates is posted on a display in the CHAP building, where mothers, children and members of the health-care community gathered for a reunion celebration Dec. 4. Each baby or toddler received a picture book, and there were presents for mothers as well. Everyone sang Happy Birthday" before those children who were old enough helped blow out 106 votive candles, one for each baby born under CHAP care. The Knox County division of CHAP, an acronym for the Community Health Access Program, began Feb. 28, 2000. Its purpose is to assist mothers through prenatal care, delivery and child-rearing, with the goal of good infant and maternal health throughout and after the pregnancy. One of CHAP's ultimate goals is decreasing the rate of low birth weights in underfunded communities. Low birth weights have been linked to long-term health problems, including learning disabilities. The initial CHAP program, begun in Alaska, was so successful that the targeted areas had better rates in terms of low birth weight than the more affluent areas. Of the 106 Knox County CHAP babies, only 5.5 percent of them were born preterm, which is defined as before 37 weeks of gestation and with a birth weight of under 5 pounds. The state average for preterm deliveries in an underserved or underfunded area ranges as high as 12 to 20 percent. "Well, healthy babies are healthy citizens in the long run," said Roger Shooter, director of the Knox County Department of Job & Family Services. "And that's our goal, to produce independent kids and independent adults. We're just pleased that CHAP's here." He added that $65 million is spent each year for Medicaid in Knox County. Through decreasing rates of low birth weight, programs like CHAP lessen health problems and help the taxpayers, Shooter said. "The Know County Job & Family Services department has helped to fund CHAP in Knox County for the nearly four years it has received funding. The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation has helped fund the program in Mansfield and Columbus as well as in Knox County. Ruth Miller of Amity said CHAP's most significant form of assistance for her was transportation to and from the hospital. Her 1-year-old daughter, Amanda, played with another toddler as Miller explained that she had to visit the hospital multiple times for premature labor. Amanda was born healthy on Thanksgiving Day 2002. "They came once a week for me because I was on bedrest," said Crystal Harding of Millwood. She explained that she was confined to bed for 13 weeks due to high blood pressure. "So I needed them to keep an eye on that, and they sent me to the doctor if it was out of check." Her daughter, Lydia, is now five weeks old. Without CHAP's medical advice and assistance, Harding said, "I'm not sure she would be here." According to Dr. Mark Redding, "Low birth weight babies are 50 percent more likely to require special education. Babies that are severely low birth weight can require long-term care or institutionalization." Redding and his wife, Sarah, also an M.D., had previously worked with the CHAP program in Alaska and Baltimore before coming to Knox County. Support for the program in Ohio also came from Ohio Sen. Bill Harris, of the 19 th Senate District. "He's just supported it from the very beginning," Mark Redding said, describing Harris' efforts as "unbelievably helpful." Redding called low birth weight "one of the most common preventable devastating conditions for children." "Programs like this are making a difference," he said. One of CHAP's greatest strengths is its social aspect. People in the sponsored community take classes in order to become community care coordinators, or CCCs. They then help other people within their community. "Doctors don't realize sometimes (that there are) social ties bound up with medical and technical aspects," Redding said. A CCC, he explained, can personally help a client make and keep an appointment, "maybe even go with them." Personalized, persistent attention from a member of her own community can make a crucial difference in a woman's decision to seek prenatal care. Even one prenatal appointment, Redding said, has been shown to decrease the incidence of low birth weight and other health problems. "We're not finding that it's apathy (that causes women not to seek medical advice)," Redding said. "It's lack of treatment, lack of phones, lack of appointments." He pointed out that if once, in four years, a CHAP program causes a baby to be born at a healthy birth weight who otherwise would have been born underweight, the costs of the program are offset - not only by the reward of improving the child's quality of life, but by avoiding the potential health care expenses, which can reach into the millions of dollars, incurred throughout that person's lifetime. "It's just a real blessing to me to be able to see the babies...and to see that they're continuing to be healthy," said Nancy Holtrey, R.N., program director of the Knox County CHAP. With the reunion, she said, "What we worked at for four years, we got to see some of the results all in one place." Reprinted with permission from the Mount Vernon News. | top | Osteopathic Foundation Grants
$280,000
NELSONVILLE – Several area programs that promote health and quality of life will be implemented or expanded with the help of grants from the Ohio Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville. Rick Vincent, president of the Nelsonville Foundation as well as the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation in Columbus, recognized the grantees at a ceremony Tuesday. Vincent said the grants all have different timetables and that no money has been given yet. He began Tuesday’s program by announcing a special award established this year in memory of David Fraedrich, an original board member of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville, who died earlier this year. Fraedrich, who was chairman of the Doctors Hospital of Nelsonville board at the time of his death, worked tirelessly at the improvement of health care in the region and was a true civic leader and community inspiration, Vincent said. In his honor, the Nelsonville and Columbus foundations contributed $25,000 to establish the David S. Fraedrich Memorial Scholarship, which will benefit at least one Hocking College nursing student from Athens County or Hocking County each year. Vincent said the proceeds from Doctors Hospital of Nelsonville’s golf tournament and other donations have already expanded the scholarship fund to around $80,000. School of Nursing Dean Molly Weiland said the school is touched and honored to be given the trust to administer the scholarship. A $36,000 grant was awarded to Ohio University’s Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development to continue implementation of Geographic Information System technology in nine regional health departments. ILGARD’s Mike Finney explained the technology allows the departments to map and integrate data, such as areas where children need to be immunized or where flu vaccinations have been administered. Participating health departments include Athens City-County, Belpre, and those of Fairfield County, Hocking, Vinton, Washington, Jackson, Ross and Meigs counties. Doctors Hospital of Nelsonville was awarded $50,000 for a variety of improvements in the facility to enhance patient care. The Athens County Department of Job and Family Services, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Athens County, Hocking Valley Community Residential Center and My Sister’s Place will all receive $25,000 grants. Job and Family Services will use its grant to implement Project Nurse Assistant, a mentoring program designed to decrease turnover in nursing assistants in Athens County. The Big Brothers/Big Sisters grant will go toward its Positive Partners program, which provides adult mentors for children ages 10 to 15 who’ve had dealings with the juvenile court. The residential center, a treatment facility for teenage boys, will apply its grant to purchasing fitness equipment for its Reviving Appalachian Family Time program for residents and their parents. The fitness facilities can also be used by the Nelsonville community. The My Sister’s Place grant will be used to implement a project to assess the health of women and their children who seek help from the program. The American Red Cross will receive a $19,500 grant to develop a safety network and response system to educate elderly and disabled residents of Athens County and their caregivers on emergency procedures. Habitat for Humanity will receive $15,000 in matching funds to build two homes in Glouster next year. The Nelsonville Public Library will receive $6,000 to continue its summer food service program, which serves more than 250 low-income children in Chauncey, Coolville, Nelsonville and Glouster. The funds will also provide toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss for low-income library patrons. Rick Oremus, Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville board president, commended the recipient organizations for providing the region with “very needed and very quality care.” Most of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations’ funding came from the 1998 asset sale of Doctors Hospital facilities in Nelsonville and Columbus. The two foundations are committed to the philosophies of osteopathic medicine and have approved more than $36 million in funding awards since 1999, most of which has been for the benefit of Southeastern and Central Ohio residents. Reprinted with permission of The Athens (OH) Messenger. | top | Ronald McDonald House Newsletter, November 2003 It was only a few years ago that several Ronald McDonald House board members visited the new Ronald McDonald House in Cleveland and came back to Columbus with a vision to build a new House for families in need of a home- away-from-home. Last year, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio Board of Trustees made official its intent to raise the needed funds to "build more stories of hope" for families of children being treated at nearby hospitals. Our current House, though it has served its purpose, no longer meets the current needs of our families. The new 51,000 square foot House will be built on the Children's Hospital campus and is designed by Meacham and Apel Architects. In addition to doubling our total square footage from the current House, the new House will incorporate traditional features, including larger kitchens, 24-hour laundry facilities, library, computer room, meditation and exercise rooms, while adding additional bedrooms and private baths. The new House will include an elevator for easier access to the second floor. Also, four extended-stay suites will be an added feature to those families with immune-compromised children. We are proud of the unique services our House provides to our community. There is no other organization that offers a "home-away-from-home" for the families of seriously ill children in the central Ohio area. The plans for the new House are bringing much excitement and anticipation to the RMHC family of volunteers and donors who are eager to move forward with the project. Groundbreaking is targeted for late fall with an anticipated grand opening in early 2005. As we make progress towards our goal of a new House, the well being of our families will remain at the forefront of our mind and serves as the inspiration to achieve our goal of raising $5.5 million. To date, over $3.6 million has been raised with lead gifts from McDonald's, Nationwide, The Columbus Foundation, and The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation . We ask that each member of the community consider making a contribution to the Ronald McDonald House's capital campaign. Together, we are "building more stories of hope" for families. No gift is too large or too small...by taking the Ronald McDonald House into your heart, you take each of the families into your heart as well. For more information on how you can "build more stories of hope," call Laurie Lathan at 614-258-8433. Reprinted with permission from the Ronald McDonald House. | top | Health Department Earns $180,000 in Grants
By Dean Shipley Money to improve dental health, cease smoking. Two grants, totaling $180,000, were awarded recently to the Madison County-London City Combined Health District. One grant will fund dental health initiatives while the other will focus on cessation of and prevention of the use of tobacco, said Alexis "Lexi" Evans, educator for the health department. The health department on Wednesday received $142,627 from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation for Oral Health Referral and Education. The award was received at a banquet in Columbus. Evans said the first installment of the grant will be $46,617. The funds will be used to fund a case manager's position. Evans said she will take on that role. The grant calls for recruiting local private dental offices to accept Medicaid recipients, the underinsured as well as uninsured patients. Evans said five dentists have agreed to work with the health department. She declined to name them specifically. As case manager, Evans will help these patients to set up appointments and do everything possible to make sure they keep those appointments. The dentists will see approximately 20 patients a month. "Missed appointments is a problem dentists have experienced with Medicaid patients," Evans said. Referrals will come from those made by the health department's own dental hygienist, as well as from other county agencies. The initiative is modeled after successful programs developed by the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services and the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville, it was reported in a release. "The citizens of Madison County deserve access to quality dental care, regardless of their income status," said Dr. James Herman, health commissioner. "The Madison County Health Department is committed to providing access to dental services and to offering education that helps residents practice good oral hygiene. Thanks to the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, we can better address this important need." The grant is part of one that targeted eight central Ohio counties. Evans said she read an article that spoke of the funds being available and subsequently applied for them. Other counties receiving grants were Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Knox, Licking, Pickaway and Union. It is part of a health initiative funded at $2 million. Another grant the health department received last week had tobacco settlement funds as its source. Madison County was part of a three-county grant that included Champaign and Clark counties. The total grant, divided among the three counties, was $245,000. Madison County will receive a grant of $45,052 a year for two years, Evans said. She said an educator will be hired on a schedule of 32 hours a week. The grant will pay for the educator's salary, job-related expenses and training materials. Evans said the goals will be to prevent smoking by pregnant women, help young people avoid starting and help those who have started to quit. A separate program, handled by Madison County Hospital and funded by a separate $15,000 grant also derived from tobacco settlements, will target adult smoking. The educator will teach students in grades kindergarten through sixth. High school students suspended for smoking in school will attend classes after school. The classes will be "mandatory," Evans said. Not only will the students be educated about the dangers of tobacco use, they also will be trained to share the knowledge with grade school children. The health department grant will pay for two more aspects of the drive. It will fund a program, Teens Against Chewing Tobacco in the Community (TACTIC), that will work through 4-H in an effort to curb the use of smokeless tobacco. It also will fund vendor compliance checks, Evans said. The checks will be conducted to determine if any tobacco vendors are selling tobacco products to persons under age. Reprinted with permission from The Madison Press. | top | Columbus State Gets Grant to Help Nursing
Students
By Alice Thomas The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation in Columbus has given Columbus State Community College a $346,812 grant. The money will go toward outfitting laboratories for nursing students and purchasing a simulator to help them learn. “The gift is timely and critical to Columbus State’s ability to help meet the community’s demands for registered nurses,” said Columbus State President Val Moeller. Reprinted with permission from The Columbus Dispatch. | top | Fraedrich Scholarship Fund is Growing
An additional $25,000 was donated by Doctors Hospital Nelsonville for the David S. Fraedrich Scholarship at Hocking College. The donation includes $18,000 raised during the recent Doctors Hospital of Nelsonville golf tournament and $5,000 gift from the Fraedrich family. With this donation and previous donations of $25,000 each from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville and Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Columbus, the Fraedrich Scholarship now totals $75,500. Joel Kaiser, Doctors Hospital Nelsonville administrator, said Fraedrich Scholarship awards ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 would be given to Hocking College students entering the nursing profession. The first scholarships are expected to be awarded in August. “David was co-chairman of the golf outing since its inception and he contributed much to its success. It is a fitting tribute to David that he would be remembered with a scholarship and that the proceeds from tournament would find its way into his scholarship fund. He understood not only the importance of education but the need for training that will result well-qualified nursing staff,” Kaiser said. Special consideration for the Fraedrich Scholarships will be given to graduates of Nelsonville-York City Schools and employees of Doctors Hospital Nelsonville who are working toward completion of registered nurse or practical nurse degrees at Hocking College. Article reprinted with permission from the Athens Messenger. | top |
…Another plus to improve health care is coming from a unique partnership that includes Ohio University. The federal government is helping to finance a new health institute that will battle diabetes. OU will launch a comprehensive effort promoting diabetes education, prevention and health care in Appalachian Ohio. Coordinated by the newly established Appalachian Rural Health Institute at OU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, the program will partner with the university’s Voinovich Center, the Edison Biotechnology Institute and the College of Communication. Last week, OU announced a $1.5 million gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation to help fund diabetes research. Components of the new initiative will include public education, prevention programs, treatment alternatives and nutrition counseling. It is fitting that such an effort should be based here. Diabetes rates in Appalachian Ohio are more than twice that of the rest of the country. The disease is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. Reprinted with permission from The Athens Messenger. | top | Foundation Gift Will Fund Chair at OU for Research on Diabetes, Heart/Lung Disease
Thanks to a $1.5 million Bicentennial Campaign gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation in Columbus and $500,000 in subsequent federal appropriations, researchers and clinicians in OU's College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM) have set their sights on battling diabetes. The funds support the creation of the J.O. Watson, D.O., Endowed Research Chair, which is dedicated to diabetes and cardiovascular disease research. According to a news release the chair, which honors the founder of Doctors Hospital in Columbus, "provides the cornerstone" for a concentrated focus on diabetes at OU-COM. The Heritage Foundation's gift is part of OU's $200 million Bicentennial Campaign. Leonard Kohn, M.D., formerly a director at the National Institutes of Health and now professor of biomedical sciences at OU-COM, was appointed first holder of the chair, and will lead a new program dedicated to diabetes research. Diabetes affects more than 19 million Americans, or 7.3 percent of the population. The picture is worse in Appalachian Ohio where the OU Center for Appalachian and Rural Health Research found that approximately 16 percent of area residents have diabetes. Genetics, diet, activity level and economic status are factors for the high rate. Frank Schwartz, M.D., an endocrinologist from Parkersburg and member of OU-COM's clinical faculty, is working with Kohn to establish a diabetes center as part of the ARHI. The institute is bringing research, rural health information, telehealth and needed health-care services together to meet the health care needs of the region. Poverty increases the chance that a diabetic may suffer from complications such as blindness, limb amputations, kidney disease and premature death, the release stated. Rural residents are more likely to lack health insurance and to stay uninsured for longer than their urban counterparts. Also, according to the release, since fewer health-care providers are available in rural areas, rural populations are less likely to seek preventative care or testing for chronic conditions. "We will transform how diabetes care is delivered to the region's citizens," Schwartz said in the release. "The center will provide comprehensive diabetes care, public and patient education and health-care advocacy for citizens of southeast Ohio and West Virginia. It will reduce the cost, personal suffering and premature death that often result from uncontrolled diabetes." OU has targeted diabetes for more than 10 years. Researchers at the Edison Biotechnology Institute study obesity and diabetes. At the core of this effort are Goll-Ohio Eminent Scholar John Kopchick, Ph.D.; associate professor of biomedical sciences Xiao Chen, Ph.D.; and Kohn. OU-COM faculty and students work to better understand the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes. In addition, the departments of Biomedical Sciences and Family Medicine have hosted conferences focused on research, treatment and management of the disease. Reprinted with permission of Athens News. | top | Senator Announces Federal Aid for Diabetes Initiative at OU's Medical School
With the Appalachian Regional Commission facing serious funding cuts, many Ohioans are worried about how well the federal agency can continue to serve the state's 29-county Appalachian region. On Monday, however, ARC federal co-chair Anne Pope was in Athens with U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, to announce funding for a new program at Ohio University to help fight one of southeast Ohio's biggest health problems -- diabetes. ARC will provide $75,000 to launch an initiative through the OU College of Osteopathic Medicine's Appalachian Rural Health Institute, to promote diabetes education, prevention and treatment. The university will match that to at least $25,000, and funding will be sought from other sources. OU-COM has already received a $1.5 million gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation in Columbus, and $500,000 in federal appropriations, that will be used to create an endowed research chair to study diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In announcing the grant, officials noted that in a nation with rising diabetes rates, Appalachian Ohio suffers even more than other regions, by a sizeable factor. "If you are in Appalachian Ohio, you are twice as likely to have diabetes as in the rest of the country," Pope said. Diabetes is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States, and in Appalachian Ohio, the death rate from the disease is 15.9 per 100,000 -- significantly higher than the national rate of 11.9. Ironically, each of the three government officials who spoke at a press conference Monday announced in turn that diabetes has touched his or her own family. Sen. Voinovich mentioned during his remarks that his father died of the disease. When Pope's turn came to speak, she revealed that "my father has diabetes as well," and almost died from complications last year. Finally, when Joy Padgett of the Ohio Governor's Office of Appalachia took the podium, she told the audience that not only both her parents, but she herself, are diabetic. Pope called the diabetes initiative "a natural for ARC," whose mission is to fund economic development and improved quality of life in 13 Appalachian states. "Without a healthy work force, the region will never be able to achieve its economic potential," she said. ARC was already working with the federal Centers for Disease Control on the diabetes issue, she said, and "this project takes a next logical step." Padgett said that when she agreed to head Gov. Bob Taft's Office of Appalachia, "one of his questions to me was, 'Are we doing anything with health?' And I said, 'I think not enough.'" Voinovich, while praising the program as a needed contribution to regional health care, took the opportunity as well to fire off a few shots against what he considers another big health-care problem, the need for tort reform to curb what he called "out-of-control medical malpractice costs." The senator maintained that the rising price of malpractice insurance is driving many doctors out of high-risk specialties. "Neurosurgeons are dropping like flies all over the country," Voinovich said, and the pinch is also being felt by obstetrician/gynecologists. "It's idiotic that somebody's going to go through medical school, wanting to go into ob/gyn, and the first thing they say (to that person) is, 'We want $11,000 from you for malpractice insurance.'" Many Democrats acknowledge the insurance crisis, but blame the insurance industry and its poor investment decisions rather than out-of-control litigation. Over an 18-month period, OU will develop and implement the diabetes project, to be coordinated by AHRI. Work is already underway to offer the services in Athens County. Its three major goals will be data collection and needs assessment; education, outreach and prevention; and treatment. In the last category, the major methods of enhancing treatment will be to improve the knowledge and skills of local health-care providers, and to expand access to health care to people with diabetes, by means such as offering special hours at local clinics and better transportation options. A press release laying out details of the program makes no mention of improving the ability of local people to pay for these health-care services. Reprinted with permission from Athens News. | top |
As a student at Ohio University nearly 40 years ago, U.S. Sen. George Voinovich witnessed firsthand some of the problems facing Appalachian Ohio. Included were problems related to health care. On Monday, Voinovich was joined by Ann Pope, co-chairwoman of the Appalachian Regional Commission, to announce funding for a new health initiative for the region, which will be led by OU. The university will add $25,000 to a $75,000 grant from the ARC to help fund a new health institute that will battle diabetes. The fifth leading cause of death in the United States, diabetes rates in Appalachia are higher than the rest of Ohio and the country. During the next 18 months, OU will develop and implement a comprehensive initiative promoting diabetes education, prevention and health care in Appalachian Ohio. Coordinated by the newly established Appalachian Rural Health Institute at OU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, the program will partner with the university’s Voinovich Center, the Edison Biotechnology Institute and the College of Communication. Diabetes rates in Appalachian Ohio are more than twice that of the rest of the country, said Voinovich, whose father suffered from the disease. The new institute and initiative will “be important to the region, and important to Ohio,” Voinovich said. Pope linked health issues with Southeastern Ohio’s struggle for economic development. Without a healthy workforce, job creation and economic development will founder, she said. The diabetes program under development by OU’s medical college could become a model for those in other parts of the Appalachia, Pope said. “I’m very excited about this project,” she said. The partnerships that are a part of the project, from the ARC’s role to that of the various components at OU, will help the program succeed, said Joy Padgett, director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia. “The power of partnerships like these is just incredible. There’s nothing we can’t overcome,” she said. As part of the program, the Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development at OU’s Voinovich Center will lead an effort to establish baseline information about diabetes and health care in the region, as well as the presence of risk factors. The medical college and other groups and individuals will provide education and nutritional counseling for diabetics, as well as communicate risk factors to the general population. The new institute will assist local health care providers with education, prevention programs and treatment alternatives and work on strategies to improve health care access. Last week, OU announced a $1.5 million gift from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation that will help fund a diabetes research initiative, including creation of the J.O Watson, D.O., Endowed Research Chair. Dr. Leonard Kohn, a professor of bio-medical sciences at the OU medical college, has been appointed to the research position. Dr. Frank Schwartz, a member of the medical school’s clinical faculty, will work with Kohn to establish a diabetes center as part of the Appalachian Rural Health Institute. Reprinted with permission from The Athens Messenger. | top | OU Steps Up Diabetes Research:
A $1.5 million gift will help the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine pursue a research initiative that officials say could transform diabetes care in the region. The gift is from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation in Columbus, and will be coupled with $500,000 in federal appropriations. The money will support creation of the J.O. Watson, D.O., Endowed Research Chair, which is dedicated to diabetes and cardiovascular disease research. It is named for the founder of Doctors Hospital in Columbus. Dr. Leonard Kohn, formerly a director at the National Institutes of Health and now professor of biomedical sciences at OU-COM, has been appointed to the research position, and will lead a new program dedicated to diabetes research. Diabetes affects more than 19 million Americans, or 7.3 percent of the population. In Appalachian Ohio, the OU Center for Appalachian and Rural Health Research found that approximately 16 percent of area residents have diabetes. Genetics, diet, activity level and economic status are factors for the high rate, according to the university. Dr. Frank Schwartz, an endocrinologist from Parkersburg and member of OU-COM’s clinical faculty, is working with Kohn to establish a diabetes center as part of the Appalachian Rural Health Institute. “We will transform how diabetes care is delivered to the region’s citizens. The center will provide comprehensive diabetes care, public and private patient education and health care advocacy for citizens of Southeast Ohio and West Virginia,” Schwartz said. “It will reduce the cost, personal suffering and premature death that often result from uncontrolled diabetes.” The diabetes center will enable OU-COM to provide a coordinated basic research, clinical research and clinical care delivery program. As advances are made, the diabetes center will deliver them to area residents. Poverty increases the chances that a diabetic may suffer from complications such as blindness, limb amputations, kidney disease and premature death. Rural residents are more likely to lack health insurance and to stay uninsured for longer periods of time than their urban counterparts. Also, since fewer health care providers are available in rural areas, rural populations are less likely to seek preventative care or testing for chronic conditions. “Because of our location and the expertise of our basic scientists and clinical faculty, and thanks to the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s tremendous gift, we have a chance to become a major center for diabetes research and treatment,” said Dr. Jack Brose, dean of OU-COM. OU has targeted diabetes for more than 10 years. At the Edison Biotechnology Institute, researchers study obesity and diabetes. Leading this effort are Goll-Ohio Eminent Scholar John Kopchick, associate professor of biomedical sciences Xiao Chen, and Kohn. The foundation’s gift is part of OU’s Bicentennial Campaign. Reprinted with permission of The Athens Messenger. | top | Osteopathic Medicine Participates in Cover the Uninsured Week
According to the US Census Bureau, the number of uninsured Americans
reached 41.2 million in 2001, up 1.4 million from the previous
year. Those statistics were spotlighted during Cover the Uninsured
Week, a national education campaign devoted to raising awareness
about the problem and its solutions. Reprinted with permission from the Ohio Osteopathic Association. | top | Heritage, Brentwood Foundations Support
OMT Clinical Research Project
Seven National Association of Osteopathic Foundations (NAOF) members,
including two Ohio-based organizations, have agreed to help fund
the Multi-Center Osteopathic Pneumonia Study in the Elderly.
The Foundation for Osteopathic Health Services (FOHS) is working
with the Osteopathic Research Center to plan for project initiation
during summer 2003. | top | 2002-03 Resource Reprinted with permission of the University of North Texas System. | top | Central Ohio Poor to Get Dental Help:
Group Pledges $3 Million to Help Improve Oral Health
One in three Franklin County adults -- many of them poor and uninsured
-- aren't seeing a dentist annually.
Reprinted with permission from The Columbus Dispatch. | top | Computer will help
uninsured patients find care: System would link volunteer doctors
with city’s
needy
Suffering from bronchitis,
Joyce Jones considered visiting an urgent-care facility — until
she learned she had to pay $240 up front. | top | Dentists Give Free Care to Kids
For Ohio University graduate
student Anita Murjami Ucyo, finding affordable dental care for
her 3-year-old
son, Yosia Aaron Satria
Putranto, is a challenge. While there’s better dental care
in the U.S. than in her homeland of Indonesia, the care is expensive
and therefore difficult to get. Reprinted with permission of The Athens Messenger. | top | On A Mission:
Her ordeal became the prism that refracted her future. Three years ago, at its flagship operation in Mansfield, the project
hired black, Appalachian and Amish coordinators. Yet she frets for those who would be stranded. | top | Attacking the Healthcare Workforce Shortage
The current shortage of healthcare professionals, combined with
a projected workforce crisis in the healthcare field, is of grave
concern to the healthcare community in Columbus. In 2001, it became
apparent through research, summits and conferences that this looming
crisis is beyond the scope of any one hospital or hospital system. | top | |
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