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Southeastern Ohio residents to benefit from nearly $280,000 in awards from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville, November 18, 2003 Thousands to Gain Access to Oral Health Care from more than $2 million in Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Awards, October 29, 2003 Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s $346,812 Award Helps Columbus State Expand its Nurse Training Program, October 20, 2003 David S. Fraedrich Nursing Scholarship Established, September 15, 2003 Midwestern University Announces the Costin Institute
for Osteopathic Medical Educators: Funded by $1.5 Million Endowment
from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, June 23, 2003
Southeastern Ohio residents to benefit from nearly $280,000 in awards from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville (NELSONVILLE, OHIO) -- Ten southeastern Ohio programs will receive more than $280,000 in grants from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville (OHFN). These awards will support programs to improve health and quality of life within the area. The following Athens County organizations were selected for funding awards:
“We are proud to help these organizations that are striving
to make life healthier and better for southeastern Ohio residents,” said
Vincent. “We have seen strong results from oral health initiatives
and other area programs we have helped fund, and we look forward
to these new grants making an impact on southeastern Ohioans’ health
and quality of life.” The mission of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations is to improve health and quality of life through education, research and service consistent with their osteopathic heritage.
Thousands to gain access to oral health care from more than $2 million in Osteopathic Heritage Foundation awards COLUMBUS, Ohio – Thousands of central Ohio’s most vulnerable residents will gain access to oral health care as a result more than $2 million in funding awards announced today by the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation (Foundation). A mobile dental clinic to serve children, dental care and education for pregnant teens, and support for dental health clinics for low-income residents are among initiatives that will benefit from the Columbus-based Foundation’s awards. The Foundation will provide awards to seven central Ohio programs designed to improve access to oral health care. Oral health care – especially for the uninsured and those with low income – is Ohio’s #1 unmet health need, according to the Ohio Department of Health’s 1998 Ohio Family Health Survey. The Foundation-funded 2002 Franklin County Health Assessment reaffirmed this finding in Franklin County. The programs in Franklin County receiving awards are as follows:
Other central Ohio programs to benefit from Foundation oral health awards are as follows:
In addition, the Foundation has engaged Ohio University’s Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development (ILGARD) to help evaluate the effectiveness of the funded programs in achieving project goals. During the three-year funding period, ILGARD also will help the programs identify and solicit on-going financial support and recommend policy changes that would enhance access to oral health care services. “Our 2002 Franklin County Health Assessment showed 29% of Columbus children grades 1-3 had untreated tooth decay, and that 25% of children and one-third of adults had not visited a dentist in the past year,” said Rick Vincent, Foundation president. “Lack of access to dental care is a major issue, and the programs we are funding can have a significant impact on the problem,” Vincent continued. “The Foundation is pleased to support them, and we look forward to their success.” The award recipients were chosen following a request for proposal process, with organizations and collaboratives in eight central Ohio counties eligible to apply for oral health initiative funding. The Ohio-based Osteopathic Heritage Foundations support programs that will improve community health and quality of life and support osteopathic medical education and research. Other current community-based initiatives address the prevalence of overweight children and health care work force issues.
Osteopathic Heritage Foundation’s $346,812 Award Helps Columbus State Expand its Nurse Training Program COLUMBUS (October 20, 2003) – The Columbus-based Osteopathic Heritage Foundation (OHF) is providing $346,812 to Columbus State Community College for its health care facilities expansion project. The funds will help outfit two large laboratories just completed in Union Hall for nursing student training to accommodate the nursing program’s 52% enrollment jump this fall. Nearly half of the award will pay for a second human patient care simulator that enables nursing students to build their skills, confidence and decision-making in clinical situations. The college’s original simulator has long been at capacity use. The award also will provide 12 patient care beds and beside computers, 14 equipment mannequins and other lab equipment. "This gift is timely and critical to Columbus State’s ability to help meet the community’s demand for registered nurses," said Dr. Val Moeller, Columbus State president. "We expanded our nursing program this fall to accommodate 260 new nursing students. This dramatic growth obviously requires significant increases in training space and equipment." "With state funding and college budgets so tight, Columbus State is grateful to community friends such as the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation for their much-needed support," Moeller continued. "The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation is proud of its role as a catalyst for bringing together educational, health care and business representatives with a commitment to addressing Columbus’ current and future needs for health care professionals," said Rick Vincent, OHF president. "This award is yet another way we can fulfill an important part of our mission: improving health and quality of life in the community."
David S. Fraedrich Nursing Scholarship Established NELSONVILLE, OH – A $50,000 David S. Fraedrich Scholarship has been established after donations of $25,000 each from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville and Osteopathic Heritage Foundation – Columbus were made. According to Rick Vincent, president and chief executive officer of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations, Fraedrich Scholarship awards ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 will be given to Hocking College students entering the nursing profession. “As a hospital trustee, David realized the importance of a well-qualified staff in providing quality and sensitive patient care. It is fitting that a scholarship fund to benefit individuals entering the nursing profession and who will serve the community be memorialized in David’s name,” Vincent said. It is anticipated the first Fraedrich Scholarships will be awarded in August 2004 with special consideration 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. According to Dr. Molly Weiland, dean of nursing, “The commitment by David Fraedrich to facilitating quality health care in his community was phenomenal. We are honored to receive scholarship funding in his name.”
Midwestern University Announces The Costin Institute For Osteopathic Medical Educators Funded by $1.5 Million Endowment from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS (June 26, 2003)—Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., President & Chief Executive Officer of Midwestern University (MWU), has announced the establishment of the J. Richard Costin, D.O. Institute for Osteopathic Medical Educators at Midwestern University. The Costin Institute has been endowed by a designated contribution of $1.5 million from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Columbus, Ohio. "The Costin Institute will help train osteopathic physicians to be teachers and mentors for students and to be leaders in the profession," said Dr. Goeppinger. "This innovative program will uphold the standards of academic excellence that have distinguished the osteopathic profession for over a century. It is most appropriate that this Institute be named for one of our most revered alumni, Dr. J. Richard Costin." The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation (OHF) is the preeminent osteopathic supportive foundation in the U.S., with a mission to improve health and quality of life in its targeted communities through education, research, and service consistent with its osteopathic heritage. OHF has approved funding grants of nearly $34 million over the past four years, half of which have been in support and enhancement of osteopathic medical education and research. Midwestern University’s Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) is the third college of osteopathic medicine to receive an OHF endowment. Dr. Costin is a 1949 graduate of CCOM and a former member of the MWU Board of Trustees. He currently serves as chairman of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Board of Directors. "Dr. Costin is a respected surgeon, teacher, and leader of the osteopathic profession," said Rick Vincent, OHF President and CEO. "We are confident the Institute will enhance the osteopathic profession, especially its educational component. Given his penchant for osteopathic medical education, it is fitting that the Institute be named in Dr. Costin’s honor." The Costin Institute will develop academic programs to help prepare osteopathic physicians for leadership positions as medical staff department chairs, residency program directors and academic posts. The innovative project will be organized under the guidance of Karen J. Nichols, D.O., M.A., FACOI, Dean & Professor of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. The Costin Institute for Osteopathic Medical Educators was announced at a special ceremony held on June 17, 2003, at the MWU campus in Downers Grove, which was attended by members of the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Board and University administrators. Midwestern University is an upper-division undergraduate and graduate degree-granting institution specializing in the health sciences with five colleges—the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Chicago College of Pharmacy, the College of Health Sciences, the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the College of Pharmacy–Glendale. The Illinois Campus is located on a 105-acre site in Downers Grove, a western suburb of Chicago, and is home to 1,700 students. The Arizona campus is located on a 137-acre site in Glendale, Arizona’s fourth largest city located in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and is home to 1,100 students. The University is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association (NCA) of Colleges and Schools.
Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Makes Eight Central Ohio Counties Eligible for up to $4 Million for Health Initiatives The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation (Foundation) has committed up to $4 million for efforts aimed at improving health in Ohio’s Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Knox, Licking, Madison, Pickaway and Union counties. The Foundation has allocated up to $3 million for a three-year oral health initiative and $1 million to address other health and quality of life issues it establishes as funding priorities, based on the newly-released 2002 Franklin County Health Assessment. Funded by the Foundation and conducted in cooperation with the Columbus Health Department and the Franklin County Board of Health, the assessment included phone interviews with 1,800 Franklin County adults, focus groups with health care providers and community leaders, and a review of available local and national data. The study confirmed the Ohio Department of Health’s 1998 Ohio Family Health Survey findings that lack of access to oral health care – especially for low income and uninsured residents – was Ohioans’ #1 unmet health need. The assessment also identified the prevalence of other behavioral risks that affect health, such as smoking, poor diet, violence and lack of physical activity. “We looked closely at our central Ohio communities’ health status and found oral health to be a great need that an insufficient number of programs are trying to address,” said Rick Vincent, Foundation president. “We learned that 29% of Columbus children in grades 1-3 have untreated tooth decay and that one-third of Franklin County adults did not visit a dentist last year.” “Franklin County lags behind Cuyahoga and Hamilton counties in having resources for those unable to visit a private dental clinic, usually because of cost,” stated Susan Tilgner, Franklin County Health Commissioner. “Franklin County has only five safety-net dental clinics for those unable to get care at a private dental office, while Ohio’s two other largest counties have 14 each.” As Dr. Teresa Long, Columbus Health Department Health Commissioner, explained, “Many people do not understand the physical and emotional implications of poor oral health. Not only does it cause chronic severe pain for individuals, it can result in adverse pregnancy outcomes, complications from diabetes and contribute to heart disease." To address the oral health need, the Foundation has issued a request for proposal (RFP). Non-profit organizations and coalitions in the eight-county area can submit a proposal with their program ideas to increase access to oral health care services for the underserved. The Foundation will then select oral health initiatives for funding for a maximum of three years. The RFP is available on the Web at www.osteopathicheritage.org. Award recipients will be announced in August. Later this year the Foundation will issue an RFP for program concepts to address other health and quality of life problems. $1 million has been allocated to fund these initiatives for up to a year. The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation is not a newcomer to tackling the oral health access problem. In the past year, the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville has allocated nearly $1 million to fund such efforts in southeastern Ohio.
County Health Departments Use Innovative Technology Eleven health departments in a ten county region of southeast Ohio are leading the way in using the latest technology to manage and manipulate local public health information. County Health Departments are creating maps showing birds testing positive for West Nile Virus, planning for flu vaccinations, mapping outbreaks of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and rabies, and tracking food vendor inspections, among other environmental and public health factors. This past year, geographic information systems (GIS) have been implemented by the following health departments:
GIS is a computer system capable of assembling, storing, manipulating, and displaying geographically referenced information. The nurses, sanitarians, public health educators, and now, epidemiologists and counter-bioterrorism staff members of these health departments are using GIS technology to analyze data that they collect and to plan public health strategies. County health departments are also now better able to collaborate and share data to address regional health concerns. According to J. Nick Baird, M.D., Director, Ohio Department of Health. “The GIS initiative in southeastern Ohio is positioning the local health departments on the forefront relative to the utilization of innovative technology in data management. Such efforts compliment a long-range vision in the Ohio Department of Health with regard to how public health data is managed. GIS technology, coupled with the visionary thinking of public health officials, will help further our public health agenda.” GIS is a powerful planning and analysis tool that allows users to link information to maps, enabling users to see relationships and trends that may not be apparent by looking at the information itself. Reviewing a spreadsheet documenting countywide rabies incidents is not the same as seeing a map that shows the known locations of rabid animals, for example. A county health department might be able to better plan a mosquito fogging route by using a map that shows the placement and results of mosquito traps and where citizens have filed mosquito nuisance reports. With GIS, these 11 health departments are now able to do this and more. “By using GIS technology, these agencies are changing the very way they do business and serve the public. Our health departments are demonstrating the kind of innovative thinking and leadership we need in all of our public agencies,” said State Senator John Carrey. “I extend a special thanks to the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville and our local health departments for leading the way on this project. This is just the kind of leadership, technology use and partnering we wanted to build in the region with the Appalachian New Economy Partnership.” The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation in Nelsonville initially funded the effort proposed by the Athens City-County Health Department and ILGARD, entitled the Southeast Ohio Health Department GIS Initiative, for ten health departments. Pike County Health Department is funding their participation in this project separately. “The GIS initiative in southeastern Ohio is a good example of the strength of Foundation and public health partnerships. Foundation support provided for the necessary infrastructure that will enable local health departments to better collect and organize data in an effort to more effectively serve the public health needs of community residents.” said Rick Vincent, President, Osteopathic Heritage Foundation of Nelsonville. Each health department worked with GIS staff at the Athens City-County Health Department and the Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development (ILGARD) at Ohio University’s Voinovich Center for Leadership and Public Affairs to set up the GIS and database management software. In addition ILGARD provided the departments with other information, specifically Census data and base mapping layers such as roads, water features, flood plains, political boundaries, and school districts. ILGARD trained staff in each health department how to integrate the GIS and database management software into their everyday operations. Furthermore, ILGARD and Athens City-County Health Department are providing ongoing support for GIS and database management software. The Appalachian New Economy Partnership (ANEP) is a strategy to create the tools that will allow Appalachia to compete and prosper in the knowledge-based, global economy. Through ANEP, the Voinovich Center creates programs that transfer knowledge from the classroom to communities and continue to create effective partnerships between the university, businesses and public organizations to use that knowledge. The county health department GIS project is one example of how ANEP is improving performance of government and nonprofit agencies so they become recognized value creators in the region. |
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