The Georgia Healthy Family Alliance (GHFA) awarded seven Community Health Grant Award applicants $34,980 in first cycle 2018 grants. Grant awards were made to GAFP member communities that help the underserved populations and outreach programs that promote healthy practices consistent with the principles of family medicine. The application deadline for second cycle 2018 grants is May 14, 2018.
Visit www.georgiahealthyfamilyalliance.org/grants/ for more information or to download the application. The 2018 first cycle Community Health Grant Recipients are:
myTEAM TRIUMPH – Georgia, Alice House MD, Columbus, $5,000
My Team Triumph provides physically-limited children, adults, and veterans opportunities to participate in endurance races throughout several communities in Georgia with the assistance of specialized ASTM certified racing chairs and teams of able-bodied runners. To increase opportunities for physically-limited children, adults, and veterans in 2018, myTEAM TRIUMPH is expanding their races to include biking events and triathlons. They will purchase additional AXIOM Conversion Chairs that convert from the standard racing chair for running events to a pull behind attachment to any road or mountain bike. The swimming portion of a Triathlon can easily be navigated through the purchase of triathlon boats, life vests, and harnesses allowing able-bodied swimmers to pull participants in the water.
Prescription Assistance & Medicare Insurance Navigation Homebound Services Med Connection, Thad Riley MD, Statesboro, $5,000
The Med Connection program helps uninsured or underinsured adult Bulloch County residents whose income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level to obtain medications at a free or reduced cost. Elderly clients, also, can obtain insurance counseling and navigation to include: state health benefits, private health insurance, Medicare, and Medicare Part D. Goals of this grant are to promote independence, reduce isolation and loneliness and ensure client’s living area is environmentally safe to avoid or delay moves to nursing homes or other institutions for elderly, disabled or recovering clients; promote understanding/enrollment of Medicare, Medicare Part D,
Affordable Care Act, and/or State/Private/Employee insurances and advocate on client’s behalf; serve as a liaison between the pharmaceutical company, physician office, and clients by providing and completing pharmaceutical company applications to obtain free or reduced-cost, physician-prescribed medications that could not otherwise be afforded to ensure healthy, med-compliant citizens. Vouchers will be used, when appropriate, to provide confidential assistance for immediate prescription medication needs for individuals who lack resources for medications.
Strickland Family Medicine Clinic Hypertension Initiative, Kristen McDermott, DO, Family Medicine Resident, Lawrenceville, $5,000
Approximately one-third of patients seen in the Strickland Family Medicine Clinic have the diagnosis of hypertension. The majority of these patients are financially disadvantaged and uninsured. The goal of this project is to improve management of hypertension in 80 percent of the patient population provided with the blood pressure cuffs at Strickland Family Medicine Center over the next year. Patients will be seen in the Strickland Family Medicine Clinic by Family Medicine residents. All patients will be adults 18 years old and above with 2 out of 3 criteria: Newly diagnosed with blood pressure greater or equal to 140/90 on 2 separate occasions, uninsured patient and/or on 2 or more antihypertensive medications. Resident physicians will provide Balance™ Home Blood Pressure Monitor Cuff Kits along with educational handouts to patients with hypertension who cannot afford their own home monitor. Patients who have uncontrolled hypertension >140/90 will be expected to monitor and log blood pressures daily for at least two weeks after treatment change. Patients are expected to bring these logs to their physician visit for adequate progress monitoring of blood pressure control.
Flu Prevention and Treatment for the Underserved Mercy Health Center, Mitch Cook, DO, Athens, $5,000
Grant funding will help provide flu screening and treatment for the uninsured population served by Mercy Health Center in Athens/Clarke County and the 5 surrounding counties. The funds will be used to purchase 150 flu shots to protect patients from becoming ill. They will also be purchasing 100 flu tests that will be used to properly diagnose patients if they become ill. An additional $500 will be used to purchase gift cards to buy Tamiflu through GoodRx. Tamiflu is used to treat symptoms caused by the flu virus and helps make the symptoms less severe and shortens the recovery time by 1-2 days. The prescription through GoodRx is $50 and these gift cards will be given to the most vulnerable patients. The goal of this project is to protect patients from the
influenza virus through education and vaccination as well as to treat the most vulnerable patients if they fall ill.
Log It, Learn It, Let’s Stay Healthy Happily Ever After Faith and Deeds Community Health, Leonard Reeves MD, Rome, $4,983.50
Faith and Deeds Community Health is a not-for-profit organization that operates solely with volunteer physicians and nurses. Over 65 percent of the client base consists of patients who were referred from area hospitals/stet with a diagnosis of Diabetes and/or Hypertension. These patients have no insurance and there is seldom a documented medical history. This grant will provide patients with a means to measure blood pressure and/or blood glucose at home on a consistent basis by providing them with home monitors/supplies and a log in which to keep record of the results daily. Physicians would then have much more detailed daily history to assess when patients come for appointments and be able to adjust medications according to an expansive history versus one measurement taken day of visit or what the patient can remember. Physicians and nurses will have an opportunity to educate patients based on the logs kept. Project goal is to provide more detailed information for volunteer physicians to better manage our patients’ medication and just as importantly, the information can be used to educate the patient on making better health maintenance and life quality choices.
Project HOPE Diabetes Cohort- Made Whole Healthcare Solutions, Michael Satchell MD, Albany, $5,000
Project HOPE (Health Outcomes Prove Effectiveness) is the umbrella program for medical, vision, dental and women’s health services for the underinsured at the Samaritan Clinic in Southwest Georgia. Since its inception in January 2008, Samaritan Clinic has served over 12,000 patients in the Southwest Georgia area through its various programs.
Through its collaboration with Made Whole Healthcare Solutions, Samaritan Clinic patients have access to a Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified in Advanced Diabetes Management. They receive one-on-one and/or group instruction on proper nutrition, exercise, wellness, and secondary prevention. Additionally, pre-diabetes patients receive primary prevention counseling. Patients continue to be monitored through
Samaritan Clinic and receive their lab work and appointments with a provider at Samaritan Clinic on a regular 3-month rotation or as needed. Funding will be used for
diabetic patients referred from the Samaritan Clinic’s Diabetes Cohort Project HOPE program. The funding will provide direct program support, supplies, and medications to
help patients remain compliant and in a better position to manage their diabetic condition.
Chronic Disease and Diabetes Management Program Physicians’ Care Clinic, Martha Crenshaw MD, Decatur, $5,000
The Physicians’ Care Clinic (PCC) is the oldest and largest volunteer led charitable clinic serving residents of DeKalb County. The clinic works in collaboration with DeKalb Medical and the DeKalb Health Department to provide services to 1,183 enrolled patients. Many PCC patients suffer from chronic disease requiring on-going care and management. In 2017, 52 percent had high blood pressure, 27 percent high cholesterol, and 24 percent of patients were diabetic. The clinic’s Chronic Disease and Diabetes Management Program is the only organized clinic program in DeKalb offering on-going prevention, education classes and monitoring supplies. This grant will support the following: Eight, two-hour Diabetes Management classes and scholarships for classes at DeKalb Medical Center; Diabetes monitoring supplies: testing strips and glucometers to monitor blood sugar levels; nutrition materials: educational materials used to help patients improve nutrition and lose weight. Patients will also receive passes to attend organized, structured classes offered at DeKalb Medical Wellness Center.
These are only a few of the important programs your colleagues are lending their talents and time to statewide. Please consider making a contribution so that the Alliance can continue to support important projects like these. All donations are tax deductible. Make your Alliance contribution easily online at www.georgiahealthyfamilyalliance.org/donate/ or contact Alliance staff at aturner@gafp.org or calling (800) 392-3841.