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 After hearing from Heidi Browne, Wade Kaesebier, Judy Horn,
Marcia Cook and Tiffany Carvalho about their respective task
forces, Kristin Lessen spoke in place of Diane Stephenson, chair of
the Healthy Families Task Force.
Healthy Families Task Force The goals of the Healthy Families Task Force are to reduce the
number of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases in
Logan County.
Lessen said that on the whole, the number of teen pregnancies in the
area has been on a steady downward trend. However, among young women
age 17 and under, the statistics are dramatically higher than the
state average.
STDs in Logan County have held steady over the last few years. The
number of reported cases in Logan County is much lower than the
state.
Illinois measures these statistics in cases per 100,000 populations.
In Logan County the number of chlamydia cases is averaging over 350
per 100,000, and the number of cases of gonorrhea is averaging over
150 per 100,000 annually.
The task force works to educate teenagers on sexually transmitted
disease and encourages testing for those who are sexually active.
One of the stumbling blocks in treating STDs has always been a
young person's fear to tell their partner that they need to get
tested. Lessen said that it has always been the rule in the state of
Illinois that once a case is diagnosed, the patient is told that
their partners need to see a doctor and be tested as well. However,
many times that doesn't happen.
New laws in Illinois are going to make it possible for health care
providers to issue medications to the original patient that he or
she can give to their partner.
The hope of the task force is that this new law will aid in the
early treatment of STDs and deter the spread of disease.
The task force's main objective is to educate youth and parents.
Lessen said the group has held parent education classes on "Raising
responsible children" as well a meeting about other child issues
such as bullying.
Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Task Force
Marcia Greenslate and Roy Logan presented for the Alcohol, Tobacco
and Other Drugs Task Force. The
goal of the task force is to decrease Logan County DUI's, decrease
usage of smokeless tobacco and educate the public on
over-the-counter and prescription drug misuse.
Greenslate opened by talking about alcohol. In Logan County the
documented cases of driving under the influence are dropping. In
2009 there were 142 arrests for drunken driving, while thus far in
2010 that number has fallen to 81. Greenslate said she
anticipated that by the end of the year, that number would still
fall below the 2009 statistic.
Greenslate said the task force's victim impact
panel meets quarterly at the park district, and attendance is
mandated for anyone who has been arrested for alcohol. Greenslate
said that during the meetings, speakers will include victims of
alcohol abuse. She noted it might be victims of car crashes or
someone who has lost a loved one at the hand of a drunk driver.
The task force has also been the driving force behind the Safe Ride program,
which offers rides home from bars on nine specific occasions, including
Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year's Eve, St. Patrick's Day, Super
Bowl weekend and during the Logan County Fair
Greenslate also spoke about the "DrunkStopper" program. This program
works much like Crime Stoppers in that anyone who has information
regarding underage drinking or underage parties can report it
anonymously via the Internet or by calling an 800 number.
Once the report is made, it goes to Logan County dispatch and is
directed to the city police or county sheriff, who will then
follow up.
Roy Logan spoke about the task force's drug prevention component.
Logan said that statistics regarding drug use in Logan County show
there has been a decrease in documented cases since 2008.
The task force is working with the local probation office in
offering counseling and education regarding the effects of drug
abuse.
The task force has also joined with Stacy's Family Pharmacy in a
drug recycling program that encourages families to bring in their
unused medications.
Rural Health/HOPE: Healthcare -- Oral health -- Prevention --
Education
Margie Harris serves on the Rural Health/HOPE Task Force and spoke about the oral
health component of the program.
Finding dentists in Logan County who will treat Medicaid patients is
virtually impossible. This is something that the task force and the
Logan County Department of Public Health have struggled with for
years.
Through the health department and the HOPE Mobile, strides have been made in offering basic dental services, but it has never been
enough.
Harris said there are a couple of things that will, hopefully,
improve this situation. Logan County recently qualified as having a
shortage of dental professionals. This means that the area can now
benefit from a loan repayment program that is offered to dental
graduates. The program relieves a graduate of a portion of their
education debt if they agree to do two years of work in a qualified
"dental
professional shortage area."
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Harris also talked about grant funds that have been recently awarded
to the Department of Public Health, saying that the money was going to
be used to provide three dental exam rooms at the health department
and pay a professional for their services.
One of the things that Harris hopes to see as an outcome is earlier
detection of oral cancer. She noted that Logan County has the
fourth-highest number of oral cancer cases in the state of Illinois. She
attributed this to economic factors in the county. She noted that
the local unemployment rate is 12.1 percent, and the county has lost
7.5 percent of its total job opportunities. This contributes to more
uninsured families who are forced to cut back on vital medical and
dental services.
Harris noted a big boost
that the task force received this year by way of a $10,000 donation
from the First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln. She said this
money went a long way in providing dental checks for area children
and that it was very much appreciated.
Kat Young spoke about the HOPE Mobile and the medical services that
are offered there. She said the HOPE Mobile had provided school
and sport physicals this year at a reduced cost to qualifying
families. She said the fees charged didn't cover the actual
cost of the exams, but the local Elks Lodge had made a generous
donation that helped to offset those losses.
She also spoke about a grant award the unit has received. There are
new requirements for electronic transmission of medical information
that are going to require special equipment such as satellite
Internet in the HOPE Mobile.
The task force applied for and was awarded a Small Health Care
Provider Quality Improvement Grant that will help cover the costs of
equipment and a portion of the staffing costs to implement the new electronic
health records and patient registries
that the HOPE Mobile will have to comply with.
Young also brought with her HOPE Mobile volunteer Charlotte Bennett,
who spoke passionately and lovingly about the HOPE program and
encouraged everyone who has never visited the HOPE Mobile to do so.
As the evening drew to an end, Lessen commented: "Logan County has
become healthier. We still have a long way to go, but we're headed
in the right direction."
In closing it should be noted that the Healthy Communities
Partnership consists almost entirely
of volunteers. Lessen is a paid director of the program, but members
of the task forces are not. Some of the professional staff members on the
HOPE Mobile are also paid, but the program also involves a number of
volunteers who offer assistance and clerical services without pay.
The group is constantly challenged for funding and has had some
wonderful ideas for new programs that have had to go to the wayside
due to lack of funding.
The support they have received from area churches and other
organizations has been greatly appreciated, and anyone who would like
to provide support can get started by contacting Kristin Lessen.
Contact information is provided on the Healthy Communities
Partnership website:
www.healthycommunitiespartnership.org.
[By NILA SMITH]
(Part
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