Community Information Automated Phone System
Recognizing the Problem:
- Low community awareness and involvement in Hancock County
- Lack of new volunteers for important issues
- Not everyone in the county receives the daily newspaper
Solution:
- Create 467-INFO automated system
- Contact Hancock Telecom for pricing and feasability
- Develop marketing plan
- Advertising boards displayed in local businesses
- Advertising in phone book and Yellow Pages
- Advertising in Newspapers
- New Palestine Press
- Daily Reporter
- The Indianapolis Star (may be cost prohibitive)
- Advertising on TV
- 3 local stations have community spots available
- Work on grant applications
Group Members:
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Michelle Back
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Vickie Goens
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Kirsten Graham
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Beth Prince
Hancock County Senior Connection
Recognition of the Problem:
- The general population lacks knowledge of Senior Services available in Hancock County
- Seniors/caregivers become overwhelmed wiht all of the services available and who to contact for their respective needs
- Agency information would be best utilized by placing in public areas
- Senior population is expected to grow in the future
- In 1990, the Senior population numbered 31.2M, or about 13% of US population
- By 2030, there will be 66M Seniors, or almost 22% of the population
Action Plan:
- Survey conducted and brochure model created
- Reaction solicited from each agency
- Fine tuned brochure
- Items in brochure include:
- Checkbook balancing
- Depression
- Free Legal Services
- Handyman help
- Prescription medicine
- Transportation
Group Members:
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Terri Collier
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Donna Kraus
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Phyllis Polizotto
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Pam Showell
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Steve Wilson
You Have Your Health
Recognition of Issue:
- 1997 – 1998 there was a 17% increase of charity write-off at HMHHS.
- Hancock County had over 343 uninsured children in the second half of 1998
- Increasing need for health care for low and border line-income families
Solution:
- Form an alliance with HMHHS to develop a satellite clinic to serve this specific population
- Example = Community Health Center, outreach of Memorial Health Systems, South Bend, IN
- They do not run a free clinic. They take Medicare, Medicaid, or self-pay on a sliding scale
- They are in a federally under-served area. Doctor with medical school bills can work here to have debts reduced
- They found grant money and are a non-profit organization
- Their staff is a full-time Obsterician, a Registered Nurse, a Social Worker, and a Receptionist
- They have a lab that does all work for free
- They see patients in the areas of mental health, physical health, dental health, and nutrition
- They have 150 – 200 visits a month
- They have discovered that this program has reduced the misuse of the ER and hospital in-patient admission
- They function in a prevention mode vs. a fix the sick mode
Team Members:
- Craig Buskirk
- Terry Campbell
- Arlene Reynolds
- Charlene Smith