Posts by administrator
Education on the Importance of Having a Plan for Advanced Healthcare Boosted by a $25,000 Grant
July 2, 2019 – Muskegon, MI – If you became unable to make decisions about your healthcare, would anyone know your wishes? How will you make sure that healthcare providers know what type of treatment you want – or don’t want?
“After more than 20 years working in health and human service settings, I have witnessed many unfortunate ethical dilemmas that families and health care providers face when they are forced to make decisions for patients who can’t communicate for themselves,” says Luke Reynolds, Executive Director at LifeCircles-PACE.
It’s a common problem with an easy solution. It just takes a little planning, and the staff at Harbor Hospice and Harbor Palliative Care can help. The organization has partnered with the Charted Healthcare Planning Coalition (Charted) to ensure, through outreach and education, that adults in the region know how to make a plan for their healthcare needs.
To carry out that work, Harbor Hospice recently received a $25,000 grant from the Health Project Community Benefit Board.
“We are grateful and excited about the grant, which will make it possible for us to continue to educate members of the community on the importance of advance care planning so each individual’s healthcare wishes can be honored,” said Lisa Cummins, president and CEO of Harbor Hospice and Harbor Palliative Care. “Planning in advance means family members don’t have to make difficult decisions for someone close to them, without knowing what they want.”
“This grant will allow Charted Healthcare Planning Coalition to equip people with the education and tools necessary to ensure everyone’s wishes are known,” adds Reynolds, who is also co-chair of Charted.
There is no cost to prepare advance directives. Those requesting help can schedule an appointment with Andrea Nofsinger, Charted Coalition Coordinator, at 231-728-3442.
In addition to Harbor Hospice, and Life-Circles-PACE, Charted’s community partners include Affinia Health Network, Hackley Community Care, Mercy Health, Muskegon Community College, Muskegon Community Health Project, North Ottawa Medical Group, and Senior Resources of West Michigan.
Take the CHNA Survey
Filling out the CHNA survey is your chance to be heard! It‘s how we know what your health care needs are so we can improve our services and create programs to help you live a healthier life. We can’t improve things unless we know what’s needed!
Click on the links below to take the survey:
English: bit.ly/CHNA2019English
Spanish: bit.ly/CHNA2019Spanish
DPATH
Diabetes Personal Action Toward Health (DPATH) is a program developed by the University of Stanford, designed to help people who are affected by diabetes. The six-week course can be useful not only for those who themselves have diabetes, but also for pre-diabetics or people living with diabetic family members and loved ones. Since the course is put on by non-medical professionals, it is not a medical class (although medications and visits to physicians are discussed as important parts of managing diabetes), but rather a practical class—offering things like strategies to deal with difficult emotions, information on how to eat well as a diabetic (or cook for a diabetic friend or family member), relaxation techniques, and ideas for exercising and daily activity. Since life with a chronic disease is filled with choices that will affect your health, the class also spends time on decision-making.
An important part of the curriculum is establishing a weekly action plan, where each participant decides on a quantifiable, measurable goal for the week; and in each class, participants share their experiences from the past week with their action plan. Many plans revolve around exercise (walking one mile four days during the week) or nutrition (cooking supper three nights); but could include anything a person wants to achieve in the next week. These action plans give participants a way to feel accomplished and encouraged if a goal is met; and if the goal turns out to be too ambitious, participants are encouraged to modify as they go along. Back in the group, fellow classmates can celebrate successes and offer support and suggestions. Troubleshooting problems together as a class reinforces key problem-solving and decision-making skills the course teaches.
While the information in the class is valuable, what many participants find most uplifting is the support the class offers. Being in a room with 10 other people who have similar experiences and daily struggles provides a safe space for people to vent frustrations and fears that are present in the life of a diabetic, as well as people to help celebrate the victories. With the new tools and new relationships formed by the end of the class, the participants feel better-equipped to deal with their diabetes going forward.
ClarkeIS
Health Project was awarded the Trinity Health Innovation Award at the Trinity Health Clinical Conference October 25th, for the Innovation pilot to integrate their IT system, ClarkeIS, into Great Lakes Health Connect to share social determinants of health information with clinical providers.
World Aids Day
World Aids Day is a day to raise awareness and support those living with HIV. On December 1st, health organizations around the world show their support by offering free, confidential HIV screening, and education at clinics, colleges, and more. The UpFront Education and Awareness Coalition held a World Aids Day Provider Forum on Thursday, December 7th in honor of World Aids Day. (more…)
Drug Free Communities of Muskegon County
Held their Strategic planning session to help identify substance abuse issues that face our youth.
Charted Releases New Advance Care Directives Resources to the Community.
Charted Healthcare Planning Coalition is introducing a new advance directive and is increasing its effort to see more completed advance directives in our region. The new advance directive was chosen to keep the region aligned, by using the document used by Kent County health systems. Charted Healthcare Planning Coalition is introducing a new advance directive and is increasing its effort to see more completed advance directives in our region. The new advance directive was chosen to keep the region aligned, by using the document used by Kent County health systems.
You can learn more about Charted here.
Download Documents Below.
9 pages
Charted Advance Directive Document Download
Charted Treatment Preferences Download
Health Project Announces Community Benefit Board Initiative Grantees
Funds support initiatives that address health needs identified in recent Community Health Needs Assessment
The Health Project’s Advisory Board of Directors announced their grantee recipients of the Community Benefit Initiative Grant Program. Grantees will be able to utilize their funds starting July 2017 through September 2018.
A total of $125,000 has been granted to this year’s grantees: Montague Area Public Schools’ Real Food SEED Project, Pathways Arbor Circle’s Total Trek Quest Program, Dwelling Place Nonprofit Housing Association of Grand Rapids Roosevelt Apartment’s Community Gardens in Muskegon Heights, Catholic Charities West Michigan’s Substance Abuse Counseling Program, Community Encompass’ Muskegon Prescribes Food for Health Program, Muskegon YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, Boys and Girls Club’s SMART Moves – Prevention Program.
The Community Benefit Initiative Grant program was created to facilitate the investment of community benefit funds by the Health Project’s Advisory Board of Directors into the community. This fund supports initiatives that address health needs identified in Mercy Health’s most recent Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). To view the full CHNA report, please visit http://www.MercyHealth.com/CHNA .
Stevi Riel, Executive Director of the Health Project, feels strongly that community partnerships are critical to making progress in the improvement of health behaviors in Muskegon and Oceana Counties. “The Community Benefit Initiative Grant program is an opportunity for us to invest in our community and put our Community Health Needs Assessment into action. Improving the health of the population isn’t a task that can be accomplished by one entity or group – we all have to commit to recognizing our place and moving forward together. The best investment for Mercy Health Muskegon is in the organizations that have experience – and the outcomes – doing the work that drives change at the community level.”
Grants are awarded once a year. Applications for the next round will be available March 2018.
See the Results of Kick Butts Day 2017
Kick Butts Day, organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, is a national day created for youth to take control of their lives against Big Tobacco. The KnowSmoke Tobacco Reduction Coalition participates yearly in this national day to raise awareness about the harm and effects of smoking in Muskegon County.
This year, the KnowSmoke Tobacco Reduction Coalition partnered with the Muskegon High School Teen Health Center’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) to organize an event to educate students at Muskegon High School. The coalition members met with the YAC every other week to brainstorm ideas. In partnership with the recent Smokefree Movies Initiative, supported by Trinity Health, students wanted to tie in the smoke-free movies theme with the current Tobacco 21 Initiative.
The students created a survey and a poster containing the popular Disney movies Aladdin, 101 Dalmatians, The Little Mermaid, and Peter Pan. The movies selected had subliminal messages and scenes where tobacco products could be seen. Millions of youth were subjected to tobacco products. During the 2017 Oscars, 70% of nominated films rated PG-13 contained smoking.
On March 8th, large yellow posters hung in the cafeteria entrance with a letter to the president of Disney, Mr. Agar. Students anxiously waited to sign their names in favor of changing the ratings of Disney movies that contained tobacco use to an R rating. Surveys regarding the four Disney movies garnered these results:
- 73% of students thought raising the age to purchase and use tobacco products from 18 years to 21 years old would reduce smoking rates and save lives.
- 85% of students thought that 75% of all adult smokers began to smoke before the age of 21.
- Only 21% of all students knew that 4 of the Disney Classics—The Little Mermaid, 101 Dalmatians, Aladdin, Peter Pan—had smoking in them.
On March 15th, a large Tobacco 21 Initiative banner was displayed in the cafeteria entrance at Muskegon High School. Students were eager to sign their names in favor of the age increase from 18 to 21 years old in Muskegon County. Several conversations and debates could be heard as students voiced their opinions about the suggested tobacco age increase. “My mom started to smoke before she graduated from high school,” a student was heard saying.
The banner containing over 100 youth signatures will be used for future Tobacco 21 Resolution of Support activities. These activities were an extension of the recent Resolution of Support signed by KnowSmoke Tobacco Reduction Coalition members and community members.
21% of all students at Muskegon High School got these questions right. Now it’s your turn. Can you, as a community, get these answers correct? We want to know! Please take our poll to see if you remember your favorite Disney movies. Please visit the Muskegon Health Project’s Facebook page to answer a poll. You have until April 21st to take the poll.
Mercy Health, as a regional entity, embraces a smoke-free environment across all campuses (including e-cigarettes) and national strategies to reduce and eliminate smoking in movies and media.
Click here for more information about Kick Butts Day.
Click here for more information about Tobacco 21.
Click here for more information about Smokefree Movies.
Click here to take the Smokefree Movies poll on the Health Project’s Facebook page.
Community Benefit Board Initiative Grants – Letters of Intent Due March 15th 5:00PM
The Project Advisory Board is requesting proposals for the FY18 Community Benefit Board Initiative Grants. The Community Benefit Board Initiative Grants are awarded yearly to organizations for programs that address ranked issues in the 2016 Mercy Health Community Health Needs Assessment. This grant is open to all non-profits in Mercy Health’s service area of Muskegon, Oceana and Newaygo Counties.
Funding request for up to $25,000 will be considered.
All applicants are required to submit a Letter of Intent on the form provided to be considered for funding.
Deadline for Letters of Intent is March 15th at 5:00 P.M.
