St. Mary's Daily Press - DMHC’s Wellness Program receives grant

Photo by Wayne Bauer Attending the ceremony on Wednesday announcing the Wellness grant were: Front row: Lisa Davis, Director, Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, Cindy Zembryki, Administrator, Cameron/Elk Mental Health Mental Retardation, Jennifer Dippold, Director, Dickinson Mental Health Center Children’s Prevention Services, Adair Rohr, RN, DMHC Children’s Prevention Services Wellness Program, Billie Jo Weyant, Executive Director, Citizens’ Against Physical Sexual and Emotional Abuse and Elk County Family Resource Network Chairperson, Merry Stokes, Elk County Pennsylvania Department of Health Nurse, Pam Cousins, Executive Director, Elk County Children & Youth, Mary Agnes Marshall, Supervising Principal, St. Marys Catholic Elementary and Middle School System. Back row: John Kowach, Headmaster, Elk County Catholic High School, Dr. Bill Conrad, Executive Director of the Stackpole Hall Foundation, Jim Byham, Executive Vice-Chairman, Elk Regional Health System, Greg Bauer, Chief Executive Office, Elk Regional Health System, Walter Fitch, Superintendent, Johnsonburg Area School District, Paul Schneider, Director, Dickinson Mental Health Center Mental Retardation Services, Murray Neeper, Superintendent, St. Marys Area School District, and Jack Goga, Chief Executive Officer, Dickinson Mental Health Center.

Dickinson Mental Health Center received notification that they are the recipient of the Health Resources & Services Administration’s Rural Outreach Grant (HRSA). The grant was written with the intent to provide a new and innovative method of supporting wellness needs in Elk County as well as building upon the already existing program piloted in September 2009.

“The funding with the grant will allow DMHC to contract for specialized services with Elk Regional Health Center, purchase the “Wellness Express” (a mobile health unit), contract with a local Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner and hire a program evaluator,” said Jennifer Dippold, DMHC Children’s Prevention Services director.

“The priority risk factor being addressed will be childhood obesity,” said Dippold. “Besides decreased obesity levels in children, two of our other goals are to reduce the number of expectant mothers who gain more weight than recommended during pregnancy and improve health care access for children.”

In September 2008, Dickinson Mental Health Center Children’s Prevention Services piloted a Wellness Program in Elk County. The program was the result of the most recent Stackpole Hall Foundation’s Community Assessment (which identified 49 percent of the participants stating wellness was a priority), and the Healthy People 2010 (priority needs with the local school systems).

With the Stackpole Hall Foundation’s investment with DMHC a full-time registered nurse, Adair Rohr, was hired to support families already enrolled with DMHC Children’s Prevention Services, provide community outreach and provide school support.

Dippold noted that since September approximately 1,500 children have received support from this program either through home visits, school classroom education or other community programs.

“Adair had supported wellness needs such as nutrition, obesity, eating disorders, diabetes education, sex education and heart health,” said Dippold.

Other goals for the Wellness program will be that the Wellness Nurses will provide education to 110 at-risk children, between the ages birth to 5, and educate 602 people within the general public on proper wellness habits. This will occur through the programs with DMHC Children’s Prevention Services, preschools, daycares, and others.

The contracted CRNP will revamp current prenatal classes at Elk Regional Health System to arm women with skills needed to maintain healthy weight during pregnancy. Additionally, women will be provided with the skills needed to successfully breastfeed their child. This funding will allow five registered nurses to be trained as lactation specialists and support the maternity ward with ERHC.

The funding will purchase and equip a mobile health unit (Wellness Express). This cargo van will not be utilized for any critical care, it will be a mobile unit that will travel to 50 families in Elk County who fall below the federal poverty guidelines to receive wellness support. The nurse will visit the family and provide nutrition education, collaborate with an ERHC registered dietician to develop a care play, and assure that families are receiving annual well child visits or immunizations from their primary care physician or local pediatrician. The nurse will also plot height and weight percentiles and assess feeding methods.

“Years two and three will build upon the foundation created in the first year, however, during the second and third year, the Wellness Team will expand the age groups that they target with wellness needs through various school programs and activities,” added Dippold. “The Wellness Express will keep the mission to support ages birth to five, however will increase the total number of served. Years two and three are contingent pending performance measure from Year One.”