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Northeast Pennsylvania Women's Health Alliance Name organisation Marywood University City Scranton Country UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Programme, project, innovation objectives NEPA Women's Health Alliance Connections: Health and Education Services for Women 1. History/Background The Northeast Pennsylvania Women's Health Alliance was formed in 1998 by Marywood University, Marian Community Hospital, and Mercy Hospital. The Alliance is a strategic collaboration between the university and the two medical centers for the coordination and provision of health services and education for underserved women in Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA). To a membership of more than 1,250 women, the Alliance presents a variety of health education programs throughout the year including monthly lectures/educational sessions, Wellness Fairs, and free screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, osteoporosis, body fat, spinal health, hearing loss and more. Educational sessions are held on every major health issue including breast cancer, diabetes, heart health, menopause, weight management, exercise, fibromyalgia, memory loss, arthritis, and stress management. The health education programs of the Alliance are promoted through a newsletter,“Connections: Health and Education Services for Women.” For a $15 lifetime membership fee, women can participate free of charge in all programs and screenings, Wellness Fairs, and receive the monthly newsletter. The Alliance also has a Web site, http://connections.marywood.edu that includes links to a variety of national health-related resources including health databases, health publications and medical journals as well as links to community resources and resources on nutrition, aging, fitness, menopause, stroke, and depression. 2. Governance Structure and Decision Making Process The model of collaboration practiced by the Alliance is designed to maximize health services for women. All partners are committed to working together to expand women’s access to healthcare, education, and health-related technology and information resources on women’s health. Decisions are made by the Alliance’s Board of Directors with the input from four standing committees: the Education and Marketing Committee, Institutional Liaison Committee, Consumer Advisory Group, and the Domestic Violence Health Care Protocol Task Force. Day-to-day operating decisions are made by the Executive Director of the Alliance, Barbara Bishop. The Alliance develops its ongoing programming through community and participant surveys that assess interests and needs. Connections members are continually surveyed about their health education interests and needs to ensure that Connections’ programs stay responsive to community needs. 3. Partnership Goals The primary goals of the Alliance are the provision of community education services, joint planning and contracting for women’s health services, and promotion of wellness information and services to women in NEPA.. 4. Building on Strengths The Alliance is structured to build on each partner's strengths and to equally distribute responsibilities and balance power among partners. Budget comes from all three partners and represents a major commitment of resources. The two hospitals also contribute medical expertise and medical equipment for screenings as well as the budget for advertising, marketing, and salaries. Marywood supports the Alliance through provision of office headquarters, grant development activities, academic resources and expertise, and student service. A large number and wide range of Marywood professors serve as presenters, board members, advisers and authors including the Physical Education, Audiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Physician Assistant, and Psychology departments. Marywood students participate in programs and offer services through graduate and undergraduate study and service work. Students perform many of the essential functions of Alliance services including health fair presentations, screenings for blood pressure, depression, and cholesterol; and fall risk assessments. Key Programs/Services The Healthy BONES (Battling Osteoporosis through Nutrition, Education and Screening) program encompasses education, early detection, screening, and disease management. Started in 1999, and targeted to women over 50, the Alliance partners with the Mercy McGowan Institute and healthcare professionals of Mercy Hospital, Marian Community Hospital, and Marywood faculty and students to present the screening and information programs in a variety of community settings including local senior centers, hospitals, faith-based communities/churches, and low-income housing developments. With a grant renewal in 2002, the program is now being offered in every senior center in the county. Community education focuses on disease prevention and management including risk factors, diet and exercise, and identification of at-risk individuals in a screening questionnaire; screening of at-risk individuals to detect bone loss /osteoporosis; referral to health care providers for those identified with bone loss/osteoporosis; and follow-up contact to ensure appropriate medical evaluation and treatment. Women diagnosed with osteoporosis are offered the option of attending an Osteoporosis Management. Program designed to address issues related to living with osteoporosis. It is held every three months at a Connections member institution for four weeks The program is been strongly focused on measurable outcomes including data collection on number of participants, number of women screened for osteoporosis, number of women in each category (normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis); number and percentage of women referred for medical evaluation and treatment; and the number of participants in Osteoporosis Management Programs. Since 1999, more than 1,865 women have been screened for osteoporosis; all were referred to their health care providers for interpretation of results and follow-up care. Future plans are to offer the program for a fee to other work-site community groups and businesses, and through a cooperative agreement within Marywood, to establish a student internship and nursing internship to continue the educational programs. Free Clinical Breast Exams & Mammograms are provided to women over 40 who are uninsured and who meet certain income guidelines. Alliance physicians offer free clinical breast exams, the hospitals provide radiology time, and the Komen Foundation pays for the mammograms. This program has been offered since 1999 with more than 100 women receiving the clinical services and more than 700 women receiving information on breast cancer. Hearing Loss? Don't Let It Stop You! is a community outreach program in its second year. Its goal is the education of the hearing-impaired about the benefits of the latest technologies in assistive listening devices. An aggressive outreach effort, it reached more than 500 people in its first year. The program includes educational sessions at senior citizen centers in NEPA as well as demonstrations of devices such as for television and telephone amplification, hand-held amplifiers, infrared technology, and FM systems. The program provides hands-on opportunities to test the devices and also incorporates education about better strategies for listening. Lectures take place at Marian Community Hospital and at Mercy Hospital and assistive listening devices are demonstrated by an audiologist from Marywood at Health Fairs held throughout the year which attract hundreds. Measurable outcomes include evaluation reports based on questionnaires and surveys, data on number of persons screened, and surveys following all presentations and demonstrations. In addition, a permanent lending Center for Assistive Listening Devices was established in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders of Marywood in June 2002. The hearing impaired are able to use this valuable resource free of charge. Marywood graduate students studying Communication Sciences and Disorders work at the center and provide the testing services. The Center serves as both an instructional resource and testing center. Equipment and devices are also available for purchase at the Center. The Keith J. O’Neill Center for Healthy Families In fall 2002, the Alliance was relocated to the new Keith J. O’Neill Center for Healthy Families on the Marywood campus. The first of its kind in NEPA, the center integrates academic programs, Alliance programs, and research. New services that the Alliance will be able to provide from the Center include cardiac rehabilitation, physical therapy, osteoporosis management, nutrition and weight control assessment, and alternative medicine. The Center for Healthy Families includes a state-of-the-art Human Performance Laboratory that has equipment that the Alliance will utilize for some of its new services. This includes a Dexascan for measuring bone density, a BodPod for body fat analysis, and pulmonary function equipment. Students from Marywood’s nursing, nursing administration, athletic training, physician assistant, and nutrition and dietetics programs will utilize the laboratory to perform these services with the Alliance. Lastly, the Center will also be used as a teaching tool incorporating student internships and the development of a new MS degree in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Science at Marywood. 5. Community-Campus Partnership Strategies Community Partnerships RADAR: Co-sponsored by the Alliance and the Women’s Resource Center in Scranton, the Domestic Violence Intervention Seminar is a full-day program that offers both healthcare and human services providers comprehensive training on detection, treatment, and referral of victims of domestic violence including available community resources for the medical professional. The program incorporates a variety of practicioners including community medical directors, directors from related community organizations (Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility, Institute for Safe Families) local attorneys, social workers and more. Marywood health studies volunteers participated in organizing the RADAR seminar. A Domestic Violence Healthcare Protocol Task Force was established in 2001 through the Alliance. Chaired by the Executive Director, the task force has more than 40 members including representatives from all county hospitals, the county department of health, social service agencies, physicians, and Alliance members. Once finalized, the Protocol will go to all Lackawanna County hospitals beginning with the emergency rooms, followed by clinics, doctor’s offices, and ob/gyn offices. The Protocol includes examination procedures to follow, body maps, questions to ask women, procedures for taking pictures. With only one sexual assault nurse in the entire county, this new Protocol is critical to women’s protection and health. Girl Scouts: The Girl Scouts have co-sponsored several events with the Alliance. The first, also co-sponsored by the Scranton Pocono Council was a Women’s Health Day, a daylong educational workshop that featured sessions on eating disorders, self-esteem, hygiene, fitness and self-breast exams. The second event, co-sponsored by the Girl Scouts and the Alliance, included educational sessions on fitness, stress, mind body connections, massage therapy, and other topics . The most recent was held in conjunction with the Marywood Physical Education department and was a full day program on starting and maintaining an exercise program. Each program is evaluated through questionnaires/surveys, and participants are asked about topics of interest for future programs. Additional Partnerships · In 2002, the Alliance partnered with Mended Hearts to bring Dr. William P. Castelli, an international figure in cardiovascular disease research and former director of the Framingham Heart Study to discuss cardiovascular disease. The event was attended by more than 400 people. · In 2001, the Alliance partnered with the local chapter of Mended Hearts, Inc. to bring nationally recognized expert, Dr. Lynn Smaha, M.D., Ph.D., former president of the American Heart Association, to NEPA as the featured speaker at an event on cardiovascular disease. · The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Alliance partner to encourage underserved women in NEPA to have regular breast exams and mammograms. Paid for by the Koman Foundation, the Alliance arranges doctors to perform the clinical breast exams free of charge, and coordinates with local hospitals to provide mammograms free of charge. · The Alliance has also presented programs in cooperation with the American Cancer Society, the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, the American Heart Association, and the Arthritis Foundation. 6. Commitment to Service-based learning The Alliance incorporates service learning into its approach to providing services to the community through Marywood. For example, physician assistant students perform a variety of services for the Alliance including blood pressure screenings and risk assessments at hospitals;students from Marywood’s Audiology Department perform hearing tests. Both staff and student volunteers from Marywood work with the Alliance and the Women's Resource Center in organizing the RADAR and Lethality Domestic Violence Intervention Seminar. Marywood staff and administrators also serve on Alliance committees. 7. Outcomes The quality of the educational programs and wellness screenings is evident by the participation of more than 5,900 women to date and the excellent feedback on evaluation responses as well as several awards and recognition. · In 2001, the Executive Director of the Alliance, Barbara Bishop, received a community service award from the Women’s Resource Center. The award was in recognition of her work to end violence against women in the community. · The Alliance was recognized in the Ireland Report: Succeeding in Women’s Health, a national publication. · Alliance programs, speakers, and participants are regularly featured in newspaper and television coverage. · Marywood recognizes and rewards faculty, students and staff for community-based teaching, research, and service. Section Two: Partners Marywood University is a comprehensive Catholic university committed to the integration of liberal arts and professional studies in the context of ethical and religious values. Marywood offers 100 undergraduate, 59 graduate, two doctoral, and hundreds of continuing education programs and has approximately 1,800 undergraduate and 1,400 graduate students. Marywood has nationally recognized programs and faculty in Social Work, Nutrition & Dietetics, the Arts, Speech Therapy, Music and Psychology. It was founded by the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1915. Marian Community Hospital is part of the Maxis Health System based in . Carbondale, Pennsylvania. Maxis provides an integrated network of healthcare and services in NEPA. Marian Community Hospital is an acute care 112-bed community hospital which offers 24-hour physician staffed Emergency Services, Medical/ Surgical Units, an Intensive Care Unit, a Pediatric Unit, Inpatient Mental Health Unit, Short Procedure Unit, and Pharmacy Services in addition to many other services. Mercy Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is a teaching hospital, and has a strong reputation as an educational resource in northeastern Pennsylvania. Mercy has been a sponsor of the Scranton-Temple Residency Program since its formation in 1977. This program works with the Alliance in providing healthcare to the underserved in NEPA. Section 4: Biosketches Community Campus Partnerships for Health Main Contact: Barbara Bishop serves as Executive Director of the NEPA Women's Health Alliance. She formerly served as Executive Director of the American Heart Association (AHA) from 1990 to1999. She has written and published widely in health-related issues and won many awards including AHA Division Director Award for Outstanding Director in the state of Pennsylvania in 1992-1997; the Women's Resource Center Community Service Award, 2001; the Girl Scouts Women of Distinction Award in 2002, and U.S. Postal Workers' Award for Community Education on Breast Cancer, 2000. She holds an M.P.A. from Marywood University, 1990 and a B.A. from Marywood University. Sister Jean Coughlin, IHM, has served as President of Maxis Health System since 1998. Previously, she served as CEO at Marian Community Hospital and CEO at St. Joseph’s Hospital from 1986. Jean Coughlin currently serves on the board of several major health alliances and institutes including the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania Catholic Health Association and more. She holds an M.H.A in Healthcare Administration from St. Louis University. She began her career in elementary education and nursing. Elaine Walker is a member of the Institutional Liaison Committee for the Alliance. She has served as Cardiac Rehabilitation Director at Mercy Hospital since 1998. Previously, she served as a registered nurse and a cardiac exercise specialist in Cardiac Rehabilitation at Mercy Hospital for ten years. Earlier in her career, she was a supervisor in the ICU and ER at Mercy Hospital and has worked in the ICU since 1975. Elaine has a B.S.N. from Marywood University. Ann Turlip has served as Vice President of Patient Care Services at Marian Community Hospital since 1999. Previously, she served as Vice President of Nursing at Marian Community Hospital for ten years. She began her career in nursing and rose to the executive level over a period of 26 years. Ann has a M.S. in Health Administration from the University of Scranton. Diane Keller serves as Assistant to the Vice President of Academic Affairs for Community Collaboration and Research at Marywood as well as Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Marywood. She supports externally sponsored research and community collaborative projects. Before joining Marywood she taught at Penn State University and served as Assistant Professor at Keystone College in La Plume, PA. She is on the board of the Alliance and has served on the board St. Joseph’s Hospital. She has a Ph.D. in Child and Family Studies from Syracuse University. Programme, project, innovation start date February 25, 2003 Programme, project, innovation end date February 25, 2003 Last name Bishop First name Barbara Title Executive Director Affiliation NEPA Women's Health Alliance Marywood University Contact information E-mail address bishop@es.marywood.edu Telephone 570-340-6031 PO box or address 2300 Adams Ave. Zipcode 18509 City Scranton Country UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Website http://www.marywood.edu