Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

New coalition formed to address health issues

Organizations involved in health-related fields have formed a new coalition in Prescott and Nevada County.

The group held its first meeting Thursday, Jan. 31, to get organized and start finding ways to focus on local and area problems.

Janet McAdams moderated the meeting, with three ground rules established at the outset. The first was to start and end on time, followed by sticking to the issue at hand, and respect the speaker.

Mary Alice Blevins, speaking for the Nevada County Health Alliance, said when the Nevada County Hospital closed, referrals were needed the remaining services.

Thus was the health alliance formed on Nov. 12, 1996. Packets of information were taken to area ministers so they could inform their congregations of the services still available locally.

Mike Ross, a state senator at the time, gave the organization $200 to help cover the cost of printing brochures. In all, 7,700 were mailed by banks.

In 1997, transportation was identified as a major health need for citizens. This was also the year the health fair idea was proposed.

The first health fair approved April 15, with free screenings and education to be provided to those who attended.

A coffee was held for the Health-a-rama by the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce, with the first event held Sept. 6.

Mammograms were done for the first time locally, with the response being great enough to lead it to becoming a regularly scheduled community event.

In December, 1997, Pam Teague requested a mannequin for CPR. This was bought by the city, and was to be used by all health care providers in Prescott.

The alliance became a permanent "working committee" under the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office in 1998.

The second health-a-rama was held on Sept. 12.

In 1999, little was done other than hosting the third health fair, with the alliance agreeing to schedule its meetings from March through October on an as-needed basis.

The same held for 2000, as the fourth health fair was held.

On Sept. 8, 2001, the fifth health fair was conducted, with the alliance expanding its membership to include school nurses, industrial health care, the Chamber, Cooperative Extension, law enforcement (for safety issues), ministers and the Nevada Day Service Center and rehab.

The alliance's goals, Blevins said, were to facilitate communication about health services and agencies in Prescott and Nevada County; provide coordination of services; identify existing and needed services; promote access to community health care services; and education people on health issues.

Prissy Traczewitz, with the Day Service Center, said each year Arkansas recognizes the impact children's health services have in the state.

Until three years ago, she said, local organizations "did their own thing" during Arkansas Children's Week.

This changed with the groups getting together and deciding they could make the community more aware of children's services and the number of children affected locally.

Children's Week will be April 7-13 this year, she said, with plans underway for the third annual science fair. This science fair, though, doesn't require the children to build anything, but has other agencies and organizations bring in related resources to show pre-school children.

Last year, she said, the group managed to get donations from civic groups and provided each child with a book of their own to help promote literacy.

Elaine Williams, with the recycling center, talked about the Ila Upchurch Foundation and its Boys II Men and Girls II Women programs.

She said the TEA Coalition managed to get grants with the help of the Ila Upchurch Foundation for such things as alcohol and drug abuse prevention presentations.

Many people volunteered to work with the children involved on a mentor basis, with one person dealing with seven children at one time.

The Upchurch Foundation had a tutoring program before its Boys II Men program started, she said, working with students who had grades below a "C" average.

The Workforce Investment Act funded a grant to help provide jobs for young people 14-21 during the summer to help keep them out of trouble.

This program, she said, was a success, as it reached the young people and managed to accomplish several other goals.

WIA, she said, is looking at a request for proposal (RFP) to fund the second portion of the program.

Generation Next works with children from 12-18 years old, with its biggest project getting the young people to camp.

Generation Next promotes physical activity and becoming a well-rounded person.

Work is underway to fund the third part of the Breast-Cervical Cancer Control Program, McAdams said.

This program focuses on women 40-65 to get mammograms.

To help, a "Pink Carnation" Sunday will be done later this year.

Representatives will go to minority churches and give out the flowers and pledge cards to women there.

This, McAdams said, is in conjunction with an outreach program with the Witness Program, a survivor group for women who have had breast and cervical cancer.

The new coalition, she said, needs to start by looking at available health data and find out what issues need to be examined.

From there, the coalition will look at how to address these issues and make sure the data available is valid.

"There's a lot of work to be done," McAdams said. "We're not here just to write and manage grants, but we will help others get them."

A slate of officers was elected. They are: President Robin Nygaard, Vice President Elaine Williams, Secretary Juanita Hubbard, Historian Mary Alice Blevins, Health Fair Edie Greenwood, Children's Week Prissy Traczewitz, and Treasurer Candace Carrie.

Nygaard said the first meeting of the group will be to gather information.

She said the best way to network everyone is to form committees, then meet as a group.

The next meeting will be held Friday, March 1, at noon at the Fish Nest for anyone wanting to join or help out.