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News
December 30, 2008 KVREMC Supports our Knox Clinic
The Kankakee Valley REMC awarded HealthLinc a $5,000 grant to purchase a power exam table for our Knox clinic. The height on this exam table can be adjusted - lowered so patients can get on and off easily and raised so the provider can perform an exam easily. This new table will be the only adjustable one in our Knox clinic, making visits more comfortable for pregnant women, the elderly, and others who may have difficulty with a high exam table. The grant was awarded as part of KVREMC's "Operation Roundup" program through which members round up payments on their bills. The extra money is then used to award grants to worthy causes in the community. Many thanks to the generous donors and to KVREMC.
December 19, 2008 Walmart Supports Sick Children
The Valparaiso Walmart store provided us with a $50 gift card. The Good Works Committee provided these funds to enable us to purchase some "sick child kits" for uninsured patients. These kits contain basic supplies that parents can use to care for their children when they are sick - thermometers, saline drops, etc. Thank you to our Walmart neighbors!
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for December 2008.
November 10, 2008 HealthLinc Begins Transition to Electronic Health Records
Last week, HealthLinc had its "go-live" with a new practice management system. This sytem provides a more robust way of registering patients, scheduling appointments, and billing. In a few months, we will be "going-live" with an electronic health record that will integrate medical, dental and mental health information in one electronic record. Updating our practice management system is just the first step towards creating a state-of-the-art electronic clinic environment.
November 4, 2008 New CFO Joins HealthLinc
We are pleased to announce that Gail Harowski has joined HealthLinc as Chief Financial Officer. She comes to us after an extensive career with a Fortune 500 company located in the Northwest Indiana region.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for November 2008.
October 10, 2008 HealthLinc Recognized for Success in Childhood Immunization
The Indiana State Department of Health held its 2008 Indiana Annual Immunization Conference in South Bend yesterday. HealthLinc received two awards: one for having a 100% immunization rate for two-year-olds and one for innovation in promoting immunizations. Read the press release.
October 8, 2008 Target Funds Reach Out and Read Program
Target has again provided grant funding for our Reach Out and Read program. HealthLinc gives new books during well child checks and the child's progress with reading is part of the routine exam. Reach Out and Read is a nationwide program that provides quality books for children ages 6 months - 5 years in an effort to support early literacy. Target donated $3,000 to enable us to buy books for children at all three of our clinic sites.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for October 2008.
September 2008 First Book and Cheerios Support Reading
First Book, with funding from Cheerios, is providing HealthLinc with cases - literally - of books for children ages 0-12 years. First Book's mission is to provide books to underprivileged children around the country and Cheerios is a strong support of this mission. We are pleased to have been selected as a recipient of their generosity this year.
September 23, 2008 HealthLinc Patients are Satisfied
At last night's Board of Directors meeting, the results of our annual patient satisfaction survey were reviewed. While we improved in most performance measures, we are especially pleased to report that, yet again, 97% of patients completing the survey would recommend us to family members and friends.
September 20 VU Day of Caring a Big Success
On a brilliant Saturday morning, 14 students from the Valparaiso University School of Law spent a few hours painting and cleaning our Hilltop clinic and grounds. We appreciate their energy and willingness to do some less-than-glamorous chores! Thanks a million!
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for September 2008.
August 28, 2008 John W. Anderson Foundation Supports our Diabetes Program
Valparaiso's Anderson Foundation is a long-time supporter of our Hilltop clinic. The Foundation has yet again given $25,000 in support of our diabetes program. Diabetes care is a focus of our clinic. In addition to traditional care provided in office visits, we hold monthly support group meetings that include a visit with a provider, a speaker, and a healthy lunch. Recent data show that members of this support group are more successful in managing their diabetes than our general population. We greatly appreciate the faith that the Anderson Foundation places in our programs and its commitment to helping our patients.
August 25, 2008 Three Area Children Win New Bikes
During National Health Center Week, HealthLinc sponsored a coloring contest for children in our service area. The theme for the contest was "Health Care Heroes." Winners were chosen at each of our three clinic locations: Valparaiso/Hilltop, Michigan City and Knox.
August 22, 2008 Kiwanis Beautify our Hilltop Clinic During Day of Caring
The United Way held its annual Day of Caring on August 22nd. Six Kiwanis spent much of the day painting the main waiting room and three rest rooms on our first floor. The facelift was much needed and much appreciated. Thanks to Jim Hitz of Taltree for organizing the group (and for cleaning up our landscaping). Our clinic looks cleaner and brighter as a result of all the hard work.
August 13, 2008 Knox Clinic Grand Opening
On a picture-perfect summer day, community and government leaders joined us for the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of HealthLinc's new clinic in Knox. With the generous support of federal, state and local officials and Starke Memorial Hospital, we are able to bring primary health care services closer to the residents of Starke County. The new clinic is located at 104 E. Culver Road - across the parking lot from the hospital. The clinic will be staffed by Dr. Joe Bartush, a physician who has been serving the Knox area for many years. To make an appointment, call 574/772-7400. Our appreciation goes out to all those to helped make this dream a reality.
August 11, 2008 CVS Caremark Continues Its Support
We are pleased to announce that CVS Caremark is supporting our “Kits and Cuddles” program for the second year. With this program, we work with a local CVS store to buy supplies for our patients. Thermometers, saline drops, and Pedialyte should be in every young child’s home but often are not. With this grant, we are able to give these supplies to our uninsured patients. We appreciate CVS Caremark’s continued support of this program.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for August 2008.
Michigan City Clinic is Ramping Up
We are excited to announce the addition of new care providers in our Michigan City clinic. Timothy Delehanty, DO is our new obstetrician/gynecologist and Dr. Saify Bhoy will be starting next month as our new pediatrician. They join Dr. John Kelly (Site Medical Director) and a team of Family Nurse Practitioners. We expect to receive an influx of Medicaid patients - primarily pregnant women and children - within the next few months, so these new physicians will be busy! We also have Kristin Collard, DDS, waiting in the wings. She is working at our Valparaiso clinic while we build our dental clinic in Michigan City.
July 10, 2008 We Remember Mary Beth Trachtenberg, MSN, FNP
With great sadness, we note the passing of one of our own. Mary Beth Trachtenberg, MSN, FNP passed away suddenly on July 9, 2008. Mary Beth was a recent addition to the HealthLinc team, serving as our on-site medical provider at Porter-Starke Services. She cared for the medical needs of those with serious mental health/substance abuse issues. Mary Beth was something of an institution among the nursing and medical community in Northwest Indiana, having served the underserved and teaching future nurses for many years. She touched - and improved - many people's lives. Our sympathies go out to her family, friends, colleagues, and patients.
July 7, 2008 HealthLinc Participates in Hilltop Neighborhood Parade and Picnic
HealthLinc's Medical Director, Tim Ames, MD, served as co-grand marshall of this year's July 4th parade. The parade started on the VU campus, proceeded down Union Street (past our Valparaiso clinic), and ended in Will Park. An afternoon-long picnic was held in the park with refreshments from Maria Elena's Restaurant and entertainment from several regional bands. Walking and driving in the parade were various members of the HealthLinc staff. We are proud to participate in this celebration of our nation's history and our neighborhood roots.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for July 2008.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for June 2008.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for May 2008.
Porter County Community Foundation Supports Hilltop Dental Program
The Porter County Community Foundation generously donated $10,000 for the dental program at our Hilltop clinic. The funds were used to purchase dental equipment and create another dental suite for be used for patient care. We greatly appreciate PCCF's ongoing support of our mission to bring health care services to the uninsured and underinsured.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for April 2008.
March 25, 2008 Hilltop Receives Major State Grant to Fund Electronic Health Records
We just received a major grant - $534,774 over two years - to fund our conversion to electronic health records (EHR). We plan to otain an integrated system that will include patient health information, scheduling, billing, and reporting. Such a system will greatly increase our administrative efficiency, reduce the opportunity for human error, and automate key clinical patient safety measures. The EHR implementation will take several months to complete. We will begin at the Hilltop site in Valparaiso and then branch out to Michigan City and other future locations. We greatly appreciate the Indiana State Department of Health's recognition of the importance of "going electronic" in our clinics and their active support of this initiative.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for March 2008.
March 5, 2008 Hilltop CHC Partners with Porter-Starke Services
Hilltop Community health Center and Porter-Starke Services, both of Valparaiso, announce a partnership to provide medical care to those with mental health and substance abuse issues. Three of Hilltop CHC's medical providers - Dr. Tim Ames, Dr. Sarita Prasad and Nurse Practitioner Mary Beth Trachtenburg - will go to Porter-Starke to provide medical services to inpatients as well as clients of the outpatient treatment program and the newly-opened methadone treatment program. Through this partnership, primary medical care will be provided in a location and environment that is comfortable and convenient for the patients. Studies show that people with chronic mental health or substance abuse issues have an expected lifespan that is 25 years shorter than people without these conditions. Hilltop CHC and Porter-Starke Services aim to reduce this disparity.
February 4, 2008 Michigan City Health Center Opens
Despite one of the season's biggest snow storms, HealthLinc's new Michigan City Health Center opened as scheduled on Friday, February 1, 2008. Dr. Hendricks saw prenatal patients and several prenatal intakes were completed. Numerous people walked in and called to ask how they could sign up to be patients. The clinic will see prenatal patients for three days this week and begin seeing general medical patients next week with the addition of clinic hours staffed by Family Nurse Practitioners. We appreciate the interest shown by the local media, the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce, and other members of the business community. Click here for the press release.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for February 2008.
January 22, 2008 Horizon Bank Opens New Branch and Opens Young Minds
Horizon Bank opened a new branch on east Lincolnway Avenue in Valparaiso, anchoring private sector redevelopment of this part of town. As part of their grand opening celebration, the Bank decided to donate $10 to Hilltop CHC for each new account opened in the next month. Both Valparaiso branches of the bank are acting as collection sites for children's books to be donated to our Reach Out and Read program through which we give books to our youngest patients. We thank Horizon for being such a good neighbor!
January 15, 2008 Hilltop CHC Receives Dental Grant
The Delta Dental Foundation awarded Hilltop CHC a $5,000 grant to provide dental education and services for the uninsured. The "Seal Deal" grant will cover Spanish language educational materials and cover patient costs for fluroide treatments and sealants for young children. Oral health, especially for uninsured and low income people, is of increasing concern as dental caries and other largely preventable conditions are on the rise among vulnerable populations. The grant will help our patients receive the education and treatment they need to get an early start on a lifetime of good oral health.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for January 2008.
December 28, 2007 Hilltop's Marc Espar Sworn in as Michigan City Councilperson
In November, Marc Espar (D) was elected to represent the 2nd Ward of Michigan City. He joined 3 other new council people who were sworn in at City Hall. Marc will serve a four-year term starting January 1, 2008. The new City Council is expected to focus on issues of economic development and growth as well as bringing a higher level of professionalism to the Council.
December 19, 2007 Hilltop CHC Joins Others in Major Announcements Regarding Improving Access to Health Care in Northwest Indiana
In a joint press conference held at the Northern Indiana Education Foundation in Michigan City, Hilltop CHC joined other health care leaders to officially announce the upcoming opening of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Michigan City. Beth Wrobel, Hilltop CHC’s CEO, also announced the new name for the health centers – HealthLinc, Your Community Health Center.
Dave Ruskowski, President, St. Anthony Memorial Hospital, expressed the Hospital’s support of the new health center. He sees community health centers as playing a vital role in reducing inappropriate use of the emergency room and as being part of the “big answer” to providing access to care for the uninsured.
Gary Bushue, Board President of Open Door Health Center, explained that Open Door will be merging some of its services into the new HealthLinc site. Open Door has functioned as a free clinic serving Michigan City for many years. As a FQHC, HealthLinc will have access to funding and resources to expand service options and serve many more people than Open Door has been able to do with its more limited resources.
Beth Wrobel, CEO of Hilltop CHC, praised the efforts of St. Anthony’s and Open Door to serve the underserved in the Michigan City area. Hilltop CHC currently operates one site – in Valparaiso – and is set to open the clinic in Michigan City in February 2008. Patients will have access to integrated care – primary adult medical, prenatal care, pediatrics, chronic disease management, dental services and mental health services. Eligible patients will receive assistance in applying for Medicaid and other programs, benefit from language translation services, and receive transportation assistance. Ms. Wrobel also unveiled the new name for the FQHC – HealthLinc, Your Community Health Center. The current name, Hilltop, reflects the Valparaiso neighborhood where the original clinic has its roots. By expanding to a second location, the Hilltop Board of Directors wanted a new name that more accurately reflects what the FQHC does: linking the underserved with needed health care services.
Vidya Kora, MD, remarked that the opening of the FQHC marked an important milestone for health care in Michigan City. Dr. Kora also publicly announced his support of the Healthy Indiana program, a state effort to provide health insurance for the working poor. It is expected that many HealthLinc patients will be eligible for this new program.
The press conference was concluded by Gene Diamond, Regional CEO of the Sisters of St. Francis Health Services. Mr. Diamond reflected on the mission of the Sisters – to care for the “neediest of the needy” and praised the many physicians and organizations who have been doing just that in Michigan City for many years. He commended Dr. Robert McBride, in particular, for his unfailing efforts to assure access to health care services. He summed up the coming of the FQHC as a “win-win-win-win-win”: the needy will have improved access to care, the general citizens of Michigan City will be healthier and more productive, primary care physicians will be relieved of some of the burden of trying to care for too many people in need, specialists will find Michigan City a more attractive place to practice once the primary care needs of patients are covered, and the Sisters of St. Francis will be able to continue to fulfill their mission.
Click here to view the News Release.
December 11, 2007 New OB Physicians Join Hilltop CHC
Dr. Michael Messina has joined our patient care team, assuming responsibility for our Tuesday afternoon prenatal clinic. Dr. Messina will handle deliveries in Michigan City. We are pleased that Drs. Christopher Wirsing and Mary Ann Jones will handle deliveries at Porter Hospital. With these physicians, we will be able to offer obstetrical services to women in a broader geographical area. We want to thank Drs. Cheryl Short, Crystal Strickland and Sylvia Velarde of Obstetrical and Gynecoligal Associates for their service to our patients since August 2004. They delivered 335 healthy babies, many of whom would not otherwise have received quality prenatal care.
December 10, 2007 New CFO Joins Hilltop CHC Leadership Team
Hilltop CHC is pleased to announce that we have hired a full-time Chief Financial Officer. Sheron Sherman is relocating from Oklahoma to join our team. Sheron has experience as a hospital CFO. He holds both a MA in Hospital and Health Administration and a MS in Health Planning from the University of Iowa and a BS in Accounting from the Southern University at new Orleans. With Sheron's arrival, Deb Hickman - who has been doing double duty as CFO/COO - will transition to a full-time position as Chief Operating Officer.
December 3, 2007 New Dental Director Joins Hilltop CHC
Thomas Young, DDS, is our new Dental Director. He is highly recommended by our outgoing dentist, Mary-Margaret Warrick, DDS who is relocating to Illinois. Dr. Young graduated from the Indiana University School of Dentistry where he was awarded the James Huckelberry Scholarship and the Dr. Tillman E. Miller Clinical Achievement Award. He holds a BA in General Biology from the California State University Northridge. Dr. Young has worked in diverse dental settings, including a community health center and a dental urgent care center.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for December 2007. Happy holidays!
November 27, 2007 Site Director Named for Michigan City Satellite Clinic
Michigan City resident, Marc Espar, CPA, has joined our staff as the Site Director for the satellite clinic set to open there early next year. He comes to us with many years in leadership positions in Michigan City health care organizations, including the Administrator/CFO for Indiana Institute of Cardiology and the CFO/Interim CEO for Charter South Bend BHS. His prior experience includes financial positions with health care and accounting firms. Marc holds a BS in Business from the Indiana University School of Business and is also a Certified Administrator in Physician Practice Management.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for November 2007.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for October 2007.
September 28, 2007 Burrell Foundation Continues Its Support of our Diabetes Program
The Don and Alice Burrell Family Foundation of Crown Point generously donated $5,000 to support the development of Hilltop CHC’s Diabetes Center of Excellence. The Burrell Foundation has supported our diabetes program in the past and we are grateful for their commitment to our mission. Hilltop CHC participates in the national Health Disparities Collaborative for diabetes which provides treatment protocols and outcomes benchmarks. We hold a monthly support group for Hilltop patients with diabetes which includes a medical exam, an educational speaker, and a healthy meal.
September 11, 2007 Hilltop CHC Receives Grant from CVS/pharmacy
CVS/pharmacy awarded a $2000 Community Grant to Hilltop CHC for a new "Kits and Cuddles" program. Many Hilltop parents lack basic health supplies (ibuprofen, thermometers, bandages, etc.). We requested funding to make "sick child kits" of these types of supplies to give to parents to take home. Our practitioners will provide information on their proper use. We hope parents will be able to use these supplies to better care for their children at home and be able to provide better information to our practitioners when their children are brought in to the clinic for treatment. We might run into you when we're shopping at CVS!
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for September 2007.
August 27, 2007 Hilltop CHC Receives Federal Grant to Expand into Michigan City
Hilltop Community Health Center has been awarded a three-year $300,000/year grant from the federal government to establish a Federally Qualified Health Center in Michigan City. These funds are part of President Bush’s High Poverty Counties Initiative to bring primary health care services to those who need them most. LaPorte County is designated as a high poverty county. The new health center is expected to be operational in early 2008 and will serve an estimated 6,000 uninsured and underinsured patients by the end of its third year of operation. The center will provide primary medical, dental and mental health services either on-site or through partnerships with existing health care providers serving LaPorte County. The grant was developed with the cooperation of St. Anthony Memorial Hospital and Health Partners. Hilltop was one of 74 organizations nationwide receiving a High Poverty Counties grant.
August 22, 2007 Anderson Foundation Supports Hilltop’s Diabetes Program
Valparaiso’s Anderson Foundation awarded Hilltop CHC a grant to support our diabetes program. Our diabetes program is run in accordance with guidelines of the national Health Disparities Collaborative (HDC). We comply with HDC treatment protocols and outcomes measurement. We also hold a monthly diabetic support group for Hilltop patients living with this diagnosis. The Anderson Foundation generously provided $25,000 to support our efforts. The Anderson Foundation has a history of funding our clinic and its programs and we are grateful for their continued support.
August 8, 2007 Hilltop CHC Hosts Informational Open House on Health Care for the Underserved
More than 60 people from across the region and the State came to Hilltop CHC to hear the latest on issues relating to health care for the underserved. Speakers included Jon Costas, Mayor, City of Valparaiso; Celina Weatherwax, Director, NWI Office of U.S. Senator Richard Lugar; Mary L. Hill, RN, Esq., Deputy State Health Commissioner, Indiana State Department of Health; and Beth Wrobel, Chief Executive Officer, Hilltop CHC (view her speech). The Open House included a tour of Hilltop’s clinic. The event was held in conjunction with National Health Center Week, a nationwide celebration of the important role that community health centers have in caring for the uninsured and underinsured. View some of the pictures!
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for August 2007.
July 16, 2007 New Physician Joins Our Staff
Sarita Prasad, MD became part of our medical team in June. She just completed a family medicine residency at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago and holds an obstetrics certification. She graduated from Nagpur University and completed residencies in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery and accident and emergency medicine in India. Sarita, her husband, and baby are in the process of relocating to the area.
Read our newsletter, Cause for Excitement, for July 2007.
July 1, 2007 Hilltop Publishes Annual Report
We recently published our first-ever annual report, 2006 Annual Report: Towards a Healthy Community. It provides a snapshot of recent accomplishments and activities of our health center.
June 1, 2007 New Dentist Joins Hilltop
We are pleased to announce that Mary-Margaret Warrick, DDS has joined our dental patient care team. She is a recent graduate of Indiana University School of Dentistry. She earned a BA in Chemistry from the University of Indianapolis and a MS in Biology from Purdue University at IUPUI. Mary-Margaret played college volleyball and is an avid sports fan. She was raised in Linton, IN where she grew up with an older brother and a younger sister. Welcome Dr. Warrick!
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