Physicians Required to Watch TV on the Job
Video conferencing technology accesses physicians without having to be in the same room
St. Louis, April 7 -Using a TV monitor and video equipment, a patient in Clark county can now see a doctor in Boone county without the worry of finding transportation. This new way of providing health care services, called telehealth, provides patient and doctor interaction as well as transmission of medical images for diagnosis. A.T. Still University of Health Sciences will now be able to implement this technology in 11 northeastern Missouri counties. A $1,023,996 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) will support this 3-year project that will overcome barriers to care that individuals in rural counties have faced for years such as poor roads, lack of transportation, inadequate insurance and lack of health care providers and specialists.
Along with the purchase of equipment, 40-50 health care providers will be trained to use the video technology and additional health care staff will be recruited. The university will be a participating provider site, as well as an additional 11 sites that will be equipped throughout the life of the project. At the university site alone a nephrologist, pulmonologist, cardiologist, dermatologist, psychiatrists and pediatricians will be available.
In addition to installing the equipment needed for the project, a public awareness campaign will be launched. It is anticipated that 50,000 individuals will hear about the new services being provided through this campaign.
Twenty-three other grants were made to various areas of the Foundation region in March. Awards total more than $17 million for the year to-date.
Established in January of 2000 through the for-profit conversion of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri, MFH is the largest health care foundation in the state and the second largest health conversion foundation in the country. Its vision is to improve the health of the people in the communities it serves. The Foundation is in its fourth year of grantmaking. Current assets are approximately $1.1 billion.
For additional information regarding MFH, call (314) 345-5500, (800) 655-5560 or visit the Web site at www.mffh.org.
GRANT AWARDS
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, Kirksville, Mo 63501
Grant Amount: 1,023,996
Project: This 3-year project will implement telehealth technology at 12 provider sites, improving access to primary, specialty and mental health care services for the underserved.
Region Served: Adair, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Putnam, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby and Sullivan Counties
Contact: John Heard (660) 626-2397
Jordan Valley Community Health Center, Springfield, Mo 65801
Grant Amount: $154,260
Project: This 12-month project will establish a site for primary care services on the west side of Springfield.
Region Served: Green County
Contact: Brooks Miller (417) 831-0150
Center for Hearing-Speech, St. Louis, Mo 63119
Grant Amount: $111,641
Project: This 3-year project will allow the center to provide speech and language services to more children from low-income families.
Region Served: Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles and St. Louis City and County
Contact: Linda Fanter (314) 968-4710
Children's Smile Center, Galena, Mo 65656
Grant Amount: $406,751
Project: This 3-year project will provide dental prevention education and dental care to families on Medicaid.
Region Served: Christian and Taney Counties
Contact: David Struble (417) 581-2421
City of St. Louis Health Department, St. Louis, Mo 63103
Grant Amount: $1,440,935
Project: This 3-year project will expand the Lead Safe St. Louis program which will allow for more children to get tested for blood lead levels, voluntary home lead evaluations and home lead remediations.
Region Served: City of St. Louis
Contact: Melba Moore (314) 612-5112
City of St. Louis Mental Health Board of Trustees, St. Louis, Mo 63108
Grant Amount: $1,328,467
Project: This 3-year project will establish a coordinated network of health providers to serve the immigrant and refugee population.
Region Served: City of St. Louis
Contact: Randy Breese (314) 535-6964
Erise Williams & Associates, Inc., St. Louis, Mo 63107 Grant Amount: $399,832
Project: This 2-year project will increase HIV prevention services, improve access to primary care for those infected and ultimately reduce the number of new HIV cases.
Region: City of St. Louis
Contact: Erise Williams (314) 531-2284
First Call for Help, Cape Girardeau, Mo 63701
Grant Amount: $50,530
Project: This 3-year project will further develop a free telephone helpline to offer appropriate referrals for those calling with health related concerns.
Region Served: Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry, Scott and Stoddard County
Contact: Denise Wimp (573) 334-4357
Doorways, St. Louis, Mo 63108
Grant Amount: $25,000
Project: This is an emergency grant to the organization to be able to provide health care for 20 individuals until additional funds are obtained.
Region Served: St. Louis City and County
Contact: Lynne Cooper (314) 535-1919
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc., St. Louis, Mo 63108
Grant Amount: $390,000
Project: This 3-year project will provide low-income, HIV patients with legal assistance in an effort to overcome legal obstacles to health care.
Region Served: St. Louis Metro Region
Contact: Karen Warren (314) 534-4200
McAuley Counseling Services, Inc, Springfield, Mo 65804
Grant Amount: $106,603
Project: This 2-year project will expand the mental health services of the center.
Region Served: Barry, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene, Jasper, Lawrence, Polk, Stone, Taney, Webster and Wright County
Contact: Ann Crouse (417) 823-0498
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, St. Louis, Mo 63146
Grant Amount: $316,338
Project: This 3-year project will expand current case management services, which will provide for more MS patients and their families to get assistance in developing a long-term health care plan and pursuing needed health care services.
Region Served: Bootheel, Central and Northeast Region and Howell, Oregon, Shannon and Texas County
Contact: Suzanne Carron (314) 781-9020
New Beginnings CSTAR, Inc., St. Louis, Mo 63115
Grant Amount: $778,061
Project: This 3-year project will allow the organization to provide substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation services to more uninsured adults.
Region Served: St. Louis City and County
Contact: Clarissa Cobb-Fritz (314) 367-8989
Ozark Center, Joplin, Mo 64803
Grant Amount: $353,994
Project: This 3-year project will provide mental health services to the chronic mentally ill. This will be done by increasing inpatient psychiatric beds.
Region Served: Barton, Jasper, McDonald and Newton Counties
Contact: Jane Higdon (417) 781-6156
Pike County Memorial Hospital, Louisiana, Mo 63353
Grant Amount: $267,952
Project: This 12-month project will be used to purchase equipment for the new outpatient and emergency departments, increasing the capacity for the number of patients that can be seen.
Region Served: Pike County
Contact: Linda Black (573) 754-5531
Places for People, Inc., St. Louis, Mo 63108
Grant Amount: $782,619
Project: This 3-year project will expand treatment services for people dually diagnosed with severe mental illness and substance abuse addiction disorder.
Region Served: St. Louis City and County
Contact: Francie Broderick (314) 535-5600
Queen of Peace Center, St. Louis, Mo 63108
Grant Amount: $334,391
Project: This 3-year project will be utilized to bring more substance-abusing, pregnant women into the facility for substance abuse treatment.
Region Served: St. Louis City and County
Contact: Robert Puricelli (314) 531-0511
Regional AIDS Interfaith Network of Central Missouri, Columbia, Mo 65201
Grant Amount: $987,506
Project: This 3-year project will provide education in schools, presentations and workshops, educational conferences for nurses and physicians regarding treatment protocols for treatment of the Hepatitis C virus and/or HIV. Medication and financial assistance will also be provided to infected persons.
Region Served: Adair, Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Chariton, Clark, Cole, Cooper, Gasconade, Howard, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Marion, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Osage, Pike, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby and Sullivan County
Contact: Carrie Mulkey (573) 875-8687
SEMO Health Network, New Madrid, Mo 63869 Grant Amount: $43,188
Project: This 12-month project will allow a dental program to increase services, eliminating the waiting lists for dental services in the area. This will also improve access to quality oral health care to underserved residents.
Region Served: Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Scott and Stoddard County
Contact: Cheryl White (573) 748-2404
Special School District of St. Louis County, Town & Country, Mo 63131
Grant Amount: $196,922
Project: This 3-year project provides funding for specialized equipment and staff training to administer hearing screenings to special needs children.
Region Served: St. Louis County
Contact: Dave Detering (314) 989-8494
St. Louis Christian Chinese Community Service Center, St. Louis, Mo 63132
Grant Amount: $160,657
Project: This 3-year project will expand the clinic's services and improve the network of Asian medical providers to assist the target population.
Region Served: St. Louis County
Contact: Lip Tong Chua (314) 989-1220
Sullivan County Community Development, Milan, Mo 63556
Grant Amount: $199,912
Project: This 2-year project will implement an educational program for children K-12 specifically focused on increasing childrens' knowledge of the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity.
Region Served: Putnam and Sullivan County
Contact: Peggy Sloan (660) 265-5134
Texas County Memorial Hospital, Houston, Mo 65483 Grant Amount: $274,071
Project: This 3-year project will provide additional vans to provide nonemergency transport for the elderly and disabled.
Region Served: Dent, Douglas, Laclede, Phelps, Pulaski, Shannon, Texas and Wright County
Contact: Libby Waterson (417) 967-3764
The Center for Head Injury Services, St. Louis, Mo 63146 Grant Amount: $87,000
Project: This 12-month project will help start an adult day care program for individuals with brain injuries.
Region Served: St. Louis County
Contact: Donna Gunning (314) 983-9230
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