The Delta Regional Community Health Systems Development program recognized Delta Memorial Hospital, DePaul Health Comma-unity Health Center, Dumas School District and Dumas Food Pantry in a spotlight video Thursday, July 8, 2021.
Community Cham-pions Delta Memorial Chaplain Debra Hawkins and DePaul Jackie Washington, as well as DOS Camille Sterrett and the food pantry's Mary Jo Tucker answered questions in front of cameras at the DePaul administration building on Main street. The goal of the video was to highlight the community care coordination and how well Washington and Hawkins have pulled in community joint partners to provide better healthcare for the Dumas Community.
Hawkins said the program project outcome has been positive and that Desha County's health rankings have dropped. Delta Memorial Hospital, DePaul, Community Joint partners and community members goal after the close of this program is to continue moving forward working together to create a healthier community.
Camille Sterrett, DOS, said that with the partnership between the two health entities, there's been more education that has been shared with families in our communities, which in return has been shared with familes in our school district. “So it has made our staff, our students and our families more health conscious which has been a positive for our school district. In return, it has been positive for our community, so it is growth. It keeps us all healthy,” Sterrett said.
Mary Jo Tucker said DHU and DACCA along with others, have worked to spread health awareness at the food pantry. Both gave their time to check blood pressures of food pantry patrons who may not be aware of problems with their blood pressure.
Viewgraphes Josephus Martin, of Fahrenheit Creative, filmed them as Kim Nordin, Natural Rural Health Resource Center Multimedia Specialist, asked questions. Martin also shot footage of the DePaul and Gould Clinics, the hospital and different areas around Dumas Thursday and Friday.
The video will be available to view on youtube, the NRHRC website and in the many programs hosted by the NRHRC This project was funded by the Delta Regional Authority and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy funded the project. They will also be sharing it out as an example of what a great community can do and they will share it with RHI Hub as another resource for rural hospitals and health centers.
Nordin said this is a unique project that supports community champions and their job is to reach out and work with different community partners. This is the first spotlight project Martin and Nordin have done for the first DRCHSD project, but they have done spotlight videos for different projects. The DRCHSD project focuses on the many different aspects of health for the hospital or the health system and for the community. The goal of the project is to make sure that people who are living in rural areas are getting the same quality and the same access to care as people who are living in urban communities.
Nordin said that she was impressed with the NRHRC's work with DMH and DCHS and how they have risen far above the expectations of the project, and that Washington and Hawkins, as the Community Champions, are so passionate about their community and about the different organizations.
“So they have just brought this whole community together in a way we haven't seen before and that’s why we are spotlighting this particular community care coordination aspect of the project. Kudos to them and we can't wait to share this with other hospitals, with other rural communities, so that maybe some of the work that they have done can be replicated and other communities can take their lead and start working together a little bit more,” Nordin said.
The Delta Regional Community Health System Development Program is a three year program, which started in 2017, that helps rural hospitals, clinics and health care organizations in eight states regions including; Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee. Southern Illinois, Kentucky, Part of Alabama, Louisiana, and Missouri.
Kim Mayo, NRHRC Senior Program Specialist, said they look at existing services and how they could be enhanced. They look at revenue, financials, building, finances, system, telehealth, outreach and how medical institutions can collaborate with bigger medical institutions in that state. They help with things like communication and strategies to improve efficiency and cultural issues. The importance of the project is to learn about problems of rural America to help those organizations build sustainability and to keep going in providing small community health services to the public.
