Blue & You - Spring 2012

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Blue & You Foundation grants: Something Rose Gordon has a smile that can light up a room, but it had been a while since anyone had seen it. Then one Friday in January, she sat in the dentist chair at Harmony Health Clinic in Little Rock, as Sam Nickol, DDS, MAGD, fitted her new dentures into her mouth. Immediately, her world brightened. “This man did a fantastic job,” Rose said with a grin as she visited with Dr. Nickol a few days later. “I went home and the first thing I did was eat some pecans. I have been waiting to be able to do that.” “That fits in good,” Dr. Nickol told Rose after checking her dentures. “Those should last you the rest of your life.” to smile about For Harmony Health Clinic in Little Rock, Rose’s life is one of hundreds changed for the better with the help of the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas. The Blue & You Foundation has given two grants to the clinic to improve the dental health of people who are medically uninsured and underserved in central Arkansas. Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield established the Blue & You Foundation in 2001 as a charitable foundation to promote better health in Arkansas. “The Blue & You Foundation awards grants annually to non-profit or governmental organizations and programs that positively affect the health of Arkansans,” said Patrick O’Sullivan, executive director of the Foundation. “In our 10 years of operation, the Blue & You Foundation has awarded nearly $14 million to 208 health improvement programs in Arkansas.” “When you have a healthy smile, it can make the difference in whether you are hired for a job, or whether you can keep working,” said Eddie Pannell, executive director of the Harmony Health Clinic. Eddie said dental pain is one of the top reasons people miss work in the United States. “Your oral health definitely affects your physical health.” Rose Gordon examines her new smile from Harmony Health Clinic. “ Your oral health definitely affects your physical health. .. ” Eddie Pannell, executive director of the Harmony Health Clinic 14 Blue & You SPRING 2012
Harmony Health Clinic started seeing medical patients in 2008 and dental patients in 2009. As of December 2011, the clinic has seen 1,753 medical patients and 709 dental patients, providing more than $2.3 million worth of services for people who otherwise would not be able to afford it. A pharmacy located in the clinic has provided about $500,000 worth of donated medications, 55 percent of which goes to patients with hypertension and/or diabetes. The clinic does not supply narcotics. Dr. Nickol checks the fit of Rose’s new dentures. Rose can’t help but smile while talking to Dr. Nickol about all the foods she can now eat with her new dentures. The clinic helps the medical and dental community as well. Around 400 volunteers, most of them doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and other medical professionals, give their time, along with students from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The teaching environment allows these students to get real-world experience with the supervision of experienced professionals. Eddie said he often hears the students discussing cases and saying, “I just learned about this in class.” For people to qualify for services at the Harmony Health Clinic, they must live in Pulaski County, have no insurance of any kind, be between 13 and 65 years old and their income must not exceed 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. (Medicaid and Medicare patients are seen in the dental clinic if they meet the other requirements, but the clinic is not a Medicaid/Medicare provider and does not bill any third party for services.) Eddie said he sees many single parents come in to the clinic who are working two or three jobs and still qualify for their services. While the medical side of the clinic is extremely important, Eddie said the dental side is where the greatest need lies. “Our clients are asking for dental assistance three to one over medical assistance,” he said. “We have more than 100 people waiting for services.” And because dental services are not covered under health care reform legislation, “there will always be a need for this clinic.” “We couldn’t have done any of this without support,” Eddie said, adding that the Blue & You Foundation has been a major source. The clinic is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and still is in need of funding to reach its operational goals. Source: harmonyclinicar.org Blue & You SPRING 2012 15
Page 1 and 2: SPRING 2012 Discover... ... the “
Page 3 and 4: Consumer transparency: Good for eve
Page 5 and 6: We’ve gone mobile Arkansas Blue C
Page 7 and 8: The rotator cuff is a system of fou
Page 9 and 10: Saturday morning, I head downtown t
Page 11 and 12: Arkansas Blue Cross supports UAMS c
Page 13: ... an online community for moms ju
Page 17 and 18: 7. Don’t let the little things ge
Page 19 and 20: Resolve to keep your resolution! So
Page 21 and 22: To protect your privacy, informatio
Page 23 and 24: The 2012 Blue & You Fitness Challen

Blue & You - Spring 2012

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?