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Family First Health

A community health care center

The AIDS Memorial Quilt in York: His Story. Her Story. Our History.

In celebration of Caring Together’s 15 years and Family First Health’s even-longer commitment treating and preventing HIV/AIDS, we are proud to bring 12 panels from The AIDS Memorial Quilt to be on display from June 23 to 25. We want to pause and remember those we’ve lost and reflect on what more can be done to support healthy and long lives for those diagnosed and prevent transmission whenever possible. We acknowledge that there’s still work to be done and ensure that history will not repeat itself.

Twenty-five years ago, Family First Health saw a national crisis impacting our local community – HIV/AIDS was devastating communities and a local response was necessary. Those initial efforts to do something when so many were doing nothing evolved into what we know today as Caring Together – a partnership between Family First Health and WellSpan Health.

Today, nearly 600 people receive medical care and supportive services through Caring Together’s dedicated team of professionals. Caring Together’s work shows Family First Health’s commitment to getting people access to care when they need it.

HIV/AIDS impacts our community today. In the last year, Family First Health identified 21 new diagnoses. In the last five years, we’ve had 138 diagnoses. Locally, the age group with the highest infection rate is ages 25-29. That falls in line with the fact that in 2013, AIDS was the leading cause of death nationally for those aged 25-34. Awareness and early diagnosis is key. Community health centers like Family First Health play a vital role in helping identify the 1 in 5 Americans living with HIV who are unaware of their infection and get them into high-quality, continuing care.

AIDS Memorial Quilt Events

  • The AIDS Memorial Quilt will be displayed at Marketview Arts Dale Brougher Exhibition Hall, 37 W. Philadelphia St., York. It will be open to the public Thursday, June 23 from 5 to 9 p.m.; Friday, June 24 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, June 25 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Thursday, June 23: Opening reception York’s Central Market from 5 to 9 p.m. Groups will be led to view The AIDS Memorial Quilt on the half-hour. Opening remarks will be at 6 p.m. Light food and beverages will be provided.
  • Friday, June 24: Free screening of the movie “Philadelphia” at 7 p.m. at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center.
  • Saturday, June 25: Full “Bloom” AIDS – Sponsor and plant your own perennials at the Serenity Garden of Hope at Albermarle Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Free, confidential HIV testing will be available at Marketview Arts.

Family First Health has partnered with York College of Pennsylvania and the IMPACT Arts and Culture Conference to bring this weekend of awareness to York. WellSpan Health and the York County Community Foundation provided funding to make it possible.

For more information, contact Family First Health’s Director of Development Courtney Lewis at 717-801-4808 or email clewis@familyfirsthealth.org.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt: A conversation with mother Arlene Bubb

Arlene Bubb remembers the conversation vividly. She was sitting at the kitchen table talking on the phone to her son, Brian. “Do you have AIDS,” she asked, holding her breath while inside her body was screaming “please say no.” “What would you say if I told you, yes,” he asked quietly. Bubb was trying to think of the right thing to say. What came out was the words of a mother. “We certainly would love you and take care of you and have you home here with us and do whatever we needed. I mean, you’re our son.”

Nothing else was said. Brian also never told her he was gay. But she said she always knew. The day she first heard about AIDS, she was cleaning the bathtub and something came on the news. She listened prayed that Brian would never get it. “I thought, you don’t have a son who hangs out in gay bars. … But it was always in the back of your head.”

Bubb sits in her favorite chair most days with a prime view of who’s walking by outside. Over her shoulder are two portraits. One, her daughter Diane. The other, Brian – the photo they used to use of the tie designer when he was in magazines. He was one of the top 10 in the country, she said. Proud of the boy who worked for Perry Ellis and then started out on his own. A clip featuring him in Esquire has the handwritten note from Brian “It’s tough being famous and good looking.”

That was him, she said with a laugh. “There were a lot of things I do to do that I wouldn’t have gotten to do without Brian,” his mother said. Trips to Paris, Milan.

Brian died on July 8, 1993. It was his sister’s 40th birthday. Since his death, Bubb got involved with The Open Group – a group of mainly mothers who put on monthly dinners for those living with AIDS. And then one day, she heard Brian was on the AIDS Memorial Quilt. One of his industry friends did it, she said. It’s Brian’s own self-portrait – a caricature, his favorite. Simple. Funny. Brian. “That’s Brian,” she said. “He had such an amazing sense of humor. I think it also helped to cover up a lot of hurt in his life.” They say funny people are hiding pain, she said, sadly. “I wasn’t there to help or understand. There are so many things I wish I had known then that I know now.”

Bubb has seen the quilt a few times over the years. She road the bus down to Washington D.C. when it was on the National Mall. “Those quilts, they’re just incredible. To see what people put together and about their lives and how they were loved.” Standing there, Bubb was amazed at the vast display of quilts. “There were so many there … and they all had families. It just broke my heart. We sent a man to the moon. We have medicine now. It just came too late.”

Sitting in her chair, Bubb sorts through things that remind her of her son. An Absolute Vodka ad he did – “Absolute Bubb.” A box is full of ties he made. Once he died, she ended up bringing home a suitcase of them. She couldn’t bear the thought of them just being given away or thrown out. Several ties are sown into a throw that sits on the chair opposite hers – like it’s holding his space.

When Brian’s quilt comes home, his mother knows she’ll be bawling her eyes out. But she wants people to think as they remember. “I want them to know that it’s still here. AIDS is still here. It hasn’t gone away. I’m thankful that people now have been able to get on medication. Know that you can live with this. But be careful. Don’t be stupid.”

Join Family First Health for a three-day viewing of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and see Brian’s quilt. Click here for more information.

(Photo and video by Randy Flaum, York Storyman. Story by Kate Harmon.)

 

Patients tell us how we did

Our Quality Improvement team is always looking for ways to better serve our patients and one of the ways they do that is by asking patients for input. Let’s take a look at some of the key points from the most recent survey.

  • Of the 4,588 people who responded – 41% of them came to our George Street Center for medical services and about 50% also came to George Street for dental.
  • We asked about your experience with our staff while receiving care and waiting. The three most high-rated categories were convenience of office location, office hours and how quickly an appointment could be scheduled.
  • Comparing all of our sites, patients overall had a positive experience. Hannah Penn patients were particularly pleased with how quickly they got appointments and the office location.
  • When it comes to staff, patient experience ranks extremely positive. Hannah Penn had a slightly higher rating, which could be attributed to patient flow there. Hannah Penn doesn’t see quite as many patients as others which means they have more time to spend with each one!

As always, we welcomed any comments from patients. Here’s some of what you had to say.

  • Every time I come to this facility, I know that I’m in good care. (Aww, shucks. We like caring for you, too!)
  • Need a way to prioritize calls. On hold for too long.
  • Hand out stickers to kids. (We love stickers!)
  • Later dental hours so kids don’t have to be pulled out of school.
  • Saturday office hours?
  • Have separate “sick” appointments
  • Get a diaper changing station in the bathroom.
  • I have no suggestion – FFH is great and I’ve advised family and friends to come here. (Thanks!)

Bacteria: The bad, the gross and the preventable

Last time we talked about bad bacteria in our mouths. Let’s talk about that a little more.

We all have bacteria in our mouths some are good and some are bad. We begin to have dental problems when we allow the bad bacteria to get out of control.

Bad bacteria are the cause of all the dental conditions you never want to hear coming out of your dentist’s mouth. Plaque, calculus, gingivitis, gum disease (periodontitis), cavities, pulpitis (irritation of the area where the blood vessels and nerves of the tooth are located), infection, or abscess. These conditions are treatable, but they are also PREVENTABLE.

I know all of these conditions make you think Ugggggghhhhh, because they sound gross or painful, and that is because they are gross and can be very painful. But just think, you can stop this from ever happening  by brushing twice daily, flossing once a day and using the right mouthwash.

Get more tips for great oral care from our friends at Colgate.

Meet the staff: Lawrence Spector

Lawrence Spector

Lawrence Spector was working in New Hampshire doing internal medicine but felt as though he was lacking something when it came to providing overall care for patients.

That’s what drew him to Family First Health — the idea of having one organization that has medical, dental and social services. The whole package for the whole patient.

York might seem like a random jump from 25 years in New Hampshire, but Spector has family here. His sister lives in the area and had a baby a few years ago. The rest of the family came down to be close to his nephew. So in a way, moving to York is like moving home for him.

Lawrence Spector spent time in the U.S. Army in the early 2000s before completing nursing school, working 10 years in an ICU and going back to graduate school for more education. He brings all that background to our Lewisberry Center where he’s just starting as a new provider.

When he’s not working or house hunting, Spector says he’s looking forward to spending more time with his family and checking out the outdoors in central Pennsylvania. From hiking trails to teaching his nephew to fish, he’s excited to see what the area has to offer. He also loves taking his nephew to Hersheypark.

This is NOT Adam but I had to Google English sheepdog puppies. How cute are they!?

Lawrence Spector also has his hands full with his old English sheepdog puppy — Adam.

Why come to the dentist office? We’ll tell you.

We have been introducing you to our dentists and now we would like to introduce and welcome you to our offices — which are open to anyone seeking dental health.

What does oral health mean? It means limiting or controlling the bad bacteria we all have in our mouths. You — the patient — play the most important role in limiting this bacteria, but we are here to support you in this fight.

There are things we can do in our office that you cannot do at home like:

  • Take X-rays to see what is going on between your teeth
  • Take important bone measurements
  • Diagnose areas that need treatment
  • Fill cavities
  • Perform specialized cleanings

What you can do at home is the most important thing. That means brush two times a day, floss one time daily, and use a mouthwash that kills bacteria and contains fluoride. Most people brush daily but do not floss.

As our dental director, Dr. LaJuan Mountain always says:

“Brushing but not flossing is just like showering, but not washing your armpits. You have to floss to clean in between your teeth because it can be the smelliest part of your mouth if left untouched.”

So it is important that you do your job at home and you see a dentist on a regular basis to allow them to do their job — which is helping you get or keep your dental health.

Hanover parenting classes kick off

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Our free Hanover parenting classes kicked off this week with “Parenting the Love and Logic Way” with our friends from Family-Child Resources.

Over six weeks, those in attendance of the parenting classes will learn tools to help them better raise responsible, respectful kids.

The goal? To love our kids so much that we’re willing to set limits. And to do so with sincere compassion and empathy. Logic happens when we allow our kids to make decisions and affordable mistakes.

In each class – held every Tuesday at our Hanover Center – the parents will learn a skill. They’re asked to experiment with the skill as homework. Each week will add another which builds off the previously-learned skill. The first week was putting an end to arguing, back talk and begging (something we think all parents know too well).

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Our parents started off with a video that explained some tips for when you’re arguing with your child.

Step one: Go “brain dead.” The less your lips move, the more effective you become.

Step two: Simply repeat the same, calm, one-liner. “I know.” Don’t be angry, don’t be sarcastic. Give them very little ammunition.

Why’s this so important? Kids crave attention. So if you’re calm and give them little to work with, they’ll likely move on.

We also learned some great tips to help build a relationship like – at least once a day notice something special about them. Love them when they’re behaving not so lovable, and more!

It was a great start to the six-week program of parenting classes. Thanks to our parents for attending and to Patient Care Coordinator Hyacinth Gayle for organizing!

Celebrate nurses this National Nurses Week

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May 6 to 12 is National Nurses Week so let’s take the time to celebrate all of the nurses we have here at five Family First Health sites!

During the week-long celebration, we want to draw some attention to our Nurse-Family Partnership program, which connects qualifying first-time mothers with an at-home nurse who visits through the baby’s second birthday.

It’s a great program that’s proven to bring success. Three randomized, controlled trials demonstrate that Nurse-Family Partnership delivers against its goals of better pregnancy outcomes, improved child health and development, and increased economic self-sufficiency. These outcomes contribute to preventing child abuse, reducing juvenile crime, and increasing school readiness.

In 2015, our nurses served 188 mothers with a total of 2,036 visits!

One of our mothers, Suleyka was attending Vo Tech when her daughter was born. She wanted to be done with school, but her nurse Judy kept encouraging her to go back and finish.

“If it wasn’t for her [Judy], I was going to get out of school. I was ready to finish, I wasn’t going to go back. She encouraged me to think about other options, think about the baby.”

Judy helped to walk her through a choices facilitator that outlined some the impact of choosing not to go back to school. Judy said, “So you don’t go back to school, so what is this going to do. You’re not going to graduate from high school, not going to be able to get a good paying job, not going to be able to provide the things your daughter needs or wants.”

When asked the best thing about her nurse, Suleyka shared: “When she helped me to think about things before I quit school. I thought nobody cared about it, but she really really cared and she was there for me.”

You can help us help more first-time mothers like Suleyka succeed through our Nurse-Family Partnership program by making a donation during this National Nurses Week.

There are four donation levels that let you make a DIRECT impact in one of our NFP homes. Making a donation is as easy as clicking on this link.

$25 –  Keeping them fed and clean – You get diapers and formula into the hands of a first-time mother for her child.

$50 – Get a move on – A mother gets an umbrella stroller for getting around in ease.

$75 – Checking in – This covers a developmental assessment for a child to determine that milestones are being met at certain stages.

$100 – Riding in style – This donation gets a car seat for a first-time mom and her child to keep them safe on the road.

 

 

A look at who we serve during Minority Health Month

April is Minority Health Month and because we just published our annual report, I wanted to share some of our numbers with you.

In 2015, we served 21,304 patients at our five sites with a total of 68,717 visits.

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Let’s break down those patients by race:

13,737 – White

3,794 – Unreported

3,671 – Black/African American

102 – Other

Of those patients, 57% identify as Hispanic or Latino. And 18% are best served in a language other than English. 55% of them live under the poverty line.

When looking at insurance, most of our patients have Medicaid – 11,565 of them to be exact. 4,457 are uninsured. 1,852 have Medicare, 3,101 have private insurance and 329 have public insurance.

Learn more about what we’ve been up to in 2015 and who we’ve served in our annual report.

Take a full look at our 2015 annual report here.