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September 15, 2023

Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Katherine Alejandrez

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate and recognize the many contributions of individuals of Hispanic Heritage. At Family First Health, we are excited to shine a light on some of our Hispanic team members who contribute to our work and community every day.

Today’s spotlight is on Katherine Alejandrez, who is a Community Health Worker on our Community Health Programs team. Katherine has been on the Family First Health team for almost 3 years. Read more to learn about Katherine’s Hispanic Heritage, and how her heritage influences her work.

Site: George Street

From what country do you or your family originate?

My father is from Mexico and my mother is from Puerto Rico.

What does your heritage and Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

Hispanic Heritage Month means a time of reflection, a time of thanks, and a time to cherish the sacrifices that were made. It also means to honor the contributions that us Latinos and Hispanics make to our communities and American culture. It also allows me to recognize those who have molded me into the woman I am today.

How does your heritage influence the work you do?

My heritage influences the work that I do because it motivates me to always push myself and continue to grow. It reminds me how blessed I am to be in the position that I am in today and guides me in wanting to help others more. It also helps me connect with my patients because we can share similar experiences.

What are some of your favorite family and/or cultural traditions?

One of my favorite cultural traditions is the fiestas, we love to celebrate everything!! I love our food, our dances, and the fact that we are very family oriented. I love being Mexican and Puerto Rican, I get the best of both worlds!

What is something you wish others knew about Hispanic Heritage?

I wish others knew that not all Hispanics are the same. We do not all share the same traditions, values, or beliefs.

September 15, 2023

Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Jasmin Beltran-Cruz

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate and recognize the many contributions of individuals of Hispanic Heritage. At Family First Health, we are excited to shine a light on some of our Hispanic team members who contribute to our work and community every day

Today’s spotlight is on Jasmin Beltran-Cruz, who is a Business Office Supervisor on our Dental Team. Jasmin has been on the Family First Health team for 15 years. Read more to learn about Jasmin’s Hispanic Heritage, and how her heritage influences her work.

Site: Columbia and George Street

From what country do you or your family originate?

Puerto Rico

What does your heritage and Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

Hispanic Heritage Month means representing my culture and heritage.

How does your heritage influence the work you do?

The way my heritage influence works, it gives the ability to communicate and help our community with any challenges and resources they might need. I work directly with the FFH Mobile School Dentistry Program and I am able to assist students and parents that have language barriers.

What are some of your favorite family and/or cultural traditions?

My favorite family tradition is decorating for Christmas in October and “Parrandas”, the Puerto Rican version of caroling.

What is something you wish others knew about Hispanic Heritage?

I wish others knew how flamboyant, unify, caring and festive we are.

August 8, 2023

National Health Center Week and the Agricultural Worker Program: Improving Access and Healthy Outcomes for Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers

Family First Health has partnered with Keystone Health since 2011 to provide services through the Agricultural Worker Program. These services, which include primary medical and dental care, behavioral health and substance use support, focus on the needs of migrant and seasonal workers.

Family First Health took some time recently to speak with Melanie Finkenbinder, MD, MPH, who serves as the medical director for the program. Dr. Finkenbinder also provides direct patient care at the Family First Health Gettysburg Center and at her primary care clinic in Gardners, PA.

Can you explain for us how farm workers and seasonal workers learn about the program and access services? 

Yes. Agricultural workers have an exceptionally difficult time accessing health care services and preventative health services.

They are generally very isolated. Many of them come here for just several months of the year. Many don’t know their way around the area.

Many have very little knowledge of the American healthcare system and how it works, and most lack transportation to be able to get themselves to a primary care clinic or even to urgent care or to the emergency room.

The Keystone Health Agricultural Worker Program has outreach teams throughout the state. Their job is to find agricultural workers and agricultural employers, and areas where agricultural workers might be living; to reach out to them at home or at work to inform them about the program; and help them access health care services directly at our clinic or through the program’s contract with Family First Health.

When an individual or family connects with Family First Health, typically for primary medical care, we use a coordinated care approach to address their needs in a comprehensive manner. How does that work with a population that might be transient or seasonal, where you may only see them during a specific time of the year?

Like Family First Health, the goal of Keystone Health is to be a patient-centered medical home, and to facilitate connecting agricultural workers throughout the state with other patient-centered medical homes that can not only provide preventative care and primary care services for them while they’re in the United States or while they’re in the Pennsylvania area, but that can also help to facilitate transfer of care wherever they go when they migrate.

Keystone Health also has a relationship with the Migrant Clinician Network, which works with patients to continue their care, access testing, or find a specialist when they migrate or move from our service area.

Although the Agricultural Worker Program relies on that network to help transfer care, while agricultural workers are here the program depends on organizations like Family First Health, that offers more comprehensive primary care that includes behavioral health, dentistry, and substance use services. Family First Health community health workers or care coordinators can help patients apply for financial assistance, identify other social determinants of health that might prevent them from receiving services, and share with them other community resources – just like we would for any of our other patients. And when a patient needs a specialist visit, Family First Health uses its resources to facilitate appropriate referrals.

Do you have an experience with a particular patient or family that you can share with us that demonstrates how we were able to make a difference in their health care as a result of the program?

Yes, I have a particular patient in mind: a young man who came into our care system several years ago. He was just 22 years old at the time, and was someone who may not have sought care if it had not been for the program’s outreach services.

He came to us because he was experiencing fatigue and pain in his knees. One of the program’s bilingual providers picked up on the fact that this wasn’t the typical case of fatigue or knee pain, did some blood work, and found that this 22 year-old man had end stage renal failure.

Luckily, we were able to find the individual and help him get to the emergency room. He ended up needing dialysis treatment, and being able to afford everything because he had access to emergency medical assistance that’s available to people who are uninsured. He was able to get ongoing dialysis for the remainder of the time that he was here in the United States. And he was able to continue working.

Once he’d been discharged back to the community, he continued to follow up, and the program was able to continue to address his medical needs and to coordinate his care with specialists.

He is on track to live a long life, but if there had not been a program that was able to reach out to him and provide these resources, and if there had not been community health centers like Keystone Health and Family First Health to help coordinate his care and to push it every step of the way to make sure that he got everything he needed, I think there’s a very good chance that he would have had a poor outcome.

The whole safety net really served this patient well because of a patient-centered medical home that was able to put together, and keep together, all the pieces. Community health centers, like Family First Health, that know how to reach out to patients and understand their needs and social determinants of health, provide the “glue” necessary to ensure everything stays together for a good outcome.

To hear the complete story and the inspiring outcome for this health care experience, view below.

 

The Agricultural Worker Program is open to migrant or seasonal farmworkers and dependent family members. Workers must show proof of agricultural employment to register. Once registered, the farmworker will be issued a card that can be used at Family First Health sites to receive services for a small co-pay.

For more information about the program, visit: keystonehealth.org/keystoneagworkerprogram/.

August 6, 2023

National Health Center Week and Public Health in Housing: Family First Health Teams with HUD to Provide Mobile Community Medical Services

“HUD’s partnership with Family First Health has been vitally important to improving the health outcomes of individuals in underserved communities and this partnership continues to grow as Family First Health expands its access to more HUD-assisted properties.” ~ Brandon Porinchak, Senior Management Analyst, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Field Policy and Management

National Health Center Week runs from August 6th through the 12th with each day highlighting the important work health centers, like Family First Health, do day in and day out. You can find the list of each day’s theme here. To kickoff National Health Center Week 2023, and to recognize “Public Health in Housing” day, we want to shine a light on our Community Medical Program work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to improve public health in their housing properties in underserved communities. 

Family First Health’s collaborative work with HUD approved housing began in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, our Community Medical Program provided free COVID-19 vaccines, for both adults and children, COVID-19 education, and PCR testing. The Community Medical Team had the ability to come onsite to eliminate barriers to the residents to receive vaccines and testing. 

As we navigate out of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Community Medical Program has been back in contact with HUD properties about providing health screenings, referrals to care, and health education. The team has been at HUD approved housing facilities in Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties during the past few months. In that time, they have done three blood pressure events where they have done 44 blood pressure checks to residents. The team has also linked residents to Family First Health services and assisted with insurance needs.

For the residents of HUD properties, having our Community Medical Program coming onsite and providing these services is breaking down any potential barrier that they may have previously had, such as transportation. The residents are able to walk downstairs to the community room where the team is set up, meet with an RN, get their blood pressure checked, and receive health information, or talk to a Community Health Worker about social or insurance needs. 

Currently, the Community Medical Program is at two HUD approved sites for monthly visits. From these monthly visits, the team is able to track monthly trends among the residents. Any HUD approved housing in Columbia, Gettysburg, Lebanon, and York looking to have our team come onsite and provide services can contact our Community Medical Program Manager at 717-845-817 ext. 4876.

June 2, 2023

Gun Violence Affecting the York County Community: 2022 Data Analysis

As we recognize National Gun Violence Awareness Month in June, it’s important for us to reflect upon the data that captures information on the incidences of gun violence in the York community. In 2022, the York County coroner, Pamela Gay, reported on the effects of gun violence in York County, with data on homicides and suicides from gunshot wounds. A total of 59 York County residents died as a result of gun violence during the year, indicating the gun violence is a critical, dangerous issue affecting the health of our community. Below is some data that shows the prevalence of gun violence in York County.

Gunshot wounds resulted in the homicides of 23 York County residents in 2023. Of these, 3 victims were female and 20 were male. The majority of the homicides, 19, occurred in York City; however, homicides also occurred in Shrewsbury, Hanover, Red Lion, and West Manchester Township. The ages of the victims ranged from 17 to 66 years old, with about half of the victims being under the age of 30 years old. In April, four homicides occurred over a two-day period (April 13-14), while there were no homicides reported in the months of October through November.

Gun violence resulting in suicide in York County outpaced homicides with a total of 36 in 2022. Similarly to the homicide rates, suicides affected 3 female victims in the County, while the remaining 33 were male. Compared to the homicides detailed above, suicides represented a much broader geographic diversity of York County, with suicides being reported from Brogue to York Haven and many communities in between. Geographically, 11 of the suicides occurred in York City, while the remaining 25 were outside the city. Outside of York City, the locations reporting three or more suicides over the past year included Dover, Red Lion, and Thomasville. The ages of the suicide victims ranged from 21 to 90 years old. Suicides occurred every month of the year, with June and September resulting in the most deaths, with five each.

The data above, while representative of lives lost in our communities, does not fully capture the effects of gun violence in York. Each of these lives lost left friends and families behind, who struggle to understand how their loved one could fall victim to gun violence. They often have difficult times processing the senselessness of the losses, and suffer both physically and mentally having been a witness or losing a friend or family member. Our providers at Family First Health have seen first-hand the effects of gun violence on our patients. More information about how our patients have been affected can be found here.

June 2, 2023

The Toll of Gun Violence on our Patients

Gun violence can affect someone’s health in more ways than just the physical damage, even including those who were not directly involved in the violence. Our providers here at Family First Health have experienced firsthand how gun violence can take a toll on someone from some of their patients.

Those experiences, whether witnessing a murder, being held at gunpoint, or just living on a street where there’s gun violence affect someone’s day to day living and have daily struggles well beyond when the violence took place. After witnessing the murder of a parent, a patient’s struggles of PTSD, depression, and substance dependence became a daily obstacle and is still an obstacle to this day, 15-20 years after it took place. 

Other patients who experienced the death of a loved one or just having gun violence on their block often experience significant clinical depression, feelings of shame and guilt, anxiety, and social isolation which become barriers to addressing their biopsychosocial needs.

One provider has dealt with multiple 15 year old patients who have been caught in the crossfire of gun violence having to remove bullet fragments from a patient’s back and another patient now not being able to see out of one eye after bullets going through their head, arm, and leg.

Gun violence is not just subjected to adults as they have seen teenagers who have been caught up in gun violence. A younger patient, scared about gun violence, reported that they had a gun hidden away in their backpack in case of an intruder breaking into the school.

Hear from some of our providers on how exposure to gun violence increases a patient’s lifelong health issues: 

Dr. Luis Garcia, MD, George Street Center: “Increased levels of exposure to gun violence increase the level of stress which results in high risk of depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and much more.”

Christina Little, LPC, George Street Center: “Exposure to gun violence can shatter a person’s sense of safety which has large rippling effects on how a person goes through and experiences life, trusts in others, and the person’s ability to allow the level of vulnerability needed to ask for help and support.” 

Helen Madea, LCSW, George Street and Lebanon Center: “It keeps their system in fight or flight, making it difficult to regulate their emotions and problem solve basic needs.”

The effects of gun violence are real, and take a heavy toll, physically and mentally, on those affected, either having been a direct victim or witness. Understanding these tolls helps our providers give the best possible care to those affected by gun violence in our communities.

February 14, 2023

Reflection on Melissa Ensminger’s almost 40 years at Family First Health

“Don’t ever give up on your dreams. You can do this. You have to take care of yourself, but you can do this.”

~ Melissa Ensminger, Registered Nurse

Melissa “Missi” Ensminger has served her community for almost 40 years working in various roles at Family First Health. Most notably, Missi worked as a Registered Nurse in our Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program working with first time mothers for 20 years. She joined FFH in 1983, which was when FFH was known as York Health Corporation. Not only did Missi see a name change during her tenure, but also she saw the additions of new centers being opened, more medical services being offered such as Integrated Substance Use Services and Integrated Behavioral Health Services, and community health programs being offered including NFP and Caring Together. Missi was initially drawn to FFH because it was a better fit for her family life at the time and the ability to continue serving low-income clients. She stayed because she fell in love with what FFH is about, the mission, vision, and values. In particular, Missi loved that nobody got turned away due to their inability to pay or insurance status.

 

As a NFP nurse, she worked with lots of first time mothers over the year but with each baby, she always asked the same two questions; “Are you going to be a president one day? What’s your life going to look like?” She did that with each baby she has worked with because Missi believed that the sky is the limit for them. Working with these mothers, it felt like reading a book on their lives to Missi, even if it was just a snippet of their life. “You’re opening the first chapter of their story and each visit you’re flipping the page for the next chapter and you try to prepare for what’s next, but the story could have taken twists and turns along the way until we graduate them from the program and close that piece of the story in the book of their life.” After the mothers graduate from the program, Missi always thanks the families for allowing her to be part of their journey and being a piece of their story.

One story that will always stick out to Missi from her time as a NFP nurse was of a young mother who had a tough upbringing.  When they first met, Missi told the mom, “It’s going to be hard. I will be your cheerleader. I am here for you. You’re going to have to do the work, but I’ll be here for you.” Those words stuck with the young mom as it was the first time hearing those words from anyone. The young mother went on to graduate from high school with honors and invited Missi to the graduation because of the influence Missi had on her life. The mother worked at McDonald’s, went on to get her driver’s license, was able to get her own car, and get her own housing. She then invited Missi to see the house and all of the things they got in their house such as items like shower curtains. To some people these things are little baby steps, but for her they were huge things and she was proud of them. Right before the mother was about to graduate from NFP, she invited Missi over to her house for an unscheduled visit. She wanted Missi to be the first person to see her wedding gown. A year had passed since the mother graduated from the program but she called Missi letting her know that the little girl turned 3 years old that day and to let Missi know that they loved her. The last time Missi saw the mom was when the mother was climbing into her limo in her wedding dress yelling out at Missi, “I love you, Nurse Missi!”

Missi did not see herself as a cheerleader to just the first time mothers she was working with, but she also tried to be a cheerleader to her fellow colleagues over the years. Through all the years of serving her community, Missi is thankful for the opportunity to have been part of all of the adventures and journeys of all who she came across while working at FFH.

Missi, from all of Family First Health, we wish you the best in your journey of retirement and we love you!

December 14, 2022

“You should be recognized for the work you do.” How a donor decided to make a major gift to Family First Health

Recently, Family First Health received a major gift from a donor in the Gettysburg area. The donor, who never had any interaction with FFH in the past, came to us on the recommendation of his own primary care provider, and personal friend. The doctor, who practices at a group practice and at the local emergency department, shared why he directed the donor to us. He said that he had recently asked him “Where can my money do some good in healthcare this year?” Without hesitation, the doctor told him that he should consider Family First Health. “I truly appreciate the work you do. I don’t know where we’d be without you and so I suggested to him that’s somewhere his money could really do some good.” He continued, “I know some of your providers and we all really appreciate the work you do.”

After this recommendation, the donor contacted us and asked for more information about who we are and what we do in the community. We invited him to our Gettysburg practice for a tour and to share more about our mission and how we provide medical and dental care to residents of Adams County who might otherwise struggle to access quality healthcare. On the tour, he was able to ask questions of two of our dentists, as well as other members of our care team. We had a conversation about why patients come to us, especially those without health insurance.

The question was posed: given all of the options, especially with the Affordable Care Act, why were some community members still without insurance? There are a few reasons, including challenges for patients who are undocumented and ineligible to receive health insurance, working families who can’t afford the premiums available to them through the insurance exchange, or patients who have barriers that prevent them from getting insurance such as not having access to the Internet or not understanding the process. While there are some reasons we cannot change, our team does work with uninsured patients to sign up for insurance that they can afford and they are eligible to receive. They also educate the patients about our sliding fee scale that makes their visits affordable, regardless of their insurance status.

At Family First Health we pride ourselves on being the accessible healthcare provider in the community to anyone who needs our care. Our mission sums up why we do what we do every day: “We improve lives: in big and small ways. From high quality health services and innovative partnerships to daily acts of compassion. In all ways, we work together to improve lives.” We are proud that other healthcare providers in the community recognize the importance of our mission, and the work that we do to support the health needs of the community. We are grateful that the donor decided to make a gift to Family First Health, and that he made the gift in honor of his friend who guided him to us.

November 10, 2022

Our Mobile School Dentist Program ensures healthy smiles for Columbia school students

 

This year Family First Health is highlighting our Mobile School Dentist Program in Columbia during the Extra Give day of giving. Your support ensures that we are able to provide needed oral health care to children in the Columbia community directly in their schools.

In August 2020, Family First Health opened its dental location at 430 Walnut Street in Columbia. This bricks-and-mortar site offers comprehensive dental care, including cleanings, exams, x-rays, extractions, dentures, fillings, root canals, fluoride treatment, and sealants for patients of all ages.

Knowing that good oral health is especially important for pediatric patients, Family First Health launched its mobile school dentist program in the Columbia schools, bringing services directly to the children during the school day in their schools. With three visits per year, the dental team sees each student multiple times through the year. Services include state mandated school screenings and preventative care.

The dental team sets up a mobile dentist office inside the school, usually in a gym, cafeteria, or library. The team serves students from all ages in Columbia, from Kindergarten through 12th grade. School nurses support the program by serving as point-person for the visits, and distribute and collect signed registration forms and coordinate communication with the dental team. Once treated by the Mobile School Dentist Program, the student becomes a dental patient at FFH, giving them a dental home. Students receive the following care:

  • Visual screening with mirror and explorer
  • Dental exam
  • X-rays
  • Cleanings 
  • Oral hygiene instruction 
  • Fluoride
  • Sealants.

Parents receive a report card after each visit so they can learn about the care their child received and if they require follow up care for an issue, such as a filling for a cavity. For dental needs that cannot be met in the school setting, FFH offers appointments at the conveniently located bricks-and-mortar site in Columbia.

The parent’s insurance gets billed for the services that their child receives through this program. If a family does not have dental insurance, FFH insurance eligibility staff work to educate the student’s parents with potential insurance options and assist them with enrolling in a qualified insurance plan. Additionally, FFH has a sliding fee scale to support families without insurance, so they are able to afford the dental care for their child.

This program benefits students because they are ensured regular oral health care throughout their school years. Because they are treated in a familiar setting within their school, some anxiety that rises when entering a traditional dental office can be reduced. Parents benefit because of a decreased need to take time off work or transport their child to a dentist, which could mean time out of school for the student.

Family First Health is proud to offer this service to students in the Columbia School District. This video details more information about this innovative program and how it benefits the community. Our team looks forward to continuing this partnership into the future, ensuring healthy smiles for Columbia students!

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