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Family First Health

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News

April 20, 2023

Dr. Luis Garcia Recognized as a Health Care Hero

For Immediate Release

York, PA. On April 4, 2023, Central Penn Business Journal hosted their annual “Health Care Heroes” awards to recognize excellence, promote innovation, and honor the efforts of organizations and individuals making a significant impact on the quality of health care in our area.

Family First Health is pleased to share that Dr. Luis Garcia, our Chief Medical Information Officer, received a “Physician Hero” award, which honors a physician who displays exemplary performance in his/her field and whose services benefit our local communities.

Dr. Garcia joined Family First Health in 2014. A practicing family physician, he provides primary care and family medicine services to adults and children at the George Street Center, and has proven to be a trusted advocate for the Spanish speaking patient population.

“The achievement of any family doctor can’t be measured in the typical way we think of achievements,” Garcia noted. “Family medicine is a medicine of relationships. It’s not the number of patients seen, procedures done, or lives saved but how the relationship affected the individual patient’s life.”

Dr. Garcia is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians, and serves on the board of FACTS, an organization to promote and educate medical professionals about awareness based fertility methods.

His hobbies and interests include spending time with his family, traveling, and photography. He is also a writer and avid gardener, growing much of his own produce to support a healthy diet for his family.

About Family First Health

Founded in 1970, Family First Health is a nonprofit, Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality health care at 8 convenient locations in Adams, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties. Family First Health strives to improve the health of all members of the communities we serve through primary medical and dental care and a wide range of community health programs. Our uniquely qualified team of health care professionals creates an environment that is patient-centered, helping patients to live happier, healthier lives. For more information, visit www.familyfirsthealth.org. Se habla Español.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Amy Chamberlin | 717-801-4808 | achamberlin@familyfirsthealth.org

Category iconPress Releases

February 22, 2023

CBS21: Community health program addresses maternity healthcare gap

ADAMS COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) – One community health program is looking to address higher mortality concerns among low-income women who feel unseen and unheard by the healthcare system. Organizers say a lot of falls back on accessibility.

“As a first time parent, you have no idea what you’re doing and you’re scared,” Hailey McKee told CBS 21 News’ Samantha York.

McKee gave birth to her daughter, Penelope, 15 months ago. She was immediately hit with the harsh reality so many other parents are facing: inflated expenses.

“$27 for a big pack of diapers that might last you a month,” McKee explained. “And that’s generic brand.”

Rising costs are straining young families. Baby formula spiked 30% in the last three years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wipes are up over 10% in price.

“How am I going to be able to do this?” McKee questioned when she learned she was pregnant.

McKee turned to Family First Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership program, which promotes health equity.

“We’re meeting these women in the places where they need it the most,” Nurse-Family Partnership Program Manager and Nurse Supervisor Lisa Lathrop explained. “When they can sometimes feel the most vulnerable.”

In Pennsylvania, over 24% of counties don’t have full access to maternity care, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. It leaves nearly 200,000 residents in need of support.

“Even though I was working, I mean, we still didn’t have much,” McKee recalled.

“Young women, in particular, I think often times women who are living with lower income, they feel very unheard and unseen in their health appointments,” Lathrop continued.

“I think a lot of times with the healthcare system that you’re just left to figure it out on your own,” McKee said.

Nurse-Family Partnership recognizes a lack of health coverage keeps low-income parents from the care they need. Instead, they’re meeting them where they are: at home.

“They’re always there,” McKee said.

“Being that we only serve first-time pregnant mothers who meet income guidelines, we’re serving people who we can make the biggest difference in their lives,” Lathrop added.

The program connects expectant mothers to a registered nurse, free of charge, who becomes their personal healthcare provider and guides them through pregnancy and the first two years of the child’s life.

“I feel like it gave me confidence, even when I was in one of my darkest times,” McKee explained. “Because you’re in survival mode.”

“They’re more motivated to provide a better life for their own child than what they might have had when they were a child,” Lathrop said.

The community health program also refers parents to other support groups to help the family become economically self-sufficient.

“Having them get a car seat for me and, you know, stuff my car full of clothes was like a huge weight off my shoulders,” McKee recalled. “Because I felt like a bad mom.”

Those behind the program say it enables those stuck in a healthcare gap to feel seen and heard.

“They have felt empowers to ask more questions of their healthcare providers,” Lathrop explained.

“You have to be your own advocate,” McKee said. “And just keep going at them until somebody hears you.”

Those interested can contact the program’s team at 717-843-6330 or 717-916-4099. They can also email dcaraballo@familyfirsthealth.org or clathrop@familyfirsthealth.org.

More information about the program can be found here.

Watch the video here

Category iconIn the News

February 21, 2023

CBS21: Program offers nurse support to low-income expectant mothers

YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) – According to the World Health Organization, the U.S. has the highest mortality rate for mothers among high income countries. Black mothers are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications.

Family First Health is meeting expectant mothers in the places they need it most. Its Nurse-Family Partnership program connects mothers to a registered nurse for support through their pregnancy at no charge.

Those behind the program say a lack of health coverage is often a barrier for low-income parents to get the care they need and they often feel unseen and unheard by the healthcare system.

“Being that we only serve first-time pregnant mothers who meet income guidelines, we’re serving people who we can make the biggest difference in their lives,” said Nurse-Family Partnership Program Manager and Nurse Supervisor for Adam and York City Lisa Lathrop.

Nurse-Family Partnership services include:

  • The support to have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby
  • Board Certified Lactation Consultants and Certified Lactation Counselors on Staff to help with breastfeeding
  • Certified Car Seat technician to assist with safe car seat installation
  • Spanish speaking in-home interpreter
  • The ability to learn and practice things that make you more confident as a mom, like breastfeeding, nutrition, child development, safe-sleep techniques, and much more
  • Referrals for healthcare, childcare, job training, and other support services available in your community
  • Support to continue your education, develop job skills, or follow your dreams for the future

Women who are pregnant with their first child, pregnant 28 weeks or less and meet income requirements are eligible.

In the Nurse-Family Partnership program, nurses are available until the child is two years old.

Those interested can contact the program’s team at 717-843-6330 or 717-916-4099. They can also email dcaraballo@familyfirsthealth.org or clathrop@familyfirsthealth.org.

More information about the program can be found here.

Watch the video here

Category iconIn the News

February 17, 2023

WITF: Pennsylvania dentists discuss oral health during Children’s Dental Health Month

According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 1 in 5 children between the ages of 5 and 11 have at least one untreated decaying tooth and children between the ages of 5 and 19 are twice as likely to have cavities if they come from low-income households.

According to the University of Illinois College of Dentistry, there is a connection between oral health and a person’s overall health and well-being.

February is Children’s Dental Health Month and Dr. LaJuan Mountain, vice president of dental services at Family First Health, and Dr. Sam Mansour, Pennsylvania Dental Association’s statewide national children’s dental health month chair, joined us on The Spark Thursday to discuss the importance of children’s dental health, the barriers to receiving dental care and ways to overcome them.

Dr. Mountain said, a healthy mouth consists of firm and pink gums and no disruptions or discoloration in the enamel. She also said, oral health is not the general consensus that she is seeing in our communities because of a lack of accessibility, high costs, insurance challenges, dentist office schedules, a lack of oral health literacy and more.

On The Spark we also discussed the Family First Health’s Mobile School Dentist program that provides in-school dental care for all ages and grade levels in York, Adams and Lancaster County.

“It’s having a tremendous impact. I’ve been doing this program for almost a decade and I’m actually seeing kids that I first started to treat in Head Start, and they’re now in junior high. So that means we’ve actually followed kids throughout their entire academic life thus far, and we’re seeing improvement,” Dr. Mountain said. “We’re exposing them to the importance of their oral health, but also opportunities in health care, especially because the individuals we’re interacting with are often in that low socioeconomic environment.”

Listen to the podcast here

Category iconNews

February 6, 2023

CBS21: Family First Health advocates for school-based healthcare

YORK, Pa – Family First Health is raising awareness on the importance of healthcare for students for National School-Based Health Care Awareness Month

Throughout the country, there are 3,000 health centers on school grounds. One of them is the Hannah Penn Center at Hannah Penn K through Eight.

It’s York County’s only school-based health center.

More than 50% of the students at Hannah Penn are also patients of Family First Health.

Nikole Tome, the School-Based Health Center Manager at Family First Health’s Hannah Penn Center said, “The best thing is that for students, they are able to succeed in school. Obviously we need to meet those health needs so that they’re able to be the best they can be in a school setting. So we are helping to eliminate the barriers that they may have to receiving care.”

The health center is open to the community and offers a 24-hour on-call physician, language interpreters, a Health and Wellness Coach, and Community Health Workers.

It’s funded through the United Health Foundation.

Watch the video here

Category iconIn the News

January 12, 2023

FOX43: Fentanyl test strips decriminalized under new Pa. law

YORK, Pa. – A new law officially in effect in Pennsylvania no longer defines fentanyl test strips as drug paraphernalia.

The state legislature changed the law to protect people who unknowingly buy drugs that have been mixed with fentanyl to increase potency.

“It’s definitely become more dominant in the drug supply over recent years, to a point where a lot of people who use drugs, have just kind of assumed that what they’re using has fentanyl in it already,” said Alf Dirosa with the Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Network.

Fentanyl test strips are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of fentanyl in different kinds of drugs and drug forms.

“Fentanyl is often in anywhere from cocaine to marijuana,” said Jessie Hoffmaster with Family First Health.

According to health experts, the test strips are a low-cost way of attempting to prevent drug overdoses.

“People can test their drug supply and make sure there’s no fentanyl, therefore avoiding [an] accidental overdose,” said Hoffmaster.

Organizations believe that by allowing people to know if drugs are contaminated with fentanyl lives can be saved.

“Knowing how much lethal fentanyl can be compared to other opioids, it’s really helpful at reducing overdose deaths and making people more knowledgeable about what’s in the current drug supply,” said Alf Dirosa with the Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Network.

Health experts at Family First Health say they hope to soon be able to distribute fentanyl strips to the community.

“The hope is that having access to the testing strips, people can make sure that they are not accidentally ingesting this very fatal substance might help prevent overdose death,” said Hoffmaster.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, 78% of the 5,343 overdose deaths statewide in 2021 involved fentanyl.

Watch the video here

Category iconIn the News

December 8, 2022

FOX43: More Americans are skipping doctor appointments because of price concerns, experts say

YORK, Pa. – Local healthcare centers like Family First Health say they are seeing fewer patients coming in to get check-ups.

“Their child had an acute issue, they were sick, and they weren’t able to come in for care because they believed that they had to pay the bill and they didn’t have the money to pay the bill,” said Casey Fogle, Community Health Program Manager at Family First Health.

Inflation has caused prices to skyrocket and that has left many families having to choose whether it is worth stopping by the doctor’s office.

“We do have some families that are hesitant to come in due to cost of healthcare,” said Fogle.

A Gallup study shows four in 10 Americans in the past six months have delayed or skipped healthcare treatments due to the cost.

“People need to make a decision about putting food on the table, are they paying utility bill. If they have to come say, for a medical appointment, that makes them to take off work, which will be a decrease in income perhaps,” said Fogle.

Experts say skipping on your doctor’s appointment can have a detrimental impact on your health.

“They can get sicker right, and that could have them end up in the emergency department,” said Fogle.

They want families to know that there are affordable options available for people who cannot afford to get care.

“We’re fortunate to have our slight fee scale, which is a discount on care for anyone. we see everyone regardless on their ability to pay, regardless of if they have insurance or not,” Fogle explained.

The study by Gallop also showed that overall, 26% of adults reported delaying or avoiding medical care or purchasing prescription drugs in the prior six months due to higher healthcare prices.

Watch the video here

Category iconIn the News

Caring for the whole patient

December 5, 2022

CBS21: Inflation creating access to healthcare crisis among low-income patients, providers say

DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa (WHP) – Healthcare providers say inflation is fueling the access to care crisis among low-income patients.

“You have a health challenge and transportation issues or housing that is substandard, those things come together and make your health issues more challenging,” Community Progress Council President and CEO Robin Rohrbaugh said.

“If those challenges aren’t readily met, that’s going to impair how people do regarding their healthcare,” added Highmark Wholecare Chief Medical Officer Joseph Stankaitis.

“For people who are working, they’re trying to survive,” Family First Health Community Health Program Lead Celia Serrano said. “There is a huge amount of people that do not have insurance here in this community.”

Medical professionals are seeing low-income patients skip appointments they can’t afford.

“Once upon a time, I was in their shoes,” said Serrano.

She has spent the last two years at Family First Health, going into the community to connect those worried about making ends meet to care.

“For a point there, I was unemployed and I needed to be on public assistance,” Serrano explained. “So I know what a lot of this community goes through, I can relate to it.”

In York County, Serrano works with Haitian Creole patients, Hispanics, undocumented immigrants and those in the five-year waiting period of being lawfully in the U.S. She says many are unaware of the services available to them.

“One of the major barriers is language,” Serrano continued.

It’s a barrier seen at Community Progress Council, too, which also tries to streamline the process of finding insurance coverage for low-income patients.

“If you’re not feeling well and you’re trying to navigate through housing services and transportation and healthcare and food programs, you just don’t have the capacity to do it,” Rohrbaugh said.

And more health insurers are recognizing this need. Highmark Wholecare offers a Medicare Dual Special Needs non-medical package for patients who have both chronic health problems and live in poverty.

“Because the population that we serve is incredibly challenged,” Stankaitis continued.

AmeriHealth Caritas, UPMC Health Plan and Pennie insurance are among others offering more care at less cost.

“It levels the playing field,” Stankaitis added.

Serrano says, with so many patients coming in without insurance, Family First Health also offers a slide fee which allows them to pay for clinical care based on their income to address one of the biggest concerns they hear.

“They’re afraid that they cannot get quality healthcare,” she said, advocating more education on resources is needed.

Watch the video here

Category iconIn the News

December 2, 2022

Drs. LaJuan and Joseph Mountain Received Changemakers Award

For Immediate Release

York, PA. On Thursday, December 1, 2022, the York County Economic Alliance hosted their annual “Changemakers” Awards to celebrate the talent and drive of individuals of color making things happen in the York community. Awardees are also featured in the local Changemaker magazine edition.

Family First Health is pleased to share that Dr. LaJuan Mountain and Dr. Joseph Mountain, our Vice Presidents of Dental Services, received the “Builders” award. This recognizes their work to “strive to provide healthcare to all families in order to lead better lives.”

Besides being dental providers at FFH, the Doctors Mountain founded the organization’s Mobile School Dentist Program that takes the dentist office directly into schools and childcare centers so students receive oral health care and are provided with a dental home at FFH. The program, launched in 2015, has provided care for thousands of pre-school and school-aged children across our service area. For more information about this innovative program, click here: https://www.familyfirsthealth.org/mobile-school-dentist-program.

About Family First Health

Founded in 1970, York Health Corporation, now Family First Health, is a non-profit, federally qualified health center dedicated to providing a broad range of primary health, dental care and social services at its sites on South George Street in York, Columbia, Gettysburg, Hanover, Hannah Penn K-8 School, Lebanon, and Lewisberry. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Family First Health offers a reduced fee program for the uninsured and accepts most other health insurances. For more information regarding the programs and services offered through Family First Health, please visit the website at www.familyfirsthealth.org. Se habla Español.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Amy Chamberlin | 717-801-4808 | achamberlin@familyfirsthealth.org

Category iconPress Releases

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