This free Public Health program connects you to medical services, more

A new free service through Henry County Public Health aims to connect clients to services beyond just medical to help them reach optimal health.

Associates with the Public Health program called Care Links, Angie Rhum and Lori Bolin, are available to meet with clients to assist them with everything from health insurance guidance, food or housing assistance, prescription medication questions and even assistance in getting a job.

'We can be the other hand of the physician,” Bolin said. 'They don't have time in the medical office to ask what else is going on in your life. They take care of diabetes or hypertension or cholesterol, but we can sit down and talk with you to see what else is going on in your life you're struggling with.”

Care Links is a HRSA-funded program, a $1 million three-year grant from the federal government. Care Links fits into the broader vision of HRSA by increasing awareness of existing resources and services and connecting people to those services.

Care Links is currently a self-referral program. Care Links questionairres can be found at Family Medicine, the Emergency Room, the Mt. Pleasant Library and Hillcrest Family Services.

They ask questions such as did you ever eat less than you felt you should because there wasn't enough money for food? Do you have concerns about your current living situation?; do you have trouble paying your utility bills? Do any members of your household need health or dental insurance? Have you ever had to go without health care because you didn't have a way to get there?

Questions are a simple 'yes” or 'no.” Participants can add their name and contact information to the questionnaire, and a Care Links associate will give them a call to see how they can be of assistance.

Bolin said she worked with one client who was 'overwhelmed and it was affecting her daily living.”

Bolin encouraged the client and helped her make an appointment with her doctor to discuss some symptoms and helped her speak with her insurance about covering the cost of the appointment.

'I checked back in with her and she was like a whole new person,” Bolin said.

Rhum said that a lot of times people are just afraid to make those phone calls.

'They don't know what to say. If they want to make the phone call with us next to them, that's OK. The big picture is teaching them how to navigate the system and try to become self-sufficient,” Rhum said.

Bolin said that relying on self referrals are difficult, but there has been some 'real success” with the few clients they've worked with.

Rhum said that a person's life makes up 50 percent of their health. Life includes income, early childhood development, disability, education, gender, race, and access to safe, nutritious food and housing. Health care makes up 25 percent of a person's health, biology is 15 percent and environment such as air quality and infrastructure is 10 percent.

These social determinants of health can impact a person's overall health and well-being.

Another program related to Care Links that will help residents find medical services, and services for food, transportation and behavioral health services in their area is healthyhenrycounty.auntbertha.com.

The website is free to use. Public Health is working to get every service available in Henry County listed on the website.

Other programs funded by HRSA is SEIBUS's free medical transportation. From July to December 2018, SEIBUS's general ridership - people who did not use it for free medical transportation - doubled from the year before.

'We can't take all the credit,” said Kelly Carr, director of HHCC, adding that she thinks advertising the free medical transportation may have encouraged people to try the service and continue using it for general transportation.

Advertising Hillcrest Family Services same-day crisis appointments on KILJ with HRSA funds has also proven successful. Bolin said within the first week of ads, Hillcrest was receiving phone calls from people requesting a same-day appointment.

Henry County HRSA's grant ends June 2020, but Carr plans to reapply for the grant through Public Health.

Even if the county doesn't receive a second HRSA grant, HRSA Action Team members plan to continue the work they've been doing, rebranding themselves as the Local Health Pulse Alliance.

'Eventually, HRSA money will go away, but we will still need this team,” Bolin said.

'We wanted a name that was more reflective - really what we're doing is keeping a pulse on the health of the community and what the needs are,” Carr said.

For more information about Care Links or other programs or to request a meeting with an associate, call Public Health at 319-385-0779 or email Angie Rhum at arhum@henrycountyiowa.us or Lori Bolin at lbolin@henrycountyiowa.us.