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Family First Health

A community health care center

Catch us on the airwaves

Do you listen to Community 106.1? Well, you should.

Because in addition to great community content, you can hear information from your favorite health center — that’s right… US!

We’ve teamed up with Community 106.1 to offer a few “medical minutes” each month.

What’s up for February?

National Children’s Dental Health Month

American Heart Month

Wise Health Care Consumer Month

Take a listen!
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Free parenting classes sending the right message

It started with one of our providers noticing that many parents of her pediatric patients seemed to be frustrated with some of their children’s behavior and maybe they could use some help.

Enter Shane Moore, our patient care coordinator. Working with patients to see what they would like to see (and when), Family First Health now brings in our friends from Family Child Resources once a month to provide FREE parenting classes. Plus we’ll entertain your kids during class.

During warmer months, the class has seen 16 or so people. Many of them are new faces each time. The classes started in May, and Shane’s calculated that they’ve helped 34 individuals.

January’s class met last night, and I got the chance to sit in. The topic was self-esteem and that how you feel about yourself can influence how you parent. Full disclosure — I am not a parent, but there are many tools to dealing with people (and kids) that you can take from this.

It was great to see parents opening up about how their own parents shaped how they want to be (or don’t want to be) with their own kids. The things we hear as kids — “You can be anything you want to be,” “You’ll never amount to much” — can affect how we see ourselves.

At one point, we started talking about “labels” we use to describe our kids. Even negative ones — when fostered correctly — can lead to great things later in life. Say your kid is stubborn now, hopefully that will lead to a more persistent and focused adult.

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Another great takeaway was:

“Your attention is your biggest tool as a parent.”

If you encourage and reinforce your child’s good behavior, they’ll continue to act that way to receive praise. If they only get your attention when they do something wrong, they’ll continue to misbehave.

Personally, it was really cool to see patients opening up about parenting — their successes, their fears of not doing it right. Even in their struggles, you can see how much they care.

At one point, our Family Child Resources instructor mentioned a quote that really stuck with me and Shane. She told a patient:

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We all try to do what we can for others, but in the end, you have to take care of yourself (and your kids). What powerful words to live by whether or not you’re a parent.

Interested in the next class? Contact Shane by calling 717-801-4838 or email him at smoore@familyfirsthealth.org.

Filling a dental need

20151027_093129Who loves teeth as much as this guy? We do.

I just wanted to share something with you guys that really reminded me of the good work that’s done here.

I was checking on other dentist offices in the Hanover-Adams County area that accept Medicaid patients. There are a LOT of dentists in Hanover-Adams. A lot. Only two in the whole area do accept Medicaid — and one of them is Family First Health.

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Why? Well, Medicaid doesn’t really offer a lot to dentists who accept Medicaid in terms of reimbursement. So it’s easier and more cost efficient for many to just say no. Many offices offer other payment plans for potential patients. Here, we do both.

We treat the whole patient at Family First Health — mouth. Because a healthy mouth is an important part of a healthy you.

Checking for other Medicaid options in the area was a frustrating experience. Say you’ve got a tooth in serious pain — I can’t imagine checking with as many places that I did today.

So don’t give up, patients. Here at Family First Health, we want to help you and your teeth.

Come and see us at our three sites that offer dental services – York, Hanover and Gettysburg. We also take our dental tools into the schools to reach kids where they learn and get them started on good oral care.

WOW card winners for December

 

wowcardDid you know that at Family First Health we have “WOW” cards?

It’s a chance for staff to nominate other employees who they see doing something the exemplify our guiding principals.

What are our principals you may ask:

“Patient Centered” – “Respectful” – “Serves Everyone” – “Fiscally Responsible” – “ Continuous Improvement and Innovation” – “Integrity” – “Collaborative”

Not only does the employee, supervisor and CEO get to see who’s WOWing who in the office, but each month, a drawing done by HR will choose the winners of 3 $50 Giant gift cards.

Shane Moore – Patient Care Coordinator– GSC
Nominated by: Linda Shearer, Medical Reception – Hanover Center
Shane helped a patient setup portal accounts for 2 family members after they were deleted. He called the patient and got everything figured out!! It was a great help when I wasn’t sure how to help the patient.

Jennifer Flory – PCT, MA – Hanover Center
Nominated by: Lori Garman, PCT, LPN – Hanover Center
Jen consistently cleans rooms, the lab, vacuums room, and helps close the office when it isn’t necessarily her role. It is so much appreciated.

Jessica Shive – PCT, MA – Gettysburg Center
Nominated by: Carolyn Deloe, CRNP – Gettysburg Center
Jess consistently takes the time to help out with any of our teams, even when she is busy. Thank you!!

HIV testing – how are we doing?

Nurse educator Brittany Hanchett gets tested to show how easy it is on World AIDS Day.
Nurse educator Brittany Hanchett gets tested to show how easy it is on World AIDS Day.

You may or may not know that here at Family First Health, we offer free HIV testing Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

You might also know that we go out into the community to events and to test people who might be at a high risk for contracting HIV. In a recent newsletter, our Caring Together staff took a look at how many tests we’ve been doing and the demographics of the population we’re reaching.

Our Linkage to Care Coordinator Tadd Hoffman has lead NINE testing events this past quarter — testing more than 100 people combined. HIV testing took place at White Deer Run, Penn State York, Colonial House and Millersville’s Pridefest.

From July 1 to Dec. 31, here’s a snapshot of just who is getting tested:

  • 59% of them are white. 21% are black, 15% identify as other.
  • 82% are non-Hispanic.
  • 56% are men.
  • 65% have been tested previously.

Getting tested is as easy as a simple, finger prick and 5 minute wait. Know your status and come in today.

Questions? Call (717) 846-6776, or just stop by the Caring Together office on the third floor of our York office at 116 S. George St.

Learn more about what Caring Together has to offer.

Need some tax preparation help?

taxesThe holidays are over and it may seem a little early to start thinking about taxes. While there are a few months to go before things need to be filed, if you need help, start planning now.

SpiriTrust Lutheran sent over a flier today about their Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program which gives FREE tax help to households that made $54,000 or less in 2015. It also has free online self-assisted tax preparation for homes making $62,000 or less in 2015.

IRS-certified volunteers can do free basic, state and local income tax returns and inform taxpayers about special tax credits. SpiriTrust Lutheran has sites at Hanover, Red Lion, Shrewsbury and York.

There are three ways to get these folks to help with your taxes.

  1. Do it in person — Call 717-854-2244 starting Jan. 11 to schedule an appointment.
  2. Drop it off — You drop off your materials, and they do the work for you. Once the return is complete, you come back in to review before sending.
  3. Do it online — Visit myfreetaxes.com/VITAYork to complete and file your taxes. While anyone can do this online, it is free to homes that made less than $62,000 in 2015.

So call 717-854-2244 and set up a time Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to get some help with your taxes.

WOW card winners for November

wowcardDid you know that at Family First Health we have “WOW” cards?

It’s a chance for staff to nominate other employees who they see doing something the exemplify our guiding principals.

What are our principals you may ask:

“Patient Centered” – “Respectful” – “Serves Everyone” – “Fiscally Responsible” –  “ Continuous Improvement and Innovation” – “Integrity” – “Collaborative”

Not only does the employee, supervisor and CEO get to see who’s WOWing who in the office, but each month, a drawing done by HR will choose the winners of 3 $50 Giant gift cards.

[Read more…] about WOW card winners for November

York’s dental staff sponsors family’s Christmas

It all started with a man coming in for his dental checkup with his 2-year-old grandson, Jaxyn, in tow. A photo circulated around the George Street dental staff.

A grandfather unable to walk well, still willing to get on the floor to talk teeth and play with his grandson.
A grandfather unable to walk well, still willing to get on the floor to talk teeth and play with his grandson.

Gary and Marty are raising their three grandchildren — Gracey, age 10; Carly, age 7, and 2-year-old Jaxyn. They didn’t have enough money to do Christmas this year. So that’s where dental stepped in.

Today, the family stopped by for a surprise. And boy, were they surprised. The gifts just kept on coming for all three kids, and of course — Grandma and Grandpa. The staff also got Jaxyn a new bed and mattress, which he immediately started jumping on.

20151221_123713“We haven’t had a Christmas in years,” Gary said, opening his gifts of pj pants, new shoes and more. “It’s all about the kids.”

Marty spent most of her time bouncing from grandkid to grandkid as they showed off their new dolls, nail polish, clothes and more. Each time, the girls looked up with amazement after gifts were revealed.

Our CEO couldn’t make it down, but dental staffer Rolando Nieves presented the family with a Weis gift card, which Marty says they’ll use for a turkey.

Every few seconds it seemed, Marty was thanking the staff, wiping away tears and exclaiming she couldn’t believe all they had done.

But that wasn’t all.

One of our staffer’s mother is the pastor at St. Peter Lischey’s church in Spring Grove. For all of Advent, the congregation has been collection donations for the family. Pastor Kathy presented the family $900 toward their Family First Health dental bills.

Taking slow, deliberate steps with his cane in hand, Gary made his way over to give out hugs of thanks. Marty turned to him in awe, saying maybe he can get his teeth fixed to.

Marty kept trying to clean as she went, with staffers taking trash bags and wrapping paper from her hands. She even offered to come clean our offices in thanks.

Instead, she joked the kids will give thanks by spending more time caring for their teeth.

And the staff, from the looks on their faces and tears wiped away, they had all the thanks they needed.

“Santa Claus is real,” Gary said. “I believe it now.”

Before break was over, staffers helped load up the car full of three boxes full of toys. It was likely a Christmas their family and ours will never forget.

Watch a video with photos of the whole thing below.

Dr. Go gets HIV expert credentials

goOur very own Dr. Asceline Go recently passed the 2015 AAHIVM HIV Pharmacist / HIV Specialist, and HIV Expert Credentialing examination.

What’s that? Well, according to the American Academy of HIV Medicine website: The Academy’s program is the only widely recognized, statistically sound and defensible measurement program available in HIV-focused medical care.  On average, about 2,000 providers are actively maintaining an AAHIVM credential, a majority of which principally identify as an HIV provider. In 2015, most US HIV-positive patients are now under the care of an Academy-certified provider.

Many providers may already serve patients with HIV. So why go through the extensive testing process? Dr. Donna Sweet writes about it on the website:

We live in an increasingly complex health care environment that demands that we keep up with its rapid evolution. Treating HIV is not the same as it was 25 years ago, as many HIV care veterans know. Breakthroughs in treatment and care that combat HIV and extend life are often followed by perplexing trends, drug interactions and trends in new toxicities and drug interactions.  Social and cultural responses to HIV have a direct impact on both our HIV-positive and negative patients. This in turn affects how we provide — and how our patients receive — HIV care and treatment, as well as our messages of wellness, risk reduction and prevention. Increased life expectancy for people living with HIV has presented a growing list of issues that includes: treatment adherence, hepatitis B/C co-infection, cardiovascular disease, and more. The definition of quality HIV care, then, must necessarily evolve as people live longer with the disease. It also must integrate the complexities of HIV with health risk factors typically associated with the normal aging process.

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Becoming an Academy-credentialed HIV Specialist™ is a way to remain current, demonstrate frontline experience, and evolve with changes in HIV technology, with discoveries of new treatments and with shifts in the nation’s health care system. The AAHIVM HIV Specialist™ credential demonstrates to patients, colleagues, employers and third party payers a care provider’s commitment to maintaining continuing competency through ongoing learning, experience and self-assessment.

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Becoming credentialed through a process like the Academy’s program demonstrates to the medical community-at-large that we as HIV care providers voluntarily seek to establish for ourselves a rigorous, uniform national standard for the knowledge and experience base expected of all practitioners serving on HIV care teams. Developing a universal assessment tool of HIV knowledge for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and pharmacists also helps reduce barriers to entry into this specialized area of care. The AAHIVM HIV Specialist™ designation is available to health care professionals from diverse health care settings, educational backgrounds and front line care experience. Credentialing improves our professional development, benefits our patients’ care, and provides a foundation for the creation of better treatment and care access opportunities.