Though it has grown far beyond its original and primary mission, Healthy Connections, Inc. (HCI) was founded in 1998 as a home-visiting program for Polk County's pregnant and parenting teenagers. Coupling targeted education with good prenatal care has produced amazing results, advocates say, for both families and healthcare economics.

 

Since this program became operational, the number of low birth weight babies in Polk County has dropped significantly, said Diana "Deedee" Ozanich, MBA, chief operations officer for HCI.

 

"The cost of one baby spending two weeks in neo-natal intensive care units far exceeds the annual cost of this proven home visiting program," Ozanich said. "Cost effectiveness occurs through fewer emergency room visits, decreased need for foster care and fewer hospitalizations."

 

Another huge benefit is the number of documented cases of child abuse and neglect has also dropped because young parents are better educated concerning child behavior and development.

 

Ozanich said the multi-faceted program not only provides prenatal and post partum education, it also links pregnant and parenting teens with educational resources. 

 

"Our outreach specialists spend time with each client instructing them on resume preparation, job interview techniques and appropriate work place behavior," she said. "Finding appropriate and affordable day care for the babies is a huge challenge, yet many young mothers make a successful transition to the workforce or continue their education."

 

Approximately 84 percent of the mothers in the program graduate from high school or get a GED.

 

Subsequent unplanned pregnancies are a key outcome objective for this program. Outreach specialists spend a significant amount of time discussing safe sex and family planning with their clients. While the system isn't 100 percent foolproof, Ozanich said a subsequent unplanned pregnancy for their clients has become a rare event. 

 

Doreen Tapley, director of outreach services and one of the original founders of HCI, said the home visiting program was started because they recognized that often rural pregnant teens have barriers, like lack of transportation that can prevent them from coming in to a clinic.

 

"Many times teens don't have a way to get to doctors," Tapley said. "We take them to the doctor to make sure they get care throughout their pregnancy. We teach them child development so they know when the baby should sit up, talk or walk, when to start solid food, and things like that."

 

Although HCI started with the home visiting program, its services have grown.

 

HCI now operates medical and dental clinics in Mena and Mount Ida that saw 14,000 patient appointments in 2008. The organization has grown from a single program staffed by volunteers to a multi-faceted community health organization with 40-plus employees serving the needs of children and at-risk families throughout the Western Arkansas region.

 

The clinic in Mt. Ida was established about two years ago.

 

"The Montgomery County Community Clinic (MCCC) was established in large part because of the dedication of the citizens of Montgomery County who persisted diligently to find a way to bring additional healthcare services to the area," Ozanich said. "While HCI initially had problems recruiting a medical doctor to serve the clinic, it did not delay in providing much-needed healthcare." Physician's assistant Stephan Yost was hired and worked full-time at the clinic followed by the hiring of Thomas Cofer, MD.

 

With two full-time medical providers, the clinic quickly grew as demand for services increased. Last year, HCI added general dentistry to the roster of services directed by Jack Wilson, DDS.

 

"We have developed an effective internal referral process so that a worker in one program is well-versed in the other programs and how to access these important services," Ozanich said. "This provides 'one stop' shopping that allows our clients or patients to receive maximum benefit from the services we offer. We continue to provide our community with the quality healthcare and other social services they need, and to help them attain a higher standard of living, regardless of social or financial setbacks. This is done by promoting health awareness, education, parenting skills and support through numerous state and federal programs."

 

This year, HCI will break ground on a new facility that will allow them to add additional medical and dental providers to their Mena clinics.

 

"We have a full house right now," Ozanich said. "The demand for services continues to increase in both the medical and dental practices. However, we only have so much room. The new facility will allow us to meet the demand for services in our area." 

 

The added space will also provide the infrastructure to improve services such as diabetes self-education. Ozanich said this much-needed and -demanded service has been operating at below potential due to facility restrictions. 

 

"Through the generous help of the Arkansas Department of Health and others in the state who knew that a program was needed in Western Arkansas, HCI built a diabetic education program from the ground up and last month launched the D.I.M.E.S. program as an American Diabetes Association recognized site for diabetes education as an integrated service at HCI." 

 

With D.I.M.E.S. patients learn how control their diabetes. Keeping blood sugar and blood pressure within a recommended range can prevent or delay chronic complications associated with diabetes. The goal of diabetes self-management training is to help the patient gain the knowledge and problem-solving skills needed to successfully improve their health and manage their disease before it can lead to serious health complications.

 

HCI participates in a variety of health fairs and other venues providing screenings, education and awareness about health and social service related resources. In addition, HCI also offers the Stamp Out Smoking program educating people on the dangers of tobacco.