Is there always a crisis lying beneath the surface? Is there always some secret drug ring or child abuse scandal to be unearthed?
I know that everyone has a story to tell, but is every story interesting? I struggle with this beat trying to discern the realities from the falsehoods, and trying to uncover the problems that exist in Hart County’s healthcare system.
I have found problems: unnecessary trips to the ER, an underserved community, low-income families; but is there a place in the nation where these problems are not found?
The real story would be a community where everyone is healthy and lives to be 103. As I struggle to deal with asking the hard and/or right questions, I find myself thinking so what?
A, by all appearances, underutilized senior center has faced a reduction in hours. Is the reduction a result of budget cuts or the county’s attempt to trim the fat? In my travels to Hart County I have noticed that things deemed “non-core county functions” appear aptly named.
I was taken aback to find out that the Board of Commissioners would designate the health department, senior center, mental health center, and other vital health places as non-core county functions, but they aren’t being overrun with clientele. I say that based on what I have seen, but employees tell another story.
Of course what town would be complete without a litany of bureaucratic blameworthiness?
Health department officials blame commissioners. Commissioners blame the state. State blames the nation, and the nation blames AIG.
When everyone feels like the victim, whose story do you tell?
I guess step one would be to find residents in Hart County. If they aren’t in the health department, MedLink, or even the ER; where are these people and why aren’t they miserable?
Is my task to tell the story of their struggles or convince them that they are struggling?
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Illogical Loyalty
So I actually found another clinic in Hart County. The MedLink Clinic in Hartwell provides services to both the insured and the uninsured based on a sliding fee scale.
The scale is based on the federal poverty levels because the clinic is federally funded. Medlink is really nice. Bright carpet and paint on the walls, plenty of chairs, and just and overall welcoming ambience. What I found most disturbing is that people in the county aren’t beating down the doors for an appointment.
There is a small sign outside of the clinic that advertises accepting new patients. Of course that is to be expected because it is not the best advertised clinic. I didn’t know it existed until I saw it upon leaving the Hart County Hospital ER.
Don’t worry I’m fine.
But internet searches and several resource inquiries did not bring Medlink to my attention. I asked both the office manager and a nurse if they had any kind of advertising material and they could not provide me with any.
Meanwhile, at the Hart County Health Department approximately 90 people are on a waiting list to be seen by the nurses. Even though the nurses recommend the Medlink Clinic at times, it is still underutilized.
Health department employees attribute their waiting list to patient loyalty, but from a personal -perspective if I am sick and need to be checked out my last concern would be perceived loyalty.
I since that the underutilization of the MedLink Clinic is due to their failure to advertise and inform the public of their services. Even employees at the health department were misinformed about how the Medlink Clinic determines fees for services.
It is really unfortunate that the MedLink clinic has a subtle image problem because it is a really nice place. The staff was extremely polite to me and gave me lots of great information, but I sought out that information.
What about people that get information via word-of-mouth? -- A common practice in small towns.
I have decided to delve deeper into the dynamic that exists between the two clinics. Some surprising information has surfaced.
The scale is based on the federal poverty levels because the clinic is federally funded. Medlink is really nice. Bright carpet and paint on the walls, plenty of chairs, and just and overall welcoming ambience. What I found most disturbing is that people in the county aren’t beating down the doors for an appointment.
There is a small sign outside of the clinic that advertises accepting new patients. Of course that is to be expected because it is not the best advertised clinic. I didn’t know it existed until I saw it upon leaving the Hart County Hospital ER.
Don’t worry I’m fine.
But internet searches and several resource inquiries did not bring Medlink to my attention. I asked both the office manager and a nurse if they had any kind of advertising material and they could not provide me with any.
Meanwhile, at the Hart County Health Department approximately 90 people are on a waiting list to be seen by the nurses. Even though the nurses recommend the Medlink Clinic at times, it is still underutilized.
Health department employees attribute their waiting list to patient loyalty, but from a personal -perspective if I am sick and need to be checked out my last concern would be perceived loyalty.
I since that the underutilization of the MedLink Clinic is due to their failure to advertise and inform the public of their services. Even employees at the health department were misinformed about how the Medlink Clinic determines fees for services.
It is really unfortunate that the MedLink clinic has a subtle image problem because it is a really nice place. The staff was extremely polite to me and gave me lots of great information, but I sought out that information.
What about people that get information via word-of-mouth? -- A common practice in small towns.
I have decided to delve deeper into the dynamic that exists between the two clinics. Some surprising information has surfaced.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Show Me How The Steak Is Made
I never imagined journalism would trigger old calculus courses from college.
In speaking with the Hart County Health Department and the Chief of the Board of Commissioners, I cannot help but hear my old professor saying “Show your work.”
The health department has received drastic funding cuts. In response to these cuts, the health department has cut staff and clinic hours.
Pat Brake, the office manager, is concerned. She fears that the cut in hours will result in more incidences of teen pregnancy and STD infection.
However, I have not yet seen solid evidence that shows a growing trend among infections. Also, the graduation rate for the county has increased 8%.
My gut tells me that dropout rates should increase with pregnancy rates, but it seems that students in Hart County are on the upswing.
I have made two trips to the health department. Both times have been after lunch and both times I have been able to sit and talk with both the office and nurse manager.
I hope that me putting this information out does not encourage them to find things to make them busy, but if the place is being ransacked with new patients, a walk-in interview should not be so simple.
Today I spoke with the County Administrator, Jon Caime. I asked him about how the county decides what is and is not a core county function. He was not able to give me that information, but he was able to tell me that the focus of the commissioners in deciding budget cuts was to maintain what they saw as necessities.
Speaking with the Chief Commissioner, Dan Reyen, I was told that those functions that were designated core functions were things that maintained law and order. EMS, courts, road management, and the like are services that are being maintained by the commissioners.
However, when I asked Reyen if he expected to see in increase in county funds due to the Obama stimulus plan he was unsure specifically how the plan would help his county. Of course the stimulus plan is a hefty piece document, but a vital one; especially for members of government who are suffering from a bare bones economy.
The county commissioner stated that state debt is causing issues at the county level. According to Reyen, the county is now responsible for paying a larger portion of functions that the state use to handle. However, I have not been able to see proof of the state’s forcing counties to be more dependent.
So I plan to press harder with both the commissioners and the health department to show me all the messy details. I have been told that things are difficult and that cuts were necessary; but I need more evidence that the cuts were justified and most efficient.
With the health department, I am not quite ready to say that they are facing a dilemma until they can show me a trend of health problems. I think it will also be important to get in touch with those people who are not able to obtain services because of the department being overbooked.
I cannot be so quick to take the word of others as truth. I will be looking for solid numbers to back up their claims.
In speaking with the Hart County Health Department and the Chief of the Board of Commissioners, I cannot help but hear my old professor saying “Show your work.”
The health department has received drastic funding cuts. In response to these cuts, the health department has cut staff and clinic hours.
Pat Brake, the office manager, is concerned. She fears that the cut in hours will result in more incidences of teen pregnancy and STD infection.
However, I have not yet seen solid evidence that shows a growing trend among infections. Also, the graduation rate for the county has increased 8%.
My gut tells me that dropout rates should increase with pregnancy rates, but it seems that students in Hart County are on the upswing.
I have made two trips to the health department. Both times have been after lunch and both times I have been able to sit and talk with both the office and nurse manager.
I hope that me putting this information out does not encourage them to find things to make them busy, but if the place is being ransacked with new patients, a walk-in interview should not be so simple.
Today I spoke with the County Administrator, Jon Caime. I asked him about how the county decides what is and is not a core county function. He was not able to give me that information, but he was able to tell me that the focus of the commissioners in deciding budget cuts was to maintain what they saw as necessities.
Speaking with the Chief Commissioner, Dan Reyen, I was told that those functions that were designated core functions were things that maintained law and order. EMS, courts, road management, and the like are services that are being maintained by the commissioners.
However, when I asked Reyen if he expected to see in increase in county funds due to the Obama stimulus plan he was unsure specifically how the plan would help his county. Of course the stimulus plan is a hefty piece document, but a vital one; especially for members of government who are suffering from a bare bones economy.
The county commissioner stated that state debt is causing issues at the county level. According to Reyen, the county is now responsible for paying a larger portion of functions that the state use to handle. However, I have not been able to see proof of the state’s forcing counties to be more dependent.
So I plan to press harder with both the commissioners and the health department to show me all the messy details. I have been told that things are difficult and that cuts were necessary; but I need more evidence that the cuts were justified and most efficient.
With the health department, I am not quite ready to say that they are facing a dilemma until they can show me a trend of health problems. I think it will also be important to get in touch with those people who are not able to obtain services because of the department being overbooked.
I cannot be so quick to take the word of others as truth. I will be looking for solid numbers to back up their claims.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Bloodlines
The museum in Hart County documents the changing landscape of the county as well as the changing faces.
The museum, which shares its’ location with the Chamber of Commerce, houses old clothes and photos documenting the ever-changing façade of a small city.
The county’s historical society maintains the museum and provides many of the items found within.
I met the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Pat Dipert, for an interview a few weeks ago and she gave me a tour of the museum.
At the conclusion of the tour I spent a short time exploring the small house.
The smell of mothballs clinged to the old garments and old photos had been enlarged and placed in the corner.
One photo, of a few teenagers in front of the Nancy Hart hotel, was interesting. Not because the hotel is gone, being replaced by a Bank of America; but because I actually met a woman who was in the photo.
I met living history. Exploring the small space further, I came across a book that listed the families in Hart County and their origins.
Some families were traced back to their European origins. It amazed me how much history the town was able to save and display for the public to see.
As a journalist with an interest in health and medicine something else appealed to me about this fascination with genealogy.
Do they know their family health histories as well as they know their family tree?
I thought about how predisposition plays a major role in many people’s health.
Family health history can be very useful in preventative medicine.
But alas, there was no book that traced the cause of death of the residents of Hart County.
I think a book of death would probably be a little too morbid anyway.
The museum, which shares its’ location with the Chamber of Commerce, houses old clothes and photos documenting the ever-changing façade of a small city.
The county’s historical society maintains the museum and provides many of the items found within.
I met the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Pat Dipert, for an interview a few weeks ago and she gave me a tour of the museum.
At the conclusion of the tour I spent a short time exploring the small house.
The smell of mothballs clinged to the old garments and old photos had been enlarged and placed in the corner.
One photo, of a few teenagers in front of the Nancy Hart hotel, was interesting. Not because the hotel is gone, being replaced by a Bank of America; but because I actually met a woman who was in the photo.
I met living history. Exploring the small space further, I came across a book that listed the families in Hart County and their origins.
Some families were traced back to their European origins. It amazed me how much history the town was able to save and display for the public to see.
As a journalist with an interest in health and medicine something else appealed to me about this fascination with genealogy.
Do they know their family health histories as well as they know their family tree?
I thought about how predisposition plays a major role in many people’s health.
Family health history can be very useful in preventative medicine.
But alas, there was no book that traced the cause of death of the residents of Hart County.
I think a book of death would probably be a little too morbid anyway.
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