News from the

Foundation for Healthy Communities

    May 28th 2015
Visit us at healthynh.com
In This Issue
Parkland Medical Center RN Receives 2015 Clint Jones NH Nursing Award
NH Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration's 10th Annual Meeting- Looking Back, Looking Forward!
Foundation's Marketplace Assisters Continue to Enroll and Assist Clients
New Hampshire Team Attends National Action Institute for Increasing Walking and Walkability

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October 1st

 

HEAL Conference

 

8:30am - 4:30pm

Grappone Conference Center

70 Constitution Ave, Concord, NH 03301

 

November 17th

 

Foundation for Healthy Communities Fall Forum

 

8:30am - 12:30 pm

Holiday Inn Conference Ctr.

172 N Main St.

Concord, NH 03301 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Parkland Medical Center RN Receives 2015  Clint Jones NH Nursing Award
Left to right: Matthew Jones, son of Clint Jones; Chris Accashian, Parkland Medical Center CEO; Kimberly Christensen, 2015 Clint Jones NH Nursing Award Winner; Leslie Glines Jones, wife of Clint Jones; and Shawn LaFrance, Executive Director of the FHC.

CONCORD - Kimberly Christensen, RN-BC, a registered nurse at Parkland Medical Center, is the 2015 recipient of the Clint M. Jones New Hampshire Nursing Award presented by the Foundation for Healthy Communities.

 

Christensen, a graduate of Manchester Community College, received the tenth annual award during a special Nurses Week celebration held Monday, May 11 at Parkland Medical Center in Derry, NH.

 

The Clint Jones Nursing Award was created in 2006 by the Foundation for Healthy Communities to honor the memory of the former director of the Foundation's N.H. Nursing Workforce Partnership.  The award recognizes a registered nurse practicing in New Hampshire for at least one year but not more than six years, who exemplifies quality nursing care and demonstrates a commitment to a career in nursing. 

 

Christensen first joined the staff at Parkland Medical Center in 2012 and currently serves on the hospital's Surgical Vascular Unit.

 

"In fewer than three years at Parkland, Kim has made an incredible impact on this organization, her colleagues and most importantly, her patients and their families with her compassionate care and nursing excellence," said Parkland Medical Center CEO Chris Accashian.

 

In nominating Christensen for the award, Julie Abbott, BSN, RN, Director of Adult and Critical Care Services at Parkland Medical Center  cited her inspiration and leadership for the hospital's successful NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) designation in 2014 as well as her strong communication skills.  "I learned that she had developed a special love for the geriatric population. She had a keen sense of this population's age-specific care needs and recognized a need for improvement in care delivery. She became an expert in the care of the older adult in the hospital, educating herself through workshops and independent study on the topic of aging and hospitalization," said Abbott.

 

Only three years into her career, she is on track to graduate with her Master's in Nursing Leadership. She was the recipient of the HCA Excellence in Nursing Award after several nominations by her peers and hospital leadership.

 

Between November 2002 and February 2005, the N.H. Nursing Workforce Partnership - under the direction of Clint Jones - distributed millions of dollars in forgivable loans to hundreds of aspiring nurses in college and practicing nurses who received specialty training or advanced degrees.

 

"Clint worked with extraordinary enthusiasm and commitment at the Foundation for Healthy Communities and with several other New Hampshire organizations to encourage people to pursue a nursing career," said Shawn LaFrance, the Foundation's executive director.  "This award in Clint's name is one way to honor those who work so hard to care for patients across the state."

 

As they have every year, Clint's wife, Leslie, and son, Matt, attended the ceremony to present the award to Christensen.
NH Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration's 10th Annual Meeting- Looking Back, Looking Forward! 
Watch Lata Thatai, MD (left), Laurie Tyer, RN (right), and Jose Montero, MD (not shown) share the importance of the NH Cancer Collaboration Conference to their work.
 

The NH Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration's (NH CCC) 10th annual meeting on April 1, Aligning Strategies to Improve Cancer Care in a Shifting Landscape was well attended and well liked again this year! Celebration was a key theme of the day- presentation of the 10th annual conference and the launch of the new 2015-2020 NH Cancer Control Plan.  

 

 

"These events represent the culmination of extraordinary time, effort, knowledge and creativity on the part of multiple individuals and organizations committed to a common vision of improving the life of New Hampshire residents affected by cancer", noted Barbara Kimball, Chair of the Collaboration's Board of Directors (above, second from right). 

 

 

Nicholas Toumpas (above), Commissioner of NH Department of Health and Human Services, offered opening remarks and commended the NH CCC for their previous work and future plans.

 

The conference provided a forum  for speakers to explore some  of the challenges impacting the quality of cancer care in New Hampshire. Integration of primary and community health care, understanding the impact of health policy on vulnerable populations and, implementing shared decision making between cancer  care providers and cancer care consumers are a few of the topics that were addressed. Breakout sessions providing up to date information on emerging issues such as e-cigarettes, HPV vaccine, and low dose CT lung cancer screening were also offered. Presentations from the plenary speakers and five breakout sessions, photos, and a video from the event are available online

 

Marketplace Assisters Program Recruits CAC Organizations and Continues to Enroll and Assist Clients

  

The Foundation for Healthy Communities Marketplace Assister (MPA) Program is in its third year of operation. The focus this year is recruiting organizations wanting to increase their visibility and value within the community they serve by becoming Certified Assistance Counselor (CAC) sites.

  

CAC is a federal recognition demonstrating that an organization has personnel who are trained to provide free, unbiased assistance to consumers applying for and enrolling in health coverage. The Foundation's MPA Program helps organizations complete the online CAC application, understand the ensuing documentation and training procedures, and prepare to aid consumers in obtaining health insurance through Healthcare.gov.  The CAC training and certification for participating staff and volunteers is free. Contact Dan Walsh, (603) 415-4278,  to learn more about how the Foundation for Healthy Communities can help your organization with the process of becoming CAC certified.

 

Watch Andrea Linares, FHC Marketplace Assister, inform consumers about their health insurance options. This is one segment of a health video series created by the Nashua Public Health Department in collaboration with many local partners. The Foundation for Healthy Communities helped support the project through Andrea's participation.


Additionally, the next open enrollment is from November 1, 2015 through January 31, 2016. Until then, MPA staff continue to offer enrollment or plan coverage information on behalf of the NH Health Insurance Marketplace and are assisting individuals and families with their special enrollment applications. Contact Ann Walls, (603) 415-4299, with questions or for more details on the assistance the Foundation for Healthy Communities offers.  

New Hampshire Team Attends National Action Institute for Increasing Walking and Walkability

  

Five New Hampshire professionals, representing health, planning, transportation, and economic development trekked to Nashville earlier this month to attend the Action Institute for Walking and Walkability. The team was one of 11 state-based interdisciplinary teams selected to attend the institute which is designed to prepare the teams to pursue policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes and interventions to increase population levels of physical activity. The Action Institute is conducted by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The opportunity was made possible through an award secured by the Foundation for Healthy Communities in partnership with the NH Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS).

 

New Hampshire's team is truly interdisciplinary and includes Nik Coates, HEAL NH, Scot Foster, NH DHHS, John Corrigan, NH Department of Transportation, Will Stewart, Greater Derry Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, and Tara Germond, Southwest Regional Planning Commission. All are dedicated and have a long history of collaborating to create more livable and walkable communities to support health, social and economic well-being in New Hampshire.

 

Will Stewart
Will Stewart

While improving population health is a primary goal of this project, there is the potential to achieve economic benefits as well. After returning from the Action Institute, Mr. Stewart commented in the Greater Derry Londonderry Chamber of Commer ce's Monday Matters communication: "When it comes to economic development, there's a lot an area can do to enhance its prospects, up to and including marketing and branding, business recruitment programs, and improving the local permitting process. Often overlooked, however, is improving the "walkability" of an area whose economic development prospects you'd like to enhance. Data show that things like wide, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, enhanced crosswalks, abundant street trees and shading, added lighting, slower traffic speeds, and public art will attract people who are more apt to spend more money at nearby stores and restaurants."

 

The New Hampshire team will use the Action Institute to advance a Complete Streets approach to transportation planning and construction in the state. Defined by Smart Growth America, Complete Streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities.