Healthy Community Coalition

COMMUNITY WELLNESS: Community Wellness and PreventionHCC outreach provided through 68 Mobile Health Unit and other outreach events included over 1,534 clinical screenings and educational encounters. Staff provided education and health screenings including cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure checks, COVID- 19, interactive nutrition events, cardiovascular, tobacco, substance use prevention and diabetes prevention education, medication safety, lead prevention, and well-water safety. Staff counseled individuals on a variety of (continued on Schedule O)wellness topics including healthy eating, exercise, disease prevention, and chronic disease management. Individuals were assisted with the Affordable Healthcare Act, and financial assistance and provider referrals were made. Healthcare providers volunteered their time and provided free screenings and acute care for uninsured and underinsured individuals. Wellness events occurred throughout the community with and without the Mobile Health Unit reaching community members throughout the county. The Mobile Health Unit staffed with RNs, Health Educators, Health & Wellness Coaches, Nutrition Specialists, Insurance Navigators and Medical Providers traveled to the towns of Farmington, Rangeley, Stratton/Eustis, Phillips, Jay, Livermore Falls, Wilton and Chesterville, providing education, free medical screenings and 1:1 and small group instruction. Clinical Community LinkagesHCC is now receiving referrals from FCHN receiving a total of 101 referrals, with 42 coming from the healthcare system. Of those referrals, 91% were assisted by HCC. The main needs identified were food insecurity, transportation and fuel. Food Insecurity Through a partnership with Good Shepard Food Bank's Health and Hunger Program, the food pantry has served 1,521 families, distributing roughly 21,300 meals involving approximately 66,000 pounds of food. Care team members continue to screen for food insecurity and have screened over 158 patients. HCC works directly with the Nutrition Pantry Program (NPP) providing healthy fresh, frozen, and shelf stable foods to patients, employees and the community. The Mainers Feeding Mainers Program allows the pantry to incorporate local produce. Legislators have toured the food pantry interested in the service it delivers as part of a health care organization and the natural continuum of care. Hope Harvest Garden distributed over 2,000 pounds of produce to local community members, community food pantries and the hospital-based pantry. "Food As Medicine" classes started in July in the MaineHealth Food Pantry. The first group had 3 individuals. The second and third groups started in July and September, respectively. The total enrolled participants in the 2022 fiscal year was 17.Resource Team/Basic Needs HCC has created a resource team that consists of staff from several different grants, bringing a unique level of expertise for community needs and connections. Some of the grants have a level of resource work, but additional funding from United Way and the Salvation Army has allowed HCC to expand on the community's basic needs. The focus has been working with practices within MaineHealth as well as local practices, Franklin County Jail, and the homeless population that are currently residing in local hotels. Two hundred hygiene bags were distributed from basic needs funding along with cooking supplies for fifteen families currently living in local hotels which are serving as emergency shelters. There have been 92 individuals connected with a resource. The team is working closely with pediatrics to assist with the need for formula and diapers. The integration into the EPIC referral system will help HCC work more closely with the hospital to better serve the community and their needs.

COMMUNITY BUILDING: Mental HealthThe Youth Policy Board of 17 students was formed and this group created a student and teacher survey to assess vaping prevalence, mental health status and COVID-19 impact on wellbeing and substance use and youth mattering. There has also been a successful partnership with the Franklin County Sherriff's department in submitting and being awarded a law enforcement mental health grant. HCC assisted the Spruce Mountain Primary School with bringing the MindUP program into their school for (continued on Schedule O)the fall. OutreachHCC had a full schedule of outreach events on its new mobile health unit and staff provided education and free screenings at the following community events and locations:- Fiddlehead Festival, Farmington- Blueberry Festival, Wilton- Pier Pole Days, Strong- Summer Fest, Farmington- Apple Pumpkin Festival, Livermore Falls- Pride Festival, Farmington- Local Food Pantries and Good Shepherd Food Distribution Site - Franklin Memorial Hospital - Hope Harvest Community Garden - Home Visits- Local churches and church groups- Local Town Offices- LEAP, Inc.- RSU #9, #58 and #73 Schools- Mainely Provisions, Kingfield- Rangeley IGA, Rangeley- Fotter's Market, Eustis- Edmund's Market, Phillips- Tranten's Market, Kingfield- Dollar General, Livermore Falls

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY/NUTRITION/SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION AND HARM REDUCTION:Let's Go! Let's Go! Franklin staff worked with over 700 youth serving sites to promote healthy eating and active living. These sites include 9 child care facilities, 17 schools, 5 out-of-school programs and 6 school cafeterias. Let's Go! Franklin also worked with one adult healthcare practice using the Small Steps Program. The Let's Go! Franklin School nutrition workgroup met quarterly and included nutrition directors from (continued on Schedule O)all 5 school districts in Franklin County. Workgroup members worked to promote healthy choices in their school cafeterias and support one another as they navigated the task of feeding remote students during COVID-19. Each Let's Go! site worked with a coordinator to set goals for the year to foster healthy environments and habits for the youth that they served. Let's Go! Franklin and the Let's Go! home office worked together to provide trainings and resources for champions in all settings.SNAPThere have been 280 individuals taking part in a SNAP-Ed classes. This included 5 adult classes, 2 store tour events and 16 youth classes. Indirect education opportunities impacted over 500 community members. Substance Use Prevention and Harm ReductionThrough a grant, HCC received 50 medication lock boxes and disposal bags to be disseminated throughout Franklin County to address accidental ingestion and overdose. Distribution of 50 Deterra medication disposal pouches was made to community members in need. Monthly social media campaigns through HCC's Facebook page and newsletter segments through HCC's Healthy Happenings newsletter, continue to provide education and information to community members. HCC hosted Drug Take Back Day in April with the Farmington Police Department and Western Maine Behavioral Health's OPTIONS Liaison at the Meetinghouse Park in Farmington, disposing of two full containers of unused medications. Eleven staff members from local restaurants completed the alcohol beverage server/seller training. HCC trained all of the nurses and the RSU 9 school district on naloxone use in the event of an opioid overdose at the schools. HCC hosts a weekly local radio show called "HealthBeat", which is a twenty minute segment offering a variety of education and awareness on health and safety. The show reaches approximately 8,000 listeners. The harm reduction team went out thirty-three times to different locations between June and August and have performed more than 40 naloxone trainings and over 200 safe-use supplies have been given out in the community.