First Care Health Center of Park River, ND, awarded HRSA grant

First Care Health Center (FCHC), Park River, North Dakota, has been awarded a 3 year, $375,000 Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The purpose of the Outreach program is “to promote rural health care services outreach by expanding the delivery of health care services to include new and enhanced services in rural areas.” The Outreach grant program encourages the development of new and innovative health care delivery systems in rural communities that lack essential health care services. The emphasis is on service delivery through collaboration, requiring the grantee to form a consortium with at least two additional partners. Communities being served are involved in the development and ongoing operations to appropriately address the needs of the population.

This project will run from 9-1-09 thru 4-30-12 with funding levels expected to be at $150,000 in Year 1, $125,000 in Year 2, and $100,000 in Year 3. Walsh County Health District, along with Altru Home Services, has come together with First Care Health Center to help implement the Wellness Outreach Without Walls (WOW2) Network in Park River/Pisek and the surrounding communities, including Dahlen, Fordville, Lankin, Edinburg, Adams, Fairdale, Edmore, Crystal and Hoople.

The objectives of this project are:

1) To decrease obesity rates by promoting wellness and lifestyle change programs to improve overall health

2) Increase availability of chronic disease prevention programs and provide health screenings

3) Increase the availability of mental health services

The goals of the project are:

1) Increase the number of individuals participating in fitness and wellness activities within Park River/Pisek and the 9 surrounding communities to improve overall health status

2) Increase the number of businesses that participate in worksite wellness programs

3) Increase the availability of chronic disease prevention programs and screening for hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and cancer

4) Increase the availability of mental health services

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