Month: January 2021

Brandon School-Based Health Services: Serving Barbour County Schools

Brandon School-Based Health Services: Serving Barbour County Schools

Barbour Community Health Association consistently looks for opportunities to improve and expand services to all Barbour County residents. In fact, BCHA’s school-based program was recently contracted by the Barbour County Board of Education to begin providing both medical and behavioral health services in all Barbour County Schools.

These additional services to students are sure to be a great advantage for not only the student(s), but families, staff and teachers.

Here’s everything you need to know about the school-based program and the recent expansion.

When did the Barbour County Board of Education decide to partner with BCHA?
In August 2020 the Barbour County Board of Education accepted BCHA’s proposal that emphasizes every child, family, and school staff member in Barbour County should have access to medical and behavioral health care through a school-based health clinic.

What is the purpose of a school-based health program?
School-based clinics are utilized for both immediate-care services, such as minor injuries or diagnosis and treatment of various health conditions, as well as preventative services, such as health screenings, weight management, and providing health education to the students and staff.

By offering these services to all Barbour County Schools, students and families now have easy access to health and wellness.

What services are offered through school-based health services?
Both physical and behavioral services are offered through the school-based program, including:
Routine check-ups, vaccination, sports physical exams, chronic conditions management, acute care, individual/group/family therapy, psychological testing, psychiatric evaluations and medication management.

What does the contract between BCHA and the board of education indicate about the expansion?
Under the contract, the Brandon Wellness Center at Philip Barbour High School would continue to be the central hub and first point of contact for behavioral health referrals or questions from the community. A full-time licensed mental health provider will remain at that location as well as a case manager to provide support to both the medical provider and the school.

The contract now includes adding two additional licensed mental health providers, one to serve Philippi Elementary, Philippi Middle, and Kasson Elementary/Middle and one to serve Belington Elementary, Belington Middle, and Junior Elementary. A full-time manager will also be on site for support. BCHA also employs two doctoral level psychologists and a psychiatric nurse practitioner that will be available on an as needed basis for specialty services.

Barbour Community Health Association will also assign one licensed medical provider, and a nurse to these additional locations, with a rotating schedule to best accommodate the needs of each individual school.

Will these services be monitored?
To ensure services are effective and adequate, BCHA will meet with school officials every 90 days to discuss how the program has been going and to troubleshoot any barriers or issues that may arise.

By introducing this expansion, BCHA’s goal is to provide quality care for the wellbeing and health of the children and families of Barbour County. For more information on services, contact Brandon Wellness Center at (304) 457-4000.

What to Expect at Your Medicare Wellness Visit

What to Expect at Your Medicare Wellness Visit

Since 2011, Medicare beneficiaries have been eligible for an annual wellness visit (AWV), a preventive health benefit created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Though this service has been offered for several years now, many may be confused about what the actual visit entails.

We talked with our AWV experts, Amy Chenoweth, LPN from Belington Clinic and Jamie Carpenter, LPN from Myers Clinic, to find out what beneficiaries can expect at an annual wellness visit.

What is a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit?
It is a visit that we make sure your chart is completely updated and make sure your screenings are done. Everything you should be getting like your immunizations, we want to go over your medication list, and go over family history. We are basically updating your whole chart and depending on your health, will be what screening you get.

Who gets a Medicare Wellness Visit? Who is it that has these or should get them?
Anybody that has Medicare coverage for their insurance is eligible for a Medicare Wellness Visit.

Does this visit cost the patient?
It does not, it is a free annual wellness visit for all Medicare covered patients.

But patients should be aware that during their visit, their clinician may recommend tests or perform services like a hands-on exam that are not formally included in the AWV visit, potentially causing beneficiaries to incur out-of-pocket costs.

What is the process like? How does it get started? If I have Medicare do I call you or do I talk to my provider about it?
You can call us at our respective clinics and ask to speak with us. I do have a Medicare list and I try to call all of our patients that have Medicare, especially when they have Part B, because Part A and B is when you are able to get an exam. Then I will update your chart over the phone and after that, you will come in to see the provider. The basic thing is if I have not gotten ahold of you and you decide you want to do that; give me a call and I will get you in.

Was there any special training or certifications that nurses have to go through to perform these visits?
We did have to do the Aledade training and we are both Licensed Practical Nurses, so we are certified to complete the Medicare Wellness Visits. Aledade is an organization that we work with that helps us put all the data together for these visits and helps us make sure we stay in touch with folks.

What specific screenings should I expect during these visits?
I will do my part over the phone, which is basically getting all of your health information and getting everything updated. Then when you come in to see your provider you will get vital signs depending on which Medicare appointment you come to. During the welcome visit, you can actually get an EKG as well at no cost, but it is going to depend on your health because men and women are different. Women may get their mammograms or dexa scans and men of course will need their PSA checked and we want to make sure they are getting their colonoscopy. It will depend on your health and your age.

For more information on your upcoming Annual Wellness Visit, call Barbour Community Health Association at 304-823-2800.

HPV Vaccination: What You Need to Know

HPV Vaccination: What You Need to Know

January is recognized as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. During this month, BCHA sets out with the intention of raising awareness of the preventable cancer. To provide our patients with education about prevention, screening options and treatments, we sat down for a Q&A with Jenniver Duvall, PA-C at BCHA.

Why should you get your teenager’s HPV vaccinations?

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US and the vaccine protects against particular strains of it. Nearly 80 million Americans are currently infected with HPV and approximately 14 million people become newly infected each year.

How is it cancer protection?

HPV is known to cause cancers of the throat, cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, and anus. Since the vaccine can protect against certain high risk strains of HPV, it can prevent more than 90% of HPV cancers.

What ages should your child get their vaccinations?

Ideally, Gardasil is given to boys and girls between the ages of 11-12 before being exposed to HPV. The body’s immune response to the vaccine seems best at this age range. It can be given as early as nine years of age.

What if you missed your HPV vaccination during childhood? Can a patient catch up?

Yes, it should be given as soon as possible followed by the appropriate immunization schedule. It is given in a series of two or three doses, depending on the age it is started. The vaccine is recommended for ages 9-26, even if the individual has already been diagnosed with HPV. Some adults between the ages of 27-45 may benefit from vaccination depending on risks for new HPV infections. They can discuss this with their healthcare provider.

What else should patients know about cervical cancer and the HPV vax?

For most women, HPV will go away on its own; however, if it does not, there is a chance that over time it may cause cervical cancer.

Some things that increase your risk of developing cervical cancer are being immunocompromised, smoking, being on birth control pills for five or more years, and giving birth to three or more children.

Cervical cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms. Advanced cervical cancer may cause abnormal bleeding or discharge.

Cervical cancer is the easiest gynecologic cancer to prevent with regular screening tests and follow-ups. It also is highly curable when found and treated early. However, each year, approximately 12,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer and more than 4,000 women die.

Getting the vaccine does not eliminate the need for cervical cancer screening.

HPV has been recommended since 2006 and has proven to be safe and effective. However, there are some people that should not get the vaccine, such as people with a life threatening allergic reaction to any ingredient of HPV or to a previous HPV vaccine, people who have an allergy to yeast, or people who are pregnant.

The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program provides vaccines at no cost to children ages 18 years and younger who are uninsured and Medicaid-eligible.

What screening options does BCHA have for cervical cancer?

BCHA offers PAP tests and HPV testing. We start screening PAP tests at 21 and HPV testing at 30.

To help prevent false-negative or false-positive results, you should avoid douching, sexual intercourse, and using vaginal medications or hygiene products for two days before your test.

If you have a low income or do not have insurance, you may be able to get a free or low-cost cervical cancer screening test through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program or Family Planning.

If you have questions or would like to learn more, contact BCHA today. 

Barbour Community Health Association to Vaccinate Seniors

Barbour Community Health Association to Vaccinate Seniors

Following Governor Jim Justice’s announcement regarding the COVID-19 vaccination, Barbour Community Health Association (BCHA) will begin administering vaccinations to seniors 80 years old and up. BCHA offices will begin contacting all 80+ aged patients to schedule a time to come in for the vaccine so there is no need for patients to call any BCHA office to set up an appointment.

The process will take a few weeks for offices to get through the patient list as BCHA is unsure when additional vaccines will be arriving. BCHA is working closely with the state and will continue to provide more information to our patients and communities when available.

BCHA is asking folks to be patient on being contacted about the vaccine and to not call offices regarding the vaccination. Large call volumes will stall emergency calls.

State health departments and medical clinics across are being given a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses to be administered to those 80 and older per request from the governor.

The COVID-19 vaccine will help protect our communities from the disease that has killed approximately 350,000 Americans. The vaccines will provide immunity without the serious risks associated with getting infected naturally. The COVID-19 vaccines are designed to work with our immune systems so the body will be ready to fight the virus if we are exposed to the virus.

Health officials are still strongly encouraging people to wear masks and social distancing to help reduce the chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others.