:: The Sisters of Charity, Canton, Ohio ::

Stark County Prescription Assistance Network
The Bethlehem Project

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton has two ongoing initiatives focused on improving access, continuity, and the quality of healthcare to families in our service area. The Stark County Prescription Assistance Network and the Bethlehem Project for Oral Health are described below:

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton convened the Stark Prescription Assistance Network (SPAN) in February 2001 to examine prescription assistance needs, community resources, and collaborative strategies to address service gaps. SPAN is comprised of representatives of local foundations and health and human service organizations, including the Sisters of Charity Foundation, Austin-Bailey Health and Wellness Foundation, Health Foundation of Greater Massillon, Community Services of Stark County, Mercy Medical Center, Catholic Charities, United Way of Greater Stark County, Canton Community Clinic, Good Samaritan Clinic, and the Western Stark Medical Clinic. Since 2001, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton has supported the planning, start-up, and ongoing operating expenses of SPAN.

The Stark Prescription Assistance Network (SPAN) represents an innovative approach to meeting the prescription medication needs of the uninsured and underinsured in Stark County.

The network structure strives to:

Integrate services provided by hospitals, free clinics, and human service agencies; Improve linkages between existing services;
Establish a centralized outpatient pharmacy;
Improve access, continuity, and quality of care, and expand pharmaceutical company patient assistance program outstations; and
Provide a more efficient and effective service delivery system that will realize cost savings to the community.

There are three key service components that SPAN is working to address:

The establishment of a Centralized Outpatient Pharmacy;
A significant expansion of the Pharmaceutical Company Patient Assistance Programs; and
A significant expansion of the Network's voucher program.

The Stark Prescription Assistance Network is committed to establishing a community initiative dedicated to:

Meeting the medication needs of the uninsured, underinsured, and underserved residents of Stark County, Ohio by creating and maintaining a coordinated, formalized network of care;
Enhancing access to prescription medications;
Educating physicians and consumers;
Improving quality and continuity of care;
Building community awareness; and
Recruiting and training volunteers.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation's Board and Staff remain steadfast in their determination to improve health care access to individuals in Stark County and across the state. Please contact Dawn Miller, Program Officer at (330) 454-5800 or dmiller@scfcanton.org for additional information.

Beginning in 2002, in keeping with our mission of addressing the health, education, and social service needs of the poor and underserved, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton launched the Bethlehem Project for Oral Health.

The Bethlehem Project is about "opening doors" to enhance access to oral health and dental care services for low-income children and adults who are uninsured or receiving Medicaid/Healthy Start. This project focuses on implementing an integrated system of oral health care delivery utilizing existing service providers, including dentists in private practice, safety net dental clinics, and grantee organizations. In addition to existing services, this effort led to the establishment of a General Practice Residency in Dentistry at Mercy Medical Center in Canton. The case management portion of this project targets families enrolled in the Help Me Grow program operated within the current grantee agencies. Bethlehem oral health services are offered to the eligible Help Me Grow families with the primary objective of assisting them in establishing a "dental home".

The Stark County Educational Service Center led in the development of the curriculum for training home visiting staff in oral health education and dental case management services. The Help Me Grow staff employed by grantee organizations provides dental case management and in-home dental health education and serves as the link to the Patient/Provider Relations Coordinator office to schedule appointments and provide follow-up on compliance with dental appointments and home care. The families in the Bethlehem Project are educated about good oral health practices, assessed for dental treatment needs, and provided information related to the dental office visit.

To enhance access to care for low-income families the Patient/Provider Relations office was established as part of the Project and provides the following services:

Provider panel recruitment/retention - currently 28 dentists
Pooled funding for dental lab work and other eligible services
Technical assistance and support for dental office staff
Centralized intake/appointment scheduling system
Liaison between participating agencies and dental provider

The short-term objective of the Bethlehem Project is to address the immediate dental needs of children and their families. With the implementation of home based instruction and oral health education, families will acquire the knowledge necessary for long-term dental health. Through this process, the Bethlehem Project will instill a sense of responsibility, pride, and well-being.

Success will be measured:

Every time a child ceases to endure dental pain and feels confident to smile;
When a single mom receives the necessary dental work needed to obtain viable employment;
When a domestically abused woman can smile in the mirror and not see the remnants of a painful and tragic past, and
Each time a member of our dental provider panel sees a Bethlehem Project patient.

Therein lies success!

The Sisters of Charity Foundation's Board and Staff remain steadfast in their determination to improve health care access to individuals in Stark County and across the state. Please contact Dawn Miller, Program Officer at
(330) 454-5800 or dmiller@scfcanton.org for additional information.