Archive for June 2018

Health District, Walgreens Team Up For HIV Awareness

Posted on June 14, 2018 by

Press Release courtesy of the Southwest Georgia Public Health District

Free testing at participating Walgreens supports ongoing commitment to community outreach on HIV
ALBANY- Southwest Health District, Walgreens and Greater Than AIDS, a leading national public information response to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic, are working with 220 health departments, AIDS service organizations, and other community organizations to help provide free HIV testing and information at participating Walgreens stores in more than 180 cities, including Albany, on National HIV Testing Day on Wednesday, June 27, between 10 am – 7 pm.
“The Albany testing site is the Walgreens at 300 N. Slappey Blvd,” said Remy Hutchins, Southwest Health District Chronic Disease Director and one of the event’s local coordinators. “Gift cards and gift bags will be provided to testers while supplies last. All testers will receive promo bags and safer sex kits.”
Walgreens and Greater Than AIDS are helping the participating testing partners to expand the free HIV testing to even more locations this year with a focus on heavily affected communities. Since 2011, more than 40,000 HIV tests have been conducted as part of the activation. BioLytical Laboratories and OraSure Technologies, Inc. are donating test kits and Abbott Rapid Diagnostics is providing support for outreach.
Local agencies will be at participating Walgreens stores to provide free, confidential, and fast test results on site, without the need to schedule an appointment. Counselors will be on hand to answer questions about HIV prevention and treatment options, including PrEP, a medication that offers another effective means of protection for those testing negative for HIV.
Southwest Health District will provide trained counselors to conduct the testing and will provide results on-site within minutes.
“Walgreens has supported people living with HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic more than 30 years ago,” said Glen Pietrandoni, senior director, patient care and advocacy, at Walgreens. “Early testing can mean access to effective treatment and the opportunity to go on to live a healthy normal lifespan. In addition, with proper adherence to medication, successfully treated patients cannot easily transmit the virus to others. As we continue to work towards an end to HIV/AIDS, it is crucial that testing and trusted resources on treatment are made more widely available within communities.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends HIV testing as part of routine health care. An estimated 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV and approximately 1 in 7 are unaware of their status.[i]
“There are more options than ever to prevent and treat HIV,” said Tina Hoff, Senior Vice President and Director, Health Communications and Media Partnerships at the Kaiser Family Foundation, which leads Greater Than AIDS. “The first step is knowing your status. This collaboration normalizes HIV testing as part of everyday life, while helping to educate about these advances.”
The community partnership is part of an ongoing commitment by Walgreens and Greater Than AIDS to broaden the reach of HIV testing and information in non-traditional settings and to support the outreach of local organizations. Year round, HIV-trained pharmacy staff are available at more than 1,000 Walgreens locations nationwide, including communities with high HIV prevalence, offering one-on-one, confidential medication counseling to support treatment adherence, and assisting with other care needs, such as identifying financial assistance options.
For a complete list of participating Walgreens locations and supporting partners for this year’s National HIV Testing Day, as well as additional information about HIV testing, including year-round testing sites, visit www.greaterthan.org/walgreens.
Follow the Southwest Georgia Network on Twitter @swganetwork.
Comments Off on Health District, Walgreens Team Up For HIV Awareness Posted in Uncategorized

Phoebe Putney Health System Reports Strong Financial Numbers

Posted on June 14, 2018 by

Press Release courtesy of Phoebe Putney Health System

Albany, Ga. – During a meeting Thursday, the Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Board of Directors approved the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 990 for the hospital covering the 2016 tax year.  As a not-for-profit hospital, Phoebe is required to file the form each year to give the government and the public insight into its finances and benefits to the community.

The filing shows Phoebe’s total revenue was $521,230,941, an increase of nearly $5.6M over the previous year.  The hospital’s total assets increased by 1.6% while total liabilities decreased by 3.9%, resulting in net assets of $121,675,127.

“At a time when many hospitals are facing financial crises due to lack of Medicaid expansion, significant drug cost increases and statewide nursing shortages, Phoebe continues to maintain a strong balance sheet which allows us to retain excellent credit ratings,” said Phoebe Chief Financial Officer Brian Church.  “Phoebe Board members closely watch our finances to ensure we can continue our mission for years to come.  They require our leadership team to operate the hospital wisely and have done so for generations.”

The IRS 990 filing shows that in 2017, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital provided $60M worth of charity and indigent care to more than 9,000 patients.  The hospital also provided $5M in community benefit through programs such as Network of Trust, free community health fairs, indigent drug pharmacy, Southwest Georgia Cancer Coalition, Southwest Georgia Council on Aging, Horizons Community Health Solutions, health screening events, education of nurses and other health professionals and support of other community organizations that improve the health and welfare of citizens.

The community benefit report, prepared in accordance with the community benefit reporting guidelines established by Catholic Health Association and VHA, shows a total community benefit of $274,098,471.  That number includes unreimbursed cost of Medicaid and Medicare services.

“Since 1911, Phoebe’s mission has been to serve southwest Georgians in need of medical care, regardless of their ability to pay,” Church said.  “We remain committed to that mission and to leading and supporting innovative efforts to improve the health and wellness of people in our region.”

Follow the Southwest Georgia Network on Twitter @swganetwork.

Comments Off on Phoebe Putney Health System Reports Strong Financial Numbers Posted in Uncategorized

Dougherty County Health Department hosting back-to-school immunization clinics

Posted on June 14, 2018 by

Press Release courtesy of the Southwest Georgia Public Health District.

Dougherty County Health Department is urging parents to avoid the back-to-school rush by getting their children immunized with state-required vaccines during early Saturday clinics.
“We are making it convenient for parents and caregivers by holding a pair of Saturday clinics,” said Dougherty County Health Department Immunization Coordinator Beverly Reid, RN. “Vaccines will be available to all during the clinics, but our focus will be on children who need vaccines prior to going to school and youths entering seventh grade who need adolescent vaccines.”
The clinics will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. During the clinics, staff will also provide hearing, vision, dental and nutrition screenings.
She said the State of Georgia has specific immunization requirements for children entering schools and daycare facilities. “The vaccinations are for the protection of your children, other family members, classmates, staff and the community,” Reid said.
As of July 1, 2014, all children born on or after Jan. 1, 2002 who are attending seventh grade, and students who are newly enrolled in Georgia schools in grades eight through 12, must have received one dose of Tdap vaccine and one dose of adolescent meningococcal (meningitis) disease vaccine.
The health department accepts most insurance; low-pay and no-pay options are also available for qualified applicants.
For more information about the clinics, call 229-638-6424.
Follow the Southwest Georgia Network on Twitter @swganetwork.

 

Comments Off on Dougherty County Health Department hosting back-to-school immunization clinics Posted in Uncategorized
 
Skip to toolbar