Twin City Hospital receives second grant for popular community project

  • October 22, 2009
  • 765
                        
Twin City Hospital was recently awarded another $375,000 federal grant, to be distributed across three years, from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Rural Health Policy. Twin City Hospital was one of only about 75 health care entities in the United States to receive monies this year through HRSA’s highly competitive Rural Health Outreach grant program. The grant will fund the expansion and continuation of Twin City Hospital’s Healthy Community Outreach Program (HCOP), an innovative program designed to help reduce the number of overweight and obese adults in Tuscarawas, Carroll and Harrison counties. In 2006, Twin City Hospital received its initial $375,000 federal grant from HRSA to create the HCOP. As a result of that first three-year grant, the Twin City Hospital HCOP provided Fit for Life classes to 602 adults; Fit for Fun classes for 18 elementary students and 632 high school students; school-based wellness education to 1,102 elementary students, 485 middle school students, 436 high school students, and 562 teachers; and private nutritional counseling sessions for 82 adults and 42 children. This new grant will enable the Twin City Hospital HCOP to provide Fit for Life classes on-site at workplaces throughout the tri-county area. A consortium of community agencies will continue to pool resources in order to achieve program success through a collaborative effort. The consortium, in which Twin City Hospital serves as the lead agency, consists of Dr. Tim McKnight, HCOP project director and board certified family practitioner, Carroll County Health Department, OSU Extension, Tuscarawas County Health Department, Tuscarawas County YMCA, psychologist Dr. Nina Kucyk, and chiropractor Dr. Michael Jakubowski. Specifically, the program will provide nutrition and exercise programs for adults of all ages through Fit for Life classes; special health intervention for adults who are diabetic or are at risk for diabetes; assistance with school wellness programs; and nutrition and exercise information on the hospital’s Web site to improve access to health and wellness information. “It’s been extremely rewarding to see the progress that so many area residents have made in improving wellness over the past three years,” noted Dr. McKnight. “I’m grateful to HRSA for continuing to support us by making it possible to expand the HCOP into local workplaces.” “We are grateful to HRSA for putting their faith in Twin City Hospital by awarding us another competitive grant, and we are looking forward to continuing to work with the consortium to provide Fit for Life classes at work sites within the tri-county area,” remarked Marge Jentes, chief executive officer of Twin City Hospital. “We appreciate all the help and support provided to us by Rep. Zack Space, Tuscarawas County commissioners, the mayors of Dennison and Uhrichsville and many other area officials who supported the hospital’s grant application.” All Twin City Hospital HCOP services will be provided at a nominal cost, and those interested in obtaining more information about hosting a Fit for Life class at a work site can contact Tiffany Poland, HCOP project coordinator and Twin City Hospital director of business development, at 740-922-7471.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load