Spring 2014 Newsletter - Goodwin Community Health

311 Route 108
Somersworth, NH 03878
QUALITY HEALTH CARE FOR LIFE
Father’s Day 5K Just Around the Bend
New Saturday Hours
Going to Be our Biggest Year!
For the convenience of our
patients, Goodwin Community
Health will be open
Saturdays from
8:00am-12:00pm
beginning June 7th.
As you may have heard, The Father’s
Day 5K is now part of the new (and very
popular) Dover Race Series! 2014 marks
our 5th annual event and we anticipate
hundreds of new participants due to our
track record of growth and involvement
with the Series. Sign-up early at
GoodwinCH.org and get the free t-shirt!
Underwritten by Security Company
PELMAC Industries and of course our
old friends at Margaritas of Dover, this
years run/walk promises to deliver food,
fiesta and fun for all as we celebrate
fatherhood! Registration is open,
please sign-up today. Don’t forget your
necktie!
Sponsored by: Garrison Women’s
Health Center, Measured Progress,
Liberty Mutual Insurance, Northeast
Credit Union, Somersworth Physical
Therapy, Shaheen and Gordon, Holy
Rosary Credit Union, Philbrick’s Sports &
Homewood Suites, Raiche & Company
Dover & Rochester Rotaries Donate
Make a Difference
Donate Today
To Donate today, please visit
GoodwinCH.org/donations/
Donations can be also be
mailed to 311 Route 108,
Somersworth, NH 03878
C/O Development
Department
Please visit our website
at www.GoodwinCH.org
Find us on Facebook
at www.Facebook.com/
GoodwinCommunityHealth
Children’s Lead Testing Program Returns
The Hungry Heart
Popular Film Coming to
Strafford County
The Hungry Heart provides
an intimate look at the often
hidden world of prescription drug
addiction through the world
of Vermont Pediatrician Fred
Holmes who works with patients
struggling with this disease. Postfilm discussion will feature the
filmmaker, Bess O’Brien, and
special guests from the film. Light
refreshments will be provided at
each of the screenings. Three
FREE screenings of The Hungry
Heart movie will be featured in the
following locations:
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
Monday, June 23rd 6-9pm
Garrison Wing
Goodwin Community Health recently
received donations from both the Dover
and Rochester Rotary Clubs to purchase
a lead-testing machine to conduct inhouse lead testing on children.
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
recommends public health actions
be initiated. A simple blood test can
prevent permanent lead poisoning
damage that will last a lifetime.
Childhood lead poisoning is still
considered the most preventable
environmental disease among young
children, yet approximately half a
million U.S. children have blood lead
levels above which the Centers for
Lead poisoning is entirely preventable.
The key is first to stop children from
coming into contact with lead and next
to test and treat children who have
been poisoned by lead.
Farmington
Tuesday, June 24th 11-2pm
Henry Wilson Middle School
Children can be given a simple blood
test to measure the level of lead in their
blood. However, in 2009 the State of
New Hampshire discontinued offering
childhood lead testing due to budget
reductions and therefore, Goodwin
(LtoR): Matthew Sylvia, President, Rotary Club
of Dover, NH, Derek Peters, President-Elect
of the Rotary Club of Rochester, NH and
Sarina Sim, Medical Assistant at Goodwin
Community Health.
Rochester
Tuesday, June 24th 6-9pm
Spaulding High School
Newsletter Spring 2014
Dear Friends
Here we go again!
On the heels of the
March 31st ACA
Enrollment Deadline,
NH comes through
with Medicaid
Expansion. It’s
great news for the
estimated 58,000
uninsured NH
residents that will be
eligible.
Janet Atkins
Executive Director
It sure is keeping things busy and interesting
here at Goodwin Community Health, but
more importantly, we are seeing an impact
being made on our mission to remove
barriers that prevent people from accessing
preventative care.
We currently have four outreach and
enrollment specialists working diligently to
get the word out to those that might qualify.
Maybe you know someone who does and
can send them our way? Tell a friend or
family member who could be eligible. Like
always,
WE ARE HERE TO HELP...
Community Health no longer had
the ability to conduct lead testing for
children in-house. When this was done in
house there was a 96% compliance rate
in young children being tested for lead.
Then that rate dropped by about thirty
percentage points because patients
could not afford the lab test.
The donation of $2,500 by the Rotary
Clubs provided a McKesson Blood Lead
Analyzer and Test Kit which will allow
Goodwin Community Health to start
doing the testing in-house again, free of
charge.
Rock with the Doc’s is POSTPONED!
Welcoming Tufts
We have postponed our benefit concert fundraiser until Friday, November 14th
at the River Mill in Dover. Same time and place, stay tuned for more information!
Starting in the summer of 2014 the Goodwin Dental Center will proudly partner with
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Goodwin will be hosting 4th year dental
students to complete an extension of their training with our dentists and dental team.
We are excited to enrich our dental program with this affiliation.
Free Diabetes Vision
Day Screens 29
Patients in Need
Carol Shea-Porter Meets With ACA Enrollees
Gives Thanks to Goodwin
Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter
met with constituents who enrolled
in private health insurance plans
through the Affordable Care Act at
Goodwin Community Health on May
5th. She heard from a group of people
including newly insured families, people
with preexisting conditions, and local
counselors who helped Granite Staters
sign up for health insurance plans.
“All of the new enrollees expressed
great relief that they now have health
insurance,” Shea-Porter said. “We’ve
made tremendous progress in New
Hampshire, and I’ll keep working
to drive down costs and increase
competition so everyone in our state
has access to quality, affordable health
care.”
“The Affordable Care Act has helped
expand access to health care in
Strafford County, and Goodwin is proud
to be a part of that achievement,”
said Janet Atkins, Executive Director
of Goodwin Community Health. “On
behalf of our staff and patients, many
of whom have health insurance for the
first time thanks to the Affordable Care
Act, I want to thank Congresswoman
Shea-Porter for working with Goodwin
and other stakeholders to make sure
the Affordable Care Act works for our
communities and our citizens.”
Shea-Porter has worked throughout the
past year to improve the Affordable
Care Act and guarantee that everyone
in New Hampshire has access to quality,
affordable healthcare. At the event,
Shea-Porter discussed the progress
New Hampshire has made, such as
exceeding its enrollment goals, passing
a bipartisan plan to expand Medicaid,
and news that two additional insurers
plan to offer coverage on New
Hampshire’s Marketplace next year.
Stories from the event are summarized
below:
Teri
After 13 years of working for someone
else, Teri decided to start her own
business. During her time under an
individual health insurance plan, Teri
developed a chronic condition, and
although she was willing to pay her
premiums and deductibles, Anthem
dropped her coverage when it was
time for her 6 month renewal. It was
financially devastating. Teri endured
constant phone calls from bill collectors,
foreclosure threats against her home,
and the stress of being sick without
insurance. As of April 1, Teri has health
insurance through a private plan under
the Affordable Care Act. “At least I
know what will happen in the future,”
Teri said.
Ben and Catherine
After losing their employer sponsored
health insurance, Ben suffered a
heart attack and underwent triple
bypass surgery. Ben and Catherine
were forced to refinance their home
and wipe out their retirement savings
in order pay for the procedure. Ben
and Catherine officially regained
health insurance last month, buying a
Marketplace plan. “It’s a great relief to
have health insurance again,” Ben said.
Emil
Emil is a self-employed father with a
young daughter at home and another
on the way. Emil and his wife reached
out to Congresswoman Shea-Porter
after encountering difficulties with
Healthcare.gov. Through repeated
phone calls, online inquiries, and
support from Congresswoman SheaPorter’s office, Emil signed up for a
health insurance plan. As of today,
he is covered by a plan that saves his
family $400 each month, carries a lower
deductible, and offers better benefits
than the insurance he was buying
before.
affordable plan under the ACA. She
spoke with Congresswoman SheaPorter about news that two additional
insurers plan to offer coverage on New
Hampshire’s Marketplace next year.
Mike
Mike has a pre-existing condition.
For years, Mike did not have health
insurance. As he put it, he “flew without
a net.” Like many Granite Staters,
Mike had trouble signing up for health
insurance, but with help from the
health care professionals at Goodwin
Community Health, Mike signed up for
an affordable plan and he is happy
to have health insurance coverage.
“I’ve been so motivated to talk about
the Affordable Care Act that I got five
people at work to look into getting
coverage,” Mike said.
Patrice
After 25 years at her job, Patrice was let
go. Patrice is brittle diabetic, and she
immediately started fighting to try and
regain health insurance. But she kept
getting the same answer: “You have a
pre-existing condition,” and no insurer
would cover her. Without a job and
without health insurance, she could no
longer afford medication. Patrice was
unable to monitor her insulin, and she
began having seizures. Then, thanks to
the Affordable Care Act, everything
changed. On January 1st, she enrolled
in a plan on the Affordable Care Act’s
Marketplace. “When I got my insurance
card, I drove to my doctors and I finally
had a smile on my face,” Patrice said.
The Annual Goodwin
Community Health Free
Diabetes Vision Day was
Saturday, April 12th at
LaFreniere Eye Care of
Somersworth.
Twenty-nine patients were screened
for Diabetes related vision problems.
Goodwin Community Health
diabetes patients with high A1C, no
insurance and who have not had a
vision screening in over a year, were
eligible for the free care.
Dr. Charles LaFreniere opened the
doors of LaFreniere Eye Care to
our patients and Dr. Kenneth Clark
for assisted in the free dilated eye
exams. Out of the 29 patients
screened, 6 were abnormal exams
and 2 of whom will need to see a
retinal specialist.
Without this free service their
conditions would have gone
undiagnosed.
For more information about
managing Diabetes or our next Free
Diabetes Vision Day, contact Donna
Bernier at 603-516-2746 or by e-mail
dbernier@GoodwinCH.org.
Goodwin Makes the New York Times!
Somersworth Enrollments Get National Spotlight
Goodwin’s own Linda Westinghouse, an enrollment specialist, helped Rina Patel, left, and
Khushboo Patel, sign up for health insurance on the final day of ACA Enrollment. The New York
Times showed up at Goodwin Community Health to cover the story of the last minute nation-wide
rush to meet the March 31st deadline. The full NY Times story can be read at GoodwinCH.org.
The NH Health Protection Program
is about to begin. Thousands in the
Granite State will be newly eligible
for health coverage. Most working
adults, 19-65, with incomes up to 138%
of Federal poverty level will qualify.
That’s $15,400 a year for a single
person and $32,000 for a family of
four... YOU, OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW,
MAY QUALIFY. To determine eligibility,
call or visit a Goodwin Enrollment
Specialist today at 603-516-2556.
2013 Annual Report
Did you get your 2013 Annual Report
in the mail? You can also read it online
at our website www.GoodwinCH.org.
Donor Spotlight
PELMAC
Industries Inc.
has been
securing homes
and business
for more than
25 years! In addition to underwriting
our 5th Annual 5K, PELMAC has shown
support in the past by making significant
contributions to Special Events that
benefit Goodwin. Thank you PELMAC!
Service Dog Info Session
Coreen
Coreen is a part-time worker. Coreen
and her husband were facing
premiums of $800-$1,200 per month
prior to the Affordable Care Act.
Her family is now enrolled in a more
58,000 NH People Are Eligible.
Are you?
Donna Bernier, Chronic Disease
Manager at Goodwin Community
Health; Dr. Kenneth Clark of Rochester
Eye Care Associates; Cheri Haney
Chronic Disease Advocate at
Goodwin Community Health; Tasha
Stevens Ophthalmic Technician at
LaFreniere Eye Care; Dr. Charles
LaFreniere of LaFreniere Eye Care
Don’t miss
a special
presentation
from Jean
Shinner on
Service Dogs.
June 25th
from 1:30
–3:00pm at Goodwin Community
Health, 2nd Floor. Step inside the
world of service dogs, learn more
about these amazing animals and
how the service dog program works,
learn about the application process,
and meet real Service Dogs and
the humans they love. Reserve your
seat by contacting Donna Bernier,
dbernier@GoodwinCH.org, 603-516-2746.
Quarterly Donors
Below are the top donors from the
last two quarters. A big THANK YOU
for all those that have supported
Goodwin Community Health!
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
Shaheen & Gordon, PA
Alan Schlemmer
Drs. David & Diane Ness, DDS
Town of Durham
Rochester Rotary Charities
Pamela Bertram, MD
Valerie Goodwin
Jeffrey Wade
Kerri Turgeon
Rotary Club of Dover
Neil S Hiltunen, DMD
Dr. Jeffrey & Barbara Russell, MD
Patrick M. Redmond
Dr. Robert & Jane Harrington, MD
Dover Women’s Health
Gary & Deborah DeColfmacker
Karen Howard
Community Church of Durham
Dr. David & Maureen Staples, DDS
Janet Atkins
Robert Kraunz, MD
Josh Howard, DMD
Eric & Elizabeth Nordgren
Law Offices of Stephen C Brown,
P.L.L.C.
Lorenzo Klein, MD
Nomith T. Ramdev, DMD, MSD
Yankee Equipment Systems
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