SUNCOAST HEALTH COUNCIL INVITED TO PRESENT AT COMMUNITIES JOINED IN ACTION CONFERENCE

Elizabeth Rugg, Executive Director of Suncoast Health Council, Inc., presented at the Communities Joined in Action Conference October 23-24, 2008 in Seattle, WA. Ms. Rugg’s interactive workshop, titled “MedNet: A Collaborative Approach to Prescription Drug Access”, explored how MedNet© uses community partnerships to secure free medications for chronically ill minority adults in Pinellas and Polk Counties. The session described the lessons learned while engaging community partners and implementing MedNet© services.

Click here for more information on MedNet©

 

HEALTH COUNCIL OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA PRESENTED AT AMERICAN EVALUATION ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE

Teresa Kelly, Special Projects Coordinator was invited to present at the American Evaluation Association Conference November 5-8, 2008 in Denver, CO. Ms. Kelly’s poster session, titled “Popular Empirical Assessment of Community Health (PEACH): An Interactive Methodology”, described how qualitative data can be captured in a quantifiable way allowing for direct integration of community input into health assessments and the development of health policy. PEACH can be used in any setting in which a group must prioritize the issues or narrow the scope of focus for a project. The prioritization process serves as the foundation of the strategy development exercise, allowing the participants to translate their decisions into action steps.

Click here to view the poster

 

HEALTH COUNCIL OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA PRESENTED AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HEALTH COMMUNICATION, MARKETING AND MEDIA

Kathey LaRoche, Business Development and Planning Director was invited by CDC to present at the National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing and Media, August 12-14, 2008 in Atlanta, GA. Ms. LaRoche’s  session, titled “Lead Awareness and Education Project – A Community Partnership”, described an educational outreach project designed to raise awareness of the importance of early detection of child lead poisoning, its causes and prevention in three rural Florida counties. The presentation explored communication/marketing techniques used by LEAP to reach physicians, construction/maintenance workers, parents and the general community as a part of this community awareness campaign.

SUNCOAST HEALTH COUNCIL PRESENTED AT FLORIDA MINORITY DISPARITIES SUMMIT
Elizabeth Rugg, Executive Director of Suncoast Health, Inc., presented at the Minority Health Disparities Summit August 13-15, 2008 in Tampa, FL. The Summit was sponsored by the Florida Department of Health. Ms. Rugg’s interactive workshop, titled “MedNet: A Collaborative Approach to Prescription Drug Access”, explored how MedNet© uses community partnerships to secure free medications for chronically ill minority adults in Pinellas and Polk Counties. The session described the lessons learned while engaging community partners and implementing MedNet© services.

 

HEALTH COUNCIL OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA PRESENTED AT NATIONAL ENVIROMENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE

Teresa Kelly, Special Projects Coordinator was invited to present at the National Environmental Health Association Conference June 22-25 in Tucson, Arizona. Ms. Kelly’s poster session, titled “Lead Awareness and Education Project – A Community Partnership”, described the involvement of the local community in three rural counties in raising awareness of the importance of early detection of child lead poisoning, its causes and prevention. The poster session described the development a long term Strategic Plan, assessment of community resources, and educational outreach to physicians, construction/maintenance workers, parents and the general community.

Click here to view the poster

HEALTH COUNCIL OF WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA PRESENTS AT INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY-UNIVERSITY EXPO

Kathey LaRoche, Business Development and Planning Director was invited to present at the International CU Expo, “Community-University Partnerships: Connecting for Change”, May 4-7, 2008 in Victoria, B.C. Ms. LaRoche poster session, titled “Lead Awareness and Education Project – A Community Partnership”, described the involvement of the local community in three rural counties in raising awareness of the importance of early detection of child lead poisoning, its causes and prevention. The poster session described the development a long term Strategic Plan, assessment of community resources, and educational outreach to physicians, construction/maintenance workers, parents and the general community.


Click here to view the poster

SUNCOAST HEALTH COUNCIL PRESENTS AT ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT CONFERENCE

Elizabeth Rugg, Executive Director of Suncoast Health Council, Inc., was invited to present at the National Conference of the Association for Community Health Improvement, March 5-7, 2008 in Atlanta, GA. Ms. Rugg’s interactive session, titled “Removing Economic & Literacy Barriers to Chronic Disease Medications”, explored how MedNet© uses community partnerships to secure free medications for chronically ill adults. The session also described the lessons learned while engaging community partners and implementing MedNet© services.

Click here to view the presentation

SUNCOAST HEALTH COUNCIL PRESENTS AT NATIONAL CONGRESS ON THE UN AND UNDER INSURED  
Elizabeth Rugg, Executive Director of Suncoast Health, Inc., was invited to present at the National Congress on the Un and Under Insured, December 10-12, 2007 in Washington D.C. The Congress is sponsored by many major organizations, including Harvard Health Policy Review. Ms. Rugg’s panel session, titled “A Collaborative Approach to Prescription Drug Access”, explored how MedNet© uses community partnerships to secure free medications for chronically ill adults in Pinellas County. The session described the lessons learned while engaging community partners and implementing MedNet© services.

Click here to view the MedNet Presentation

THE HEALTH COUNCILS PRESENTS AT 3RD LIVING KNOWLEDGE CONFERENCE
Suncoast Health Council, Inc. was invited to present a poster session at the International 3rd Living Knowledge Conference, August 30-September 1, 2007. The poster session featured the MedNet Tutorials as an example of “Building Health Literacy Using Today’s Technology”. The Tutorials teach chronically ill adults to use the internet to secure fee medications from pharmaceutical companies. The poster session explains the basics of community based tutorials, and how the concept can be used to build health literacy and teach patients to advocate for their health needs.


Building Health Literacy Using Today's Technology Poster


THE HEALTH COUNCILS PRESENTS POSTER AT 2007 CDC CANCER CONFERENCE
Kathey LaRoche, Business Development and Planning Director of The Health Councils, Inc., was invited to present at the 2007 CDC Cancer Conference, “Meeting Future Challenges”, August 13-17, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia. Ms. LaRoche's poster session highlights the Mammography Outreach Project (MOP), which used community partnerships to provide education about breast cancer to women aged 40-49 and women of all ages with disabilities. MOP targeted two counties in Florida using media ads and lay educators to reach out to women about the importance of mammography as a diagnostic tool. The poster session also describes the challenges and barriers experienced while engaging community partners in the project.


Mammography Outreach Project (MOP) Poster

THE HEALTH COUNCILS' EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PRESENTS POSTER AT ANNUAL HEALTH LITERACY CONFERENCE
Elizabeth Rugg, Executive Director of The Health Councils, Inc., was invited to present at the Sixth Annual Health Literacy Conference "Health Literacy and Chronic Illnesses Management", May 3-4, 2007 in Anaheim, California. Ms. Rugg's poster session proposal was accepted by the Institute for Healthcare Advancement for presentation at the annual conference. The poster session explains how community tutorials can be used to build health literacy about pharmacy assistance programs. The Health Councils includes community tutorials as an element of its MedNet Program to teach participants to use Internet resources to advocate for access to free prescription medications to treat chronic health conditions.


Building Health Literacy about Free Prescription Services Poster