In Potter County, 61% of deaths are attributable to chronic disease, according to a community health needs assessment conducted by UPMC for the Cole hospital in Coudersport.
Of that 61%, a total of 25% are due to cancer, 17% to diseases of the heart, 7% to chronic respiratory diseases, 5% to diabetes, 3% to stroke and 4% to other chronic diseases, according to the report.
On June 15, the board at UPMC Cole adopted an implementation plan to address the significant health needs identified in the needs assessment — chronic disease management, behavioral health, access to care and navigating resources, prevention and community wide healthy living.
According to the assessment report, “UPMC Cole is committed to addressing chronic disease by offering education to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke risks and prevention efforts.”
Some of the intended actions include hosting an annual health fair and participating in community health fairs to raise awareness of heart disease, to increase awareness of educational programs, and to provide programs to help reduce risk factors.
Regarding behavioral health, UPMC Cole plans to enhance services in the area “through recruiting new providers, leveraging partnerships with other UPMC hospitals in north central Pa., and raising awareness of available behavioral health services.”
Accessing primary care doctors was identified as a community need, and UPMC Cole intends to grow its family practice network, continue to offer urgent care through the Express Care Clinic, expand the home-based primary care program, promote access to providers through virtual care and enhance new patient scheduling processes to reduce wait times.
Along the same lines, the need for care coordination was identified. UPMC Cole intends to address transportation, develop a plan with senior communities on how to transition patients to skilled nursing facilities in a timely manner, recruit specialty providers, explore the opportunity to add an Endocrinology service to the area and develop a plan to improve and expand telemedicine.
Regarding prevention and healthy living, UPMC Cole has a list filled with intended actions.
Hospital officials plan to raise awareness of the importance of immunizations and routine cancer screenings, and offer both to the community. The plan calls for a continuation of engaging in community outreach and in offering support to the community, as well as supporting healthy behaviors by promoting active lifestyles and increasing access to healthy food.
The plan also calls for increasing access to dental care.
UPMC Cole is a progressive, rural, nonprofit health care provider in north central Pennsylvania. Since opening its doors in 1967, UPMC Cole has provided patients and the communities it serves with high-quality, personalized health care. As a critical access community hospital, UPMC Cole provides a comprehensive system of high-quality health care through caring, efficient, trusted, responsive and courteous service, every day. The system now consists of UPMC Cole, the Cole Memorial Medical Group and clinics, Home Health and Hospice, Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, the Patterson Cancer Center, and multiple specialties.
In the year 2020, there were 49 licensed beds, 1,951 hospital patients, 8,561 emergency department visits and 3,384 total surgeries.
There were a total of 686 employees, with $18.1 million in community benefits contributions. There was $1.1 million in free and reduced cost care for a total economic impact of hospital operations of $148.6 million.
When the 2019 community health needs assessment was conducted, a few aspects of behavioral health were identified — opioid addiction, substance abuse and access to behavioral health services. Also identified were community prevention and wellness initiatives and health-related social needs.
Actions taken to work on behavioral health issues have included increasing access to educational programs about suicide risk, improving access to mental health providers, promoting public education and awareness to help prevent prescription drug and opioid misuse and overdose, and reducing access to prescription drugs for misuse and abuse.
Among the programs suggested were Mental Health First Aid, an outpatient behavioral health service line, and suicide prevention initiatives. For opioid addiction and substance abuse, programs included enhancing and expanding an addiction medicine service line, implementing campaigns to promote awareness of substance use and continuing to promote Narcan training and prescription drug take-back initiatives.
There have been significant accomplishments. According to the report, “Over the last three years, UPMC Cole has grown its behavioral health team, recruiting two behavioral health specialists — a behavioral health assessment counselor and a licensed clinical social worker; increasing mental health screenings; embedding behavioral health specialists in primary care offices; and launching virtual visit capabilities. Between July 2019 and April 2021, the hospital had 7,349 behavioral health visits, including virtual visits.”
Much has been done to support people with substance use disorder as well. Efforts over the last three years have included the creation of a roadmap of resources, which provides quick access to information about support services, and the naming of UPMC Cole’s pharmacy as Potter County’s Centralized Coordinating Entity (CCE) to distribute Naloxone kits to first responders. Over the last three years, the hospital has continued to provide Naloxone kits and offer training. Between July 2019 and May 2021, 24 Naloxone kits were distributed to first responders and school districts.
Efforts toward preventive health and wellness have included education, screenings and promotion of healthy behaviors. A Wellness Prescription program was launched, along with virtual exercise classes and a family focused program through pediatricians called Developing Healthy Habits for Life.
For community wide healthy living, UPMC Cole has been working to help reduce household food insecurity and increase access and promote fruits and vegetables.
