Alliance brings health care to the people

Staff

Published Monday, January 31, 2005

By Ann Austin, Tribune staff writer

Health care can be a complicated thing. Insurance plans differ from company to company and state to state. And not everyone is receiving the service they need.

In response to these needs, the South Country Health Alliance was formed in November of 2001. The alliance allows counties to help community members receive services, who were otherwise slipping through the cracks either because they were unaware of or unable to address their health concerns. Enrollees of the SCHA benefit from a great many services such as preventive care for men, women and children, early childhood family education, pregnancy and childbirth education, and smoking cessation programs.

"Through SCHA, counties are able to give more and better local service," said Dave Mullenbach, chairman of the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners. Mullenbach was also recently elected to chair the SCHA Joint Powers Board, which governs the alliance.

But in order to qualify for the program, people must be eligible for Medical Assistance and General Assistance Medical Care. It is not a program that will address all the individuals who live in participating counties. "These are people that need to have medical assistance anyway," said Mullenbach.

Nine counties in southern Minnesota joined the initiative and continue to expand services to their SCHA enrollees. SCHA counties include Brown, Dodge, Freeborn, Goodhue, Kanabec, Sibley, Steele, Wabasha and Waseca counties.

The alliance is working to improve quality assurance programs and has initiated studies of diabetes and asthma; ways to address the issues early on so lifestyle changes can be made to control the disease. The counties are also working to explore depression and how to identify and intervene, especially when isolated or elderly people are affected.

SCHA's purpose is driven by a desire to improve the social and health outcomes of its enrollees by coordinating social services, public health and medical services and through employing a managed care system that is responsive and helpful when needs arise.

To meet enrollees' needs, the alliance includes members of many different health organizations in the county where it's practiced. Freeborn County has many different local agencies that may be involved, but every county has a Community Resource Management Team made up of a public health nurse and county social worker. The CRMTs help to coordinate services and refer enrollees to areas they may receive assistance. The team works to follow-up with enrollees to make sure they get the treatment they need. Much of their work involves preventive measures.

"All new enrollees are sent a questionnaire, then the CRMT will meet and look at scores. If someone looks high-risk, then that team is responsible for making a referral to one of the public health staff," said Lois Ahern, director of public health. Pregnant individuals may be encouraged to get education about child-birth, or they receive car seats and car seat education.

Such close contact helps establish a medical home for enrollee, so they have a relationship with

a local physician. "It saves the expense or lack of coordination. It's a way to provide much better, consistent health care. There are all kinds of opportunities to improve their health and safety," Ahern said.

South Country has to meet all licensing requirements, and must offer the same services as other healthcare providers. To improve their connection and offer better service, the alliance has formed several committees that include medical professionals or enrollees who offer feedback to the counties on what works or what should be improved.

The first county-based healthcare program in Minnesota, SCHA has inspired other counties to join the SCHA or form their own health alliance. "Currently South Country is a 45 million a year business; 18 months from now it is likely to be about a 140 million business," said Daryl Meyer, director of Freeborn County Human Services. Five additional counties are expected to join the SCHA, with an additional 24,000 enrollees gained, he said. Other counties across the state and in neighboring states have inquired about the program, since it has been successful thus far.

"There's bumps along the way as we're growing. But the fun part is since we're it, if there's a problem that's present, we don't have to go a to a long-distance place to identify the problem and address it," Meyer said.

(Contact Ann Austin at ann.austin@albertleatribune.com or 379-3435.)

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