Goodwin Community Health

New Hampshire Competes in National Contest to Help Pregnant Women and New Mothers

goodwin — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:49:25 +0000

Goodwin Community Health aims to reach NH moms throughout the state with text4baby program.
In honor of Mother’s Day and National Women’s Health Week, Goodwin Community Health announced today its participation in the 2012 Text4baby State Enrollment Contest, a national competition to enroll pregnant women and new mothers in the text4baby program. The official launch of the Contest was announced today as part of a Congressional Briefing in Washington, DC that was co-hosted by Senators Ayotte (R-NH), Carper (D-DE), Cochran (R-MS), and Landrieu (D-LA).

“Goodwin Community Health is pleased to partner with the text4baby initiative to give expectant and new mothers critical information they need so they can take charge of their health and the health of their babies,” said Goodwin Community Health Executive Director, Janet Atkins. “Last year New Hampshire came in a very close second place in the National Competition. This year Goodwin Community Health will do all we can to help New Hampshire capture the top spot.”

Text4baby, the country’s first free, health education program in the form of text messages, provides timely tips and expert advice sent directly to the cell phones of pregnant women and new moms. Pregnant women and new mothers who text “BABY” (or “BEBE” for Spanish) to 511411 receive weekly text messages, timed to their due date or their baby’s birth date through the baby’s first year. The messages, which have been developed by government and non-profit health experts like the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and American Academy of Pediatrics, deal with nutrition, immunization, and birth defect prevention, among other topics.

The United States has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the industrialized world. Each year in the U.S. more than 500,000 babies are born prematurely and an estimated 28,000 children die before their first birthday. In response to this national public health crisis, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) launched text4baby in partnership with founding sponsor Johnson & Johnson, Voxiva, CTIA-The Wireless Foundation, Grey Healthcare Group (a WPP company), the nation’s wireless carriers, and the U.S. government.

In its first two years, text4baby has already reached more than 335,000 users thanks to its unprecedented public-private partnership. By engaging a vast network of over 775 text4baby Outreach Partners around the country, the Contest aims to reach more potential participants through healthy competition among the states.

The top three states that have enrolled the most users in text4baby between May 17 and October 22, 2012 will be announced and recognized during the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California in late October.

“The text4baby State Enrollment Contest is a great way for states to actively participate in making sure that pregnant women and new moms across the country get the most important information they need to ensure their child’s healthy development,” said Judy Meehan, CEO of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition.

National organizations that are supporting the State Enrollment Contest include:

American Public Health Association
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP)
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
CityMatCH
National Healthy Start Association (NHSA)
March of Dimes
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
National WIC Association
Southern Governors’ Association

These organizations will be promoting the contest to their extensive memberships. For more information visit: www.text4baby.org

About text4baby
Text4baby is made possible through a public-private partnership that includes government, corporations, academic institutions, professional associations, tribal agencies and non-profit organizations. Johnson & Johnson is the founding sponsor. Founding partners include the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, Voxiva, CTIA – The Wireless Foundation, and Grey Healthcare Group (a WPP company). U.S. government partners include the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense Military Health System, the Department of Agriculture, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Social Security Administration. The mobile health platform is provided by Voxiva and free messaging services are generously provided by participating wireless carriers.

About Goodwin Community Health
Goodwin Community Health is the only 501(c) (3) Community Health Center serving the Greater Strafford County area of New Hampshire and Maine. We make it affordable for local people to access the wellness services and quality primary care that lead to good Physical, Dental, and Mental Health. Goodwin Community Health operates on the same principles Mrs. Avis Goodwin started the organization on 42 years ago – everyone deserves access to quality health care, at an affordable price. Goodwin Community Health is currently accepting both insured and uninsured new patients. For more information connect with us on Facebook, at www.GoodwinCH.org or visit the new Goodwin Community Health Center at 311 Route 108, Somersworth, New Hampshire.

May is Mental Health Month. Check Out These Tools Aimed at Helping Professionals Support Mental Health

goodwin — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:44:32 +0000

Mental Health Month was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives, and to celebrate recovery from mental illness. We know that mental health is essential for a person’s overall health. Prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can recover from mental disorders and live full and productive lives.

Mental Health Month gives all of us a valuable opportunity to celebrate the tremendous strides this Nation has made in promoting mental health and increasing the public’s knowledge that effective services and support are available.

Support Mental Health Month With These Resources:

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) KIT: Interactive tools offering customized, community-based services for people with mental illness.
Sustaining Grassroots Community-Based Programs: Six books to help grassroots and faith-based organizations create comprehensive substance abuse and mental health treatment services.
Helping Yourself Heal (Spanish version): A directory of preventative resources for men in treatment for substance abuse who have been victims of child abuse
Promoting Recovery and Resilience for Children and Youth Involved in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems: Treatment approaches and national findings regarding how children’s lives can be improved through youth care and trauma-informed services.

Goodwin Community Health Gets Help from The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation and Granite United Way

goodwin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:31:57 +0000

Somersworth, NH, January 5, 2012 – Goodwin Community Health announces it has received grants from The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation and Granite United Way. Both donations come as a result of Goodwin Community Health’s work to offer the most vulnerable members of the community access to quality, integrated health care.
A generous grant for $2,440 from The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation buys vital equipment for Goodwin Community Health’s new Dental Center. This equipment is crucial to expand services to 500 new patients. Sixty percent of Goodwin’s medical patients are not insured and about seventy percent use the dental services. In recent years, The Northeast Delta Dental Foundation supported the Goodwin’s Smiles for Strafford County dental program and the “Changing Spaces~Changing Lives” building campaign.
“We encourage the integration of oral health with other health care disciplines to provide the patient with more comprehensive and beneficial care. When people receive the oral health education and dental services they need, it can help keep the costs of health care down. We were very happy to award a grant to Goodwin Community Health for its new Dental Center especially because its dental services are integrated with other vital services,” said Betty Andrews, Secretary and Assistant Treasurer of the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation.
A Grant for $6,750 was made possible by a partnership between Granite United Way, Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) and the United Way of the Greater Seacoast. The donation was made in recognition for the work Goodwin Community Health does to help vulnerable families experiencing chronic health conditions or crisis, and to offset programs that have been affected by budget reductions, especially for mental health and providers of services for homeless and area hospitals. Granite United also noted that, “2-1-1 call data reports indicate “Health and Dental Care Services for the ‘Uninsured/Underinsured’ as an ongoing need, repeatedly listed in the top ten requested services.”
About Goodwin Community Health
Goodwin Community Health is the only 501(c)(3) Community Health Center serving the Greater Strafford County area of New Hampshire and Maine. We make it affordable for local people to access the wellness services and quality primary care that lead to good Physical, Dental and Mental Health. Goodwin Community Health operates on the same principles Mrs. Avis Goodwin started the organization on 42 years ago – everyone deserves access to quality health care, at an affordable price. For more information connect with us on Facebook, at www.GoodwinCH.org or visit the new Goodwin Community Health Center in Somersworth, New Hampshire.

Give Kids a Smile Days are back!

goodwin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:27:29 +0000

FREE Kids Dental Care for two days only — February 3rd and 9th. Once again, Goodwin Community Health’s Dental Center is participating in the Give Kids a Smile program and offering FREE Dental Care for all uninsured children of Strafford County! Includes exams, restorations, cleanings, sealants etc. Appointments must be scheduled in advance. Call Dorene at 603-516-2548 to set up an appointment.

NPR Story – Gaps In Health Coverage Can Disrupt Preventive Care

goodwin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:00:15 +0000

Goodwin Community Health Annual Appeal -2011

goodwin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:49:30 +0000

“Endowment for Health” celebrates 10 years in NH.

goodwin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:44:59 +0000

Video features Goodwin Community Health as an example of their great work!”

Goodwin Community Health Adds New Doctors, Board Members

goodwin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:37:16 +0000

Somersworth, NH, November 22, 2011 – Goodwin Community Health announces the addition of two new doctors and three new members to its Board of Directors.
New Doctors:
• Kevin Zent, MD came to Goodwin Community Health in August of 2011 after spending five years in Family Practice with OB at Greenfield Family Practice in Greenfield, Ohio. Here he also delivered 25 – 30 babies a year at Fayette County Memorial Hospital in Ohio. Doctor Zent earned his MD in 2003 at University of Louisville School of Medicine in Louisville, Kentucky and completed the Christ Hospital/University of Cincinnati Family Medicine Residency Training Program in 2006. He also holds a B.S. in History from Asbury College.
• Steven Molnar-Gabor, MD joined Goodwin Community Health in July of 2011. He was born in Hungary and received his MD in 1975. Doctor Molnar-Gabor’s work in Urgent Care, Obstetrics and Gynecology has lead him to practice and volunteer in unique parts of the world including Indian Health Services in Arizona; St Jude Hospital in St. Lucia, West Indies, Tajura City Hospital, Libya, Africa; Szentes General Hospital, Hungary and most recently at the DFD Russell Medical Center.
New Board Members:
• Robert F Kraunz, MD, FACC received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He has served as an officer in the Navy Medical Corps and has held several prestigious posts in the field of Cardiology including Chief of Cardiology at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine and private practice positions of Cardiology in San Diego and Santa Rosa, California. In 1987 Doctor Kraunz established Strafford Cardiology–a private practice of Cardiology in the seacoast area– and he was associated with Frisbie Memorial Hospital and Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. He fully retired from practice in August 2011. He is married with three grown children.
• Timothy P. Beaupre, Esq. is an Associate Attorney at Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. His expertise is in the areas of workers’ compensation and social security disability. He practices law in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He is from Somersworth, NH and a graduate of Boston College and Suffolk University Law School.
• Kelly LaRue received her BFA at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. Kelly owns her own design consultancy under the name of Studio KL www.studiokl.com. Kelly enjoys helping to support and give back to our community here in Stafford County not only thru inspiring architecture and interior environments but also through community services that support local families and make this community better. After having been a patient of Goodwin community health for over 3 years, she joined the Board of Directors because of her appreciation of the affordability and quality of care the health center offers.

About Goodwin Community Health
Goodwin Community Health is the only 501(c)(3) Community Health Center serving the Greater Strafford County area of New Hampshire and Maine. We make it affordable for local people to access the wellness services and quality primary care that lead to good Physical, Dental and Mental Health. Goodwin Community Health operates on the same principles Mrs. Avis Goodwin started the organization on 42 years ago – everyone deserves access to quality health care, at an affordable price. For more information connect with us on Facebook, at www.GoodwinCH.org or visit the new Goodwin Community Health Center in Somersworth, New Hampshire.

Big Thanks, to Blue Dolphin Screenprint & Embroidery

goodwin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:36:40 +0000

for generously donating $1,000 to Goodwin Community Health! The funds were raised through the popular breast cancer awareness “Check Your Rack” T-shirt Campaign. T-shirts are still available, just $5 each, make great stocking stuffers, and all proceeds benefit Goodwin Community Health. Want one? email lwillard@goodwinch.org — at Blue Dolphin Screenprint and Embroidery.

September is National Preparedness Month. Are you Prepared for an emergency or disaster?

goodwin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:06:34 +0000

Preparedness Frequently Asked Questions

Why do New Hampshire residents need to be prepared for emergencies?
New Hampshire has many highly trained public safety professionals, such as police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel. But they can’t be everywhere and during a major disaster they are likely to be very busy. In the few moments it takes until help arrives, you are the first responder. If you and your family, business or other organization are prepared for an emergency you are more likely to survive and minimize injuries and damage. It is best to have a written plan which includes how you will communicate in a disaster, where you and your family will meet up, and how much food and water you will have on hand.

Does New Hampshire face any special types of disasters?
New Hampshire can experience any type of disaster that occurs anywhere in the world, with the exception of a volcanic eruption, but some disasters are more likely than others. Since 2005, the state has experienced a series of floods, multiple tornadoes, an ice storm, a tropical storm, severe snow storms, and a flu pandemic. Floods, hurricanes, and severe winter storms are the most likely disasters to strike the state.

What home emergency supplies should I have on hand?
Under most circumstances, a power outage will last only a few hours and not put your family in serious danger. Keeping emergency supplies on hand will make the time pass more comfortably and allow you to respond or call for help in the event something more serious occurs. Here are emergency supplies that a typical homeowner should stock:
o Flashlight and spare batteries. These are safer than candles. Camping-style lanterns can light a whole room and make it easier to read or play games to keep children entertained.
o A battery-powered radio. Emergency instructions will come from officials via Emergency Alert System broadcasts or newscasts. You will need to know what is going on and radio broadcasts will provide this information.
o A wired telephone plugged directly into the telephone jack in the wall is recommended. The telephone system generally works when the power is out because the telephone company has its own power system and battery back-ups. A portable, or cordless phone requires an external power source and won’t work if the power is out. Cell phones may be overwhelmed with large numbers of calls, restricting your ability to get through and they need charging to work.
o Store several gallons of bottled water in a cool part of the house for drinking, cooking, or hand washing if necessary.
o Keep some stored food on hand that can be easily prepared. Most people shop once a week, by definition they will have at least a week’s worth of food available. Families should choose the type of “emergency food” that suits their needs and taste. Make sure to cycle the food around so it doesn’t go bad. Be sure to have appropriate tools to prepare emergency food. Your electric can opener won’t do much good if the power is out, so you’ll need at least one manual opener.
In addition, everyone in the family should know how and when to call 9-1-1 for emergency assistance. Even young children can learn this. Another good idea is to have a contact out of state, such as family members or close friends. A long-distance point of contact is valuable if family members are scattered or are forced to go to a shelter.

What should be done during an evacuation?
If a neighborhood becomes too dangerous to remain in, authorities may order an evacuation. When that happens, the American Red Cross, in cooperation with local or state officials, will open shelters in schools or other public buildings. You are not required to go to a shelter if you can make your own arrangements. Regardless of where you go when evacuated, take personal supplies and other essential items with you:
o Personal hygiene products
o Eyeglasses or contact lenses
o Prescription medications and prescriptions
o At least one change of seasonally appropriate clothing
o Blankets or sleeping bags
o Cash and credit cards
o Books and games for children
o Copies of important papers
o Food and medications for your pet
o Baby formula and diapers if you have a baby
Evacuations are not common in New Hampshire. When they occur, it is more likely to be a neighborhood being evacuated because of localized flooding than the kind of mass evacuation of wide areas required because of a hurricane that occurs so frequently in southern states. Nevertheless, everyone should be familiar with evacuation procedures in case of need. Some of the shelters are pet friendly and arrangements can be made for their care. Be sure to bring a pet carrier, leash, food, and any medications for your pet.

Should I keep supplies in my car too?
It is a good idea to keep some emergency equipment in your car at all times, but especially if you evacuate or before a disaster strikes. Keep the gas tank full above halfway because in an emergency you may not be able to get to a station or the pumps may not be working if there is no power. Other items to have in your car include:
o Bottled water
o Food (such as granola bars)
o First aid kit
o White distress flag
o Flashlight and extra batteries
o Flares/light sticks
o Blanket or sleeping bag
o Emergency reflective blanket
o Jumper cables
o Spare tire and tire jack
o A liquid tire inflator
o Shovel
o Maps or GPS

If you have questions about emergency planning for individuals and families, contact the New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management at 800-852-3792 or info@dos.nh.gov. For more information, you can also visit www.nh.gov/readynh/, www.fema.gov, or www.cdc.gov/phpr.