Mental Health Services

Recommendations

Current Status/Resources

Action Plan Notes and Ideas

Continue to maintain our current level of mental health services and psychiatrists.

Core Services Agency

•  MHAC to monitor

•  Encourage local physician offices to develop a relationship with psychiatrist

Expand transportation services for clients to and from appointments

•  People Movers

•  Lighthouse Transportation

•  Pilot project with Mental Health and DHMH to provide transportation or telephone consults on days when school is delayed or closed.

•  Support local transportation systems (such as taxi service or designated bus stops throughout day) in high population centers.

•  Expand public transportation to evening hours

Establish Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) with local employers and the health department to increase funding sources

GCHD currently provides EAP for 3 businesses.

Promote EAP services with targeted businesses and county government

Provide more specialty services

GCHD is part of a telepsychiatry pilot project

Telepsychiatry for pediatric and geriatric patients.

Encourage mental health recovery

Mental Health clinicians are receiving training in the "recovery model."

•  Encourage self-help groups.

•  Modify the mental health system to encourage recovery

Home Health Services  

Recommendations 

Current Status/Resources

Action Plan Notes and Ideas

Examine options to maintain current home health program

Operation costs are increasing due to higher salary and travel costs

•  Support federal Medicare legislation that provides for additional reimbursement of home health services sin rural areas.

•  Develop new business model for providing home health services

Continue to develop technical options to expand service availability, such as telehealth

Telehealth program at Health Department and Univ. of MD

•  Integrate telehealth into home health program.

•  Expand telehealth's information utility to be useful for local health care providers.

Educate residents about the range of home health services that are available

Home Health Advisory Committee

•  Make the Quick Guide to Garrett County Resources available to all residents

Develop strategies to continue to educate health care providers about the range of home health services that are available

Social workers and physicians currently set up home health services

Quick Guide to Garrett County Resources

•  Prepare and distribute home health reports utilization rates, outcomes, etc. and regularly distribute to area health care providers .

Workforce Development  

Recommendations 

Current Status/Resources

Action Plan Notes and Ideas

Develop recruitment and retention programs for new physicians and mid-level providers

Internet recruitment (3R Net)

Mid-level providers have been used to ease the shortage of MDs

•  Use Mtn. Laurel Medical Center to help draw physicians to area with federal loan assistance

•  Advertise in Pittsburgh Magazine

•  J-1 Visa Program

Expand educational and training opportunities for current and future health care professionals

Nursing program under development at Garrett college

Utilize Garrett College for healthcare professional programs

Advocate in the legislature to promote lower malpractice premiums, caps for lawsuits, universal health insurance coverage, and other issues that are unique to our rural area

Currently have the support for Western Maryland Delegation

Develop workforce training programs by allowing multi-agency training, mileage reimbursement, and flexible training schedules

AHEC

Healthcare professional training and continuing education

Develop partnerships with nearby institutions of higher education to :

•  Provide internships for students

•  Recruit graduates

•  Create continuing education programs for existing staff.

AHEC

WVU

Garrett College

FSU

Look proactively at the changing demographics of the work force and prepare accordingly (Ex. affordable housing, language classes)

Expand courses and programs offered at Garrett College

Develop incentives to attract recent graduates to rural MD, esp. health care shortage areas

Rural Health Association and Rural Maryland Council has this as a priority

Promote Western MD AHEC programs geared to middle and high school students to increase awareness of medical careers.

Prescription Services  

Recommendations 

Current Status/Resources

Action Plan Notes and Ideas

Research options to maintain current prescription program

•  Medbank funding has decreased

•  United Way provides $15k/yr. for emergency short term prescription for low income persons

Encourage doctors and pharmacists to use discount programs available.at chain and locally owned pharmacies

Research new options for prescription assistance such as co-ops or indigent drug programs

•  United Way funding

•  Local pharmacies provide discounts

•  FQHC programs

•  403 Federal drug pricing program

Emergency Medical Services  

Recommendations 

Current Status/Resources

Action Plan Notes and Ideas

Research options to maintain our current EMS personnel

Aging volunteer base

Support funding for EMS training and personnel to ensure competent and sufficient workforce

Recruit new EMS personnel and staff to decrease the call and volunteer time required to maintain full staffing

Recently initiated a few paid EMS positions for medics and techs

•  Enlist the support of the Bd. Of Ed. And Garrett College

•  Support expansion of paid EMS positions through fundraising and billing

Dental Health Services  

Recommendations 

Current Status/Resources

Action Plan Notes and Ideas

Educate the public about the importance of preventive dental care in order to reduce treatment costs

Prevention has not been a priority

Local dentists as guest speakers in high school health classes

•  Newspaper ads and PSA's to

discuss need for prevention

•  Steps articles

Increase the continuum of dental care throughout the county

Children's Dental Health month promotion activities

Explore feasibility of providing targeted dental services in Northern portion of county

Increase the availability of emergency dental care

GCHD takes emergencies on Fridays when other offices are closed.

Work with ED physician to help arrange timely follow-up

Encourage private dentists to participate in the MD Dental Association's Donated Dental Services Program

One new dentist is part of this plan.

Develop a local charity care dental network (in progress)