County seeking ‘Indiana Healthy Community’ title

PCHOSP • Sep 12, 2016

Monday, September 12, 2016

One major threat to continued economic success in Indiana communities is the increasingly poor health of Hoosiers – and the subsequent high health care costs.

A glaring example: The Kaiser Family Foundation ranked Indiana sixth highest for health care costs in 2015.

While workplace wellness has gained attention from employers as a way to combat those costs and improve employee health, the reality is that healthy practices don’t begin or end at work. Wellness has to make it through the front door of the home and into the community.

In May, Putnam County embarked on becoming designated an Indiana Healthy Community. To be designated a healthy community, efforts are expected to be focused on four specific health factors for economic growth and vitality:

• Supporting livable, natural and built environments

• Community practices that make the healthier choice an easier choice.

• Engagement of our citizens on their overall well being.

• Healthier workplaces.

Why is community health considered important to the economic success of Putnam County?

According to a July 2015 report from the Vitality Institute, “Failing to address the environmental and social drivers of workforce health at the community level is a major barrier to the effectiveness of workplace health promotion (wellness).”

Putnam County’s focus on health as a community will provide employees and their circles of influence a better environment to live, work, learn and play.

Putnam County Hospital CEO Dennis Weatherford says, “Part of the mission of Putnam County Hospital is to improve the health status of the residents we serve. We believe that population health improvement can be more powerful when multiple players, including elected officials, area employers and key community leaders, become partners in the effort.

“The more we have at the table,” Weatherford added, “the healthier we will be at the workplace, at home and throughout the community.”

The Indiana Healthy Community Initiative offers guidance for communities tackling their biggest health concerns. The Wellness Council of Indiana (WCI) will help to facilitate best practices and assist communities in developing short- and long-term goals.

A coalition of local partners leads the charge in each community.

“A lot of what we’re trying to do is work with key leaders. Be it your county leaders, your local chamber leaders, your local health care leaders. We want them to lead the effort – what we want to do is come in and help manifest or evolve their existing goals,” Chuck Gillespie, WCI executive director, said.

The Indiana Healthy Community initiative also has support from Greencastle Mayor Bill Dory.

“We are very fortunate that we have a wide range of organizations and companies that are working in this area and that provide the foundation to prosper as an Indiana Healthy Community,” Mayor Dory said. “In addition, we have the local infrastructure, such as our parks, trails, the DePauw Nature Park and other amenities throughout the city and county that can support an active and healthy lifestyle.”

The WCI has been working with several cities and counties as the initiative launches, with Putnam County being the sixth.

So what does Putnam County need to achieve in order to obtain the status of Indiana Healthy Community?

Community leaders have met several times to complete the application process required by WCI. This application enquires about the current state of the community; items such as access to exercise, healthy food options, access to healthcare and many more.

Gillespie has worked with the leaders to bring focus to action items that can be achieved both short and long term, with the end goal of making Putnam County a healthier place to live, work, learn and play.

The coalition of leaders now have a document, referred to as the “one-pager,” that states Putnam County’s initiative with key action items to achieve in order to obtain the Indiana Healthy Community status. The coalition will continue to meet to create action plans for the items listed below.

Putnam County strives to become known throughout Indiana and across the country as a destination place to live, work, learn and play. The plan is to accomplish this by working collectively to provide and promote the support and resources needed to allow residents and employers a choice of “leading a life worth living.” The quality of life focus promotes our community’s “healthy people and assets” to drive economic prosperity.

Healthy attributes

1. Easy and affordable access to multiple forms of recreation for all residents young and old within the county.

2. Diverse career opportunities with a well-trained and educated workforce.

3. Strong existing infrastructure with a focus on improving roads, trails, utilities and broad band.

4. Above average in overall health rankings in Indiana (32nd out of 92).

5. A culture of volunteerism from all residents and workplaces throughout the county.

6. Model school systems and highly respected academic institutions.

Short-term objectives

1. Develop a “list” highlighting the reasons residents and families choose to live in Putnam County

2. Link the county trails. Connected trails lead to higher activity levels and more social interactivity.

3. Promotion of existing community facilities for physical activity, social events, support groups, children’s activities and career training. Take your marketing beyond printed materials.

4. Support for Farmers Market. Encourage new champions and extend Farmers Markets throughout the county.

5. Review joint use agreements with schools and other public use facilities. Determine if Putnam County can better engage the use of public facilities.

6. Promote industrial health and wellness initiatives to encourage a healthier and more productive workforce. Healthier employees are absent less, safer, and cost employers less for health care.

7. Learn from the Stellar Grant and expand the knowledge, skills and opportunities to connect them throughout the county.

Long-term goals

1. Complete streets, farm to work, farm to school, and farm to table initiatives (Built Environment)

2. Consider all of the great natural and built environments throughout the county and focus an economic development campaign on these assets to live, work, learn and play in Putnam County.

3. Develop broad healthy community guidelines and standards to frame specific, desired health-related, process-based outcomes for Putnam County; topic areas include but are not limited to:

a. Active living: transportation and physical fitness.

b. Food/healthy eating.

c. Tobacco use.

d. Access to health care.

e. Safety.

f. Social connectedness.

g. Health equity.

h. Mental health.

i. Diversity.

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Putnam County Hospital Receives Performance Leadership Award for Patient Perspective from Chartis Center for Rural Health Greencastle, Indiana, November 15, 2022– As part of the National Rural Health Day celebration, Putnam County Hospital today announced it has been recognized with a 2022 Performance Leadership Award for excellence in Patient Perspective. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards honor top quartile performance (e.g., 75th percentile or above) among rural hospitals in Quality, Outcomes and Patient Perspective. “We are proud to be recognized by the Chartis Rural Hospital INDEX. That staff at Putnam County Hospital strive to be your first choice in healthcare and to exceed the expectations of every patient, every time. This award in the area of Patient Perspective score validates this patient service vision” Said Putnam County Hospital CEO, Dennis Weatherford. The Performance Leadership Awards are based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX™, the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. INDEX data is trusted and relied upon by rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints, hospital associations and state offices of rural health across the country to measure and monitor performance across several areas impacting hospital operations and finance. “Although the last two years have placed unprecedented pressure on the rural health safety net, the dedication to serving the community that we’re so accustomed to seeing from rural hospitals across the country hasn’t wavered,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “Let us celebrate the power of rural on National Rural Health Day and honor the facilities working tirelessly to provide access to high quality healthcare services to their communities.”  In 1908, 26 Putnam County female citizens started what would be the founding of a hospital to serve their family and friends. The hospital would offer solutions to their ever changing healthcare needs, and would bring technologies only previously offered in larger cities to their rural community. Prior to the hospital opening, Putnam County residents depended on the house calls of local physicians to treat their ailments. Minor operations could be performed in the doctor’s office, but if major surgery was required, the patient had to be transported to Indianapolis. The money needed to build the hospital was raised through community fundraising events. The week of October 1, 1908, a fair was held in downtown Greencastle to raise money. Hospital bonds were also sold for the facility and many monetary donations were made by local residents and organizations. In 1924, the hospital opened its doors to begin offering services for the members of Putnam County. During the 55 years at the original location, the Hospital served thousands of patients. The Hospital expanded and was moved for the original location on Shadowlawn Avenue to the current site at 1542 South Bloomington Street, in 1979. With the addition of the new, updated facility, the Hospital was even better equipped to serve the citizens of Putnam County. In 2001, the Medical Office Building was constructed to offer room for the expansion of Specialists, Physical Therapy and Oncology. In 2005 the Outpatient Surgery Center was expanded and updated to provide the latest in equipment and procedures. The Oncology Center also expanded and was moved to the second floor to allow more treatment bays for patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Today, over 100 years later, Putnam County Hospital still serves the same mission and standards set by its founders: to provide exceptional healthcare to our friends and family in Putnam County, by continuing to provide a number of outpatient and inpatient services as a Critical Access Hospital in Greencastle, Indiana. Putnam County Hospital offers a 24-hour Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, an Acute Care Medical/Surgical unit, and three surgical suites. Observation, inpatient care, and rehabilitation programs are offered within the units. A host of outpatient services are also available. Cancer treatments, rehabilitation services, an outpatient clinic with over 10 varied specialties, digital radiology, laboratory and respiratory services are conveniently located in-house to provide more options for patients in one stop. The hospital employs nearly 425 individuals, including physicians. Putnam County Hospital’s missions is to provide exceptional healthcare close to home. For more details about The Chartis Center for Rural Health and the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, contact Billy Balfour at wbalfour@chartis.com.
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