Back on Her Feet

 

As a single mother with two sons at home, Maritza was struggling. The prosthetic hip she had was causing more pain and problems than it was helping and she was rapidly cutting her weekly work hours at a part-time cleaning job because she couldn’t endure the pain. Maritza didn’t know what to do as it was becoming more and more difficult to provide for her family. By the time she found Community Health Connect she had stopped working completely and relying on her church and network of friends to get by.

Maritza was connected with Dr Richard Jackson for an evaluation. He told her that surgery was the only option for her hip, which was disheartening to Maritza who still vividly remembered her previous surgery.  Forty-five year old Maritza was not ready for a second hip replacement. She still had memories of her earlier painful surgery running through her mind. She remembered the year it took her to recuperate, and the minimal pain it relieved.  She could not afford to go a whole year without working, let alone the other needs that would go unmet if she were in bed for that long. Dr Jackson explained that the process would be very different than the one she had experienced prior, and that she would be back on her feet in a few weeks, with almost normal movement in six months. He went out of his way to reassure her of the developments that had been made since her last surgery and he kindly gave her the name of one of his patients, a woman who had undergone the same procedure almost a year before, who could share details about recuperation time, physical therapy, and the emotional strain of such a procedure.

Maritza underwent surgery in October of 2007, today she is walking, even running a bit here and there—a feat she never would have dreamed possible a few years ago. She has no physical difficulties working her full-time stocking job at Wal-Mart, and is now more easily able to provide for her two sons at home. The surgery went well, and the recovery was much shorter and less painful than she had imagined—just as Dr Jackson had promised. Maritza is overjoyed with the state of her health and is very appreciative to all of those involved in her care. She gratefully thanks Dr Jackson for donating his surgical services, the physical therapists at Central Utah Clinic for the many donated sessions, Intermountain Healthcare for their donated facility and care, and her great friends and church members who helped babysit kids, bring dinners, and help her maneuver about the house while she was recuperating.

Maritza has a great spirit and positive attitude. She has an infectious smile and is a joy to work with. We were happy for the help we could coordinate for her, and for the providers who donated their valuable services.

Making a Difference in the World, One Patient at a Time

 

Dr. Heidi Heras is an exceptional physician. She is aware of and sensitive to her patients’ unique circumstances and treats them with kindness. One of her clients wrote: “Through Community Health Connect I had the blessing to get in touch with Dr. Heidi Heras’ office. She not only answered our questions with great professionalism, but also was willing to donate her time for surgery for our daughter.  We truly appreciate the sincere interest she and her staff showed in our case.”

Dr. Heras is willing to donate time, treatment, and money to relieve her patients. When asked why she enjoyed serving our clients without medical coverage, she humbly answered, “I love helping the community and helping children feel better.”  Dr. Heras was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. Her hobbies are reading and learning new things. Her favorite ice cream flavor or dessert is anything chocolate or red mango. Her favorite pastime is traveling.

Since Dr. Heras joined the provider network with Community Health Connect in 2006, she continues to serve our community by helping all persons who enter her door.  She has known, since the age of 16, that helping others would become her profession. It is apparent that she continues to carry this understanding today. Through the eyes of Community Health Connect and every child she treats, Dr. Heras truly is an inspiration and is making a difference in the world one heart and patient at a time.

 

Alpine Dental Laboratory

 

Community Health Connect works with many dental labs that donate or heavily discount crowns, bridges, and sometimes even dentures for our patients.  Most of our labs donate one to two crowns a month and these contributions greatly add to the benefits we can offer patients.  We appreciate the work that all of our labs do, and this month we want to highlight Alpine Dental Laboratory.
   Alpine is well-known, well-regarded full service dental lab located in Lehi, Utah. Lab owner Mark Seiter has been working with Community Health Connect for many years, donating or offering discounts on crowns, partials, and even dentures to patients being seen through our Volunteer Provider Network.  Having Alpine Dental Lab as part of our resource team has been a huge advantage to CHC.  Our dentists are always pleased to find out Alpine will be providing the lab work for one of our patients because of the quality of services they provide. Their regularly updated website provides information on the extensive services they offer and the cutting-edge technologies they employ. Check out their website at www.alpinedental.com  Our many thanks go out to Mark, Debbie the Office Manager, and all of the Alpine lab techs and staff for the great service they are providing to the community through their donations to Community Health Connect!

Providers Performing Miracles

      

At age seven Karli Stoelk was diagnosed with Legg Calve Perthes.  Legg Calve Perthes is a degenerative disease of the hip joint, where growth/loss of bone mass leads to some degree of collapse of the hip joint and to deformity of the ball of the femur and the surface of the hip socket. Growing up with the disease, Karli was used to doctors’ offices, treatments, and hip pain. It began to be difficult for Karli to walk, getting  to the point where twenty three year old Karli had to use a cane to walk.  She met with Dr. Richard Jackson who recommended a total hip replacement surgery, a surgery not normally performed on people at such young age, but was necessary to help Karli maintain her mobility. 
   

  Karli had no medical insurance. Her husband was recently laid off and she was no longer able to work because of the pain in her hip. Dr. Jackson sent her to Community Health Connect to see if we could help minimize the cost of surgery.  Dr. Jackson offered to donate his services for the procedure, Karli began the paperwork required by Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, and a short time later, thanks to Intermountain Healthcare and Dr. Jackson, the surgery was successfully completed. 

     As with most orthopedic surgery, Karli required immediate physical therapy.  She needed a specific type of therapy that required a center with a variety of equipment, including a pool.  Luckily for Karli, just down the hallway from Dr. Jackson’s office is the Central Utah Clinic Physical Therapy center.  That center has three providers and a wonderful staff that are all part of Community Health Connect’s Volunteer Provider Network.  Brent Butler, a physical therapist happily donated his services and Karli was receiving top notch therapy care within a few days of the surgery.  We are extremely grateful to our doctors who volunteer so much time and resources to help people in our community receive the specialized medical care that can bless their lives.  We would all like to wish Karli the best of luck as she continues her physical therapy and doctor visits.  She has shown great persistence in overcoming this disease and recovering from this surgery.  We are all especially confident that Karli will be able to return to work and be ready and able for her life’s next adventure.  Thanks again to all those that have helped in any way with this wonderful case.

Darren Chamberlain, DDS

   

   Community Health Connect is privileged to spotlight Dr. Darren Chamberlain, a pediatric dentist in Utah County. Dr. Chamberlain is one of the many generous dentists who donate their time and expertise to help those in need. He has been volunteering with Community Health Connect as a way to give back to the community.

    Dr. Chamberlain has been practicing dentistry since 2002. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and attended Virginia Commonwealth University for his graduate work. From there he moved to New York and did his pediatric residency at NYU. While in New York, he grew to love working with diverse patients, and volunteering with CHC has added to that love.

    Originally, Dr. Chamberlain did not want to be a pediatric dentist. He began dental school working with difficult patients in the pediatric clinic and swore to himself that he would never choose that specialty. However, during his pediatric rotations his talent for working with children manifested itself to his superiors and he was given many of the tougher children as patients. His experiences helped him realize that he had a unique aptitude for working with children. Today, he loves pediatric dentistry and has great respect for others in the field.

    Dr. Chamberlain was in charge of running Give Kids A Smile event in Orem, Utah. In just over five hours, he and over twenty other dentists were able to donate over $250,000 of free dental treatment to children without access to dental care. He feels that there is a great need in his own community, and addressing that need provides him with a unique sense of accomplishment. When asked what others could do to help out he replied, “Just do it. If you see a need, then address that need. You will get back much more than you give.” 

Dr. Ryan Van Moorlehem, DMD

 

 

 Community Health Connect has a long list of talented, generous, and friendly providers, and we have a Dental Specialty provider who has exceeded all our expectations. Dr. Ryan Van Moorlehem is a Utah native. He started his undergraduate degree at Dixie State and completed it at the University of Utah. He attended dental school at Boston University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, and made the Dean’s list all four years. After practicing general dentistry for a couple of years in Salt Lake City, he decided his talents could be better utilized if he went back to school to specialize.  After completing his training in Boston, he returned to practice in Utah as an endodontist. In March of 2009, Dr. Ryan Van Moorlehem opened Alpine Endodontics in Spanish Fork.  Prior to this time the south end of Utah Valley had no endodontist.  “Alleviating pain and keeping the natural teeth are usually what my patients are most interested in and that is definitely top of my list,” says Dr. Van Moorlehem.

 Dr. Van Moorlehem has been anxious to help the less fortunate in the community from day one. He has already donated well over $2,000 of  dental care. Dr. Van Moorlehem feels it is important to give back to the community that has supported him in his business. “It isn’t just about the money, it is also about helping others and providing quality care to those less fortunate” states Dr. Van Moorlehem. It is tough to find such quality care givers who are as selfless as Dr. Van Moorlehem. We are extremely grateful and fortunate to have such a talented and caring provider for our ever expanding list of patients.

A Grateful Patient

The care coordinator over general surgery had been scheduling appointments and had asked a few of the patients to come in to apply for hospital financial assistance prior to their surgery. LeeRoy Lozano was scheduled to have surgery on a painful hernia that had been bothering him for over a year. He had been on the waitlist for quite some time, but walked in our doors with a smile on his face on the day of his entry appointment. He also brought his darling family with him and his two young daughters seemed very excited for their dad to have surgery and to be out of pain.

 

LeeRoy and his wife were very appreciative of Community Health Connect’s services and of Dr. Jennifer Tittensor for donating to his case. He said that he was very grateful for our help and the generosity of the doctor because without that assistance he would have had to live in his painful condition for many more years. He understood the importance and value of the gift that Dr. Tittensor was giving him and was eager to be the best patient he could. His wife too was very thankful for the surgeon’s willingness to donate to his case because his condition occasionally affected his ability to work and he was the sole provider for their family. She was anxious for her husband to feel well again. 

LeeRoy and his family were wonderful individuals to work with and it was a pleasure getting to know them. He quickly recovered from his surgery and is no longer in pain or discomfort. Many of the patients we work with on a daily basis express sincere gratitude for the services they are receiving and it is a humbling experience to work with them. We want to express our appreciation for Dr. Jennifer Tittensor and the rest of the wonderful surgeons at Utah County Surgical Associates for their generosity towards our patients each month. They are truly making a difference in the lives of individuals like LeeRoy and we are grateful for their service in the community.

Dr. Jennifer Tittensor

 

Dr. Jennifer Tittensor is a general surgeon who works with a wonderful team of surgeons and ancillary providers at Utah County Surgical Associates in American Fork.  She performs a wide variety of surgeries ranging from hernia repair to gallbladder removal. She has volunteered regularly with Community Health Connect for over five years and has helped over forty patients through our program alone.  One patient recalled Dr. Tittensor as the kindest doctor she had ever known. With her skills as a surgeon she has saved people from pain, heartache and literally saved lives.  Her main interest the last few years has been helping patients who are suffering from breast cancer. She and her husband Zach, an avid cycler have even started their own organization “Mountains for Mammograms” to help raise awareness about breast cancer and donate mammograms to women in need.  We appreciate the great surgeon she is, and recognize the asset she is to our community.  Thank you, Dr. Tittensor for your dedication and service.

Angus Dental Lab

A critical part of dental care is the hardware that is used in a patient’s mouth such as crowns, bridges, and dentures. Community Health Connect has several dental labs that volunteer with their program, working in tandem with the volunteer dentists to provide complete care to patients in need.  Angus Dental Lab is a family-owned and run operation.  Father and son team Rod and Aaron Angus are generous in the products and services they donate through Community Health Connect. The Angus’ are equal parts experienced craftsmen and cutting edge. They offer quality work with a name and a face. They are proud to stand behind their work and truly care about each client’s needs. When we asked Rod Angus why he decided to start donating, he replied, “This business has been so good to me; it’s my turn to give back.” True to his word, he has continued to donate generously.  He is always willing to take extra cases to help clients with desperate dental needs.

Thank you Angus Dental Lab for your generosity and commitment to helping put a smile on the faces of Utah County.

Francisco Sees Again

At Community Health Connect we have the privilege of seeing the lives of our clients blessed daily through the kindness of our volunteer providers and their staff.  One of the first miracles we saw came via Francisco Salas.  Francisco came to our office in June of 2009 with a referral to see an ophthalmologist.  He had been having some serious problems related to his vision, and he had been for some time. Francisco suffered from cataracts on both eyes that had slowly clouded his vision until he could barely see.  Unfortunately the need for ophthalmology services supersedes the available providers, so Francisco had to wait five months before we could get him an appointment with a volunteer ophthalmologist.

On Francisco’s first visit to Dr. Paul Olson’s office he was informed with little surprise that he was legally blind.  Dr. Olson decided that cataract removal surgery could help Francisco get his vision back, and we quickly went to work on making arrangements for the surgery.  Our network of providers includes doctors as well as facilities and ancillary care providers making it easier to connect patients to all of the services they need. With help from the devoted staff at Central Utah Surgical Center, Francisco was able to get the services at the surgical center and the anesthesia donated.  Dr. Olson, who also donated his time and services, was masterful in surgery and the procedure was a success. 

When Francisco returned to Dr. Olson’s office eight days post surgery, he had gone from being legally blind to having 20/40-20/30 vision. The remaining deficiencies in his sight could now be easily corrected with glasses.Many witnessed the miracle of a blind man seeing again. This amazing change was possible thanks to all of the many volunteers that assisted along the way.  From the office staff at Community Health Connect, the volunteer interpreters that helped Francisco and the doctors and staff effectively communicate, to the staff and anesthesiologist at Central Utah Surgical Center and Dr. Olson and his staff.  From Community Health Connect we send out a big thank you to all those who participated in helping Francisco get his vision back.  With the gift of sight, his quality of life will surely improve. Francisco looked forward to returning to work, enjoying reading, and watching his grandchildren play.  We are so happy for Francisco and grateful to be part of such a generous community.

 

Dr. Steven Call

Community Health Connect relies completely on goodwill of the doctors in our Volunteer Provider Network. Without their tireless contributions, we would be useless to the medically underserved community we are trying to empower.  We are particularly grateful to our one Rheumatologist, Dr. Steven Call.

Dr. Call has worked endlessly with his patients to get them the assistance they need.  He has been donating with Community Health Connect since January of 2009, and has continued the excellent charity care started by his father, Dr. Richard Call, in 2005. When his father recently retired, Stephen Call took on his father’s load of patients which has kept him very busy. With a recent influx of clients needing a rheumatologist, his service as the sole rheumatologist in our Volunteer Provider Network has been indispensable to our program.

One case that stands out as an exemplary model of Dr. Call’s tireless service is the woman he helped who was suffering from arthralgia of the lower back.  Arthralgia literally means joint pain. The pain she experienced as a result of her condition greatly decreased her ability to do everyday activities that were essential to taking care of her home and family.  Dr. Call not only donated her medical care, but he helped her receive the financial assistance necessary for her to be able to afford her medication.  This patient’s quality of life has greatly improved since she has received this treatment.  Thank you Dr. Call for your service to your community—it is greatly appreciated.          

Fluoride Varnishing Program Reaches Over 4,000 Children

According to an article by Amschler in the Journal of School Health, approximately 25% of US school-aged children have 75% of all dental decay, and almost 20% of children aged 2-4 have dental caries or cavities.  There have been studies that have shown that negative effects from oral health can affect the short-term and long-term life of a person.  Some of these effects can result in lasting physical, psychological, and developmental damage and lead to poor school attendance, lost productivity, worsened job prospects, and impaired nutrition. 

 

The dental varnishing campaign that is put on by Intermountain Healthcare and Community Health Connect (CHC) occurs twice a year in Utah County’s title one schools.  This campaign targets children with dental health needs and prevents dental decay through our semi-annual fluoride varnish program.  Dental assisting students from surrounding Mountainland Applied Technology College (MATC) schools come into the elementary schools to apply the varnish to the children’s teeth.  There are also Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University Pre-Medical students that come and volunteer during the vanishings as well.  In previous years we have had a school assembly where the UVU and BYU students perform educational skits for the entire elementary school.  Due to the time constraints and other issues we decided to hold off on the assemblies this year and just do the varnishing.  We still had the BYU and UVU volunteers educate the children as they waited in line. This year we made special efforts to utilize the school nurses at each varnishing.  We had the school nurse check suspected level 3’s and 4’s.  This helped us pinpoint the children that were in the most need of dental attention, and cut down on falsely identified level 3’s and 4’s.  In many schools we cut the list of children that needed continued dental care in half. This gave school nurses the ability to give more attention to the children that were really in need of additional dental care. Because of this, more correctly-identified children enrolled at Community Health Connect and will receive care from a dentist than ever before. 
 

The success of this year’s dental varnishing was facilitated by our partnerships with Intermountain Healthcare, MATC, school nurses, the local health department, and the Utah Migrant Farms. Worker Program. Together, we provided supplies and materials that were used during each varnishing session.  In addition, we donated dental hygiene kits (including a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss) to every student in each school; the kits ensured that each child had the necessary tools to care for their teeth and use the skills they learned from the volunteers and in the dental assemblies.   We appreciate the generosity of our many partners in our continuing effort to improve the dental care of our county’s children.

Dr. Duane Nelson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Duane Nelson is an ophthalmologist at Utah Valley Eye Center. He has been a long-time volunteer with Community Health Connect, donating regularly for the last seven years.  In that time he has helped many patients improve and maintain their vision donating consults and surgical services to low-income, uninsured patients with ophthalmology needs.  Recently he helped a patient who was suffering from a cataract in her left eye that prevented her being able to see properly. The woman had lost the ability to drive and her day to day life was significantly altered because of the loss of vision.  Dr. Nelson and his staff generously donated the needed surgery and the patient is now doing well and back to normal activity. Vision plays an important role our everyday lives and Dr. Nelson helps makes good vision a reality for many people in our community that otherwise would suffer. Thank you, Dr. Nelson, for your contribution to a great cause.
 

Link to: http://www.utahvalleyeye.com/html/practice.html#nelson 

Central Utah Clinic Nephrology

                                                 

                                   

  







  Where can a Community Health Connect client, or anyone seeking extraordinary care, find it? Central Utah Clinic Nephrology is only a hop, drive or walk, away. Behind its welcoming doors you will find a group of hardworking  and empathetic healthcare providers  determined to serve their patients.  Dr. Gerald Stephanz, Dr. Terry Hammond, and  Mark Boyack N.P. consult, diagnose, and treat Community Health Connect clients and countless others. Together, the doctors have donated over $10,000 in services over the past three years.  
      Dr. Stephanz graduated from the University of Kansas where he served as Chief Resident. He completed his fellowship in Florida.  Dr. Terry Hammond graduated Cum Laudefrom the University of Texas at Austin.   He later did his residency and fellowship in San Diego, California. Mark Boyack graduated from Bringham Young University’s Nursing Program. These physicians decided that they wanted to serve others through healthcare at a very young age--one as young as 14 years!  Truly these great men have accomplished this goal.
     Our Community Health Connect clients always rave about how much they appreciate their nephrology care providers.  One client, Maria Reyes, with tears in her eyes expressed her gratitude for the fine service she always receives from Mark Boyack.   She said “Every time I see Dr. Stephanz and Mark,  they are always laughing and joking around with each other and their patients....They truly have hearts of gold”.  Logan Meeks, a patient of Dr. Hammond describes, “He truly is a genuine, very nice doctor. He made me feel so comfortable.”  Pablo Mauricio always smiles when he comes in to the CHC office after an appointment at Central Utah Clinic Nephrology.  I once asked him why he was always  so cheerful, and he simply responded, “Everyone there is so good, how can I not smile?” 
     Doctors Stephanz, Hammond, and Boyack undeniably provide services well beyond the norm.  They are providers who daily dedicate their lives to providing extraordinary care to all.

 Link to: http://www.centralutahclinic.com/departments/nephrology-and-chronic-kidney-disease#description 

Surgery Relieves Mother in Need

Ana went to her primary care provider at Mountainlands  Community Health Center about a concerning abscess under her right arm that was tender and increasing in size.She thought that her primary care provider would be able to help cure the condition and so she was very alarmed when she was told she would need to see a general surgeon. She knew that it would be nearly impossible to pay for a surgery consultation, not to mention a surgery. Her husband was working full time, but they were still barely able to provide for the basic needs of their three young sons.

She was referred to Community Health Connect and visited us after her appointment at Mountainlands Community Health Center. After coming to Community Health Connect she felt more at ease knowing that there were general surgeons who donated their time and services to patients such as herself. 

She waited two months before her care coordinator was able to schedule an appointment for her with Dr. Tittensor at Utah County Surgical Associates.  Shortly after her initial appointment she had her surgery at American Fork Hospital, where she felt she    received excellent care.The surgery went well and she had a quick recovery. She was very grateful for our services and now feels that she is in excellent health.

We are very grateful to all of the surgeons at Utah County Surgical Associates and their generosity towards our patients. Beginning in September of this year, the     surgeons at this office decided to increase the number surgeries they are donating each month.

We are very appreciative of their willingness to donate to those in need. Ana is one of the many  patients that has been blessed by the service of these wonderful surgeons. She is now able to   devote her time more fully to caring for her children and husband as the debilitating stress and concern over her health problem have ceased. 

Dr. Karl Weenig

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Karl Weenig is an outstanding doctor who specializes in sports medicine and orthopedic care at Central Utah Clinic. In addition to providing outstanding care to his patients, Dr. Weenig truly cares about serving his community. After learning about an increased need for orthopedic care for Community Health Connect patients, Dr. Weenig offered to increase his regular volunteer service. In this year alone, Dr. Weenig has donated care to over 20 patients who were in need of his expertise; this is nearly one patient a week that he treats free of charge. His generosity has been a great service to many people in the community.  Patients like Mary, who previously was losing the ability to work due to a knee injury, have been able to return to normal life due to the excellent care given by Dr. Weenig. His generosity and care for his patients is an example to us all. Thank you, Dr. Weenig for your dedication and service.

 Link to http://centralutahclinic.com/providers/karl-weenig-md

Dental Campaign

     

 

 

    Oral health is the number one need identified by the Utah County Health Department nurses who work with the children in Utah County schools. Utah is a state with minimal water fluoridation, and the rate of dental caries, or tooth decay, is relatively high. Utah County has one of the highest incidences of caries in the state. Seven years ago, a group of Utah Valley Hospital Volunteers started the Utah County Dental Campaign, and provided dental kits consisting of a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss to students at four Utah County elementary schools. Since that first year, the program has grown to include many more schools and has helped thousands of children. This year the program has visited twenty of the twenty-three Title I schools in Utah County, delivered dental kits to 15,000 children, and applied fluoride varnish to over 4,000 children.

 

    In the past few years the Utah Valley Hospital Volunteers have moved on to other projects, but the program has lived on with the remaining partner organizations taking on different roles to ensure that it can continue in the schools. Community Health Connect (CHC) initially came on board to help provide follow-up care for children who were identified as being in serious need of dental care but have no insurance or other funding to pay for the care they required. Along with Intermountain Healthcare, CHC has become one of the primary program coordinators. The Utah Migrant Farmworker Program supplies much of the funding and volunteers from the BYU and UVU predental club are instrumental in staffing the assemblies. Mountainland Applied Technology College students in the dental assisting program apply the fluoride varnish and school nurses with Utah County Health Department are on hand at the varnishing application as well.

    In addition to more community partners the program has expanded to include more elements and deliverables. The program now includes a fun, educational skit featuring Mr. Happy Tooth and Cougar Paste, who help teach children how to properly brush and floss their teeth. In addition to the dental kits, the program also provides the opportunity for the children to receive a free fluoride varnish with parental permission courtesy of the Utah Migrant Farmworker Program. As the volunteers apply the varnish to the children’s teeth, they also screen them for excessive amounts of decay. While preventative care is the most effective care we can provide, there are many students who are found during the fluoride application and screening process to be in urgent need of restorative care. If the student has insurance coverage they are referred to a dentist who accepts that insurance.  If they do not have insurance, Community Health Connect then connects these students to one of the community dentists in the Volunteer Provider Network (VPN) who will provide free dental care for the uninsured child.

    The dentists in the VPN give free care in their own offices to patients who could not otherwise afford the services. Our network currently includes over forty dental professionals, including a handful of dentists who specialize in pediatric dentistry.  Anticipating an increase in patients from the Utah County Dental Campaign’s school dental program, we are always increasing our ability to provide restorative care.  If you are interested in becoming a part of Community Health Connect’s Volunteer Provider Network, please contact  Executive Director, Starr Stratford at 801.818.3012.

Ring in the new year by carrying on the holiday cheer!

Everyone loves the spirit of the holidays when good feelings abound and service is on the mind! Why not ring in the new year with the cheer that helping others brings and volunteer with Community Health Connect?

We are currently accepting applications for the following positions for 2012:
-Community Resource & Front-Desk Representative
-Volunteer Interpreter
-Oral Hygiene Campaign Internship

The links will take you to our postings on idealist.org - to apply, send a cover letter and resume to starr@communityhealthconnect.org.

Happy holidays and we'll see you in the new year!

UVU MBA Students Adopt Community Health Connect

We are REALLY excited about this new partnership with UVU.
From the Daily Herald:

MBA students adopt Provo nonprofit

Graduate students enrolled in the first cohort of UVU's Master's of Business Administration program will be working hand-in-hand over the next year with local nonprofit Community Health Connect as part of the curriculum's community engagement capstone course.

Scott C. Hammond, a UVU professor of business management and a member of the MBA faculty, said when the Woodbury School of Business designed the MBA program, they wanted to incorporate a capstone seminar that would benefit the community with real-world student experience and civic engagement, key elements of UVU's core themes. After a lengthy selection process, the MBA students selected Community Health Connect, a small organization that helps low-income and uninsured individuals in need of specialized charity health care or dental care get the services they need.

Specifically, MBA students will help Community Health Connect devhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifelop and implement a new strategic plan, create and put into action a marketing plan designed to expand the number of doctors willing to provide service, and help the organization expand their use of technology to create greater efficiencies. Students will also research funding and grant opportunities for Community Health Connect and seek to improve its financial management processes.

For more information about Community Health Connect, go to www.communityhealthconnect.org.

Read more: here

Orem Owlz Provider Appreciation Night

Nothing says summer like eating a hot dog and snow cone and singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”. Community Health Connect celebrated summer and our generous medical providers and their staff this past month at our annual Orem Owlz Provider Appreciation Night. We had over 400 in attendance, and it was wonderful to be able to thank our providers and their staff in person and to spend a fun evening together. We had a bean bag toss, balloons, and face painting for the younger crowd and delicious food for everyone, with snow cones to top it off. We are very grateful to our sponsors and volunteers for helping us put on such a great event.

As a care coordinator, I am on the phone several times a day with the office staff of our donating providers, so it was refreshing to be able to meet them in person and in such a relaxed atmosphere. It was also great to be able to meet the generous providers and their families and to be able to give something back to them for all of the work they do for Community Health Connect patients. The event was a huge success and we look forward to another great year of partnerships and service!