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Neighborhood News July-August-September 2013

Mercy Neighborhood Ministry | 3660 Gravois | St. Louis, MO 63116 | 314-865-0927

www.mercy.net/stlouismo/practice/mercy-neighborhood-ministry

Our Staff Inside This Issue: Our Mission

Sharon Neumeister, RN Director

Terri Miller Outreach Coordinator

Cheryl Schorr Outreach Coordinator

Dennis Turek Administrative Assistant

Sr. Marilynn Wittenauer, RSM Volunteer

Community Health Needs Assessments

SELF Class

Toshio Sato Ordained

Washington Fair

MO Health Insurance Exchange

Mercy Health Research

Mental Health Awareness

And More!

Mercy Neighborhood Ministry, a department of Mercy Hospital St. Louis, connects the economically underserved with appropriate health and social service resources. In partnership with community organizations, we improve access to care and quality of life for those in need.

Quarterly MNM Newsletter

No, you didn’t miss an issue of our Newsletter. We are going to a quarterly schedule. We hope you enjoy this issue for July, August and September. Thanks for your support!!

Connecting Community Need with Mercy Action

Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) have been completed and are posted for Mercy Hospitals in St Louis and Washington, as required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). To review the assessments, go to:

www.Mercy.net Click the “About Mercy” tab on the header Choose the first option “About Mercy” Click “Community Benefits” on the left side navigator; it’s the last choice on the list

Community leaders and Mercy coworkers are now forming teams and developing community health improvement plans to be presented to local Mercy Community Health Councils. Health Care Access is a top priority and will be addressed through education, partnerships, and enrollment in new health insurance coverage options and affordability programs made available through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In addition, dental care services are being added to the McAuley Clinic in Washington to improve access to dental care in the Franklin County community. Improved solutions for mental health and substance abuse, access to services and support for domestic violence victims and improved strategies for tobacco cessation are among those community health priorities identified and being addressed by Mercy, in collaboration with the community.

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SELF Class is a Success!

Thirteen adult students graduated from the pilot SELF (Strengthening Empowering Lifting Families) class in St. Louis on July 9, 2013. Students were selected from three food pantries/emergency assistance agencies to participate. The program provided skills and education to help them improve their lives and to reach their full potential. The 6-week class covered different topics each week, such as:

Budgeting

Couponing and Cooking Healthier Meals on a Budget

Education: GED, Affordable Training, Continuing Education

Employment: Preparing for Interviews, Resume Writing

Anger Management and Depression

Motivation

Mercy Neighborhood Ministry learned about SELF and its success from a contact at Society of St. Vincent DePaul. In sharing program information with partnering agencies in South St. Louis City, three agencies decided to collaborate on a program for their clients: Isaiah 58 Ministries and St. Margaret of Scotland’s and St. Cronan’s Society of St. Vincent DePaul. Funding was provided in part by a Mercy Caritas grant.

Mercy Caritas Recipients Named for 2014

Mercy Neighborhood Ministry (MNM) is grateful for the recent funding awarded by Mercy Caritas in 2014. Education classes, such as SELF mentioned above, as well as a chronic disease management class titled “Live Like Your Life Depends On It” taught by St. Louis County Health Department instructors, will be offered to both Mercy JFK patients and community residents.

Congratulations to the other Mercy Caritas recipients in our area who are frequent collaborators with MNM. These include:

ALIVE

Mercy Clinic Roosevelt High School

Mercy Health Foundation Washington

Volunteers in Medicine

Institute for Family Medicine

Sts. Joachim & Ann Care Service

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Proud to be Mercy!

Congratulations, Mercy Hospital St. Louis and Mercy Hospital Washington! Mercy Hospital St. Louis was ranked No. 2 in Missouri and No. 2 in the St. Louis area on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals List for 2013-14. Mercy Hospital Washington was ranked No. 12 by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as 2013 Top Workplaces in the “Top Large Companies” category.

Toshio Sato Ordained

Many of you are aware that Mercy Neighborhood Ministry (MNM) obtains at least one AmeriCorps volunteer each year. One of our past volunteers from the Vincentian Mission Corps (formerly Gateway Vincentian Volunteers) is Toshio Sato. He served with us during 2004-2005.

On June 27, 2013, Toshio Francesco Sato, C.M. was ordained into the Congregation of the Mission through the imposition of the hands by the Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M., Bishop of Trenton. The ceremony was held at St. Vincent dePaul Parish in St. Louis.

Sharon Neumeister, Director of MNM, and Cheryl Schorr, Outreach Coordinator for MNM, were honored to have been invited to share in this very special ceremony and reception where Fr. Toshio gave his first blessing.

CONGRATULATIONS, FR. TOSHIO!

Cheryl, Fr. Toshio, Sharon Fr. Toshio, Sharon, Elizabeth Gappa DeBoo (GVV 2001-02), Cheryl, Liz Sain (GVV 2002-03)

Toshio receives his chasuble. Toshio receiving blessings from all CMs in attendance

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Washington Corner

Mercy Hospital Washington is proud to be a sponsor once again of the Washington Town & Country Fair, August 7-11. Come enjoy the many activities including carnival rides, pig chases, milking contests, glass blowing, bull riding and let’s not forget the entertainment!

Justin Moore – Aug 8 REO Speedwagon – Aug 9

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Aug 10 Parmalee – Aug 11

Stop by the SafetyLand where kids (and adults) can learn about health and safety and meet local police and fire departments. Mercy physicians will conduct a Teddy Bear clinic.

Located near Lion’s Park, off Hwy 100 and W. 5th St., you can purchase your tickets early for a discount, buy a season pass or pay as you go. For more information about the fair, visit their website at www.washmofair.com.

Jefferson Corner

As we get to know more about Mercy Hospital Jefferson and its community, we invite you to take a look at the recent Community Health Assessment conducted by the Jefferson County Health Dept.

Jefferson County Health Department – Community Health Assessment 2012

In the summer of 2012, Jefferson County Health Department collected information from primary and secondary sources to assess socio-economic, unemployment and ten health needs.

www.jeffcohealth.org/images/stories/AdminServices/Annual_Reports/Jefferson%20County%202012%20Community%20Assessment.pdf

It’s interesting to view the trends of health care data for Jefferson County over the years and as compared with the state of Missouri.

Jefferson County, MO

For a list of community activities in the Jefferson County area, such as the Kimmswick Apple Butter Festival, October 26 & 27, visit the website: www.greatriverroad.com/stegen/jeffco/calijeff.

There you will find many local fairs, walks/runs, and all types of events not only in Jefferson County, but also in the surrounding counties.

Look for the Mercy Coworker Community Volunteer Opportunities on our website:

www.mercy.net/practice/mercy-neighborhood-ministry.

Look for the schedule of Mercy’s Mobile Mammography Van for a location near you at www.mercy.net/service/mercy-mobile-mammography.

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Missouri Health Insurance Exchange

As a provision of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), Missouri’s health insurance exchange is set to begin October 1, 2013. This “mall” of insurance options will be for consumers to shop online and compare affordable health insurance options. The language and procedure will be easy for those seeking coverage to decide what plan best suits their needs and income.

Many hospitals and health care organizations will be assisting with enrollment as there are more than 200,000 Missourians and 40 million people across the country without health insurance. If you live in Missouri you can use this website to research questions, apply for coverage, compare plans, and enroll: www.healthcare.gov. Coverage can start as early as January 1, 2014 if you enroll by December 15, 2013. The website also contains information how small businesses can offer affordable plans to their employees.

Visit the website, www.enrollmissouri.org, to answer questions like:

o Why is health insurance important? o Will the health insurance exchange make a difference in Missouri? o Where do the uninsured live? o Who are the uninsured in Missouri? o Why should I have health insurance?

Visit this website, www.getcoveredamerica.org, to view short videos that explain ACA, obtaining information about the Market Places, what will be covered, etc. that may be helpful to you.

Mercy Health Research

Have you ever thought about being part of a medical research study in order to help physicians find new and improved treatments and therapies for human diseases? You want to be certain to join a quality operation. Check out Mercy Health Research. They have a reputation as being one of the top investigator sites in the country.

Current studies may include the follow conditions:

Acute Migraine Adolescent Fibromyalgia Adolescent Migraine Cardiovascular Events after Heart Attack Chronic Migraine Chronic Pain due to Osteoarthritis

Depression Diabetes Gout and heart Disease Hypertension Smoking Cessation Tension Headache

For more information visit their website at www.mercy.net/practice/mercy-health-research.

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Baby, It’s Hot Outside!!

In these “dog days of summer” don’t forget to check on your neighbors who are not using air conditioning. Invite them to your house or take them to the mall, movies or grocery shopping for a few hours to get their bodies cooled down.

You can find designated cooling sites around the area at www.211helps.org/Heating-Cooling-Sites.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE PETS! MAKE SURE THEY HAVE PLENTY OF WATER!

Let’s Talk About Mental Health

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a new website, MentalHealth.gov, where you can find educational information, resources, videos and more related to mental health. It defines a number of disorders, outlines the importance of various treatments, has videos of hope and recovery, and generally wants to get people and whole communities talking more about mental health for improved awareness. Check it out! You can type in your zip code to find services in your area.

National Night Out – August 6

Excerpts from the St. Louis City website:

http://stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/neighborhood-stabilization-office/profiles/nno.cfm The "30th Annual National Night Out" (NNO), a unique crime/drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW), is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6, 2013.

National Night Out is designed to: Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness. Generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs. Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

Where: Hours:

Mercy Health Research 12680 Olive Blvd., Suite 200 St. Louis, MO 63141 314-251-8890

Mon-Thu 6:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Fri 6:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

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While the traditional 'lights on' and front porch vigils remain a part of NNO, activities have expanded considerably over the years to include block parties, cookouts, parades, visits from police, festivals, neighborhood walks, safety fairs, contests, rallies and meetings.

To organize and register your block or community, contact your local municipality’s City Hall.

Back to School Sales Tax Holiday – August 2 - 4

(Excerpt from Missouri Dept. of Revenue’s website: dor.mo.gov/business/sales/taxholiday/school.)

By state law, the sales tax holiday begins on the first Friday in August and continues through the following Sunday. In 2013, the three-day holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 2, and runs through Sunday, August 4. Certain back-to-school purchases, such as clothing, school supplies, computers, and other items as defined by the statute, are exempt from sales tax for this time period only.

St. Louis Public School District

According to their website, St. Louis Public schools begin classes for the 2013-2014 academic year on Monday, August 12, 2013.

Attend the upcoming 2013 St. Louis Public Schools Back to School and Community Empowerment Festival for school supplies, backpacks, rides, games, live entertainment, health screenings, and much, much more!!

For more information about the fair, a list of school supplies by grades, the school calendar, bell times, etc., visit the St. Louis Public Schools website: www.slps.org.

MORE BACK TO SCHOOL FAIRS:

Jefferson County Jefferson College Field House 1000 Viking Dr., Hillsboro, MO 63050

August 1, 2013 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Wentzville Holt High School 600 Campus Dr., Wentzville, MO 63385

August 3, 2013 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Western St. Charles Chamber of Commerce

Morning Star Church 1600 Feise Road, Dardenne Prairie, MO 63368

August 10, 2013 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Where: When:

Chaifetz Arena St. Louis University 1 South Compton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63103

Sat, August 3 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

More School Schedules

Visit this website for a list of all the schools in the St. Louis area. Click on your school to view their calendar/schedule.

www.stlouisco.com/YourGovernment/OtherGovernmentAgencies/CountySchoolDistricts