Weekly View » Community Health Network

State, Community Health to Help Addicted Mothers and Their Babies

Weekly View — Thu, 10 May 2018 05:11:21 +0000

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb joined state and local leaders recently at Community Hospital East to announce a new Community Health Network program designed to address opioid use disorder in mothers and to treat babies born addicted to opioids. The announcement comes on the heels of an announcement by the state in February that a new online portal, www.in.gov/recovery, will enable Hoosiers to find FSSA-certified addiction treatment providers throughout the state, and that a new addiction residential treatment unit specializing in opioid addiction will open at Richmond State Hospital.
The Community Health Network Neonatal Opioid Addiction Project was made possible through a $570,516 grant from the Indiana Family & Social Services Administration’s (FSSA) Department of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA). The grant was created in 2017 to address maternal opioid use disorder and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). NAS is the technical term used for the medical condition experienced by babies born addicted to drugs. The withdrawal symptoms begin within one to three days after birth, but may take up to a week to appear. Symptoms may include diarrhea, excessive crying, trembling, vomiting, slow weight gain, and hyperactive reflexes. Babies with NAS may require weeks and months of special care after birth.
The program will start at Community Hospital East with the ultimate goal of expanding to additional Community facilities by December 31 of this year.
Goals of Community’s Neonatal Opioid Addiction Project include:
• Conducting screenings for all expectant mothers to identify those who need support for depression or drug use
• Caring for expectant mothers who test positive for opioids throughout their pregnancies and after their children are born
• Offering specialized care for newborns exposed to addictive substances
• Developing a Maternal and Neonatal Center of Excellence for the Treatment of Drug Use Symptoms (TODUS)
• Enhancing data collection, analysis and reporting on health outcomes, costs and best practices as well as ways to identify and remove barriers to addiction treatment and recovery
This project builds upon the success of an Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) pilot project at Community Hospital East. In 2015, the hospital became one of four statewide to pilot an ISDH program to identify and treat pregnant mothers and babies with substance use disorders.
The results were encouraging. In 2016, 45.95 percent of the hospital’s drug screens for expectant mothers were positive. By the time those mothers who tested positive came back to the hospital to deliver their babies, 55 percent of them tested negative for drug use.
However, the opioid crisis shows no signs of ending any time soon. Every 15 minutes, a child is born in the U.S. addicted to opioids. From 1999 to 2013, the nation saw a 300 percent increase in NAS. These babies spend five times longer in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit than babies born with no substance dependency.
For information about getting help with addiction, visit in.gov/recovery.

He said, NSAID

Weekly View — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 05:09:01 +0000

You might have heard about some new warnings about NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs). These are a popular group of medications that many of us use to combat fever, headache, and various muscle and joint aches and pains. Included are the common over-the-counter (OTC) medications ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve), as well as multiple prescription NSAIDs. Aspirin is also an NSAID, but aspirin is in a special category and excluded from the newest specific warnings. Acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) is also very useful for fever and aches and pains, but it is not an NSAID and is also excluded from the new warnings. The NSAIDs fight fever and pain whenever such are caused by inflammation, the process commonly involved when your body is fighting off an insult.
In 2005 the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings that NSAIDs carry increased risks of heart attack and stroke, in addition to the known risks of severe stomach or other gastrointestinal bleeding. Now 10 years later, the FDA has strengthened the original warnings after studying additional data. A boxed warning (also called “black box warning”) is a special notice enclosed in a box on the medication label, on the package insert, and on advertisements. It’s the highest level warning that a medication can carry and remain on the market in the United States. One component of the boxed warnings is that the increased risk of heart attack and stroke exists even after only a short time of use (e.g. a few weeks), so there is significant risk even for the occasional user of these medications. People with known cardiovascular disease are at highest risk, but even those without known disease are also at risk. The risks are higher with higher doses and for longer treatment times. These medications should be completely avoided in the weeks following a heart attack.
NSAIDs and aspirin both affect the blood cells called platelets and affect their ability to form clots. (A clot in an artery feeding the heart or brain means a heart attack or stroke.) Although aspirin is an NSAID, the mechanism of action is different overall than that of the NSAIDs, and aspirin is actually protective against heart attack and certain kinds of strokes.
If this seems confusing or contradictory, it’s because it is a little complicated. Aspirin, NSAIDS, and acetaminophen are all common OTC medications used for fever and pain from a variety of causes. They each have several primary benefits and risks. A very limited summary is:
• “Non-Aspirin” NSAIDs (e.g. Aleve, Motrin, naproxen). Benefits – Fever and pain relief. Risks – Increased risk of peptic ulcer disease and bleeding, increased risks of heart attack and stroke, even during relatively short treatment periods.
• Aspirin (NSAID, e.g. Bayer Aspirin). Benefits – Fever and pain relief, protection against heart attacks and certain strokes. Risks – Increased risk of peptic ulcer disease, increased bleeding tendency.
• Acetaminophen (not an NSAID, not anti-inflammatory). Benefits – Fever and pain relief. Risks – Primarily liver damage, especially at doses exceeding the recommended daily maximum of 4,000 mg (8 maximum strength 500 mg tablets per day).
So what to do the next time you have a headache, muscle ache, or fever associated with a mild viral illness? As you can see from the above discussion, it depends on your particular medical history, and is best discussed with your primary care provider (PCP). For a couple of days, it might not matter which of the three groups you choose from, but if I had had a recent heart attack or a family history of heart attack or stroke, or I needed to take an NSAID for an extended period or often, I would pass on the NSAIDs and discuss it with my PCP.
Dr. Fleming is the Medical Director of The Jane Pauley Community Health Center (closely affiliated with Community Health Network). Ideas for this column can be e-mailed to Dr. Fleming at AskDrFleming@gmail.com. Or you can write your medical questions to Dr, Fleming at AskDrFleming, 8931 E. 30th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46218. On written correspondence, please include your name and city (names will not be published).

Emerson Avenue Corridor Gateway Completed

Weekly View — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 05:11:41 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS — Community Health Network leaders, Mayor Greg Ballard and several east side community leaders stood together on May 20 to cut the ribbon on a project that significantly improves a busy Emerson Avenue from 16th Street to 21st Street on the city’s east side. The $2.1 million initiative was funded in part by Community Health Network, the City of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana.
“Our city is filled with strong, vibrant neighborhoods, because residents, businesses and local government agencies come together to improve the quality of life for all who call Indianapolis home,” said Mayor Ballard. “The new Emerson Avenue streetscape is a terrific example of how thoughtful investment by community partners can transform a neighborhood, and I thank Community Health Network for their commitment to this area.”
Enhancements to Emerson Avenue include:
• Improved medians with new plantings and irrigation
• Upgraded signals at 16th and 21st Streets
• New signal at 19th Street
• Special pavements at crosswalks at 16th, 19th and 21st Streets
• Resurfaced roadway from 16th and 21st Streets
• New six foot wide sidewalk along the west side of Emerson Avenue
• Three neighborhood gateway markers
• 34 street trees, 35 ornamental trees, 133 shrubs, 7,000 square foot lawns, 24,000 square foot landscape beds, 1,000 square foot of storm water planters
• 2,600 foot long multi-use trail
“This is another way Community Health Network is showing its neighbors that it is committed to the east side and is here to stay,” said Community Health Network East Region President Scott Teffeteller. “This project also shows the value of public-private partnerships. We had a team of people from our network, the Mayor’s Office and neighborhood groups who helped design a landscape that stays true to the history of this area. The people of the east side of Indianapolis are well-known for how they come together to address issues and solve problems.”
The Emerson Street Corridor Gateway Project received input from a number of neighborhood groups, including Community Heights Neighborhood Association, Little Flower Neighborhood Association, Emerson Heights Community Organization, and the Irvington Development Association.

2015 NESCO Congress Rescheduled

Weekly View — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 06:09:57 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS — NESCO, in Partnership with East 10th Street Civic Association, will present the 2015 NESCO Congress: “Bring on the Biz!”
The Congress will be held March 7 from 8 a.m. – noon at East Tenth Street United Methodist (2327 E. 10th St.) to celebrate NESCO community, meet neighbors and learn about strategic business initiatives for the near east side. This year’s Congress is sponsored in part by Community Health Network, NEAR and Englewood Christian Church.
NESCO will start with a pitch-in breakfast and networking from 8-9 a.m. Neighbors are asked to bring a breakfast dish to share. Beverages will be provided by the congress steering committee.
With the theme of “Bring on The Biz,” the day’s focus will be Economic and Business Development and will include two panel discussions: a business development strategy panel and a local business panel. Attendees will hear first hand from people who chose to open a business on the near east side.
This year NESCO is bringing back the Silent Auction. In keeping with the theme for this year the auction will feature items from near east side businesses. Attendees will be able to shop throughout the event.
NESCO will also be beginning a new tradition of honoring NESCO legends. The day will include opportunities to get to know near eastside businesses.

Community Hosts Enrollment Fairs

Weekly View — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 06:09:31 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS — Community Health Network is hosting enrollment fairs to help uninsured Hoosiers obtain health coverage in Indiana’s Health Insurance Marketplace during first quarter of 2014. Community’s physicians, hospitals and facilities will serve as the primary provider network for Central Indiana residents who purchase an Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield health benefits plan on the Marketplace, under an agreement by both organizations.
Enrollment events will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the following locations during first quarter of 2014 include Jan. 27 at Community Health Pavilion Shadeland, 2040 N. Shadeland Ave.
Consumers who enroll for coverage during these events should bring: social security numbers (or document numbers for legal immigrants); employer and income information for every member of the household who needs coverage (pay stubs or W-2 forms—wage and tax statements); policy numbers of any current health insurance plans covering members of the household; and a completed Employer Coverage Tool for every job-based plan members of a household are eligible for (available on eCommunity.com/enroll).
The final deadline to enroll in the Marketplace is March 31, 2014, to avoid a federal tax penalty. For more information on the Indiana Health Insurance Marketplace, visit: eCommunity.com/enroll, or call (317) 883-5680, or 855-365-9300 (toll-free).