This post was written by Gary Adkins, president, Parkview Noble Hospital.
The role of the rural, community hospital has changed significantly over the past decades. These days, rural hospitals routinely provide services which were once only available in more urban healthcare settings. Total joint replacements, minimally invasive surgeries, like gallbladder removal or hernia repair, and high definition digital imaging are just a few of the services available at Parkview’s community hospitals in Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Wabash and Whitley counties.
As a part of Parkview’s non-profit healthcare system, residents throughout northeast Indiana have access to:
- New, state-of-the-art hospitals and equipment
- Parkview Physicians Group (PPG) specialists in cardiology, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedics, oncology, wound care, pain management and more
- County-specific health needs information provided through Parkview’s triennial Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)
- Community Health Improvement grants through the local Parkview community hospital
Access to wellness and support services
Parkview’s community hospitals offer local access to health and wellness services that are free or at low-cost through the local hospital, PPG or the Parkview Noble Center for Healthy Living. These include, but aren’t limited to:
- Free and low-cost screenings that enable community members to proactively monitor their health and maintain a healthy lifestyle
- Blood tests
- Exercise classes
- Educational programs
- Heart screenings in partnership with PPG-Cardiology, including:
- $49 HeartSmart CT scan
- $79 Total vascular screening
- Diabetes classes and support groups
- Francine’s Friends Mobile Mammography
- Ronald McDonald Care Mobile for infants and children in partnership with PPG-Pediatrics
Support for local Noble County agencies
Parkview Noble Hospital gives back to the Noble County community in the form of Community Health Improvement grants. The grants are intended to support local non-profit agencies that provide needed healthcare and/or access to health services that the hospital doesn’t offer. The grants focus on those agencies that provide services which target the top health priorities in Noble County, identified by Parkview’s triennial Community Health Needs Assessment.
The top three health priorities in Noble County, as identified by Parkview’s 2016-2019 CHNA included:
- Obesity
- Tobacco use and addiction
- Drug abuse
Parkview Noble Hospital’s Community Health Improvement grants were awarded to agencies who offer services that aren’t available at the hospital but support the top three designated health priorities. Among the grantees in 2019 were:
- The Cole Family Center YMCA in support of scholarships to the Y’s programs for those who would be unable to afford the services otherwise
- Activate Noble County in support of a weekly farm stand with locally grown vegetables on sale for $1 a pound
- Evidence-based education to students at all three school districts in Noble County, focusing on issues of obesity, tobacco and substance abuse
For more information about Parkview’s Community Health Improvement grants, visit us online.
