Local health care organizations collaborate on rural health program
The Marathon County Rural Health Initiative (RHI), an on-farm health program, will launch this spring, thanks to the financial backing of several Marathon County health care and agribusiness organizations.
“We are excited to see a pilot of this program into Marathon County because we have seen what it can do for farm families,” said RHI Executive Director Rhonda Strebel. “A $45,000, three-year commitment from Aspirus, Ministry Health Care and Marshfield Clinic is a huge factor in bringing this service to the farm families in this county.”
United FCS, a Wausau farm credit business, has also pledged $10,000.
The RHI is a free, voluntary health screening program for farm families. Through the initiative, a health care professional visits the farm and can provide a cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure screening. Families can ask questions about health concerns and get information on diet, exercise, and other ways to stay healthy.
If the staff person identifies a problem, he or she can make a referral to a local doctor. That referral is important, Strebel noted, because many farmers do not have a regular doctor to contact. Not only are there concerns about distance, but often farmers have no insurance or policies with very high deductibles.
“They are busy, they are on the farm, and they just don’t make the time to go in for a checkup,” Strebel said. “They often seek care only when absolutely necessary. The RHI understands this culture. By taking services to the farm, we can help famers overcome some of these obstacles.”
She calls the concept “Kitchen Wellness”—talking about health issues in the comfort and privacy of the farmer’s own kitchen.
For these farm families, the RHI acts as a bridge between the rural areas where they live and the urban communities where more resources are located, Strebel explained. “They trust us to help them find the resources and referrals they need to community and social services.”
The RHI model has worked successfully in Shawano, Waupaca and Outagamie Counties, she noted. This year, through October, 510 screenings were completed in that three-county area, identifying 109 cases of unmanaged chronic (long-term) illness and 135 acute (needing immediate attention) illnesses. In these counties the healthcare sponsor for the RHI is ThedaCare, Inc.
Like the original model, the Marathon County RHI is a nonprofit organization governed by a local board. Members include representatives from healthcare and farming organizations throughout the county. Half of RHI’s funding is from local health care agencies; the other half is provided by local donors and fundraisers.
Our funds are managed through the Central Wisconsin Community Foundation, and all local donations will stay in Marathon County,” Strebel said.
For more information about the program, visit the website atwww.wiruralhealth.org.
