2014 Annual Sauk County Health Department Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIPP) and Sauk County Comprehensive Plan Report

The 2011 Sauk County Need Assessments identified 4 top health priorities for the community, they are:

• Chronic Disease

• Physical Activity/or lack of

• Access to Dental Care

• Alcohol and Drugs

The Sauk County Comprehensive plan outlined three objectives in 2010. The health objectives are as follows:

1. Identify, prioritize and address health issues that affect the overall well being of County Residents.

2. Develop strategies to ensure an adequate supply of health care workers in Sauk County

3. Promote healthier lifestyles

Objective 1 & 3 fall under the purview of the Sauk County Health and Wellness Collaboration (SCHWC). The members of the collaboration are:

• Reedsburg Area Medical Center

• St. Clare Hospital, Baraboo

• Sauk Prairie Hospital

• Sauk County Health Department

• Sauk County UW Extension

Sauk County Health and Wellness Collaboration

Mission Statement:  The Sauk County Health and Wellness Collaboration works to raise awareness, provide education, and inspire action on health issues meant to improve the health of Sauk County citizens.

Objective One of the Comprehensive Plan

Partner Projects Reports/Updates

• Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital (SPMH) contributed $ 3000.00 in 2014 to support the Seal-a-Smile program.This contribution to the program allowed an additional 50 children to receive dental sealants in the Sauk Prairie School district.

• The Sauk Prairie area, in response to the rise in heroin use and over dose deaths in Sauk County created the Community Activated Recovery Enhancement (C.A.R.E.) program.Community stakeholders include St. Vincent de Paul,physicians, attorneys, pharmacists, Sauk County Health Department, Human Services Department, and law enforcement,state legislators public defenders, county supervisors pharmacists, RN’s, addiction recovery associates, UW extension.

  C.A.R.E. mission is a collective group of agencies, organizations and individuals that assist those suffering from addictions with becoming clean and sober and establishing lifestyle skills in order to become a sustainable member of the community.

  The goals of the program are to network with other professionals and agencies focused on substance use/abuse prevention and coordination of existing treatment resource. The group will work to enhance community awareness, prevention and treatment. Work collaboratively and creatively to increase service to addicted individuals.

  The program started in May of 2014 with individuals living in the Sauk Prairie area. The pilot project was developed to end heroin dependency and give a fresh start to addicts.  Thirty two people were enrolled in the program in 2014 with referrals from various sources such as Human Services, self- referral, friends, family, law enforcement and probation and parole. Four work groups were developed to tackle the many issues facing addicts trying to live normally in society again.

• Reedsburg Area Medical Center has completed their needs assessment.Their top three issues are: childhood obesity, community communication, and alcohol and drug abuse.

• RAMC Move It! Club

Our Goal The Move It! Club, a FREE walking/running club for area youth, will support beginning and seasoned walkers and runners while they work and train to achieve their goals to better health, and celebrate the end of the program by completing a 5K run/walk.

Move it! Club Objectives:

Welcome children of all fitness levels and strive to create a sense of confidence and accomplishment after each exercise/activity session in order to help participants gain the ability to complete a 5K race & achieve overall better health.

Increase physical activity among youth enrolled in 3rd grade and higher, especially those youth that are not currently in sports, with the goal of improving cardiovascular health.

Introduce a fun, free physical activity to youth that can be sustained throughout their lives.

Educate about the role nutrition plays in energy and endurance for physical activity.

Encourage adults to participate with their children, as having a child interested in walking/running a 5K poses a challenge to adults who do not have the knowledge or skill to help with training.

Sessions will be held after school on Mondays & Wednesdays from 3:45 – 4:45 pm in Webb Park. Starting Monday, September 22 and continue through the winter and spring months. A variety of different exercise options are included such as Kids Zumba, yoga, and other fun activities to expose youth to other exercise choices. All Participants will be entered in the “Vet Fest 5K Run/Walk” in April, 2015.

In October 2014 RAMC hosted a Fall Food Festival.  Featured recipes at the event utilized fall fruits and vegetables from local vendors. Guests had a fun filled night of sampling delicious appetizers, salads, soups, entree, drink and desert
RAMC has had challenges initiating a tooth brushing program in their local public schools.

Mental Health Professional Shortage Area

Sauk County is designated a mental health professional shortage area (HPSA). This designation indicates a significant shortage of providers in the service area and in the surrounding areas. It is measured by a population provider ratio. There are three types of HPSA’s:  primary care, dental care, and mental health

The Health department along with the Human Services department coordinated with Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative and UW Madison Medical College to host a 3rd or 4th year psychiatric resident. The program would begin in 2016-2017.  

Dental program

The Sauk County Seal-a-Smile program began in 2008, and continues with grant funding applied for yearly through the Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin. Since its inception, over 5000 dental sealants have been provided to area children at no cost to the recipients’ families.

In the first year the program visited 9 schools in 5 districts. Sealants and one-on-one education were provided to 200 children in grades 2-5. Each subsequent year the program has expanded and improved services, targeting those schools with a high rate of children receiving free and reduced lunches.

As of June 1, 2014 the 6th year of operations the program has served 18 Sauk County Schools in 6 districts. In the 2014 -2015 school year over 600 students were screened and one-on one education was provided. Dental sealants were placed on 470 children and 1369 received fluoride varnish treatments in grades 2-6.

A grant was written requesting funding through the Baraboo Area United Fund to pay for individuals in the Baraboo area needing emergent dental care. One local dentist is willing to participate in the program that will start January 1, 2014. 

In 2014, 24 dental vouchers were provided for individuals who had acute dental needs. Fluoride tablets were given to 2 families.

At the Women Infants and Children’s clinic, 65 children received fluoride varnish applications. This is a decrease of 105 children. The WIC fluoride program is participating in a quality improvement study to assess the past years outcomes and put processes in place to improve the number of children in WIC who receive fluoride varnish.

The Sauk County Finance Committee recently approved allocating $5000.00 of the gaming pact money to the dental program for the purchase new equipment and to provide sealants to more children.

Objective 2 of the Comprehensive Plan

Health Professional Development

Chapter 106.30 of the Wisconsin Statutes mandates that all registered nurses (RN) in the state complete a survey biannually with their license renewal.  The nursing workforce is directly related to the delivery of health care services and health outcomes in Sauk County. According to the Wisconsin Center of Nursing executive summary of the 2014 RN workforce survey a pending nursing workforce crisis is being projected.  Simultaneously the nursing workforce crisis is being driven by a growing elderly population, the rapidly aging nurse population, and the effects of healthcare reform. 

The results of the 2014 survey indicate that over 22% (this is an increase of 2% in 2 years) of the nursing workforce intends to leave direct patient care in the next 5-9 years, and another 58.9% the following 10 years or more. In addition only 11.2% of the Wisconsin Nursing workforce is between 20- 29 years old. The number of people entering the nursing work force continues to decline. This impending shortage will affect access to health care in Sauk County, across the state and nation. The Department is actively participating in efforts to aid in decreasing the impact of the shortage to the department and county.

A contract was signed with Oshkosh School of Nursing to bring a returning student in Nursing to the department. The program is an accelerated program that allows student with a previous degree to return and acquire a nursing degree after one full year of study.

UW Madison Nursing 419 students complete a rotation with a public health nurse to expand the student’s knowledge of public health.

Edgewood College brings senior nursing students and an instructor to the Sauk County Health Department (SCHD) for a rotation in public health.

The SCHD also has a contract with Viterbo University, UW Oshkosh, and UW Green Bay returning RN students.

The WIC program has had dietary students in 2014-2015.

The Public Health Director is on the Madison College Nursing program advisory board.

The Public Health Director is on the South West Area Health Education Center Advisory Committee (SWAHEC). SWAHEC has a Youth Health Services Core, which holds a camp every year for individuals to learn about health careers. In addition, SWAHEC supports and has helped create local Health Occupation Classes.  AHEC also collaborates with Madison College to bring health educational opportunities to high school students. AHEC is currently working with the Reedsburg Area Medical Center on a youth program related to health occupations.

The health director works directly with the Community Engagement Coordinator MPH/PRIME from the Department of Population Health Sciences at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health with a medical student. The role of the Health Director is to provide education and insight into local public health and how it operates with in the general community and the medical community. Input is given to the student on the community Health Needs Assessment and the planning that is undertaken at the local level.