Making informed health decisions at home just became easier — thanks to a new health handbook now being distributed throughout the Omaha community by Our Healthy Community Partnership. OHCP is a 26-member group consisting of Omaha area hospitals, insurers, managed care companies, medical schools and other private and public health agencies and organizations.
The book — called Healthwise Handbook — is being distributed through community health centers, churches, hospitals, grass-roots organizations and various other locations.
“The handbook is something that every family can benefit from,” said Kerri Peterson, executive director of OHCP and co-project coordinator. “However, we’re making a special effort to make sure a large number of the handbooks wind up with underserved families, especially those who are uninsured or underinsured.”
The handbook contains medically sound, evidence-based information on 200 of the most common health problems faced by families. It contains 372 pages and 20 chapters and is written in easy-to-understand language. Some of the topics covered in the handbook include dealing with emergencies, infant and child health, men’s and women’s health, fitness and nutrition.
The project is being funded primarily by the Douglas County Health Department with additional support provided by the United Way of the Midlands. A total of 10,000 books have been printed, Peterson said. Most of these will be distributed at no charge to Omaha-area families through 19 community organizations. The book will be available in both English and Spanish. The Spanish version won’t be available until later this summer.
“In essence, this is a pilot project,” said Kathy Byrnes, community relations liaison for Nebraska Health System and the other co-project coordinator. “The first two phases will be to distribute the handbooks to a cross section of residents and then evaluate the effectiveness of the handbooks. We’re optimistic that the community will have a very favorable reaction to the handbook and that this will lead to additional funding to print more books and make them available to more people.”
The handbook has been endorsed by the Metro Omaha Medical Society. “We think this is a great tool for the public,” said Rowen Zetterman, M.D., MOMS president and a professor of internal medicine at UNMC. “Eight out of 10 health problems can be cared for at home. If people use the handbook as their first resource, it should allow them to make informed decisions. Ultimately, this will result in families avoiding unnecessary trips to the doctor and emergency room and reduce missed days of work.”
“I’m thrilled about this project,” said Larry Brown, M.D., project director for Community Resources for Infants and Babies (CRIB) and a Creighton University pediatrician. “There’s nothing more difficult for parents than having a sick little baby at home. There’s always indecision on whether to run the child to the doctor or tough it out at home. Hopefully, if they use this handbook, families will be able to make better — more informed — decisions.”
Prior to distributing the handbooks, OHCP provided specialized training to the 19 community organizations, which would be distributing the handbook. Peterson said this training was designed to help these organizations learn how to most effectively use the handbook and then subsequently pass these skills along to families who receive the handbook. In addition, the trainers were taught the importance of self-care and being a partner in your health care.
The 19 organizations distributing the handbooks were Creighton University, United Way of the Midlands, Urban League of Nebraska, UNMC, Nebraska Health System, Hope Medical Outreach, Methodist Health System, Access Medicaid, Indian Chicano Health Center, Countryside Community Church, Douglas County Health Department, Sisters Together, Charles Drew Health Center, Alegent Health, Chicano Awareness Center, Interfaith Health Services, Bethel African Methodist Church, YWCA, and Respite Resource Center.
After the handbooks are distributed, Byrnes said the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha will contact between 500 and 800 handbook recipients and get their feedback on the handbooks. Evaluations will be done at six, nine and 12 months.
The handbooks feature a unique cover with artwork designed by Joshua Jones, a sixth-grader at the Jesuit Middle School in Omaha. The artwork depicts a variety of play and work settings that can result in injuries as well as improved health.
For more information on the Healthwise Handbook, call OHCP at (402) 561-7577.
Member organizations of Our Healthy Community Partnership include: Alegent Health (Bergan Mercy Medical Center, Immanuel Medical Center and Midlands Community Hospital), Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Nebraska, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Children’s Hospital, Creighton University, Chicano Awareness Center, Douglas County Commissioners, Douglas County Health Department, Indian-Chicano Health Center, Methodist Health System, Metro Omaha Medical Society, Mutual of Omaha, Nebraska Health System (Clarkson Hospital and University Hospital), Nebraska Methodist College, Omaha Public Schools, Richard Young Center, Saint Joseph Hospital, United HealthCare of the Midlands, United Methodist Community Centers, Inc. – Wesley House, United Way of the Midlands, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Urban League of Nebraska, Inc., Visiting Nurse Association, Wellness Council of the Midlands, and YWCA Omaha.
Photos in descending order: The cover of the Healthwise Handbook; Rowen Zetterman, M.D.; and Joshua Jones, who designed the handbook’s cover last year in the fifth-grade classroom of Sharrone Travis.