Alaskans dial for relief

It’s hard to ask for help, especially when a person does not know where to go or where to start. By simply dialing the numbers 2-1-1, Alaskans are able to connect to over hundreds of programs over the state that are ready to provide assistance. The Alaska 2-1-1 program is a call-center that will route Alaskans to the correct social service or not-profit program. This emergency resource center provides precise contact information for essential services to men, women, and children of all ages.

The United Ways of Alaska created the Alaska 2-1-1 program and has been operated by the United Way of Anchorage since it started in August 2007. Callers of the line are able to obtain referrals to health and human services which include: basic human needs, physical and mental health resources, employment support services, community crisis or disaster recovery, and much more.

Karen Bitzer, director of the Alaska 2-1-1 program says the major aid to expect this winter season is for homeless and financial assistance. She describes what a caller to the 2-1-1 line experiences:

“An information referral specialist offers help to each caller, asking what sort of aid they may need. We are becoming more proactive about what assistance programs to offer individuals, such as the state’s heating assistance program. We try to provide as many referrals as possible.”

Each call specialist asks what zip code the individual resides in which helps to narrow down the service programs to what’s closest to them. There is a reassurance of no run-arounds with dealing with calls, and the goal of the 2-1-1 program is to connect Alaskans with the correct resources. Even when a person does not state what further aid is needed, the call specialists will make recommendations before a person starts plummeting in need again.

According to the Alaska 2-1-1’s website, the five most requested services are: homeless financial assistance programs, general relief, food pantries, low income and subsidized rental housing, and homeless shelters.

The data collected from the call center will provide information that wasn’t available prior to the types of services Alaskans need. This information will also serve to show which regions they are most called for. By collecting information from incoming calls, it will help policy makers determine the services that must be delivered to these identified gaps and to measure trends coming across all areas of the state.

Southcentral Alaska includes Anchorage and leads the number of calls for aid, measuring at about 51 percent of the total calls to the help line. The Mat-Su Borough leads in second taking up to 10 percent of the total calls, and finishing with other regions around the state averaging at a rate of about 4.9 percent of the total calls.

The 2009 snapshot of calls also views the call volume recorded throughout the year. From January to October 2009, there was a steady rate of about one thousand calls taken per month by trained information and referral specialists. There was a spike in the months of November and December when calls taken were more than twice the average of previous months.

“There was a streamline approach for inquiries of rent and utility (homeless) assistance where all calls were exclusively made through 2-1-1,” says Bitzer. “This started in November last year until about March 2010 when we noticed the decrease in volume.”

The call center is only open during regular business hours from 8:30 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The total number of calls taken last year reached 13,060. The projected numbers for 2010 are to reach about 25,000 calls. Online searches, on the other hand, totaled to about 24,713 queries on its 24/7 database.

The possibility of pushing the call center to be available 24/7 is highly likely, as Bitzer says the program staff has also been monitoring calls during off-hours.

“We are looking to expanding the center hours,” says Bitzer. “When voicemail messages are left during our off-hours, the calls will be returned the next day. We are able to find more trends through these off-hours calls as well.”

More information about the Alaska 2-1-1 program can be accessed through the official program website at www.alaska211.org. Calls can be made to the 2-1-1 program directly or by dialing 1-800-478-2221.

Uniting to increase the graduation rate

The United Way of Anchorage campaigns year-round within the community to create lasting impacts on those in need. They have held the vision of promoting assistance for members within the community by encouraging everyone to focus on education awareness, income stability, and access to health. This non-profit organization works to connect individuals to the right resources when they need a helping hand. There are several programs and projects that exist statewide. The United Way is the connection to route individuals in need to the appropriate neighborhood programs.

This year the United Way of Anchorage wants to shift their focus on an important issue that was formulated by their annual Community Assessment Project (CAP) report. These reports are released every spring which gathers data about Anchorage’s economic, education, health, natural environment, and public safety landscapes. Starting in 2006 when this report was first assessed, the United Way has been able to gather view on the quality of life from families in the city. This year’s local data collection reflects their new primary focus: increasing the graduation rate. This is also in correlation with rejecting the amount of violence and substance abuse within youth members.

Pam Scheve, the Donor and Relationship Manager of the organization, is going around to different areas of the community to promote this campaign. She likes to start her workshops by simply asking what volunteers know about the organization and what exactly it does for the community.

Scheve says, “Most people can’t answer what our organization does, but they know we’re out there. We want to educate and spread the word about The United Way and our vision.”

To increase the graduation rate, the United Way of Anchorage established Anchorage United for Youth (AUY). This diverse leadership group commits to helping youth reach their potential by following a shared community plan and focusing on strategies for youth success.

“The more youth succeeds, our community succeeds,” says Scheve during one of her presentations. This is the trend the organization wants to set forth for the long run.

In the 2007-08 school year, the high school graduation rate was 64.3%. This is nearly 2 out of every 3 high school students graduating, which is sufficiently low. After implementing a shift towards improving this graduation rate from the United Way of Anchorage, there was a noticeable increase in the following 2008-09 school year with a rate of 70.5%.

"It's wonderful to see the rates increasing," says Scheve, "but that doesn't mean we should stop. We need to strive for more."

The percentage of high school students who use alcohol has decreased significantly as well. The CAP report reflects the numbers starting in 2005: about 76% of youth admitted to alcohol consumption at least once; 41.3% of youth still currently consume alcohol; and 27.9% admit to being binge drinkers. The 2009 numbers show a decrease of several percentage points in all areas: 66.5% of youth admitted to alcohol consumption at least once; 34.9% still currently consume alcohol; and 22.6% are considered binge drinkers. This is based on a completely voluntary survey by Anchorage high school students. This reflects a positive impact on what Anchorage United for Youth can do and will continue to do.

Anchorage United for Youth has created several opportunities for young adults that help to develop more positive and supportive environments. A good example is the Step-Up program which kept 29 at-risk teens off the streets and in the classroom during the 2009-10 school year. Through United Way partners, 313 youth were able to receive clinical substance use and mental health intervention and treatment. These numbers are from the recent CAP report.

Giving time and acting as positive mentors towards youth is the biggest help the United Way is asking for from volunteers and advocates of the community. Scheve recommends visiting www.liveunitedanchorage.org to learn more about how to help and how to get more information on the various community partners.

PFD recipients Pick. Click. Give and receive

Alaskans waiting anxiously for the month of October is equivalent to that exact feeling when its nearing Christmas time. Alaskan citizens having their permanent fund dividends, or PFD, either mailed or deposited to their bank accounts this month look forward to the various ways extra money in their pocket will stretch for themselves.

A down payment towards a new vehicle, a month’s worth of rent, or even paying off a credit card is a rewarding feeling itself. Being able to have the choice of donating it is even better. Through the PFD Charitable Contributions Program Alaskans have the choice to “Pick. Click. Give” to participating non-profit organizations of their choice.

This is the second year for the Pick. Click. Give program. Throughout the campaign months from January 2010 to May 2010, a total of nearly $1 million dollars coming from more than 9,500 Alaskans have been made towards the program. This is nearly twice the amount from last year’s contributions. 100 percent of proceeds go straight to the organization of choice.

The purpose of this program is to support eligible non-profit organizations in a reliable way. Donors are able to donate at least $25 up to their entire dividend through the PFD application process, which is filed in the beginning of a new year.

The first year of Pick Click. Give. Was already a success on its own. Preliminary figures from the Alaska Department of Revenue estimated about 5,163 Alaskans filing online selected the option to donate towards a non-profit. The approximate donation totaled to $545,000.

Although donations through the Pick. Click. Give program are only filed online, it is still encouraged for donors to make a direct contribution to the specific non-profit serving the community. A list of all participating organizations can be found on the official PFD Charitable Contributions Program website, www.PickClickGive.org.

The program would not be successful without the generous contributions made from the Rasmuson Foundation. They helped to fully establish the Pick. Click. Give. program and will be paying for the majority of the operating costs for the first three years, including any costs incurred by the state of Alaska to process donations. Other organizations worth recognizing for the tremendous success are: the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, ConocoPhillips, BP, the Mat-Su Health Foundation, the Foraker Group, and the United Way of Anchorage. The Nerland Agency has been an integral part of marketing who helped spread the message about the power of individual giving.

Editorial | An Epic journey for Providence Health Systems

When people hear the word “epic”, it connotes a sense of greatness or heroism. To overcome reoccurring obstacles is epic, as well as finishing a long-awaited journey. Several folks at Providence Alaska Medical Center would have to disagree. The journey of Epic at the large hospital campus was sure a long-awaited journey. It was also a big obstacle to overcome. To hear this word, however, makes several employees at Providence nervous and anxious—maybe even cringe.

Epic is the term that has been thrown around the past 12 months and is here to stay. It is software that integrates the healthcare organizations’ databases which span from clinic, access, and revenue functions into one system. This electronic medical record and charting system will steer clear from the use of paper trails that some clinics still rely on. This software will streamline the work of clinical providers, hospital staff, and patients to ensure a patient’s visit is admitted, charted, discharged, and billed correctly. It puts patient care at the utmost front. Indeed, it is epic to have such advanced technology to hold all mediums in one system, however its greatness does not ware off on individuals who have been a part of the hospital system for years.

The problem many individuals feel about switching over to Epic is how reliant the hospital will be with electronic systems. Many healthcare providers and workers at Providence are not used to the advanced technology medium. Comments heard here and there express how concerned and frightening this transition actually is. Many people in the healthcare organization have been working there for years, even decades. There have already been many changes along the way with the latest system implementation in 2005 when the hospital implemented a system called McKesson. They are not ready for another switch.

People shouldn’t be scared of technology, because we live in its generation. As systems and products are constantly advancing with new discoveries, so should an organization’s workflows. People need to be ready to adapt to something that will benefit a larger population. I’ve heard people confessing they are not ready for change, yet change is inevitable. We live in a society where being efficient is expected. Being able to incorporate all of the miniscule workflows and constant bounce from system A to system B will save a tremendous amount of time and work. Epic will synchronize all of these tasks.

Working in a hospital organization has one primary concern: care for the patient. Being able to work in a system that integrates all different systems that Providence formerly adopted will ensure patient care is top notch. Employees and staff of the organization need to learn to utilize all their resources available to them—and Epic is willing to provide that.

The system is looking to streamline many of the overlapping workflows that departments within the hospital may either tend to overlook or have conflicting issues with. Epic will provide organized and reliable modules to straighten these cranks out. For example: a patient missing registration information when being admitted will have the precise information on file for greater accuracy due to Epic having “stops” in the system that inform a staff member what information is necessary. A patient will have the correct coding and billing of procedures being done at a visit because of constant confirmations built into the Epic system that will ensure defined checks are met. A patient will also be fully-aware of their encounter visit information being charted by soon having access to their own records from the comfort of their own home.

Providence Alaska Medical Center contracted with Epic in October 2009 and signed on for an 18-month implementation phase to end in May 2011. They were the guinea pigs of the product which brought great interest to the Providence Health & Services Board of directors towards the Providence Health Systems organization as a whole. This will now be brought to Providence Region systems located in Washington, Oregon, California, and Montana.

The entire region implementing this new product will benefit patients across all hospitals and clinics. It is foreseen to develop long-term relationships to patients and to provide the best care possible.