Project Grant H79TI086047

MCHS PAIN MANAGEMENT CENTER DEVELOPMENT - MCHS PAIN MANAGEMENT CENTER DEVELOPMENT MORTON COUNTY HEALTH SYSTEMS (MCHS), BASED IN ELKHART, KANSAS, WILL EXPAND NON-OPIOID PAIN TREATMENT THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT-BASED PAIN MANAGEMENT CENTER. MCHS WILL ENHANCE EDUCATION AND TREATMENT FOR OUD AND ADDRESS THE RAMPANT OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN POVERTY-STRICKEN, RURAL, AGRICULTURAL AREAS. THE MCHS SERVICE AREA INCLUDES MORTON, STEVENS, SEWARD, HASKELL, GRANT, FINNEY, KEARNEY, AND STANTON COUNTIES IN KANSAS, BACA COUNTY COLORADO, CIMARRON AND TEXAS COUNTIES IN OKLAHOMA, AND DALLAM, HANSFORD, OCHILTREE, AND SHERMAN COUNTIES IN TEXAS. THE WIDELY DISPERSED, HEAVILY MINORITY POPULATION IS LOW-INCOME, POORLY INSURED AND AGING. EMPLOYMENT IS PREDOMINANTLY AGRICULTURAL WITH THE COUNTIES REPORTING BETWEEN 18-40% OF EMPLOYED ADULTS IN THIS INDUSTRY. A QUARTER OF THE ADULT POPULATION DOES NOT HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. THE SERVICE AREA INCLUDES A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF PERSONS IDENTIFYING AS HISPANIC AND AN AVERAGE 36% OF RESIDENTS SPEAK SOMETHING OTHER THAN ENGLISH IN THE HOME. BECAUSE OF THE SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND ECONOMIC FACTORS, SERVICE AREA COUNTIES ARE HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO CHRONIC PAIN, OPIOID USE AND ADDICTION. MCHS SEEKS TO ADDRESS PAIN MANAGEMENT, TREATMENT, AND THE INCREASED RISK FOR OUD BY INCREASING FACILITY CAPACITY AND OUTREACH, PROVIDING A PAIN MANAGEMENT CENTER AND TELEMEDICINE WITH HOLISTIC, MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PATIENT CENTERED CARE. POTENTIAL SERVICES INCLUDE MAT, OT, PT, CHIROPRACTIC, ACUPUNCTURE AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TO OUR MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED, HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREA. MCHS HAS 1 OVERARCHING GOAL SUPPORTED BY 4 OBJECTIVES WITH MEASURABLE ACTIONS AND SPECIFIED TASKS. UPON OBJECTIVE COMPLETION, PROJECT WILL BE WELL ON THE WAY TO SUCCESS. GOAL: REDUCE OPIOID USE AND ABUSE IN THE TRI-POINT AREA COUNTIES AND MCHS SERVICE AREA THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF THE MCHS PAIN MANAGEMENT CENTER, PROVIDING A MULTIDISCIPLINARY, INFORMED, HOLISTIC, PATIENT-CENTERED APPROACH TO DIAGNOSES AND TREATMENT OF INJURIES AND PAIN, ADVANCING NON-OPIOID DRUG STRATEGIES AND EDUCATION. PAIN IS AN INESCAPABLE ELEMENT OF PHYSICAL LABOR AND THE AGRICULTURAL LIFESTYLE. THE RISK OF INJURY AND NEED FOR PAIN RELIEF IS GREATER WHILE WORKING IN AGRICULTURAL SECTORS THAN IN MOST OTHER OCCUPATIONS. THE FREQUENCY AND DEGREE HAVE CAUSED A TENDENCY TOWARD OVER-PRESCRIPTION AND ADDICTION TO PAIN MEDICATIONS. OBJECTIVE 1- ENHANCE AND IMPROVE MCHS ER FACILITY, LEVERAGING NEW C-ARM AND OTHER EXISTING EQUIPMENT, TO DIAGNOSE AND TREAT PAIN, COMPLETED BY MARCH 2024. OBJECTIVE 2- DEVELOP A PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL PAIN MANAGEMENT TEAM, SERVING THE PUBLIC BY JANUARY 2023. AMONG KS FARM WORKERS, THE 12-MONTH PREVALENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IS HIGH. LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO HEAVY PHYSICAL WORK, HEAVY LIFTING AND CARRYING, WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION, AND WORK IN AWKWARD POSTURES ARE RISK FACTORS FOR PAIN. OBJECTIVE 3-EXPAND EXISTING TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS AND CAPABILITY; ACCESS REMOTE INJURY AND PAIN SPECIALISTS, STATE HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES VIA TELEHEALTH FOR MCHS; EXTEND PAIN MANAGEMENT RESOURCES TO REMOTE COMMUNITIES CURRENTLY SERVED BY MCHS TELEMEDICINE, TO INCLUDE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS PT ANDCOACHING, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING FOR OPIOID RECIPIENT AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS BEGINNING IMMEDIATELY UPON AWARD. OBJECTIVE 4-DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN ON-GOING EXTENSIVE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN, IMPROVING COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION AND QUALITY OF CARE BEGINNING DECEMBER 15, 2023. IMPROVE REPORTING FOR OUR VERY HIGH OUD RISK REGION. UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS TO BE SERVED BY AWARD FUNDS; {INCLUDING ELDER CARE PATIENTS} YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 TOTAL 740 {865} 850 {975} 860 {985} 2450 {2825}