Pictured, from left, Alex Hall, Dr. Dennis Woodward, Kurt Carlson and Cary Groninger prepare for the Health First Kosciusko Committee meeting. InkFreeNews photo by Madison Hart.

By Madison Hart
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Health First Kosciusko announced vouchers were approved from Lutheran and Parkview hospitals to provide prenatal care to pregnant women at the committee meeting Wednesday, July 24.

If pregnant women go to the Kosciusko County Health Department and are only covered by Medicaid type E, they can be eligible to receive a voucher for prenatal care at one of the hospitals in partnership with Health First Kosciusko.

Kurt Carlson of Health First Kosciusko announced that also approved were the proposed billboards, the name change from Health First Indiana to Health First Kosciusko and Carlson was approved to have a $10,000 limit to spend for Health First Kosciusko without prior approval necessary.

Health First Kosciusko was approved to allocate $7,650 for social media campaigns to reach those in need of health services, pending approval from the Health Department to use social media, which has not historically been encouraged. The committee will look into the requirements for the county procurement process and state 30-day notice requirement to contract social media services.

In other business, the committee added to the wording of their contract with grantees that ensure the grantees use the name or logo of Health First Kosciusko in the promotion of any services funded by Health First Kosciusko.

The committee discussed several projects in progress, including the search for a bus to renovate into a traveling medical and dental clinic. Health First Kosciusko is also looking at partnership opportunities to offer a traveling fresh food bank.

Elizabeth McCullough of Health First Kosciusko reported that the meeting with state representatives to evaluate the use of the funding went well. She stated they saw major progress since February.

The committee also:

• Discussed the new Northern Indiana Shriners Hospital for Children services.
• Suggested bringing KPI visual aids to meetings to see progress.
• Discussed bringing information about the mother mortality rate and substance abuse correlation to the next meeting.

The next Health First Kosciusko Committee meeting will be in the Old Courtroom at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28.