Linda was nominated for this important recognition by her team, and selected by the Chapter in appreciation for the strong support she has shown the administrative staff at MHM, and the administrative profession.
The Executive of the Year Award is given each year in recognition of an executive’s interest and support of administrative professionals and who raises awareness of the critical role administrative assistants play in every organization. The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP®) is the world’s largest association for administrative support staff, with nearly 600 chapters and 40,000 members and affiliates worldwide.
Linda is a champion for her team, always striving to raise awareness for the important role each of the administrative professionals at MHM plays in support of the mission. The entire MHM team applauds Linda for this important recognition, and thanks her for her many years of exemplary service and outstanding commitment to MHM’s mission.
Each year MHM's Team Member Appreciation Committee (TMAC) organizes various social and recreational events designed to promote goodwill and enhance team morale. Ultimately, these events serve to honor and appreciate the hard work and dedication of team members throughout the year on behalf of the MHM mission.
Our annual Team Member Appreciation Picnic is one such instance. The theme this year? Awesome 80s!
On Friday, October 5, the entire MHM team convened at Pedrotti's North Wind Ranch for a day of games, team building and entertainment.
Awards were presented to the best dressed 80s Icons with Beetlejuice (Ruth Schmidtka) and Miami Vice's Sonny Crockett (Victor Reyes) making an appearance and Biggest Hair (Donnelle Storrs).
Our 'Gag me with a Spoon' bake off awarded prizes for the Best Tasting (Karmel, Karmel, Karmel Chameleon Apple Cake; Jae Kight) and Most Heathy (Fruit Danish; Sara Campbell). While Madai Chandler's Pac Man Cake took home the title for Best Presentation.
Our 'Totally Tubular Volleyball' tournament helped us work off the Bake Off treats with Revenge of the Nerds (Samantha Andrus, Maureen Lares, Monica Orozco, Nicole Perez, Perry Spindler, Jessica Weaver, Ken Webster, Liz Valerio) taking home the championship trophy.
Thank you to the MHM team for your commitment to 'Serving Humanity to Honor God' through your daily work. A special recognition goes to TMAC for planning and organizing our Awesome 80s celebration!
Health and counseling services are provided by MHM through School Based Health Centers (SBHC) that provide primary medical and dental services to school-age children enrolled in the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City and Marion ISDs and their siblings, up to age 21.
At present, SBHC are located at:
Krueger Elementary (217 West Otto Street, Marion, TX 78124)
Through these Centers children, who live in areas where such services are not readily available, are eligible for low cost immunizations, medical care, counseling, and dental care.
A comprehensive range of services are offered to include:
Diagnosis and treatment of simple illness or minor injury
Immunizations
Physical exams for school sports, cheerleading, dance team, Boy Scouts and camp
Well child exams
Health promotion and education
Prescription assistance
Referral to health care providers, specialists and resources within the community
Primary dental care including x-rays, cleanings, fluoride treatments and sealants
Dental treatment including fillings, extractions and endodontic treatment
Individual and family counseling and case management
Assistance with Medicaid, CHIP and Food Stamp applications, and food, housing and utilities is also available.
Charges for medical and dental services vary according to procedure; however, all services are provided on a sliding fee scale. Services will be provided regardless of your ability to pay.
submitted by Rosalio (Lio) Luna Parenting Programs Coordinator, Parenting Programs
At a recent PHP Facilitator training I met with Jeanette Pickard and Robin Kaspar, who will be serving as PHP Facilitators at one of MHM’s newest PHP sites located at the Marble Falls United Methodist Church (1101 Bluebonnet Drive, Marble Falls, Texas 78654).
By providing community members with hands-on training, we are able to ensure facilitators are equipped with the knowledge and resources needed to carry on the PHP model within their respective communities.
During the course of the six-hour training, Jeanette and Robin were provided with a PHP program history and introduction. As the training progressed, we discussed topics to include setting group norms and expectations, warm-up activities, and meet-and-greet tips.
As PHP Facilitators in Burnett, Jeanette and Robin will work closely with PHP team members to implement the program in Burnett County. Duties for this role include:
Collaborating with community agencies and guest speakers
Planning and promoting the weekly group meetings
Facilitate group meetings, and recruit group members and volunteers
Complete and submit logistical reports after every group meeting
Additionally, Jeannette and Robin plan on working with The Parent Project, another ministry at the Marble Falls United Methodist Church, to help spark interest for the new group.
About Parents Helping Parents
Launched in 1999, Parents Helping Parents (PHP) is a parent support group designed to build stronger, healthier communities by strengthening and encouraging family life. One of three distinct parenting programs offered through MHM’s Parenting Programs, PHP is volunteer-based, built upon the belief that parents are the first teachers and best advocates for their children.
Together, the group identifies a facility in which to meet once per week for 10-12 weeks for a two-hour session. The group then selects at least two volunteers who are willing to be trained and serve as facilitators for the group. These trainings are conducted by our Parenting Programs Coordinators.
In addition to the hands-on training, MHM provides groups with a full program curriculum and ongoing technical assistance, along with making a limited number of stipends available to United Methodist Churches.
The Challengers, with team captain Juan Martinez at the helm, are comprised of MHM team members, clients, and community supporters. Collectively, the Challengers identified a fundraising goal of $1,000 in support of the ADA. What's more, MHM has offered to match every dollar raised by the team!
We sat down with Vanessa Enriquez, MHM Challengers' Fundraising Superstar, to learn more about her connection with this cause:
Why are you participating in the ADA Step Out: Walk to Diabetes?
I am participating because I have several family members affected by diabetes. Last year, we lost my grandmother who was diabetic. In the end, she had heart trouble that led to her passing, but I know that the diabetes contributed to her poor cardiovascular health. My family is very close and personally, I spent my afternoons growing up helping my grandmother make dinner. My parents, brother and I ate dinner during the week with my grandparents so I shared a very close bond with her. In a way, she helped shape my love for food and nutrition, so I partly have her to thank for my career as a dietitian. Since becoming a dietitian I have tried to help my family in whatever ways possible and this is another way I see that I can try to impact those with diabetes or those who may develop the disease.
You've raised over $500.00 so far. Any tips or tricks to share with your teammates?
I emailed all of my family members through the ADA Step Out page. I added that I wanted to raise funds in memory of my grandmother so that one day other families would not have to go through the loss we had because of diabetes. I also emailed my close friends with a similar message. Many of my friends were supporting me during my grandmother’s illness so they saw the impact in had when she passed. Lastly, I post weekly updates on my facebook page. I try to share what my total is and how close I am to my goal. I also add that MHM is matching donations to encourage people to give no matter the amount, as it will be doubled in the end.
We are just five short weeks away from Step Out, and the Challengers are nearing their fundraising goal with close to $900 raised. Please consider joining our team, and helping us stop diabetes.
To join our team, or make a donation to the MHM Challengers, visit our team page.
The fervor the U.S. Supreme Court decision over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) this summer caused is understandable given how drastically the law is expected to change our healthcare delivery system.
Since then, pundits, scholars, and people on all sides of the issue have offered wildly different estimates on who the law would actually help. Now, thanks to Dr. Michael Cline and Dr. Steve Murdock of the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas at Rice University, Texans don’t need to speculate. There is data that illustrates who would benefit in our state.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries commissioned a study authored by Dr. Cline and Dr. Murdock—who once served as the official State Demographer of Texas (in case you were wondering why the name sounded familiar)—to help us better understand how the new law would impact our community.
Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation. This unfortunate ranking is not necessarily breaking news; it’s a distinction our state has earned in the past. But, it’s worth mentioning since the U.S. Census Bureau just recently released 2010 Census data that confirms our unfortunate standing in the nation. So how many uninsured Texans does it take to put our state nearly dead last? As of 2010, an estimated 23.7 percent of all Texans (5.9 million people) had no health insurance coverage. Given our numbers, it stands to reason, that we have a lot to gain from the ACA.
According to Dr. Cline and Dr. Murdock, in the study titled Estimates of the Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Counties in Texas, if Texas implemented the new law—even with a moderate effort to increase enrollment in public and private health insurance— by 2014 every county in Texas would see a decrease in the number of uninsured people. The total number of uninsured people in our state would essentially be cut in half; from 5.9 million to 2.9 million. Nearly 3 million people in our state stand to gain from the ACA due to the expansion of Medicaid and the accessibility of affordable health insurance through the private sector.
According to the two researchers, all this is largely dependent upon the efforts of the State and healthcare advocates enrolling people in public health insurance (Medicaid and CHIP), and how well the health insurance exchange is developed and marketed. The Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) has further analyzed the data and summarized the key findings in a brief titled Choices and Challenges: How Texas County Uninsured Rates Will Drop Under Health Care Reform. That brief also includes some recommendations on how the state can leverage the ACA to reduce its uninsured rate.
Aside from the sheer number of people who would benefit, health care as an industry will also realize tremendous gains through expanded funding of previously uninsured patient visits.
As a healthcare provider, we here at MHM know this law will make an important difference in peoples’ lives based on what we hear time and again from those served in our clinics and the programs we support throughout South Texas. The difference between paying rent, or getting health care; buying food or getting much-needed medicines. The findings in this study make the choices before our policy makers clear, and invite them to make that difference for three million Texans.
We are ready to do our part to help our community realize all the ACA has to offer. We hope our legislators are ready too.
Grants have made up 34 percent of overall spending in 2012 at MHM. Through Community Grants we are able to provide ongoing support for agencies addressing: access to care; dental and oral health; obesity and diabetes prevention; health education and promotion; mental and behavioral health services; public health policy and research; spirituality; and the health professional shortage.
Offering mental and behavioral health services, The San Antonio Clubhouse, became an MHM funded partner in 2005. The Clubhouse, one of 300 worldwide, is ICCD accredited. ICCD Clubhouses are founded on the realization that recovery from serious mental illness must involve the whole person in a vital and culturally sensitive community. Since its founding in 2003, The San Antonio Clubhouse has provided hope and recovery for people living with mental illness.
The Clubhouse offers its members an opportunity to build essential life skills through a variety of responsibilities. Members design and operate onsite services, obtain empowerment through skill building and education, and work to gain independent employment through the Transitional Employment program − all in a self-sustaining environment, operating without state or federal funding.
Members and staff work together, as equals, to perform a variety of tasks necessary to the daily operation of The Clubhouse. In the Business Unit, members are exposed to office computer systems, newsletter production, accounting, data entry, and receptionist duties. In the Culinary Unit, where the kitchen and snack bar operate, members collaborate to perform cashiering duties and budgeting, meal planning and preparation, and grocery shopping.
Wellness at The Clubhouse has become an especially important initiative for its members. The wellness program has three distinct areas of focus: nutrition, education, and exercise. Collectively, members decided to adopt a menu and snack bar offerings around a healthy eating model. Unlike typical snack bars, members replaced sodas, candy bars and chips with water, healthy drinks, fresh fruit and fruit smoothies, and other healthy snacks. Meals offered at The Clubhouse are low-cost; currently, breakfast and lunch are free for members. For many members, this is their most nutritious meal of the day; for some it is their only meal of the day.
The Clubhouse is equipped with a 2,000 square foot exercise room where yoga, pilates, dance and other exercise classes are held. Weekly client-led workshops are also conducted in this area to include meditation, diabetes management, proper nutrition, smoking cessation, weight control, and medication management.
The Clubhouse’s impact can be measured through its members’ success stories: “I got sick twenty years ago. I’ve been in lots of other programs, at least twelve others. Out of all of them, The Clubhouse has helped me the most. In other programs, they treat me like a patient. I’m reminded over and over that I am sick. Here, at The Clubhouse, I am treated like a person. They don’t baby me. I like to interact with people, and help out cooking and cleaning the kitchen. I come almost every day.” – Tom, The San Antonio Clubhouse Member
In June, The Clubhouse relocated to its new home at 445 Recoleta Road in San Antonio, Texas. Originally located in the Travis Park United Methodist Church, and later moving to a historical residential home on N. Alamo Street, their new 7,200 square foot building increased The Clubhouse’s capacity to serve members with the ability to hold 120 members at any given time from the previous 30-member limit.
As an official welcome to their new home, The San Antonio Clubhouse will host a Housewarming Party on Friday, October 26, 2012 from 5:30p.m. to 8:30p.m, with a short program at 7:00p.m. There is no charge to attend; however, ‘housewarming gifts’ in the form of monetary donations are welcomed. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about The Clubhouse, meet its members, and tour the facility. A silent auction will be held along with an art showcase of work composed by Clubhouse members. For more information about the Housewarming Party, contact Linda Zimmerhanzel at lzimmerhanzel@saclubhouse.org.
Membership is open to men and women ages 18 and older who have a diagnosis of mental illness and a referral from a qualified mental health professional.
Currently, The San Antonio Clubhouse serves over 400 enrolled members.
To date, MHM has provided $1,195,800 in funding to support The San Antonio Clubhouse.
Last week marked the commencement of our 4th Annual United Way Pledge Campaign. The United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County is the largest, private health and human care service organization in Bexar Country.
The United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County continues to lead the country with an overhead cost of 6.5 percent. This overhead is lower than the average overhead of other United Way communities (12.7 percent) which means that 93.5 cents of every dollar you give go directly to programs that matter as they support children, families and our community.
This year, we have determined an MHM team goal of raising $40,000 in donations. By combining our financial support, we can bring about real, visible results to thousands.
Within a few days of kicking off the Campaign, we are happy to report MHM is inching closer and closer to our goal with over $32,445.80 raised with an average gift of $337.98. What’s more, fifteen team members have given gifts of $1,000 or more.
The 2012 Campaign is scheduled to close on Friday, October 12 at noon. With a collaborative effort from our team, we are hopeful of reaching our goal of $40,000.
We are asking every team member to please consider making a donation of any amount, however it is NOT mandatory to give. All team members are asked to log onto the e-Way system and select an option (make a pledge, decline, etc.).
Thank you to every team member for your consideration and for your donations!
For more information, contact your Pledge Coordinator or Maggie Vasquez at mvasquez@mhm.org.
Test your knowledge for a chance to win health and wellness prizes!
Last week the Working Out at Work video seminar was added to www.mhmbewell.com.
This video stressed the importance monitoring your dietary intake along with providing special tips on healthy eating and nutrition. Now is the time to test your knowledge by participating in the Active Team Challenge Video Seminar Trivia!
Answer the following Supercharging Your Nutrition trivia questions correctly to be entered into a drawing to receive a special health and wellness prize. Three winners will be selected.
Supercharging Your Nutrition: Seminar Trivia
1. Which of the following are health benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables?
a.) better immune system functioning
b.) weight management
c.) lower risk of certain cancers
d.) lower risk of heart disease
e. all of the above
2. In order to provide any health benefits, dark chocolate should contain what percentage of cocoa?
a.) 50-55%
b.) 60-65%
c.) 70-75%
d.) chocolate provides no health benefits
3. How many servings of fruit and vegetables should you consume per day?
a.) 2
b.) 3
c.) 4
d.) 5+
Use the Comment feature below to submit your answers. If you have a Facebook account you can submit your answers on the MHM Facebook page as a wall post.
Deadline to submit your answers is Wednesday, September 19, 2012.
Note: The Active Team Challenge Seminar Trivia is open to MHM team members only. Correct answers will be submitted into a drawing to select three winners.
It’s back-to-school time, and like those of you who have school-aged children, my family has been trying to come out of our summer haze and back into the routine of school days. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, and it’s why I can’t help but reflect on a parable one of our Pastors shared with me and others at a recent luncheon that is worth repeating as a means to help us focus our daily lives on what is truly important. The story goes something like this…
A couple in a San Antonio household is very anxious about the new school year and juggling all the work and school schedules, meals, and issues that are common in the beginning of the year. The big question they face is whether to eat out…choices, choices—or cook in…time, time. What to do?
A couple in a West Africa household is also very anxious about the next school year and juggling all the work, school schedules, meals and issues that are common in the beginning of the year. The big question they face, is will the school open this year? Is there food for the family to eat, and who should get it? Dad to sustain work, or the kids to sustain nourishment to learn and thrive? Mom is last of course.
One issue is a 1st world problem; the other is a 3rd world problem.
How do you live your life? And, what issues consume you (no pun intended)! Choices, choices…time, time—choose better and spend your time more wisely.
In 2012, MHM announced the launch of our new health and wellness program, MHM Be Well. MHM Be Well was designed to help team members make healthy choices in an engaging and supportive environment. In an effort to increase each team member's physical activity, MHM Be Well introduced team members to the Active Team Challenge (ATC) as a way to promote healthy competition between self-constructed teams within MHM.
As part of the ten-week challenge, MHMers formed ATC teams consisting of four to seven members per team. The first task delegated to teams was to create a team name. Ranked among the crowd favorites were ‘Withering a Weigh’ and ‘Girls Gone Walking’, while ‘We Perspire to Inspire’ took home the prize for favorite team name as voted by MHMers. As part of this winning designation, each team member on the We Perspire to Inspire team walked away with a $15 Subway gift card.
Our next task was to educate ourselves with the ‘Working Out at Work’ video seminar designed by our friends at Personalized Prevention. MHMers were charged with taking notes and encouraged to, if possible, watch the video with our ATC team.
Well, 7 Degrees of Fabulousness did just that and MORE! Take a look at how our very own bring exercising to work:
As we enter into the sixth week of the Challenge, MHMers are motivated now more than ever to step up their activity and walk into improved health. Please consider sharing how you stay active while at work (by using the Comments feature below).
Visit our Facebook page to browse our ATC team photos, or click here.
Summer was a busy time for our Nutrition & Health Education department as their Get FIT program hosted three summer camps in South Texas. Camp Get FIT, a free summer program, made its way to Sabinal and Bracketville in June, and finished up the summer in Cotulla.
The Get FIT (Families in Training) program is a preventive program aimed at averting type II diabetes, obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Camp Get FIT began in the summer of 2006 after school nurses identified that children tended to gain more weight in the summer than they do during the school year.
Children, ages 5 to 12, participate in swimming, dancing, team sports, field trips, arts and crafts, and nutrition lessons during the course of the four-week program. As a community-wide initiative, Get FIT partners with area school districts to implement a nutritious summer food program so campers eat from a healthy menu of items.
Because health is a family concern, as part of the Camp Get FIT criteria, parents are required to attend classes one evening per week during the Camp Get FIT term.
This year marked the Camp’s first time in Cotulla, Texas. Camp Get FIT returned to Sabinal for its second consecutive year, and to Bracketville for its fourth and final year.
With all three Camp sessions combined, over 300 campers participated in Camp Get FIT this past summer. Further, Camp Get FIT had such a positive impact on the Cotulla community that the food service department is contemplating adopting the Get FIT menu.
Jaime Wesolowski is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Methodist Healthcare Ministries. A healthcare executive with three decades of leadership experience, Jaime is responsible for the overall governance and direction of Methodist Healthcare Ministries. Jaime earned his Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from Xavier University, and his Bachelor’s of Science from Indiana University in Healthcare Administration. As a cancer survivor, Jaime is a staunch supporter of the American Cancer Society. He serves as Chair of the American Cancer Society’s South Texas Area board of directors and he was appointed as Chair to the recently created South Region Advisory Cabinet, covering eight states from Arizona through Alabama. Jaime believes his personal experience as a cancer survivor has given him more defined insight and compassion to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and their families.
Linda L. Lopez, Administrative Manager and Assistant to the President & CEO at Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM), was recently presented the International Association of Administrative Professionals® Alamo City Chapter Executive of the Year Award during the Chapter’s October meeting.
