Hunterdon Medical Center’s Medication Access Program Recognized By New Jersey Hospital Association
Pictured left to right: Members of the Hunterdon County Medication Access Partnership pose for a picture during the award presentation: Pastor Mark Summer, Bill Shearer, Institute for Medication Access and Compliance Board Member, Mark Peters, Pharm. D., Robert P Wise, President and CEO, Hunterdon Healthcare, Terry Shlimbaum, M.D., Karen Kallens, RN, Mary Zetterstrom, RN and Carolyn Swithers, RN, BSN, CDE.
On January 22nd, Hunterdon Medical Center was recognized at the New Jersey Hospital Association’s 91st Annual Meeting held at the Hyatt Regency in Princeton New Jersey. The 2010 Health Research and Educational Trust of New Jersey’s Community Outreach Awards acknowledge outstanding community achievements in the following categories: disease and injury prevention; improving access and quality of care; reducing healthcare disparities; and programs with budgets less than $50,000. For Improving Access and Quality of Care, Hunterdon Medical Center received the award for the Hunterdon County Medication Access Program.
The Hunterdon County Medication Access Program met a critical community need and improved access for the county’s uninsured and underinsured residents to prescription medications, thereby improving health and minimizing excessive and avoidable use of the emergency department.
The program utilizes a nurse educator, Karen Kallens, RN, to coordinate services and provide residents with access to affordable prescription medications and health education. Ms. Kallens works with pharmaceutical company patient assistance programs to provide patients with medications at a lower cost or no cost at all. This program has helped patients incorporate positive behavior changes into their lifestyle, provided medication and disease-specific information and coordinated prescription refills with the treating physician, patient and the Pharmaceutical Company. Through the Hunterdon County Medication Access Partnership, Hunterdon Medical Center has collaborated with physician practices, Hunterdon County Department of Health, offices of senior services, Institute for Medication Access and Compliance, congregations and social and human service agencies to refer patients and support the activities of this program.
Since the program began in 2004, thousands of residents have been helped and over $2 million of free prescription medicine has been provided to Hunterdon County residents. The program has also reduced hospital total emergency department visits by 30% among program participants.
For the past three years, Hunterdon Medical Center has received an award from the Health Research and Educational Trust. In 2009, Hunterdon Medical Center received an honorable mention for its Center for CPR and Public Access Defibrillation for Reducing Healthcare Disparities in the Community and in 2008 the Latino Healthcare Initiative won for Improving Access and Quality of Care.
To learn more about the Hunterdon County Medication Access Program contact Karen Kallens, RN at 908-788-6572.