DRA Partnerships that are Creating Jobs, Building Communities, and Improving LivesOperation Alabama Black Belt By the Numbers:
4– Communities in which the Military hosted clinics
10 – Days of Medical, Dental, and Optometric care for Alabama Black Belt
250 – Medical Personnel in National Guard and Reserves who served
30,097 – Patient encounters at medical, dental, and optometric clinics
Again, that’s
30,097 encounters by
250 servicemen and women over
10 days in
4 communities
Through a vital partnership between the Delta Regional Authority, the Military, and local community leadership, an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 people from all over the Alabama Black Belt received much-needed medical, dental, and eye care. From May 1 to May 10, residents of Demopolis, AL, Hayneville, AL, Pickensville, AL, Selma, AL, and surrounding communities received free medical services.
Over 250 servicemen and women in the National Guard, Air Force Reserves, Army Reserves, and Navy Reserves participated in Operation Alabama Black Belt, one of nine projects of the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program. For more information about IRT,
click here.
Air Force Colonel Jerry Arends: “18,000 to 20,000 people seen in one or more clinics during [10 days] is huge and the biggest IRT performance ever.”
This is the third time since 2009 that the Delta Region has hosted an IRT program.
Chairman Masingill said, “Our partnership with the Military has successfully brought medical and dental care to thousands of Delta residents. A healthy Delta population means a strong, productive workforce, which improves our communities and increases opportunity in the Delta Region. We are greatly appreciative of the work of our dedicated servicemen and women to help us improve the lives of those in the Alabama Black Belt and other areas of the Delta that have been served.”
Small Business Spotlight
Kentucky: New product allows diabetes patients to track health and consult with doctors in real-time
Last month Genesis Health Technologies (GHT), a small health care services business in Paducah, KY, stated that their product will bring blood glucose monitoring into real-time.
GHT’s Blood Glucometer measures a patient’s blood glucose levels and immediately sends results to an online logbook, which not only records the levels but also graphs and analyzes results over time. GHT will additionally provide the MyGHR tool, a free and secure cloud-based patient web portal for diabetes patients. The MyGHR system will allow patients to track their glucose levels as well as share their health status with doctors and family members, whether in the same county or another state. The device has already been tested and certified to run on Verizon Wireless' network.
CEO of Genesis Health Technologies Nathan Cross explains, “In the current health care environment and evolution of electronic record keeping, it is crucial to have a secure online environment for real time sharing of patient health indicators.” The Blood Glucometer and MyGHR provides medical professionals with the necessary information to monitor their patients instantaneously rather than waiting six months to review a log of glucose levels that the patient may or may not have recorded. MyGHR enables patients and their doctors to remotely manage their diabetes between scheduled visits.
“Let’s be proactive and preventative in managing diabetes,” said Cross. Intermittent management of a patient’s disease can reduce health care costs over time, decreasing the amount of unplanned reactionary care needed and avoiding severe diabetic crises in between doctor visits. Once MyGHR is fully integrated, Genesis Health plans to expand its services to cover other chronic diseases as well as partner with regional institutions to provide this important service to rural communities throughout the Delta Region, an area where rates of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, are 50 percent higher than national averages. Genesis Health is doing their part to help doctors and patients create a healthier Delta.
For more information about Genesis Health Technologies,
visit their website.
To hear more about GHT’s glucose monitor,
click here.
Delta’s Distinguished
Mississippi: Trina George dedicates career to rural communities of Mississippi
Filled with a passion to serve her fellow Mississippians, Trina George has built her career around working with and helping communities and people in her home state. Mrs. George began her career in public service in the non-profit industry, working with youth programs, health care projects, and GED programs for adults and youth – serving individuals across the state.
She continued her service with Congressman Bennie G. Thompson, who represents Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District, initially working as a field representative and district office coordinator in Congressman Thompson’s Greenwood office before becoming the Special Projects/Community Outreach and Development Coordinator. In this position she was able to directly engage and support the surrounding communities of western Mississippi, helping constituents with rural housing, water, wastewater, and infrastructure requirements as their communities developed.
These roles with Representative Thompson led to her appointment as the USDA Rural Development State Director for Mississippi in 2009, becoming the first woman to hold this office. As a part of the Obama Administration, Mrs. George has continued her service to the people of Mississippi by facilitating programs that distribute more than $485 million per year in federal funds to cities in Mississippi with populations of 50,000 or less. In addition to a large single-family home loan program for individuals, USDA Rural Development has numerous programs specifically tailored to helping rural cities and counties: assisting with the financing of water and sewer systems, city halls, hospitals, fire trucks, police vehicles, and other community facilities, the building of multi-family housing units, and the creation and expansion of businesses in rural areas.
Mrs. George has recently lead USDA Rural Development’s implementation of Strike Force Initiative, working to help local governments, communities, and individuals make their case for funding support to achieve economic, job creation, education and health improvement goals. George is also proud of the work USDA Rural Development is doing through their Stronger Economies Together (SET) Initiatives across the state, as they train communities throughout Mississippi in developing and implementing an economic development blueprint for their multi-county region that strategically builds on the current and emerging economic strengths of that region.
In addition to her professional dedication to public service, Mrs. George has served as a PTA President, is a lifetime Girl Scout member, and is active in her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She and her husband are the proud parents of three children. Through her many years of service, Trina George has proven herself as a valuable leader, an important asset, and crucial partner for Mississippi and the Delta Region.
National Small Business Week
Chairman Masingill Announces Series of Small Business Insight Sessions in Eight States
In honor of National Small Business Week and as a part of the Delta Regional Authority's focus on small business development, Chairman Masingill announced this week
Access the Delta, a series of eight workshops for small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs in each of the DRA's states. The workshops will begin in June and provide valuable tools and assistance for supporting and growing existing businesses or starting up new business in the region.
To read the Chairman's Briefing on National Small Business Week and for Access the Delta and Operation Jumpstart dates and locations,
click here.
