Congratulations to our Healthy Connections February 2020 Employees of the Month:
- WEST: MELISSA RAPP AND JAMIE LAXAMANA
- EAST: TECHIA THOMAS
As Employees of the Month, they are entitled to either a $50 gift card or one day off.
Throughout the month of February, Melissa, Jamie, and Techia have exemplified our Healthy Connections three pillars of Excellence, Compassion, and Community.
This month, Healthy Connections selected co-employees of the month for the West Clinics. Melissa is a patient care coordinator at the Mena clinic. Jamie is an LPN in the Mena clinic. And Techia is a RN Case Manager based at Hot Springs Chippewa and working with other East Clinics.
Check out what Melissa’s co-workers had to say about her:
- She’s always helping everybody. She does so much extra. She’s great at her job
- She always smiles. She is a patient and co-worker advocate. Very reliable, knowledgeable, kind, and can handle all kinds of situations. She works great with everyone and does more than she is supposed to.
- She is always going above and beyond to help out. When someone cannot finish a job, for whatever reason, they ask her and she gets to it without a question asked.
Check out what Jamie’s co-workers had to say about her:
- Jamie is an overachiever, always wanting to learn something new.
- Jamie is eager to learn, eager to help, and strives to do the best she can for her patients and co-workers every day. She is truly an asset to the organization.
- Jamie always helpful, willing, and always has a great attitude with everything. She sets an example of how a nurse should be.
- And check out what Techia’s co-workers had to say about her.
And check out what Techia’s co-workers had to say about her:
- Techia has the best attitude, and her willingness to go the extra mile for her patients makes a big difference.
Do you know who should be our next Healthy Connections Employees of the month? You can nominate them at www.healthy-connections.org/nominate.
Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children’s Dental Health month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. This year’s slogan is: “Brush and clean in between to build a healthy smile.” Healthy Connections recognized this again this February by offering dental sealants to elementary students in Polk County. Oral cancer screenings were also offered to area high school students. This program has been offered each year since 2002.
The program is done with the assistance of the Healthy Connections staff and dental hygienist students from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.
Healthy smile tips include:
- Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
- Clean between your teeth daily
- Eat a healthy diet that limits sugary beverages and snacks
- See your dentist regularly for prevention and treatment of oral disease
Dental sealants are a plastic material that is placed by dental professionals on the chewing surfaces of permanent back teeth to prevent cavities. The sealant provides a physical barrier that prevents cavity-causing bacteria from attacking the surface of the tooth. The thinner, weaker enamel in the deep grooves of the chewing surface of the tooth cause this area to be prone to tooth decay. Left untreated, tooth decay can eventually lead to pain, poor dental and physical health and tooth loss.
Dental sealants on permanent molars reduce the risk of cavities by 80 percent.
This experience is often the child’s first trip to the dentist so the Healthy Connections’ team blocks off a full day of regular patient care and engages help from the entire staff to provide a fun atmosphere where the children are taught the proper techniques in brushing and the benefits of oral health habits. By increasing dental health and hygiene, the child’s overall health outlook is enhanced and improved. Healthy Connections’ dental sealant program reflects our mission and vision to promote health and wellness for our children and families in the Western Arkansas area.
Children that participate in our Dental Sealant Program receive instruction in Oral Hygiene, such as how to brush and floss, and are given a toothbrush and dental floss to take home.
Visit www.-healthy-connections.org/dental-sealants/ for more information about the program.
And check out www.healthy-connections.org/teeth/ for more information on our dental clinics in Mena and Hot Springs.
The Health For Life Clinic and Healthy Connections are joining forces on Monday, Feb. 24 in Little Rock.
The Health For Life Clinic and Dr. Terry Jefferson will bring their entire array of services to Healthy Connections while continuing to practice at 1100 N. University Avenue #260. This includes Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT), HIV/STD testing and care, PrEP, and more. This clinic site will join the list of Healthy Connections locations across west and central Arkansas.
“For the last 20 years, I’ve always been a solo practitioner. I’m excited to be a part of Healthy Connections. I’ve been very impressed with their organization. But for us, it’s going to be business as usual at the clinic,” Dr. Jefferson said.
Appointments for the Health For Life Clinic by Healthy Connections can be made by calling (888) 710-8220 or (501) 603-0003. Patients can also request appointments online at www.healthy-connections.org/appointment.
“Dr. Jefferson brings a wealth of knowledge to Healthy Connections and we’re excited to have him as part of our team,” said Healthy Connections CEO Tony Calandro. “As we continue to expand our services, the Health For Life Clinic fits perfectly within our mission.”
Healthy Connections is a Mena-based nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center with locations from De Queen to Little Rock. The Health For Life Clinic By Healthy Connections will be the second Little Rock-based clinic for Healthy Connections, joining the Little Rock Franklin clinic.
Healthy Connections, a Mena-based nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serves the needs of children and adults by providing much-needed health, dental and social services to families of every lifestyle. Thousands of patients are treated each year who have no insurance or not enough insurance to cover essential health and dental services.
Healthy Connections accepts Medicaid, ARKids 1st, Medicare and most other health insurance. There is also a sliding-fee scale for patients without insurance. Those who qualify based on the total income of everyone living in the household can be seen for a much-reduced rate.
The Health For Life Clinic by Healthy Connections will also include current services added to the location, starting with Behavioral Health in the coming months. Dr. Jefferson also brings new services to Healthy Connections for the first time, including MAT Therapy and PReP Therapy
Dr. Jefferson has more than 20 years of experience providing high-quality care for a variety of diseases and conditions. He was at the forefront of the HIV/AIDS epidemic from its early days. And as the opiate epidemic has continued to get worse, he began a Medically Assisted Treatment program with a program that utilizes both Suboxone and behavioral health counseling.
“We accept insurance for Medical Assisted Therapy, and many of the other clinics in this area are cash only,” Jefferson said. “
Other specialties include Erectile Dysfunction and Testosterone/estrogen Replacement.
Learn more at www.healthy-connections.org.
