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Evolve Behavioral Health Services
Healthy Connections
My Kids Pediatric Clinic

CALL US: 888.710.8220

Dr. Patrick Fox returns to Healthy Connections

Healthy Connections is excited to welcome back Dr. Patrick J. Fox to the Mena clinic.

Call 888-710-8220 for appointments with Dr. Fox at the Health Park location (136 Health Park Lane, Mena). He will see patients for primary care/family medicine, sick and wellness visits, HIV, Hepatitis C, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), and more.

Dr. Fox previously worked for Healthy Connections from 2014 to 2019. He is a previous winner of Best Family Physician in the Polk County Best of the Best. He spent the past four years at Mena Medical Associates.

“We are excited to welcome back Dr. Fox to our Healthy Connections family. He understands the importance of patient education, preventive medicine, and proper management of chronic health conditions,” said Healthy Connections, Inc., CEO Tony Calandro.

Dr. Fox attended UAMS in Little Rock and UAMS AHEC in Pine Bluff for his residency.

 

 

 

We’ve Got Double the Eggs at Easter Hunt April 7 in Mena

Healthy Connections is excited to announce our second annual Community Easter Egg Hunt will be held Friday, April 7 in Mena.

This year we’ve got DOUBLE THE EGGS for you to find at this this FREE event. Join us on the Healthy Connections campus at 136 Health Park Lane. Festivities will get under way at 10 a.m. There will be snacks and refreshments and prizes donated by local businesses. Plus, you can win the grand prize if you find the HCI Egg.

We will also be providing Covid-19 vaccines and boosters to the community.

We hope to see you in Mena on April 7 for some fun.

What: Easter Egg Hunt
When: 10 a.m. on Friday, April 7
Where: 136 Health Park Lane, Mena
Ages: 0-12

A look back at our 2022 event.

February Employees of the Month

Congratulations to our February 2023 Healthy Connections Employees of the Month:

(DRUMROLL)

WEST: gena esser

EAST: jasmine brown

Each month across the Healthy Connections Community Health Network, exemplary employees are nominated for this award for representing our Three Pillars: Excellence, Compassion, and Community. These pillars are considered heavily when choosing winners.

As winners of this Shining STAR award, Gena and Jasmine are winners of a $50 gift card to the HC Hub Company Store.

Gena is a Medical Assistant at the Mena clinic and has worked for Healthy Connections for more than a year. Jasmine has only worked for Healthy Connections a short time but is already making her mark as a patient care coordinator at the Little Rock Midtown clinic. Check out these amazing comments left by their coworkers when nominating them for this award:

  • “Gena has never failed to jump in and help wherever she can. She is the definition of a team player. She also keeps a smile on her face while helping. As a patient and coworker, I couldn’t be happier to be on a team with her.”
  • “Jasmine went above and beyond to help get a [form] signed for a patient that needed records to submit to insurance for a surgical procedure. She was so kind and could hear the smile on her face over the phone. What a great team player and example for others.”
  • “Gena is always helping the other nurses before anyone even asks. She is so good with the patients. She hustles no matter what she is doing.”
  • “Jasmine goes out of her way to make sure each and every patient is taken care of in a timely manner. She is very attentive when it comes to doing things the right way and most definitely has all three pillars.”

Congratulations to both Gena and Jasmine.

Thanks again this month to everyone who nominated an employee. There were a lot of great nominations. Do you know who should be our next employees to be recognized? You can nominate them by visiting https://www.healthy-connections.org/nominate.

 

Celebrating Phyllis Cuningham

Healthy Connections, Inc., held a special event on Tuesday to celebrate the retirement of Director of Nursing Phyllis Cunningham.

She has spent the past 14 years with Healthy Connections and the past 32 years in nursing. She has been an amazing leader to us all and we wish her the best in the next chapter of her life.

“Kindness is so critical to our success and to making our workplace happy. I love Maya Angelou’s quote: ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ I’ve always tried to live by that,” Cunningham said. “I don’t know that I bring a lot of skill but I do try to bring that. Being kind and loving people and caring about people makes all of our work every day so much easier.”

Cunningham has been a part of tremendous growth for Healthy Connections in her 14 years with the organization. When she started, Healthy Connections had just two clinics – Mena and Mt. Ida. There are now 13 clinics in nine communities stretched from Little Rock to De Queen.

“From the staff and everyone at Healthy Connections, we want to let Phyllis know how much we appreciate you,” said Tony Calandro, CEO of Healthy Connections, Inc. “I think everyone is aware of how large we have gotten and Phyllis has gone along with the paces the entire time. In everything we have done, she has stepped up.”

Cunningham is known for her sense of humor and sayings that bring smiles to the faces of her co-workers. One of her favorites is, “We choose our attitude every single day.”

“This has been a great place. There are so many opportunities here,” Cunningham said.

Thanks, Phyllis for all you’ve done for our patients, co-workers, and communities.

National Children’s Dental Health Month

Healthy Connections, Inc., kicked off National Children’s Dental Health month this week by offering dental sealants to elementary students in Polk County.

National Children’s Dental Health Month is sponsored each year by the American Dental Association (ADA) to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. This year’s theme is “Brush, Floss, Smile”.

The Healthy Connections dental staff in Mena in cooperation with the students from the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Dental Hygiene program. Each Thursday, these students travel to Mena to assist with applying sealants and fluoride varnish for the students.
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.

Learn more about our dental services in Mena by visiting www.healthy-connections.org/dental.

December Employees of the Month

December is the gift that keeps on giving. And these employees gave their all for Healthy Connections this month. Congratulations to our HealthyConnections Shining Star December Employees of the Month:

(DRUMROLL)

WEST: debbie BAILEY

EAST: MONICA HAHN

Each month across the Healthy Connections Community Health Network, exemplary employees are nominated for this award for representing our Three Pillars: Excellence, Compassion, and Community. These pillars are considered heavily when choosing winners.

As winners of this Shining STAR award, Debbie and Monica are winners of a $50 gift card to the HC Hub Company Store.

Debbie works with Human Resources in recruiting for the Community Health Network. Monica is a phlebotomist at the Hot Springs Central clinic

  • “Debbie has done an amazing job and has made the hiring process go so much more smoothly. She is professional, friendly, and helpful to both managers and new employees. She develops a rapport with new hires which certainly helps in getting them off to a good start. I truly appreciate her.”
  • “Monica is the definition of excellence, compassion, and community! She always makes sure to clarify orders so that the right tests get done in a speedy manner. This is such a help for providers and helps us all deliver more quality care. She is knowledgeable about all things lab-related and is always happy to lend her help and expertise, even when it is not expected or required. She is a friendly face and always brings positive energy into the work environment. Patients love her and trust her. She rocks!”

 

Congratulations to both Debbie and Monica.

Thanks again this month to everyone who nominated an employee. There were a lot of great nominations. Do you know who should be our next employees to be recognized? You can nominate them by visiting https://www.healthy-connections.org/nominate.