| Name | Michalle |
|---|---|
| Last Name | Morris |
| Home Address | 6414 Edgmon Dr. Chattanooga, TN 37421 United States |
| Organization Name | Scenic City Wellness, LLC |
| Describe Your Role In The Organization | I am the owner and founder of Scenic City Wellness. My role in this project would be to oversee and ensure our project is properly staffed, funded, organized and sustainable for the full duration. My main focus would be a real-time, results based approach that would ensure all objectives within the project are attainable, measurable and accountable. As an established nurse practitioner for 10 years, and being part of the Chattanooga healthcare community for 30 years (CNA, MA, RN, Supervisor and business owner) my experience navigating all aspects of our local healthcare systems will allow me to use local resources to acquire talent, partners, and services that will ensure this projects’ success. As a certified black, minority owned, woman owned small business, and being a resident of Chattanooga my entire life, there is no better advocate with my level of experience and diversity that can fulfill these project objectives with the impact I plan to champion from the beginning to its conclusion. |
| Organization Address | 105 Lee Parkway Drive Suite A Chattanooga, TN 37421 United States |
| Website | https://www.sceniccitywellness.com/ |
| Best Phone Number To Reach You | 423-255-4506 |
| Alternate Phone Number | 423-643-8000 |
| Email Address | sceniccitywellness@gmail.com |
| Alternate Email Address | mbm0429@aol.com |
| Please Describe Your Project In Detail | Our project would enroll approximately 250 adult Chattanooga residents as participants in a community health initiative that would focus on primary comorbidities that have disproportionately negative outcomes in the African American population in regards to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Our main goals will be to measure, educate, improve and ultimately reverse existing health disparities in African American populations Chattanooga. As detailed in “2019 Our Picture of Health, a Hamilton County Community Health Profile,” health disparity data for Chattanooga were already determined to exist prior to the pandemic, negatively compounding already disparate health equity for African Americans. Once enrolled, participants will commit to a one-year program that will partner them with a dedicated healthcare provider and a local advocate who will guide them step-by-step on how to access healthcare, navigate and build trust in the local healthcare system, advocate for, and educate on the importance of receiving timely vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccine, and provide access to testing by professionals who look and sound like they do. Expanding on everyday hygiene and COVID-19 education will be real-time coordination with both qualified healthcare providers and local community representatives to guide participants through ways to improve overall health, focusing on controllable and manageable comorbidities such as Diabetes, Hyperlipidemia, Hypertension, and Obesity. With the permission of our participants, the data we collect would be shared with the Hamilton County Health Department and City of Chattanooga Director of Community Health so that local leaders will better understand health disparities and be able to chart the future of community health policy. The ultimate differentiation in this project will be the local microcosm that has been left untouched from a data and results perspective that has given rise to so many “pandemic uncertainties” such as overwhelmed hospitals, vaccination hesitation, and preventative steps that could make future endeavors more predictable and manageable. |
| Please explain how your project meets the requirements of the American Rescue Plan | This project is a primary example of core principles in the American Rescue Plan, as it addresses key, fundamental initiatives that are addressed in the language of the law. The first is how the pandemic has disproportionately impacted small businesses across the country, particularly those owned and operated by women and minorities. Within this law are plans to provide critical assistance to small businesses across the country, facilitating the urgent deployment of capital and support to help these organizations not just persevere, but recover on solid footing. As a certified, minority owned, woman owned small business in Chattanooga, we would also be employing minority Chattanooga residents to fill the roles outlined in our program, including healthcare providers and community representatives. We also address vaccination and testing statuses, education and providing vaccines and testing to minority populations. Upon completing the project, we plan to have the capital and future investment to keep the program up and running, once the benefits are clear to the city. This will enable us to provide employment, make a positive local economic impact and help reduce the burden on publicly funded services that are already at or above capacity. |
| Where would your project take place? | At Scenic City Wellness and in the community, home visits if necessary for homebound |
| How much will your project cost in total? | 968550.00 |
| Do you have any matching funding sources from other local governments, private entities, non-profits, or philanthropic entities for your project? | No |
| Please describe the source and list amounts of any other funding. | |
| What portion of the project are you asking the city to fund? | |
| If funded, when would your project start? | June 1, 2022 |
| How long would your project take to complete? | One year plus 60 days for training in the beginning |
| What milestones would you use to measure your project’s progress? | Each participant would have measurable goals and targets regarding his or her disease. For example, a participant with a current A1C above 8.0 would be given a target of 7.0 or less within the first year, and continue strengthening each individual’s target based on their success. Another example would be to help someone with hypertension reach a goal of a normal blood pressure of 120/80, or controlled with medication and diet. Additionally, cholesterol and weight would be equally measured at each visit to determine if the action plan is working, and to make adjustments as needed. Many of these will be measured through blood tests to make sure each participant is responding appropriately to prescribed medication(s) and, over time, is making better lifestyle choices. From a vaccination perspective, our goal would be to make sure each participant is willing to be educated and receive a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, when appropriate. We would also address other routine vaccinations such as Flu, TDAP, VAR and RZV vaccines. Additionally, we would use the survey and screening material entitled “Social Needs Screening Tool” by the American Academy of Family Physicians to determine participant/patient buy-in to ensure their input and needs are fully addressed. This form would be filled out prior to and following the project so we could measure progress. |
| How would you ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle? | All of this data and each participants’ compliance would be available in quarterly progress reports provided to the appropriate health agencies to better understand minority populations and how to best shape public health policy for years to come. Additionally, we would publish monthly financial briefs with a high level overview of how each dollar is spent, with a semi-annual budget reconciliation report and full financials to be provided once the project is complete. We will also provide letters of reference and perform thorough background checks on program administrators and team members to ensure participants complete safety. Any additional documentation or notification will be promptly provided to the city as we are notified. |
| If successful, how would your project benefit the community? | Changes in the healthcare system in the United States seems to take one step forward and two steps back. We want to be a beacon here in Chattanooga that demonstrates that healthcare can be equitable and sustainable if providers take a care-based approach to individual’s health instead of the primary monetary incentive which is currently driving the healthcare market. We believe that we can establish a direct correlation between a results-based approach to improving overall health as it relates to a persons overall healthcare costs. Once an individual has reached the tipping point in a healthcare crisis, it becomes too late to address the preventative piece in relation to long-term reduced costs. We also believe that these types of community health partnerships will become necessary as a part of saving money for taxpayers in the long-run, unburdening our hospitals and reducing the cost of healthcare plans and allowing public healthcare policy to have the data it needs to serve the truly underserved, making access to healthcare achievable and equitable. The ultimate benefit would be to better understand systemic racial differences in the kind and quality of care received, including, why African Americans are less likely to receive 16 most commonly performed hospital procedures according to Medicare, how a delayed diagnosis or Initial failure of management of chronic disease, why there are negative stereotyping of blacks by white Healthcare providers, and how geographic variations can limit both access to care and choice of providers. |
| How will you attract community buy-in for your project? | We plan on a high-impact, targeted marketing campaign to kick off our project. It will include free healthcare services for 250 participants for one year if he/she qualifies for the program. We also want to provide incentives for healthcare milestones, or targets achieved, to show that the program is working. We would select a number of participants to provide their own testimonials for their feedback throughout the duration of the program. The participant slots would be limited, guaranteeing a high number of applicants due to the exclusivity of the program. In addition, we would want to use Welladvantage Pharmacy to ensure local dollars are spent locally. We would, in essence, be training the next generation of change agents to be advocates in their own communities, families and religious institutions on how real result are achievable to the residents of Chattanooga. Each participant will leave the program with personal knowledge and understanding that success is within reach. |
| Name | Alan Parmer |
| Contact Information | alan.sceniccitywellness@gmail.com |
| Is there anything else you would like us to know about your project? | This project is truly a passion. We would make sure that the funds are used wisely and appropriately, and believe that healthcare disparities exist, but can be solved through proper education, intervention and data. It is up to us today to engineer a healthcare system that works properly for the next generation of all people, including minorities. It will be a process, but the groundwork must be laid today while we still have the opportunity to make a lasting difference. What we don’t want to see are any future pandemics with overrun hospitals, lack of healthcare services in underserved communities, lack of resources and education, etc. This is our opportunity now, with these funds to demonstrate that healthcare can be equitable, and profitable through savings and trust. While this is a pilot program to address an underlying systemic issue, it takes on a much larger role in future endeavors when success is achieved through health equity. Ultimately, upon completion of this program, we will shine a spotlight on how African American’s Inequality in Healthcare include but are not limited to differences in an ability to pay (insured vs. uninsured), Provider Behavior, Patient Preferences, differential treatment by providers and geographical variability. |