Community Benefits - Key Community Benefits Programs

Community Benefits 2012 Program List

Supporting Health Care Reform:

In 2010, Hallmark Health System Financial Counselors completed 2,220 applications for individuals. The system also continued its efforts to build community awareness around the opportunity for financial counseling and interpreter services through Hallmark Health System, with a concentrated focus on uninsured or underinsured residents of the hospital’s core communities.

Another important component of supporting health reform was the need to educate and train high quality professionals to deliver health care. In 2010, Hallmark Health System continued to operate the Lawrence Memorial/Regis College School of Nursing and Radiography Programs.  Discounted tuition for low-income nursing students from the Lawrence Memorial/Regis College School of Nursing/ Medical Radiology was offered. Continuing medical education was offered to physicians, nurses and other health professions, and community members; many of these sessions focused on topics related to the target populations.

Mentoring opportunities were made available for high school students, nursing students and other health professionals from a variety of colleges and high schools, offering the chance for young adults to explore health care as a career option, or to train as nurses, dieticians, pharmacists, physical therapists and in other health professions.  In addition, a Haitian medical student was provided the opportunity to continue her education at Hallmark Health System after her school was destroyed in the Haitian earthquake of January of 2010. Cultural Conversation Classes through English at Large were also secured for area residents, students, and employees, allowing them to practice their language skills to assist them with health access issues and also helping them to secure future jobs. The first class was offered at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in September of 2010.

Reducing Health Disparities:

Hallmark Health System programs that supported the needs of the diverse communities in our service area include programs such as the “Mothers Helping Mothers” clothing store. This program partially funded by the state Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition program, offers parenting support and education and free lightly used clothing and baby care items for an estimated 600 diverse families. Each family can access the store monthly by appointment and receive over $65.00 in items. This support allows them to use the additional unspent dollars in their budget to purchase other needed items such as food, fuel, or medicine. Families are comfortable using the WIC program and the store is a nice off-shoot of the program.

Hallmark Health System, Inc. is also proud to have been awarded a generous grant from the Massachusetts affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure for the third year in a row.  “For the Best Health, Remember Breast Health”, is a three-part educational and support program designed to serve diverse women in Burlington, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, Wilmington, Winchester and Woburn.  The program allowed the staff of Hallmark Health System to educate young women, aged 20 to 39 years about the importance of breast health and breast cancer prevention strategies, provide state of the art training to health care staff at Hallmark Health System's six local mammography sites, and offer navigation services to any woman in the community needing support in scheduling her annual mammogram.  The program was offered in partnership with other local agencies serving diverse women such as the Malden YWCA Encore Plus program. Education programs were offered at WIC sites, the Housing Families Shelter in Revere, Tri-Cap Head Start locations in Malden, Medford, and Stoneham, and Healthy Families.

Improving Chronic Disease Management:

In the Hallmark Health System service area cardiovascular disease; diabetes; long-term cancers; bone and joint diseases; such as osteoporosis and arthritis; substance abuse and mental illnesses, such as depression are factors faced by area residents every day.   To assist residents in identifying and coping with these diseases, Hallmark Health offers a variety of services and programs such as support groups for elder caregivers, caregivers of Alzheimer patients, diabetics and those faced with respiratory illnesses such as asthma and chronic bronchitis. 

In addition the hospital provides education and screening, including self-management programs for diabetics through the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and other self-management programs for chronic diseases through the tested My Life, My Health program, developed by Stanford University. In the Hallmark Health service area, Cambridge Health Alliance, Mystic Valley Elder Services, and Hallmark Health have collaborated to offer the My Life, My Health programs in a strategic way to residents.

One of Hallmark Health System’s signature programs, the Senior Citizen’s Outreach Program offers nursing services such as nursing assessments and referrals, blood pressure screenings, and individual health conferences to area residents. Education programs are provided on topics ranging from healthy aging to diabetes management. The program is staffed daily by a registered nurse specializing in the chronic diseases facing older adults.  

Promoting Wellness in Vulnerable Populations:

For the past thirteen years, Hallmark Health System has provided the Healthy Families home-visiting program for first-time parents age 20 and under living in Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, and Wakefield. Funded by the Children’s Trust Fund and supported by Hallmark Health System, Healthy Families offers free services for participants and their families during pregnancy and until the child turns three. Services include home visiting, mentoring, role modeling, prenatal and parenting education, parenting activities and groups for young parents, and connecting families with community services and resources. In addition, educational classes such as prenatal classes, infant care, CPR, and First Aid are also provided. The Healthy Families program served 94 unduplicated families and had 54 referrals in Fiscal Year 2010.   Measures for the program impact include, but are not limited to, tracking referrals and enrollment; reducing second pregnancies of enrolled teens; attendance at education and group programs; continued enrollment in high school, college or other education programs; decrease in child abuse and neglect in this population (measured against state data); up-to-date child immunization rates; child development consistent with age for enrolled children; and parents and children having a primary care provider.

Another successful Hallmark HealthSystem  long-term prevention program is the North Suburban Child and Family Resource Network (NSCFRN), a community-based parenting education and support program that serves families living or working in Melrose, Stoneham, and Wakefield as well as other local communities. In 2010, the Network, funded by a grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, consolidated services with the Community Partnership Program of Melrose, Stoneham, and Wakefield as a result of state funding reductions. This new entity offered parent/child play and learn groups focused on improving literacy, parenting education programs, support groups, family fun activities, as well as information on resources and referrals. Specific programs were also offered for grandparents and fathers. The Network is administered through a partnership between Melrose, Stoneham, and Wakefield Public Schools and Hallmark Health. This year services have been expanded to families with children up to age fourteen (14) years and also includes support for childcare providers. Parents and community representatives assist with fundraising, community outreach, and program development. In 2010, the program served over 900 unduplicated families. The measurements of the program include, but are not limited to, tracking enrollment, attendance at programs, library materials utilized, referrals made to social service providers on behalf of participants, and understanding of material presented during educational sessions.

Community Benefits Report 2010

Community Benefits Program Stories or linkages: