Health Dept. to refuse non-locals

By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer 

Beginning in January, indigent clients who want contraceptives or cancer screenings won’t be able to get them from the Christian County Health Department unless they live here.

The alternative is for their home counties to sign a contract with Christian County before Jan. 1. They would reimburse Christian County for each service rendered, and the exchange could go both ways.

The policy won’t affect any services that depend entirely on federal or state funding. It will only apply to those that depend on local property taxes.

Mark Pyle, director of the Christian County Health Department, said residents of Todd and Trigg counties often seek services here. Those who don’t have insurance can buy contraceptives or cancer services on a sliding scale. Those with low enough incomes don’t pay anything.

17-page plan details steps for improving our health

By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer

Several months ago, Mark Pyle, director of the Christian County Health Department, promised a more proactive approach to this area’s health — one that unified the hospital, local government and others toward a common goal.

Now those organizations are getting their assignments.

Jennie Stuart Medical Center needs to bring in more doctors, according to the 2012 Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan, which the health department will make public next week.

Hopkinsville City Council needs to improve public transportation, so people can get to their doctors’ offices, and get serious about adding sidewalks and walking trails.

Trover merges with Baptist, changes name

By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer

Trover Health System officially became a part of Baptist Health, one of Kentucky’s largest health organizations, on Thursday. Its name is now Baptist Health Madisonville.

All of its subsidiary organizations and services are changing to the new name, Trover announced in a news release Thursday morning. This includes the convenient care center at the Hopkinsville Wal-Mart.

Baptist is also changing its name from Baptist Healthcare System. The name “Baptist Health” should “unify its family of services,” according to the release.

Products from Mass. company recalled from local medical facilities

By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer

The Massachusetts company blamed for the meningitis outbreak had systemic problems with sterilization in its drug lab, state inspectors found.

Two Hopkinsville facilities, plus others throughout Kentucky and Tennessee, have been using products from the company — though mostly not the ones that cause meningitis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released an exhaustive list this week of the company’s customers.

The manufacturer, New England Compounding Center, has recalled all its products. So Jennie Stuart Medical Center has ceased using a muscle relaxant it produced, called Robaxin, and has notified all 73 patients who have received the drug since May.

The FDA has not reported any illnesses associated with Robaxin. Jennie Stuart’s letter to patients described the recall as a precautionary measure, according to a hospital news release.

Pennyroyal Center joins suicide prevention network

By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer

The Pennyroyal Mental Health Center is increasing the scope of its crisis call-in center, trying to eliminate access barriers and fully saturate this section of Western Kentucky.

The call service now belongs to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, so lifeline callers whose phone numbers link them to this region automatically get connected to Pennyroyal Mental Health instead of a center in Louisville.

Further, the call center introduced a text message service last week and will soon offer Internet chatting.

This should encourage teens and young adults to take the first step in seeking help, said Audra Scott, the Pennyroyal Center’s coordinator of crisis services.