Health Care Coffee Talks, Understanding Your Health Care

Nov 15, 2022

A new education series focusing on health literacy, coined Health Care Coffee Talks, will kick off at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, November 22 at the Winfield Public Library. A second session is slated for 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, November 29 at the Senior Center in Arkansas City. The series is presented by the RISE Cowley Health Care Collaborative, which includes City-Cowley County Health Department, Community Health Center in Cowley County, SCK Health, and William Newton Hospital.

SCK Health’s Director of Marketing Taylor Schwartz says the initiative came about during a building session for the local health coalition.

“We are excited to partner with key players in health care in Cowley County. Through the RISE Health Care Collaborative, we are bringing a cohesive message to our community and breaking down barriers to care,” says Schwartz. “RISE Cowley is creating great opportunities for our local community and local organizations to improve our healthy choice options. RISE has had a huge impact and continues to be a driving force in health and advocacy in Cowley County.”

Sarah Johnson, director of marketing, strategy, and communications for William Newton Hospital says that the education series helps address several unmet needs identified in the 2021 Cowley County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). She explains “Awareness of Healthcare Services,” “Lack of Health Resources,” and “Lack of Health Insurance” were ranked fifth, seventh, and twelfth respectively for Cowley County health priorities.

“One of the key takeaways from the needs assessment was that our local health care providers have a lot to offer right here in Cowley County, but that many aren’t aware of the abundance of services available close to home. In addition, health care decisions can be overwhelming,” says Johnson. “Take insurance enrollment for example. The choices you make can seriously impact your access to care. Our goal with Health Care Coffee Talks is to answer questions and provide information in a casual format.”

The first Health Care Coffee Talk will discuss Medicare supplement and replacement plans, presented by William Newton Hospital’s Business Office Director Taylor Stonerock and SCK Health’s Director of Revenue Cycle Jimmie Seacat. The next session will be presented by South Central Kansas Area Agency on Aging and will cover Medicaid qualifications and free services.

“Open enrollment for Medicare and Medicaid is happening right now. We knew there’d be interest within our communities about these topics,” says Johnson. “Future sessions will include education about various health care services throughout the county.”

Sessions will last about 45 minutes. Light breakfast items, coffee, and juice will be served. No pre-registration is necessary.

For questions about Health Care Coffee Talks, contact Taylor Schwartz at SCK Health at 620-441-5735 or Sarah Johnson at William Newton Hospital at 620-222-6262. Follow RISE Cowley on Facebook for updates about future sessions.

Learn more about RISE Cowley

Posted in In The News on Nov 15, 2022