Hospitals in Action >> Case Examples

OVERLOOK HOSPITAL – Summit , New Jersey
Healthy Avenues Program 

What is it?
Overlook Hospital’s “Healthy Avenues” van has been an integral part of health screenings that have been done in the hospital’s service area by the Department of Community Health for the past 11 years. The screenings have included cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure, body mass index, bone density, hearing, pulmonary, carotid bruit, and peripheral vascular disease. The van travels to community agencies, houses of worship, companies, senior centers, boards of health, and it has recently started visiting schools. Receiving a new “Healthy Avenues” van has allowed the program to expand its services, which now includes prostate and skin screening, as well as the new school physicals.

Who is it for?
The emphasis is on reaching the underserved because of the barriers to routine health care within that population, such as economic issues, immigration status, or just fear of results, which can keep many people from obtaining information about their health status and risks.

How do they do it?
Along with the screening itself, all participants are educated and, if a person’s results are outside of the normal range, a doctor’s appointment can be made on the spot. If the patient is without health insurance, they are referred to one of Overlook’s Family Practice offices. Permission to follow up with those whose results are out of range is obtained so the health professionals can see if patients have encountered any obstacles in obtaining needed services. All results are tracked and physicians are contacted. The van’s schedule is published monthly in the hospital’s publication, the “Overlook View,” which reaches 75,000 homes in the community.

Why do they do it?
As a result of a community survey, it was determined that many people in the hospital‘s area did not have sufficient access to health care. Senior citizens may be concerned about having to travel to the hospital or to a doctor‘s office; those who are under-insured may not be able to afford routine health care. To address these barriers, Overlook’s Department of Community Health has been going to the people with free or low-cost health screenings since 1996. 

Impact: When the program began in 1996, the department set a goal to screen and educate 10,000 people in 10 years. As of October 2007, Overlook’s Healthy Avenues van has helped screen and educate over 75,000 people. Even more important is the number of people who have received follow-up care as a result of the screenings. In 2007, of the 25,988 people screened and educated, permission from participants with abnormal screening results enabled 62 percent of these participants to meet with a physician or have needed hospital-based tests.

Contact: Joyce Passen
Manager, Community Health Department
Telephone: 908-522-5355
E-mail: joyce.passen@atlantichealth.org