Health Priorities

Improving Mental Health in the Community

Beyond opening the new Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health also worked to expand access to behavioral health services in primary care practices. We completed implementation of an innovative program that places a licensed behavioral health counselor into each LG Health primary care practice location. Integrating counselors into the primary care environment promotes earlier identification of, and intervention in, mental health issues such as depression or anxiety. These counselors work closely with primary care provider teams to provide patient centered care that addresses physical health and mental health. This program has significantly improved access to necessary mental health care throughout our community.

LG Health also continued to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness with community partners in Lets Talk, Lancaster. The group has made a concentrated effort to include all interested community individuals and organizations to be a part of the mental-health conversation, efforts and initiatives. We know that no single organization, partner or policy can address the complexity of mental health, mental illness and mental well-being in our community. The only way we will succeed is with multiple organizations from different sectors coming together in favor of a common agenda, shared measurement and alignment of effort.

The goals of Let’s Talk, Lancaster are to reduce the mental illness stigma as a barrier to identification and intervention, increase access to mental health services and ensure better integration of medical and behavioral healthcare. Let’s Talk, Lancaster has learned that standardized screening tools, administered in primary care, are the most effective way to identify a mental health and/or physical health concern, translating to earlier care, referral and treatment. Initial screening measurement from health care providers across the county indicated that 30 percent of people were screened for depression. Through the work of Let’s Talk, Lancaster, we have raised the screening level to 60 percent.

Opioid Response

Like many other communities, Lancaster County is suffering from opioid addiction and opioid-related deaths. With other committed partners, LG Health created Lancaster County Joining Forces, a coordinated effort to reduce death from opioids and heroin. Joining Forces brings together more than 25 community groups, task forces, and agencies who are using research-based strategies to prevent substance abuse, reduce risky prescription practices and help people recover from addiction with high-quality treatment. LG Health plays a key coordinating role, with professional health staff providing research assistance, collecting data and creating common messages and education materials for the community. In 2018, LG Health helped Joining Forces create a comprehensive strategic plan to reduce opioid deaths in Lancaster County.

The challenges are many, since opioid abuse is a multifaceted issue. LG Health modeled its approach, however, on our cooperative efforts to reduce tobacco use in Lancaster County. In 2001, 24 percent of adults smoked cigarettes in the county; by 2016 that number had been reduced by almost half to 13 percent. A multifaceted approach involving care providers, schools, community groups, and government worked to discourage new tobacco users while providing direct service to help smokers quit. We believe strongly that this same approach can work with the opioid crisis.

Among our approaches, we began to screen Lancaster General Hospital Emergency Department patients for signs of opioid abuse. Staff can direct these patients to appropriate services at LG Health or in the community. Early results suggest that we have been successful in lowering the readmission rate of patients struggling with opioid addiction by getting them needed treatment.

Because of the work LG Health and the many community partners in Joining Forces have done, deaths from drug overdoses significantly decreased in 2018. By mobilizing partners, developing shared goals, using data to track progress, and focusing on the voices of our community members in recovery, we have found solutions that work to reverse the opioid crisis.

Addressing Obesity and Encouraging Healthier Eating

Helping our community reduce obesity rates has been an important goal for Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health for many years. In 2018 two new programs moved us closer to that goal.

In July, working collaboratively with the Central PA Food Bank and the Community Action Partnership, we started Fresh Express—a mobile food pantry that distributes fresh produce to people in need. In some communities within Lancaster County, people often do not have access to affordable, fresh, healthy foods. This can contribute to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Every fourth Friday of the month, the Fresh Express mobile pantry arrives at the Park Elementary School in Columbia. Individuals are able to choose fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, and eggs. Staff and volunteers provide education on healthy eating, easy recipes, and cooking demonstrations. Since the program began, more than 2,700 visits have been made to the pantry.

While Fresh Express brought better eating options to communities in need, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health also implemented a program to encourage better nutrition decisions within our own health system. In October, we implemented a new policy to remove sugar-sweetened beverages from our hospitals and outpatient facilities. Sodas, fruit juices, chocolate milk, and other sweetened beverages were removed from our shelves, and visitors and employees were encouraged to “Rethink Your Drink” and choose non-sugared alternatives.

Implemented across the entire Penn Medicine system, the program represented one piece of our ongoing efforts to offer healthier food options in our facilities.