News

Yuma, Arizona.- The Yuma County Community-Based Paramedic Program sponsored by the Regional Center for Border Health, Inc./San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Inc., in collaboration with the Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department and the City of Somerton, was awarded by the 43^rd Annual Arizona Rural Health Association (AzRHA) as the 2016 Inspiring Rural Health Program.

The award was received by Ms. Amanda Aguirre, President and CEO of the RCBH/SLWIC, Chief Paul De Anda and Louie Carlos, Fire Inspector with the City of Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department, during the 43^rd Annual Arizona Rural Health Conference and 11^th Annual Performance Improvement Summit, celebrated on July 26^th and 27^th, in Flagstaff, Arizona.

According to AzRHA representatives, the Inspiring Rural Health Program Award recognizes a program within a community, at the local or state level, that involves one or more health professionals or entities, and promotes or facilitates the development of rural health delivery systems.

Factors considered include coordination of services, networking and collaboration, innovation in development and implementation, and lasting impact of the program. This award honors excellence in the provision of health services to rural and/or other medically underserved people.

The Yuma County Community-Based Paramedic Program was implemented by RCBH in collaboration with the City of Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department in February, 2016.

The program consists of home visits to San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Inc. patients performed by a Fire Department paramedic and a Family Care Coordinator who follow up on patients’ treatment, vitals, and provide them with education on health, safety, medication compliance and other health related topics.

“We are pleased to receive this recognition,” stated Ms. Aguirre, and added “our goal is to assist our patients in managing their chronic illnesses and avoid unnecessary ER visits and/or readmissions to the hospital, as well as  continuing promoting healthy life styles for a healthier community.”  

Chief Paul De Anda stated “Rural communities, such as ours, typically lag behind the larger metropolitan areas when it comes to innovative and proactive health care. It is not uncommon for large metropolitan heath care and fire agencies to roll out new health service methodologies and for rural communities to follow suit years later. The RCBH, under Amanda Aguirre’s leadership, has provided the means for the Somerton Cocopah Fire Department to stay at the forefront of proactive health care to our community.” 

Chief De Anda also added, “The partnership between RCBH and the Somerton Cocopah Fire Department is having immediate positive health care outcomes on the chronically ill patients who are receiving visits by the Fire Department’s Paramedics and RCBH’s San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Inc. staff.” 

This year’s theme of the Arizona Rural Health Conference was Rural Partnerships: Working Together to Support Healthy Arizona Communities.

The conference engages a statewide audience of health care providers, academics, county and community health professionals, and administrators, state and local leaders, CEOs, CFOs and others.

The Arizona Rural Health Association, Inc. (AzRHA) was established in 1994 as an independent, organization after serving as the Advisory Committee of the University of Arizona Rural Health Office (RHO) for many years.

The Association has been established as a not-for-profit corporation. While AzRHA continues to serve as the RHO advisory body, its functions have been expanded to cover many other areas involving advocacy for rural healthcare programs.

To learn more about the AzRHA please visit the website www.azrha.org

For more information please contact Mariajose Almazan, Executive Assistant to the President and CEO of the RCBH at (928) 627-9222 or via e-mail at mrincon@rcfbh.org

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