After Hours Medical Care

 

My goal as magistrate is to improve the quality of life for the citizens of district 2 and ultimately all Pendleton County citizens.  As I mentioned in the last article, I will be sharing some of the concerns of the citizens in my district, and I will attempt to come up with realistic solutions to these concerns. 

My neighbor mentioned that he and his wife had to travel 25 minutes north to get Covid testing after they arrived home because after hours medical care was not being offered in Pendleton County.  Another neighbor had to take her son to Harrison Memorial Hospital for testing as well, which was a 45-minute drive from their home in Pendleton County.

Background:

As you can recall, urgent care services were being offered at the Family Care Associates in Falmouth several years ago.  Health care professionals from Harrison Memorial Hospital provided the after-hours medical services in the Family Care Associates office after they closed for the day.  Because these services were under-utilized, the urgent care facility closed several years ago.  According to the office manager at Family Care Associates, this closing happened prior to the pandemic.  When I have mentioned after hours medical care, everyone immediately says it has been “tried and failed already.”  The pandemic has changed how people view urgent care services.  I think most of us viewed urgent care services as just a step down from the emergency room.  If I was going to go to an urgent care facility, I wanted an emergency room nearby in case that urgent problem progresses to something more serious.  I suspect other people had the same outlook as I did, which may have led to the underutilization of urgent care services in Pendleton County.  The problem in Pendleton County is the primary care offices are being stretched so much you can’t expect them to stay open until 8pm in the evening to accommodate people that have arrived home to find out their children or loved ones need to see a health care provider for strep testing, covid testing, or for a respiratory or sinus infection. 

Possible Solution:

Many of you have probably used a clinic inside a pharmacy or grocery store in the last two years.  If you go to Walgreens, it is called Healthcare Clinic.  If you go to Kroger, it is called The Little Clinic.  CVS Pharmacy has a clinic as well known as the Minute Clinic, and this Minute Clinic could be a possible solution to Pendleton County residents having to travel to get after hours medical care outside our county.  The closest Minute Clinic to Falmouth is on Beechmont Avenue in Ohio.  There is also a Minute Clinic in Georgetown, KY.  Carly Ramsey, CVS manager in Falmouth, mentioned that their pharmacy stays very busy giving vaccines considering it is in a small town.  Even though Ms. Ramsey feels a Minute Clinic would be successful in Falmouth, it ultimately is not her decision.  I have been in correspondence with the CVS corporate headquarters in Rhode Island.  Unfortunately, Minutes Clinics are not being expanded at this time.  However, the director of operations in Kentucky encouraged me to reach out in 6 months when these kinds of decisions are being determined.  In the meantime, if you are a nurse practitioner who would be potentially interested in this line of work, please contact me.  I am attempting to collect names of potential NPs in case there is concern about staffing in a rural area.  Considering I work at a university that trains Nurse Practitioners, I think this issue can be easily addressed.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at smnordheim@aol.com or call my home at 859-472-2799.  This proposal is just one possibility to improve the lives and health of PC citizens.  What a Minute Clinic offers that a primary care office does not is convenience.  You simply walk in when it is convenient for you. 

With PC Pride,

Shawn Mills Nordheim

Candidate for Magistrate District 2

 

 

Farm to Fork Food Truck

 

My goal as magistrate is to improve the quality of life for the citizens of district 2 and ultimately all Pendleton County citizens.  Over the course of the next several months, I will be sharing some of the concerns of the citizens in my district.  I will attempt to think outside the box and come up with realistic solutions to their concerns. 

A resident mentioned that “we need something to bring people into the county other than the Wool Festival.”

Possible Solution:

My husband and I started a very small cattle operation in April 2021.  I have learned a great deal about beef cattle that I would have never in a million years thought I would enjoy knowing.  Owning these cattle has certainly given me a greater appreciation for what the farming industry does for our community and is the motivation for what I am about to suggest as a solution for bringing people into our county.

I think many of us in this county support the farmer’s market.  There has been an initiative that the Pendleton County Extension Office advertises every year called the “Farmer’s Feast.”  It is an annual meal at the end of August where local farmers provide locally grown food in an outdoor atmosphere.  Over the years, this event has rotated to various farms throughout the county to give different farmers opportunity to showcase their farm.   How can we continue this support for local farmers more than just once a year?  A potential solution to this problem is a Farm to Fork Food Truck.  This restaurant on wheels could be a brand-new business or an extension to a current restaurant in Pendleton County.  The Farm to Fork Food Truck has been a successful business in other communities.  See link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T14n-JQr2Pk for details.  I could easily see this truck coming to church events, festivals, wedding venues, fairs, and outside recreational events.  Some people may say it is more cost effective for people that own restaurants to buy in bulk at Sam’s Warehouse, Kroger, etc.  For me personally, I would gladly pay a few extra bucks for a meal if I knew it supported our local farmers.  Plus, it I would potentially give parents healthier food options other than fast food when attending outside events at the Pendleton County Athletic Park.  (Interesting fact, Kentucky ranked #1 for childhood obesity in 2019-2020 in youth ages 10-17).

How could owning a food truck bring people into the county?  Many of you have heard about home tours.  The Pendleton County Tourism Council (PCTC) could organize a tour of three farms in our community.  Farms that are chosen by the PCTC should provide a variety of educational experiences to the public.  This farm tour could be offered once a month in the summer months.  Tickets could be sold online.   A bus could be rented from the Pendleton County School District to transport interested guests from one farm to the next farm.  Of course, a driver would need to be paid as well.  Between farms, the tour guide could share some of the history and interesting facts about Pendleton County.  At the end of the tour, the Farm to Fork food truck would be there to provide a delicious meal to our out of county guests.  If implemented correctly, this initiative would not only support our local farming community but could also showcase some of the local farms and bring people into our county who may want to raise their families.  Other businesses can benefit from these guests by seeing an increased usage of their services. 

Magistrates regulate and control the fiscal affairs of the county (KRS 67.080).  While this article does not fall under the functions of a magistrate, I wanted to address the concerns of a citizen in district 2.  As a magistrate, you cannot dictate to community members/organizations to take up your cause, but you can hope they would see the value of your proposal and act on it.  At the end of the day, bringing people into our county who want to build a home and raise their family adds to the county revenue and gives us more money to repair roads and public buildings and improve the delivery of public services.  The fiscal court must use appropriate funds for certain public functions (KRS 67.083).

In summary, this article provided a business opportunity, a way to increase tourism, and ways to generate more county revenue while at the same time support our local farmers.  This proposal is just one tiny step toward improving the lives and health of PC citizens.  My blog for this election is https://electshawn.blogspot.com.  This blog is different than the blog I kept for my school board races.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at smnordheim@aol.com or call my home at 859-472-2799. 

With PC Pride,

Shawn Mills Nordheim

Candidate for Magistrate District 2