SEARCH (Sustaining Essential and Rural Community Healthcare) recently brought together 50 people to shine the spotlight on two groups – the Mitchell County YMCA and Blue Ridge Partnership for Children’s “Moms and Babies” Project. The evening was an example of the efforts underway by a number of different agencies to help the people of Mitchell and Yancey counties to have healthy lifestyles.
Katie Willett details current programs and future plans for the Mitchell YMCA
Katie Willett, who is Assoc Exec Director for Williams YMCA, Mitchell Branch., described how the concept of a local YMCA has developed over the past four years and told about the range of programs currently underway through the YMCA Wellness Center. These include a K-5 after-school program at Gouge and Deyton Elementary Schools, funded through a Federal Community Learning Grant. Also for children the Y collaborates on the Riverside Story Trail Project, which offers first-in-the-nation audio stations in English and Spanish. For adults there are Parkinson Management and Arthritis Management Programs. Rosendo Lopez provides outreach to the Latino community and Stephen Bomar is the new Mitchell County Director of Healthy Living.
While these programs are managed out of the “Y” storefront on Upper Street, plans are developing apace for the building where Pinebridge once was. Mayland Community College is the main tenant, and the YMCA will be housed on the 2nd and 3rd floors. There are many moving parts and partners in remodeling the building and constructing a new one, which will house two pools, one with a play splash component and the other a 6-lane lap pool. Katie showed concept drawings, which included an inside walking track.
The timeline to build the YMCA is fluid. Funding for the project got a jumpstart with a grant from the state and other grants from various foundations. Katie emphasized that community advocacy for the project is vital as are business partnerships.
Responding to questions from the floor, Katie said that “Y” memberships are reciprocal across the country, and that Medicare and insurance may cover some programs, and some are free.
Katherine Savage interprets the results of the “Moms and Babies” survey.
Katherine Savage, the Program Manager for the Alliance for Children, Blue Ridge Partnership for Children, talked about the survey that had been conducted in 2021-22 to determine how women in Mitchell and Yancey counties wanted to receive support and information about labor/delivery/and having children. They got excellent response to the on-line survey from 176 moms, 8 medical providers, and 11 non-medical providers (lactation consultants, etc.) Largely missing from the group were teen and substance-abuse moms, and there were few Latina moms.
Respondents overwhelmingly revealed that they want local labor and delivery and that they want more information, especially about options for and during labor and caring for the baby and themselves after delivery. The full report is available at https://blueridgechildren.org/brpfc/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Perinatal-Survey-Assessment-Fall-2021-final-892022.pdf
Katherine heads a task force that is seeking ways to address the needs that women expressed in the survey. The group includes medical providers, academics, nonprofit representatives, and moms. They are looking at rural programs across the nation that have been successful at addressing similar needs and funding sources they could tap to meet those needs. Appalachian State is a key player. Before the year ends, they also expect to meet in person with providers and community stakeholders.
SEARCH is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote safe, quality, affordable local healthcare for the people of Mitchell and Yancey counties. The website is searchwnc.org.
Volunteer Sandra Saunders arranged flowers for every table
Sylvia Buchanan promoted the Blue Ridge Partnership for Children, sponsor of the perinatal survey.
