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VISITING NURSE AND HEALTH SERVICES The Visiting Nurse and Health Service is a voluntary non-profit community health, agency serving all of Union County, New Jersey. Philosophy The Board of Trustees and staff of the Visiting Nurse and-Health Services are committed to providing comprehensive, professional, family-centered nursing and other therapeutic services. Patients and families are cared for regardless of sex, age, race, color, creed or financial status. Services and care will be administered-effectively and economically. Fees are adjusted to the patient-family ability to pay. The Board of Trustees and the staff will remain responsive to trends in the delivery of health services. Community needs will determine initiation, revision or deletion of agency programs and services. The Board of Trustees and staff will insure that the Agency shall be accountable for a sound statistical and financial reporting system. Agency policies will comply with State and;Federal regulations. Goals 1. To provide, under medical direction, nursing and other therapeutic services, (physical, speech and occupational therapy, Homemakerl Home Health Aide, Medical Social Work, Nutrition, Mental Health Nursing and Health Education Consultation) to individuals and families at home, school, work, clinics, nursing homes or other settings, on a part-time intermittent basis by qualified personnel. 2. To collaborate and coordinate with other professional, official and consumer groups in studying, planning and executing action programs for the health of the community. 3. To participate in educational programs for nurses, allied professionals and auxiliary workers and community groups. -K

The Visiting Nurse and Health Services has previously participated-in and is currently involved with numerous grant and contract programs which have enjoyed both private and public funding. The Visiting Nurse and Health Service has always met its contractual obligations with these programs and frequently continues the services after the grant has expired. Here are a few such programs: PROGRAM FUNDING SOURCE . Psychiatric Outreach NJSD of HumamServices Division of Mental Health & Hospitals . Medical Day Care for Infants & Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Toddlers . Home Care, Health Maintenance Union,County Division on Aging & Home Health Aide Training . Public Health & Prevention Municipal Contracts Services We believe the Visiting Nurse and Health Service is the appropriate agency to lead the Union/Essex County Coalition because we have a strong presence in the community, have a long history of working j;ointly with other agencies and community groups and because we have shown fiscal responsibility with our granted programs. The VNHS agrees to provide direct support to the ASSIST Program by assuming the lead in the Union/Essex County Coalition.

The Visiting Nurse and Health Services Experience with Major Smoking Related Programs and Program Success.. New Jersey State mandated minimum-standards for local health departments, include Smoking Cessation and Prevention as one of its required seven areas of core activity. For the past 12 years the Visiting Nurse and Health Services has contracted with 14 towns in Union County to provide health education activities in this area. Currently 10 well organized long running smoking cessation programs in the County, have a 25% 1 year success rate. They include the followings Union County Dental Society G.A.S.P. Program Merck Corporation AT & T Corporation, "Freedom from Smoking - sponsored by the Central Jersey Lung Assoc. At Union Hospital, Elizabeth General Hospital and UTnion County College. Westfield Y Hypnosis Stop Smoking Program, Smokeless System at Overlook Hospital. American-Cancer Society Smoking Cessation Program. ON Therefore, our focus has essentially been on prevention programs Sor all levels of the community. Preschools and Headstart levels "Starting Free" American Cancer Society Program materials are used. Elementary School level "Smokey Sue Demonstration" and American Heart Treasure Chest. Middle and High School level - Smokeless Tobacco filmstrips for various sports teams and boys health-classes. Great American Smokeout Day - Respiratory Lung Capacity Tests and Smokey Sue Demonstration along with distribution of American Cancer Society materials. Adult and Senior Citizen Level - At hypertension screenings, film• on the role of smoking in•blood pressure elevation is presented and materials distributed. Community groups such-as PTA's, Visually Impaired Support Groups, and the Rotary have had programs presented on Smoking Dangers. At Child Health Conferences, a program on Smoking Cessation is presented to parents in the waiting room. Experience with similar public health or public interest issues. The remaining six minimum standards areas include alcohol and drug control, physical fitness and exercise, A.I.D.S., Nutrition and Safety and Accident Prevention. Four years ago, we received a grant from the Public Health Association to promote Infant Care Seat Safety. Toys 'R' Us became a sponsor and parents attending programs were given-discount coupons for seat purchase at their stores for infants. Programs were held in 43 preschools and kindergartens. The grant has ended-but the program continues as the materials are still usable. Alcohol and-drug addiction workshops were held i,n 15 elementary schools this year in conjunction with the Union-County Council on Alcoholism. The nutritionist has provided 44~programs in-the community. A.I.D.S. programs 1•

were held at 34 sites. Long standing cooperative ventures and liaisons with community non-profit organizations are presently in place and have been on- going for a number of years. Rational for Coalition Membership and how you have worked-with the other members. Coalition,Membership will be sought from the following groups: - Worksites with large numbers of employees in Union and Essex Counties, such as Schering-Plough, Merck and Co., Inc., Macy's Credit Corporation, Dun and Bradstreet, Exxon Corporation, Bristol-Myers, Ciha-Geigy, Etc. - Hospitals, whether or not they currently have a smoking cessation program. There are 7 in Union County and 12 in Essex County. - Community Organizations with an interest in health promotion in Union County and Essex County, such as Dental Society, Union and Essex Medical Society, American-Heart Association, Planned Parenthood. Union and Essex County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, GSA, BSA, Etc. - Education Institutions, i.e., Kean College of New Jersey, Essex County College, Union County College (4• sites) Rutgers, Headstart and County Superintendent of Schools. - Minority Groups, i.e., PROCEED, lia Casa De Don Pedro, National Council of Negro Women, NAACP, Black Man's Health Network, Family Health Center. - Clergy Associations of Union and Council of Congregations. Programs in the above sites are in progress, have recently been completed; or are in the planning stages for all seven areas of minimum standards. How specific target groups will be reached. The target groups for prevention programs will be the youth~of the community. Currently in both public and-parochial schools with special emphasis on the black and latin population, since smoking is usually the gateway drug that the youngsters first try. Seeing no immediate deleterious effects they are convinced they can go ahead and try other drugs with-the same degree of safeness. The Young Black and Latin population are the fastest growing segment of U.S population and have been earmarked for smoking promotion by the tobacco industry. The young people not in school will be reached through such groups as Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Union County, Teen,Parents at Elizabeth Counseling and Testing Center, Vauxhall Single Parents of Family Health Center, Planned Parenthood, ESL Programs, Child Health~Conference and W.I.C. Sites, Black and Hispanic Church•groups, etc. Special emphasis will be placed in those areas with more than,207Z of households living below poverty, namely Elizabeth, Vauxhall, Lindem and Rahway, Newark, Irvington and E. Orange. Demonstrate that you have created a mechanism that will work. In order to target limited financial resources and utilize them to the maximumy a pairing of successful cease smoking programs will be made with each minority group_ For example, Schering-Plough in Union may be paired ~

with the Family Health Center located in the Vauxhall area. Possible activities may include financing the printing of a Smoking Prevention billboard in that area and stating on the billboard that they are the sponsor of it. They may provide ex-smokers to conduct programs in the Vauxhall Churches, provide printing of bus posters announcing a program, provide pizza and soda for a teen-health fair at the Family Health-Center or provide a meeting room. This pairing or sponsoring may change each year of the grant. Monies from the grant can then be used to purchase materials, i.e, audio- visuals, low level reading materials, Spanish material or to underwrite fees for entering cease smoking programs. The need for this funding was recently demonstrated in Irvington in ajoint Cancer Society-Irvington Health Department Cease Smoking Program. A$25.00-fee was required and 5 people signed up (not enough for a class) and when the fee was waived, 17 people signed up. 0 3