PHN Podcast: Recent Episodes
Primary Health Network
With over 35 years of service, Primary Health Network (PHN) has grown to become the largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Pennsylvania and one of the largest in the nation; serving over 80,000 patients in 16 counties in Pennsylvania and one county in Ohio. In our podcast series, PHN’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. George Garrow and guests examine and provide invaluable advice on medical topics relevant to our communities and healthcare system at large.
PHN Chief Executive Officer Dr. George Garrow is joined by Brenda Bacich, LPC at Primary Health Network, to discuss LGBTQ+ and Mental Health.
Dr. Garrow and Brenda discuss the following topics:
- What is LGBTQ+?
- How to access Mental Health services?
- What are the stigmas that the LGBTQ+ community face?
- What types of resources are available?
- How can we be an advocate?
PHN Chief Medical Officer, Dr. George Garrow, is joined by Katie Gassner, a Nationally Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist and Program Director for Tobacco Control in Mercer and Lawrence Counties, as they discuss the misconceptions surrounding tobacco and nicotine use.
Dr. Garrow and Katie discuss the following topics:
- What exactly is nicotine?
- What are the available treatments for nicotine addiction?
- How can I be supportive of someone who is trying to quit smoking?
- How do you talk to your children about nicotine use?
In our latest PHN Podcast, PHN Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Garrow is joined by Michael Wright, former Chief Executive Officer of the Shenango Valley Urban League, as they address inequities in healthcare in our community and introduce the formation of a health equity response team. Dr. Garrow and Michael discuss the following topics:
- What health disparities are people in our communities facing, and how can we reduce or eliminate these disparities?
- How has the pandemic brought the topic of health equity to the forefront?
- How are the recent acts of violence across the nation related to health and health equity?
Primary Health Network’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Garrow talks with Jennifer Moss, PhD from Penn State University about their collaboration on cancer screening in rural communities.
Some of the topics they discuss include:
- The collaboration between Primary Health Network and Penn State University on a new cancer screening study
- Common barriers to cancer screening that rural populations face
- At-home screening tests for cervical and colorectal cancer being used in the study
- The benefits of early cancer screening
Episode Guest
Jennifer Moss, PhD is an assistant professor for both the Department of Family and Community Medicine and the Department of Public Health Services at Penn State University. Dr. Moss is an expert in geographic disparities in cancer prevention behaviors, including vaccination, tobacco use and screening.
Primary Health Network’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. George Garrow and PACHC’s Director of Pennsylvania’s Primary Care Career Center, Judd Mellinger-Blouch, discuss provider recruitment during a pandemic. Some of the questions addressed include:
- How has the pandemic impacted recruitment?
- Have we noticed a change in the candidate pool because of the pandemic?
- Has telemedicine presented any opportunities in recruitment?
- What does recruitment look like now? i.e. interviews, site visits, onboarding, etc.
- What are our top hiring priorities or goals?
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to alarming declines in well-child visits and routine immunization rates. This raises the risk for outbreaks and places further strain on our nation’s health care system. To increase the awareness of childhood immunizations, Dr. Garrow, PHN’s Chief Medical Officer, and Dr. John Cunningham, PHN Pediatrician, discuss and provide information on:
- Why are childhood immunizations so important, especially this year?
- What measures are in place to reassure parents that our offices are a safe place to receive care?
- Guidance for listeners who have concerns about the effectiveness and utility of immunizations.
PHN's Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Garrow and Marie Mulvihill, Executive Director of Operations - Medical, talk with Dr. Donna Fick, Dr. Erica Husser, and Dr. Judith Hupcey, about PSU's Geriatric Wellness and Education Program (GWEP). PSU has recently partnered with PHN and the collaboration is designed to implement an Age-Friendly Health System in a rural, medically underserved area.
In this episode, PHN's Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Garrow is joined by Cheri Rinehart, the president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers. Together, they discuss the value of Community Health Centers (CHCs), also known as FQHCs - Federally Quailifed Health Centers and the positive impact that they have on their communities.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Garrow is joined by Matt Eckley, Executive Director of Behavioral Health and Lisa Lorelli, Director of Clinical Initiatives to talk about new initiatives that focus on collaborative care.
Collaborative care is a model of integration of Behavioral Health in a Primary Care setting, with a focus on the effectiveness of patient outcomes. The main purpose is to help primary care physicians support their patients the best they can.
Rachel Bieber, PHN's Visual Arts Manager, discusses the reopening of schools with Dr. George Garrow, PHN's Chief Medical officer. Dr. Garrow focuses on the health and safety of children and shares some tips that parents can implement right away.
PHN's Visual Arts Manager Rachel Bieber is joined by Dr. George Garrow, PHN's Chief Medical Officer, to discuss the re-opening of restaurants and gyms.
Please note that this podcast was recorded prior to the July 1st order released by the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health. At the time of publishing, all Pennsylvanians are required to wear a mask whenever they leave home. Please refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Health (link to URL below) website for the latest guidance.
https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx
In this episode of PHN Podcast, Dr. George Garrow, PHN's Chief Medical Officer, discusses how COVID-19 has affected dental services throughout our network and is joined by PHN's Dental Director Dr. Joseph Prybyl and Regional Director Lauren Stone.
One recent service update is the opening of three of our sites for appointment-only emergency dental procedures:
- Clarion Dental Center
- Farrell Dental Center
- Rochester Dental Center
Please call ahead for evaluation and scheduling.
Director of Marketing Sara Rupp is joined by Visual Arts Manager Rachel Bieber and Carolyn Brumbaugh, CRNP, to discuss postpartum depression.
- PHN OB/GYN locations
- Pennsylvania WIC (Women, Infants, Children)
- Nurse Family Partnership
Primary Health Network's Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Garrow and Matt Eckley, Executive Director of Behavioral Health, discuss behavioral health services and COVID-19. Some specific topics they cover are:
- Depression and anxiety: more common than not
- Self-care: extremely important during these trying times
- Adjusting and making your "new normal"
- What to do when things get tough
Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Garrow and Executive Director of Behavioral Health Matt Eckley discuss the COVID-19 crisis and how it affects the network, including available resources and telehealth referrals for collaborative care.