Category: Uncategorized

Wellness Classes for the New Year!

Posted on December 9, 2020 by - Uncategorized

New virtual classes to help address your health goals in the new year!

  • Freedom From Smoking is a 7-week on-line class to help you quit and stay tobacco free. We’ll talk about the science and emotion behind addiction, strategies for quitting, and focus on your own reasons for going tobacco free. Call Megan at 360-296-7185 for more info and to register. Class starts Jan. 19th, 2-4pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Lose to Win is a sustainable nutrition and physical activity program led by a YMCA coach. The one-hour classes provide a supportive network to work on similar goals when the going gets tough and to celebrate successes along the way! Must be 18 or older. $35/YMCA members; $50 non-members; scholarships available. Register with Tara at tmarshall@whatcomymca.org. Wednesdays Jan. 20 – April 7, 12:15-1:15 pm
  • Better Bones & Balance is a program to help improve balance and strength to avoid falls and maintain independence. Class includes a short talk and learning and practicing specific exercise.
    $35 program fee, scholarships available. Register online whatcomymca.org or at the Welcome Desk. Tuesdays and Thursdays,  Jan. 19-28, 11am – noon.
  • Diabetes Prevention Program is a year-long supportive class for adults at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Must be 18 or older, and qualify via risk assessment or diagnosis of pre-diabetes.
    $420 year program fee; Unity Care NW patient discount available, email megan.stephenson@ucnw.org to apply.
  • LIVESTRONG is a physical activity and well-being program for adult cancer survivors to reclaim their total health. Must be 18 or older, in remission, and with medical clearance for participation.
    Free to new survivors, $25/month for LIVESTRONG alumni; scholarships available. Register with Tammy at tbennett@whatcomymca.org or (360) 733-8630 Mondays and Wednesdays, Jan. 11-March 31 11am – noon.
     

Bellingham Food Bank Drive-Up Food Distribution

Posted on November 30, 2020 by - Uncategorized

Beginning Tuesday, December 1, Bellingham Food Bank will offer pre-packed food boxes at the updated drive-up locations.

How It Works

Folks may visit twice per week and may choose among all locations which they visit. They will join a car queue and when it’s their turn, volunteers will offer pre-packed food boxes without requiring person to person contact. There will be a bike and walk-up option as well. Each household represented in a vehicle may pick up for up to 2 families. Menstrual products, baby formula and diapers will be added to distributed items as availability allows.

Starting December 1
Tuesdays & Thursdays | 1-4 pm
Drive-Up Distribution, 1175 Jersey St

Ongoing
Wednesdays | 3-6 pm
Christ the King Church Parking Lot, 4173 Meridian St

Flu Vaccines Now Available

Posted on September 9, 2020 by - Uncategorized

Flu season is here! In a year like no other, now is the time to protect yourself and those around you. This year, with COVID-19, we face a double threat of illness. We can keep ourselves healthy, reduce the strain on our health care system, and save lives by getting a flu shot.

Flu vaccine is the best protection we have from flu and its complications. A flu shot will protect you throughout the flu season. (Inactivated flu vaccine does not contain live flu virus, so getting the flu from this vaccine is not possible.) Flu vaccine also helps prevent spreading flu from person to person.

Unity Care NW is now offering flu vaccinations to our medical patients by appointment, with convenient Saturday hours in Bellingham. Call (360) 676-6177 to make an appointment.

 

Pharmacy Changes: Curbside Pickup and Lobbies

Posted on August 14, 2020 by - Uncategorized

There are now three ways to pick up your prescriptions:
  • Pharmacy Counters: Unity Care NW patients may now receive services in our Pharmacy lobbies. Lobby capacity is limited to 6 patients total (for both the pharmacy and Quest Labs) at our Bellingham Pharmacy and 4 patients total at the North Whatcom Health Center. When lobbies are at capacity, pharmacy patients can receive curbside service or wait for a pharmacy patient to leave and then enter the pharmacy. Those needing lab services can place your name and phone number on the Quest labs sign-in sheet and the Quest labs technician will call you when you can enter the waiting room. Everyone wishing to access both pharmacy and lab services must wear a mask and be successfully screened prior to entering the waiting room.  If you do not wish to be screened, you can receive curbside service.
  • Curbside pickup for Bellingham patients: Pharmacy curbside pickup hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you are arriving by car, park in one of three designated spots alongside the pharmacy building on Unity Street. If you are arriving on foot, find the walk-up curbside pickup sign in front of the pharmacy building. When you arrive, call the phone number posted on the sign (360-296-7190) and a pharmacy team member will process any payment by credit card and bring your prescription to your car. If you need to pay with cash or check, you will need to be screened and enter the pharmacy lobby. We ask that you wear a mask and not smoke when using curbside pickup.
  • Curbside pickup for North Whatcom Health Center patients: Pharmacy curbside pickup hours are Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you are arriving by car, park in one of the two designated spots alongside the west side of the North Whatcom Health Center building. If you are arriving on foot, locate the “walk-up” curbside pickup location under the covered area near the main entrance. When you arrive, call the phone number posted on the sign (360-788-2684) and a pharmacy team member will process any payment by credit card and bring your prescription to your car. If you need to pay with cash or check, you will need to be screened and enter the pharmacy lobby.
     We ask that you wear a mask and not smoke when using curbside pickup.
  • Pharmacy Delivery: Limited pharmacy delivery service is available to Unity Care NW patients. For more information about our delivery option, click here.

In Memory of George Floyd

Posted on June 3, 2020 by - CurrentNews, Uncategorized

Unity Care NW’s vision is that “Everyone has the opportunity to live their healthiest life.” Our mission is “To increase the years of healthy life in the people and communities we serve.”
We cannot achieve these aims without talking about and confronting implicit bias, systematic oppression, outright racism, and other “isms” that make up the “underlying conditions” that our patients and individuals in our community confront.
Our hearts break at the loss of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and the countless others who have lost their lives to violence and injustice. Health care is not a spectator sport, nor is it a place to get comfortable and accept the present state as the way things “should” or need to be.
Unity Care NW is committed to courage and action rather than avoidance and silence as we continue to work for and with our patients and our community to address and resolve the inequities that impede health and shorten lives.  We do not pretend to be experts in this work. We acknowledge that it is not easy work and it will likely cause discomfort.
Abraham Lincoln said “The best way to predict your future is to create it.”  We may not be able to change things in Minneapolis, southern Georgia, or northern Kentucky, but we commit ourselves to applying our passion, resources, expertise, and – yes, for many of us – our unearned privilege, to create a different future for our patients, our organization, and our community.

It’s Time for the 2020 Census

Posted on March 12, 2020 by - Uncategorized

Every 10 years, the U.S. Constitution directs government officials to conduct a Census of everyone living in the United States (not just citizens). This year’s Census is now underway. All households should have received official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census. You will have three options for responding:

  • Online
  • By phone
  • By mail

Completing the Census using one of these methods will prevent a visit to your home from a Census worker.

Here are a few important things to know about the Census:

  • There is no citizenship question. No one will be asked about their citizenship.
  • The Census involves basic questions about how many people live in your household and whether you own or rent. It shouldn’t take more than about 15 minutes to complete, probably less!
  • The Census results touch every aspect of our lives, affecting everything from where businesses locate to funding for schools, clinics and libraries; from the number of congressional seats and electoral college delegates we’re allotted to legislative boundaries and voting rights enforcement.
  • An incomplete count means our businesses, school districts, health care providers, nonprofits and governments will all be making decisions based on data that undercounts our population. The decisions will affect the next decade (until the next Census) — or for generations in the case of infrastructure.
  • For every person not counted, our county loses an estimated $25,000 over the 10-year period until the next Census.

During the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau will never ask you for:

  • Your Social Security number
  • Money or donations
  • Anything on behalf of a political party
  • Your bank or credit card account numbers

To avoid scams related to the Census, click here. To learn more about the security of the information you provide, click here. For general information about the Census, click here.

If you haven’t yet provided your Census information, do it today!

Special Enrollment Period Announced for Health Insurance

Posted on March 11, 2020 by - Uncategorized

If you are in need of health insurance, the Washington Health Benefit Exchange has announced a special enrollment period due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Qualified individuals may enroll in health insurance now through April 8th.

To learn more, click here. If you need assistance with enrolling in health care insurance, contact our Outreach and Enrollment staff at (360) 788-2669 or enrollment@ucnw.org.

Need Help with Tax Preparation?

Posted on March 2, 2020 by - Uncategorized

Tax Day is coming on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. With the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the tax filing date remains April 15.  For those who are required to make a payment, however, you will still need to file by April 15, but, for most Americans, the payment will be extended for 90 days

Need help with tax preparation? If your household makes less than $66,000 a year, you are eligible for free tax preparation and filing assistance from the Opportunity Council. To learn more, visit the Whatcom Asset Building Coalition website.

By now, you have probably received either Form 1095-A, 1095-B, or 1095-C in the mail. You may have received one, two, or all three of these forms, depending on your health insurance coverage in 2019.

Form 1095-A, also known as the “Health Insurance Marketplace Statement,” is sent to everyone who had a Qualified Health Plan in 2019. It is mailed out by Washington Health Plan Finder. You can find an electronic copy on your Washington Health Plan Finder account dashboard. Use this form to fill out IRS Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit, which needs to be included in your federal income tax return when you file. This information determines if you received the right amount of tax credits to help you pay your plan’s premium.

Form 1095-B shows proof of health insurance coverage for 2019. If you had Washington Apple Health insurance coverage last year, you will receive this form. This form may also be mailed out by your private health insurance company or your employer. Form 1095-B is not needed to file your federal tax return, but it is important to keep for your records.

Form 1095-C is called the “Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage.” This form will be mailed out by your employer to show proof of coverage in 2019. Form 1095-C is not needed to file your federal tax return, but is important to keep for your records.

Have You Been Screened for Hepatitis C?

Posted on January 17, 2020 by - Uncategorized

Hepatitis C is a serious disease that harms the liver. It is caused by a virus and spreads from person to person through contact with blood. Without treatment, Hepatitis C can lead to scarring of the liver, liver cancer, and liver failure. But most people don’t even know they have Hepatitis C. Most people with Hepatitis C don’t have any symptoms.

The good news is that screening for Hepatitis C is as easy as a blood test, and new drugs can treat Hepatitis C quite effectively.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you be tested for Hepatitis C if you:

  • Were born from 1945 – 1965
  • Received donated blood or organs before 1992
  • Have ever injected drugs, even just once many years ago

If you fall into any of these categories and have never been screened for Hepatitis C, get screened! Call (360) 676-6177 to make an appointment today. Learn more here.

Jodi Joyce Selected as Unity Care NW CEO

Posted on November 19, 2019 by - Uncategorized

Unity Care NW is excited to announce that our Board of Directors has selected Jodi Joyce as Unity Care NW’s next Chief Executive Officer. Joyce, who currently serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Quality & Patient Safety and Chief Quality Officer at University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics, will succeed Desmond Skubi, the agency’s current CEO, at the end of January 2020.

“I am honored to accept this role and am inspired by the vision, passion, and expertise of the individuals who make up Unity Care NW,” said Joyce. “This organization has thrived under Mr. Skubi’s leadership, and I look forward to helping lead the next chapter as we continue to serve Whatcom County’s residents and communities in pursuing our healthiest possible lives.” 

Jodi has been at the University of Illinois in Chicago since October 2012. UI Hospital and its network of 12 federally qualified health centers provide access and care for many of Chicago’s most underserved communities. During her time at UI Health, Jodi and her colleagues have led a large “improvement journey” that has resulted in substantial improvements in quality and patient safety. She also teaches courses on quality, safety, leadership, and change management at several of UIC’s health sciences schools. Jodi’s former roles include Vice President for Quality & Patient Safety at Legacy Health, a six-hospital system based in Portland, Oregon, and co-founder and Chief Operating Officer for Kaiser Permanente’s Care Management Institute.

Jodi has prior experience in health care consulting and hospital management and began her career as a neonatal ICU nurse. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Wheaton College (IL), her BSN at Northwestern University, and her MBA at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Jodi is currently nearing the completion of a PhD at UIC.