News

St. Luke’s Monroe Campus recently received a $50,000 First Energy grant to meet health care needs identified through St. Luke’s Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) at the Mountain Center, an educational and community services center located in the most underserved area of Monroe County. This grant includes measurably improving access to dental screenings and oral health literacy through Star Community Health, a community-based federally qualified health center (FQHC). St. Luke's Community Health Department will provide additional access opportunities to promote tobacco cessation, health education and screenings, literacy and connection to care, education and resources.

St. Luke’s Community Health Needs Assessments have been conducted for St. Luke’s University Health Network’s primary service area in 2016, 2019 and most recently in 2022. St. Luke’s campus CHNA, implementation plans and annual reports can be found by visiting: https://www.slhn.org/community-health/community-health-needs-assessment.

Key priorities identified in the CHNA include:

1. Improving Access to Care and Reducing Health Disparities
2. Promoting Healthy Lifestyles and Preventing Chronic Disease
3. Improving Mental and Behavioral Health including Substance Use Disorder Responses

“St. Luke's Monroe Campus began working with Pocono Mountain School District and The Mountain Center in 2016,” says Don Seiple, president, St. Luke’s Monroe Campus. “In 2022, we opened the St. Luke's Family Medicine Tobyhanna at The Mountain Center to meet the identified needs that we have seen in the community and dental is an important part of that need.  This funding and support assist us in providing comprehensive care and preventive services to help our community members and partners navigate evidence-based resources and services for improved health.”

This funding allows us to bring needed resources to the Mountain Center Primary Care Office, the social service organizations at the Mountain Center and the community in need, says Rosemarie Lister, Senior Network Director, Community Health. “St. Luke’s CHNA uses evidence-based initiatives to improve access and connection to physical and mental health care services, education and resources. We partner with national, state and local partners, including those with lived experience, to implement evidence-based best practices to measurably improve targeted health outcomes.”

“We are grateful to provide these needed supports, services and resources that include mobile dental van screenings; sealants and treatments; tobacco cessation, including nicotine replacement therapy supplies; and preventive oral health education,” adds Lister. “Additionally, this funding provides resources to improve physical and mental health connections to care such as harm reduction, including safe medication disposal; mental health; and health education resources for healthy eating, stress management and financial literacy.”

For additional information, please visit: https://www.slhn.org/community-health/community-health-needs-assessment/campus