Satisfying the need

Pike and Wayne begin joint health study

By TOM KANE

MILFORD, PA - Pike and Wayne counties are collaborating in a study of their joint health and human services needs.

“We need to allocate our funding for health and human services so that they will do the most good,” said Rich Caridi, chair of the Pike County Commissioners. “In order to accomplish this, we are conducting this survey in Pike County and our neighboring Wayne County.”

Wayne Memorial Hospital took the lead in getting the funding and finding the local support.

The study is being conducted by HMS Associates of Ganzville, NY, the same group that conducted a survey in 2005 in order to see if the area needed to build a new hospital. The survey indicated that a hospital was not needed for the area at that time.

Representatives of the Community Needs Assessment Steering Committee, chair Lee Oakes, Jack Dennis of Wayne Memorial Hospital and Christine Obser of Pike County Human Development Department, appeared before the Pike County Commissioners on June 25 in order to collect $3,000, which was the donation of the county to the effort. The entire funding of $66,300 was gathered from a series of other agencies, including Wayne Memorial Hospital, the Wayne County Commissioners, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United Way of Pike County, PPL Electric and the Pike County Interagency Council.

“Pike County is not just growing, Pike County is changing,” Caridi said.

“We are establishing six focus groups that will represent employers, human service providers and senior citizens,” said Oakes, who made the presentation to the commissioners.

Initial research is now underway and is expected to be complete in early 2009, she said.

Upon completion, the study will be available free of charge to users online and in every appropriate public location in both counties.

Also represented on the steering committee were Pike planner Michael Mrozinski, Paul Canevari of PPL Electric, Bonnie Tolerico of Wayne County, Wayne Wilcha of Wayne Bank and Ravenell Williams of Camp Speers-Eljabar, YMCA.

Ex-officio members are David Hoff, CEO of Wayne Memorial Hospital; Pike County Commissioners Rich Caridi and Harry Forbes; Wayne County Commissioners Brian Smith, Wendell Kay, and Tony Herzog; and Wayne County Chief Clerk Vicky Lamberton.