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Group spreads the healthy word

The Medical Alliance hopes to assist and educate residents.

By CHANDRA BROADWATER
Published October 28, 2006

SPRING HILL - After a hiatus, members of the Hernando County Medical Alliance are back - and ready to help residents get healthy.

Formerly known as the Medical Auxiliary, the group of about 20 - many of them physicians' spouses - plans to mark its return with the launch of the Hernando Health Initiative. The program highlights options people have to take a more active role in their health.

On Monday, at the Spring Hill Branch/Harold G. Zopp Memorial Library, the group will conduct a seminar with guest speakers Jean Rags, county director of health and human services, and Karen Lake, county adult senior services director, to discuss the initiative and health care issues facing county residents.

But don't expect a group of ladies lunching while wearing white gloves. These women - and men - are ready to use their talents and deep community connections to improve overall access to health care.

The goal of the health initiative, said president Linda Reheem, is to provide an educational resource for residents.

The alliance has compiled a six-part program that will include a list of medical resources - including information about hospitals and other facilities, prescriptions and insurance- aimed at empowering those who live in the county.

That's the ultimate goal of the group, Reheem said.

"If there is a person in Hernando County who has a health issue, and they are lacking resources and have tried all other outlets, then they would have our group to call," Reheem said. "We want to be able to act as an advocate to help them."

Many residents don't know about certain services or assume they do not exist in Hernando. But that's not the case, said former president and longtime member Maureen Soliman.

She said people tend to blame others for their problems while ignoring the fact that they don't eat well, exercise or follow their doctors' advice.

"You can find what you need here," Soliman said. "We can dissect the problem and find a solution and give people a realistic idea of what to expect."

Alliance members have backgrounds ranging from nursing to teaching and know whom to call upon for help. Soliman, a nurse, has also helped run the practice of her husband, Dr. Fawzi Soliman. Reheem has a background in business administration and started up the practice of her husband, Dr. Allam Reheem.

The group's roots go back to 1982, when the auxiliary began as a way to welcome physicians' spouses to the county. Over the years, the group has supported the New Beginnings Youth Shelter, the Dawn Center and other county groups and agencies.

But as participation waned in recent years, the auxiliary entered a dormant phase. And while group members tended to their own lives, the county's population grew.

Noticing the changing needs of community members and the impact that the growing population has had on county services, Soliman, Reheem and others decided to get their organization back on track.

They came up with the idea for the health initiative and have added an officer to keep track of legislative issues. Though the nonprofit organization isn't concerned with being involved in politics, the group wants to keep abreast of topics such as tort reform and others that affect health care.

With its re-emergence, the alliance hopes to continue service to the county while adding new members. In the meantime, members will roll up their sleeves and get busy educating Hernando community members about how to improve their quality of life.

"That's what is most important, education," Reheem said. "We need to educate as many people as we can."

Chandra Broadwater can be reached at cbroadwater@sptimes.com or (352) 848-1432.

[Last modified October 27, 2006, 22:53:34]