If you have a family member in crisis, whether that be a mental health issue, an addiction problem, housing, abuse, or any other crisis, Bucks County and the wider community have resources to help. Neither you nor your loved one has to go it alone. We will support you and help your loved one through the crisis. Mental health crises Mental and emotional health problems are unfortunately on the rise; however, this has had at least one positive effect in…
The job market is tightening and many people are finding it difficult to find a job in their current career. Maybe it’s time for a career pivot. BCHIP has secured a Direct Care Worker Grant to help those already in healthcare and those new to the field receive the training they need. BCHIP was one of only eight healthcare organizations chosen out of the many who applied to secure a Direct Care Worker Grant from the state. This grant supplies…
If you or a loved one needs help, there are many resources in Bucks County to turn to. However, many people feel lost, because they don’t know how to find the help they need. PA-navigate.org to the rescue! PA-navigate.org is an online searchable website similar to the Yellow Pages for health and human services organizations. Previously known as findhelp.org, the state of Pennsylvania wanted to create a PA branding so that all citizens of Pennsylvania would recognize it as a…
BCHIP has partnered with State Senator Steve Santarsiero of the 10th district and the organization Blue Zones to help improve the health, longevity, and happiness of the residents of Bucks County. The Blue Zones organization is rooted in the research done by National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner, who examined areas around the world where people seemed to live happier, longer lives. Drawing from his research, he wrote several books on these regions, which he named blue zones. Blue Zones’ mission…
Our Bucks County population is aging. In order to provide our older residents with the finest medical care and support, we need to ensure that our senior services have sufficient capacity to provide the care our Bucks County residents will need. According to 2023 census data, 21% of the Bucks County population is already 65 or older, and our median age is 44 years old. This tells us two things: We need to act immediately to ensure there is sufficient…
BCHIP, in conjunction with the Bucks County Commissioners, Bucks County Health Department, Bucks County Emergency Services, all Bucks County hospitals, and our long-term care facility partners, created the Bucks County Long-Term Care Partnership to create a non-competitive environment in which healthcare facilities and advocates can work together to overcome some of the issues facing long-term care services in Bucks County. Our goal is to improve the experience for both patients and staff, so that residents feel nurtured, empowered, and respected,…
Substance abuse causes tremendous suffering to both individuals and their families. When you or a loved one experiences an overdose, you need immediate help to recover as well as long-term support to overcome addiction. BCHIP is here to provide that help through a program known as BCARES. BCARES BCARES is a collaboration of many healthcare and behavioral health partners throughout Bucks County. These organizations work together to provide assistance to individuals who have survived an opioid overdose. BCARES also provides…
At BCHIP, we work to ensure that all residents of Bucks County have access to quality healthcare and accurate healthcare information so that they can make educated decisions regarding their personal health needs. Healthcare advance directives can ensure that your wishes are carried out if you cannot speak for yourself at some point. Healthcare advance directives are legal documents that provide instructions to medical personnel about the types of treatment you do and do not want to receive. Advance directives…
When most people think of jobs in healthcare, they think of doctors and nurses. But there are many other types of jobs, requiring a variety of years of training, for anyone who wants to enter the healthcare field. Medical services Many different types of medical personnel are necessary to provide the breadth of services sick or injured people need. If you’re interested in medicine, consider some of these specialties: A variety of therapists: massage, respiratory, physical, occupational, speech, and many…
Here at BCHIP, we go to great lengths to ensure that all Bucks County residents have proper healthcare. That commitment includes access to vaccines. After all, vaccines are a cornerstone of our healthcare system and are instrumental in keeping our entire community safe. A while back, we learned that our homebound residents often find it difficult to receive routine medical care like vaccines. This makes sense, as they are often juggling other pressing healthcare needs. It is no wonder that…
When you get sick, your body fights off the illness through your immune system. In the process of fighting off the disease or illness, the immune system develops antibodies, which are Y-shaped proteins specific to that virus, bacteria, or other pathogen that will help you fight off the disease the next time it enters your body. In many cases, the antibodies will prevent you from getting sick again. We call this “immunity.” Immunization can happen naturally, as described above, or…
Vaccines have saved millions of lives, especially the lives of children, who used to die in great numbers or be seriously debilitated due to many childhood diseases, such as measles and polio. Very few children have reactions from childhood vaccines, and most are minor, such as a mild fever or redness around the area of the vaccination. It is nonetheless very important to track any potential very rare and serious side effects. For this, the CDC has developed the Vaccine…
There are many reasons why you may not have health insurance. Perhaps you recently lost your job, work part-time, or work at a job that does not provide adequate coverage. Perhaps your spouse, who carried the insurance, died, or you are going through a divorce. Perhaps you simply can’t afford the copay on the employer-provided insurance. Whatever the reason, you do not need to live without insurance coverage. Bucks County provides many opportunities for you to get the medical help…
Healthcare is one of the most rewarding professions. As a healthcare worker, you help people in their time of greatest need, providing them with the medical care and often the emotional support that they require on their journey toward health and wholeness. However, because patients are in a vulnerable position, emotions can run high, and sometimes physical or verbal attacks can occur. Government data shows healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence than other workers. Millions…
BCHIP is a coalition of Bucks County hospitals, health service organizations, and the Bucks County Department of Health working in collaboration to overcome healthcare inequities in our county and improve overall health in our community. The causes of inequity in healthcare are many and diverse. They include socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, location, education, health insurance, social isolation, ethnic medical diversity, and community traditions. Institutional disparities also exist, such as location and availability of health services. These are also referred to…
