The Northeastern Rural Health Network (NRHN) is pleased to announce receipt of a three year grant from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy through the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program.

This grant, totaling $375,000 over the three year project period, will help the Network provide community-based health care services through its CATCH HOPE (Community Action to Create Healthy Hearts, Open-minds, & Personal Excellence) program.

This grant will serve communities in Chesterfield and Marlboro Counties.

The purpose of CATCH HOPE is to offer services through outreach that will provide these communities with a better understanding of the risk factors of heart disease. This will include messages about the link between behavioral health conditions and heart disease.

“Recent studies have shown a strong connection between heart disease and depression,” explained Melinda Merrell, NRHN Director. “If you have heart disease, you are likely to be depressed and if you are depressed, you are likely to develop heart disease.”

“This project is designed to increase the community’s understanding of health as a combination of all of those factors that make us sick: physical, mental, and social. The services provided will promote overall positive health and well-being and will encourage those in the community to be hopeful about their overall outlook on life,” said Merrell.

Planned services will include health screenings and health education provided in the community and at local workplaces, a series of wellness classes that will help participants develop skills to overcome poor health habits, a peer support program for those in need of extra help managing heart disease and increased support for the local hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation programs. Members of the Northeastern Rural Health Network include CareSouth Carolina, the Chesterfield County Coordinating Council, Chesterfield General Hospital, DHEC Region 4, the Marlboro County Inter-Agency Council, Marlboro Park Hospital, Northeastern Technical College, Tri-County Community Mental Health Center, and the USC School of Medicine.