Did you know?

A dozen roses at Valentine’s Day can cost anywhere from $50-$80 or more.
A $50 donation to HealthNet helps build literacy by providing books for HealthNet’s Reach Out & Read Program. Children under age 6 receive a brand new book at every well-child check-up and their parents receive guidelines for reading aloud with their children.

A dozen chocolate covered strawberries at Valentine’s Day can cost between $20 and $30.
A $25 donation to HealthNet provides patients with emergency medical needs, such as medicine, food, shelter or transportation to and from our Health Centers.

The average person will spend approximately $130.97 on Valentine’s Day gifts and festivities, according to CNN.
A donation of $100 to HealthNet goes towards unrestricted operations support where the need is greatest.

This year, instead of buying flowers or chocolates, give the gift that gives back. Consider making a tax-deductible donation to HealthNet in honor of your loved one. Your donation helps HealthNet continue to provide care to those in Indianapolis who need it most.

To make a donation online, please visit www.indyhealthnet.org/Donate.

HealthNet staff members are those who carry out our mission of improving lives by providing compassionate health care and support services on the front lines. Everyday they take on new challenges to increase access to care for all in the Indianapolis community. So, from the cashiers at our health centers to the directors of our outreach programs, we want to thank you for your work!

In our health centers…

Our staff work hard to serve over 50,000 patients per year. With services including pediatrics, family practice, internal medicine, OB/GYN and nurse midwifery services, foot care, immunizations, x-ray, dental care, vision care, health education, social services, behavioral health, family planning, free HIV testing, free pregnancy tests, interpreters, breast & cervical cancer screening assistance, financial planning, Medicaid and Medicare enrollment, and even more, our staff works together as a team to treat the entire person.

Fitting all of those services together can be tough at times because of the constant need for communication, but our staff makes it work and continues to increase access to care while maintaining a fantastic level of efficiency and service. THANK YOU!

In our outreach programs…

Our Homeless Initiative Program (HIP), Better Indy Babies/Healthy Families Programs (BIBs/HF), and School-Based Services are an awesome extension of what happens in our health centers. Over 3,200 homeless individuals are served by HIP to help them get on track to reaching housing, employment and self-sufficiency. Each year, our BIBs/HF programs have over 12,500 encounters with pregnant mothers and their families to promote healthy growth and development for the child through a variety of services. And, our School-Based Services reach over 3,000 students each year, to provide them with much-needed primary care, preventive care and educational health services.

Valentine’s Day is a day to show love to the special people in your life. Here in the Admin. building, our staff that serve patients and clients directly on a day-to-day basis are the special people in our lives. Our jobs are made easier because of their hard work, and we appreciate everything they do!

You can join us in showing love to our staff by subscribing to this blog to receive weekly news about everything going on or by signing up to receive our monthly e-newsletter that is delivered every 3rd Tuesday of the month!

Next week most of us will scramble to buy cards and flowers for a sweetheart, but we should all look for a way to give our thanks to the men and women who allow us to celebrate each and every day of freedom in our country.

Think outside the “box of chocolates” this year! Write a quick note of appreciation and make a small gift in honor of a veteran in your life through our Open Doors With Care initiative. Proceeds will help homeless veterans in Indy get back on their feet.

Did you know that 17% of our city’s
homeless are veterans?

These are people who sacrificed a portion of their lives to serve OUR families and OUR community.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, veterans who experience homelessness have high incidences of mental health and substance abuse issues, often as a result of conflict-related stress, and high levels of physical disability, due to injury or illness. And, they may lack social support networks.

All of these concerns make it difficult for some veterans to easily return to civilian life after having served. Veterans facing the risk of homelessness also often spend over 50% of their income on housing-related costs.

As one of the largest and most comprehensive programs for the homeless in the state, HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program (HIP) provides a network of services to treat the whole person, as he or she moves from homelessness into housing, employment and self-sufficiency.

HIP’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) successfully helps homeless veterans everyday who are struggling to adjust back to civilian life. (Read about veterans Ricky Wallace and Jeff Smith.)

Share Some Heart

Your support in helping us raise $10,000 for HIP by March 10 gives our city’s heroes a chance to start again.  And, it’s a great way to show some love for a hero in YOUR life!

Check out our Open Doors with Care page to see how you can help!