Member News

Lebanon Family Health Services (LFHS) started providing services to the Lebanon Valley community in 1973. The organization originally was founded to offer female reproductive services in response to a lack of female OB/GYN providers in the county. A number of local organizations and individuals joined together to form LFHS, including the Department of Public Welfare, the Lebanon County Commissioners, Good Samaritan Hospital, and various community leaders including Aletta Schadler.
   Originally located in a row home on North 8th Street in Lebanon, LFHS has had to move to new locations over the years to accommodate its growth. After North 8th Street, LFHS was located on Cumberland Street in what is now the IU-13 building. Then, the organization relocated to the Downtown Mini Mall which was at the intersection of 9th and Cumberland Streets, what is today the parking lot for the Lebanon Farmers Market. Eventually, though, the board and staff of LFHS wanted to create some sense of permanency by building their own building. Partnering with the Sexual Assault Resource and Counseling Center (SARCC), LFHS initiated a successful capital campaign. Lebanon Valley College’s former president John Synodinos was one of the influential contributors who stepped forward in this fundraising endeavor.
   Today, Lebanon Family Health Services is located at 615 Cumberland Street in Lebanon. The organization has also grown to offer a number of additional services beyond reproductive health care, seeing a staggering 50,000 visits per year. LFHS serves approximately 35% of the city’s population and 10% of the county’s population.
   LFHS added the services of a WIC program for the community in 1980, specifically for pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under 5 years of age. Over 3,000 individuals and families receive supplemental food through the WIC program per month; approximately 50% of all babies born in Lebanon County are enrolled in the program through LFHS. LFHS also offers free and reduced fee family planning services, provides prenatal health care, offers community education programs, provides tobacco control initiatives, as well as a number of other services including drug testing, fingerprinting, physicals, and more.
   “The community has been so supportive,” Vicki DeLoatch, vice president of finance and marketing for LFHS, stated.
   DeLoatch has been with the organization for 15 years. LFHS President & CEO Kimberly Kreider Umble has been with the nonprofit for nearly 30 years. Kreider Umble explained that all of the staff at LFHS, 23 staff members total, share a passion for their work which leads to employees remaining with the organization for a long period of time. Between all of the staff members, the organization boasts a combined total of 230 years of service to the Lebanon Valley community.
   The organization is also governed by a board of directors composed of approximately 20 individuals. The board meets on a regular basis and is very active in the community advocating on behalf of LFHS. A volunteer base of over 100 individuals also donates time to the organization.
   According to Kreider Umble, LFHS is very “community-minded and forward-thinking.” In fact, she stated that the nonprofit’s strongest trait is its ability to respond to the needs of the community. All of the staff at LFHS are very involved in the local community and listen to their clients/patients to meet their constantly evolving needs.
   “When Priority Care in Lebanon closed, people needed a place to get employment physicals,” DeLoatch explained. “Now we added fingerprinting services in response to changes in child protective services law.”
   In addition to listening to their clients and patients, LFHS also participates in community needs assessments conducted by other area organizations. The nonprofit recently partnered with the Lebanon Valley Family YMCA and local schools to offer a program on childhood    obesity. Other community assess ments which LFHS collaborates on include those organized by the Good Samaritan Health System, the United Way of Lebanon County, and the Community Health Council of Lebanon County. LFHS also regularly analyzes the Department of Health’s community rankings to see what health care needs are trending in the area and if the organization can respond to these needs with any of their existing services.
   “That’s one of the things I love about our community,” Kreider Umble said. “The willingness to form partnerships and the desire to meet the community’s needs through collaborations.”
   LFHS is always striving to come up with new and innovative ways to meet the community’s needs. In 2004, the organization held its first Latino Health Fair. DeLoatch explained how with the growing Hispanic population, there was a need for individuals to learn where to access preventive care. In 2004, the fair drew around 75 attendees; today, it draws over 300 individuals. The event is held at the Lebanon Middle School and is devoted to health and wellness, featuring free health care screenings, healthy cooking demonstrations, and more. All of the event facilitators speak in Spanish to accommodate attendees. The next Latino Health Fair will be held on October 17, 2015, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Lebanon Middle School.
   Another program which LFHS provides for the community is a tobacco control education and cessation program. The program started in 2001, and LFHS has staff trained to facilitate classes at local worksites. The eight-week program also includes free nicotine replacement products. LFHS is currently serving Lebanon, Berks, Lancaster, and Schuylkill Counties with its tobacco education program.
   This fall, LFHS will once again partner with Lebanon Ridge to help educate individuals on the Affordable Care Act and how to sign up. In fact, LFHS recently received a grant to help them specifically train their staff in this area. LFHS has been offering this service to the community for the past three years.
   Individuals interested in receiving care through LFHS or participating in any of their programs can call for an appointment. LFHS also accepts walk-ins. Fees vary depending on the service since some services are income-based while others are not.
   “We do accept many insurances, which most people don’t know,” DeLoatch explained. “About 25% of our clients are male, which also surprises people.”
   Like many other nonprofits in the area, LFHS faces similar funding challenges, such as an increasing need for money with shrinking government dollars. Philanthropic revenue accounts for around 15% of the organization’s budget. Supplemental income comes from government and state funding, grants, patient fees and insurances, contracts with other local organizations, and money raised through events/fundraising. Around $.83 of every dollar the organization raises goes toward direct services, a fact in which LFHS takes pride.
   The nonprofit’s largest fundraising event is the 25th Annual Travel and Leisure Auction, a “must attend” event featuring “dozens of fabulous vacation packages and recreation items.” The auction will take place on November 13, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. and will be held at the Lebanon Country Club.
   Anyone interested in learning more about the Travel and Leisure Auction or any of the other services which Lebanon Family Health Services provides can email them at info@lebanonfamilyhealth.org or call them at (717) 273-6741. LFHS is always looking to partner with local businesses and organizations and welcomes new collaborations!