Mayor Todd Barton announced that the Crawfordsville Mobile Integrated Health program will now be its own city department.
MIH first launched in 2017 as the Mobile Integrated Health Community Paramedicine program, through a grant funded by the Indiana Department of Health and a partnership with Franciscan Health Hospital of Crawfordsville, as an extension of the Crawfordsville Fire Department.
MIH is a nationally-recognized and innovative approach to a patient-centered model of care. MIH features programs such as Project Swaddle and Project Bundle support pregnant mothers and their newborn babies, the Chronic Disease program helps elderly residents age safely in place, and the Vaccination and Immunization program allows for nurses to travel to local schools and businesses within the community to administer vaccinations and immunizations.
Barton believes in the work and success of the MIH team. By transitioning MIH into its own city department, the status, recognition and success will only be further elevated and enhanced through improved branding and program identity, enhanced data collection and eliminated barriers.
Samantha Swearingen, previously the program manager, has been named the Director of Mobile Integrated Health, and the city has newly hired and named Rebekah Mason as the assistant director of Mobile Integrated Health.
“I am excited to have the opportunity to help lead the Mobile Integrated Health team in further elevating our programs to better serve our community,” Swearingen said.
The newly created MIH department will directly report to Barton, but will not lose ties with the Crawfordsville Fire Department. The two departments will still work closely especially for services requiring medical control. Deputy Chief Paul Miller will assist in the oversight and direction of medical services for MIH.
“This is another innovative step necessary to sustain the continuity of care and safety for our community,” Miller said regarding the new structure of MIH. “This initiative is gaining positive attention from other communities trying to replicate the program. The more innovative we are, the more we’re able to positively impact other communities too.”
