Horizon Health Teams up with IMPACT Melanoma – Brings Sunscreen Dispensers to Illinois
We’ve said it before and we’ll always say it again (in fact, we’re going to say it right now…): Our success as an organization is a direct reflection of the collaborative work we take on with proactive, socially conscious organizations whom understand that making an IMPACT with regard to skincare practices in communities nationwide happens as a team. Teams win when the core competencies of each unique part of whole is allowed to shine. This is exactly the case with our partnership with Horizon Health of Paris, Illinois. Horizon took the ball (initiative), ran with it, and has – along with IMPACT – successfully implemented a fleet of six automatic sunscreen dispensers in various spots around Paris, Oakland, and Marshall, Illinois: three at the local splash park, one at the Oakland golf course, one at the Marshall pool, and one “mobile” unit that enables Horizon to bring it to different events, etc.
Who is Horizon Health?
Horizon Health has been serving residents of Edgar County in Illinois since 1968 though community education, emergency services, and outpatient care. Their rich history and strong community support pave the way for the future of healthcare as we serve their patients — their family, friends, and neighbors.
IMPACT Melanoma caught up with Horizon Health to discuss this project, how it came to fruition, and their own internal goals pertaining to skin cancer awareness and prevention philosophies. The start date for this particular endeavor was a working piece of the national Melanoma Awareness Month program which commenced in May of 2019.
How’d you learn about these dispensers and of IMPACT Melanoma?
Honestly, Google! When we first started looking into different options for sunscreen dispensers, we started our search on Google. After looking at different options, these dispersers seemed to be the most user friendly so we scheduled a call.
What made Horizon want to get engaged with them and sponsor them in your respective community?
We’ve known for a while that we wanted to provide the communities we serve with sunscreen dispensers. After doing a little research, and talking with IMPACT Melanoma, we knew they’d be a good fit. We loved the fact that they not only offer sunscreen dispensers, but they also provide educational materials and tools for other community initiatives. Our dermatology providers do a lot of community education, so partnering with IMPACT Melanoma as an added resource just made sense.
Two dispensers were placed in Marshall and two were placed in Oakland. Tell us about where they are exactly and who they’re serving. How were these locations chosen?
Yes, that is correct—but not complete. We have a total of six sunscreen dispensers. There are two at the community pool in Marshall, one at the community pool in Oakland, one at the golf course in Oakland, one at the splash pad in Paris, and one “traveling” dispenser. Once we knew that we were going to partner with IMPACT Melanoma to provide sunscreen dispensers, we reached out to key community members for their input. Based on their recommendations, we placed the dispensers in the locations noted above. We decided to keep one dispenser to act as our “traveling” dispenser.
Our traveling dispenser is used for different events throughout the community. For example, it spent half the summer at the ball field, a few weeks at the county fair, and was used at our annual Back to School Bang event.
How has IMPACT Melanoma helped facilitate the installation process and in getting you materials that you’ve taken to health shows, etc.?
IMPACT Melanoma has been a big help throughout the entire process. From ordering the dispensers, to installation, they have been there to answer any questions that we have had. They have also been very flexible with our needs and helped facilitate maintenance of the sunscreen dispensers. They have also provided us with lots of educational materials that we have used at community events, as well as PowerPoints to encourage us to speak with outdoor workers and also hairdressers—which we are in the process of planning for the fall/winter months.
What, in your estimation, is the importance of having these dispensers in place? Feel free to share any personal experiences with combating the sun’s UV rays, etc.
For years, we’ve provided education to our community, so our next step was to have sunscreen readily available for everyone to use. We hope by having free sunscreen available in these areas, people will be encouraged to use sunscreen more often. Our dermatology providers see the toll the sun plays on members of our community every day. We hope pairing education with the tool of sunscreen will minimize our incidence of sun-related diseases.
What sort of IMPACT does this project leave on your community and what are next steps in assuring that they are properly utilized and taken advantage of?
So far, we know that the dispensers have been noticed and are well-received. We’ll continue to speak with the individuals who manage each specific location to ensure they continue to be stocked, well-maintained, and add value to their attraction. We will also work with those entities to re-introduce and re-promote at the beginning of each season. Long-term, we hope to positively affect change in sun safety and health outcomes related to sun exposure.
What’s your battle cry sound like with regard to getting surrounding communities in your area, and across the globe, to adopt a similar proactive approach to helping combat skin cancer with these dispensing devices?
The dispensers have aided us in taking our healthcare initiatives outside the walls of our organization. We believe these kinds of healthcare movements—whether sunscreen or community gardens—have the power to influence significant change in our communities and beyond.
What else?
We feel like we’ve had huge success with the sunscreen dispensers already! We have had other community members reach out and inquire about getting additional dispensers placed in additional areas.
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Curious about our programs and the prospect of bringing IMPACT Melanoma into your community? Contact us today. We’re friendly, and we’d love to hear about how we can make an IMPACT together!
