The Rural Health Initiative in Shawano County has received word that the estate of a Leopolis farmer will match up to $60,000 in contributions to the organization over the next year.
The gift will come from the trust of Harold E. Pevonka, a Leopolis farmer who passed away in 2011. Attorney Jim Ashenbrenner, who administers the trust, said Pevonka directed him to use some of the trust funds to support organizations focused on improving heart health.
The Rural Health Initiative, which brings health care directly to farmers, is a great fit, Ashenbrenner said.
“It’s exciting to have an estate from a local rural person help support the initiative,” said Rhonda Strebel, executive director for the Rural Health Initiative. “We’re grateful for the financial legacy and support Mr. Pevonka left behind.”
Strebel said the initiative generally raises $60,000 annually from its partners and the community anyway, and she is confident there will be enough contributions to receive the full $60,000 from the estate. If so, the $120,000 will cover the initiative’s two-year budget in Shawano County, “allowing us to do even more to help local farmers,” she said.
In 2003, ThedaCare and Shawano Medical Center launched the Rural Health Initiative in Shawano County in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Extension service, the county public health department and local schools, plus regional agribusiness collaborative and financial partners.
Strebel said the idea for the Rural Health Initiative came from farmers and their families.
“Farmers tend to be isolated and everyone comes to them – the milk truck, the vet, suppliers and more – so it just made sense to go to them,” she said. “Farmers are busy and many of them are committed to their work that they don’t always think about their own health.”
In Shawano County, the Rural Health Initiative nurse visits about 40 percent of the county’s farmers – about 330 families – at their homes. She conducts health risk assessments, including blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, to help identify possible health issues and also discusses preventative health issues and safety. The nurse can answer questions and provide referrals to physicians, if necessary.
In addition to serving farmers in Shawano County, the Rural Health Initiative serves farm families in Outagamie and Waupaca counties and is in the process of expanding into Marathon County. The funds from Pevonka’s estate are restricted for use in Shawano County.
In 2012, the Rural Health Initiative was one of five programs to win a national award from the American Hospital Association that focuses on community health.
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