A federal agency aimed at increasing access to health care has recognized St. Luke's Hospital - Miners Campus for their partnership with Panther Valley School District.

The hospital was recently awarded a three-year Rural Health Outreach Grant from the federal government.Only 60 of the so-called "rural health care outreach grants" were issued this year, hospital officials say.The grant will enable Miners to expand its existing partnership with Panther Valley, specifically by allowing them to place a full-time coordinator in the school district.As it enters its third year, the hospital-school partnership has already proved to be successful. Miners holds weekly community walks.During the walks, Panther Valley sports teams will join community members walking the track at the school's stadium in Lansford, and St. Luke's provides produce from 14-Acre Farm.They provide vision screenings and transport students who need glasses to an optometrist in Tamaqua.That connection to the community was a big part of why Miners received the grant, according to hospital officials. But it also has a lot to do with the health needs in the Panther Valley area.Miners is required to complete a report on the health of the area it covers every three years.In 2013, the most recent reporting year, the area had above-average rates of chronic disease, obesity and behavioral health issues."The issues are the same (nationwide) but it's just there are higher rates of these issues locally," Rosemarie Lister, outreach coordinator for Miners said.The grant is being issued by the Health Resources and Services Administration, which is aimed at increasing access to health care.In all, the grant will provide $598,711 over three years, 43 percent of which comes from nongovernmental services.The full-time coordinator will give students and their families a constant point of contact for navigating the health care system.In addition, the grant will help expand programs aimed at chronic disease prevention, dental care, mental health, substance abuse prevention and programs and leadership opportunities for students and their families."We are part of the community. This is a real opportunity to work together," Lister said.Get involved:St. Luke's is currently soliciting surveys for its Community Health Needs Assessment, which analyzes the overall health of the area it covers. The survey is available in English at

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SLUHNCHNAand in Spanish athttps://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SLUHNSPANISH.The next community walk will be Monday, September 14, at 5:30 p.m.