Dave Plough:
Welcome to season two, episode two of Collaborative Conversations. I am, as always, Dave Plough. And I'm joined by.

Barbara Maxwell:
Barbara Maxwell.

Dave Plough:
Today we change up our hosts and guests. Today we're going to have Alex Buchanan of IP, interviewing Samantha Mitchell of the Crawfordsville Mobile Integrated Health Department. Barbara, why do we have Alex talking to Sam?

Barbara Maxwell:
This is part of our series talking with people who do real live collaboration every day—collaborations that really impact the lives of people and populations. Samantha's work in Crawfordsville on the mobile Integrative Health department focuses on improving lives, particularly maternal and infant health, through amazing agency collaboration, breaking down the silos that often make care, especially in rural communities, harder to deliver. Her work beautifully focuses on sustainable community engagement and breaking those silos to ensure really good outcomes for people.

Dave Plough:
Yeah. And we chose Alex for this episode because of his work in our Collaborative Topics series. This season, we're focusing on people out in the communities doing the work. Alex's work really focuses on those people—from cycles of addiction to veteran trauma and transparency. Alex is in there, focused on getting in with the people doing the work.

Barbara Maxwell:
Yeah. He's a master of building exactly the kind of collaborations that he and Samantha are going to talk about. And in rural communities, you need that willful intention to build strong, interagency partnerships.

Alex Buchanan:
Samantha, thank you so much for joining us this afternoon. Really excited to talk to you and learn more about your program. Could you tell us about the work you do and how it's interprofessional?

Samantha Mitchell:
Sure. I’m Samantha Mitchell, and I serve as the director of the Crawfordsville Mobile Integrated Health Department. I lead efforts to connect healthcare and community services, ensuring individuals receive the care they need directly where they are. Our team bridges gaps between EMS, hospitals, primary care providers, and social services for a more holistic approach to healthcare. Through these innovative programs, we improve health outcomes, reduce unnecessary emergency visits, and strengthen community connectedness, especially for those who face barriers in traditional healthcare settings.

Alex Buchanan:
That’s awesome. Congratulations on your hard work. Can you talk about some of the professions involved in your programs and some of the day-to-day challenges they face?

Samantha Mitchell:
Sure. In mobile integrated health and community paramedicine programs, we work alongside emergency medical services to identify frequent 911 callers who might need more comprehensive care. Our team includes retired firefighter paramedics, social workers, registered nurses, previous health educators, and public health experts. They follow up with individuals to assess needs and connect them with primary care and social services like food assistance, mental health support, mother and baby programs, transportation, and more.

Alex Buchanan:
That’s really exciting. You mentioned mother and baby programs. Could you talk more about that?

Samantha Mitchell:
Sure. We have three main programs—chronic disease management is one, but another is Project Swaddle, which works with high-risk moms and babies. Our hospital doesn’t deliver babies, so residents travel 45-50 minutes outside the county. We saw a need to wrap around these moms using medics, nurses, and social workers to support them. We cover moms who might be first-time mothers or have medical issues like gestational diabetes or previous miscarriages. It’s about more one-on-one connection than they’d get at the doctor’s office. We now work with mom and baby up to age three.

Alex Buchanan:
That sounds like exciting and necessary work. Can you talk about what you enjoy most about your role or share a fulfilling story?

Samantha Mitchell:
One of my favorite things is working with a dedicated, passionate team. This job requires compassion and meeting people where they are, which can be complex. We help navigate barriers like lack of transportation, insurance, and other social needs to help people reach their highest health potential. Watching different experts come together—despite different backgrounds and scopes—puzzle-piecing it all for the patient is what makes it fulfilling.

Alex Buchanan:
Absolutely. And you also mentioned collaboration with Wabash College. Can you talk more about that?

Samantha Mitchell:
Yes. Coming from public health, I was an intern once, so I value that experience. We’re a small team of seven, so we rely on community partners and academia. We have undergrad interns and master’s students working on data collection, creating public-facing materials, and helping in various ways. It’s important that these projects are meaningful to the interns, not just busy work. They might help with mental health programs, Project Swaddle, or even writing policies. That partnership has been so beneficial for us and for our population.

Alex Buchanan:
It sounds like you’re involved in a lot of different projects and entities in the county. What do you think is the biggest challenge day-to-day?

Samantha Mitchell:
The biggest challenge is lack of resources. Crawfordsville is rural, so many resources are in Indianapolis or Lafayette, an hour away. We have to get creative. While our community has people willing to serve, gaps in funding and access to critical programs like behavioral health and affordable housing make it challenging. But the rural setting also has advantages: close-knit networks and strong relationships with police, fire, probation, courts, and local health departments. We work together to avoid duplication of services and enhance what’s already there.

Alex Buchanan:
Absolutely. It sounds like although resources are limited, it’s easier to identify stakeholders and get things done. Would you say that’s fair?

Samantha Mitchell:
Absolutely.

Alex Buchanan:
Thanks. Are there any long-term goals you’d like to talk about?

Samantha Mitchell:
Sustainability is the big one. We started with a partnership with the local hospital, but the need continues to grow, and funding—particularly grant dollars—is dwindling. We’ve used data to show our value, and in 2024, our mayor made us our own city department, which is great. But we’re still working on a model that ensures long-term sustainability, possibly through insurance reimbursement models. Another long-term goal is to move from reactive to preventive care—addressing things like tobacco use among pregnant moms, housing, and transportation barriers.

Alex Buchanan:
Yeah. It sounds like you’ve had great success in breaking down silos. If a county or community leader asked you for advice on building collaboration, what would you tell them?

Samantha Mitchell:
One thing I always mention is using community health needs assessments—most health departments or hospitals already do them. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Show up to community initiatives and start networking. Sometimes you feel like you’re just meeting to meet, but that’s where connections happen. In Montgomery County, we have robust coalitions that find top priorities and pull in partners for action. That’s my go-to: use the data already there, go to the meetings, and build from there.

Alex Buchanan:
Yeah, that’s a great answer. If someone saw this interview and wanted to get involved in your work, what advice would you give them?

Samantha Mitchell:
It depends on their background. If they’re in healthcare—paramedic, nurse, social worker, physician—I’d encourage them to explore their local MIH programs. Many offer training in chronic disease management and maternal and infant health. If they’re not in healthcare, there are still ways to support—volunteering with food insecurity or housing groups, mental health and substance use organizations. Advocacy is also key: raising awareness and supporting policies that fund these initiatives. MIH is all about meeting people where they are and reducing barriers, so anyone passionate about community health can help.

Alex Buchanan:
Perfect. One last question: why do you think interprofessional collaboration is important?

Samantha Mitchell:
It’s the heart of what we do. We want to provide comprehensive, holistic care—checking all the boxes. One organization can’t do it alone. The more people working together toward a common goal, the bigger the impact.

Alex Buchanan:
Excellent. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Samantha Mitchell:
Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and show up to meetings you might think don’t matter. That was a big wakeup call for me as a student—I was narrow-minded about what I wanted to do. But the more classes and meetings I went to, the more opportunities I saw. So step out, even if it’s uncomfortable. You just never know.

Alex Buchanan:
Yeah. That’s great. And a good time to wrap up. Samantha, thank you so much for your time. We look forward to hearing more about your excellent work.

Dave Plough:
That’s it for Alex and Samantha. Thanks to both of them. It’s hard to get Alex’s name and work out there because he likes to put the shine on others, so thank you, Alex, for doing the interview. Thank you, Samantha, for being here.

Barbara:
Yeah. We have more conversations with people making amazing collaborations work in the real world. We’re looking forward to the next three episodes and will continue to showcase this important work.

Dave Plough:
If you’d like to follow us at the IU IPE center, you can email us or find us on LinkedIn. We’re most active there, sharing updates, podcast clips, interviews with community partners and faculty. Wherever you listen to this podcast, please go ahead—smash that subscribe button! We’ll be putting out more episodes soon. Thank you so much.