Category: Events

Take A Loved One to the Doctor Day – September 10th

Posted on by


Many of us disregard the importance of regular checkups. Some of us avoid doctor visits out of fear and others simply because it’s not part of our routine. When your loved one puts off seeing the doctor, a small health problem can become a more serious one. And some of the most serious health issues don’t always have obvious symptoms.

You may be the one person who can convince your loved one to go to the doctor. Give it a try. Often just by asking some basic questions about diet and lifestyle and running some quick tests, a doctor can assess someone’s health and well-being. The doctor may be able to suggest behaviors or treatments to dramatically lower the risk of serious health problems.

It’s important for people of all ages to see a doctor regularly. People age 50 and over should see a doctor at least once a year. Yet they are often the most resistant to seeing a doctor out of fear of the unknown. But by encouraging a loved one to go, the benefits include:

• Help your loved one learn what he or she needs to do to get and stay healthy.

• Reassure the whole family about your loved one’s health.

• Use this as a reminder to see the doctor yourself.

• You might save a loved one’s life!

Prep before you go

Preparing a little in advance will help your loved one get a lot more out of the doctor visit. Here are some suggestions of information to gather before you go see the doctor.

  • Questions for the doctor: Help your loved one take control of his or her health by making sure the doctor addresses all of your questions thoroughly. The best way to do this? Write the questions down in advance. See our sample list of questions below.
  • Bring all medications your loved one is taking to the doctor during the visit. By bringing in the bottles, you won’t have to wonder if you remembered everything, and the doctor can see the dose and frequency of each drug.
  •  Bring some health history information. Write down diseases, surgeries, family history of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.

National Fruits and Veggies – More Matters Month

Posted on by


Eating fruits and vegetables has many health benefits. People who eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables can help lower their risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Eating healthy can also help prevent obesity and high blood pressure.

However, many people don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables.

  • Fewer than 1 in 4 adults eat the recommended amount of fruits every day.
  • Fewer than 1 in 7 adults eat the recommended amount of vegetables every day.

The good news? Communities, health professionals, businesses, and families can work together to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Make a difference: Spread the word about tips for healthy eating and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.

How can Fruits & Veggies – More Matters Month make a difference?

We can use this month to raise awareness about the importance of getting enough fruits and vegetables.

Here are just a few ideas:

  • Spread the word about programs that support local agriculture.
  • Encourage families to make small changes, like keeping fresh fruit or carrot sticks within easy reach.
  • Motivate local restaurants, stores, and other businesses to provide quality foods made with fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month – September

Posted on by

One in 3 children in the United States are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

The good news? Childhood obesity can be prevented. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to create opportunities for kids to eat healthier and get more active.

Make a difference for kids: spread the word about strategies for preventing childhood obesity and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.

How can National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month make a difference?

We can all use this month to raise awareness about the obesity epidemic and show people how they can take steps toward a solution.

Here are just a few ideas:

  • Encourage families to make small changes, like keeping fresh fruit within reach or going on a family walk after dinner.
  • Motivate teachers and administrators to make schools healthier. Help them provide healthy food options and daily physical activities for students.
  • Ask doctors and nurses to be leaders in their communities by supporting programs to prevent childhood obesity.

Healthy Aging® Month

Posted on by

September is Healthy Aging® Month and the time to get started on better health practices.

Think it’s too late to “re-invent” yourself?   Think again. According to Carolyn Worthington, editor-in-chief of Healthy Aging® Magazine and executive director of Healthy Aging®, it’s never too late to find a new career, a new sport, passion or hobby. And, now is the time to travel more than ever.

Worthington is the creator of September is Healthy Aging® Month, an annual health observance designed to focus national attention on the positive aspects of growing older. Now in its second decade, Worthington says September is Healthy Aging® Month provides inspiration and practical ideas for adults, ages 45-plus, to improve their physical, mental, social and financial well-being.

The numbers of people over 45 is growing every year. The attention used to be just on the baby boomers. The generation x-ers are elbowing their way in and have many of the same interests as the previous generation – stay active and vibrant as long as possible. There are over 76 million baby boomers today over 50 and the first of the 82.1 million generation x-ers reached that milestone in 2015.

“Use September as the motivation to take stock of where you’ve been, what you really would like to do if money was no object,” says Worthington. “And try it! Who says you have to do something related to what you studied in school? Who says, you can’t start your own home business later in life, test you’re your physical prowess, or do something wildly different from anything you’ve done before? Only that person you see in the mirror!”

Why Healthy Aging Month?

According to Worthington, “We saw a need to draw attention to the myths of aging, to shout out ‘Hey, it’s not too late to take control of your health, it’s never too late to get started on something new.’ Why not think about the positive aspects of aging instead of the stereotypes and the negative aspects?”

September is a perfect time to celebrate Healthy Aging Month since it is time when many people think about getting started on new tasks after the summer. Drawing on the “back to school” urge embedded in everyone from childhood, the observance month’s activities are designed to encourage people to rejuvenate and get going on positive measures that can impact the areas of physical, social, financial and mental wellness.

September is Healthy Aging® Month was first introduced when the baby boomers were about to turn 50. “At that time, no one wanted to talk about growing older,” Worthington says. “You know, it was that same ‘60’s attitude – ‘Don’t trust anyone over 30; hell no we won’t go.’ Today as the boomers turn 60 and 65, it’s a different story,” Worthington explains. “We recognized early on that careful attention to the combination of physical, social, mental and financial fitness was powerful in the pursuit of a positive lifestyle and have built our Healthy Aging® programs around that concept for the government and private sector through this annual observance as well as TV specials, videos, books, printed material, our website and blogs.

“The interest in positive lifestyle information seems to be insatiable. Our subscriber list for Healthy Aging® Magazine keeps growing so we know we are on the right track. We are not about retirement. Nor are we a ‘senior’ magazine filled with articles about depression, incontinence or organ recitals. We are about vibrant, active, 45-plus people who are taking charge of their lives, following their passion, and who are happily looking forward to what’s next in life.”

NHCW Health Care for the Homeless Day – August 16, 2017

Posted on by


What is HCH Day?

HCH Day falls in the middle of Health Center Week, seven days of celebrating the Health Center program and its critical role in the health care safety net. Health Center Week occurs August 13 – 19 and is primarily organized by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).

HCH Day (August 16) specifically celebrates Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Projects, which are considered special population Health Centers. Each year consumers and staff at HCH projects organize events to highlight the important services provided to individuals experiencing homelessness. These events allow HCH projects to build relationships with community partners, engage elected officials, and show appreciation for the consumers, staff, and communities that support the vital work of HCH.

 

What makes HCH unique?

Homelessness is a significant barrier to good health. Poor nutrition, inadequate hygiene, exposure to violence and weather-related illness and injury, increased risk of contracting communicable diseases, and the constant stress of housing instability all contribute to the health issues faced by individuals experiencing homelessness. Without housing, what many see as a simple scrape endured from falling down can become infected, routine colds can develop into pneumonia, and manageable chronic diseases such as asthma, hypertension, diabetes, and HIV can become disabling, life-threatening, and costly conditions. Rates of all illnesses for people experiencing homelessness are three to six times higher than those of other populations, and life expectancy is 30 years shorter.

HCH projects work to provide critical health care services in a comprehensive, team-based model that seeks to address the interconnected health and social problems faced by most individuals experiencing homelessness. The work of HCH projects is vital to ensuring the basic health care needs of the vulnerable population experiencing homelessness, eliminating health disparities, and ending homelessness in our country.

HCH projects work to provide accessible, quality, and comprehensive care.

  • Accessibility for people without homes requires some extra effort for health centers. Dispossessed people are often reluctant to seek services in a system that has failed on every front to meet their needs, and competition to have those needs met can keep them away from clinic doors. Many HCH projects take care directly to the streets and shelters, actively seeking out the most vulnerable of our neighbors.
  • Quality care for people who are unstably housed is attainable.  Good clinical practices like patient self-determination goal setting, motivational interviewing, and trauma-informed care are generating outcomes on a par with or better than the outcomes of other populations on measures like hypertension control.
  • Comprehensive care is possible in HCH because a multitude of actors collaborate with those inside the medical exam room to address the needs of the whole person, including mental health, substance abuse and social needs.  Many HCH projects are also involved in innovative treatment models, such as patient centered medical homes, permanent supportive housing, and medical respite care programs; which have the potential to lower system wide costs and improve the health and stability of homeless persons.

August 13-19 National Health Center Week

Posted on by

 

Celebrating America’s Health Centers: Innovators in Community Health
National Health Center Week August 7-13, 2016

National Health Center Week has been celebrated for more than 30 years to recognize the services and contributions of Community, Migrant, Homeless and Public Housing Health Centers. While there are countless reasons to celebrate America’s Health Centers, among the most important and unique is their long success in providing access to affordable, high quality, cost effective health care to medically vulnerable and under-served people throughout the United States.

National Immunization Awareness Month – August

Posted on by

National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. NIAM was established to encourage people of all ages to make sure they are up to date on the vaccines recommended for them. Communities have continued to use the month each year to raise awareness about the important role vaccines play in preventing serious, sometimes deadly, diseases.

NIAM is sponsored by the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC). For more information on the observance, visit NPHIC’s NIAM website

World Hepatitis Day

Posted on by

On 28 July World Hepatitis Day (WHD) brings the world together to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change in disease prevention and access to testing, treatment and care. One of just four disease-specific global awareness days officially endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), WHD unites patient organisations, governments and the general public to boost the global profile of viral hepatitis.

The sixth official WHD took place on July 28 2016 along the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) theme of ‘NOhep – Eliminate Hepatitis’ and World Health Organization (WHO) theme ‘Know hepatitis – Act now’. Once again the impact of WHD grew substantially this year, with 174 countries taking part across the globe and 105 national governments and 59 WHO Country Offices commemorating the day.

 

Find out more about past World Hepatitis Day campaigns here.

June is Men’s Health Month!

Posted on by

 

Anchored by a Congressional health education program, Men’s Health Month is celebrated across the country with screenings, health fairs, media appearances, and other health education and outreach activities.

The purpose of Men’s Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This month gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. The response has been overwhelming with thousands of awareness activities in the USA and around the globe.