News and Information from Your Community Health Professionals
Learn more about Medicaid Redetermination
What's next? Continuous Coverage ended March 31st. The process to review people's eligibility will continue through May 2024. If you are still eligible and DCF can renew your coverage without you doing anything, they will. If this is the case, you will receive an approval [...]
Tobacco Use Among the LGBTQ+ Community
Tobacco usage is responsible for over 450,000 deaths in the United States each year. With cigarette smoking being the leading cause of preventable deaths and diseases in the U.S., certain populations and communities are more susceptible to these tobacco-related deaths than others. One such at-risk population [...]
World No Tobacco Day
In 1988, the World Health Organization (WHO) established World No-Tobacco Day (WNTD) as a way to inform folk of the harms of smoking and encourage them to try quitting – if only for a day. Ever since then, the WHO has designated May 31st as World [...]
National Women’s Health Week
Got your daily exercise yet? Are you making healthier food options? How about getting enough sleep? Well it’s not too late to start today! This year, we celebrate National Women’s Health Week to remind women all around the world to make health a priority and build [...]
#VaccinesWorkforAll – World Immunization Week 2020
The theme for World Immunization Week 2020 is #VaccinesWorkforAll. The campaign centers around promoting the value of immunization worldwide and increase access to vaccinations for those at risk. This week we celebrate an important campaign in the field of public health: Immunization! During the last week [...]
What to Do When You’re Home bound. Activity Ideas for Seniors
For seniors who are home bound, it is important to stay engaged and active in order to avoid depression, isolation and boredom, which can sometimes lead to other physical ailments such as insomnia, weight loss, body aches, and fatigue. There are things you can do to [...]
2020 Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking Cessation
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. In 1990, the Surgeon General issued a report on The Health Benefits of Smoking Cessation calling for the need to provide quit-smoking resources to millions of U.S. smokers. The new 2020 [...]
Suicide Awareness
Did you know that every 40 seconds, someone loses their life to suicide? In the United States alone, approximately 123 people die every day by suicide. In 2017, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over [...]
UV Safety
Summer has arrived and is in full force with beautiful days of sunshine and warmth. There are great benefits of sunlight, including the increase of the mood boosting hormone serotonin, and it can help our skin create vitamin D which plays a big role in our [...]
What to Expect in a Tobacco Quit Group
You're a tobacco user but you're ready to quit. You do well for a couple of days, but then the cravings come, and stress lowers your strength to say no. You’ve been here before. You really want to quit but you just don’t know what to [...]
STD Awareness
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are a topic no one wants to talk about. Not with a doctor, a partner, or even a friend. However, the stigma surrounding STDs is only adding to the problem. In 2017, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released data showing 2.3 [...]
Child Abuse Prevention Month
As we recognize April as “Child Abuse Prevention” month, it seems appropriate to reference a recent article in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) journal that examined the prevalence of parental spanking of children between the ages of three and five and its association with the [...]
Is Your Heart Healthy?
February is American Heart Month. Heart disease is something we often overlook if we aren’t directly affected, but the stats of this disease are a little staggering. In fact, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. While this is a [...]
Cervical Health Awareness Month
Let’s get the year started off by talking about women’s health. It’s Cervical Health Awareness Month, and we can all encourage each other to get screened for this highly preventable and treatable cancer. Cervical cancer starts in the cells lining the cervix. The normal cells of [...]
Maintaining Mental Wellness During the Holidays
Most of the time when we think of the holiday season, we think of joy and good tidings. However for many, the holidays can bring stress, anxiety, or reminders of a lost loved one. When searching for tips to stay healthy during the holiday season, you [...]
Amendment 9 – A Bundled Deal
The Constitutional Revision Commission (CRC) of Florida meets once every 20 years to examine the Florida Constitution and propose changes. During 2017-2018, they held more than 15 public hearings across the state to identify issues that matter most to Floridians, ultimately resulting on the CRC’s recommended [...]
2018 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey Report
The FYTS is a school based survey that is administered January through February every year. This survey tracks indicators of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke among Florida public middle and high school students in all 67 Florida counties. Schools and classrooms are randomly selected [...]
Great American Smokeout (GASO) 2018: One Day towards a Smoke-free Life
This year, on November 15, the American Cancer Society is holding their 43rd annual Great American Smokeout (GASO). This event encourages current smokers to take action and steps towards quitting tobacco and living a healthier life. Providers, employers, and other organizations host many different events in [...]
The Fight to Reduce HPV-Related Cancers – FDA Approves Vaccination for People Up to 45-Years-Old
Human Papillomavirus, commonly known as HPV, is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States and the leading cause of cervical cancer in women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 79 million Americans are currently infected [...]
County Health Rankings: Understanding the Health of the People
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI) have collaborated to bring the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps report for 2018. These rankings compare counties within each state on more than 30 health-influencing factors such as education, jobs, and access [...]
Infant Mortality: Statistics and Prevention
With the knowledge, medical advances, and technology that we currently have, you may believe that the rate of infant mortality is not a major concern in the United States. Infant mortality is the death of an infant before his or her first birthday and the infant [...]
Childhood Obesity: It’s Up to Us!
As parents, caregivers, teachers, and community members, we are at the forefront of ensuring the health of our children and reducing their risk of chronic health conditions. We can do this by supporting and encouraging children to participate in physical activities that get them moving for [...]
Breastfeeding: Breast When United
Breastfeeding. A simple word, a simple act, yet it has an overwhelmingly ignorant stigma that follows. Today’s society has caused parents to be ashamed and embarrassed by their body, yet this ability to share nourishment, comfort and protection is astonishing and incredible. Why has society skewed [...]
Your Vaccine Recommendation Protects Patient Health
Patients trust you to give them the best counsel on how to protect their health. You know that immunization is an important preventive measure—but it’s unlikely that getting vaccinated is on the radar for your adult patients. Your strong recommendation is critical in ensuring that they [...]
Vaccine Myths Busted
August is National Immunization Awareness Month! Immunizations are extremely important. They prevent disease ,reduce hospitalization, on top of many other things . More recently, people are concerned about the safety of immunizations, while others might even question why we still immunize if some of these diseases [...]