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Give your kids a healthy start to the school year with visits to the dentist and doctor.
Dental care
Dental care is important for overall health and wellbeing. Daily brushing and flossing help prevent cavities and gum disease. Dental health affects your ability to talk, drink, breathe and digest food, and your smile.
Annual checkup and vaccinations
At a Child & Teen Checkup, the doctor or nurse will check height, weight, vision and hearing. They will also check your child’s growth and development.
Now is a good time to make sure your child’s vaccinations are up to date. Many diseases are preventable with a vaccination. To enroll in child care, early childhood programs and school, children are required to have certain vaccinations. The Minnesota Department of Health has a handy chart to show when your child or adolescent should get a vaccine.
COVID-19
Unfortunately, COVID-19 is still around. The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older and boosters for everyone 5 years and older. Clinical trials and safety monitoring have shown that the vaccine is safe.
COVID-19 can make children and teens of any age very sick and can sometimes require treatment in a hospital. Some have even died from COVID-19. Help protect your children from severe disease, hospitalization or death by getting them vaccinated.
Use the CDC’s COVID-19 booster tool to learn if and when your child or teen can get boosters to stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines.
Learn more about self-testing for COVID-19 and where to get free tests.
What you can do
Schedule an appointment. If you don’t currently have a medical clinic or dentist, you can find one online in the member provider directory.
Earn rewards. Members can earn a $25 gift card for Child & Teen Checkups and annual dental visits by a network dentist. Read more about the rewards program online.
Learn more. Use the Hennepin Health Healthwise® Knowledgebase online tool (healthwise.net/hennepin) to watch videos and read helpful information. If you need transportation, interpreter services or have any questions, call Member Services at 612-596-1036 (TTY 711 or 800-627-3529).
Some back to school resources
- Prism Back to School Success Program – Friday, August 19 in Golden Valley. Get school supplies at no cost. Registration required. More details
- Back to School BBQ and school supplies backpack pick-up by Honored2Help – Saturday, August 20 in Brooklyn Park. Registration required. More details
- Strong Families Community Resource Fair and Back to School event – Thursday, August 25 in Minneapolis. More details
- USAC Affordable Connectivity Program – helps low income households pay for broadband service and internet connected devices. More details
As the cost of groceries rise, some families are finding it hard to keep food on the table.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services is providing support of 410,000 Minnesota children and their families this summer. Most eligible families do not need to apply for the Summer Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer P-EBT) and will receive the benefits automatically. Read more details about the program.
Looking for food shelves and other free food resources in Hennepin County? Check out the online map at hennepin.us/food-shelves. Contact each location to verify days and hours before visiting.
More resources
- Fresh Food Fridays at NorthPoint – Second and fourth Fridays of the month. More details.
- Fresh Food Friday from CAPI – Free produce on multiple dates in Brooklyn Center. More details.
- Free produce from Prism – On multiple dates in Golden Valley. More details.
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Need assistance with your home mortgage or other housing-related expenses? HomeHelpMN can help you with overdue mortgage payments, other past-due expenses and give you resources to avoid foreclosure.
Apply before 5 p.m. on August 17 at homehelpmn.org.
Use the “Get Ready” checklist to create your account and apply. Homeowners may be eligible for up to $35,000.
Member Service Center reopens
After a closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Member Service Center is open and ready for your visit. The Member Service Center is now located at 525 Portland Avenue on the 8th floor. While still in downtown Minneapolis, the new location is in the same building as county health services and the Red Door Clinic.
Members can stop in to:
- Get help with your benefits and reward vouchers.
- Pick up or reload a bus/rail pass.
- Use a private room to make a phone call or meet with your care team.
- Use the on-site computers to look up information like bus/rail maps and fares.
- Get help from us to find a doctor, dentist or clinic or make an appointment.
The Member Service Center is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Save the date
Join us for an open house in September. More details will be sent to members.
Your annual health plan selection period is coming soon. Here are two things you can do to make sure your health plan selection is smooth and easy.
- If your address has changed since last October, let your county worker know so all records are current.
- Prenatal care can help you have a healthy baby. Women who are pregnant receive additional health care benefits to help have a healthy pregnancy. If you are now pregnant, let your county worker know.
August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This annual observance highlights the importance of getting recommended vaccines throughout your life. Protect your family against serious diseases by getting caught up on routine vaccinations.
Read the CDC’s Growing Up with Vaccines interactive guide for information on vaccines recommended during pregnancy, throughout childhood, and into adulthood.
Breastfeeding helps moms and babies stay healthy. The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee recognizes August as National Breastfeeding Month to bring attention to the benefits of breastfeeding, and to support and encourage mothers in achieving their breastfeeding goals.
Mothers are encouraged to breastfeed or pump milk to feed their babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that healthy mothers exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first 6 months of life.
August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, dedicated to preventing eye injuries and vision loss. Healthy vision contributes to a child’s school readiness, and ability to learn and perform. Vision screening and eye care are essential for a healthy child.
One of 20 children ages 3 to 5 has a vision problem that could become permanent if left untreated. Yet 80% of preschoolers do not receive an eye screening. A good rule of thumb is to have your children’s eyes examined during well-child visits beginning at age three. Your child’s eye doctor can help detect nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and other diseases.
Some warning signs that your child may be experiencing vision problems:
- Wandering or crossed eyes
- Holding a book close or sitting close to the TV
- Frequent eye rubbing while concentrating
- Squinting or turning the head to see the class board or when watching television
- Sensitivity to light, sometimes with headache or nausea
- Closing one eye to read or watch TV
Learn more:
We support the NAMI Minnesota annual walk to advocate for those with mental health challenges and their families.
Saturday, September 24 Minnehaha Park, Minneapolis
Visit NAMI Minnesota to register and for more information.
The American Chronic Pain Association declares September as Pain Awareness Month to bring attention to the issues of living with chronic pain. There is no easy fix for chronic pain but there is a wide range of therapies and strategies that can reduce its severity and impact on your life.
Pain is the number one reason Americans access the health care system. The nation spends up to $635 billion each year on chronic pain through medical treatments, disability payments and lost productivity.
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Chronic pain is defined as pain is present most days or every day for six months or more. Chronic pain takes many forms:
- Mild to severe
- Intermittent to continuous
- Annoying to disabling
Because each person is unique, their pain treatment should be too. You can create a personal pain plan at https://mypainplan.org/.
Additional resources:
American Chronic Pain Association
U.S. Pain Foundation
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National Cholesterol Education Month is a good time to check your cholesterol level and take steps to lower it. High blood cholesterol affects more than 65 million Americans. It can increase your risk for heart disease or stroke.
Cholesterol is necessary to help your body function properly. There are two types of cholesterol: LDL (“bad”) and HDL (“good”). When your body has too much LDL cholesterol, it can slowly build up and narrow your arteries which decreases or blocks the flow of blood.
You can lower high cholesterol:
- Check your cholesterol levels to know your numbers.
- Change your diet and lifestyle to help improve your levels.
- Control your cholesterol with help from your doctor if needed.
Resources to help
During his lifetime, one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. There typically aren’t early warning signs for prostate cancer. Most prostate cancers grow slowly and don’t cause health problems.
Screening may find prostate cancer early and help prevent its spread. Two screening tests commonly used are:
- A blood test called prostate specific antigen (PSA) – This test measures the level of PSA in your blood.
- Digital rectal examination – A rectal exam to feel the prostate for anything abnormal.
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Some prostate health resources:
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Eligible Hennepin Health members can get a ride to and from health care appointments.
- For medical and dental appointments
- For physical therapy appointments
- For mental/behavioral health and chemical dependency appointments
- For occupational therapy, acupuncture or chiropractic appointments
- To pick up your prescription at a pharmacy
Call us at 612-596-1036 (TTY 711 or 800-627-3529), Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Call three days before you need transportation for best service.
For the latest news, stories and updates about keeping you healthy, go to facebook.com/hennepinhealth.
- Follow us
- Like your favorite posts
- Share with friends and family
DHS approved 8/12/2022 ID# MC-1337-MC
Language and civil rights notices
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