|
In this biweekly issue:
- American Heart Month
- Celebrating Black History Month
- National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
- Celebrating 50 Years of WIC
- In Case You Missed It...
- This Winter Season: Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones
- Join Our Team!
|
|
American Heart Month: What You Should Know
 Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but it can often be prevented. Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle can help you reduce the risk of heart disease and its risk factors.
Take action to protect your heart by following these tips:
Learn and follow the ABCS!
A: Take aspirin as directed by your health care professional.
B: Control your blood pressure.
C: Manage your cholesterol.
Get Enough Quality Sleep. Lack of sleep or getting poor-quality sleep increases the risk of having high blood pressure, heart disease, and other medical conditions.
💤Try to aim for 7-9 hours of sleep a night.
🛌Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
🙆Exercise regularly, but not within 2-3 hours before bedtime.
🚭Avoid caffeine and nicotine.
Maintain a Healthy Weight and Be Active. Doing this can help prevent and control many diseases and conditions.
🚰Stay hydrated with water as your main beverage.
🍎Choose healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables instead of sugary or high calorie snacks.
🏃♀️Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity (like running) exercise per week.
🧘Manage Stress. Improve your physical and emotional health by using relaxation techniques that combine breathing and focused attention on pleasing thoughts and images to calm the mind and body.
🤝 Practice Self-Care & Find Social Support. Daily acts of self-care can benefit your heart because self-care is heart care. Studies show that having positive social support, close relationships, and feeling connected to others makes it easier to stick to heart-healthy habits.
Resources
|
|
 This February, we celebrate Black History Month and honor the impact Black and African Americans have had on the arts, cultural movements, health, and medicine. The national theme for 2024 is, 'African Americans and the Arts'.
According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Office of Minority Health (OMH) "The arts can play an important role in improving health outcomes at the individual and community level. Arts-based strategies can contribute to greater social cohesion, cultural connection, health equity, and community well-being. Helping people get the social and community support they need is critical for improving health and well-being".
Learn more about Advancing Better Health Through Better Understanding.
Engage, Educate, Empower: Uniting to End HIV/AIDS in Black Communities
February 7 is National HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), which was first observed in 1999. This observance is dedicated to raising awareness of the disproportionate impact of HIV on Black communities. It also emphasizes the importance of increasing access to HIV education, testing, treatment, and prevention services.
This year's theme is described below:
-
Engage: Discussing ways to better involve the black community in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts. This can include outreach programs, community partnerships, and utilizing local leaders and influencers to promote HIV testing and destigmatize the conversation around HIV/AIDS.
-
Educate: Focusing on improving HIV/AIDS education among black youth and adults. This could cover the latest research, treatment options, understanding of PrEP and PEP medications, and debunking myths that contribute to stigma and discrimination.
-
Empower: Highlighting success stories and strategies that have effectively empowered black individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Empowerment can be through advocacy, policy change, access to care, and support systems.
Testing and Treatment Resources
|
|
|
 Why WIC Matters
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program!
We explore the countless reasons “Why WIC Matters” and reflect on how the
program has and will continue to be a transformative force, adapting and expanding to meet the needs of millions of families. For the past five decades, the WIC program not only delivered comprehensive services such as nutrition education, health screenings, and breastfeeding support; it has also cultivated an inclusive community where families can learn, connect, and feel a sense of support while making informed decisions about their health and the health of their baby.
In this month’s Why WIC Matters video, WIC experts from across the country delve into the program’s enduring relevance, highlighting how WIC consistently fosters positive health outcomes for families, particularly those facing financial barriers and lack of access to critical resources.
We Appreciate You!
We would like to extend a special thank you to the Prince William Health District WIC team! Serving over 9,000 participants in the Greater Prince William area the WIC team is made up of passionate and motivated individuals. WIC team members provide nutrition education, breastfeeding support to families, and aide in the prevention of childhood obesity and overall family health and wellbeing.
|
|
 |
Celebrate why WIC Matters and learn more about the Prince William Health District's WIC program using these resources provided below:
|
|
In Case You Missed It...
Last week it was announced that the Prince William Health District had been recognized by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) for its ability to plan for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies. Prince William Health District demonstrated these capabilities by meeting the comprehensive preparedness benchmarks required by Project Public Health Ready (PPHR), a unique partnership between NACCHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We are proud to have been recognized by Project Public Health Ready, and we remain dedicated to improving our ability to respond to any public health crisis quickly and effectively – this recognition underscores the Prince William Health District's commitment to prioritizing the health and well-being of all members of our community,” said Dr. Olugbenga Obasanjo, Acting Health Director of Prince William Health District. |
|
 |
|
|
This Winter Season: Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones
Vaccines are available to help protect against severe illness and hospitalization caused by all three of the major fall and winter respiratory viruses – flu, COVID-19, and RSV.
|
|
 |
Updated COVID-19 Vaccine: Everyone 6 months and older should get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. It targets the most common circulating variants for the 2023-2024 fall/winter season.
Flu Vaccine: Everyone 6 months and older, with rare exception, should get the flu vaccine every year.
The COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine can be given at the same time, if eligible and timing coincides.
Learn more about the RSV immunizations for older adults, pregnant people, and infants.
|
|
Join Our Team!
- Nutritionist Senior
- Public Health Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
- IT Specialist
|
|
|
|
|
