In Your Neighborhood . . .
Bell to Retire This Month
After almost nine years building and directing the population health and communications functions of West Piedmont Health District, Nancy Bell is set to retire later this month. Beginning in summer of 2016, she was among the first Population Health Managers in the VDH.
In her role, she has conducted a half dozen Community Health Assessments & Improvement Plans resulting in several million dollars in grant funds in the district for various issues. She created a diversified and stable Community Health Worker (CHW) workforce and a path for CHWs to specialize in such unique applications as CHW-Paramedic, CHW-Peer Support and is working on CHW-Doula certifications.
Additionally, she served as media spokesperson for the health district and the localities during the COVID pandemic and expanded the Population Health unit to include focus on equity and outreach.
She has been recognized as 2022 Community Star by the state office of rural health and received national recognition for WPHD as a 2023 Model Best Practice (NACCHO) award for deploying CHWs as data collectors, ensuring community response was representative of actual population. Currently, she serves as President of the Virginia Rural Health Association.
What does this busy, productive person have planned for retirement? To visit all the state parks in Virginia and all of the national parks in the country. Happy Trails, Nancy!
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'Tis the Season . . . for resolutions.
If you have made promises to yourself about how you will make improvements to your mental and physical health, perhaps the following will help keep those vows.
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Make this the year you quit tobacco for good! We can help. Visit QuitNowVirginia.org or call 1 800 QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) to get started with free coaching and free quit medications.
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People with healthy eating patterns live longer and are at lower risk for serious health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. For people with chronic diseases, healthy eating can help manage these conditions and prevent complications. Tips for Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight | Healthy Weight and Growth | CDC Learn about Body Mass Index
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Just what is "healthy eating?" The FDA announced a final rule to update the definition of the nutrient content claim “healthy.” There is an ever-growing crisis of preventable, diet-related chronic diseases in the U.S. that requires immediate action. … To qualify as “healthy” under the updated definition, food products must contain a certain amount of a food from at least one of the food groups or subgroups outlined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans including fruits, vegetables, protein foods, dairy, and grains. Foods that qualify for the “healthy” claim must also meet certain limits on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. FDA Updates “Healthy” Claim, Providing a Refreshed Tool for Consumers | FDA
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Regular physical activity provides immediate and long-term health benefits. Being physically active can improve your brain health. Other benefits include stronger bones and muscles and better ability to perform everyday activities. Physical Activity and Your Weight and Health | Healthy Weight and Growth | CDC
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Keep your home safe. Your local fire department offers no-cost installation of free smoke detectors for residents to ensure proper fire protection systems and working alarms. You can file a request at the sites listed below: ● Rocky Mount/Franklin County residents use Form Center • Smoke Detector Installation Request ● Martinsville/Henry County residents use Form Center • Smoke Alarm Request ● Danville/Pittsylvania County residents use Smoke Detector Request | Pittsylvania County, VA Also, follow up on recommendations for monoxide detectors in the home.
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Public Health Updates on . . .
Hydroxychloroquine - Pertussis - Air Pollution & Mental Health -
Teens & Substances - Kidney Stones in Kids - Microplastics
The notorious 2020 paper that popularized hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment was retracted due to ethical concerns and methodological problems; the move follows years of campaigning by scientists who said the study contained major flaws. Science
As U.S. pertussis cases surge 6X from last year, public knowledge of the contagious disease remains low, finds a new survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. CIDRAP
Long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to increased risks of hospitalization for mental health conditions as well as physical ailments, per new research from the University of St Andrews published in BMJ Open. The Independent
Most U.S. teens are not drinking, smoking tobacco, or using marijuana, per the annual Monitoring the Future national survey of 24,000 students released yesterday; it is the largest proportion abstaining from those substances since the survey started in 2017. AP
Kidney stones have become more common in children and teens over the past 20 years. They can occur in children of any age, even premature infants, but most stones occur in teens. Kidney stones in kids can cause severe pain. Treatment includes increased fluids, pain relief, and sometimes surgery. Kidney Stones in Children and Teens | National Kidney Foundation
Microplastics are everywhere: The tiny plastic shards are in the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. Researchers are racing to understand the health impacts.
Microplastics in the air could be linked to colon and lung cancer, and may be contributing to infertility, finds a new review of published research in Environmental Science & Technology.
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