Don't Forget to Vote!

Your Voice Matters - Voting in Ohio is November 3rd

Election day in Ohio is quickly approaching.  Below are some quick links to get you prepared to vote.  Listed are items such as; what you would be voting for, how to check if you are registered to vote, where you go to vote, voting FAQs and more! Express yourself by voting for things that would make Ohio a better place for you to live.

 

Quick Links

• What is on the ballot?

• Voter Toolkit

• Check your voter registration

• Find your voting precinct

• Voting Schedule

• Voter Registration Form

• Absentee Voting

• Voting FAQs

•  More Info

Dental Hygiene Month

ADHA's 4 Steps for a Good Oral Health Routine

• Brush X2 a day
• Floss!
• Use mouthwash
• If you chew gum, make sure it is sugar-free

Kid's Section

• Webinar for children on oral health 
• Website with handouts and a video for children on oral health habits

Share Your Story/Spread Awareness

• Use hashtag #NDHM2015 in social media

FREE CE Course

• Take "Chewing Gum, Eating Behaviors, Oral Ecology and Saliva As a Homeostatic Mechanism" between October 16-Nov 16. Earn continuing education by clicking here.

2015 Super Hero Award Presentation

Team Members Unite to Accept Award

On September 29th, OACHC presented the 2015 Super Hero Award during the networking reception of the 2015 Fall Conference: CommUNITY.

Beverly Gifford's HealthSource of Ohio team members accepted her award on her behalf. "For those of you who know Bev....she has always been in the community", said Kim Patton, CEO of HSO, during the 2015 Super Hero Award presentation.

Bev's Nomination

"She always goes above and beyond to serve our patients at our health center. When she assists someone in our community she is always warm and friendly in addition to being very knowledgeable about the services we provide. She constantly finds a way to help someone even if we cannot directly assist them. She has been with HealthSource of Ohio for over 25 years and is incredibly familiar with the populations we serve, and it shows with her compassion towards every one we help. She truly is a Health Care Hero."

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This October, OACHC is proud to participate in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women. About 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point.

The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early.

• If you are a woman age 40 to 49, talk with your doctor about when to start getting mammograms and how often to get them.
• If you are a woman age 50 to 74, be sure to get a mammogram every 2 years. You may also choose to get them more often.

Talk to a doctor about your risk for breast cancer, especially if a close family member of yours had breast or ovarian cancer. Your doctor can help you decide when and how often to get mammograms.
 

Member Highlight

The HealthCare Connection is hosting an event, "A Crucial Catch Day", on October 13th which will include a Mercy Health mobile mammography unit.  There will also be education, activities and more!

Ohio Cancer Facts

• In 2012, 582,607 cancer deaths occurred in the United States*, including 25,261 in Ohio. 
• Cancer Quick Profiles: Ohio

More information

• Send someone an eCard reminding them to get a mammogram 
• General Information about Male Breast Cancer  
• Mammograms: Questions for the doctor  
• Breast awareness and self-exam  
• Breast Cancer Types
• Key statistics about breast cancer  
• Find cancer early
• Learn more about Breast Cancer

Finally

• Take the Breast Cancer Quiz

Child Obesity

September - National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

One in 3 children in the United States is 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 is that childhood obesity can be prevented. In honor of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, OACHC encourages your family to make healthy changes together.

• Get active outside: Walk around the neighborhood, go on a bike ride, or play basketball at the park. 
• Limit screen time: Keep screen time (time spent on the computer, watching TV, or playing video games) to 2 hours or less a day.
• Make healthy meals: Buy and serve more vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods.

Taking small steps as a family can help your child stay at a healthy weight.

Learn More:

• CDC: September is National Childhood Obesity Month 
• National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month Toolkit 
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation

STEADI - Falls Prevention

 

Did you know?

•    Approximately 15 percent of Ohio citizens are age 65 or older, yet this group accounts for more than 84 percent of fatal falls.
•    An older adult falls every 2 minutes resulting  in 3 fatalities per day
•    Ohio spends over $1.8 million a day in falls related costs,  totaling  $677 million annually
•    Falls are not a normal part of aging and most falls are preventable
•    There is a simple screening that can assess patients at low, medium and high risk for falls

Ohio will observe National Falls Prevention Awareness Day (NFPAD) on September 23, 2015 with this year’s theme, “Stand up to Prevent Falls.” Celebrated each year on the first day of autumn, Falls Prevention Awareness Day is designed to educate Ohioans that the risks of falling may increase as we grow older, but that falling is not a normal part of the aging process and can be prevented. 

As a health care provider, you can play a critical role in the prevention of falls and can help your patients stay healthy, active and independent longer. We can address risk factors to reduce your patients’ chances of falling and suffering serious injuries like hip fractures and traumatic brain injury that often lead to loss of independence and sometimes their life.

To help raise awareness of this serious issue, the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers is proud to partner with the Ohio Departments of Health and Aging to promote the CDC’s STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries) Tool Kit. 

STEADI is a powerful resource based on a simple algorithm adapted from the American and British Geriatric Societies’ Clinical Practice Guideline.  It includes basic information about falls, case studies, conversation starters, and standardized gait and balance assessment tests.  In addition to the toolkit, ODH has a new video and printed collateral about fall prevention specifically designed for patients and their friends and family. 

You can find additional resources here:

Ohio Department of Health
Ohio Department of Aging STEADY U Ohio
STEADI materials

By working together, we can reduce falls and ensure that older Ohioans are leading happy, healthy and productive lives.

Bad Habits: Are you standing up straight yet?

Get up and move and keep that posture straight!

Did you watch the video? Take the quiz. I bet you were subconsciously adjusting your posture throughout the video.  Many, most, people are guilty of bad posture.  It's hard not to slouch especially when you are sitting at a desk all day.  Many times you forget to even get up and walk around.  These bad habits are also bad for your health.

Look up!

Take a break from your phone! Check out this study by New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine, "Assessment of Stresses in the Cervical Spine Caused by Posture and Position of the Head", a study on the effects of posture due to gravity and phone usage.

Here are some tips, however, to improve poor posture even if you can't look away from your phone.

 

Stand up!

Luckily for us, there are apps such as "Stand Up!" that remind you to stand up from working at your desk.  It has a little reminder, "Stand up! We want you to live longer!".  Go take a walk around the office, do some stretches or at least just stand throughout the day. Don't take our word for it though, check out this "Sitting So Much Should Scare You" infographic.

According to the MayoClinic, sitting for long periods of time seems to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Learn the risks of sitting to long and tips on how to fix the bad habit here. 

So don't just sit there and stand up straight!