Churches United for Healthy Congregations

   When Florida’s 67 counties were ranked using the model developed by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Pinellas County ranked 33rd in Health Outcomes, Quality of Life and Length of Life. It also showed that the leading causes of death in Pinellas County are chronic diseases, including cancer – most prevalently lung cancer – as well as heart disease.
   This data, and the information provided by our own Pinellas County Health Department, verified what many of us already suspected, or even knew: behavioral risk factors such as poor nutrition and limited physical activity affect the health of our community. Income, neighborhood, gender and race also impact access to health care and affect health outcomes.
   These are outcomes that we can change by working together. To visit the Healthy St. Pete website and learn more about what the City and its partners are doing to resolve these issues, click here.

National Public Radio (NPR) recently profiled an analysis of mortality records that uncovered the most distinctive cause of death in each state. In Texas, it's tuberculosis. In Maine, the flu. And in Nevada, it's "legal intervention." Click here to find out more.

The latest CDC map detailing the prevalence of obesity for all U.S. states based on 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data is now available at www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/prevalence-maps.html. Three additional maps demonstrate obesity prevalence by race/ethnicity for each state.

Drugwatch.com is a comprehensive resource about dangerous side effects and complications from commonly prescribed drugs and oft-used medical devices. Their mission is to educate people about medications they take and the devices that are in their bodies and then to provide resources to help people evaluate whether they have a legal case because of life-changing side effects or complications. Drugwatch.com is updated constantly with new information about research breakthroughs, clinical trials, recalls and warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). By making you aware of the risks of certain medications and medical devices, Drugwatch gives you a better chance for quality of life and survival. Go to the links page.

Many women who are not insured or "under-insured" forgo getting a mammogram due to the cost.  Pinellas County has two programs that are here to help!  Our Women's Heath page offers more information about no cost mammograms and where to get them.  Just click here to go to the Women's Health page and scroll down that page to Mammograms.

The Home Visiting Advisory Council of the Healthy Start Coalition of Pinellas, Inc. has put together a two page summary sheet of all the home visitation programs in Pinellas. For those of you who work with expectant and new moms in your congregations, this is a very handy resource sheet.  Check it out on our Women's Health page!

Twelve states currently have an adult obesity rate above 30 percent, according to a new analysis released by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The analysis used the state obesity rates released made available by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mississippi had the highest rate of obesity at 34.9 percent, while Colorado had the lowest rate at 20.7 percent. Twenty-six of the 30 states with the highest obesity rates are in the Midwest and South. Florida came in at 26.6%.   More

Walk in Peace and improve your health with the Spirit Filled 12 Week Walking Plan.
This is a simple plan that you can use in your congregations to get folks moving. 
Click here to go to our "A Healthier You" section to see the plan.

Then don't miss our new Links Page addition for aspiring grant writers!  HRSA has put out a technical assistance website to help you write that award winning grant application. Just click here and scroll to the end.

Looking for some accurate and helpful health information to give out to your congregation? Go4Life at the National Institute on Aging has some for you....for free. Just click here to go to their website.

Did you know that falls are the leading cause of injury, death, and disability for Floridians age 65 and over?  As a state that ranks first in the nation in the percentage of its residents who are elders, educating our seniors and their caregivers on how to prevent falls in homes and assisted living and medical facilities is vital to the safety of our population.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately one-third of all Americans age 65 and older will suffer a fall each year. Particularly disturbing is the CDC's estimate of 1,800 annual deaths among nursing home residents from fall-related injuries. The most recent Florida Department of Health data show that in 2009, 1,714 Florida seniors suffered fatal injuries and 42,754 others were hospitalized for nonfatal injuries from falls. Traumatic brain injuries were associated with 46 percent of the fall fatalities, while hip fractures related to 32 percent of deaths from falls.

Since the majority of falls occur within or around a place of residence, you can prevent a fall by providing some simple home modifications. Hallways and entrance ways need to be clear. Certain furniture arrangements are better than others. The telephone should be easily accessible for a fragile adult. Hazardous throw rugs can be removed.  An older or infirm person may benefit from a hand-held shower head, grab bars for the bathtub or better lighting.

Falls are a serious problem for our most vulnerable adults. Becoming educated on how to prevent them is the first step in protecting our seniors.  Click here for good tips on how to prevent falls.