News and Events
National Rural Health Day
November 19th, 2020
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HRHN will join the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health and other state/national rural stakeholders in celebrating National Rural Health Day on Thursday, November 19th.
National Rural Health Day Links: Power of Rural National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health Florida Rural Health Association National Rural Health Association |
Flu Vaccine Information
Central Florida Health Care submitted an article for our Quarter 4 Newsletter about the importance of the Flu Vaccine, especially this year due to COVID-19. It is important to protect yourself and your loved ones :)
Central Florida Health Care
CDC's Flu Resources Center
FDOH's Where Can I Get a Flu Shot?
Central Florida Health Care
CDC's Flu Resources Center
FDOH's Where Can I Get a Flu Shot?
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
November 2020
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This November, we urge you to learn more about Lung Cancer and what you can do to help. It is important that if you are a smoker or vaper, that you get assistance to help stop (see the flyer below for virtual quitting resources from our partners at Central Florida AHEC).
Everyone can mitigate their risk and better their chance of survival for any type of cancer by having regular, annual check-ups with their primary care provider, and following recommendations for screenings. Also, remember on November 19thto participate in the Great American Smokeout 2020! Lung Cancer Awareness Resources: American Lung Association Lung Cancer Awareness Month Coalition (International) Lung Cancer Foundation of America ACS - Great American Smokeout 2020 CDC's Lung Cancer Awareness Central Florida AHEC |
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National Diabetes Awareness Month
November 2020
In the past, HRHN has had several programs geared toward empowering and supporting the diabetic populations of Highlands, Hardee, and DeSoto Counties. Community Health Workers helped individuals newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, or struggling with self-management of their type 2 diabetes, learn proper self-care, self-advocacy, and cooking techniques to increase their ability to manage (and sometimes eradicate) the disease. This American Diabetes Month, we want to remind all our former clients to remember that they can control their diabetes instead of it controlling them. Just remember your tools that your CHW taught you.
If you are struggling with Diabetes, please talk with your provider about additional assistance they might offer including diabetes classes, cooking instruction, and/or a diabetes educator. |
The American Diabetes Association reminds us that this American Diabetes Month is a time to take action together, as a community. Because together, we can conquer this disease. Together, we stand greater than diabetes. November is a time for those at risk to talk about diabetes, get educated, find resources, and make sure all those around us are aware of their risk, too. For those with diabetes, it is a time to tell your stories and awaken the world.
National Diabetes Awareness Month Links: American Diabetes Association NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Joslin Diabetes Diabetes Education/Resource Links: Central Florida Health Care ADCES Diabetes Educator Diabetes Foundation John Hopkins Diabetes Self-Management Patient Materials American Heart Association's Diabetes Tools & Resources Florida DOH Diabetes Resources |
National COPD Awareness Month
November 2020
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This November for National COPD Awareness Month, join Heartland Rural Health Network in raising awareness about COPD. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, health care provider, advocate, or researcher, share your perspective. We all have a voice when it comes to COPD and we should use it to help people understand and recognize it earlier, so they can receive treatment to breathe easier.
COPD Awareness Month Resources: Learn More Breathe Better Program COPD Awareness Month Toolkits and Info World COPD Day |
Project ECHO Sessions
December Awareness Months
Please note that there isn't a lot of information out right now about the themes and activities to celebrate these Awareness Months. Due to this, we only have the links and basic information below. These will be updated in late November/early December.
National AIDs Awareness MonthKnow your status and know the facts about HIV/AIDs!
Links for National AIDs Awareness Month https://www.worldaidsday.org http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/aids/index.html |
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National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month
The Holidays bring a lot of cheer and celebration - but we need to stay responsible while celebrating. December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month.
Links for information about National 3D Prevention Month:
https://www.sheriffs.org/December-Impaired-Driving-Prevention-Month
https://www.madd.org/december-is-national-impaired-driving-prevention-month/
If you or someone you know is suffering with alcohol or drugs, here are some local resources for help:
Tri-County Human Services
Peace River Center
Links for information about National 3D Prevention Month:
https://www.sheriffs.org/December-Impaired-Driving-Prevention-Month
https://www.madd.org/december-is-national-impaired-driving-prevention-month/
If you or someone you know is suffering with alcohol or drugs, here are some local resources for help:
Tri-County Human Services
Peace River Center
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Universal Human Rights MonthLet's get together and celebrate Universal Human Rights across the World!
World Human Rights Day is December 10th. Check back for updates on the theme and events. Universal Human Rights Month Links: https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day https://www.civilandhumanrights.org https://www.hrc.org |
Self-Care: Holiday Help
Need a little extra help this Holiday Season? We are posting some helpful tips and advice from partners on our Social Media (Facebook.com/heartlandrhn) that you can check out. If you need a little more support, here is some places you can check out.
Tri-County Human Services
Peace River Center
Warplanes
Mental Health America on Inspire
Reachout App
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
See our Additional Resources under National Suicide Prevention Week.
Tri-County Human Services
Peace River Center
Warplanes
Mental Health America on Inspire
Reachout App
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
See our Additional Resources under National Suicide Prevention Week.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October 2020
Domestic Violence Awareness Month Links:
https://nomore.org/campaigns/dvam/ https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2497/florida_2019.pd |
Domestic Violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another.
If you or someone you know is dealing with Domestic Violence, seek help. Locally, Peace River Center is a good resource for help dealing with Domestic Violence and many of our law enforcement offices have branches specifically to help with Domestic Violence. If you see, hear, or suspect someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911. Links for help: National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE) loveisrespect (Dating Abuse Helpline) Call or text "loveis" to 1-866-331-9474 National Helpline for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse or Assault |
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Join HRHN in taking a stand to end Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault by taking the #NoMore pledge.
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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or
Safe Sleep Awareness Month
October 2020
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The Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties shared the following with us this October:
Sleep-related deaths are 100% preventable and consistently one of the leading causes of death in children under 1 in Polk. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants sleep only on their back for every sleep by every caregiver until the child is one year of age. Infants should be placed alone in their crib and on their backs. There should be no bumpers, pillows, loose bedding, or other soft surfaces (i.e. stuffed animals) in the crib with the infant. Caregivers responsible for the infant should never be under the influence of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs; caregivers should never share beds with the infant. Polk County recognizes that this is a serious, but preventable issue; together we can ensure all caregivers have access to education and resources on safe sleep practices. If you or someone you know is interested in participating in the Polk Safe Sleep Task Force, please contact Tonya Akwetey, MPH at takwetey@healthystarthhp.org. Safe Sleep Awareness Month Links: Healthy Start Coalition of HHP NIH's National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Digital Toolkit American Academy of Pediatrics Safe Sleep CDC's Safe Sleep for Babies Nemour's Safe Sleep for Babies |
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October 2020
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Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissue of the breast. Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
What can you do? Remind the women in your life to get a mammogram according to recommended ages and history. Learn about and complete self-testing for breast cancer. Donate to cancer research. Learn more and protect the women (and men) you care about because early detection goes a LONG way. Breast Cancer Awareness Links: National Breast Cancer Foundation CDC's Breast Cancer Center Mayo Clinic American Cancer Society Breast Cancer.Org NIH's National Cancer Institute MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Bullying Prevention Month
October 2020
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October was Bullying Prevention Month. With your help, we can come together as a community to promote inclusion and acceptance over bullying and exclusion.
Bullying Prevention Month Links: Stomp Out Bullying Pacer Stop Bullying |
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Healthy Literacy Month
October 2020
Links for more information on Health Literacy Month:
https://healthliteracymonth.org
https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/learn/index.html
https://www.hrsa.gov/about/organization/bureaus/ohe/health-literacy/index.html
https://healthliteracymonth.org
https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/learn/index.html
https://www.hrsa.gov/about/organization/bureaus/ohe/health-literacy/index.html
National Suicide Prevention Week
September 6th - 12th, 2020
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If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. |
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Learn how to help prevent suicides.
Link to Article about Trusted Resources for Suicide Prevention from HRSA, Click Here. To Download the State Suicide Fact Sheet, click here. To look at other state's fact sheets, click here. |
Pulmonary Rehabilitation:
Why is it so hard to qualify?
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This quarter, our newsletter featured an article on Pulmonary Rehabilitation from DeSoto Memorial Hospital. Due to space limitations, we were unable to post the references from the article. However, if you click here you can down the article in its entirety, including the references. If you have any questions about the article, please feel free to reach out to us at support@hrhn.org or Sarah Hipp at DeSoto Memorial Hospital at shipp@dmh.org. |
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Yoga Awareness Month
The Self-Care topic for the Quarter 3 Newsletter is yoga, which can do great things for your mind, body and soul. September is Yoga Awareness Month. During September, you might see more posts about Yoga and about free virutal classes. Yoga is a great workout option for women, men and kids. Maybe this September, you try one out?
Article from Health Corps about Yoga can be found here. |
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Prepping for a Hurricane
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Hurricane season for the Atlantic runs from June 1st to November 30th. As we are sitting right dab in the middle of Hurricane Season, our Quarter 3 Newsletter has important information on getting prepared for Hurricane Season, especially with the added wrench of the COVID-19 Pandemic this year.
The article we brought over to our newsletter can be found in its entirety on the CDC Webpage here. Hurricane Preparedness Pages for each county (click on county for each link): Charlotte County DeSoto County Hardee County Highlands County Polk County |
National Breastfeeding Month
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August is National Breastfeeding Month. To get more information about National Breastfeed Month and to see resources for Breastfeeding families, visit the following links:
National Breastfeeding Month Links About Breastfeeding Month Link 1 Link 2 Articles about Breastfeeding Article 1 Article 2 |
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National Health Center Week
August 9th - 15th, 2020
Here is the highlights of each day during the week:
visit the National Health Center Week 2020 page by clicking here. |
Health centers are an integral part of our communities, providing preventive care and primary care services, as well as often taking the lead in providing social services and fighting social determinants of health. This National Health Center Week, help us celebrate our Health Centers for all that they do for our communities!
Central Florida Health Care, Inc. serves Polk, Hardee, and Highlands Counties, FL. Central Florida Health Care is also an active member of our Board of Directors. They have worked hard to remain open during the pandemic to serve all residents and non-residents. Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida serves Charlotte County, as well as Glades, Lee and Sarasota Counties, FL. MCR Health Inc. serves DeSoto County, as well as Manatee and Sarasota Counties, FL. Suncoast Community Health Centers has one center serving Polk County, as well as Hillsborough County, FL. 
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Job Announcements
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As part of the ongoing COVID response, DOH in Highlands county has been authorized to hire individuals for OPS positions in the areas listed in the HRHN Newsletter. The positions will be funded through 12/31/20. If you or someone you know is interested, please fill out the Employment Application below and send it to Sherry Gaffney at Sherry.Gaffney@flhealth.gov.
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June is Alzheimer's and
Brain Awareness Month
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To get more information on Alzheimer's and other Brain Awareness Month and the Alzheimer's Association, visit the following links:
Alzheimer's Awareness Links Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month Alzheimer's Association |
May is Mental Health
Awareness Month
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In the Quarter 2 Newsletter for HRHN, we presented an summary of an article posted to the National Alliance on Mental Illness about How to Ease Children's Anxiety About COVID-19 that was written by Dawn O'Malley, Psy. D. on March 25, 2020. To view the article in its entirety and find more Mental Health Resources, visit the following links:
Mental Health Month Links NAMI's Article National Alliance on Mental Illness Mental Health America Tri-County Human Services (Partner in Prevention) Peace River Center (Partner in Prevention |
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Peace River Center promotes Mental Health Awareness
Peace River Center's Spring 2020 virtual magazine is live! Check it out here.
Wear Green to show your support of Mental Health Awareness on MAY 6th!
Also, we encourage you to join us in promoting Mental Health Awareness by wearing green on Wednesday, May 6th. Make sure you upload your photo to social media and use the hashtags #greenforPRC #hrhn and #mentalhealthawareness. We can't wait to see your pictures!
April is National
Child Abuse Prevention Month
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To get more information on Child Abuse Prevention Month Activities and the Champion for Children Foundation of Highlands County, visit the following links:
Child Abuse Prevention Month Links Child Abuse Prevention Month Champion for Children Foundation |
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COVID-19 Myth Busters:
Separating Fact from Fiction
The World Health Organization (WHO) posts regularly on their website Myths and Facts about COVID-19. In our Quarter 2 Newsletter, we highlighted some of the most frequently heard myths in our community. To see them all, follow the link below:
COVID-19 Facts
To see a collection of resources for COVID-19,
visit our dedicated COVID-19 Resource page
by clicking HERE.
2020 Census: How it Affects Your Community
The count is mandated by the Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency. The 2020 Census counts the population in the United States and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Each home will receive an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire—online, by phone, or by mail—between March 12-20.
Participating in the census is required by law, even if you recently completed another survey from the Census Bureau. A complete and accurate count is critical for you and your community, because the results of the 2020 Census will affect community funding, congressional representation, and more.
The Census Bureau is bound by Title 13 of the U.S. Code to keep your information confidential. This law protects your answers to the 2020 Census. Under Title 13, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your business, even to law enforcement agencies. The law ensures that your private data is protected and that your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court. Violating Title 13 is a federal crime, punishable by prison time and/or a fine of up to $250,000.
The answers you provide are used only to produce statistics. You are kept anonymous: The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or anyone else in your home.
To read more about the census, click here and look at the options under the Get The Facts tab.
To take the Census online (you will need your Census ID), go to 2020 Census website and click Respond.
Participating in the census is required by law, even if you recently completed another survey from the Census Bureau. A complete and accurate count is critical for you and your community, because the results of the 2020 Census will affect community funding, congressional representation, and more.
The Census Bureau is bound by Title 13 of the U.S. Code to keep your information confidential. This law protects your answers to the 2020 Census. Under Title 13, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your business, even to law enforcement agencies. The law ensures that your private data is protected and that your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court. Violating Title 13 is a federal crime, punishable by prison time and/or a fine of up to $250,000.
The answers you provide are used only to produce statistics. You are kept anonymous: The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or anyone else in your home.
To read more about the census, click here and look at the options under the Get The Facts tab.
To take the Census online (you will need your Census ID), go to 2020 Census website and click Respond.
February is American Heart Month
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To get more information on American Heart Month and February 7th's National Wear Red Day, visit the following links:
Heart Month Links Amercican Heart Association National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute |
Diabetes Resource Links
Mayo Clinic Resources
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
American Diabetes Association
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
American Diabetes Association
HRHN's iMAD Program's I Make A Difference
Conference 2019
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Heartland Rural Health Network's iMAD Program is hosting their first conference centered on Adolescent Health and Development, specifically focusing this year on mental health. The I Make a Difference Conference 2019 will have speakers and small break-out sessions. The featured speaker is Donna Lucero, MA, LPCC, NCC. Lucero who is the director of clinical services at All Faiths Children’s Advocacy Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She will be talking about recognizing, understanding and responding to the impact of childhood trauma. The conference will be held at Sebring's Circle Theater on December 18th from 8 am - 4 pm. It is free and open to the public, but we do request that people pre-register to insure we have enough space. To register, email karen.clogston@hrhn.org.
See the Highlands News-Sun write up on this conference here. |
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HRHN's iMAD Program's Wizard Camp
Highlighted in FYSB Success Stories
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Heartland Rural Health Network, Inc.'s iMAD Program hosted its second annual summer camp in Summer of 2018. Recently, FYSB posted an interview with our Program Director, Larry Moore, about the program's inaugural year. To read about the article, click here.
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HRHN launches new website for iMAD Program
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Heartland Rural Health Network recently launched its newest website for its iMAD sexual health education program. The website that went live September 1, is designed for students and their parents to provide more information about the topics covered in the in-school program as well as some essential life skills. These main topics include Relationships, Life Skills and Youth Development. If you would like to learn more about the iMAD Program or read up on some of its staff please click here to check it out! |
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One in every fifteen people living in the United States depends on health center services. Health Centers deliver high quality, cost effective, accessible care while serving as critical economic engines helping to power local economies.
In addition to their long history as health care homes to millions, Health Centers are also proud to celebrate over 50 years of service and continue to be ranked among the highest quality and cost effective care providers in the nation. Health Centers provide their services to all people, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status. Each year we celebrate the work and services Health Centers provide to special populations within their community on designated days during the week. This year is no different! NHCW has added focused themed days, which will allow for more opportunities to showcase the innovative services and programs at Health Centers.
In addition to their long history as health care homes to millions, Health Centers are also proud to celebrate over 50 years of service and continue to be ranked among the highest quality and cost effective care providers in the nation. Health Centers provide their services to all people, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status. Each year we celebrate the work and services Health Centers provide to special populations within their community on designated days during the week. This year is no different! NHCW has added focused themed days, which will allow for more opportunities to showcase the innovative services and programs at Health Centers.
Want to learn more about Health Centers?
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