National Immunization Awareness Month
August 1, 2018 By
National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance
to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages.
- NIAM was established to encourage people of all ages to make sure they
are up to date on the vaccines recommended for them. - Communities have continued to use the month of August each year to
raise awareness about the important role vaccines play in preventing
serious, sometimes deadly, diseases. - Immunization is a shared responsibility. Families, healthcare
professionals, and public health officials must work together to help
protect the entire community.
Talk to your health care professional to make sure your family is up to date on all the recommended vaccines.
- Back-to-school appointments are a perfect time to make sure your
children are up-to-date on all the vaccines recommended for them. - Because vaccines aren’t just for kids, you can take CDC’s Adult Vaccine
Quiz to find out which vaccines may be recommended for you. Take the
customized printout to discuss with your doctor at your next healthcare
encounter.
Big Stone County 1 of 36 on US News community health honor roll
July 1, 2018 By
Ortonville, MN — The 2018 U.S. News Healthiest Communities Honor Roll recently recognized Big Stone County as one of 36 communities on their first ever health honor roll.
The honor roll is a component of U.S. News & World Report‘s inaugural healthiest communities rankings, a project conducted in collaboration with Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna’s charitable foundation. The project scores nearly 3,000 counties on approximately 80 indicators across 10 categories: population health, equity, education, economy, housing, food and nutrition, environment, public safety, community vitality and infrastructure. Researchers then identified the top 500 healthiest communities.
“At Ortonville Area Health Services (OAHS), we’re proud of our community and to play a key roll in the health of people in our area,” Dave Rogers, CEO of OAHS.
As part of the project, each county was placed into a peer groups based on urban-rural status and economic performance, according to U.S. News & World Report. The groups are urban, high-performing rankings; urban, up-and-coming rankings; rural, high-performing rankings; and rural, up-and-coming rankings.
The honor roll comprises the top-performing communities within each peer group in these specific geographic divisions: East North Central, East South Central, Middle Atlantic, Mountain, New England, Pacific, South Atlantic, West North Central and West South Central.
The communities named to the honor roll “best serve their residents in the face of often complex health-related challenges,” according to U.S. News & World Report. Populations in honor roll communities range from 2,000 people to nearly 1 million. According to U.S. News & World Report, the honor roll communities together have an average life expectancy of 81 years and health insurance coverage exceeding 90 percent.
Here are the 36 honor roll communities.
- Allegany County, N.Y.
- Bennington County, Vt.
- Leelanau County, Mich.
- Big Stone County, Minn.
- Lexington, Va.
- Carson County, Texas
- Livingston County, N.Y.
- Carver County, Minn.
- Marshall County, Ky.
- Collin County, Texas
- Mono County, Calif.
- Dolores County, Colo.
- Montgomery County, Va.
- Door County, Wis.
- Morris County, N.J.
- Douglas County, Colo.
- Nantucket County, Mass.
- Dukes County, Mass.
- Orleans County, Vt.
- Essex County, N.Y.
- Pickett County, Tenn.
- Falls Church, Va.
- Real County, Texas
- Hamilton County, Ind.
- Routt County, Colo.
- Island County, Wash.
- San Mateo County, Calif.
- Jefferson County, Wash.
- Sibley County, Minn.
- Kerr County, Texas
- Washington County, Tenn.
- Keweenaw County, Mich.
- Williamson County, Tenn.
- King George County, Va.
- Winneshiek County, Iowa
- Latah County, Idaho
June is National Safety Month
June 1, 2018 By
Every 3 minutes, someone dies from something 100% preventable. National Safety Month is a call to action to reverse this trend. Join us to ensure #No1GetsHurt www.nsc.org/nsm
Do You Focus on Fitness #4Mind4Body?
May 1, 2018 By
Mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being, and mental illnesses are common and treatable. So much of what we do physically impacts us mentally –it’s important to pay attention to both your physical health and your mental health, which can help you achieve overall wellness and set you on a path to recovery.
This May is Mental Health Month; Ortonville Area Health Services is raising awareness about the connection between physical health and mental health, through the theme Fitness #4Mind4Body. The campaign is meant to educate and inform individuals about how eating healthy foods, gut health, managing stress, exercising, and getting enough sleep can go a long way in making you healthy all around.
A healthy lifestyle can help to prevent the onset or worsening of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, as well as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other chronic health problems. It can also play a big role in helping people recover from these conditions. Taking good care of your body is part of a before Stage Four approach to mental health.
Getting the appropriate amount of exercise can help control weight, improve mental health, and help you live longer and healthier. Recent research is also connecting your nutrition and gut health with your mental health. Sleep also plays a critical role in all aspects of our life and overall health. Getting a good night’s sleep is important to having enough physical and mental energy to take on daily responsibilities. And we all know that stress can have a huge impact on all aspects of our health, so it’s important to take time to focus on stress-reducing activities like meditation or yoga.
OAHS wants everyone to know that mental illnesses are real, and recovery is always the goal. Living a healthy lifestyle may not be easy, but by looking at your overall health every day – both physically and mentally – you can go a long way in ensuring that you focus on your Fitness#4Mind4Body.
For more information, visit www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may.
Motherhood and More – An OAHS Women’s Expo
March 21, 2018 By
Ortonville Area Health Services (OAHS) is excited to announce the upcoming Motherhood and More event, April 6th at the Ortonville Armory.
This event will feature motherhood-inspired vendors as well as motivational speaker and life coach, Kathryn Vigness.
As a self-proclaimed soulpreneur, encourager, and lover of all things happy, Kathryn inspires and encourages those around her to live with intention. As a mama to three boys under the age of seven, Kathryn demonstrates the importance of self-love, being seen amidst the messiness of life, and finding beauty at rock bottom. Her energy and belly laughs are contagious, her stories are memorable, and her passions are a magnetic attraction for others.
As an avid writer, Kathryn is the co-author of #soulprompt: an inspirational journal that unfolds when you do, a featured blogger for elephantjournal, a contributing author in the book and documentary series, StoREALities, and will be releasing her memoir, Growing Wild, in 2018.
“OAHS has a passion for moms and we want to lift you up and encourage you to keep doing the great work you are already doing!” said OAHS’ Beth Fladhammer, FNP” Kathryn Vigness is going to be amazing!”
Doors open at 5:30 pm for shopping and refreshments and Kathryn will begin at 7:30 pm.
2018 Student Internship Opportunity
March 6, 2018 By
Through a joint effort with the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, MN Department of Health and OAHS, we are accepting applications for the summer internship program. This Summer Health Care Intern Program (SHCIP) allows students to gain valuable experience in a healthcare setting and encourage students to explore healthcare careers.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- High School students who will be entering their senior year in the fall of 2018, or are 2018 high school graduates; or
- Post-secondary students who are enrolled in (and not graduating this school year) a Minnesota 2-year or 4-year healthcare degree-granting educational program; or are a resident of Minnesota enrolled in (but not graduating this school year) an out-of-state two-year or four-year health care degree-granting educational program.
For consideration, students must submit a completed OAHS application with a cover letter plus at least one letter of reference by March 26, 2018.
Applications should be submitted to:
Ortonville Area Health Services
Attn: HR Office
450 Eastvold Ave, Ortonville, MN 56278
Applications are available at www.oahs.us/careers.
Phone: 320-839-4125 Email: hr@oahs.us
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