Park Prescription Day at George Washington Carver National Monument

George Washington Carver National Monument presents Park Prescription Day on Saturday, April 15 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. You are invited to get your dose of nature during this fun day. All activities are free of charge. Guided and self-guided activities will set up across park grounds. Choose from the following:

10:00 am, Walk With a Doc – get your heart pumping and talk with Dr. Rob McNab
10:30 am – 12:00 pm, Noon Zumba – build strength and increase flexibility with Zumba by Whitney
10:00 am – 1:00 pm, Nutrition by Bonnie – learn from nutritional health coach, Bonnie Chastain in support of a
healthier lifestyle
10:00 am – 1:00 pm, Poetry at the Pond – meditate on the serene atmosphere and write poetry responses for National Poetry Month
10:00 am – 1:00 pm, Chalk Walk – use George Washington Carver’s quotes to spark creativity

Join us on this special day celebrated across the United States and internationally to promote the growing movement of healthcare providers referring patients to parks to improve their health and wellbeing. Park Prescription Day is free of charge, so everyone can get out and enjoy the health benefits of the great outdoors! In the event of inclement weather, activities will be moved indoors.

Administered by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior, George Washington Carver National Monument preserves the birthplace and childhood home of George Washington Carver – scientist, educator, and humanitarian. The park is located two miles west of Diamond, Missouri on Highway V, then ¼ mile south on Carver Road. For more information, please call the park at 417.325.4151 between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm, visit the park website at www.nps.gov/gwca, or visit the park Facebook page.

March 30, 2023/0 Comments/by Alyssa Brown

MOCAN Announces April 2023 Quarterly Conference

Health

The Missouri Council for Activity & Nutrition (MOCAN) is excited to announce their April Quarterly Conference on Thursday, April 20, 2023, from 9:00 to 11:00 am! This event is hosted by the MOCAN Food Systems Work Group and their SNAP For U team.

The conference will explore the problem of food insecurity, specifically within the college student population, as well as facilitators, barriers, and what we can do at all levels of influence. There will be a full Q&A panel, so come prepared with all your questions.

To learn more and see the full panel of speakers, click here. For the full conference agenda, click here.

Reference:

Candace Rodman, Nutrition & Health Specialist
MOCAN Director
c.rodman@missouri.edu

March 22, 2023/0 Comments/by Alyssa Brown

Resumption of Medicaid Eligibility Reverification

Health, News

With the onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency in March 2020, states have been prohibited from removing individuals from Medicaid for not meeting the eligibility standards for coverage. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 ends continuous Medicaid eligibility on Friday, March 31. Beginning Saturday, April 1, states will have 14 months to reverify the eligibility of all current Medicaid participants.

Currently, there are 1.4 million Missourians enrolled in MO HealthNet who must have their eligibility verified sometime during the next year. While it is certain that some current participants no longer qualify for coverage, the vast majority still do. For the first time in more than three years, the state now must document that participants, in fact, qualify for their coverage to continue.

Eligible participants who fail to complete the required verification of their eligibility will lose their coverage. Hospitals can reduce this risk by helping their Medicaid-covered patients complete the state’s review process.

The Missouri Hospital Association compiled resources and strategies that hospitals can use to help their patients prepare for and successfully verify their eligibility. This compendium, “PHE Unwinding: The Reverification of Medicaid Participant Eligibility,” is accessible on MHA’s website and will be updated frequently with news, policy updates and performance data as Medicaid reverification progresses. In addition, copies of public awareness flyers to display in patient waiting and contact areas will be mailed this week to your hospital’s public relations representative.

For questions about the state’s Medicaid reverification process or available MHA resources, please contact me at bkinkade@mhanet.com, or 573.893.3700, ext. 1338.

Reference:

Brian Kinkade, Vice President
Children’s Health and Medicaid Advocacy
573.893.3700
bkinkade@mhanet.com

March 7, 2023/0 Comments/by Alyssa Brown

Joplin Health Department Offering CPR Classes on Thursday, March 16

Health

(Joplin, MO) – Medical professionals echo the call for more people to learn CPR after thousands watching a national football league game witnessed Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest on the field and how quickly CPR was administered to assist him through the medical crisis. Doctors have stated administering CPR outside the hospital can save thousands of lives annually, but about half of Americans say they don’t know how to do it.

The Joplin Health Department is offering two classes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Thursday, March 16 for the public. Classes will be held in Conference Room 1 of the Joplin Public Library, 1901 East 20th Street. The classes are a part of the American Heart Association’s training. Friends and Family® CPR will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 pm and will cover:

Adult hands-only CPR and with breaths
Child and infant CPR
Adult and child AED use
Mild and severe airway block
Hands-on practice of all techniques

This class is a great one for new parents, grandparents, babysitters, and others. Cost is $25 per person.

AHA HeartCode® BLS Skills Checkoff will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 am on March 16. The course is designed for those who have already completed the online portion of the HeartCode® BLS course. This is the hands-on skills session check-off to complete the certification for HeartCode® BLS. Cost is $20 per person.

Preregistration and pre-payment are required to attend either of these classes. Participants can complete these steps by going to the Joplin Parks registration website of their online catalog. Classes are listed under the Adult Programs division of the registration site. Citizens can also call the Health Department at 417.623.6122, ext. 1258 for more information.

Reference:

Lynn Iliff Onstot, Public Information Officer
City of Joplin
417.624.0820, ext. 1204
LOnstot@joplinmo.org

February 16, 2023/0 Comments/by Alyssa Brown

4 States Heart Walk

The Southwest Missouri Heart Walk has always been a terrific way to get moving while socializing with friends, family, and coworkers. But it’s so much more than a walk! Walking in the Heart Walk boosts your heart health AND your mental health and helps thousands of others at the same time. We are thrilled to be back in person ready to reinvigorate people’s heart-healthy lifestyle by uniting our community for better health, a fun experience and opportunity to help save lives. This is a fun team building event for the community

June 17, 2022/0 Comments/by healthyjoplin

Building Bridges: “Walking Alongside”

Our mission is to walk alongside and equip people with the skills and relationships to improve their lives, resolve poverty, and thrive.

Building Bridges, formerly Circles of Joplin, is all about cultivating relationships. Together, everyday men and women figure out how to better their lives. Community members (Allies) walk alongside participants (Leaders) on their journey.