T O U G A L O O C O L L E G E O W E N S H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S C E N T E R
Newsletter Designed and Edited By George “Chuck” Patterson
A Q uarter l y N e w s l e tte r
Active Life for Older
Adults
Senior citizens
programming gets a
new name and look!!
Page 2
AKA 5K
OHWC partnered with
Rho Lambda Omega
Chapter of Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Inc. for a campus 5K
run/walk. !
Page 4
What Exactly Is
A Community
Health Worker?!
By Dr. Valerie Short!
Community health workers (CHW's) are
defined by the American Public Health
Association as 'frontline public health workers
who are trusted members of their community
or have an unusually close understanding of
the community served.' The Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA, for
short) champions CHW's as valued members
of the healthcare workforce. CHW's are
referenced in sections #5101, #5313, and #5403
of this law. The United States Federal Register
permits their scope to be guided by each
state's law. The occupational code assigned by
the Bureau of Labor Statistics is: 21- 1094.!
!
Who are CHW's?!
CHW's are known by a myriad of titles
including: !
Peer counselors, outreach workers,
promotores, navigators, community health
advocates, and so on. They are authentic
grass-root public health workers who are
Health In Your Hands
Is s ue No. 7 - Fa ll 201 4
Community Speaks
From Ferguson to
Jackson, communitylaw enforcement
relations must be
strengthened. !
Page 5
10 Ways To Detox Daily
Our bodies can become
overwhelmed due to the
volume of toxins
exposed in its
environment. Learn 10
easy ways to detox. !
Page 6
indeed on the frontline. You can find CHW's
involved in various arenas of healthcare
delivery from home care management to
cancer navigation. Though CHW's servicing
Mississippi is a fairly new concept, this
practice has been in place for years- both
nationally and globally. Most are lay
volunteers in our state while a few others may
be paid or salaried. !
!
Why Mississippi?!
Mississippi (MS) is comprised of a total of 82
counties with a population of 2.8 million. The
aging Baby Boomer generation has created a
country of majority elderly-including in MS.
Being 80% rural with even its urban areas
housing several pockets of rural life; may
account for the many medically underserved
areas where the ratio of medical or dental
provider can be as high as 1: 8,000 residents.
Our state is known for its high rates of: !
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Chronic diseases like chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, obesity, hypertension
and heart disease, and diabetes!
Infectious and inflammatory disease such
as HIV, sexually transmissible diseases
particularly chlamydia and syphilis, and
tuberculosis!
Cancers found at the greatest rates along
the coast and in the north!
Coming Soon…
Check out the calendar
of events for the Owens
Health and Wellness
Center !
Page 7
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!
Wild Things
Animal encounters
with Bulldog/Eagle!!
Page 8!
Follow Us On
@tougaloohealth
Pregnancy related issues of preterm labor
and delivery, teenage pregnancy and
birth, and maternal associated medical
diseases !
Lacks of appropriate and adequate
exercise and nutrition !
Children affected by our rates of infant
mortality; oral health disease; and
accidental deaths-whether due in part to
neglect, abuse, or living situations!
Teenagers and young adults plagued by
similar-preventable accidental disability
and death; mental wellbeing including
substance abuse like tobacco and alcohol
use as well as recreational and over-thecounter drugs; other co-dependencies like
intimate partner violence; and also
suicides.!
Therefore, it is apparent that MS does not have
enough primary health care providers,
agencies, or nonprofits to serve its residents in
the most efficacious manner 'without' the
utilization of CHW’s. (Continued on p. 3)
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