Central CT AHEC

We are hiring! Please see below for more information.

Our next CPR class is going to be on Saturday, April 20th. If you are interested or know anyone who is interested, please reach out to sign up!

Happy AmeriCorps Week! Did you know in the last 30 years, 1.25 million people have served in AmeriCorps?

The Health Education Center would like to recognize the commitment of the 11 HealthForward AmeriCorps members who are serving as Health Professions Pipeline Coordinators in CT. Our mission? To recruit and engage high school, college, and health profession students in service-learning activities to increase health knowledge in disadvantaged communities.

AmeriCorps is not a moment, it's a movement. Join us in celebrating our AmeriCorps members today.



Health360 Central CT AHEC

AmeriCorps's theme this month is recruitment, so we wanted to share that we are currently recruiting for our next cohort of HealthForward AmeriCorps members! Please share the service description with anyone you think might be interested.

We will be hosting monthly CPR and First Aid trainings on Saturday's moving forward! Please see attached flyer for more information.

We recently had 5 students graduate from our CNA program! Thank you to Avon Health Center for hosting our students during their clinical rotations, the students enjoyed their experience and learned a lot. Congratulations to all!

This past Wednesday HealthForward AmeriCorps members and UConn Health AHEC staff served lunch to 40 clients at ImmaCare. Thank you to Ted's Montana Grill in South Windsor for providing dessert!

We wanted to introduce our HealthForward AmeriCorps members for the 2023-2024 program year! Matan Doron is from Simsbury, CT and graduated from UConn in 2022. Ellen Fuller is from West Hartford, CT and also graduated from UConn in 2022. We can't wait to see what they do this year!

We had a busy week last week! Stay tuned for more posts!!
Last week we held our annual Living Well With HIV CBET training at USJ! Students from Pharmacy, PA, Nursing, and Nutrition joined. We also presented an award to our partner at USJ and Board Member Dr. Aaron Burton for his dedication to Central CT AHEC!

Central CT AHEC is hosting their CNA course for FREE this cycle! Register online .centralctahec.org. Instructions for sign up are in the flyer! Great opportunity for those interested in clinical hours for schooling, and or a reliable job making a difference.

Central CT AHEC is hosting their CNA course for FREE this cycle! Register online .centralctahec.org. There’s no catch it’s actually FREE! Instructions for sign up are in the flyer! Great opportunity for those interested in clinical hours for schooling, and or a reliable job making a difference !

September was National Childhood Obesity Month, in honor of the end of National Hispanic Heritage Month we wanted to share some resources on SNAP and PANA!

Come visit us at Community Health Services Health Fair going on from 11-3! Come learn about our CNA training, new cycles begin in October!

July is Ultraviolet (UV) Safety Month! As summer comes around it is important to keep your skin and eyes safe from the sun’s harmful rays. Lengthened exposure to UV rays, natural or artificial, can cause sunburn and skin cancer (melanoma, basal cell, and squamous cell cancers). The best ways to do this are to wear sunscreen with 15SPF or more that covers A/B-UV rays, wear protective clothing, and seek shade in times when the sun is at its highest (10 am-4 pm). For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3FbAGQQ

Philadelphia Coordinated Health Care (PCHC) || UV Safety Month ||

Family Health & Fitness Day is celebrated on June 11, 2022! Towns' parks and recreation organizations are encouraged to invite families to engage in their parks and recreation centers or host an event that enables or encourages community members to participate. Helping people eat right and stay active leads them to a healthier life!

For more information and access to materials, visit: https://www.nrpa.org/events/family-fitness-day/

June is PTSD Awareness Month. According to the National Center for PTSD, “About 8 percent of the population will experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder during their lifetime.” Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may occur following exposure to any traumatic event, and PTSD can develop in response to natural disasters, accidents, or violent experiences. The most common symptoms of PTSD are having recurring memories or nightmares of the event, sleeplessness, loss of interest, feelings of numbness, anger or irritability, or being constantly on guard. There are other ways PTSD can impact your life as well. Symptoms may also come and go, and some symptoms don't surface for months or even years after the event.

For more information on PTSD, helping people who have PTSD, or where to seek help for PTSD, visit:
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/
and
https://lonesurvivorfoundation.org/ptsd-awareness-month/

June is Pride Month! Pride Month is celebrated each June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. This month is dedicated to uplifting voices, celebrating the culture, and supporting the rights of people within the LGBTQ+ Community. Anyone can be an ally and join and be a part of the movement!

For more information and how you can be a part of Pride Month, visit:

https://people.com/human-interest/pride-month-explained-pride-month-facts/
https://youth.gov/feature-article/june-lgbt-pride-month

https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/

May 31st is World No To***co Day. The goal of this day is to “spread awareness about the risks of to***co use and how we can make the world to***co-free.” According to the CDC, “More than 16 million Americans are living with a disease caused by smoking,” such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smoking also increases your risk of other illnesses as well. Reducing how much you or someone you know smokes and educating people on smoking can benefit themselves, you, and the world around you!

For more information on World No To***co Day, Visit:

https://nationaltoday.com/world-no-to***co-day/



For more information on Smoking, visit:
https://www.cdc.gov/to***co/basic_information/index.htm

May is Healthy Vision Month! If you haven’t had an exam, schedule a dilated eye exam to check for common eye problems and diseases. Having healthy vision can keep you safe by helping you see your surroundings! You can keep your eyes and vision healthy by eating right (dark leafy greens and fish) and protecting your eyes with sunglasses or goggles.

For more information and resources, visit:

https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/healthyvisionmonth/index.htm #

May is Stroke Awareness Month! Knowing the signs of a stroke and acting F.A.S.T. (Face Drooping, Arm Weakness, Speech Difficulty, Time to Call 911) can save a life. Being successful in recognizing the signs and symptoms of stroke allows you to respond rapidly and smartly to one! Nearly 2 million brain cells die each minute a stroke remains untreated and rapid access to medical treatment can make the difference between a patient's full recovery or permanent disability. According to the 8th European Neurology Congress," Strokes are the second cause of death worldwide and a leading cause of disability."

To find out more about strokes and stroke awareness month, visit:

https://strokerecoveryfoundation.org/

International Nurses Day is celebrated worldwide every May 12 to mark the contributions that nurses make to society. This year the theme for International Nurses Day is “Nurses: A Voice to Lead - Invest in Nursing and respect rights to secure global health.” On this day, we can celebrate our fellow nurses by making them cards, gifts, and masks; we can get them food and personal care items; even just making sure they are okay!



For more information on International Nurses Day, as well as access to more resources, visit:

https://www.icnvoicetolead.com/

May 9th through the 15th is Women’s Health Week. Prioritizing your physical and mental health is always important. Throughout the year, especially this week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH) encourages women and girls to reflect on their health and improve their overall wellbeing. This can be done by staying active, eating healthy, having regular checkups, and having a healthy sleep schedule!

For more information on Women’s Health Week and how you can matin good health, visit:
https://www.womenshealth.gov/nwhw/about

Jacob's Health Tip of the Week!

Harm reduction is a set of strategies, ideas, and services that aim to reduce the harmful consequences of drug use and push for the rights of people who use drugs. These services save lives by being available and accessible. Three elements in harm reduction include Narcan, Syringe Access and Exchange Programs, and Supervised Drug Consumption Services.

Narcan access and training help stop an overdose reaction as it is happening by blocking the effects of opiates on the brain and restoring breathing. Narcan will only work if a person has opiates in their system and gives the victim time for paramedics to arrive.

Syringe Access and Exchange Programs help give people who inject drugs clean and safe needles. Some services may allow the trading of used or contaminated needles.

Supervised Drug Consumption Services give people who use drugs a safe environment where medical professionals can watch over them and educate people on drugs, drug use, and the effects of drugs. This service does not increase drug use, crime, or drug use, they save millions of dollars a year.

For More Information, visit:
https://harmreduction.org/issues/ ( National Harm Reduction Coalition | Issues )

Sources:
https://harmreduction.org/issues/ ( National Harm Reduction Coalition | Issues )

Jacob's Health Tip of the Week!

Indoor Air Quality refers to the air within and around buildings. Having poor air quality can lead to poor health for those within the building. Whether it be your home, school, or office, understanding common indoor pollutants and how to control and reduce them can help decrease your risk of illness and disease.

Some of the leading causes of indoor pollution are Fuel-burning combustion appliances such as stovetops, cleaning products, aerosols, cigarette smoking, and household materials such as new floors and pressed wood furniture.

Health effects from indoor air pollutants are experienced soon after exposure or years later. While this varies from person to person and toxin to toxin, some common symptoms are itchy throat, stuffy nose, or skin irritation. If severe or left untreated, it can lead to lung and heart disease.

One way to combat this is to use products that do not pollute your air, use appliances that do not need fire or cause smoke, or install air filters. You can also fight for better air filtration systems installed in buildings, schools, and homes.

For More Information, visit: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/introduction-indoor-air-quality

World Asthma Day:

May 3rd was World Asthma Day! This day is held on the first Tuesday of May to raise awareness of Asthma worldwide. The WHO estimates that more than 339 million people have asthma globally. This year, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) has decided to address gaps in healthcare related to asthma, such as equal access to diagnoses and treatments, communication and education, and awareness and understanding between different
socioeconomic, ethnic, and age groups among different communities. To address this ourselves, here are some facts about asthma. Asthma can occur at any age; it is not infectious, people with asthma can exercise and play sports if their asthma is well controlled, and asthma is most often controllable with low-dose inhaled steroids.

For more information on World Asthma Day, visit:
https://ginasthma.org/world-asthma-day-2022/

For more information on asthma, visit:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/symptoms-causes/syc-20369653 #

Jacob's Health Tip of the Week!

Smoking involves burning to***co and either ingesting the smoke or releasing it from your mouth. Second-hand smoke involves inhaling the smoke from someone else's cigar or mouth.

Smoking and second-hand smoke affect the entire body, leading to an increased risk of disease and cancer. Second-hand smoke is especially hazardous for young children and infants because their lungs still are developing.

Quitting smoking takes time, but it is beneficial whether you just started or have been smoking for years. Quitting leads to better overall health for you and those around you, reduces medical and financial burdens, and reduces your risk of disease and cancer.

One method to quit smoking is to begin Ni****ne Replacement Therapy such as ni****ne gum, patches, or medications from your doctor. Having support from friends, family, and professionals may also help you keep at it as well. Above all, make a plan, take your time, and do what is best for you.

For more information on smoking, visit: https://bit.ly/3igwG6O (Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking | CDC)

For more information on quitting smoking, visit: https://bit.ly/3ieRoEp (How to Quit | Smoking & To***co Use | CDC)

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/to***co/ ( Smoking & To***co Use | CDC)

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month is dedicated to raising awareness about child abuse and neglect, but more so how families and communities can work together to prevent this. In 2020, there were 618,000 victims of child abuse. Children younger than 1 year old have the highest rate of victimization at 25.1 per 1,000 children. Moreover, in 2020, a national estimate of 1,750 children died from abuse and neglect at a rate of 2.38 per 100,000 children. Connecticut ranks 25th in Child Abuse Prevention Centers per capita. The Exchange Club Parenting Skills Center, The Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Program at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and Department of Child and Family services serve a population of about 3,594,478 people. The mission of these centers is to provide education immediate support services to families and children across the state of Connecticut. For more information on child abuse prevention, make sure to check out National Child Abuse Prevention Month - Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Sources:

National Child Abuse Prevention Month - Child Welfare Information Gateway

Child Abuse Prevention Centers - Connecticut (Child Abuse & Neglect) (countyoffice.org)

Suspected Child Abuse & Neglect Program | Connecticut Children's (connecticutchildrens.org)

April 24th-30th marks World Immunization Week. The theme for 2022 is A Long Life for All. The focus is to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages from vaccine-preventable disease. Vaccines have been around since the 18th century beginning with the development of the smallpox vaccine. The worth of vaccines aren’t given in doses, but rather it’s in minutes of life given back. For more information on vaccines, make sure to check out World Immunization Week 2022 (who.int).

Sources:
World Immunization Week 2022 (who.int) World Immunization Week 2021 (cdc.gov)

Are you interested in serving as an AmeriCorps member at Central CT AHEC this upcoming service year?
We are currently accepting applications!
Our 2022-2023 10 month AmeriCorps Service term will begin in September!
Requirements?
*18 years or older
*Bachelors degree preferred
What you will receive?
*$17,000 living stipend
*$6,495 education award at the completion of your 10 month service term

Apply at the link below!
https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?fromSearch=true&id=94375

Please send all resumes and questions to Jackie Nickolas: [email protected]