For Release: Sept. 15, 2005
Series DescriptionThis 13-part series explores successful health models around the state--discussing the positive impact on the lives and health of Kentuckians and showing how others can replicate the models in their communities. The programs are hosted by Dr. Wayne Tuckson, a Louisville surgeon and host of Kentucky Health , and also feature panel discussions by health care professionals.
Episode 1 - Series Overview
Kentuckians die at a rate 18-percent higher than the rest of the nation, placing the Commonwealth in the bottom four states when ranked for the number of deaths per capita. This program looks into where we are, how we got here, and why we must do better--including what improvement could mean for the state's economy.
Episode 2 - Access to Health Care
Where there is a shortage of health professionals or health insurance, connecting people with the care they need becomes a critical challenge. This program demonstrates some innovative methods Kentucky communities are employing to bring health care home. Lewis County Primary Care Center counts on technological advances such as med-teleconferencing and electronic record keeping. At the Kentucky Homeplace in Hazard, lay medical workers help patients navigate care options across 50 counties. Calloway County Angels Community Clinic provides a team of dedicated medical volunteers--from pharmacists to dentists--who live up to the clinic's name by providing free care and prescriptions to income-eligible patients. Also, discover the lasting impact of Mary Breckinridge, who in 1925 created a network of nurse-midwives in Leslie County. Known as the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS), they traveled Kentucky's hills and hollows, often on horseback, to provide care. FNS, in turn, spawned Frontier Nursing Healthcare, Inc. (FNH), which today operates four rural health clinics in Clay and Leslie counties.
Episode 3 - Reducing Obesity Through Nutrition
More than a quarter of Kentuckians are considered obese, and lack of good nutrition is a major contributing factor. This program looks at initiatives that provide better nutrition and educate Kentuckians on proper nutrition, in the school and in the workplace. Owensboro Public Schools' Healthy Lifestyles works to ensure healthy menus are provided at school cafeterias. The Larue County Coordinated School Health Initiative focuses on health education and prevention by offering age-appropriate classroom presentations about good nutrition, eating disorders, and other health topics, as well as ensuring availability and visibility of healthy snacks. The Literacy, Eating and Activity for Preschoolers (LEAP) Health Program in Lexington uses storybooks to teach children about staying healthy, being physically active, and eating more fruits and vegetables. At Logan Aluminum in Russellville, Logan Alive! participants can save money on healthier choices in the company cafeteria. Also, the CHEFS (Controlled Healthy Eating Forever Society) program in Fayette County demonstrates that a small group of health-conscious people can meet on a regular basis to support one another in their goal of leading a healthier lifestyle.
Episode 4 - Reducing Obesity Through Activity
An active lifestyle is essential for most people to reach and maintain a healthy weight. This program explores some of the ways schools, and even entire communities, are promoting healthy activity and providing safe places to exercise. Owensboro Public Schools are employing a creative mix of activities to keep students active, including Fit for Life cardiovascular fitness centers, swimming lessons, dance lessons , skating and even walking tracks and climbing walls. The Larue County Coordinated School Health Initiative focuses on health education for fitness and nutrition. Step Forward, Erlanger developed a network of sidewalks to enable walking throughout the city, and Rails to Trails in Muhlenberg County provides a safe area for many to walk and ride bicycles on an otherwise unused railway.
Episode 5 - Smoking Prevention and Cessation
Kentucky's long history of growing tobacco is reflected in the state's health statistics: We lead the nation in the number of adult and teenage smokers per capita and are first in the number of lung cancer deaths per capita. This program spotlights the Tobacco Free Academy--a free student program sponsored by the Ashland Boyd County Health Department--and takes a look at the Cooper Clayton Method to Stop Smoking. The program also explores how some communities, such as Louisville, Lexington and Georgetown, are becoming smoke-free, and what this could mean for public health as well as the economy.
Episode 6 - Student Health
This program spotlights some of the ways Kentucky's student population, as well as parents and school staff, are being educated in good health habits and given access to health services. Health Promotion Schools of Excellence (HPSE) in Jefferson County is a school-based program designed to promote and maintain healthy lifestyles and to reduce health-risk behaviors with a focus on cardiovascular disease, cancer control, injury prevention, and physical fitness. Healthy Kids Centers targets high-poverty schools in Fayette County and provides free access for all students to medical, mental health, preventative, and oral health services. The Literacy, Eating and Activity for Preschoolers (LEAP) Health Program in Lexington uses children's storybooks to teach children about staying healthy, being physically active, and eating more fruits and vegetables. Also, Lexington's VERB Summer Scorecard program aims to increase activity among 9 to 13-year-olds.
Episode 7 - Surviving Violence
Domestic violence can have lifelong negative effects on the mental and physical health of its victims and witnesses. Although it is a sad reality in nearly every community, there are ways to decrease the number of cases of neglect and abuse as well as to increase reporting of existing abuse and support the victims. This program looks at The Appalachian Violence Outreach Network (AVON) and the Advocacy and Support Center in Hardin County as well as ways that schools--and parents--are working to eliminate bullying.
Episode 8 - Addiction Recovery
Drug and alcohol addiction are intricately linked with issues like mental health, poverty, crime and violence. This program looks at two services that help addicts kick the habit and provide a network of support through treatment, education, employment and much more: Lexington's Chrysalis House, Kentucky's oldest and largest licensed substance abuse treatment program for women and their children, and The Healing Place, the largest homeless shelter and addiction recovery center in Louisville.
Episode 9 - Workplace Wellness
Above and beyond good health, wellness plans in some Kentucky workplaces are also offering bonuses for employees and big savings in health insurance costs for employers. This program profiles two successful approaches. First, the Lifestyle Enhancement Activity Program (LEAP), created by Lewis County Primary Care Center and used by school systems and other employers in the Lewis County area, rewards workers who meet individual diet and fitness goals. At Logan Aluminum in Russellville, Logan Alive! participants earn cash for their efforts and even save money on healthier choices in the company cafeteria. Also, The Mayor's Healthy Hometown Movement in Louisville shows how community involvement impacts every individual's health.
Episode 10 - Disease Management
Kentucky ranks in the bottom 25 per cent of states for diabetes per capita, in the bottom five for cardiovascular disease, and in the bottom three for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This program spotlights ways in which citizens with chronic diseases are educated in healthy lifestyles and encouraged to take responsibility for their health. Living Well Workshops: Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) in Louisville is a six-week series of free workshops that teach techniques--including diet, exercise, and meditation--to deal with chronic conditions. Staying Alive: How to be an Effective Caregiver, also in Louisville, helps caregivers reduce their mental and physical stress and focuses on ways the elderly can safely remain in their current living environment. Healthy Kids Centers provide students in four high-poverty Fayette County schools with free access to medical, mental health, preventative, and oral health services. The program also explores how knowledge of your own genealogy can improve your family's health.
Episode 11 - Mental Health
Nearly 25 per cent of the U.S. population will display symptoms of at least one mental illness this year, and nearly half will suffer some sort of mental disorder during their lifetimes. This program spotlights services that tackle mental-health issues as they are related to overall health, work to de-stigmatize mental illness and educate the community on ways to deal with the mentally ill. Included in the program are the Larue County Coordinated School Health Initiative, Healthy Kids Centers in Fayette County Schools, the Appalachian Violence Outreach Network (AVON) and Jefferson County's Crisis Intervention Team (CIT).
Episode 12 - Aging
Health issues related to aging and caring for the elderly are increasingly critical as the number of Americans living to the age of 85 and beyond continues to skyrocket. This program looks at two Louisville projects: Staying Alive: How to be an Effective Caregiver and theLiving Well Workshops: Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP), a six-week series of free workshops that teach techniques to deal with chronic conditions and aging.The program also explores the "Nun Study" at the University of Kentucky, which gives some clues about the causes and prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
Episode 13 - Learning about Health
Improving health literacy among all citizens and educating first-time parents are just two of the many ways Kentucky communities are working to bring about positive change for the long-term. Featured in this program are Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) in Lewis County, Lewis County Primary Care Center (LCPCC), LaRue County Coordinated School Health Initiative, Living Well Workshops: Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) in Louisville, Promotores de Salud, Kentucky Homeplace, and the Council of State Governments.