Health News
- Report Says Hospitals Could Fund Improvements In Ky.'s Health
A focus on population health, prevention and wellness is how Kentucky will become a healthier state, and one source for funding these efforts is hospitals, because most nonprofit hospitals are required to invest back into their communities, according...
- Kentucky's Health Departments Are Working On Changes, To Adapt To Changing Times
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Health departments across Kentucky come in all shapes and sizes, and typically work independently from each other to serve the specific needs of their community within their budgets. But to deal with changes in...
- 'stars Are Aligned' For Making Ky. Healthier, And Let's Start With Schools, Health Commissioner Tells County Health Rankings Event
Kentucky is poised to make itself healthier, and one key push needs to be making schools smoke-free, the two top officials in charge of the effort told a gathering of state and local health leaders and activists in Frankfort on Wednesday. Mayfield"We...
- County Health Rankings Officials Are Coming To Kentucky Tuesday To Spotlight Local Projects To Improve Community Health
State officials and health leaders will gather April 2 at the Kentucky History Center in Frankfort to celebrate Kentucky?s successes in implementing strategies for improving health at the community level, as reflected by the latest edition of County Health...
- Draft Plan For A Statewide Campaign For Better Health Gets Endorsement, Much Talk At Friedell Committee Annual Meeting
By Al Cross Kentucky Health News A statewide committee of volunteers is on target with its plan for a campaign to make Kentucky a healthier state, an expert in state and local health told the committee Monday. ?You guys are absolutely on the right track,?...
Health News
Governor's focus on health deserves another round of applause, Friedell Committee for Health officer writes in op-ed piece
Gov. Steve Beshear's focus on health in his State of the Commonwealth speech should be applauded, given the poor state of Kentucky's health, an officer of the Friedell Committee for Health System Transformation writes in an op-ed piece made available to Kentucky newspapers.
"Gov. Beshear has been frank with us about the health deficiencies that we know exist but pretend do not," Jane Chiles writes. "Within a day of his speech, he announced a $1.7 million federal grant to go after the leading uglies ? obesity, diabetes, stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure ? to 'support our goal of improving our dismal health statistics.'"
"Gov. Beshear has been frank with us about the health deficiencies that we know exist but pretend do not," Jane Chiles writes. "Within a day of his speech, he announced a $1.7 million federal grant to go after the leading uglies ? obesity, diabetes, stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure ? to 'support our goal of improving our dismal health statistics.'"
"What to do about the uglies?" Chiles asks. "The Friedell Committee for Health has been convening health professionals and laymen over the past year to ask that question. The solutions will require resources and time. We need a commitment in Frankfort. But we also need a community commitment.
"Here?s the good news: We have an existing infrastructure for a state and community collaboration. We have a health department in each of our 120 counties. Their mission, guided by state statute and a state Department for Public Health, has been transformed in recent years. They still combat communicable diseases, provide health screenings and services and protect us with restaurant and other inspections. But the best of our health departments have also taken on the enormous task of keeping communities healthy by influencing the social, environmental and economic conditions affecting population health. We need more of that."
Chiles asks, "Why bother? Isn?t health an individual thing? You want to smoke? Smoke. You want to supersize your soda? It?s a free country. But here?s the thing: Improved population health links directly to improved education and vice versa. Likewise, for economic vitality. If we want a prosperous, smarter Kentucky ready to compete with the world, we need a healthy Kentucky." (Read more)
- Report Says Hospitals Could Fund Improvements In Ky.'s Health
A focus on population health, prevention and wellness is how Kentucky will become a healthier state, and one source for funding these efforts is hospitals, because most nonprofit hospitals are required to invest back into their communities, according...
- Kentucky's Health Departments Are Working On Changes, To Adapt To Changing Times
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Health departments across Kentucky come in all shapes and sizes, and typically work independently from each other to serve the specific needs of their community within their budgets. But to deal with changes in...
- 'stars Are Aligned' For Making Ky. Healthier, And Let's Start With Schools, Health Commissioner Tells County Health Rankings Event
Kentucky is poised to make itself healthier, and one key push needs to be making schools smoke-free, the two top officials in charge of the effort told a gathering of state and local health leaders and activists in Frankfort on Wednesday. Mayfield"We...
- County Health Rankings Officials Are Coming To Kentucky Tuesday To Spotlight Local Projects To Improve Community Health
State officials and health leaders will gather April 2 at the Kentucky History Center in Frankfort to celebrate Kentucky?s successes in implementing strategies for improving health at the community level, as reflected by the latest edition of County Health...
- Draft Plan For A Statewide Campaign For Better Health Gets Endorsement, Much Talk At Friedell Committee Annual Meeting
By Al Cross Kentucky Health News A statewide committee of volunteers is on target with its plan for a campaign to make Kentucky a healthier state, an expert in state and local health told the committee Monday. ?You guys are absolutely on the right track,?...