Community health is intricately tied to individual wellness. Public health experts agree that the health of a community has far-reaching impacts.
“Community health impacts everything – educational achievement, safety and crime, people’s ability to work and be financially healthy, life expectancy, happiness and more,” says Thomas Bognanno, President and CEO of Community Health Charities. That is why your funding for the Health Resource Center and Community Education is a vital component of Island Hospital.
Community health often begins with prevention. Because of your financial contributions, Community Education regularly offers preventative classes and screenings, such as blood-pressure checks, cholesterol screening, and overall pulmonary function screenings. These services directly address the three leading causes of death in the United States: heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Not only did these screenings serve 3,643 community members, but they saved individuals money too. For example, most insurance companies charge $100 for a routine Vitamin D screening. Because of your financial support, Community Education offered Vitamin D screenings at a reduced cost of $40.
In addition to prevention, your financial support of the Health Resource Center provides guidance to those trying to navigate the complex world of health insurance. Trained Health Insurance Navigators (SHIBA) provided counsel for 1,377 individuals and 25 Medicare-related classes were offered serving 373 attendees.
Because of your support, Island Hospital is also expanding its ability to care for the health of your community through the new, accredited Diabetes Education program. This referral-based program will include individual counseling and group classes to empower those with diabetes towards better daily self-management and increased knowledge on nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, monitoring and medication.
The availability of these programs is an incredible asset to you, your family, friends and neighbors. From diagnosis to recovery, you are making a difference in the health of your community.
The Health Resource Center is open Monday – Friday 9:00am – 4:00pm. A current schedule of classes and screenings can be found at www.IslandHospital.org/classes/