May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and did you know that, per Mental Health America, 21% of all U.S. adults live with a mental health condition? With mental health entering more and more of our daily conversations, it’s critical that everyone has a solid foundation of knowledge about mental health.
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July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and brings the opportunity to raise awareness and understanding of the mental health needs and experiences within BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and other underrepresented communities.
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A collection of health and environmental posts from other governmental blogs.
Celebrating America’s Health Centers: Our Healthcare Heroes
I wouldn’t be here today if not for this health center. I didn’t realize all the help they offer and how many people use them until I became a patient … The staff has always treated me with the utmost respect. I can never thank them enough. I’ll have a place in my heart for these folks for the rest of my life.” -Phillip, a patient at a health center in Virginia
For Phillip and more than 27 million other adults and children across the country, health centers provide affordable, high-quality and patient-centered primary healthcare that would otherwise be out of their reach.
Health centers use a holistic approach to patient care, treating the entire person by integrating mental health, oral health, substance use disorder and primary medical care services. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funds nearly 1,400 health centers operating more than 11,000 service delivery sites in communities across the country. — From the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) blog
CDC’s Tracking Network in Action: Extreme Heat
Extremely hot weather can make you sick. Stay cool and hydrated to protect yourself. The Tracking Network provides data and tools that you can use to see how extreme heat may affect your health. — From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Your Health – Your Environment blog
When to seek care for a sinus infection
Most adults have experienced a sinus infection and know how annoying and painful they can be.
Acute sinus infections generally stem from the common cold. The pressure felt in the face, forehead and behind the eyes is caused by the inflammation of the sinus cavities and nasal passageway. — From Flourish, Palmetto Health’s blog
Collaborating to Make Stronger Emergency Managers
Building a “Culture of Preparedness” and readying a nation for disaster isn’t limited to the United States.
A three-day summit at the Emergency Management Institute that focused on emergency management training and education continues the collaboration between FEMA and Mexico’s National Center for Disaster Prevention.
Supported by the U.S. Northern Command’s Humanitarian Assistance Branch, the two agencies agreed to a six to 10 year project that will strengthen emergency management training and education in both countries. They committed to sharing knowledge in emergency management training, exercises, and education to support and enhance the capacities of the each nation. — From the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) blog
Do you ever wake up with a stiffness in your neck? What about pain in your neck that gets worse after holding your head in one place for a long time? These are typical signs of neck pain. Other symptoms of neck pain include muscle tightness and spasms, headaches, decreased ability to move your head, and difficulty sleeping.
Approximately 10 to 25 percent of people complain about having a severe neck pain episode at least once in their lives. Aging and everyday damage contribute to the commonness of neck pain, and while these causes of neck pain cannot be avoided, there are many that can. — From Flourish, Palmetto Health’s blog
Tameca R. Wilson, MBA
Title X Outreach Coordinator
Division of Women’s Health
In an average day you work at least eight hours in the office, help with homework, get the kids to practice, cook dinner, and check on your parents. This is all before you think about the things on your to do list. People wonder how you hide your cape under your clothing or where you park your invisible jet. However, even your super powers need to be checked and recharged regularly.
Too often women put their health last. National Women’s Health Week, May 13-19, “serves as a reminder for women to make their health a priority and build positive health habits for life.” This observance was birthed out of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health. The campaign, which kicks off on Mother’s Day this year, encourages women to:
Get started today. Take the “What’s your health score?” quiz. Whether you are in your 20s or 90s, it is important for you (and to ones who love you) that you take the time to care for yourself. Simple steps today will be a foundation for a lifetime.
Mosquito spraying will begin soon in Williamsburg County:
…at least 61 different species of mosquitoes exist in South Carolina. The most common diseases that could potentially be carried by mosquitoes in South Carolina include: West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, La Crosse encephalitis, Saint Louis encephalitis virus, and dog/cat heartworm.
DHEC has granted a special waiver to allow The Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center to reopen a facility aimed at keeping more non-violent, mentally ill patients out of jails and hospitals.
Existing regulations required all patients have a chest X-ray done at least 30 days prior to entering the crisis unit:
While the requirement still exists, DHEC has given the local facility, the only one of its kind in the state, a special waiver, Blalock said.
——Center officials are currently working alongside DHEC to acquire a “crisis stabilization” license, which the state doesn’t yet have.
For more news from DHEC, visit Live Healthy SC.
Live Healthy S.C. 