June 10, 2015
By Lisa Ousley
Director, SoSA West
Summer is here, and with it the brilliantly colored jewels of the season — the soft green of baby lettuce leaves, the dark green of curly kale, the creamy orange-yellow of perfectly ripened cantaloupe and the deep purple of plump, juicy blackberries. The smells are just as vivid and the flavors bring back memories of […]
June 4, 2015
To build healthier communities, a logical place to start is through improving nutrition. Ensuring that everyone has access to healthy foods has major implications for preventing chronic diseases and for improving overall community health. The availability of healthy foods — in grocery stores, restaurants, schools and farmers markets — is the hallmark of a thriving […]
May 29, 2015
By Reshana Peterson, MPH, CHES
Youth Prevention Specialist, Tri-county Mental Health Services
Didn’t it seem like a great idea to find an alternative to cigarettes that didn’t smell as bad, create as much secondhand smoke, and cost as much? The common misconception is that e-cigarettes, often called e–cigs, are that savior. As much as America would like to believe that, we simply cannot. The reason for that […]
May 22, 2015
By Heather McFarland
Executive Director, Belton Educational Foundation
Several years ago, I met with the leadership of the Belton School District to discuss what some of the most difficult challenges the students of the Belton School District faced. At the top of the list was access to quality mental health services. Approximately 75 students (1.5 percent of the student population) each year were […]
May 21, 2015
By Martha McReynolds, RN
Public Health Nurse, Lafayette County Health Department
Saving Smiles is a preventative program to reduce the amount of tooth decay in the children of Lafayette County Missouri. It is a Missouri Oral Health Preventative Services Program, which is a community–based approach to prevention of oral disease. The Saving Smiles program is organized by personnel at Lafayette County Health Department with the support […]
One of my favorite inspirational readings ends with the line “Face reality and unwilled change will happen.” If our communities are to thrive, here is a reality that our society has to face: Too many families struggle to put food on the table. In fact, in 2014, one in six households in Missouri said there […]
May 15, 2015
By Christy May
Executive Director, Miles of Smiles
Miles of Smiles started bringing comprehensive dental care to the uninsured and underinsured children of Clay and Platte Counties in 2002. By the end of 2003, we had treated 1,227 patients. This year, Miles of Smiles will provide free dental care to more than 2,500 children. Miles of Smiles has more than 11,000 active patients […]
May 15, 2015
By Emily Meissen-Sebelius
Project Coordinator, Weighing In
The food and beverage industry spends $2 billion each year marketing specifically to our kids. The fast food industry spends more than $5 million every day marketing unhealthy foods to children.* Researchers found that even five years after adolescents had been exposed to promotions of unhealthy foods, they purchased fewer fruits and vegetables, but increased […]
May 12, 2015
We know how important early years are for getting children off to a healthy start. These years set the stage for healthy habits to last throughout one’s life. Raising healthy children sounds pretty simple: brushing teeth, developing healthy relationships, practicing good nutrition and encouraging 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Instilling these life-long habits […]
May 7, 2015
By Natalie Hamingson
Office Manager, Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission
Since 2010, Second Chance, a Kansas City-based re-entry program, has played an important role in transforming the lives of ex-offenders, and contributing to the overall safety of Kansas City. When it comes to crime prevention, assistance for ex-offenders is an unexpected, but powerful and necessary tool to enhance public safety. At any given time, there […]
HCF's Local Health Buzz Blog aims to discuss health and health policy issues that impact the uninsured and underserved in our service area. To submit a blog, please contact HCF Communications Officers, Jennifer Sykes, at .
