Health In Your Hands Issue #6 Winter 2013

T O U G A L O O C O L L E G E O W E N S H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S C E N T E R Newsletter Designed and Edited By George “Chuck” Patterson A Q uarter l y N e w s l e tte r It Takes A Village Healthy Start Initiative provides an evening out for moms and dads.! Page 2 Community Health Corps OHWC has a few new team members drafted from Volunteers in Service to America (VISTAs). Check out our newest recruits! Page 3 Is s ue No . 6 - Winter 201 4 Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act puts consumers back in charge of their health care. Get in the know about ACA and patient protection.! Page 3 The Sheriff Is Town Sheriff Tyrone Lewis and the Hinds County Sheriff Department visit the OHWC Active Life Program with info on identity theft and personal safety. ! Page 4 By Johnnie M. Hawkins! Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Mississippi. CHWs can be called by different names such as Outreach Workers, Advocates, Peer Health Educators, Community Health Advisors, Community Health Representatives, Navigators, etc. We want to identify the number of CHWs in the state, where they work or volunteer, and the health focus area(s) they are helping providers and agencies address. ! If your agency utilizes health educators or Community Health Workers, let us know. The Central Mississippi Area Health Education Center in partnership with the MS State Department of Health is conducting a survey to assess the status of The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and we need your help to better understand the nature of the CHW workforce in Mississippi. Your input will help us better understand the status of Weigh In - Take the Workforce Survey! Health In Your Hands ! Team Work In Tunica Team work is making the dream work in Tunica, Mississippi families and community organizations addressing infant mortality. ! Page 5 What’s Next... A calendar of upcoming events and activities.! Page 7! ! Follow Us On @tougaloohealth CHWs, improve the future public health workforce and curriculum for CHW programs, and develop a certification program for Community Health Workers in Mississippi. The results of the survey will be used to develop a statewide database and resource guide that accurately reflects the CHW workforce and the return on investments made by agencies who utilize CHWs in clinical-community settings. ! Complete the survey online at the link below and enter a chance to win a $100 gift card. The survey is active through April 2014: ! www.surveymonkey.com/s/ CommunityHealthWorkerAssessment ! ! For more information on the CHW Survey contact Johnnie M. Hawkins, Director, Tougaloo College Central Mississippi Area Health Education Center at: (601) 987-9463 or [email protected] "1