Media - August 8, 2017
August 2017
DR. JILL BIDEN, RWJF CEO RICHARD BESSER TO HEADLINE NASHVILLE SUMMIT
What is the connection between health and learning?
For so many documented reasons, a student’s physical, emotional and mental health is critical to academic success and future achievement. Unfortunately, Tennessee falls behind the nation in student health in a number of measures. Our partner organization,
SCORE, reviews the research and connections in their most recent report,
Better Health, Better Learning.
On August 28th, we’ll take a step forward as a city and state to change those statistics. Join SCORE and NashvilleHealth at the Music City Center to hear from the region and the nation’s experts on health and education. Dr. Jill Biden, educator and former Second Lady, and Dr. Richard Besser, CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will join local and national leaders to share insight and recommended action so that Tennessee students can excel.
No matter your role in the community – business, public health, educator, administrator, non-profit leader, mom or dad – we all contribute to the health of our kids.
Register here.
TARGETBP: A Goal of Healthier Hearts in Nashville
In partnership with the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association, NashvilleHealth is supporting the launch of TargetBP in Nashville. AMA VP Karen Kmetik, PhD, recently shared: “It’s not that we need a new cure…we just need to figure out how to harness the solutions we have.” Target BP connects patients, clinicians and care teams with solutions like these, promoting blood pressure control through shared protocols and resources.
TOBACCO FREE TENNESSEE
The Baby & Me Tobacco Free Program from Metro Public Health Department (MPHD) is successfully helping women stop smoking during pregnancy and deliver a healthy weight baby. Any pregnant woman who smokes is eligible to enroll, gaining access to free accountability and support through regular one-on-one meetings with a public health professional during and after pregnancy. She also receives free diapers as part of enrollment and remaining smoke-free. With every mom-to-be who quits, we reduce our city’s rate of smoking during pregnancy, which is currently near 10 percent. For more information or to enroll, contact Camille Farmer at 615-340-0395.
Thanks to all of our city’s leaders who are working on this critical issue, and especially the members of the Tobacco Free Tennessee Coalition who are focusing this fall on strategic ways we can continue the trend toward health.
If you would like to be part of this process, please
email us.
HEALTHY BABIES AND MOMS
The Nashville Infant Vitality Collaborative (NIVC), co-led by Metro Public Health Department and Meharry Medical College thanks to funding from CityMatCH, continues exploration of ways to improve the health of moms and babies. During our summer meeting, participants honed in on housing, pre-conception health, pre-term birth, adverse childhood events (ACEs) and the data to support each area. These groups continue to meet so that, by the end of 2017, the NIVC can recommend specific action steps to ensure that more babies reach their first birthday.
PARTNER NEWS
More School Nurses for MNPS
We are grateful for the city’s recent decision to expand the Metro School Nurse Program. When a student sees a school nurse, he or she can return to class 90 percent of the time, rather than leaving school. These nurses impact the health of students, faculty and staff – the entire school.
The
Sycamore Institute recently published
How Childhood Experiences Affect Lifelong Health – a recap of leading research on the impact of Adverse Childhood Events (ACEs) on chronic disease, substance abuse and other critical health issues later in life. Tennessee is paying close attention through the work of the
Building Strong Brains Initiative and $1.25 million in funding. If we can reduce the number of ACEs for students, we can change their whole lives.
We also want to invite you to
Cumberland Pediatric Foundation’s viewing of
Resilience: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hope. Register here.Alignment Nashville launched the Nashville Teacher’s Housing
website to connect teachers with affordable housing options in Davidson County. Share it with the educators in your life.
IN THE NEWS
Senator Bill Frist recently urged Congress to save the CDC budget. Tennesseans could lose nearly $10 million in funding with current proposals. These funds are critical to prevent public health disasters among other things.
Read more here.
Healthy land and water support our nation’s economic vitality.
Sen. Frist recently shared how Congress can do its part to “stand up for nature” so nature can do its job sustaining and protecting us.
Read more here.
