Healthy Nevada: Health outcomes for county residents on upswing

Floyd Jernigan/Daily Mail Kelly Ast shows the slide on Strength in Numbers, a program of Healthy Nevada, that focuses on a group effort with monthly meetings sharing health, nutritional and motivational materials and may include charting physical activity such as running, fitness routines and pushups.

Nevada Daily Mail

Healthy Nevada Community Coordinator Kelly Ast and Program Director Rachel Hansen, along with Board President Carol Branham, told those at the Nevada Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon of the progress being made in the community.

Their presentation had some similarities to one a few days earlier by Director Erik Gallimore on Healthy Nevada as part of Rep. Patricia Pike's Community Leaders Lunch.

Floyd Jernigan/Daily Mail Carol Branham, Healthy Nevada Board president, asks the question of Nevada and Vernon County, "What kind of community are you?" The slide depicts the more common traits of two different models, the "getting by" community and the "getting ahead" community.

That event was covered in an earlier story in the Daily Mail. Gallimore focused on the history of the program and its various components.

While some of the same slides from the earlier presentation were shown, Ast and Hansen focused on trends and behavior shifts.

Branham told attendees that the effort for the planned community trail, to be located near the middle school and comprising an eight-foot wide, half-mile long concrete trail, was "very close to reaching our goal."

Hansen said initiatives like the trail, "all began as a process through things being brought to light through Healthy Nevada.

"We're working on increasing health."

Ast showed a slide on "what affects our health," showed that socioeconomic factors (40 percent), physical environment (10 percent), clinical care (20 percent), and health behaviors (30 percent).

The other part of the slide depicted "what we spend on being healthy," which comprised healthy behaviors (4 percent), other (8 percent) and medical services (88 percent).

Saying the goal was to increase the healthy behaviors and decrease the amount spent on medical services, Ast said, "These are our trends."

With the aim of "not spending that 88 percent," Ast and Hansen showed the next slide depicting "increasing health," with health outcomes, health factors, length of life, and health behaviors on the increase since the initial study from 2012.

"It takes a community-wide effort," to continue that momentum.

"We're at year three and we need to own it."

During the question and answer period with the audience, Director of Public Information for Cottey College, Steve Reed, pointed out there were no bike racks in the community, a deterrent to those who would prefer to bike places for health, as well as expense savings and a lower environmental footprint than driving a motor vehicle.

"Simple changes equal big shifts," said Ast and Hansen, agreeing that the idea, while seemingly simple, would have an impact.

Trails

That spurred Lynda Jones to tell members of an effort to provide biking, equestrian and hiking trails in Vernon County.

Trails of Vernon County is an out growth of the Healthy Nevada Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee. The group is in the process of applying for an IRS non-profit, 501(c) 3 designation.

"Our goal is to develop and maintain walking, hiking, cycling and equestrian trails throughout Vernon County, as well as providing safety education and promoting the health benefits and fun of alternative modes of transportation," said Jones.

In a follow-up email with the Daily Mail, Jones said the group's current projects include the completion of four marked bicycle routes in the city of Nevada, all beginning at the Community Center.

"Not all of the directional signs are erected or posted yet, so we are working to get that done. Eventually, we plan to have three informational kiosks available to interested cyclists."

A second project is the acquisition of some properties on which trails can be constructed, "but so many details must be worked out," that this is nothing definite yet.

A third project is a long bike ride, called the Suzy Q XPress, which will be held Saturday, June 25, 2016. This cycling event will feature rides of 72, 50, 35 and 10 miles and will attract cyclists from all around the four-state area.

"Our meetings are the third Wednesday of each month from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the Healthy Nevada Innovation Center. We invite all interested people to join us."