The Garden Farmacy – Homegrown Food for a Homegrown Economy
In 2010, Taylor Yowell graduated from Jones County Junior College and was working at a garden center in Hattiesburg when he became interested in learning about organic and healthy foods, as well as how people could access that food. One of his friends also ran an organic vegetable market, which led him to the decision…
Healthy Kids Running Series Inspires Kids to be More Active
Healthy Kids Running Series (HKRS) is a 5-week program that keeps kids active by introducing them to the world of running. The goal: get kids to carry that interest into adulthood, because healthy children create a healthier Mississippi! HKRS was created in 2009 to combat the rising rates of childhood obesity. This spring, HKRS will…
FAT to Fit Olympic Games Makes Health Fun
In 2004, Jefferson County was reported as the most obese county in America. In 2010, Janell and Anthony Edwards attended the Global Obesity Summit in Jackson, and they realized that something needed to be done in terms of improving public health in Mississippi, starting in their community of Jefferson County. That same year, they created…
Take the Community Input Survey for State Health Assessment
Four years ago, we started an effort to learn about how Mississippians perceive our state’s health. That effort led to more than 19,000 surveys being conducted, and the results assembled as the State Health Assessment and State Health Improvement Plan, and sharing that information through the brand UProot. Our four priorities — increasing educational attainment,…
American Cancer Society “Trains the Trainer” on Cancer Prevention
“We hope to prevent people from ever hearing the words ‘you have cancer,” says Beth Dickson-Gavney of the American Cancer Society. “We also work to ensure that those who do have cancer are getting quality timely treatment and have a high rate of survivorship.” As the Senior Director of State & Primary Care Systems for…
Mothers’ Milk Bank of Mississippi Gives Vital Support to Premature Infants
If you’ve ever visited a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), you’ve seen babies who can fit into the palm of your hand. Premature babies, born weeks and sometimes months before their due date, need extra care to survive and thrive. A key pillar of support for premature babies is human breast milk. One nonprofit organization,…
How to Have a Healthy Tailgate
Southerners know the first sign of autumn isn’t the changing of the leaves, but the running of the ball. Football season is upon us! But though you’ll likely be surrounded by wings and Rotel dip at our favorite tailgating spots and might worry that you won’t have many options, never fear! Making football food healthy…
Delta Health Center Puts Childhood Obesity on the Mend
At the Delta Health Center in Mound Bayou, teens and their parents are learning how to eat better and exercise—together. Kids and parents come to the location, about ten miles north of Cleveland, Mississippi, two afternoons a week. While kids get an info session about healthy eating and enjoy a period of physical…
The UPside, Episode 2: Preventative Medicine and Health Education with Joshua Mann, MD, MPH
The UPside is a series in which we learn how state agencies, businesses, and other organizations in Mississippi are helping to build a culture of health from the ground up. In this episode, Dr. Mary Currier, State Health Officer of the Mississippi State Department of Health, talks with Joshua Mann, MD, MPH, Chair and Professor…
Nurses Save Lives—and Educate Communities
When it comes to feeling better, antibiotics aren’t always the answer. Although the introduction of the drugs revolutionized the practice of medicine, the CDC reports that “20 to 50%” of antibiotics prescribed in acute-care hospitals in the U.S. are “unnecessary and inappropriate.” So when the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Mississippi, began…