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…
Flowood Business Brings Awareness to Lupus with Annual Event Weekend
Essie Florence has been living with lupus since 1997, when she was a senior in high school. After her business partner Marie Abston was diagnosed in 2016, the two women realized they could give back to their community and help others by raising awareness about lupus. Systemic lupus erythematosus, known simply as lupus, is…
We Celebrated National Public Health Week 2018
UProot Mississippi builds bridges that connect Mississippians to opportunities and resources that can help inspire them to lead healthier lifestyles. So we were excited to feature our state’s strong legion of public-health workers for National Public Health Week 2018; these hard workers are committed to improving the health and quality of life of all Mississippians,…
An Interview with Keba Laird, School Health Coordinator for the Clinton Public School District
The Clinton Public School District knows how to get kids to eat their veggies. As Child Nutrition Supervisor for the Clinton Public School District, Keba Laird’s role is to focus on nutrition education efforts inside Clinton Public School District classrooms and cafeterias—planning menus and engagement efforts to get kids excited to participate in their…
Youth Health Symposium Inspires Next Generation of Community Health Leaders
What if you got experience for your future career as early as high school? The Academies of Jackson Public School District, installed at each of the seven high schools and the district’s Career Development Center, give students the opportunity to get a head start on their next step in life. Whether they’re interested…
Walking Together to a Healthier Future with Linda Fondren
“Linda, I wish I’d lived my life more for myself.” That’s what Linda Fondren, founder of ShapeUp Mississippi in Vicksburg, Mississippi, said her fifty-four-year-old sister told her before she’d died of brain cancer. But it wasn’t the cancer that had made her sister regretful, Fondren said; it was the obesity. Because of her weight, her…
Dignity Period Oxford Helps Women and Girls Reclaim Their Self-Esteem
The year-old organization provides information and feminine-hygiene products and underwear to women of all ages. It started out as a chance meeting. The two women—Kate Roos was in Knoxville and Bloom, a Mississippi native, was working in Memphis —met at a women’s interfaith meeting a year ago after both women had relocated to…
Northeast Mississippi Birthing Project Helps Babies Get a Healthy Start
Breastfeeding is a vital way to ensure the health of newborn infants and their mothers, offering benefits from lowering the likelihood of infant death to better ensuring a child’s long-term physical, social and academic success. But data shows African-American mothers in Mississippi do not breastfeed their children as often as Mississippi moms of other races…
How one of the healthiest companies in Mississippi makes workplace wellness easy
Kellye Smith is a resource specialist for Ross & Yerger, one of the largest privately owned insurance agencies in Mississippi with offices in Jackson, Tupelo, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. In Jackson, Ross & Yerger employs 116 individuals who have on-site access to a gym, on-the-clock half hour per week to exercise, quarterly health and…
MasterChef Finalist Katie Dixon Supports UProot!
MasterChef Finalist and Mississippian Katie Dixon is supporting the efforts of UProot by helping spread the word of our goal to create a culture of health for ALL Mississippians! Check out Katie’s message: You can also learn more about Katie and how she’s helping UProot create a culture of health for Mississippi’s school children here….