Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts

Monday, 20 June 2016

Princess Health and Kids Count report finds Ky. remains in the bottom 1/3 of states for children's well-being; is this a predictor of the state's future?. Princessiccia

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

If Kentucky's future lies in the well-being of its children, there's reason to worry, because a recent report shows that Kentucky consistently remains in the bottom one-third of states for this measure.

The 2016 Kids Count report ranks Kentucky 35th in the overall well-being of its children, down from 34th last year. The state showed a significant improvement in its health ranking and a further drop in its teen birth rate, but otherwise didn't show much change from last year's report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Kentucky Youth Advocates.

"The real issue is not a drop or increase of one position, but rather that Kentucky continues to be in the bottom one-third of all states," KYA Executive Director Terry Brooks said in a news release. "Are we really content with the idea that two-thirds of America's children are better off than Kentucky kids?"

The annual report offers a state-by-state assessment that measures 16 indicators to determine the overall well-being of children. The latest data are for 2014, and is compared with data from the last six or so years earlier. The report focuses on four major domains: economic security, education, health and family and community security.


Kentucky continues to rank highest in health, climbing to 16th from 24th in 2015, 28th in 2014 and 31st in 2013. Contributors included a continued drop in the number of children without health insurance (4 percent); a 15 percent decrease in child and teen mortality, fewer teens abusing alcohol or drugs (4 percent) and improvements in the percentage of low-birthweight babies (8.8 percent).

The state's greatest drop among the rankings was in economic security, going down to 37th from 32nd last year. Education (27th) saw a slight improvement from the past two years and the family and community (38th) rankings remained similar to the past three years.

The release notes that the state now ranks 10th for the percentage of children with health insurance.

"We are seeing better outcomes for kids in Kentucky, and expanded health coverage and access to quality care play a vital role in making that happen," Susan Zepeda, CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, said in the release. "Research shows that when parents have health coverage, their children are more likely to also be signed up for health insurance."

Another bright spot in the report is that the state's teen birth rate continues to drop. It declined 34 percent from 2008 to 2014. While Kentucky still has one of the nation's highest teen birth rates, it dropped to 35 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 in 2014, down from 39 per 1,000 in 2013 and 53 per 1,000 in 2008. The national average is 24 per 1,000, an all-time low.

Kentucky consistently ranks lowest in the "family and community" domain, with 35 percent of its children living in single-parent families; 12 percent living in families where the household head lacks a high school degree; and 16 percent living in high-poverty areas, which are neighborhoods where more than 30 percent of residents live in poverty.

"Kentucky will thrive when policies that support the whole family, caregiver and child, are implemented," Adrienne Bush, executive director of Hazard Perry County Community Ministries, said in the release.

And though the state's education ranking improved to 27th from 30th, not much has changed in these indicators since the foundation started doing this report. The bottom line is that more than half of fourth graders (60 percent) still can't read at a national proficiency level and that the majority of eighth graders (72 percent) still aren't proficient in math. (In 2007, these indicators were 67 percent and 73 percent respectively.)

"Student performance should alarm parents and business leaders and jolt Kentucky leaders into making fundamental education reform a policy priority to ensure college and career readiness," Brooks said.

In addition, more than half the state's three-and four-year-olds (58 percent) don't attend pre-school and 17 percent of its high school students don't graduate on time.

Perhaps the direst message from the report is about the state's economic well-being. One in four Kentucky children live in poverty (26 percent), a rate that has remained higher than it was pre-recession when it was 23 percent, says the release. Nationally, the child poverty rate is 22 percent.

"Growing up in poverty is one of the greatest threats to healthy child development," says the report. "Poverty can impede cognitive development and a child's ability to learn."

The report also says 35 percent of Kentucky's children live in homes with parents who don't have secure employment, which places the state in the bottom 10 states for this indicator. It also found that 28 percent live in households with a high housing-cost burden.

The release suggested "bipartisan solutions" to improve the well-being of Kentucky's children, including expanding oral health coverage; supporting school-based health centers; education reform that includes public charter schools, expanded child care assistance and family-focused tax reforms.

Monday, 13 June 2016

Princess Health and  Wellness coalition in Perry County, where life expectancy is state's lowest, gets funding from Foundation for a Healthy Ky.. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Wellness coalition in Perry County, where life expectancy is state's lowest, gets funding from Foundation for a Healthy Ky.. Princessiccia

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky has funded the Perry County Wellness Coalition's three-year plan to encourage fitness and better nutrition in school-age children, "Kids on the Move!"

The wellness coalition will receive $144,450 from the foundation this year, matched by $124,944 from the community, to increase access to physical activity and provide healthier food options and nutrition education. Perry County has the lowest life expectancy in Kentucky.

"Our children are the most valuable resource we have," said Gerry Roll, executive director of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, which is serving as fiscal agent for the coalition. "It's the best investment we can make as a community partner."

The health coalition will work with local schools to implement physical activity and nutrition-policy changes, collaborate with local farmers' markets for a strong farm-to-school component, and coordinate with other community agencies to create a lasting and collective impact.

The project also will implement best-practices nutrition and exercise programs in schools, support community gardens, summer feeding programs, and a "Farmacy" program to increase the purchase of healthier produce at farmers' markets and local grocery stores, among other changes to be coordinated by the agencies in the coalition.

The Appalachian Regional Healthcare hospital in Hazard will be the administrative hub for the coalition, providing leadership and sharing its expertise in promoting community health. "We have already begun these efforts by providing fitness fairs and health screenings to over 20 schools in our service area and reaching a little more than 2,500 middle school and high school age kids this year alone," said Hazard ARH Community CEO Dan Stone said.

The coalition is among seven Kentucky communities funded by the foundation's "Investing in Kentucky's Future" initiative, which is spending $3 million over five years to fund communities working to improve the health of their school-aged children. The other groups are in Breathitt, Clinton, Grant, Jefferson and McLean counties, and in Boyd and Greenup counties. Perry County was in the original announcement and recently completed its detailed plan. It shares with Breathitt and Wolfe counties the state's lowest life expectancy, 70 years.

Sunday, 5 June 2016

Princess Health and  KET programs focus on oral health, 'just as critical to the well-being of Kentuckians' as problems that have a higher profile. Princessiccia

Princess Health and KET programs focus on oral health, 'just as critical to the well-being of Kentuckians' as problems that have a higher profile. Princessiccia


Kentucky Educational Television has turned its attention to oral health, which it says is "just as critical to the well-being of Kentuckians" as the state's "alarmingly high rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity."

KET's John Gregory, in a story about three recent programs, notes that two in five Kentucky children have never been to a dentist and "Poor oral health can contribute to other physical problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and possibly even Alzheimer�s. It can impact how students learn."

�There�s thousands of children on a daily basis attending school with pain that is totally preventable,� Louisville health-care consutant Lacey McNary said on KET's "Connections" with Renee Shaw. �It is really hurting them with their success rates in school and otherwise overall well-being.�

McNary and Dr. Laura Hancock Jones, a dentist with the University of Kentucky's Western Kentucky Dental Outreach Program, blamed the lack of dentists in rural Kentucky and the refusal of many dentists to accept Medicaid, which covers 1.3 million Kentuckians.

But there are more longstanding factors, such as smoking, which makes periodontal disease six times more likely, and eating habits. "Jones says foods rich in carbohydrates and beverages that are high in sugar create the perfect breeding ground for bacteria that feed tooth-eating acids," Gregory reports.

And Jones says we have other bad habits, too: "She says studies show that almost a third of the population never flosses, and brushing and flossing twice a day is recommended. She adds that fear also contributes to bad oral health outcomes."

Other recent reports from KET have reported on a study of the state's oral health, the importance of good oral-health practices to seniors, and how the use of dental sealants in schools with high-risk populations has helped improve oral health.

The latter program featured Dr. M. Raynor Mullins, professor emeritus at UK's College of Dentistry, who "was instrumental in getting dental sealants added to Kentucky�s Medicaid program as a preventive service in the 1990s and has been involved with numerous oral health outreach initiatives across the state during the past 40 years," Gregory reports.

�A tooth has multiple surfaces � smooth surfaces and pit-and-fissure surfaces,� Mullins explains. �Smooth surfaces are the sides of the teeth, and fluorides are very effective about strengthening them. On the other hand, you have these pits, crannies, and fissures on the tops of the teeth and in certain locations on the sides of the teeth, where they are very susceptible to the infection of tooth decay. Sealants are very effective in preventing pit-and-fissure decay.�

Friday, 3 June 2016

Princess Health and Clinton County coalition works to change the health lifestyle of its children, in an effort to change the local health culture. Princessiccia

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

Public officials and local leaders in a small, rural county in Southern Kentucky that ranks near the bottom of in the County Health Rankings for the state have formed a coalition to improve the health of its community, with a focus on its children.

Clinton County (Wikipedia map)
Clinton County ranked 102nd out of 120 Kentucky counties in the 2016 County Health Rankings. �We recognize that. We saw that in our kids,� Lora Brewington, chief compliance officer of Cumberland Family Medical Center Inc., told Kentucky Educational Television in a report to be aired soon about the coalition.�And if we don�t change something now, we�re going to be going to the funeral home for kids a lot younger.�

So, with the help of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, they formed the Clinton County Healthy Hometown Coalition to implement a multi-faceted public health program for the community's citizens, that focuses on its children.

�The coalition came together [according to] Aristotle�s thinking, that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,� Brewington told KET. �We have a lot of great groups, that do a lot of great things, but if everyone is going for the same goal, and the resources are not combined, you�re not going to accomplish anything. And once we get everybody together and on the same page, by combining resources, we�ve been able to do some great things.�

Paula Little, assistant superintendent and supervisor of instruction for Clinton County schools, told KET that the coalition recognized most of the county's health issues stemmed from obesity, and decided to focus their efforts on the children in the community to change their culture.

"So we feel like if we can start young and start with our children and teach them healthy habits and healthy lifestyles that when they grow up they won't be faced with obesity and all of those chronic diseases that go with it," Little said.

Many of the coalition�s activities are school-based. Teachers have incorporated physical activity into the school day as well as during their morning routines and after-school day-care programs.

The coalition has worked with the schools to improve nutrition. Fruits and vegetables are now served every day with every meal. The schools also began offering supper to students during the school year and has since served over 6,400 meals. The program began last October.

Recognizing that an estimated 38 percent of Clinton County's children live in low-income families, the coalition launched a summer food program that delivers breakfast and lunch in a retrofitted school bus called the Bus Stop Caf� to areas in the county with high student populations.

The Healthy Hometown Coalition has also implemented school-based health clinics, which provides for the healthcare needs of students through a public-private partnership while they are at school. The clinics are run by the Cumberland Family Medical Center. In addition to providing clinical care, the clinics provide body mass index assessments and provide nutrition and obesity counseling.

�It�s about accessibility,� Brewington said. �It�s about the kid who has a cough and needs to see a doctor, but the parent can�t take off from work. ...It's about having healthcare right there where the child is the majority of the time."

Not mentioned in the KET report is that Clinton County schools implemented a comprehensive smoke-free policy last year that will go into effect in July. The policy will ban smoking on school property both during school hours and during school sponsored events, and also includes electronic cigarettes and all vapor products.

The coalition is working to change the culture of its community so that a healthy lifestyle becomes the norm, and not the exception.

�When you�re attempting to change a culture, and change the way people live, that�s a very long process,� Little said. �And it has to be something that�s consistent, that�s ongoing, and it has to be a message that children hear everywhere they go in the community.�

A full-time coordinator, April Speck, manages the various coalition programs and writes a weekly health column in the Clinton County News that often celebrates individual success stories. The coalition also sponsors community events, and has built a new playground.

�What makes me feel good about it is that I know there�s a real need here,� Speck told KET. �There�s a lot of kids who have childhood obesity... And just seeing them start to make changes in what they are doing, how much they are eating, their water intake, I know that we�re making an improvement.�

Wednesday, 25 May 2016

Princess Health and  Bevin says he will transform programs for kids with special health needs constructively and in a 'forward-thinking way'. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Bevin says he will transform programs for kids with special health needs constructively and in a 'forward-thinking way'. Princessiccia

Gov. Matt Bevin told stakeholders for children and youth with special health-care needs May 25 that his administration  is �committed to transforming, in a positive, constructive, proactive and forward-thinking way, the services you provide. We truly are grateful for what you do day in and day out.�

A state press release said almost 100 doctors, public-health specialists, insurers, health-care providers, state and federal officials, family members and others attended the Kentucky Summit on Access to Care for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, cosponsored by the Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs.

�There is an absolute need for us to take care of these children,� Bevin said. �We owe them that as a society, as Kentuckians, as human beings. It�s our obligation.�

CCSHCN Executive Director Jackie Richardson said Kentucky is estimated to have 197,916 children and youth with special health-care needs, a rate higher than the national average. Children and youth with special health care needs are defined as those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond what is generally required.

The summit in Frankfort was part of a learning collaborative sponsored by several national groups, including the National Governors Association and the National Conference of State Leguislatures. �We wanted this summit to provide a national perspective on the access to care provided through the commission,� she said. �With the group discussions we had today, we identified strategies to improve access to care and increase awareness of our programs.�

The commission has clinics that help with conditions like otology, orthopedics, severe cleft lip and palate and cerebral palsy. The commission also has a growing neurology program and has introduced autism clinics to improve access to diagnostic and medical resources for families in Eastern and Western Kentucky. �Many of them will need a lifetime of special care, and summits like today's help ensure they will have consistent, coordinated and comprehensive access for as long as they need it,� Richardson said. For more information about the commission's programs and services, see chfs.ky.gov/ccshcn.

Wednesday, 18 May 2016

Princess Health and House Republicans want to make it harder for schools to get free meals for all students; could affect more than 350 Ky. schools. Princessiccia

Photo from npr.org
By Danielle Ray
Kentucky Health News

Kentucky school officials are concerned about a proposal by Republicans in the U.S. House that would make it harder for schools to offer free meals to all students using federal money.

The House is considering changes to the 2010 Hunger-Free Kids Act, now in its second year, which allows schools who serve a high-poverty population to offer free meals to every student.

Instead of collecting individual applications for free or reduced-price meals, the Community Eligibility Provision uses data that illustrates how many students in a given school may be "food-vulnerable": how many students live in households that receive government assistance, live in foster care, are homeless, and other similar criteria.

Under current CEP rules, schools with greater than 40 percent of students who qualify as food-vulnerable are eligible to offer free meals to all students. A bill approved May 18 by the House Education and Workforce Committee would raise the threshold to 60 percent, forcing schools between 40 and 59 percent range off the program.

"Proponents of community eligibility say it spares schools from paperwork and administrative burdens, and that it allows low-income children to eat free meals without the stigma or red tape of particpation in the free meal program, which is often a barrier for participation," Evie Blad reports for Education Week. "But Republicans on the committee said the provision is wasteful, potentially allowing children from higher-income families access to free meals."

The change could affect more than 350 Kentucky schools. Kentucky has 804 schools eligible to offer free meals under current CEP rules, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Under the proposed bill, only 441 would qualify, according to the center.

More than 10,000 students at 17 public schools in Lexington alone would be affected, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. More than 190,000 students statewide could be affected, the Herald-Leader said.

Nick Brake, superintendent of Owensboro schools, told Keith Lawrence of The Messenger-Inquirer that he is hopeful that his district will be spared cuts.

"I have been working with Congressman (Brett) Guthrie�s office on this issue," Brake said. "We are still looking at the overall numbers, but our district average is 63 percent, so it looks favorable that we will be able to continue to provide the benefit of this vital program in the future."

Muhlenberg County Supt. Randy McCarty told Lawrence he thought his district would still qualify. "Once a district goes CEP, it stays in place for four years," he said.

Hopkins County, which recently expanded its use of free meals to all public schools, faces uncertainty if the changes are passed.

"I have no idea if school districts will be grandfathered in, or how Congress will write everything, but I am afraid that if we don't jump on this now, we may not get this opportunity again," Michael Dodridge, food services director of Hopkins County schools, told Laura Buchanan of The Messenger in Madisonville. "I would hate to pass this up."

UPDATE, May 26: The Harlan Independent School Board voted to join the program, Joe Asher reports for the Harlan Daily Enterprise.

The proposed CEP changes are part of House Resolution 5003, the child nutrition reauthorization bill introduced by Indiana Republican Rep. Todd Rokita. For more information on the proposed changes, click here.

Friday, 13 May 2016

Princess Health and McDonald's stops sending to schools man who says he lost much weight eating only at McDonald's, including Big Macs and fries. Princessiccia

Photo via flickriver.com
McDonald�s has stopped "giving nutrition advice to students in schools, pulling back on a program that critics said was a subtle form of fast-food marketing that could imperil kids� health and understanding of nutrition," Roberto Ferdman reports for The Washington Post.

The company had been sending to schools "a middle-aged teacher from Iowa who came to fame after claiming to have lost almost 60 pounds eating only McDonald�s," including Big Macs and french fries, Ferdman writes.

"McDonald�s said in a statement this week that Cisna stopped those visits last fall, after a Washington Post article highlighted how McDonald�s used its relationship with local schools and teachers� associations to get its message in front of students. . . . McDonald�s had long defended the practice, saying that Cisna�s presentation was about choice, not about eating McDonald�s. But critics argued it amounted to little more than a veiled attempt to woo customers at a young and impressionable age."

Thursday, 12 May 2016

Princess Health and  Shepherdsville bans smoking with children in vehicle. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Shepherdsville bans smoking with children in vehicle. Princessiccia

In the first such ban in Kentucky, the Shepherdsville City Council has passed an ordinance prohibiting smoking in motor vehicles with children inside them.

Smoking in vehicles with children "is something we see a lot around here," and is "a big problem," Kalynn Walls, a legal assistant who helped write the ordinance, told Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal. The ordinance "is kind of a common-sense thing" that is designed partly "to spark other cities to adopt policies like this," Walls said.

The ordinance says people can't "use tobacco products with a residue of smoke" in a vehicle occupied by anyone under 18. The ban applies to cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other products, but not to e-cigarettes. It is a secondary offense, meaning drivers can't be pulled over for it, but can be cited if stopped for another violation. Conviction carries a fine of up to $250.

The ordinance was inspired by a similar law in England and is the first in Kentucky, according to Ellen Hahn, a University of Kentucky nursing professor and director of the Kentucky Center for Smoke-Free Policy.

Hahn told The Courier-Journal that she wishes Bullitt County, of which Shepherdsville is the county seat, prohibited smoking in workplaces. The county health board passed a smoking ban three years ago, but the fiscal court sued to overturn it, and the Kentucky Supreme Court said smoking bans should be enacted only by elected officials.

In Bullitt County, 27 percent of adults smoke, about the same rate as statewide. "Kentucky consistently has one of the highest adult smoking rates in the nation," Ungar notes.

Tuesday, 19 April 2016

Princess Health and FDA launches its first advertising campaign aimed at rural youth about the dangers of smokeless tobacco. Princessiccia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today launched a campaign on the dangers of smokeless tobacco among rural teens. FDA is expanding its �The Real Cost� campaign "to educate rural, white male teenagers about the negative health consequences associated with smokeless tobacco use," it says. "For the first time, messages on the dangers of smokeless tobacco use�including nicotine addiction, gum disease, tooth loss, and multiple kinds of cancer�are being highlighted through the placement of advertisements in 35 U.S. markets specifically selected to reach the campaign�s target audience."
FDA�s Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study found that 31.84 percent of rural, white males ages 12 to 17�629,000 total youths�either experiment with smokeless tobacco or are at-risk, says FDA. "According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, each day in the U.S. nearly 1,000 males under the age of 18 use smokeless tobacco for the first time�almost as many male teenagers who smoke their first cigarette�making early intervention critical and highlighting a need for targeted youth smokeless tobacco prevention."

The campaign will be conducted through advertisements on television, radio, print, public signs, billboards, the internet and social media, says FDA. The agency is also partnering with Minor League Baseball teams, with stadiums promoting tobacco-free lifestyles "by displaying campaign advertising and providing opportunities for fans to meet and interact with players who support the campaign�s public health messages." (Read more)

Here's a link to the campaign�s bites and B-roll package; the ads are also available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgf1d4CujVYYl8IZmTz5hedERt3f19hED

Sunday, 10 April 2016

Princess Health and Is pervasive pornography the newest public-health crisis?. Princessiccia

Gail Dines, a professor of sociology at Wheelock College in Boston and author of Pornland: How Porn has Hijacked our Sexuality, argues in an essay for The Washington Post that "porn is a public health crisis rather than a private matter."

The internet has made pornography generally accessible, to the point that porn sites get more visitors than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined" (a Huffington Post headline from 2013), some researchers estimate the average age of first viewing porn at 11, and "free and widely available pornography is often violent, degrading and extreme."

Gail Dines
Dines notes studies that have found correlations between porn viewing and sexual harassment and toleration of sexual assault, and that college-age women whose partners use porn "suffered diminished self-esteem, relationship quality and sexual satisfaction."

"As the evidence piles up, a coalition of academics, health professionals, educators, feminist activists and caregivers has decided that they can no longer allow the porn industry to hijack the physical and emotional well-being of our culture," Dines writes. "Culture Reframed, an organization I founded and currently chair, is pioneering a strategy to address porn as the public health crisis of the digital age. We are developing educational programs for parents, youth and a range of professionals that aim to help shift the culture from one that normalizes a pornographic, oppression-based sexuality to one that values and promotes a sexuality rooted in healthy intimacy, mutual care and respect."

Dines concludes, "Parents and educators at every level need to know that if porn is not discussed in a research-based, age-appropriate sexual health curriculum, its effects will surely show up as sexual harassment, dating violence and inadvertent �child pornography� on students� phones. Pornography can cause lifelong problems if young people are not taught to distinguish between exploitative porn sex and healthy, safe sex. As the research shows, porn is not merely a moral nuisance and subject for culture-war debates. It�s a threat to our public health."

Friday, 8 April 2016

Princess Health and Dr. Nikki Stone and mobile dental team in Hazard have helped cut tooth decay in the region 20 percent in a decade of operation. Princessiccia

By Ann Blackford
University of Kentucky

When Dr. Daria "Nikki" Stone, associate professor at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, became the director of the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program in Hazard, she realized she was finally in the right place at the right time, where her piece of the puzzle fit in the big picture.

Growing up in Blackey, in Letcher County about 30 minutes from Hazard, she didn't know she wanted to be a dentist. She was always a good student and loved science classes in school but her passion had always been art. At her father's coaxing, she entered college as a pre-med major, and discovered through the UK Health Careers Opportunities Program that dentistry was a profession that merged her love of art and science.

Dr. Daria "Nikki" Stone (University of Kentucky photos)
"Now, I have a passion and love for what I do, preventing tooth decay in children in elementary schools, preschools and Head Start centers in Eastern Kentucky and advocating for underserved children," Stone said.

Stone married her high school sweetheart, Mark, and they have two children; Ana and Ian, 16 and 13. Her early career included part-time teaching and covering clinics in Prestonsburg and Hazard as a stay-at-home mom and working in New Mexico for the National Health Service Corps to retire a school loan. She got a transfer to be closer to family, and her last year with NHSC was just across the Kentucky border in Virginia.

She had been practicing dentistry for 10 years when UK hired her to head the Mobile Care program, coming full circle to the place she holds most dear.

"I love that I've been able to come home to Appalachia, there is no more beautiful place or more wonderful culture," she said. "I love the way my people talk and hug and laugh, and I love that we are a deeply spiritual people who are deeply connected to one another. My children are 10th generation Appalachians and I wouldn't want to raise them anywhere else."

UK's North Fork Valley Community Health Center's mobile dental outreach program celebrated 10 years of serving children in 2015. Stone has directed the program since its inception. She and several dental hygienists and assistants provide preventive dental care twice a year to 2,400 Head Start children in Perry, Knott, Letcher and Leslie counties and once a year to all public elementary schools in Perry and Knott counties. Children receive dental exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants and both classroom-based and individualized educational sessions. Dental education is also available to parents and teachers at various community events.

"Teaching is actually one of my favorite parts of my job," Stone said. "I also love the practical, day-to-day side of being with children, and I also love the philosophical aspect of why we're doing what we're doing. . . . Children are truly a blessing to work with; they are so very honest and keep us laughing all day. I love that we are preventing tooth decay before it starts and lowering the tooth decay rates in Eastern Kentucky, which has some of the highest rates of tooth decay in the nation."

Stone and patient Wyatt "Bebo" Goins at
Roy G. Eversole Preschool in Hazard
Tooth-decay rates in the center's service area have decreased nearly 20 percentage points, urgent dental needs have been cut in half, and treatment-completion rates for Head Start children with urgent dental needs have increased dramatically, from 8 percent to more than 60 percent.

"When the UK dental outreach team started seeing children in local schools and Head Start centers in 2006, over half the children in Perry County had untreated cavities and 20 percent had painful abscessed teeth," Stone recalled.

Stone said she has found her place in the world. "I once had a very spunky little girl come on the mobile unit and she was very excited to be there," she recalled. "She couldn�t stop talking and she spoke really fast, going from one topic to another without transition. She jumped up in the dental chair and asked me this question, 'Did you wish upon a star to be a dentist?' It really caught me off guard and I had to stop and think about it for a couple of seconds. I realized I probably had not ever wished upon a star to be a dentist, but for some reason God chose to bless me with the opportunity to be a dentist to this beautiful little girl anyway, and to provide preventive dental care services to over 10,000 children just like her who have come on the mobile unit in the past 10 years. And maybe some of them will wish upon a star to become dentists someday."

Wednesday, 17 June 2015

Princess Health and A leading authority on bullying in schools offers ideas for recognizing, preventing and dealing with it.Princessiccia

By Melissa Landon
Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues

How do we recognize, deal with and prevent bullying, particularly in schools? A leading authority on bullying offered some ideas June 12 in a University of Kentucky training session called "The Meanest Generation: Teaching Civility, Empathy, Kindness and Compassion to our Angriest Children," at Eastern State Hospital in Lexington.

Malcolm Smith, right, between sessions
Malcolm Smith, founder and director of the Courage to Care Project who serves on the faculty of Plymouth State University, said one myth about bullying is that it only occurs in large schools. "Actually, I'm more worried about children in a rural school," Smith said. In rural areas, he said, bullying can be a huge problem because there's nowhere to hide, everyone is often into everyone else's business, and an issue can escalate into a feud when families get involved.

Smith defined bullying as a single incident or pattern of written, verbal, electronic or physical actions intended to harm a pupil or his or her property; cause emotional stress; interfere with that student's right to an education; or disrupt the school's operation. Smith debunked a common theory about bullying that became popular in the 1980s�that bullies lack self-esteem. "Bullies are not kids who have low-self-esteem," Smith said. "The average bully is the kid who is a narcissist." Smith believes that a person becomes narcissistic if he or she never learned to bond and love as a child.

He argued that a lack of empathy and rising narcissism�which is characterized by an overinflated view of one's talents and a high level of selfishness�are the true causes of bullying. Empathy is the tendency to react to other people's observed experiences. Research shows that 70 percent of current students score higher in narcissism and lower in empathy than they did 35 years ago. Smith believes this is related to the rise in technology, the culture of self-esteem, the decline of time spent playing�which is often when children gain social competencies�and the overexposure of children to meanness and violence through the media.

Bullies are more likely to have been involved in domestic violence and child abuse; are more likely to commit crimes, drink and smoke; and have a greater propensity toward becoming anti-social adults. Signs that a child is a victim of a bully include exclusion, fear, lack of friends, erratic attendance, depression, withdrawal or clinging to teachers and staff.

Because bullying is characterized by an imbalance of power between the perpetrator and the victim, Smith urged school counselors and teachers not to try mediating a bullying situation, especially not by talking to both the victim and the bully in the same room or worse, leaving them to "work it out." Smith said, "You have to educate the social-emotional deficit in the bully, and you have to comfort the victim." Instead of simply punishing the bully, an authority must discipline him or her, which involves teaching.

To properly discipline a bully, he or she must be required to take responsibility for the behavior and explain to the authority why the behavior was wrong. Then the student must discuss alternative actions that could have been employed. Finally, the student must not only apologize but also perform an act of kindness toward the student he or she bullied.

Smith urged teachers and counselors to recognize and address bullying, explaining that it is not ever a good thing or a positive part of a growing experience, as some people think. He pointed out that adults in the workplace are protected by harassment laws and don't have to face bullying alone, so children shouldn't have to, either. He said to combat bullying, "model good social skills yourself, advocate for safer schools and better laws, work with your school parent-teacher organization, engage parents and students in prevention and work on culture and climate."

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Princess Health and 14-year-old from Paducah discusses her depression and thoughts of suicide to help others in a similar situation.Princessiccia

Princess Health and 14-year-old from Paducah discusses her depression and thoughts of suicide to help others in a similar situation.Princessiccia

Sophie Henney of Paducah chose two days after her 14th birthday to tell her story of depression and thoughts of suicide. She wanted to share her story�and her name�to help others who may be in the same situation, Genevieve Postlethwait reports for The Paducah Sun.

In Kentucky, 15 percent of teens say they've thought about committing suicide, according to the 2013 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2013 data, 11 out of every 100,000 young people die by suicide. Every year between 1999 and 2013, Kentucky ranked 16th in the nation for rate of deaths by suicide for individuals between ages 15 and 24.

On the way to church on New Year's Eve night, Sophie told her mom, Peggy, "I wouldn't hurt myself, but I don't want to go back there to that school. I'd rather be dead." Sophie attended a small private school and hadn't had a pleasant fall semester: the other girls in her class were excluding her, and she had thought some of them were her friends, Postlethwait writes. "We found out several months later she was actually formulating a plan to do it," Peggy said. "As much attention as I was paying to her, I still didn't know. I beat myself up for several months, thinking that there was more I could have done."

Both Sophie and her counselor have released Peggy of the blame, but she still feels responsible. "I could have lost my child," Peggy said. "And there are people here who have lost their child. . . . We can talk about texting and driving; we can talk about drinking and driving; but we can't talk about suicide. We've got to start changing something."

The stigma surrounding suicide and a lack of information about it are two main things that stand in the way of changing the way people talk about suicide, said Laurie Ballew, medical director of Lourdes Behavioral Health. She said people didn't used to talk about cancer because of the stigma. "Now we talk about it," Ballew said. "We're out about it, we're loud about it, and we're educating about it. That's what we need to do with suicide and mental health issues."

Gretchen Roof, site administration at Four Rivers Behavioral Health in Paducah, "said at least once a week a child comes to them at Four Rivers who they worry may be a suicide risk." When that happens, there are several options. Children may see a counselor once per week or every other week. They can go to Four Rivers every weekday after school. In more severe cases, "'partial-hospitalization'"is an option, where the child attends school at the center while also participating in therapy from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every weekday," Postlethwait writes. Most of the schools in the area allow Four Rivers counselors to spend approximately one day per week in each school, which removes the need for transportation and the stigma associated with entering a mental health facility.

Roof said that parents, teachers, preachers and kids should not be afraid to talk about depression or suicidal thoughts in themselves or observed in others, Postlethwait writes. "If you have or know a child who appears depressed, or is having some sort of significant change in their behavior, a change in appearance even . . . be especially tuned-in to that child," Roof said. "Don't be afraid of saying, 'I'm concerned about you. What's going on?' and don't be afraid of asking, 'Have you thought about hurting yourself?'" Something people are afraid to ask such questions because they think they will give the person ideas, Roof said, but research shows that is false. "They will tell you, and you are the intervention that has been waiting to happen for them."

Sophie said, "I was very relieved when we went to Christmas break, and by New Years Eve, I was like, I don't want to go back. I want this to be over. I don't want to see them again. The only thing I can really think of to say is, get help. That's what made me better. Tell somebody. Talk to somebody. don't just keep it quiet."

Thursday, 28 May 2015

Princess Health and In-school health clinics not only meet the health-care needs of students and staff, but also their families.Princessiccia

Princess Health and In-school health clinics not only meet the health-care needs of students and staff, but also their families.Princessiccia

School-based health clinics in Kentucky could become a trend,  especially as the state searches for solutions to meet the health care needs of schools as budgets for school nurses continue to be slashed.

Southern Kentucky has Cumberland Family Medical, based in Burkesville, which has clinics at the five schools in Russell County and a deal to do likewise with the four in adjoining Adair County.

Western Kentucky has three such clinics, with two more likely to open next year, Genevieve Postlethwait reports for The Paducah Sun. 

The clinics are at McCracken County's Reidland Middle School, Lone Oak Elementary School, and Paducah's Morgan Elementary. Next school year a full-time clinic will open in McCracken County High School, hopefully followed by a clinic at McNabb Elementary.

These clinics exist as a partnership between Mercy Medical Associates and the local public school districts; the school districts supply the space, Mercy supplies and staff and the Lourdes Foundation helps with funding, Postlethwait reports.

An advanced practice registered nurse with Mercy Medical, Julie Higdon, said she has seen well over 30 patients at the Lone Oak clinic since it opened in mid-April. "That's not busy by ER standards," she said, "but that's busy for a little clinic that's just softly opened."

The clinics serve the entire "school family," from the students and their parents and siblings to the districts' teachers, staff and administrators, regardless of their ability to pay. "Their goal is to give the community the preventive, acute and critical health care it needs while reducing students' and teachers' time away from school, and parents' time away from work," Postlethwait writes.

"It's a big deal when you start talking about dollars and cents, too," Tennille Rushing, director of clinical operations for Mercy, told Postlethwait.  "Not only in the impact for the schools to have kids staying in the classroom and helping with attendance numbers, but for parents. If you only have a limited number of days that you can take off, and you have to take off half a day to go sit in a lobby somewhere with your child, you've missed a half day of pay."

These clinics will also help those without a primary-care provider, which are in short supply in the Paducah area. The Lone Oak clinic will remain open by appointment only this summer.

"I feel like these clinics really have the potential to meet a need for the community," Higdon told Postlethwait. "I feel like it has great potential to grow, I really do." (This story is behind a paywall.)

Wednesday, 29 April 2015

Princess Health andStudy suggests that adolescent exposure to alcohol can negatively affect learning, memory and behavior in adulthood.Princessiccia

Princess Health andStudy suggests that adolescent exposure to alcohol can negatively affect learning, memory and behavior in adulthood.Princessiccia

A study at Duke University suggests that repeated exposure to alcohol during adolescence causes long-lasting changes in the part of the brain that controls learning and memory. The study, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, helped explain how exposure to alcohol before the brain has fully developed can cause cellular and synaptic abnormalities and negatively affect behavior. Kentucky is ranked 9th in the nation for the percentage of children who drank alcohol before age 13 (25.1 percent), according to the state Department for Public Health.

"In the eyes of the law, once people reach the age of 18, they are considered adult, but the brain continues to mature and refine all the way into the mid-20s," said lead author Mary-Louise Risher, a post-doctoral researcher in Duke's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. "It's important for young people to know that when they drink heavily during this period of development, there could be changes occurring that have a lasting impact on memory and other cognitive functions.

Studies had shown that animals exposed to alcohol at an early age do not perform as well in memory tasks as those not exposed to it. The new study, which involved exposing young rodents to alcohol and waiting for them to grow into adulthood, found that the exposure also affects the hippocampus, the area of the brain that controls memory and learning. The researchers measured a cellular mechanism called long-term potentiation, which involves the strengthening of brain synapses being used to learn new tasks or bring up memories. Ideally, LTP should be high, especially in young people. The researchers found that the adult rodents exposed to the alcohol during adolescence had higher levels of LTP, which may seem to be a positive outcome but is actually not.

"If you produce too much LTP in one of these circuits, there is a period of time where you can't produce any more," said senior author Scott Swartzwelder, a Duke professor. "The circuit is saturated, and the animal stops learning. For learning to be efficient, your brain needs a delicate balance of excitation and inhibition�too much in either direction, and the circuits do not work optimally."

The researchers also observed a structural change in individual nerve cells: those exposed to alcohol at a young age have brain cells that appear immature, even in adulthood. "It's quite possible that alcohol disrupts the maturation process, which can affect these cognitive functions later on," Risher said. She also noted that the immature appearance of the cells might be associated with behavioral immaturity.

Friday, 24 April 2015

Princess Health andSouthern Kentucky physician expands his in-school clinics; already in Russell County, will be in Adair County next year.Princessiccia

Dr. Eric Loy
(Columbia Magazine photo)
An entrepreneurial physician in Southern Kentucky has developed a way to deliver school health services that could have a broader impact on communities.

Cumberland Family Medical, based in Burkesville, has clinics at the five schools in Russell County and now has a deal to do likewise with the four in adjoining Adair County.

Dr. Eric Loy, who owns the clinic, "said that the agreement could have an important impact on the community both short term, by helping create a healthier and more focused student body; and long term, by creating a culture where people get acclimated to seeing doctors and nurses for physicals and regular checkups on a consistent basis," Wes Feese reports for The Adair Progress.

�We have a chance to change the culture of health care in Kentucky,� Loy told the Adair County Board of Education, which voted to spend $80,000 next year on the clinics. That is "roughly the same cost the district currently pays for school nurses," Feese reports. "If the trial run next year is successful, both parties will have options to continue the agreement."

"Cumberland Family Medical will pay two-thirds of the nurse expense and will bill the insurance of the patient," Toni Humphress reports for the Adair County Community Voice.

School Supt. Alan Reed complimented the dedication and service of the county�s school nurses but said costs to employ them were �soaring,� Feese reports. Reed said of Loy's plan, �This is kind of a novel approach, and from all we�ve seen, we really like it. It cuts down on time and any barriers for a kid getting health care.�

Loy agreed, saying, �A lot of times that�s the barrier, that it�s hard [for parents] to miss work.�

School principals said sick students may have to sit in an office or lobby all day because working parents are unavailable to come pick the students up and take them to a doctor. "Director of Pupil Personnel Robbie Harmon said that this move could have a bigger long-term impact on the community than any project he�s worked on in his time in the school system."

Loy's in-school clinics are manned by a full-time nurse practitioner who travels between schools, and is overseen by a physician. "Loy said that all forms of insurance would be accepted, and that all children would be seen and treated, regardless of their ability to pay," Feese reports. "He also said that the clinics could help out with insurance enrollment."

Adair County had one of the state's highest percentages of people without health insurance until the federal-state Medicaid program was expanded under federal health reform. The uninsured rate has dropped dramatically, but some families are still without health coverage.

Sunday, 22 June 2014

Princess Health and Princess Health andRussell Co. school board plans to make all campuses tobacco-free, renews free-lunch-for-all plan after breaking even.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andRussell Co. school board plans to make all campuses tobacco-free, renews free-lunch-for-all plan after breaking even.Princessiccia

School districts in Kentucky often deal with health issues. The Russell County Board of Education dealt with two important ones, tobacco use and school lunch, in its meeting last week.

State officials are pushing to get schools to make their campuses tobacco-free as a way of discouraging smoking, since Kentucky has the highest percentage of smokers in the nation and ranks near the top in youth smoking.

The Russell County school board heard first reading of a policy that would ban use of tobacco products on all school campuses at any time, including events such as outdoor athletic contests. "Board Member Gerald Murray indicated that those who attended the meeting were for the complete ban, and wanted the public informed that if they had concerns, either for or against the ban, they need to attend the next board meeting to be heard," The Times Journal of Russell Springs reports. "The next reading and vote will be at a special called meeting on June 30."

June 30 was the original deadline for school districts to decide whether to participate in the federal program that makes free meals available to every student in school districts with certain levels of poverty and public assistance.

The board voted to stay in the program after Nutrition Director Susan Melton reported "the program has resulted in a 73 percent breakfast participation rate, an increase of 28 percent compared to 2012-2013 school year, and nearly double the state breakfast participation rate of 39 percent," the Times Journal reports. "The lunch participation rate was 90 percent over the last school year, up eight percent from 2012-2013."

The newspaper notes that the district has to pay only 6 percent of the cost, compared to 20 percent in the normal program, which charges some students regular or reduced prices for meals based on their family income. Some school districts have not joined the program, saying they might lose money on it, and Russell County feared likewise, but Melton said it "has been essentially 'break even' for the county" and has benefits; research has shown that hungry children are less able to learn.

�We went into this last year understanding we may lose $12,000 to $15,000,� Board Member Steve Kerr said. �But we all agreed that if we did lose that it was still well worth it. And with it being a break even situation you couldn't ask for anything better than that. And with the way it looks for the coming school year, I'm extremely pleased with it. Our students are the ones who benefit so that makes everything worth it.�

The state Department of Education expects about 100 of Kentucky's 173 public school districts to participate during the coming school year in a federal program that makes free meals available to all children in a school if at least 40 percent of its students already qualify for free meals through federal programs, Valarie Honeycutt Spears reports of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.

Monday, 16 June 2014

Princess Health and Princess Health andHow to keep kids safe from traumatic brain injuries this summer.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andHow to keep kids safe from traumatic brain injuries this summer.Princessiccia

About 1.7 million people in the U.S. suffer a traumatic brain injury each year, and nearly half a million children under 15 visit an emergency room for TBI. A brain injury is traumatic if it disrupts the normal function of the brain.

Dr. Michael Egnor, vice-chairman of neurology at New York's Stony Brook University Hospital and director of pediatric neurosurgery at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, provides ideas for how parents can help protect their children from brain injuries this summer.

Families are going on more bike rides, but not everyone knows that bicycle accidents are most likely to happen within five blocks of home. "Make sure your child wears a helmet every time he or she rides a bicycle, scooter or skateboard," Egnor said. "We're seeing the most head injuries right now in skateboarding, especially in young teens, who might think it's just not cool to wear a helmet."

Each year more than 200,000 children suffer from injuries on playgrounds in the U.S., according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The main cause is falls. Egnor suggested looking for shredded mulch, pea gravel, crushed stone and other loose surfaces and being extra careful on asphalt and concrete.

Parents with older children and teens should be aware of possible diving accidents. "In about 50 percent of cases of catastrophic injuries, alcohol or drugs is involved," Egnor said. "Ensure that responsible adults supervise pool parties and other events where swimming and diving are involved."

Egnor also warned of concussions during summer sports. He said, "The few serious injuries we treat from organized sports are usually accidents that probably could not have been prevented," he said, while many of the concussions he treats are mild because many sports require helmets.

Dealing with serious injuries quickly is key, Egnor said. "The full extent of the injuries may not appear immediately." (Read more)

Friday, 13 June 2014

Princess Health and Princess Health andProposed waiver from school nutrition guidelines sparks debate.Princessiccia

The controversial school lunch waiver debate that began in Washington has migrated to Kentucky. While supporters claim that the proposal assists rural schools, some opponents say it defeats the purpose of years of work to fight one of the U.S.'s highest childhood obesity rates, John Moritz writes for McClatchy Newspapers, parent of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Next week the House of Representatives is expected to vote on a measure that would let schools ask for a one-year waiver to get out of the new federal school lunch nutritional standards�if the school can show that meeting those guidelines would require them to keep operating meal programs at a loss. The measure is part of a spending bill for the Department of Agriculture passed by the House Appropriations Committee, headed by 5th District Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset.

Michael Saucedo, 9, eats lunch at Russell Cave Elementary
School in Lexington. (Herald-Leader photo by Pablo Alcala)
USDA guidelines, enacted in 2012, call for schools to serve a fruit and a vegetable with each meal. "The guidelines also mandated a switch to 100 percent whole grains by this summer, required milk servings be 1 percent or fat-free and imposed calorie and sodium limitations based on age group," Moritz writes. "Standards also were set for a limited amount of saturated fats per serving, while banning the use of trans fats."

Although the Fayette County Public Schools lunch program will not likely apply for a waiver because the system's meal program is operating in the black, Director of Child Nutrition Michelle Coker told Moritz the waivers would helps smaller Kentucky school districts.

Scott County Nutritional Services Director Mitzi Marshall told Moritz the district is losing money because fewer students are buying the healthier lunches, and even some students who could get free or on-sale lunches have been bringing food from home. She said the guidelines have "gone a little overboard." Coker said cafeteria workers told her that students do not eat the healthy food, forcing the district to increase trash collection. "She estimated that as much as 75 percent of the fruits and vegetables were thrown away," Moritz writes.

"You can put the best meal out there, the most healthy meal, but if they are not eating it, they are not healthier," Coker told Moritz. Before the new guidelines, schools provided fruits and vegetables as an option for children instead of as a requirement.

Supporters of the guidelines argue that tastes can change and schools need to come up with creative strategies for that. "Our schools need to be an environment that makes the healthier and easier choice for our children," said Susan Zepeda, president of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

According to a report by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kentucky ranks eighth in the nation for obesity among children ages 10 to 17 and third among high-school students.

Anita Courtney, who helped the Better Bites program that aims to offer healthier food items for children at swimming pools, public parks and after-school programs, said, "Great work has been done to shift the food that our tax dollars pay for our kids. It just boggles my mind that [Congress] would consider pulling the plug on that."

Coker said a waiver wouldn't mean a school district reverts to its old ways of offering greasy, fatty and sugary foods, but would give an extra year to meet all the requirements. (Read more)

Wednesday, 4 June 2014

Princess Health and Princess Health andLexington preschool becomes Kentucky's first with a farm-to-school food program.Princessiccia

About 20 years from now, today's preschoolers will be purchasing and preparing their own food. What if they spent 13 years in an educational setting that taught farm-to-school practices? Children who represent the next generation would learn not only to eat healthy food but also to support local food systems, state Farm to School Program coordinator Tina Garland told Cerise Bouchard of Lexington Family Magazine.

This year, Growing Together Preschool in Lexington became the first Farm to Preschool program facilitated by the state Department of Agriculture. Bouchard returned to GTP in July 2013 as the executive director with the goal of improving the menu by working with a farm to provide community-supported agriculture.

When Bouchard told Garland about her idea, Garland connected her with Lazy Eight Stock Farm and Carla Bauman, who told the magazine, "I am excited about being part of a project that encourages young children to like eating fresh fruits and vegetables while their food preferences are still forming." Bauman said the the GTP project also will give the students' families weekly access to fresh, local, organic produce.

Childhood obesity rates in Kentucky are very high, and many children eat most of their meals in school, Bouchard writes. Instead of exacerbating the problem, schools have an opportunity to improve the health of children. GTP's focus has always been on quality improvement initiatives, and "Implementation of the Farm to School program is simply the next step to ensuring that we are making the best decisions to improve and support the development of the whole child," Bouchard writes.