Author Archive

WellFlorida Council is announcing a min-grant funding opportunity for Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) programs throughout Florida. Organizations interested in applying should go to www.WellFlorida.org and select the blog post “DSME Mini-Grant Funding Opportunity” to download the application and learn more about the grant’s objectives, funding and application process. The application deadline is Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018.

DSME is a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to disease management that meets national standards. To extend the reach of the DSME mini-grant funding opportunity, WellFlorida serves as a hub, on behalf of […]

Jamie Watcher, Suwannee Democrat

LIVE OAK — Nervous about riding without training wheels, Ashlynn McLeod knew what she didn’t enjoy about Wednesday morning’s bike safety rodeo.

“Falling down,” the 6-year-old McLeod said.

But McLeod, talkative throughout the safety training she received from Morris Sherman, with the Well Florida Council, was suddenly shy following the event at RIVEROAK Technical College, which was sponsored by the Florida Department of Health – Suwannee County and the Live Oak Police Department.

While McLeod couldn’t think of what she enjoyed the most from the event, […]

The Citrus County Chronicle

People don’t usually miss a chance to voice their opinions, but that’s exactly what’s happening with a community-wide survey this month. Sponsors of the Citrus County Community Health Needs Assessment survey said that far fewer responses have come in for the online questionnaire than when it was run three years ago, and they’re urging everyone to log on to complete it.

This survey asks residents for their opinions on county health-related concerns, not individual issues. The survey is anonymous, though respondents can provide […]

Gainesville Sun

On Wednesday and Friday this week, several testing events have been planned in Alachua County.

Increasing awareness of the importance of getting tested for HIV will again be the focus of National HIV Testing Day, which will be observed nationwide on Wednesday.

“Getting tested is the first step in taking care of your health and controlling the spread of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus),” said Gay Koehler-Sides, HIV/AIDS program coordinator at the Alachua County Health Department and other health departments in Area 3/13, which includes Bradford, Citrus, […]

Gainesville Sun

Given the educational institutions we have in our community, Alachua County should perform better than around the middle of the pack when it comes to taking care of children.

Yet Alachua County ranked 31st out of 67 Florida counties in the 2018 Child Well-being Index. The index, released in April by Florida Kids Count, measures the status of children in areas such as educational outcomes, health and poverty.

Florida ranked 40th among states in the group’s 2017 rankings, so being near the middle of the pack […]