Turn trend around: County slides in health survey

Citrus County Chronicle

THE ISSUE: Citrus County scores slump in health surveys.
OUR OPINION: The fix begins with “we.”

Here’s the bad news:  Citrus County’s score on a nationally respected health survey continues to slide. Among Florida’s 67 counties, our county’s rank has dropped from 44 two years ago to 54 in 2018.

Here’s the good news: Each of us has the power to help turn that trend around, through both individual action and participation in targeted community efforts.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), in partnership with the University of Wisconsin Population Health […]

WellFlorida News Release

The Alachua County Children Services Advisory Board hosted a kick-off for the NewboRN Home Visiting program on Sat., March 17, 2018 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Alachua County School Board District Office. Speakers at the event included Alachua County Commissioner Lee Pinkoson and Alachua County Advisory Chair Thomas Logan.

The NewboRN Home Visiting program is a coordinated effort to improve the health, safety and future of all babies born in Alachua County. The program is overseen by Healthy Start of North Central […]

WCJB

GAINESVILLE, Fla.  In May 2017 the board of county commissioners in Alachua county formed the Alachua County Children’s Services Advisory Board to make sure all children would be ready to enter kindergarten.
Today, they debuted their new program.
The “Newborn Nurse Home Visit Program”* will send out registered nurses and certified nurse midwifes on home visits to families with newborns to check on the health of both the baby and the new mother.
The visits are funded by the board and will be free of […]

Gainesville Sun

Some have already declared it be the “year of the child” in Alachua County, but a lot of work remains to make that happen.

Alachua County Public Schools must keep making improvements despite a lack of adequate state support. County voters have stepped up in approving local funding for arts and music programs and other priorities, but more help is needed to improve aging school facilities, address disparities in achievement and prepare children outside the classroom.

That preparation begins long before children enter kindergarten. County commissioners […]

Gainesville Sun

Families with newborns soon will get help with making sure their little ones have the best chance for early childhood success.

Thanks to a $400,000 grant from the Alachua County Commission, Healthy Start of North Central Florida in March will launch the NewboRN Home Visiting Program to provide services designed to help children succeed early in life — academically, emotionally and socially.

Registered nurses from UF Health Shands Home Care team, Nursecore of Gainesville, a national […]

Ocala Star Banner

The state Senate, the upper chamber of Legislature, has proposed lowering funds for an invaluable state-local program — Florida Healthy Start.

Disappointing.

The Florida House of Representatives, which has called for maintaining Healthy Start funding, should stay the course and say no to this unhealthy proposal.

We strongly urge the two senators from our region — Republicans Dennis Baxley and Keith Perry — to break ranks with their fellow senators and support an adequate appropriation for a program that improves the lives of individuals and families […]