public health

It was 1982 in Keene, New Hampshire and another hot July day. I had ridden my bike through the park on my way to the neighborhood pool, where my friends and I often went to cool down and perfect our cannonballs. As I was waiting in line for the diving board, a large coach bus pulled into the parking lot, which I remember was unusually full for it being the middle of the day. The doors swung open and I was suddenly having my first experience seeing children of a different color as they got off the bus. I found it a bit weird and that night I asked my Mom what was happening.

During the past year, the local health officer has fulfilled an important role in New Hampshire’s cities and towns by responding to COVID-19 concerns and questions. Often, health officers were on the front lines investigating sanitary conditions and COVID-19 cases. Many took on the role of learning the executive orders and reopening guidance, which required them to perform compliance inspections and respond to COVID-19 concerns in businesses, housing complexes, schools, community centers, and other public locations.

We are fortunate to live in New Hampshire, a state with many beautiful features and a relatively low population density. The downside is fewer transit options and residents frequently needing to drive significant distances to get to work and other places.

As many as 70 percent of us drive to work alone. A person who carpools can save money and reduce their carbon footprint as well. By walking or bicycling to work or wherever we need to go, we receive health benefits from the exercise, save money and benefit the environment.

The 2009-10 school season recessed on an upbeat note for the Gorham, Randolph and Shelburne Cooperative School District (SAU #20) with the arrival and use of two new environmentally-friendly school buses. The district replaced two older buses with state-of-the-art model year 2010 buses—the first in New England that meet emission standards up to 25 times more stringent than the buses they replace.

For staff and students at the Lamprey River Elementary School, the past two years have proven that change is possible. The kindergarten through grade five school in Raymond is one of two pilot schools in New Hampshire (the other is the Mildred Lakeway Elementary School in Littleton) provided a Healthy Schools Grant by the New Hampshire Partners for Healthy Schools (NHPHS) to improve both indoor air quality and the environment. One result of their program participation was being selected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to receive its 2009 Tools for Schools Leadership Award.

As this article is being written in early September, the traditional flu season in the Southern Hemisphere is coming to close and international public health experts are closely tracking circulation of the H1N1 (swine) flu virus. Three key findings from these activities were included in an August 28, 2009 situation report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

The 2009 H1N1 influenza virus is the predominant influenza virus in circulation worldwide.

This year’s American College of Sports Medicine Summit, held March 24–27 in Atlanta, placed major emphasis on worksite health promotion and how to move employees to a higher level of wellness. Keynote speakers and workshop presenters highlighted topics ranging from how to develop wellness programs on a limited budget to creating a culture of health and developing programming using the FIT (Fact-based, Integrated across the organization and Targeted to need) design.

The FIT Model

In the past two years, New Hampshire Local Government Center’s (LGC) HealthTrust has partnered with several other large public purchasers, including the State of New Hampshire Employee Health Benefits Program, the University System of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire School Health Care Coalition to determine ways to lower the cost of healthcare while improving quality and the health and wellness of all employees.

Cost Variations

If you or any of your employees are smokers, consider quitting this month in conjunction with the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout®, which is traditionally observed on the third Thursday in November. It could be the impetus you need to embark on a healthier lifestyle.

First you’ll need to answer this important question: Are you ready to quit smoking?

To help determine your readiness to quit, select one of the bold-ed statements which best describes your situation and follow the bulleted steps beneath it to get on a smoke-free path.

By Dr. Shannon Mills

What are the benefits of regular professional dental cleanings?