Wilkes Healthy Carolinians Council is an advocate for health care reform, it is a catalyst for improving quality, access continuity and coordination of health care services in Wilkes County since 1993.
The need for caring citizens at every level to help plan, implement, and evaluate health promotion programs is critical right now. Disease prevention and health promotion is a must in today's society.
Health promotion improves the health status of individuals, families, communities, states, and the nation. Now with this partnership of Wilkes County Health Department with Wilkes Regional Medical Center, the power of partnering is even greater. Through education-driven, voluntary behavior change programs, professionally trained health educators and ordinary grass-roots citizens like you make a difference in the health of people and communities.
We need you and your involvement in this vital task. Three ares of need have been identified as health priorities in Wilkes.
- Child obesity
- Prescription Drug Abuse
- Access to Health Care
Click on the related links above to find out more about these initiatives. Or, contact council executive, Paul Hugger at (336) 651-8130.
Access to Care
Providing assistance for the most vulnerable
The Access to Care Task Force (ACTF) advocates to improve and to provide adequate access to health care for uninsured citizens of Wilkes that are at a greater risk of not seeing a physician or have a yearly routine checkup due to cost.
HealthCare Connection is an integrated system working with, private and public physicians,
Who is eligible for assistance with HealthCare Connection?
People with…
•Acute active health problem.
•No access to health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, or VA benefits.
•Total gross household income at or below 200% federal poverty level.
•Age (21-64)
•Resident of Wilkes County for at least the past 30 days.
•Those who are willing to accept responsibility for complying with the medical advice provided.
HealthCare Connection is not a health insurance plan, it is however a way to help our uninsured community members stabilize their health. To find out if you can receive assistance or how you can help, please call.
Armando Limon
Wilkes County Health Department
(336) 651-7386
Fitness & Nutrition
Classes Offered by the Fitness and Nutrition Task Force include:
Families Eating Smart Moving More – 4 classes that offers families simple solutions to help them eat smart and move more. Eating smart and moving more does not have to be difficult. Families Eating Smart and Moving More gives families the skills to be able to eat more meals at home, eat healthy when eating out, move more in the their everyday routine and watch less television.
Eat Smart, Move More Weigh Less is a weight-management program that uses strategies proven to work. Each lesson informs, empowers and motivates participants to live mindfully as they make choices about eating and physical activity. The program provides opportunities for participants to track their progress and keep a journal of healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. The program can be offered to work sites and other groups interested in eating smart, moving more and achieving a healthy weight.
For more information about the Fitness and Nutrition Task Force contact the Chair, Jared Belk, at 336.651.7478.
Substance Abuse
The Substance Abuse Task Force (SATF) advocates for the improvement of services to victims of substance abuse by assessing the community’s current level of response to victims, and identifying ways to enhance services and to promote prevention and a reduction in the rate of illegal use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs by developing and encouraging inter-agency coordination and community educational programs.
Wilkes County Medical Examiners have documented 59 unintentional drug deaths for 2005 through 2007, mainly attributed to prescription drug misuse or abuse. This places Wilkes 5 times greater than national and 3 times the NC State averages.
The SATF has established a community coalition:
Northwest Community Care Network
Wilkes Regional Medical Center
Wilkes County Sheriff’s Department
Wilkes County Health Department
Smoky Mtn. LME and New River
Wilkes Ministerial Association
Wilkes County Schools
Parents and Youth of Wilkes
Others are also involved to combat this “epidemic” and better educate our community regarding proper narcotic prescription utilization, handling and disposal. The SATF is promoting the use of the NC State Controlled Substance Reporting System for tracking narcotic prescription usage and assisting in organizing additional prevention and treatment programs in Wilkes.
Contact:
Fred Wells Brason,II
336.667.9217
Click here for more information on North Carolina's Healthy Carolinians Council