Health in the 406

 

Gonorrhea in Montana

• Gonorrhea cases in Montana have increased more than 10 fold since 2012, however, Montana’s 2018 rate of 112 cases per 100,000 was lower than the most recent national average of 171.9/100,000.
• Gonorrhea has progressively developed resistance to many antibiotics, making it important to treat all patients per the CDC STD treatment guidelines.
• Some men and most women have no symptoms, placing them at risk of unknowingly spreading the infection and for serious and permanent health problems. To find free or low-cost testing, visit GetTested.mt.gov for a location near you.

End Childhood Hunger - #WearOrangeWednesday, April 10th

• In Montana, 17% of children are living in households that experience limited availability to nutritious food which can contribute to toxic stress, difficulty succeeding in school, and chronic illness.
• The good news is that Montana is closing the gap on childhood hunger thanks to many diverse communities and organizations working together.
• Join the cause to end child hunger in Montana by wearing orange on April 10th, 2019 for the Annual Statewide Wear Orange Wednesday and share #WearOrangeWednesday.

CONNECT

• CONNECT is a bi-directional referral system that allows providers to send and receive referrals.
• Those who use CONNECT have a 75% client connection rate, meaning 75 out of 100 referrals result in the client starting services.
• To learn more about CONNECT, watch a CONNECT demonstration, or to use CONNECT in your organization, contact Alex Long, Statewide CONNECT Coordinator.

Celebrating National Nutrition Month

• National Nutrition Month® is celebrated every March and focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
• Nutritious eating can be as simple as making sure all the major food groups are incorporated into meals and snacks throughout the day: lean protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy.
• For a lifetime of healthful eating, let your unique lifestyle, nutritional needs, and flavor preferences inform your eating style. Find an expert that can help you eat right for your lifestyle or visit eatright.org.