Health

Economic Stability affects all aspects of health

Economic stability is a major domain of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) affecting nearly every aspect of a person’s health. “Poor families and individuals are most likely to live in unsafe homes and neighborhoods, often with limited access to healthy foods, employment options, and quality schools,” writes Healthy People 2030. According to Healthy People 2030, [...]

July is National Minority Mental Health Month

While mental illness can affect people of any race, ethnicity, or background, racial minorities often face unique struggles. To understand those struggles better, Minority Mental Health Awareness Month began in 2008 and has taken place every July since. This year’s theme “Beyond the Numbers” calls attention to the history of minorities and how their resilience [...]

Community Care HUB releases informational video

The Community Care HUB, an initiative of the 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health, has released a video to explain its work in Cambria and Somerset counties. A HUB is an organized, outcome-focused, network of Care Coordination Agencies (CCAs) who hire and train Community Health Workers (CHWs). Developed by the Pathways Community HUB Institute, the [...]

International Men’s Health Week is June 13-19

During International Men’s Health Week, June 13-19, it is important to raise awareness of preventable health issues and encourage early detection and treatment. Men are at higher risk for heart disease, lung cancer, and HIV. They also have unique health problems like prostate cancer. Cambria County cancer statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Health show [...]

June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month

This June for Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, everyone should take time to learn more about brain health. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 6 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s and 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia. In Cambria County, the Department of [...]

Mental health episodes in youth is on the rise

Although Mental Health Awareness Month wrapped up at the end of May, it is still important to call attention to how it affects adolescents and young adults in the United States. In 2020, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reported: 1 in 6 adolescents (aged 12-17) experienced a major depressive episode 3 million adolescents [...]

Transportation affects every Social Determinant of Health

Imagine having a doctor’s appointment in two hours and your friend who planned to take you was called into work last minute; you no longer have a ride. There are other options: You could take the bus, but you aren’t within walking distance of a stop. Even if you were near a bus stop, the [...]

Establishing a Medical Home is important for HUB participants

Establishing a Medical Home for a participant is one of the 21 Pathways the Community Care HUB’s Community Health Workers (CHWs) will focus on. According to the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC), a medical home “is best described as a model or philosophy of primary care that is patient-centered, comprehensive, team-based, coordinated, accessible, and focused on [...]

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Every year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with at least one mental illness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly 1 in 5 (52.9 million in 2020) adults in the United States have a mental illness. Collaborating and having productive conversations to provide more and better mental health services [...]

Food insecurity is a concerning SDOH

Feeding America defines food insecurity “as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life.” According to the USDA, 38.3 million people, including 12 million children, in the United States lived in food-insecure households in 2020. Poverty is connected to food insecurity and for [...]

Go to Top