National Walking Day Observed in CT to Promote Heart Health

Wednesday, April 4 is the American Heart Association's National Walking Day.  On this day, employees are encouraged to wear sneakers to work and take at least 30 minutes out of their day to get up and walk. It's a great way to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity and to give coworkers a friendly nudge toward a healthier life.   Overall, the AHA recommends 150 minutes of physical activity, like brisk walking, each week. In Connecticut, radio station WDRC is advocating participation, mentioning the story of one of their own - afternoon host Floyd Wright, who returned to the airwaves recently after bypass surgery and now follows a walking and exercise  regimen.

Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S. and Connecticut.  The Connecticut chapter of AHA reports that heart disease and stroke account for 31% of all female deaths in Connecticut, and that on average nearly 13 women die from heart attack and stroke each day in Connecticut.  Brisk walking for as little as 30 minutes a day will help:

• Improve self-image and energy level
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Increase enthusiasm and optimism
• Improve muscle tone and strength
• Increase circulation
• Lower blood cholesterol, triglyceride and blood pressure levels
• Reduce weight and
• Lower bone loss

CT Alzheimer's Conference Focus on Families, Growing Numbers

It has been estimated that in Connecticut in 2011, approximately 174,000 people provided unpaid care to about 70,000 individuals with alzheimer's or dementia.  The 15th Annual Connecticut Statewide Education Conference hosted by the Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association will be held on March 27, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cromwell, CT. Across the U.S., there are 5.4 million people living with Alzheimer's today; by 2025 the number is expected to increase to 16 million unless medical responses change the current trajectory of the disease.  In Connecticut, the number of individuals known to have Alzheimer's grew by 3 percent during the past decade, and that number is expected to continue increasing as the general population - spurred by baby boomers - continues to get older.

CT Health Reform Report Card Issued

The New Haven-based Connecticut Health Policy Project, a non-profit, non-partisan research and educational organization dedicated to improving access to affordable, quality health care, has issued aReport Card for Connecticut.  The organization surveyed more than three dozen "thought leaders" serving on health-related state councils, boards, committees and among the leadership of health-related organizations.  The respondents included providers, consumer advocates, labor, business, insurance brokers, and academics.  The results:  Connecticut received a C in health reform, a C+ in effort, and a D in "engaging consumers in policy making."  Connecticut's Medicaid efforts earned a B.

Rare Diseases Focus of CT-Based National Organization

Statistics from the Danbury-based National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD) indicate that 30 million Americans - nearly 1 in 10 people - are diagnosed with one of about 7,000 rare diseases.  It has been estimated that approximately 357,000 people in Connecticut are facing rare diseases. Consider their families, friends, neighbors and co-workers, and the number of people impacted grows considerably.  It has been further estimated that approximately 80 percent of rare diseases are genetic in origin, which translates to about 285,600 people in Connecticut. NORD is a federation of voluntary health organizations committed to the identification, treatment and cure of rare diseases through education, advocacy and research, with national headquarters in Danbury and offices in Washington D.C.  Only about 200 of the rare diseases have treatments currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which leaves a vague and often lengthy path to treatment and insurance coverage.  That's where NORD steps up to help patients and their families.

CT Hospitals Named Among National Leaders

When considered together, the Hartford and New Haven regions are among the top 10 best in the nation for hospital care, according to data compiled by HealthGrades, a provider of consumer health care information.  Hartford-New Haven ranked ninth, between St. Louis and Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo.  Baltimore topped the list. The report also named "Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence" throughout the country, and five Connecticut hospitals earned that designation:  Hartford Hospital, St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury, the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven, Griffin Hospital in Derby and Middlesex Hospital in Middletown.

HealthGrades also has named the 2011Emergency Medicine Excellence Recipients, and that list included six Connecticut hospitals:  Danbury Hospital, Griffin Hospital, Hartford Hospital, Manchester Memorial Hospital, Middlesex Hospital and Rockville General Hospital.  That study focused on 12 common and life-threatening medical emergencies among that patient population

Videos Seek to Prevent Underage Drinking

It might seem an unlikely collaboration, but The Governor's Prevention Partnership, state Department of Consumer Protection, Connecticut State Police and Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut (WSWC) have teamed up to combat underage drinking.  The fifth annual WSWC Public Service Announcement Video Contest for Connecticut college students is underway, launched this month at the University of New Haven.  Winning entries in the statewide contest - aimed at reducing underage drinking in CT - will be telecast on Connecticut broadcast and cable stations.  According to material prepared by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, 32% of 12-20 year olds in Connecticut drink - which translates to about 134,000 young people.  Last year's winning entry came from students at Western Connecticut State University.

Heart Health Remains Serious Concern

Data featured by The Hartford Courant in a front page wrap-around section supported by Hartford Healthcare reported that the American Heart Association considers Connecticut to be "a comparatively heart-healthy state."  Nonetheless, cardiovascular disease remains a major health issues, as reflected in the numbers:

• 6,209 deaths in CT from heart disease in 2008 (down from 7,289 in 2007)
• 25% of deaths in CT were attributed to heart disease in 2009 (Cancer was second, at 24%)

Data also indicated that 37.8% of CT adults have high cholesterol, 26.6% have high blood pressure, and 21.4 % are obese.

The good news?  79.3% of CT adults report participating in a physical activity in the past month, compared with 76% nationwide.

CT Combats Cancer Rates with Education

Connecticut has the second highest rate of female breast cancer and 14th highest rate of uterine cancer in the nation, and the state's death rates for ovarian and uterine cancers exceed those of most other states, according to the state Department of Public Health.  Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Connecticut.  The department received a $26,361 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2011 to support an initiative to educate health care providers on hereditary cancers for which national recommendations for genetic counseling and testing exist.  The effort is part of the state agency's Healthy People 2020 Action Project.  

St. Francis Care Affiliates with Johnson Memorial

Saint Francis Care, Inc. and Johnson Memorial Medical Center (JMMC) have announced plans to enter into an affiliation agreement designed to maintain Johnson Memorial (based in Stafford Springs) as an independent source of high-quality healthcare and expand its clinical services in North Central Connecticut.  Saint Francis Care is an integrated healthcare delivery system (anchored by Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center) licensed for 617 beds.  A regional presence since 1897, it is a major teaching hospital and the largest Catholic hospital in New England.  Under the plan, Johnson Memorial and St. Francis will continue to be separately licensed institutions, each with separate Boards of Directors. The region's other dominant medical facility, Hartford Hospital - central to the burgeoning and recently re-branded Hartford Healthcare - is licensed for 867 beds.  The University of Connecticut Health Center's John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington has 153 beds, and is on the threshold of construction of a new facility.