New health tool

Residents of Redwood and Renville Counties have a new resource available to them! The resource guide was created to encourage healthy eating, physical activity and tobacco cessation in our communities in Redwood and Renville Counties. 

 

Sections in the guide include community education, farmer’s markets, nutrition, parks/trails, recreation and physical activity opportunities and tobacco cessation.

 

This publication was developed for Redwood and Renville County Health Care Providers by the Renville SHIP Health Care Partnership and was made possible through funding from the Cottonwood-Jackson-Redwood Renville Statewide Health Improvement Program. The guide was developed to assist local health care providers in linking their patients to local community organizations and resources that can help with being physically active, eat healthier and have access to tobacco cessation.  

 

Local clinics and health care providers are working to develop a system and clinic process for easy and efficient referrals to these resources. In a survey conducted with local health care providers in January 2011, providers indicated that important factors to consider in referral were location, cost and patients interest when making a referral. Providers also indicated that knowing where resources such as farmer’s markets and recreational centers would be helpful to their patient’s health. Improving access to walking tails, facilities, health food stores and nutritionists was also a finding in this survey. “Health care providers have powerful influence in helping patients improve their health. We have not had a resource directory like this available in the past. We are excited to share all the great community resources to our patients, and are already talking to our patients about their weight, healthy eating and tobacco use. This just helps us to the next step to help find local resources that they can use right here in our communities to improve their health,” stated Stacey Heiling,RD, LD, Director of Nutritional Services and Diabetes Program Coordinator, RC Hospital & Clinics, Olivia, MN.

 

The Resource Guide can be downloaded from a PDF version on the Redwood and Renville County websites: http://www.co.renville.mn.us and http://www.redwoodcounty-mn.us/index.html . The Guide is also available at the Public Health office in Redwood Falls and Olivia as well as at your health care provider’s office. The Guide is full of many local resources that some might not be aware of, but may be very helpful in finding resources to live healthier lives. 

 

SHIP was designed to address the rising cost of health care in our state and help Minnesotans live longer, better, healthier lives by reducing the burden of chronic disease. SHIP is working to make the healthy choice the easy choice.