Looking to a healthier future

One of Jessica McGinnis’s jobs at Thrive Allen County is to encourage local residents to be healthier. The position is funded by a Kansas Department of Health and Environment initiative to prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Among her responsibilities is to educate Allen Countians in ways to prevent cardiovascular and associated diseases including controlling diabetes and avoid being obese.
From Ottawa, McGinnis first came to Iola as a student at Allen Community College where she played softball, she told Iola Rotarians Thursday. She returned four years ago with her husband, Jeremy, who coaches the ACC women’s soccer team.
She became involved with Thrive, and its emphasis on healthy lifestyles, through Damaris Kunkler, program director. They met in a fitness class. First impressions were enough for her to volunteer at Thrive.
KDHE is partnering with seven communities in Kansas to promote healthy lifestyles, McGinnis said.
She quoted statistics that illustrate the initiative’s importance: In 2013, 5,331 Kansans died from heart disease, 1,306 from stroke and 649 from diabetes.
“Chronic diseases (such as these) account for 75 percent of health care costs in Kansas and 70 percent of all deaths in Kansas each year,” McGinnis said.
Among points of interest are:
— Which companies offer healthy food and beverage guidelines for employees;
— How to provide access to sales of healthier food in the community, and
— Determine which companies offer wellness programs.
McGinnis also mentioned healthy eating opportunities through the Allen County Farmers Market.
“I am proud and passionate about my work with Thrive and I look forward to working with the community to make positive changes,” she concluded.

RON BAKER, Allen County Regional Hospital CEO, followed up the talk by asking Rotarians what they thought was the easiest way bad habit to break.
“Tobacco use,” he said, and challenged members to develop an approach to reduce, even end, tobacco use in Allen County.
He proposed Rotary members join with Thrive and its Rural Health Initiative to put together a plan.