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Day in the Life of...
Kelli Huinker, Wellness Service Manager
Sometimes a childhood love can turn into a career. Our love for music turns into a career as a music instructor or a love for books point us to a career as a librarian. For Kelli Huinker, her love for athletics, especially softball led her to become the Wellness Service Manager at the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health.
Huinker started her wellness journey at Marshalltown Community College where she obtained her Associate's in Arts Degree while also playing softball. She then attended Iowa State University to play softball and major in Kinesiology and Health and minor in Gerontology. "I picked a career related to exercise and wellness because as an athlete, it wasn't possible to become an athletic trainer," said Huinker. "Majoring in Kinesiology and Health was a great fit for me." Throughout college, she also interned at Mercy-North Iowa in Cardiac Rehabilitation.
After graduating with her bachelor's degree, Huinker started at Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa where she worked in the Cardio Pulmonary department. "I would perform stress tests to examine the condition of individuals' hearts," says Huinker. "Stress tests are performed either through a chemical that induces exercise or exercise alone."
In 2009, her wellness career landed her at the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health as the Wellness Service Manager. At the Health Department, Huinker is responsible for assisting businesses in developing worksite wellness programs to encourage employees to develop healthy lifestyles. She coordinates school wellness programs such as the Walking School Bus Program and Animal Trackers, both programs designed to increase adolescent physical activity. She also coordinates exercise programs such as Healthy Moves for seniors. Her other job duties include working with community partners and coordinating grants and their budgets. Huinker's latest project is a community wellness initiative, "Bringing Wellness Home," where the Health Department is partnering with Daniel Wright and Rebecca Meyer, former contestants of NBC's "The Biggest Loser" and FitnessWrightNow. This new initiative is working with neighborhoods to improve not only their physical well-being, but their social, emotional-mental, financial and spiritual well-being. "Bringing Wellness Home" includes community conversation webinars and wellness blogs by Wright and Meyer to encourage residents to start making healthier choices.
Huinker believes her connection to the community as Wellness Service Manager is a great benefit of the Health Department. "I enjoy working with all partners of the community including schools, city organizations and the county," Huinker notes. "I like that I am able to provide wellness services to a diverse population. I can help children to seniors." Yet, every benefit does present difficulties. "Wellness is a proactive approach to healthcare." She stated. "We can give individuals all the education and resources to develop a healthy lifestyle, but it is up to them to make the change." However, she is passionate in her quest to help individuals develop healthy behaviors and considers her new initiatives a way to show individuals that public health is more than just immunizations. "Through our proactive and comprehensive approach to health and well-being, our community members will look to the Health Department for our prevention role in chronic disease," Huinker stated.
Huinker's love for sports and wellness has led to positive health and wellness initiatives and programs for the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health!
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Hepatitis Awareness Month
May is Hepatitis Awareness Month. It is estimated that up to 5.3 million people (about 2 percent of the U.S. population) are living with chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C. These diseases are more common in the United States than HIV/AIDS, but because they often do not cause symptoms, most people are not aware they are infected.
The word "hepatitis" means inflammation of the liver. The liver is the largest organ in the body. It is about the size of a football and is located in the upper right area of the abdomen, under the rib cage. The liver is important because it filters everything that enters the blood stream whether from eating, drinking, smoking, or even absorbed through the skin. You cannot live without a liver. Unfortunately, many people who have hepatitis B or C do not develop symptoms until their liver is severely damaged. Chronic hepatitis B and C can be attributed to thousands of cases of liver cancer, liver disease (such as cirrhosis of the liver), and deaths each year. It also is the leading cause for liver transplants.
Hepatitis B is passed through contact with infected blood or sexual contact. Hepatitis C is predominately passed through contact with infected blood. Contact with blood can be from:
- Sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment.
- Direct contact with blood or open sores of an infected person.
- Accidental sticks from needles or other sharp instruments.
- Sharing personal items which may contain very small amounts of blood such as razors and tooth brushes.
- An infected mother can also spread the virus to her baby during birth.
Individuals who are most at risk for being infected with hepatitis B or C are those who have multiple sex partners, use injection drugs, hemodialysis patients, men who have sex with men, people exposed to blood on the job or live with someone who is infected.
Prevention of hepatitis B and C includes avoiding use of intravenous street drugs, not sharing needles, syringes or any other injection drug equipment, limiting sex partners, using latex condoms, and avoiding contact with blood.
There are vaccines available to offer protection from hepatitis A and B. There are no vaccines to prevent hepatitis C. Children who are attending school in Iowa are required to have the hepatitis B vaccine; which is a series of three injections. Many infants receive the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Hepatitis A vaccine (a series of two injections) is recommended at the age of 12 months, but is not a required vaccine. Hepatitis A and B vaccines are also available for adults.
Vaccine and testing services for hepatitis are available at the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health. If you have questions regarding these services, please call 641-421-9320.
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Happy May!
Our May has started off quite chilly but hopefully warm weather is headed our way. May is National Bike Month. Take advantage of that by riding your bike to work, school or around town for fun. Leisure biking, which means biking at less than 10 miles per hour for an average person weighing 160 pounds can burn 292 calories per hour. That's a great workout!
Believe it or not, the 2012-2013 school year is just around the corner. Make sure your child's immunizations are up-to-date. Our Immunization Clinic is open Monday - Friday from 10:00 AM - Noon and 12:30 - 4:00 PM.
In this month's Public Health Communicator, we feature an article from Disease Prevention Specialist regarding May as National Hepatitis Month. May is also recognized as High Blood Pressure Education and Stroke Awareness Month which we have highlighted in this edition. Make sure to sign up for the Cerro Gordo County Women's Health Fund 5K run/walk, Lace Up, Leash Up, Line Up. Information about the race is found in this newsletter. As always, we include our Day in the Life of column featuring Wellness Service Manager, Kelli Huinker and the Wellness Corner.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on all the current information surrounding the Health Department. Make sure to check out the left side of our newsletter, which features our Quick Response (QR) Code. Scan it with your smartphone to get directly to our website.
Best wishes,
Nola Aigner
Public Information Officer
Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health |
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Have YOU signed up for Lace Up, Leash Up, Line Up?
The Cerro Gordo County Women's Health Fund will be hosting Lace Up, Leash Up, Line Up, the first annual 5K walk/run for running and walking enthusiasts and dog lovers on Saturday, June 9, 2012.
The race will start at City Park in Clear Lake and travel around the beautiful lake. Registration will begin at 7:00 AM. The 5K run will proceed at 8:30 AM followed by the 5K walk starting at 9:00 AM. Event fee which includes a t-shirt is $25 per participant. A silent auction will be held in the Lakeview Community room during the event.
Currently, the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health is a partner with the Iowa Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Grant. This grant allows women in Cerro Gordo County between the ages of 40-64 who are under-insured or who have no health insurance, the opportunity to receive pelvic exams, pap smears, mammograms, breast screenings and other health resources. The grant is limited and cannot cover all expenses or serve all women in need. The Women's Health Fund was established by the Health Department to cover medical expenses women incur in the screening and diagnostic process. The money stays local to serve women in Cerro Gordo County who receive care at our local clinics and facilities.
To register for the race or to learn more about Lace Up, Leash Up, Line Up, please visit www.cghealth.com or call (641)421-9315.
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May is High Blood Pressure Education Month
High Blood Pressure also known as Hypertension, is defined as blood pressure higher than 140 (systolic/upper)/90 (diastolic/lower). It affects nearly 75 million Americans each year. In fact, many men and women do not know they have high blood pressure because it has few symptoms. High blood pressure increases your chances of heart attacks and strokes. In the last 30 years, deaths from heart attacks and strokes have increased by 40-60 percent.
There are many treatment choices to help lower your blood pressure. Individuals should try to maintain a diet with lower salt, increase exercise and work on improving overall diet and weight loss. Individuals should consult their physician in regards to medication to lower blood pressure. Exercise is one of the best methods to lower blood pressure. Exercise can generally decrease both the systolic and diastolic value by five to seven points, and the decrease can occur as early as three to four weeks after increasing your activity level.
Physical activity also assists with weight control and improves blood cholesterol and glucose levels so that the risk of heart attack and stroke is lower, even if your blood pressure is not reduced to normal levels. Being active is also important for people with pre-hypertension (systolic pressures of 120 to 139 and diastolic pressures of 80 to 89) and for people with normal blood pressure who have a family history of high blood pressure.
There are no specific exercises designed to lower blood pressure. In fact, many activities of daily life are beneficial, like walking, taking the stairs and moderate to vigorous yardwork or housework. Other beneficial exercises include:
- Jogging
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Aerobics
- Walking
Mild exercises, such as walking, may reduce blood pressure just as much as strenuous activities, such as jogging. Physical activity should elevate your heart rate and breathing somewhat, but you should still be able to carry on a conversation while doing these activities. Please consult your physician prior to engaging in a vigorous exercise program, such as jogging and running.
For more information about high blood pressure, please consult your physician.
*Information provided from American College of Sports Medicine.
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Stroke Awareness Month
May is recognized as Stroke Awareness Month. It is vital to know the signs and symptoms of a stroke because with timely treatment, the risk of death and disability from a stroke can be lowered.
A stroke or cerebrovascular accident occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off (an ischemic stroke) or when a blood vessel bursts (a hemorrhagic stroke). Most strokes are of the ischemic type. Without oxygen, brain cells begin to die. Death or permanent disability can result. High blood pressure, smoking, and having had a previous stroke or heart attack increase a person's chances of having a stroke.
Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States. Over 800,000 people die in the United States each year from cardiovascular disease and strokes. According to the American Heart Association, about 795,000 people in the U.S. suffer from a stroke each year (about 610,000 first attacks and 185,000 recurrent attacks). Four million Americans who have survived a stroke are living with impairments and 15 to 30 percent are permanently disabled. The American Heart Association also estimates that stroke cost about $53.9 billion in both direct and indirect costs in 2010 in the United States alone. In Cerro Gordo County in 2010, 27 people died from strokes. Our local rate is higher than the state average.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke notes these major signs of stroke:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arms or legs
- Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding others
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache without known cause
If you think someone is having a stroke, you should immediately call 911.
*Information provided from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. |
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Wellness Corner
Community Wellness Program
The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health is initiating a new community wellness program, "Bringing Wellness Home." This wellness initiative will be working with one neighborhood at a time to improve their physical, social, emotional-mental, financial and spiritual well-being.
To kick off this initiative, the Health Department is partnering with Daniel Wright and Rebecca Meyer, former contestants of NBC's "The Biggest Loser" and owners of FitnessWrightNow. Wright and Meyer will provide nutrition and exercise advice through wellness blogs and community conversations. Wellness blogs will be posted every two weeks on our website.
Every month, Wright and Meyer will be hosting monthly community conversations webinars. Residents may participate in the LIVE conversations via telephone or the web. Wright and Meyer will be speaking on a variety of health and wellness topics, but look forward to the interaction and questions from participants. Each community conversation will be held from 7:00 - 8:00 PM on the dates listed below. Additional conversations will be held the last week of each month unless conflicting with holidays. To participate, dial in at 1-512-400-4809 and enter access code: 5532459# and visit the online webinar at http://www.anymeeting.com/FWNmeetings1
May 29, 2012
June 25, 2012
July 30, 2012
August 27, 2012
September 24, 2012
October 29, 2012
November 19, 2012
December 17, 2012
January 28, 2013
February 25, 2013
March 25, 2013
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Help us promote Public Health services. Forward this electronic newsletter to your friends, family, co-workers and associates. Thank you for choosing the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health! Our Mission Statement: The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health works to optimize the health of all people in Cerro Gordo County. Our Vision Statement:
We will be the leader in making Cerro Gordo County the healthiest
county in Iowa.
Our Value Statement:
We believe in human dignity, respect for individual choices, promotion for wellness and personal safety, protection of the environment, prevention of disease and access to quality health services.
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