DeSoto County Clinic for working uninsured / underinsured, opening Spring 2020, hires Executive Director
 
Tucked behind a bustling Goodman Road in Horn Lake, you will soon find a center becoming a beacon of hope and healing for thousands in DeSoto County when it opens Spring 2020. Trinity Health Center will provide high quality, cost effective, compassionate primary healthcare to the working underserved / underinsured of DeSoto County.

Trinity Health Center will be housed in the DeSoto County Dream Center, a 17,300 square foot building which formerly housed Southern Thunder Harley-Davidson. The DeSoto County Dream Center will serve as a resource center focused on finding solutions to healthcare, hunger, and lack of education through community outreach programs including Trinity Health Center.

At the helm of the 501c3 nonprofit, Kimberly Remak will serve as Executive Director and Trinity Health Center hopes to hire or recruit volunteers for a medical director, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, medical assistant, social worker, receptionist, and administrative assistant in the near future. Remak’s tenure in the healthcare and nonprofit sectors will lead Trinity Health Center’s impact in our community. As former founder of the Arc Northwest Mississippi, a nonprofit serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Remak is no stranger to helping those across the region.

Trinity Health Center is collaborating with local church and community leaders and will be modeled after Church Health, the largest charitable clinic in the country serving over 50,000 working uninsured individuals with primary care, wellness and education. Part of Church Health’s mission is to assist others in creating and expanding ministries of their own. Trinity Health Center will work with Church Health’s replication arm, ECHO (Empowering Church Health Outreach) for assistance and will become a member of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics and the Christian Community Health Fellowship to tap into the knowledge base of their members.

This new organization was supported in partnership between Brown Missionary Baptist Church and Life Fellowship Church along with other community partners to be a holistic approach to hope and healing across DeSoto County. According to the US Census Bureau’s 2016 Population Survey, 20% of Mississippians were without any form of health insurance.  DeSoto County’s uninsured rate is roughly 17% (29,750).The lack of health insurance falls disproportionately to minorities, those without a college education, and those earning less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Line. Remak says the clinic is intended to provide primary care to a population that often relies on the emergency room. When you’re making choices between food, shelter, transportation and heat – Remak says routine healthcare is not always a priority.

The cost of healthcare or absence of health insurance contributes greatly to the ability of low-income DeSoto County residents to access care. Out-of-pocket costs associated with health care deductibles, copays, prescriptions, and other costs inhibit residents from accessing care when they need it. 19% (33,250) of adults in DeSoto County consider cost a barrier to accessing care and acknowledge that they have not received care because they could not afford it. Trinity Health Center plans to become the medical home for many of these individuals.
 
The lack of available and affordable primary care access in the existing healthcare safety-net is driving the creation of Trinity Health Center. With almost 30,000 identified uninsured residents, DeSoto County will benefit from a comprehensive health clinic designed to serve those falling through the cracks of our healthcare system.
If you’re interested in donating, volunteering, or providing medical services to Trinity Health Center, you can contact them at info@trinityhealthcenter.org or by visiting www.trinityhealthcenter.org

Most people experience several bouts of influenza throughout their lifetime. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), even otherwise healthy people can get sick enough to require hospitalization from the flu.

Influenza
The flu is an infection of the respiratory tract that is caused by the influenza virus. It is spread mainly through airborne transmission, when an infected person sneezes, coughs or speaks. A person can infect others one day before having flu symptoms and up to five days after becoming ill.

Flu Symptoms
Influenza is most often associated with the sudden onset of fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, congestion, cough and sore throat. Most people recover within a few days to less than two weeks. Occasionally, complications such as pneumonia, bronchitis or other infections can occur.

Prevention
The flu vaccine is your best chance of preventing the illness. Currently, the CDC recommends that anyone over 6 months of age receive an annual flu shot. Nasal sprays and egg-free vaccines are also available. While there are many different types of flu virus, the shot protects you against the viruses that experts believe will be most common that year.
Doctors highly recommend that those at high risk for flu complications—young children, pregnant women, people with certain chronic conditions (asthma, diabetes, etc.) and those 65 years or older—should get the vaccine each year.

Other tips for preventing the flu include the following:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay away from others when you feel under the weather.
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. To avoid contaminating your hands, cough or sneeze into the inside of your elbow.
• Wash your hands often using soap and warm water to protect against germs.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces that may be contaminated with germs (counter tops, shared phones at work, etc.).
• Get plenty of sleep, stay physically active and drink plenty of water to keep your immune system strong.
• Manage your stress and eat a nutritious diet rich in healthy grains, fruits, vegetables and fiber.

If You Get Sick
If you get the flu, stay home from work or school for at least 24 hours after your fever goes away to avoid spreading the illness to others. To ease your symptoms try the following strategies:

• Stay hydrated and get plenty of rest.
• Try gargling saltwater made from dissolving ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt in an 8-ounce glass of warm water to relieve a sore throat.
• Drink warm liquids, such as tea and chicken noodle soup, and add moisture to the air with a vaporizer or humidifier to help ease congestion.

The flu is usually manageable with rest and over-the-counter medicine. If your symptoms are severe, though, your doctor can prescribe antiviral drugs to help shorten your sick time. Avoid asking your doctor for antibiotics, however, since they only fight bacteria and will be of no use against the flu virus.

Be sure to seek immediate medical attention if you display any of these warning signs:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with a fever and worse cough

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By following the tips in this article and getting your annual flu shot, you can reduce your chances of getting the flu and stay healthy this winter.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the typical American family spends over $1,600 a year on home utility bills, and a large portion of that energy is wasted. Not to fear: there are several things you can do each month to conserve energy and reduce the strain on your wallet.

Conduct a Home Energy Audit
An energy audit will show you which areas of your home use the most energy. You can conduct this yourself, contact your local utility or call an independent energy auditor. A comprehensive evaluation should include:

• Checking insulation levels
• Looking for open fireplace dampers
• Searching for holes or cracks around doors, light and plumbing fixtures, and other places where air may leak out.
• Ensuring appliances and heating and cooling systems are properly maintained.

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Temperature Tips

• Weatherize your home – caulk and weather-strip any doors and windows that leak air.
• Install a programmable thermostat that will reduce heating (or turn air conditioning up) at night and when you are not home.
• Consider replacing single-pane windows with double-pane; they have coatings that reduce heat loss or gain, depending on the season.
• Keep your thermostat under 70 degrees in the winter and a few degrees cooler than the outside temperature in the summer.

Water Use

• Repair leaky faucets immediately.
• Use low-flow showerheads.
• Insulate your hot-water storage tank and pipes.
• Drain a quart of water from your tank every three months to remove sediment (which impedes heat transfer and lowers efficiency).
• Lower the hot water heater to 120 degrees.
• Take short showers instead of baths.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and/or laundry.
• Air-dry dishes and line-dry clothes if possible.

Renewable Energy
There are more options than ever to use renewable energy. When building a new home, orient it to avoid overhead summer sun and to benefit from winter sun in cooler climates. Try a solar pool heating system, which can cut costs for heating swimming pools or hot tubs. Under certain conditions, installing solar cells might be right for you.

Vehicle Use
Improve gas mileage by:

• Avoiding aggressive driving.
• Observing the speed limit.
• Removing roof racks or carriers if not used often.
• Keeping up with maintenance – clean air filters can improve gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.
• Ensuring tires are properly inflated and aligned.
• Using the correct grade of oil.

 
Energy Star® Products
Whenever you are purchasing new equipment or appliances, look for the Energy Star logo. These products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy. For more information, go to http://www.energystar.gov/