HEALTH PROMOTIONS / WELLNESS WORKS
MCCH Wellness Works is the community health and wellness program that encompasses all activities designed to help communities achieve maximal potential in health and wellness.
Our mission is to enhance the health of our community by providing quality resources and services that promote awareness of health risks, and encourage actions that reduce risk behaviors, in order to prevent chronic disease and / or it’s irreversible damage.
Click here for detailed information on our Support Groups.
HEALTH FAIRS AND EVENTS
Wellness Works also sponsors a variety of events throughout the year to promote healthy living such as the AARP Safe Driving Class, Nutrition Talks and MCCH Wellness Center activities. Also, you might also enjoy participating in healthy challenges through Lighten Up Calloway, a website sponsored by the Murray-Calloway County Wellness Consortium. Click here to learn about the latest health challenge.
BLOOD DRIVES
Murray-Calloway County Hospital has one of only two hospital-based blood banks in the state of Kentucky, which means the blood you donate here, stays here.
Click here for more information on our Blood Donor Center.
FREE COMMUNITY SCREENINGS
The Murray-Calloway County Hospital’s Wellness Works program offers free community health screenings each month. The screenings are free to the communities visited by Wellness Works and are provided to detect diseases in the earliest stages when there are often no symptoms.
Osteoporosis Heel Scan
Osteoporosis is a disease in which bone becomes less dense and extremely fragile. Bone is a complex living tissue that changes over time. Risk factors for osteoporosis include age, gender, family history, race, body frame size and some behaviors such as smoking, excessive alcohol, poor diet and lack of exercise.
An easy and painless procedure, an osteoporosis screening requires you to place your foot in an ultrasound device called a bone densitometer. This device then measures the bone mineral density of your heel. The heel is measured because its bone is similar to that found in the hip, where fractures most often occur. Screening results are delivered within five minutes with an explanation of osteoporosis risk level. The results of the screening can help your health care provider decide if you need a diagnostic test called a DEXA scan.
Pulmonary Function Screening
Pulmonary Function Screening evaluates and measures how much and how easily the air moves in and out of your lungs. These tests do not test for lung fitness or exercise tolerance. The results of your Pulmonary Function Screening test can help identify potential problems with your lungs which may be caused by exposure to irritants or allergens such as smoke, animals, ragweed or chemicals in your work or home.
The results of the pulmonary function screening can be shared with your physician who may decide to have you undergo additional diagnostic tests if you also have physical symptoms of lung disease such as extreme shortness of breath, chronic cough, wheezing or difficulty breathing.
Blood Cholesterol / Lipid Panel
This screening is performed on blood drawn following a 12 hour fast. A lipid panel, also called a coronary risk profile, is used to help determine risk for heart disease. Lipid panels include total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, and triglycerides. This screening can help your physician determine if more testing is needed for diagnosing high cholesterol or to help follow the progress of treatment for high cholesterol.
Diabetes Screening
Blood is drawn to determine blood glucose levels. Because many people with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes do not know they have it, screening and early detection of diabetes helps reduce the complications associated with the disease. Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Fasting is not required for this screening.
Blood Pressure
High blood pressure greatly increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. If your blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg, be sure to get it checked at least once every two years, starting at age 20. If your blood pressure is higher, your doctor may want to check it more often. High blood pressure can be controlled through lifestyle changes or medication. This screening is important as high blood pressure generally doesn’t manifest symptoms until later in the disease process.
Waist Circumference
Measuring waist circumference helps screen for possible health risks that come with overweight and obesity. If most of your fat is around your waist rather than at your hips, you’re at a higher risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This risk goes up with a waist size that is greater than 35 inches for women or greater than 40 inches for men.
Body Mass Index
BMI is a useful measure of overweight and obesity. It is calculated from your height and weight. BMI is an estimate of body fat and a good gauge of your risk for diseases that can occur with more body fat. The higher the BMI, the higher your risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, and certain cancers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MCCH WELLNESS WORKS OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT:
Elle Hendrix, Wellness Works Coordinator
E-mail:mlhendrix@murrayhospital.org
Phone: 270.762.1832