Healthcare

Health care institutions are key to the success of health improvement in Minnesota. It is essential that health care providers employ creative, multi-disciplinary and culturally sensitive approaches to the prevention of obesity and tobacco use and exposure.
The health care system is a unique setting where people discuss their health with medical providers. Health care providers (including hospitals, clinics, WIC offices, local public health, and migrant health services) can promote the development and maintenance of healthy lifestyle behaviors by encouraging individuals to maintain healthy eating habits, participate in physical activity on a regular basis, avoid the use of tobacco products and limit exposure to secondhand smoke.1

Today's Challenges

Beyond their traditional role of information patients of their health status and giving general directives to improve that status, health care providers should be aware of and recommend programs and resources in the community that can heal patients work to achieve those directives. This type of plan would be providing a path, not just a destination to achieve healthier lifestyles.
Benefits of health care providers connecting patients to community resources:

• Advocating of prevention and treatment of obesity in the health care system
• Encouragement of health care providers to address healthy weight behaviors and smoking with patients
• Increased physical activity, improved nutrition, and decreased tobacco use and exposure
• Increased awareness of community programs and resources, including their focus, schedules, and target populations
• The growth of relationships between community resources, providers, and patients
• The ability for providers to follow-up with patients, to resolve barriers, and continue to provide treatment and prevention of chronic disease

What’s Happening in Cass County?
Cass County SHIP is working towards building partnerships to facilitate active referral of patients to local resources that increase access to high-quality nutritious foods, opportunities for physical activity and cessation of tobacco use.