Magnolia Health Plan

February is Heart Month

mfoster — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:51:35 +0000

Heart disease, including stroke, is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.

You are at higher risk of heart disease if you are:

A woman age 55 or older
A man age 45 or older
Or a person with a family history of early heart disease

To keep your heart healthy:

Watch your weight
Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke
Control your cholesterol and blood pressure
If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation
Get active and eat healthy
Manage stress

“It is very important to see your primary care provider. If you have not seen your healthcare provider, do so during February. Your heart is worth it.” Jason B. Dees, D.O., FAAFP, Chief Medical Director for Magnolia Health Plan

For more information on heart disease, visit www.heart.org.

Thyroid Awareness Month

mfoster — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:16:46 +0000

January is Thyroid Awareness Month. The thyroid gland is located in the base of the neck. It is important to make sure your thyroid gland is healthy and functioning properly. The thyroid gland is important to the body’s overall well-being. It influences the function of the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and skin.

Some important facts about thyroid disorders:

27 million Americans may be affected by thyroid disorders.
Thyroid disorders are most common amongst women.
Thyroid disorders tend to run in families.
Fatigue is a common complaint for under and over active thyroid conditions.
Thyroid cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers in America and one of the most curable.

For more information on Thyroid Awareness Month and thyroid disorders, visit www.empoweryourhealth.org/THYROID.

National Birth Defects Prevention Month

mfoster — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:07:39 +0000

January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month. The 2012 theme, “And the Beat Goes On……….Looking to the Future for Healthy Hearts”, focuses on congenital heart defects.

Heart defects affect one in every 100 babies.

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month

mfoster — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:05:28 +0000

It’s the start of a new year! To start the year right, women need to contact their health care provider to schedule a Pap test to check for cervical cancer.

The National Cervical Cancer Coalition stresses the importance of screening and prevention during January Cervical Health Awareness Month. Approximately 11,000 American women will learn they have cervical cancer this year. Nearly 4,000 women will die from an advanced form of the disease.

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month

mfoster — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:57:18 +0000

Glaucoma is an eye disease that can lead to vision loss if not controlled. Glaucoma is controllable with modern treatment. Treatment cannot reverse damage that has already occurred, but it can prevent further vision loss.

Great American Smokeout slated for November 17, 2011

mfoster — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:38:57 +0000

The American Cancer Society is marking the 36th Great American Smokeout on November 17, 2011. Smokers are encouraged to use this date to make a plan to quit smoking. Or, to plan in advance and quit smoking that day.

Magnolia Health Plan’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jennifer Gholson, states: “Stopping smoking can lower your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and cancer. It may also help the people you live with to be healthier.”

Quitting smoking is not easy, but it can be done. To have the best chance of quitting successfully, you need to know what you’re up against, what your options are, and where to go for help.

For information on the Great American Smokeout, visit http://www.cancer.org/.

The Clarion Ledger: New Statewide Medicaid Plan Wins Praise

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:05:16 +0000

By GARY PETTUS – A Medicaid patient for nearly three years, Dorathy Shirley can tick off a list of complaints that reads like a medical dictionary.

Asthma, back pain, bleeding ulcers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, degenerative joint disease, diabetes, glaucoma, high blood pressure and so on.

“I’m always in pain,” said Shirley, 62, of Jackson.

Aggravating her distress are her out-of-pocket payments for medications normally too numerous to be covered by Medicaid, including three that bleed her of more than $100 a month, each.

But on Jan. 1 relief arrived with the debut of a new statewide plan meant to improve the health of thousands of Mississippi’s most vulnerable Medicaid patients while saving the state money.

The state Division of Medicaid calls it the Mississippi Coordinated Access Network, or MississippiCAN, but Shirley calls it a “blessing” because it pays for more of her medicine.

Great American Smokeout slated for November 17, 2011

mfoster — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:06:03 +0000

Quitting smoking is not easy, but it can be done. To have the best chance of quitting successfully, you need to know what you’re up against, what your options are, and where to go for help.

For information on the Great American Smokeout, visit http://www.cancer.org/.

November 14, 2011 is Diabetes Awareness Day in Mississippi

mfoster — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:16:31 +0000

Governor Haley Barbour has proclaimed November 14, 2011 as Diabetes Awareness Day in the State of Mississippi.

Mississippi has the 2nd highest rate of diagnosed adult diabetes in the nation.
More than 270,000 adult Mississippians are living with type 2 diabetes.

November is Prematurity Awareness Month

mfoster — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:03:13 +0000

November is when the March of Dimes focuses the nation’s attention on premature birth. Every year, more than 500,000 babies are born too soon in the United States. That’s 1 in 8 babies born prematurely. Worldwide, 13 million babies are born too soon each year.

Babies born just a few weeks early are at risk of severe health problems and lifelong disabilities. Premature birth is the number 1 killer of newborns.

For more information on Prematurity Awareness Month, visit http://www.marchofdimes.com.