Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Health District also plans several heart health events for February
DAYTON – A 2013 report published by the Washington State Department of Health states that one in six adults in Columbia County currently smokes cigarettes. Bearing those statistics in mind, the Columbia County Health System's Wellness Program each January is focused on tobacco cessation.
Beginning next week, CCHS is offering a "5 Days to Quit" class that is open to the public. The classes, taking place from Jan. 26-30, will be from 7-8 p.m. in the cafeteria at Dayton General Hospital.
Residents of Columbia County and Waitsburg interested in attending the free classes should contact the Columbia Family Clinic at (509) 382-3200, to reserve a seat.
"This is our second year doing this class," said Columbia Family Clinic Manager Cheryl Skiffington. "I think it was successful last year. We had seven people take the class and at least one is still not smoking. I said when we started that if we had just one person quit, it would be worth it."
Each evening's class this year is taught by a different health district staff member or community health leader.
Monday's class is taught by Kortney Killgore-Smith, an advanced registered nurse practitioner at Waitsburg Clinic; Tuesday will be Kim Emery, a physician's assistant at the Columbia Family Clinic in Dayton; Wednesday will be Dawn Meicher, another advanced registered nurse practitioner at Waitsburg Clinic; Thursday will be Tom Anderson, DGH's new respiratory therapist; and Friday will be Peggy Gutierrez, director of the Columbia County Coalition for Youth and families.
Tobacco cessation is one focus of the health district's Patient Centered Medical Home program. The PCMH model emphasizes partnerships between patients and health care professionals. The goal is to improve patient experience, reduce the burden of chronic disease, and reduce health care costs, according to Skiffington.
The health system's wellness program fits right in with the PCMH model since it addresses such chronic diseases as asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic pain.
February is Heart Month, and CCHS plans to "paint the towns red" – inviting the businesses in both Dayton and Waitsburg to decorate their storefronts. CCHS staff will present a "Heart of the Community" Award to the best storefront in Dayton and in Waitsburg. Last year Waitsburg Clinic and Dingles of Dayton won the award.
CCHS is encouraging everyone in the community to wear red for heart health on Friday, Feb. 6. All local school districts are participating in the event. The health district is also distributing pedometers to students in all three communities (including Starbuck) and offering a step challenge.
A Heart Run will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, at Flour Mill Park on Main Street in Dayton. The $5 entry fee includes a packet of red powder (this is a "powder run") and bib. The race will be timed. One-hundred percent of money collected for the entry fee will go to the American Heart Association.
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