Health Education and Promotion
Mission:
To encourage optimal wellness in Escambia County through evidence-based
public health education and promotion strategies.
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About Health
Education and Promotion |
The
Health Education and Promotion Division works to educate people in our community
about healthful living by giving public presentations, implementing
health programs, exhibiting at local health fairs, and conducting
comprehensive marketing and advertising strategies.
The
Escambia County Health Department (ECHD) has adopted five vital community health
issues on which to concentrate efforts.
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Nutrition, to include obesity and diabetes prevention,
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Environmental Health concerns such as landfill issues, dioxin, and lead
exposure,
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Smoking, to include youth and adult prevention as well as cessation,
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Healthy Pregnancies, to include reduction of infant mortality rates and
immunization compliance, and
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Communicable Disease Prevention including pandemic (bird/H1N1) flu planning.
The
Health Education and Promotion Division, in conjunction with all other ECHD divisions,
has chosen these areas for our laser focus and works to promote ways to
improve community health.
Some of
the current responsibilities and strategic initiatives being implemented by the
Health Education and Promotion Division are:
- Lead
Public Information Officer: the main media contact for non-disaster issues.
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Tobacco Prevention and Control: a multifaceted program on a mission to:
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Create a tobacco-free atmosphere
for Escambia County residents
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Improve the health of Escambia County residents by significantly
reducing tobacco use
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Eliminate the initiation of the use of tobacco products by youth and
young adults
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Educate the community on tobacco-related issues
- Act as an advocate for positive social reform including policy change
More information on what the Tobacco
Prevention and Control Program offers.
- Wellness
Health Action Team (WHAT): a wellness program that produces quarterly health
messages and newsletters for ECHD employees. This team is responsible for the
Pedometer Power Program: an internal program for employees wishing to make a
change in their personal fitness levels. WHAT has also begun a monthly “Lunch
and Learn” program. Employees are invited to bring their lunch and listen to a
guest speaker as they give a presentation and offer discussion on various health
related topics.
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Prevention Messages: Health Education and Promotion produces health messages for the
public utilizing various forms of media, such as billboards, radio and
television spots. Some previous messages include: flu prevention and
vaccination, varicella vaccines, mosquitoes and drowning prevention.
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Chronic Disease: Health Education and Promotion focuses on prevention and awareness of
chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. The staff serves as the
health department liaison to the Health Solutions Team which is part of
Unite Escambia. They
also coordinate the Healthy Communities, Healthy People: Healthy Choices
Restaurant program. This program unites restaurants to help fight the rise
of obesity by offering healthier menu items.
- Employee
Quality Team (EQT): a team made up of employees from various
divisions of the Escambia County Health Department with the goal to address
all ECHD employee satisfaction issues and to act as the catalyst and
advocate for continual process improvement throughout the ECHD.
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Customer Satisfaction: the Escambia County Health Department cares about the
quality of service our clients receive. Health Education and Promotion is in charge of
administering, maintaining and analyzing results from surveys and comment
cards. The information gained from the results is used to improve our
processes and environment.
Our
Health Education and Promotion staff is available for community presentations or to
provide health education to local businesses, churches, and social groups
upon request. Our presentations are limited to the 5 main health areas of ECHD’s laser focus and the general services provided by the health
department.
The Health Education and Promotion team welcomes the opportunity to serve the businesses
and community organizations of the Escambia County area, and recognizes the
great need in the community for education regarding prevention measures and
vital health concerns.
Please contact us at: 850.595.6273
Unite Escambia
Parks
and Recreation
myEscambia
The Escambia County We Care
program generated over 9.5 million dollars in medical services for the fiscal
year 2009-2010. The We Care Program of Escambia County meets the specialty
medical needs of our community's uninsured residents. The program is
administered by the Escambia County Health Department and was founded by the
Escambia County Medical Society. The program meets a critical gap in healthcare
access to those who otherwise would not receive care or would seek care in
emergency rooms and further contribute to the current heath care burden of
hospitals and their communities.
We Care clients must prove
residency in Escambia County for at least 6 months and be under 150% of the
Federal Poverty Guidelines. Only patients referred to the program by a physician
are accepted by the We Care Program.
We Care has approximately
250 physician providers, three participating hospitals and 18 ancillary service
providers that work together to help those who cannot help themselves.
Physicians click here
Physicians line: 850.595.6660.
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If you have tried to quit smoking, you know
how difficult it can be. It is hard because nicotine is a very addictive drug.
For some people, it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Usually people
make many attempts to quit before they are successful and remain tobacco-free
for life. Don’t be discouraged, with every attempt you will learn what works and
what does not work for you
Quitting is one of the most important
things you will ever do for yourself and the ones you love. |
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Here are a few good reasons to quit using
tobacco products
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Once you quit, you will have a chance
to live longer and have a better quality of life.
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Your chances of having a heart attack,
stroke, or cancer will decrease.
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If you are pregnant or thinking of
becoming pregnant, you will improve your chances of having a healthy baby.
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The people who live with you,
especially your children, will be healthier. Exposure to second-hand smoke
increases the likelihood of bronchitis and pneumonia and increases the
frequency and severity of childhood asthma.
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You will have extra money to spend on
other things like food, clothes, or vacations.
The Florida Department of Health has a new tobacco use
prevention and cessation website:
Tobaccofreeflorida.com.
There you will find facts about tobacco
and information on upcoming events throughout the state. There
is even a video contest!
Escambia County Health Department “Quit
Smoking Now” Cessation Program
The Escambia County Health Department offers a 6 week “Quit Smoking Now”
clinic to help Escambia County residents kick the habit. The program is
supported by Escambia County Tobacco Prevention and Control Program and
West Florida Area Health Education Centers (WFAHEC).
Classes are offered on Tuesdays from 5:30- 6:30pm in ECHD conference
rooms.
Schedule Flyer (503.9kb;
pdf)
Other classes available in the community
(91.3kb;
pdf)
Call 850.595.6072 or 850.682.2552 to register or for more information.
For nicotine gum or lozenges, contact the
Florida Quitline at 1.877.822.6669/1.877.U-CAN-NOW or visit their
website at tobaccofreeflorida.com
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SWAT (Students Working
Against Tobacco) |
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SWAT is a program designed to educate
youth on the deceitful marketingstrategies
of the tobacco industry. The program is based on peer to peer teaching
and gives the youth an opportunity to rally their fellow students
around rejecting tobacco use and resisting the glamorous propaganda
designed to lure them into a lifetime of smoking addiction. Students
aged 11- 18 are urged to join.
Call 850.595.6072 or 850.595.6506 for details. |
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HEAT (Healthy
Environments Are Tobacco-free) Partnership |
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The partnership meets quarterly to work
together to reduce tobacco use, to reduce our county's youth initiation
rate, and to protect all residents from second-hand smoke exposure.
Upcoming events and current tobacco issues are also discussed.
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Meetings are open to the public.
The next meeting will be held on October 4, 2011 from 3:30pm to 4:30pm
CDT in the Escambia County Health Department conference rooms located at
1295 W. Fairfield Drive, Pensacola.
For more information, please contact the Escambia County Tobacco
Prevention Specialist at 850.595.6072.
