Health

Nearly five children die a day from child abuse, neglect

Friday, 05 April 2013 14:31 Dr. Deirdre Golden, Director Behavioral Health, NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center

April was first declared Child Abuse Prevention Month approximately 30 years ago by Ronald Reagan in a presidential proclamation. Since then, April has been a time to acknowledge and raise awareness about the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse. The statistics are staggering and in the United States alone, nearly 5 children die every day from child abuse and neglect. According to the National Children’s Alliance, there were 287,000 reported cases of abuse and/or neglect in 2012. Of these cases, many were for children most were under the age of 6 and involved sexual abuse. Due to underreporting, the actual number of children abused is likely higher. For the 1,161 cases reported in MN from July thru December 2012, most were female victims of sexual abuse, and usually, most perpetrators were relatives of the victim.

Opportunity to improve, advance health equity; reduce disparities

Friday, 05 April 2013 14:16 HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

April is National Minority Health Month, a time when we reflect on the incredible opportunity we face as a nation to improve minority health, advance health equity, and eliminate health disparities.

Minnesota's diabetes rates have nearly doubled in the last 20 years

Thursday, 04 April 2013 12:35 MDH

The Minnesota Department of Health estimates that about 80,000 adults in Minnesota may have diabetes without knowing it.

6,700 pounds of unwanted medicines collected in medicine drop boxes during the first year

Thursday, 04 April 2013 12:31

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and Hennepin County Environmental Services have collected 6,700 pounds of unwanted medicines since medicine disposal drop boxes were made available in March 2012. Hennepin County urges residents to properly dispose of their unused and unwanted medicines at six drop boxes located in Sheriff and county facilities.

The Affordable Care Act Comes to Minnesota

Thursday, 04 April 2013 12:16

Governor Dayton made history recently by signing into law the Minnesota Insurance Marketplace Act and bringing a new, consumer-friendly health insurance marketplace to Minnesota families and small businesses.

5 ways to keep your memory strong

Thursday, 04 April 2013 12:05 Nicole Winbush MD

Many of us are concerned as we get older that our memory 'is just not what it used to be'. Some age related change in memory can be normal. As we get older, it is more likely that we will notice some loss in our short-term memory - our ability to readily recall information that was recently learned. We may find ourselves forgetting the name of the person we were just introduced to or not remembering where we put our keys. Long-term memory - the ability to recall events that are many years past is not as affected by aging. Dementia is a term used to describe a serious form of memory loss that goes beyond what is normally seen with aging. Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia in the U.S. While the exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is not clear, research has some clues to perhaps lower our chances of developing this devastating condition and ways that we can improve and sustain a healthy memory. Here are some strategies to keep your memory strong.

What you need to know about infant immunization

Thursday, 04 April 2013 11:28 The Minnesota Department of Health, Immunization Program

Vaccines are a very important part of protecting your children and yourself from some serious diseases. Anyone who has seen a person die or get very sick from a disease that could be prevented by a vaccine knows how important they are.