All faculty, staff and students of the GMHEC colleges are invited to join the Green Mountain Higher Ed. Consortium team for the annual Step Up for Stepping Strong steps challenge supporting The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. 

The challenge runs from May 1^st through the 31st.  Be part of an effort to raise a $100,000 gift to advance trauma research provided by Cigna, honor and support those who have been affected by trauma and be entered into weekly drawings to win gift cards. There is no cost to participate and there is no individual fundraising requirement.  Download the MoveSpring app, connect your device and get moving. It’s simple and fun and you can feel good knowing that you’re activity is making a positive difference. 

November is National Diabetes Month so it’s the perfect time to talk about prediabetes.  Prediabetes is a serious health condition affecting more than 88 million Americans, most of whom don’t even know they have it.  Prediabetes puts you at an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes.  In fact, people who have prediabetes have a 50% chance of developing diabetes over the next 5 to 10 years.  The good news though is that by making small lifestyle changes, it is possible to manage or reverse prediabetes and prevent it from turning into type 2 diabetes.    

September is Cancer Awareness Month so there is no better time to talk about the importance of prevention and regular screenings.  Breast and colon cancers rank among the top five types of cancer but with healthy lifestyle behaviors, screening, and early detection these types of cancers are largely preventable and treatable.  And, guideline-based screenings are part of your Cigna health plan preventive care benefit which means they most likely won’t cost you a thing.

The Covid pandemic has impacted our lives in more ways than we care to count and more ways than we may realize.   On a global scale it has posed an unprecedented challenge to public health, our food system, and the world of work as we knew it.  On an individual level it has steered many adults away from getting their annual physical and preventive screenings including colon cancer screening.  With March being National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month there is no better time to talk about the importance of screening. 

It’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both spread this fall and winter. Healthcare systems could be overwhelmed treating both patients with flu and patients with COVID-19. This means getting a flu vaccine during 2020-2021 is more important than ever.  While getting a flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19, there are many important benefits, such as:

1. Flu vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization, and death.
2. Getting a flu vaccine can also save healthcare resources for the care of patients with COVID-19.

The CDC recommends getting vaccinated before flu viruses begin spreading in your community, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu. Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February so getting vaccinated in October and into early November will offer the greatest protection.

You can get your vaccine at your primary care practice and at many local pharmacies.  For a list of Cigna in-network pharmacies click here.  BCBS VT members…to find an in-network pharmacy where you may be able to get a flu vaccine, click here.  MVP members….click here.  Staying in network for your vaccine will ensure that your vaccine is covered, and you don’t incur any unexpected costs.  Most pharmacies offer flu vaccine on a walk-in basis, but it’s always a good idea to call ahead to make sure they have vaccine available and a staff person to administer the vaccine when you arrive.

This year it’s more important than ever for all of us to take action to keep ourselves and those around us safe and healthy and getting vaccinated is one of the best ways we can do that.

Fall has arrived and with that means cooler temperatures, shorter days, and for many of us, more responsibilities and demands on our time.  While many of us may have been in our self-care grooves this summer, we often have a hard time maintaining these routines as we transition into fall and winter.  As a health coach, I so often hear people say, “I fell off the wagon” or “I don’t know what happened.  I was doing so good.”  Well, I might be able to shed some light on what happened.  The environment changed and instead of adapting we dug our heels in and tried to maintain the same routines under completely different circumstances.  If you’ve been on the “on the wagon/off the wagon” in the past,  I’ve got some strategies and new ways of thinking that just might help you drive the wagon exactly where you want it to go this fall and winter.