https://www.naco.org/articles/counties-step-mental-health-services As the tolls of physical distancing and economic uncertainty, along with anxiety resulting from the many unknowns of the novel coronavirus, add up to emotional stress and turmoil, effective mental health services have proven crucial to keeping residents functioning while they wait out a return to a somewhat familiar life. Nearly one-third of Americans have been reporting signs of anxiety or depression since the pandemic...

Although you are undoubtedly familiar with the County Heath Rankings and Roadmaps , you may not be aware of a new section their website which includes a collection of COVID-19 response and recovery resources . As communities across the nation transition from response to recovery, the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps team has pulled together a “one-stop shop” on where people and organizations can find: What Works for Health COVID-19 Strategies: Curated evidence-informed strategies—...

Thanks Roger!

Although COVID-19 continues to spread, businesses are beginning to re-open to the public. As they do, it is essential that they do so in a safe, thoughtful, and science-supported manner. In North Carolina, the NC Restaurant and Lodging Association, NC DHHS, Visit NC, and NC State Extension have collaborated to create Count on Me NC. This public health initiative provides retail food establishments, businesses, and their visitors/guests with training and guidance needed to keep individuals...

This is a great collaborative effort. Thank you for sharing a link to the courses. Very timely and relevant.

This is great to hear about. Great effort to address economic situation

Background • Public health officials across the country are reporting spikes in drug overdose deaths that appear to be associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 30 states reporting increases in opioid-involved overdose deaths primarily related to illicit fentanyl1 • Public health emergencies typically affect communities and individuals in a variety of ways, including economic loss and instability, emotional or physical isolation, additional stressors from mass at-home confinement, and...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Tracker is a tool for sharing maps, charts, and data about COVID-19. COVID-19 Tracker now reports trends in COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates by 2013 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties. This scheme classifies all counties in the U.S. into one of six metropolitan categories (4 metropolitan, 1 micropolitan, 1 non-core). Users can focus on one or more of the urban-rural...

By: Chapel Taylor-Olsen, BA, Health & Wellness Coordinator & Dr. Ashley Yaugher, Health & Wellness Faculty, HEART Initiative; Utah State University Extension The opioid crisis has been claiming thousands of American lives per year for decades. Now, this healthcare crisis is colliding with a new threat sweeping the world: the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. This article reviews the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on Americans; unique impacts on people with opioid use disorder...

An article by published yesterday in STAT online included alarming information about the prevalence of COVID-19 in rural communities. "As the U.S. heads toward a third peak in the pandemic, rural counties are among the areas most severely affected by Covid-19. While their absolute numbers of cases are still relatively small compared with large cities, case rates and death rates are growing fastest in rural counties . This is especially worrisome because characteristics associated with poor...

The American Public Health Association and the National Academy of Medicine are jointly sponsoring a webinar on the development, approval, allocation and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday, November 18th from 5:00 - 6:30 PM Eastern Time. The webinar will begin with an introduction from the session's moderator, Margaret (Peggy) Hamburg , former FDA commissioner, and then feature a conversation with a panel of experts, including: Larry Corey , President and Director Emeritus, Fred...

The Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging, in partnership with CSU Extension and Senior Access Points of Larimer County , will hold its eighth webinar in the COVID-19 Expert Panel Series on Thursday, March 18 at 12 p.m. MT via Zoom. Members of the Colorado State University community and the public are invited to attend. As the coronavirus pandemic evolves, the abundance of news reporting and public health recommendations can be overwhelming. The COVID-19 Expert Panel Series was...

You may be interested in this report examining the impact of COVID-19 in rural America, presenting data on case rates and mortality, prevalence in diverse rural communities, and health conditions contributing to severe cases of COVID-19. The report includes a discussion of issues of socioeconomic vulnerability, healthcare access, and public health compliance and offers actions to address disparities, including increasing access, supporting livelihoods, and considering social determinants of...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not authorized or approved using ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19 in humans and has cautioned about the potential risks of using ivermectin for COVID-19. This medication is FDA-approved to treat certain infections caused by internal and external parasites, but is not authorized or approved by the FDA to prevent or treat COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic and recent surges of COVID-19 cases, rates of ivermectin prescriptions dispensed...

The 1890 Universities Foundation collaborated with the Extension Foundation to implement the system-wide program, Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE). EXCITE addresses barriers and increases confidence about COVID-19, flu, and other vaccinations among rural and medically underserved audiences and informs CDC, USDA-NIFA, Cooperative Extension, and health partners about how best to implement public health programs to reduce health disparities. EXCITE...

Check out the new video training modules, titled, " Getting to the Heart and Mind of the Matter ," Washington State University EXCITE Team. This team has designed a toolkit and training program specifically aimed at helping become more confident in being a trusted messenger of accurate health information. These new video modules effectively convey the toolkit's concepts and include engaging educational activities. Access the playlist for each section of the training (Motivational...

The Extension Collaboration on Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE) Program has received additional funding to enhance immunization education within Cooperative Extension communities. EFNEP programs have been awarded funds to educate underserved and rural audiences about the CDC’s Bridge program and other adult immunization opportunities, aiming to close gaps across all adult immunizations. This new phase will further integrate immunization education into Extension programming. By...