Health

Shaping Kentucky’s Future: A Community Guide to Reducing Obesity

Shaping Kentucky’s Future: A Community Guide to Reducing Obesity

In the New Year, many individuals commit to turning over a new leaf. You’ll hear stories of resolutions to begin healthy habits this year almost anywhere. Ads for gym memberships and healthy foods are all over the newspaper ads and radio stations. We become obsessed with trying to incorporate healthy living into our daily routines. Kentucky’s health data is staggering: over 66% of adults are overweight and more than 31% are obese. Our state also ranks [...]

By admin|2013-01-17T10:00:23-05:00January 17th, 2013|Blog, Health|

Tune it to KET Tonight and Show your Support for Smoke-Free Kentucky

Tune it to KET Tonight and Show your Support for Smoke-Free Kentucky

Please tune in tonight, Monday, January 14 to show your support for Smoke-Free Kentucky! See below for information on how to call in or send an email message during the broadcast. Passing a statewide, comprehensive smoke-free law is a 2013 Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children priority. View the Blueprint Smoke-free fact sheet here. Scheduled guests are: - State Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington - State Rep. Mike Harmon, R-Danville - Dr. Shawn Jones, past president of the Kentucky Medical Association - [...]

By Katie Carter|2013-01-14T08:53:24-05:00January 14th, 2013|Blog, Health|

New Year Resolutions for Kentucky Children

Happy New Year! Welcome back to many of you who took time off for holidays and vacations. Beginning a new year often means making (and breaking) resolutions. The 2013 Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children outlines nine policy priorities that can serve as resolutions for improving the lives of kids throughout Kentucky. Take a look at the list of priorities – and when making your own resolutions this year, consider how you can make a difference in the lives [...]

By Katie Carter|2013-01-02T11:46:04-05:00January 2nd, 2013|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Youth Justice|

Secret Shopper: Part 2

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my experience as a secret shopper by calling the Kentucky Medicaid Hotline. That experience did not turn out well as the automated message was not correct and I had to wait several minutes before I was able to talk to a real person. My overall grade for that experience was a C-. Since that experience I learned that there may have been outstanding circumstances which played into the high [...]

By Andrea Bennett|2012-12-13T11:25:13-05:00December 13th, 2012|Blog, Health|

It’s Time to Clear the Air

VIDEO: Kentucky - Business Has Never Been Healthier (smoke free) During 2013, the Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children will be working to pass a statewide, comprehensive smoke-free law which would prohibit smoking inside all work-sites including restaurants and bars. We are working with the Smoke-Free Kentucky Coalition to CLEAR THE AIR. We all have the right to breathe clean indoor air—workers, families, children, everyone. Currently, about one-third of Kentuckians live in communities with comprehensive smoke-free laws, leaving thousands of children still [...]

By Andrea Bennett|2012-12-12T11:01:02-05:00December 12th, 2012|Blog, Health|

My Experience as a Self-Appointed Secret Shopper of the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services

When I was a child, my mother worked as a secret shopper for various banks. I still remember going with her as she pretended to be interested in obtaining a car loan or open a bank account. We always had to go to the bathroom to see how clean it was as that was one of many things she had to rank. The banks that hired these secret shoppers were committed to providing their customers [...]

By Andrea Bennett|2012-11-12T10:31:42-05:00November 12th, 2012|Blog, Health|

The 2012 Election is Over – What’s Next for Kids?

It’s over! The election is over. No matter how you voted or how you feel about the results, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, at least for the short while between now and the next election. In his acceptance speech, President Obama illustrated his vision for our future: “Despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America’s future. We want our kids to grow up in a country where they [...]

By Katie Carter|2012-11-08T10:35:53-05:00November 8th, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Education, Health, Youth Justice|

Vote for Somebody on November 6

Kids don’t vote. Kids don’t write campaign checks. Kids certainly don’t have super PACs. That is why I hope you will take just a couple minutes and watch this video. Democracy Prep’s amazing fourth grade citizen-scholars want you to VOTE this November 6th! And so does EVERY kid in Kentucky! Kids have a lot riding on this Tuesday – in the Presidential race; in Kentucky’s Congressional contests; in school board votes; in the judicial match-ups; [...]

By Terry Brooks|2012-11-01T11:17:09-04:00November 1st, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health, Youth Justice|

New County-level Data on Child Welfare Available

This week Kentucky Youth Advocates added four new child welfare indicators to the KIDS COUNT Data Center. These four new indicators span the continuum of child welfare decision-making points and, coupled with the other indicators already on the Data Center, provide Kentuckians a wealth of information on vulnerable children and families in our state. One new indicator shows the prevalence of certain risk factors in cases where child abuse or neglect was found to have [...]

By Amy Swann|2012-10-25T11:29:58-04:00October 25th, 2012|Blog, Child Welfare & Safety, Economic Security, Education, Health|

Kentucky Spirit Decides to End Managed Care Contract – Statement by Terry Brooks

Yesterday’s announcement that Kentucky Spirit is choosing to pull out of Kentucky is not surprising given the multiple issues over the past year. Some of those issues, indeed, lay with the state and others, frankly may well lay with simple business metrics of how Kentucky Spirit bid and billed. There will be time to focus on the “why”. The immediate need is to focus on the “now.” This transition has the potential to cause disruptions [...]

By Terry Brooks|2012-10-18T11:56:42-04:00October 18th, 2012|Blog, Health|