Rev. Denise McLeod, the quality of life liaison with the Department of Health in Monroe County, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about the organization.
The Health to You events look to help the community.
McLeod said, “We have such a wonderful team of doctors and nurses and friendly, supportive staff who are here to help you stay as healthy as possible. Also, we have a wonderful outreach program, and you may have seen me in your neighborhood, from Key Largo all the way down to Key West with our outreach program. The Health to You program, it focuses on helping people in the Florida Keys to live healthier lives. We partner with so many organizations, and we hold events that connect Monroe County residents with important health resources as well as information, because we want everyone to live their best, optimal, healthy life. We are realistic, we know that good health needs more than just going to the doctor, going to the clinic. That’s why we visit communities from Key Largo to Key West, helping with things like food, transportation and social services, resources.”
People can get blood pressure cuffs, glucose monitors, befast magnets, hand sanitizers, pedometers and first aid kits with the help of Department of Health Monroe.
McLeod said, “At our Health to You events, we give free health screenings for blood pressure, we check for blood glucose sugar levels, and also do cancer screenings. We also provide helpful supplies like free blood pressure cuffs and free glucose monitors so everyone can care for their health in the privacy of their home. At our Health to You events, we cover many important topics, from our community health improvement plan that’s designed to help everyone in our county and some of the chronic diseases that we really focus on this year in our five year plan, include diabetes awareness, heart disease, stroke prevention and cancer awareness. Our goal is to help you and your family learn how to stay healthy, because cancer is one of the top causes of death in Monroe County, and we explain at our Health to You events how if you have your regular health checkup, this can help find cancer early, which makes it easier to treat. Plus, we’re excited to have the University of Miami Sylvester mobile unit join us at our Health to You events, and they provide the cancer screenings, and we come to you in your neighborhood.”
What is the befast instrument?
McLeod said, “This is such a great little instrument. The befast is a magnet that you can put right on your refrigerator, and on that magnet, you’ll see, six little boxes and each letter in befast stands for something important in helping someone to quickly recognize if someone is having a stroke. B stands for balance, loss of balance. E for eyes having blurred vision, F for face drooping, A for arm numbness, S for speech problems and T, this is where we all can be life savers. T is time to call 911. Being timely and calling 911 can help a person to recover from a stroke. I’ve been passing out these magnets for about eight to nine months now, and have heard amazing stories of people using this magnet and they have helped to save their loved one. So this simple thing on your refrigerator is so important because it gives us the knowledge to recognize what’s going on with someone and not to just kind of like, well, maybe they’re just a little off today. No, look at the magnet. Go through the signs, see how many signs you’re having, and T call 911. I say, don’t call your mama. Don’t call your grandmama. Call 911 as quickly as possible, and help a person recover.”
Monitoring blood sugar and glucose is critical if you’re susceptible to diabetes and heart disease.
McLeod said, “Diabetes is becoming more and more common, and even in younger people getting it at a younger age. It’s important for us to support those living with it. What can you do? Please have your blood sugar levels checked and managing diabetes, it involves consistently monitoring your blood sugar, your glucose level, eating a balanced diet of whole grains, fruits and vegetables and staying active, take those prescribed medications as directed and keep educating yourself. Regular checkups with your healthcare provider are vital for effective management of diabetes, and focus on making small changes to enhance your health and quality of life. I also like to say, with diabetes, I will be starting a class in hopefully, I’m trying to launch it in July, where it will be how to manage chronic diseases. This program, this training will help people living with chronic conditions improve the quality of their life by providing them with tips and techniques to manage their health better. I’m seeking to launch this program in July 2025.”
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US.
McLeod said, “At our Health to You events, we do check the blood pressure and we share tips on how to keep your heart healthy, like eating balanced meals and being active. We also give away, I love this little item, veggie gardens to encourage families to grow their own healthy food, changing our diets is so important. We really need to eat a more balanced diet, low in saturated fats and sodium. Exercise, exercise, exercise, and strive to maintain a healthy weight, quit smoking, limit the alcohol, take those prescribed medications and attend regular checkups so the doctor can monitor our your heart health.”
June 6 is Revive Day.
McLeod said, “This is a day where we’ll be passing out and working with the Guidance Care Center. We’re going to canvas all of Monroe County. We’re going to go from Key Largo all the way down to Key West, passing out NARCAN. NARCAN is that instrument that is used to combat drug overdose, it helps the person to regain their breathing until 911 could come in and do a full assessment. This is just another way we are trying to save as many lives as possible in Monroe County. I’m excited to tell you about our next Health to You event. It will be on July 25 from 11 to 2pm at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo. Here’s what you can look forward to, free health screenings, again, blood pressure screening, glucose will be checked as well as cancer screenings, and we’re going to be passing out back to school supplies. We will provide paper, pencils and other school supplies for kids and provide school ready vaccines, so everyone will be ready to start school on time, and we’ll have in attendance many of our community partners who will help provide our residents with a variety of help and different resources.”
For more information, click here: https://monroe.floridahealth.gov/index.html