Save time and money!

A trip to a primary doctor first for preventative care and non-emergencies may assist with avoiding a trip to an emergency room or urgent care to save you money. In fact, if everybody did this, we would save about $67 billion annually. [1] Primary doctors have many of the same resources to request medical tests as doctors of the emergency room. In addition, you gain a more personalized experience within a shorter time frame. Less time is spent explaining your medical background to a primary physician, leaving more time to focus on your present health concerns.

Get Specialist Referrals & Recommendations

We can think of the primary doctor’s office as a hotspot where we can go to get treated or connected to a specialist, via a referral or recommendation. If the doctor believes specific care and attention is necessary, they may assist you with finding a specialist. This courtesy is helpful as the doctor’s office most often has established a working relationship with the specialist to whom they’re referring you to, and you don’t have the burden of searching for specialists your own. In 2009, “Patient complaints that lead to the most referrals are related to vision (21 percent), gynecological (18 percent), gastrointestinal (18 percent), orthopedic (16 percent), dermatological (15 percent), and cardiovascular (15 percent).” [2]

Keep track of Medical Records

A primary doctor maintains a medical folder just for you! This comes in handy when trying to remember the details of past diagnosis’, test results, procedures, and immunizations. More importantly, you and your doctor can monitor your health throughout the years. Many offices, including HealthNet, have online systems that allow patient access to medical records, lab results, and medicine/prescription records.

Build A Long-Lasting Relationships

As time progresses, you may feel more comfortable consulting with your doctor. Whether it be that your finger feels weird or experiencing intermittent heart palpitations, you can feel free to bring up both minor and major concerns at primary care appointments.

As you go through life, having someone on your side to help advocate for you is beneficial. Make the most of the process by researching the best doctor for you. Check out our Find a Provider database here at HealthNet for updated information and biographies of our amazing primary doctors.

[1] https://www.primarycareprogress.org/primary-care-case/ [2] https://www.3mhisinsideangle.com/blog-post/specialist-referral-primary-care-providers-information-need/

Posted by: Akiliah Walker, Marketing and Communications Intern

A support group can consist of a group of friends, family, and medical professionals to help keep you accountable and closer to your health goals.

Take a moment to think of the people in your life. Try to identify those who are positive, who have similar health goals, who enjoy or long for healthy lifestyles, or who may specialize in healthy activities you don’t. If any strong candidates come to mind, ask them to join you in your fitness journey. Ask them to occasionally check in on you, share knowledge, or walk alongside you. Also take time to add to your virtual support group.  For this you can follow inspiring social media accounts and YouTube channels. These accounts should help spread positivity in your daily feed.

One of the main benefits of support groups is accountability. You may need someone to remind you of your goals or to intervene if you slip back into old habits. You may also benefit from a workout buddy to help you commit to workout routines. If a friend waits for you at the gym, it may motivate you to keep your word and meet them.  In addition, the Society of Behavioral Medicine conducted a study and found that when people worked out with someone else or in a team setting, their workout time doubled in comparison to people who worked out alone. [1] Keep in mind that you can also save money. Many fitness centers offer referral programs where you get money back in your pocket. Many fitness studios also have discounted rates for semi-private sessions in activities like swimming or Pilates.

Once you develop your support group, try creating a group text or Facebook page. Report progress and celebrate achievements. Get creative and find activities that get you excited to try with your group. This could include fitness classes, dance lessons, or going to a nearby track or basketball court. On the nutritional side, you can take field trips to the grocery store, or evenings to swap and try healthy recipes. As a bonus you can even check out our Nutrition and Diet program right here at HealthNet, and schedule a free appointment!

Overall, this should be a fun and rewarding process. The support we give another can make a huge the difference in our emotional, physical and mental wellbeing.

[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-you-should-work-out-crowd-ncna798936

Posted by: Akiliah Walker, Marketing and Communications Intern

The first most important thing to understand is serving size, which is usually located at the top left of the label. If a serving size is 12 crackers with 120 calories per serving size, but there are 60 crackers in the box, eating the whole box means consuming a whopping 600 calories! Knowing exactly how much you are eating can better help you understand where to fit your snacks in during the day and how much to eat of what. That box of crackers just replaced an entire meal that could have been something else with more substantial nutrition.

Near the bottom of the label lists all the ingredients that are found within the product. The first ingredient listed is the main ingredient, meaning that most of the product is made up of that ingredient. If the first ingredient is cane sugar and the last ingredient is apple juice, that means that there is far more sugar than there is fruit juice. What many people also trip up on is the pronunciation of certain words found in this list. Usually these words are long scientific words that are often confusing. In order to breakdown what these words mean, it is important to understand prefixes and suffixes, as prefixes and suffixes determine the origin of each ingredient. For example, if an ingredient starts with “lact-” that means that it is a derivative of milk, meaning someone with a dairy intolerance would not be able to consume that product. The suffix “-ose” found in the words glucose, fructose, and lactose, means “sugar.” This understanding is also useful when reading cosmetic products, as the suffix “-cone” means a variation of silicone, which has been a recent infamous ingredient to avoid in shampoos and conditioners.

The next most important thing to understand in a nutrition label is grams of sugar, and how much is too much! According to Healthline, the recommended amount of sugar to consume a day is 37.5 grams for males and 25 grams for females. The average person consumes 76.7 grams of sugar a day, which is equal to 19 teaspoons and 306 calories (Healthline). To put these numbers into perspective, a bottle of sweet tea contains 44 grams, a can of soda contains 39 grams, and an energy drink contains 27 grams of sugar. If you want to stay inside your daily limit of sugar, opt for drinks with a lower amount of sugar per serving (less than 10) or only indulge in a couple of sips of soda or tea!

Stay tuned for Part 2 where we discuss sodium levels, different types of fat, and carbohydrates!

Posted by: Emily Jump, Marketing and Communications Intern

Members of the Alliance for a Healthier Indiana coalition have invited public health advocates to express their support of an increase in Indiana’s cigarette tax. The Senate Appropriations Committee will be voting on the state’s budget, HB 1001, March 30.

Along with adequate funding for evidence-based treatment services and a comprehensive tobacco prevention program, increasing the price of tobacco is a proven strategy for reducing the burden of tobacco use at the state level.  Indiana’s adult smoking rate has remained around 25% for several years, and a relatively low tobacco tax is partially responsible.

Increasing the price of tobacco has been proven to encourage current tobacco users to use less and others—especially those with lower incomes—to quit completely.  It also has a strong effect on preventing children from starting.

According to the Alliance for a Healthier Indiana, “increasing the price of tobacco is the single most effective method for decreasing smoking rates — especially in those under age 18. A 10% increase in the real price of cigarettes would reduce the number of kids who smoke by 6-7% and the number of pregnant women who smoke pregnant women by 7% — and result in $1.4 billion in long-term health care savings, all while adding more than $200 million in new revenue that could be used for boosting Indiana’s cessation efforts and programs.

For more information about how to talk to your elected officials about this issue, visit this page from the Alliance for a Healthier Indiana.

To learn more about HealthNet’s Tobacco Cessation Program, please click here.

My name is Katie Kauffman and I am the Social Worker for PACC.

When asked to write this blog post, I was coming out of a tough week (as many of us face in our work) and hopefully can shed some light on the impact not only we as medical providers have, but also the impact our patients have on us.

I have been working as a social worker for over 12 years and have spent at least half of that time here at HealthNet in one capacity or another. I have the privilege now to provide care and support to our most vulnerable population, pediatrics and adolescents at PACC.

In my work we face varying degrees of needs and situations with our patients.  One of the many wonderful things about HealthNet is we often see people from birth, at the start of a new and exciting time in a family’s life, to the toughest of days. Among the increased needs of our patients, the increased caseloads we carry as social workers, the most important part of what I do every day, is stopping and listening.  Coming to this organization every day and checking in with patients, assisting them with referrals to community resources for the most basic of needs, to sharing a laugh or a struggle with a co-worker is a most humbling experience and one I never take for granted.

Often times the term “social worker” leaves many wondering what that title or role involves. Unfortunately, with that role comes the tough part of my job, the part that no one enjoys. My number one priority is to always be an advocate for my patient. My patients are helpless, innocent children and ensuring their safety and that their basic needs are met is always a focus of mine. Providing resources and connecting patients with outside agencies is a big part of what I do. A number of community agencies we have close working relationships with include, Catholic Charities, The YMCA, and Indiana Legal Services, to name just a few. I also work closely with Department of Children Services and have often been called to court to speak on behalf and advocate for our patient’s needs.

At the core of what we do is care. We also strive to understand where our patients are coming from and providing empathy for the road they are traveling, at whatever stage of life they are in.

Our patients face change and unpredictability on a daily basis. We as medical caregivers and providers at HealthNet can be the one stability for them. That is something I strive to be for the people I serve.

Post by Katie Kauffman

Plain language – or everyday living room language – is communication your audience understands the first time they read or hear it.  They don’t have to go back and try to define words they don’t understand.  Plain language helps you to:

• find what you need
• understand what you find
• and use what you find to meet your needs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following techniques to ensure you are using plain language:

• What’s your point – put the most important message first.
• Mind your jargon – choose words and numbers your audience knows.
• Cut it out – delete unnecessary words, sentences and paragraphs.

Below are some examples of medical jargon replaced by plain language:

Think about the last time you took your car into be fixed.  Did you understand everything the mechanic told or did they need to use plain language?  A rule of thumb is to think about how you would explain something to a friend or relative and use those words.  Everyone benefits from plain language.

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/developmaterials/plainlanguage.html

Post by Jane Meyer

• Bananas
• Oranges
• Apples
• Carrots
• Hard boiled eggs
• String cheese
• Yogurt
• Granola bars (Always be sure to check the nutritional content when buying grocery store granola bars. Some bars can be full of sugar!)
• Almonds
• Whole grain cereals

Healthy snacks don’t have to be hard to find. Fill up your lunch box with healthy snacks for the family and enjoy them on the go!

Interested in learning more about healthy eating? Call your HealthNet health center and ask to make a FREE appointment with our dietitian, Karen!

1. Sign up for a family 5K run/walk. Throughout summer and fall, many organizations set up 5K run/walks. Check around with local organizations to sign your family up to walk or run together.
2. Go for a hike and a picnic. Indianapolis has many beautiful parks and trails, so pack a lunch and go for a hike!
3. Visit your local Farmer’s Market. Take the kids to your local farmers market and pick up some fruits and vegetables for the week. Not only can you get some meal shopping done, but you can get in a nice walk!
   
4. Plant a garden. Gardening is a great physical activity, and it’s fun for kids too! Whether you are planting flowers or vegetables, let the kids help pick what they want to plant.
5. Go for a bike ride. Make it a tradition to go for a bike ride after dinner or bike to your favorite places around town like the library or park.

 Staying active is an important part of our health. Lead by example to show your kids that being active can be fun!

The events on this calendar are hosted by groups like Walk Urban Indy and YMCA City Walkers, and more are being added all the time!  You can join a group walking at lunch or meet fellow walkers to explore the city in the evening.

For more information about the great health benefits of walking, click here.

To learn more about WalkWays or to get involved, contact info@IndyWalkWays.org.

Post by Linda Bundick

1. Walk or ride your bike. Taking your kids to the park or to a friend’s house? Ride your bike or walk instead. Not only do you get to spend more time with your kids, but you can also get in a great workout! If you are walking in the heat, make sure you are prepared with sunscreen, hats, and plenty of water!

2. Visit the local swimming pool. Swimming is a great form of exercise especially when it’s hot outside and you need to cool down! Do some laps in the pool or check with your pool to see if they have classes you can take. Some local pools even teach inexpensive classes like water aerobics, which are also great workouts!

3. Push mow the yard. What seems like a common chore is actually a great cardio workout. Push mowing the yard not only burns calories, but is a great workout for your legs and arms, plus your yard will look great!

4. Plant a garden. Although it doesn’t seem like a typical workout, gardening is a great way to burn calories without hitting the gym. Gardening is also a great relaxation tool that can help you reduce stress. Instead of just planting flowers, try your hand at fruits and vegetables!

5. Explore your community! Indianapolis is full of wonderful parks and trails, so take advantage of them and go for a hike. You can also go for a walk or bike ride on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, an 8 mile path that goes throughout the city!

Staying fit doesn’t have to mean a visit to the gym everyday. Enjoy these gym-less activities during your summer! While you are outside in the summer heat make sure you drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen!