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Health briefs: Free blood glucose screenings at VNA

Free blood glucose screenings at VNA

The Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association will provide free blood glucose screenings from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 24 at the VNA in Steamboat Springs, 940 Central Park Drive, Suite 101. March 24 is Diabetes Alert Day, which highlights the importance of understanding your risk for type 2 diabetes. In addition to the blood glucose test, a VNA community health educator will discuss a participant’s diabetes risk and ways to prevent the disease and its complications. Drop-ins are welcome. For more information, call 970-871-7634.

Hepatitis A vaccination recommended for travel



The Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association recommends people planning travel to Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America receive a Hepatitis A vaccination. Hepatitis A can be spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with the virus. Hepatitis A and other routine vaccinations are available during drop-in immunization clinics, which are offered from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays at the VNA in Steamboat Springs, 940 Central Park Drive, Suite 101. Other vaccinations may be recommended depending on the international destination. These are available by appointment with the VNA’s travel clinic by calling 970-879-1632.

Shingles vaccine available



The Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association has Zostavax vaccine available to prevent shingles. It is recommended for adults who are 60 and older. It also is available to adults 50 and older with a doctor’s prescription. Zostavax and other routine vaccinations are available during drop-in immunization clinics, which are offered from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays at the VNA in Steamboat Springs, 940 Central Park Drive, Suite 101. You can also make an appointment by calling 970-879-1632.

Residents may qualify for health insurance coverage

If you have had any of the following life-change events in the last month, you may qualify for health insurance (reduced-cost plans) through Connect for Health Colorado outside the open enrollment period:

• Marriage, birth, adoption and placement for foster care.

• Your insurance plan or Medicaid coverage was canceled or ended.

• You changed jobs and lost employer-sponsored insurance.

• You gained citizenship or immigration status.

• You experienced a change in incarceration status.

• You moved to Colorado.

You can apply for health insurance through Colorado Medicaid or Child Health Plan Plus year round. For more information or to meet with a health coverage guide, call 970-871-1632.

VNA offers Well Body class

The Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association offers a Well Body class from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays at the Steamboat Springs VNA, 940 Central Park Dr., Suite 101.The class helps participants achieve their health goals with nutrition information, weight loss strategies and tools to make lasting lifestyle changes. The class is free. For more information or to sign up, call 970-871-7634.

VNA holds divorce support groups

The Northwest Colorado VNA is hosting a support group for adults coping with divorce. Meetings will focus on handling strong emotions and life transition, restoring one’s identity and self-esteem, effective communication and successful single parenting. The meetings will be offered from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Rollingstone Respite House, 1500 Pine Grove Road.

The VNA also will host a support group for middle school-age students coping with divorce. Dates and times to be determined. For more information, call Katy Thiel at 970-871-7628.


Measles vaccination recommendations

The United States is experiencing a multi-state measles outbreak that started in California in December 2014. Measles is a highly contagious, viral illness. The CDC recommends the following individuals receive the vaccine:

• All children should get two doses of MMR vaccine, the first dose at 12 to 15 months old and the second dose at 4 to 6 years old. Special vaccination recommendations may apply to infants and children travelling internationally.

• Adults born after 1957 who do not have evidence of immunity (documentation of adequate vaccination or having had the illness) should have one or two doses of the MMR vaccine, depending on their risk. Teens and adults who are in a post-secondary school, work in a health care facility or are planning international travel have a higher risk of exposure and should have two doses. Children and adults can receive the second dose 28 days or more after the first dose.

For more information about measles vaccination, go to http://www.cdc.gov/measles/vaccination. The MMR vaccine is available at the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association, 940 Central Park Dr., Suite 101. For more information, call 970-879-1632.

VNA immunization clinics

The Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association provides low-cost immunizations to adults and children. These include vaccines for flu, measles, mumps and rubella, chicken pox, shingles, pneumonia, HPV, meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough and hepatitis A and B. Individuals also can receive TB testing at the VNA. Immunizations or TB tests are available by appointment or during drop-in clinic hours, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Steamboat Springs VNA, 940 Central Park Dr., Suite 101. For more information, call 970-879-1632.

VNA offers options to help you quit tobacco

The Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association has multiple options available to help smokers and smokeless tobacco users address complex factors of nicotine addiction that make quitting very difficult.

Smoking cigarettes or using chew, snuff and other types of smokeless tobacco can have serious, potentially fatal, heath consequences. Tobacco cessation support can significantly improve a person’s chances of quitting for good. All services are free and available in English and Spanish.

• The VNA offers one-on-one counseling with a tobacco cessation counselor and a Tobacco Free support group. Call 970-871-7338 for information.

• The Colorado QuitLine provides cessation phone or online support. Free nicotine patches and gum are available. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or go to http://www.coquitline.org.

• CO Quit Mobile provides personalized text message support. Sign up at http://www.coquitmobile.org.

Baby and Me program helps pregnant women be smoke-free

The Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association’s Baby and Me Tobacco Free program helps expectant moms quit tobacco with four prenatal smoking cessation sessions and incentives. Smoking during pregnancy increases risk of miscarriage, premature birth, birth defects and infant death. Program participants who quit smoking and remain smoke free throughout their pregnancy and after their baby is born receive monthly vouchers for free diapers, for up to a year. For more information, call Hope Cook at 970-871-7622.

Support groups

• A bereavement support group meets from 1 to 2 p.m. Monday at Rollingstone Respite House. The group is open to anyone grieving the loss of a loved one. Call 970-871-7628 prior to attending your first meeting.

• A domestic violence support group for women is held from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesdays at Advocates Building Peaceful Communities. Call Diane at 970-879-2034 before attending.

• The Steamboat Meditation Recovery Group meets Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. at the Buddhist Center of Steamboat Springs, 2250 Copper Frontage Road, No. 202. The group also has a recovery-based yoga beforehand at 4:30 p.m. The group will explore recovery through meditation, book study and all open discussion. Meetings are open to all faiths and addictions. For more information, call 720-670-8642.

• A Caregiver Cancer Support Group meets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the community room at Natural Grocers, 355 Lincoln Ave. For more information, call 970-846-4717.


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