The Children’s Oral Health Task Force has partnered with the Genesee District Dental Society to create a referral guide to assist parents, caregivers, and pediatricians in locating Genesee County Dentists who are accepting infants and toddlers as patients. The list of 43 dentists includes a map to easily locate a practice that is convenient for the family to access. All listed dentists are participants in the Healthy Kids Dental Program. The referral guide also highlights the importance and benefits of dental care for young children.
The American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children visit a dentist when their first tooth appears or by age one for a well-baby dental checkup. In addition to keeping a child cavity free, dental care for children ages 0-5 is important to maintain a child’s ability to speak and chew properly, to prevent infection, to ensure the spacing for permanent teeth, and to establish a dental home for emergencies.
The referral guide is available as a flyer that providers can share with individual families and as a poster that can be displayed in offices and waiting rooms. To receive the referral guide or additional information on the Children’s Oral Health Task Force please contact GFHC Project Manager Lori Kunkel at (810) 232-2228 or gfhc@flint.org.
Workplace-based wellness initiatives are a well-documented strategy to engage individuals in the meaningful practice of healthy behaviors. Outcomes can include the improvement of the health of employees, increased business efficiency, reductions in employee absenteeism, and even reductions in healthcare costs.
As part of the Commit to Fit! campaign, the GFHC has partnered with member organization HealthPlus of Michigan to collaboratively present the 2011 Commit to Fit! Fall 4 Fitness Challenge. A four week challenge from September 12th – October 7th, Fall 4 Fitness will encourage employees to represent their organization by being physically active. Each organization will compete to win the challenge in one of two divisions based on employer size.
Additional details of the challenge follow:
Goals of the Fall 4 Fitness Challenge
· Individuals will work to complete an average of 30 minutes of physical activity per day over the entire four week challenge period.
· Organizational Participation: Each organization or business will be challenged to have the highest rate of employee participation, highest goal attainment rate among participants, and highest minutes of physical activity across all participants.
Incentives / Prizes
· Individuals who achieve the personal goal will receive a Commit to Fit! water bottle and a chance to win one of over 30 cash prize raffles.
· Organizations and Businesses who have the highest rates of employee participation and goal attainment will receive plaques, trophies, and their employees will have a higher chance of winning the cash prizes.
How To Register
All Genesee County employers, businesses, and other groups are welcome to sign up for the Commit to Fit! Fall 4 Fitness Challenge. Participation is free, however all effort and commitment to win the challenge can only be supplied by your employee teams! If your organization is interested in participating, please contact Tony Cuttitta via email at gfhc@flint.org or phone at (810) 232-2228.
