Archive for the
‘News’ Category

By Hernando Substance Exposed Newborn (SEN) Taskforce

The Hernando and Pasco Substance Exposed Newborn Task Forces are hosting Education & Beyond: Supporting Substance Exposed Newborn Communities Virtual Workshop series, April, 2021.  Opioid and substance misuse in Florida is a serious problem that is being felt by our youngest and most vulnerable citizens, infants. To address the epidemic of Substance Exposed Newborns (SEN), Hernando & Pasco SEN Taskforces invite you to the 2nd Annual Education & Beyond: Supporting Substance Exposed Newborn Communities, held as a series of […]

Ocala-News.com

There’s good news for families expecting a new child – Marion County’s World’s Greatest Baby Shower is back for the fourth year in a row.

The free, educational event for expectant and new parents is being organized through the Healthy Start of North Central Florida Coalition and WellFlorida Council. It is being brought to the public by the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, Alpha Center for Women, Tobacco Free Partnership of Marion County, AdventHealth Ocala, Staywell/WellCare and Things To Do Ocala.

This year’s event will be […]

WCJB TV 20

To help better understand the ones they serve, Columbia County health officials participated in a poverty simulation workshop.

Dozens of residents also attended the workshop, which was held at the Richardson Community Center in Lake City.“The event itself was to spend a couple hours going through what the life of somebody who could be in poverty would experience, having to deal with the banks, having to deal with loans, having to deal with social services, having to deal with going to job opportunities to […]

WellFlorida News Release

About 80 people experienced the virtual realities of poverty in a unique poverty simulation conducted today by the North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative and the Florida Department of Health in Colombia County.

The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) was designed to help people better understand the realities of poverty. Participants included staff members of various human service agencies and local civic and community leaders.

“This program helps people understand the complexities and frustrations of living in poverty day to day,” said Lindsey Redding, Director […]

WellFlorida News Release

Central Florida Health and WellFlorida Council have recently released reports that assess the health of Lake, Sumter and Marion counties. The reports provide data on the health of the region and identify priority issues for improvement. Two assessments, along with the 2019 Central Florida Health Community Health Assessment Technical Appendix, are available at www.WellFlorida.org, select “Publications.”
 
According to the reports, residents consider quality of life to be good in the region. However, there is a shortage of services, especially for mental health, and […]

The Gainesville Iguana

The High Impact Prevention (HIP) project by WellFlorida Council aims to decrease the spread of HIV and link HIV-infected individuals to prevention and care services in Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Lake, Marion and Putnam counties. The program is currently offering free HIV testing, condoms and educational materials at local events and participating businesses. 

Everyone’s Doing It promotes condom use and HIV testing throughout the six counties. Testing is confidential, and teens do not need parental consent to be tested for HIV. Locate HIV testing sites […]

The Florida Department of Health and WellFlorida Council have recently released Community Health Assessments for Columbia and Hamilton counties. The assessments for each county, which are accompanied by the 2019 Columbia and Hamilton County Community Health Assessment Technical Appendix, provide data on the health of the region and identify priority issues for improvement. The reports are available atwww.WellFlorida.org, select “Publications.”

Community Health Assessments are used to assess the population’s health status, incorporate the needs and priorities of the population, highlight areas of unmet need and […]

Ocala Star Banner
By Carlos E. Medina

Panel: Behavioral health requires a more holistic approach to get people help earlier and reduce crisis situations.

Much of the focus on opioid addiction over the last couple of years has been on the immediate goal of reducing the number of overdoses and deaths due to heroin.

While that is an important component, it is only part of what entails a comprehensive program to treat addiction and mental health issues, according to a panel of behavioral health leaders whose organizations provide […]

Tampa Bay Times
Hernando County news briefs

Community members, health care providers and business leaders are invited to share their views on health and healthcare in Hernando County by taking a 10-minute survey. WellFlorida Council is conducting surveys on behalf of the Florida Department of Health in Hernando County through May 26.

The survey is available at wellflorida.org (select “Survey”). Residents who take the survey may enter to win a $30 gift card. Survey results, along with research and health-related data, will be used to assess the […]