BOYD RECEIVES GRANT TO HELP “SHAKE THE SALT” IN GREENE COUNTY

Boyd Healthcare Services was recently awarded a grant in the sum of $10,000 to aid in reducing sodium consumption across multiple agencies in Greene County.  The grant was made possible by funding from the CDC- Preventative Health and Health Services Block Grant and in partnership with the Illinois Department of Public Health as made available through membership in the Illinois Health and Hospital Association.

The grant was written to encompass multiple public service agencies and all ages of citizens in Greene County.  One component of the grant caters specifically to children as sodium reduction in school lunch programs has become a “hot topic” of federal guidelines in recent months and years.  The grant included educational components for elementary, junior high, and high school age children as well as a seminar for “head cook” staff of each school district in the county as well as St. John the Evangelist Elementary in Carrollton.  “We wanted to make sure children came in as the first line of defense for this program to really see maximum effects – ideally, if we can change their thinking as children it will help work for lower sodium levels later in adults and that can lead to less heart disease, possibly fewer strokes, and potentially a healthier lifestyle in general” said Deborah Campbell, Boyd Healthcare Services CEO.

A secondary component of the program targeted adults and Senior Citizens.  Deborah Campbell explained, “The idea with adults was to make them aware of sodium, how it affects our daily lives, and how we can change that.”  To aid in that effort, educational information, classes, and marketing will be used to reach the busiest adults.  For Senior Citizens, specifically, there will be an ongoing educational effort primarily based at the Senior Citizens Center in Carrollton where Boyd Healthcare Services plans to host a blood pressure screening one day per month for patrons. “High blood pressure is one of the first signs of heart disease, and many people don’t have any idea what their blood pressure runs on a daily basis.  If we can help get the ball rolling for these adults, we have a great chance of preventing major issues further down the line,” Campbell said.

In addition to initiatives for children and adults at outlying agencies, Thomas H Boyd Memorial Hospital has included their own facility and employees in the program plan.  “We are looking over the hospital menu that is available for both employees and patients to see what we can change, taking salt shakers off the table, and really just trying to upgrade the nutritional content we provide to the public – starting with our own employees.  We want to promote health and well-being for everyone in our County and beyond, which means we need to start from within.” 

For more information on this educational initiative and others, or how Boyd Healthcare Services could host a seminar on current health trends for your facility, please contact Deborah Campbell at (217)942-6946 ext. 1200.