AHN News | March 2019
Your monthly news & updates from AHN!
It's Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month!
The Nevada State Health Division and Access to Healthcare Network have partnered to provide free FIT kits.

The FIT option is a simple and convenient option that can be done in the comfort of one's home.

TO QUALIFY:
  • Must be 50 – 64 years old
  • Must meet our income guidelines
  • Must be a Nevada resident

For more information, call 877-385-2345.
What you need to know...
Colon Health
  • Check out this Cowboy Caviar recipe recommended by AHN's dietitian. The dip is infused with beans and veggies, which is great for gut and colon health. You can view the recipe by Budget Bytes here.

  • To reduce your risk of colon cancer, the CDC recommends getting screened routinely starting at age 50. View more lifestyle and health tips to reduce your risk here.

  • Exercise can help reduce the risk of colon cancer growth. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women. New research published in The Journal of Physiology suggests that exercise may help in reducing the growth of colon cancer cells. Read the study here.
Save the Date: March 21 is the Nevada BIG GIVE!
We're ONE WEEK away from the Nevada Big Give, a day of giving to Nevada nonprofits.

Will you consider giving to Access to Healthcare Network? A donation of any size helps give the gi ft of life changing and lifesaving healthcare to our uninsured and underinsured. We are passionate about creating healthier communities through innovative programs that engage the most vulnerable among us. Your generous donation supports us in our mission to transform health outcomes and save lives throughout Nevada .

A Valentine Surprise from our Driver
For Valentine's Day, our transportation program driver, George, bought his transportation clients a box of chocolates.

George said, “I bought the chocolates for my clients because I wanted them all to have a special Valentine’s Day. Many of them didn’t even know it was Valentine’s Day, they live alone, or have lost a spouse and Valentine’s Day is more depressing than exciting...we all had fun with it!”

Shout out to George for his kind heart!
Meet Our Board - Don Kowitz
Don Kowitz has been a board member since 2014, and affiliated with AHN since its inception.

Don says, “ I enjoy helping people and I think AHN does that better than almost any organization I know. I have a background in health insurance and I think my experience and contacts are useful to AHN for the medical discount plan as well as other programs.”

Don is currently the President of Western Markets for Friday Health Plans. He enjoys hiking, golfing, skiing, reading, and gardening with his wife.

Genetics Series: How the geneticist approaches birth defects
Geneticist, Dr. Slotnick, will be presenting March 20 at 12 pm - 1 pm on "How the geneticist approaches birth defects."

This free presentation is open to the public.

Please RSVP to DMiguel@accesstohealthcare.org.
Upcoming Trainings
Chronic Disease Self-Management Leader Training
 
Access to Healthcare Network will be hosting a free week long Chronic Disease Self-Management Program leader training in late March/early April. This training will teach individuals how to facilitate a chronic disease self-management class for individuals in our community who could benefit from disease self-management education. To learn more about the training itself or to register please call Trevor Rice at 775-284-1885. Space is limited and seats will be given on a first come first serve basis.

Diabetes Self-Management Education Classes
 
Access to Healthcare Network will be providing free Diabetes Self-Management Education classes to the community starting in early 2019. These classes were originally designed by Stanford University and provide individuals living with diabetes with the skills and knowledge they need to better manage their disease and live a healthier and more fulfilling life.

To learn more about the upcoming classes or to discuss how a class could be provided to your patients please call our Health Education Department at 877-380-6744.
Meet the Team - Elli K., Medicare Specialist
Elli comes to AHN with a background in harm reduction, working with houseless individuals, people who use injection drugs, and sex workers in Reno and New Orleans. Since completing her Masters in Public Health, she has been drawn to work that focuses on underserved and high-risk populations. She has also served the Reno community as a birth doula, supporting primarily lower-income families, and is very excited to begin taking part in and improving the services provided to Northern Nevada’s elderly – an increasingly isolated population in our community. 

In her position with AHN, she will be working in the State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) department as a Medicare Specialist providing one-on-one counseling and education to Medicare beneficiaries across several northern Nevada counties. She will also be assisting the SHIP department with outreach and presentations.
Thank You Pennington Foundation!
Pennington Foundation recently donated two new vans to AHN's transportation department vans that will be used to expand our non-emergency medical transportation program. The expansion of the program is in partnership with Prominence Health Plan.

Thank you to Pennington Foundation for their generosity and commitment to our community!
National Healthcare News
British Man Becomes Second Known Patient to be Cured of HIV
US News reports that after receiving a bone marrow transplant from an HIV-resistant donor, a patient in London has become the second known person to be cleared of the AIDS virus. After the treatment and 18 months being off of antiretroviral drugs, the patient is functionally cleared of the disease. This treatment is rare due to the diagnosis of both HIV and Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Researchers are claiming that this is a big step in HIV research, but chemotherapy for HIV patients is not a long-term path to a cure. 
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