Community Strong
Monthly news & updates
September 2020
Issue 9
It's TIME TO Join A Team
Who are you, what do you do, how are you connected to Community Strong?

I’m Hannah Grewach, a Human Resources Business Partner with BJC Healthcare working at the two St. Charles County hospitals – Barnes-Jewish St. Peters and Progress West Hospital.

I was introduced to Community Strong through my organization, as BJC Healthcare is one of the community partners. Carissa Figgins, Community Strong’s Executive Director, is an active member of the community that I’ve had the pleasure with interacting with in a variety of different venues. 
ACTION TEAM UPDATE!
The CRUSH Coalition acts to combat substance use disorder and improve mental health in St. Charles County. The upcoming CRUSH event, Stomp Out Stigma (SOS), has been decided to be held as a virtual event - and will include a number of fun and engaging ways for the community to help promote conversation and care for our affected neighbors across St. Charles County. Stigma is often cited as a key barrier for those with Substance use Disorder to receive the help they need. With SOS, we plan to highlight the personal connections across our county and promote more of it. We are and will continue to be a community rooted in compassion that fosters genuine love of our families. Stay tuned for the details!
Media outreach tools for your organization.

Make sure you submit your surveys by October 8th!

Your Healthy Workplace certificate, plaque, and website acknowledgements can include exclusive accolades. We have outlined the newly decided special commendations. Eligibility for these will only be extended to pilot participants and organizations that complete both the employee and employer surveys. Based on the results of the surveys, we can assess and acknowledge organizations for their specific health and wellness improvements. Click on CSWW Outreach Tool Kit To Learn MORE!
The CDMP action team is a powerhouse of expertise on the subject of Chronic Disease Management and Prevention (CDMP) and a variety of planned strategies and initiatives are in a meticulous research phase. With the remarkable leadership of the team ambassador, Nancy Gongaware, we will likely be kicking-off several research-driven approaches to tackling chronic disease in St. Charles County in the months ahead. CDMP volunteers are genuine, dedicated professionals and consistently offer a great deal of support to Community Strong initiatives generally. Our thanks to them is matched by our tremendous confidence in the sheer scope of impact for upcoming community strategies.
  -- update provided by Thomas Redd, Project Coordinator, Community Strong SCC
Try It You Might Like It
Flu Season Is Upon Us.
Did you know that September and October are the best months to get your flu shot?

Influenza (“the flu”) is a common respiratory illness that is highly contagious and is caused by various types of influenza viruses (the most common being Type A and Type B). It infects the nose, throat and lungs, with symptoms that include fever, cough, sore throat, a runny nose and fatigue.

Overcoming Opioids: An Online
WebEx Speaker Series Event

October 6, 14 and 20
6-7:30pm

St. Luke’s is hosting a virtual three-part speaker series during the month of October to address issues surrounding the current opioid crisis in the United States. The educational presentations will take place online from 6 – 7:30.

There is no cost to attend the online events. To learn more or to register separately for each event, please visit the St. Luke’s Classes and Events web page: