Community Partner Newsletter Volume Four
HUSKY Health Community Partner Newsletter
Volume 3
A Message from HUSKY Health and Access Health CT Please share with your clients as we help Access Health CT and the Connecticut Department of Social Services obtain up-to-date mailing addresses and phone numbers for HUSKY Health members.
Attention HUSKY Health Members We need your most up-to-date mailing address and phone number to make sure you get important info from Access Health CT and the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
Table of Contents
A Message from HUSKY Health and Access Health CT
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HUSKY A, B, and D Members can make updates: www.accesshealthct.com 1-855-805-4325 HUSKY C Members can make updates: www.mydss.ct.gov 1-855-626-6632 Help us spread the word and keep Connecticut covered!
Monkeypox 1 The Lifeline Program Offered Through SafeLink Wireless ® 2 How Members Can Reach HUSKY Health 3 COVID-19 Updates 3 Healthy Eating 4 The Importance of Hydration; Maintaining Your Health 5 Fat Attack TM - Managing Cholesterol 5 Peace at Home Parenting Classes: Offered in Spanish 6
LET'S STAY SAFE THIS SUMMER MONKEYPOX 101 Monkeypox Symptoms Include: Fever | Headache Headache | Muscle Aches Muscle Aches Backache | Swollen Lymph Nodes Swollen Lymph Nodes Chills | Exhaustion and a Rash that can look like Pimples or Blisters 02 Monkeypox virus is related to virus is related to the smallpox virus. Monkeypox symptoms are symptoms are similar to smallpox, but milder and rarely fatal.
Monkeypox The HUSKY Health program is committed to sharing the latest information on monkeypox and what can be done to remain safe. For more information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at: https://cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox . Vaccinations for qualified individuals are available by appoint- ment only. The most up-to-date list of community partner vaccination sites can be found here: https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Epidemiology-and-Emerging-Infec- tions/CT-Monkeypox/Monkeypox-Vaccination
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Monkeypox Rash
The monkeypox rash can appear anywhere on the body including mouth, genitals and anus. The rash will blister, scab, and fall off blister, scab, and fall off over a two – four week period. The person is contagious until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed.
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MONKEYPOX SPREADS THROUGH PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH:
Call a Healthcare provider Isolate at home Avoid any close physical contact Wear a mask when around others HAVE SYMPTOMS? HERE'S WHAT TO DO: immediately about getting tested!
Infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids Personal belongings (like clothing) that have made contact with sores Respiratory droplets
Pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta.
HUSKY Health Community Partner Newsletter Page 1 Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc.® (CHNCT) is the State of Connecticut’s Medical Administrative Services Organization for the HUSKY Health program. VISIT CDC.GOV/POXVIRUS/MONKEYPOX FOR MORE INFORMATION
How Members Can Reach HUSKY Health The HUSKY Health website lists all of our upcoming events and HUBs: https://www.huskyhealthct.org/members/health-events.html
Scan to access events
Members can speak with a HUSKY Health representative regarding their health, benefits, and community resources.
Member Engagement Services • 24/7 Nurse Helpline• Intensive Care Management (ICM) 1.800.859.9889 https://www.huskyhealthct.org/ Behavioral Health Services 1.877.552.8247 (1.877.55.CTBHP) http://www.ctbhp.com/ Dental Services 1.855.283.3682 (1.855.CTDENTAL) https://www.ctdhp.com/default.asp Non-Emergency Transportation Services (for HUSKY A, C, D only) 1.855.478.7350 https://ct.ridewithveyo.com/
HUSKY Health members can also follow us on social media, where we post about general health and benefit information, plus updates on where they can find us in the community. HUSKY Health Social Media
The Lifeline Program Offered Through SafeLink Wireless ®
SafeLink Wireless ® is working with the HUSKY Health program to offer the Lifeline Program at no cost to you! If you qualify, you can receive one FREE Smartphone per household, per lifetime. The Standard Lifeline Program includes the following:
HUSKYHealthCT
SafeLink Standard Lifeline Program •350 Minutes Talk Time •Calls to HUSKY Health Member Engagement Services (1.800.859.9889) are free, and will not count toward your 350 minutes •Unlimited Text •4.5 GB of Data
HUSKYHealthCT
@HUSKYHealthCT
For more information about the available benefits or to sign up, visit www.safelinkwireless.com or call 1.877.631.2550.
COVID-19 Updates One of the biggest steps we can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) isolation
Find a HUSKY Health Primary Care Provider (PCP) By visiting our website, HUSKY Health members can find any type of provider they need: a Primary Care Provider (PCP), specialist, behavioral health specialist, or dentist. They can go to portal.ct.gov/husky , click on “Information for Members,” then “Find a Doctor.” Members can call 1.800.859.9889 to speak with a HUSKY Health representative. We encourage our members to see their PCP at least once a year. Their PCP will help them stay healthy, prevent and/or manage chronic diseases, and identify any additional risk factors.
(individuals who test positive for COVID-19) and quarantine (individuals who have had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19) guidance. Updated guidelines can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/ quarantine-isolation.html .
Updated COVID-19 Guidelines
For individuals who are at risk for severe COVID-19 illness, there are medication and treatment options available to help
manage symptoms and illness. There are many “test to treat” centers in Connecticut to help residents gain treatment options quickly. Individuals can get tested for
HUSKY Health Community Partner Newsletter Page 2 Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc.® (CHNCT) is the State of Connecticut’s Medical Administrative Services Organization for the HUSKY Health program.
HUSKY Health Community Partner Newsletter Page 3 Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc.® (CHNCT) is the State of Connecticut’s Medical Administrative Services Organization for the HUSKY Health program.
The Importance of Hydration; Maintaining Your Health Many of us have heard that we should drink enough water, but many people don’t drink enough and are dehydrated. Dehydration causes fatigue, headaches, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and other serious symptoms. Dehydration is a frequent cause of hospitalizations and affects people of all ages. It can cause other medical conditions and significant illnesses as well (NIH, 2021).
COVID-19, and if they are positive, can also receive appropriate treatment at one location. For a list of “test to treat” locations, please visit: https://aspr.hhs.gov/TestToTreat/Pages/default.aspx .
The CDC recommends that getting vaccinated and boosted is still the best way to protect yourself from severe COVID-19 symptoms. For more information on vaccines and eligibility, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html
Tips to drink more water: 1. Carry a water bottle with you and refill it throughout the day. 2. Freeze some freezer-safe water bottles and take one with you for ice-cold water all day long. 3. Choose water over sugary drinks. 4. Opt for water when eating out. You’ll save money and reduce calories. 5. Serve water during meals. 6. Add a wedge of lime or lemon to your water. This can help improve the taste and help you drink more water than you usually do.
Healthy Eating: During this time of year, more varieties of fresh produce are in season and farmers markets are back. When fruits and vegetables are in season, it can be less expensive to buy them fresh. 1 Meals full of fruits and vegetables have many benefits, as they are full of fiber, water, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 2 Getting creative with shapes, utensils, and colors will make the presentation of a dish more visually appealing to everyone, and can even get kids excited to try it. When kids are allowed to pick out the food they want and help prepare it, they are more likely to eat it. 3 One entertaining food project that checks all these boxes is kabobs. Instead of making a bowl of fruit salad, pick up a package of skewers and pierce them through a variety of different cheeses and fruits, such as grapes, berries, and melons to make Fruit & Cheese Kabobs. You can take this opportunity with the younger kids to teach them about colors, names of fruits, and descriptions like crisp, juicy, sweet, etc. Kabobs can also become an entrée by adding vegetables and a protein such as chicken, ham, shrimp, or tofu, and throwing them on the grill. Try a Hawaiian theme with ham, pineapple, and mozzarella chunks; or a barbecue theme with chicken, apples, onion, and BBQ sauce. Below are links to the growing seasons for Connecticut crops and local farmers markets, along with information on which ones accept SNAP , EBT , and Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DOAG/Marketing_files/2019/Crop-Calendar-Updated-2022.pdf https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DOAG/ADaRC/Farmers-Markets/2022/2022-Farmers-Markets-Locations.pdf
Fat Attack TM - Managing Cholesterol Fat Attack TM is an interactive health education program that teaches how consuming both healthy and unhealthy fats affects our body. Too much unhealthy fat in our diet can raise our cholesterol and clog our arteries, which can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. Saturated, unsaturated, and trans fats all play a role in our blood cholesterol levels. Too much saturated fat can raise our bad LDL cholesterol. Saturated fats should be limited to less than 10 percent of total calories per day. 4 Trans fats can both raise our LDL and lower our good HDL cholesterol. 5 Replacing foods high in saturated and trans fats in our diet, with food sources that contain healthy unsaturated fats, can help improve our overall cholesterol levels. 6 Fiber is also important to digestive health and helps manage our cholesterol. It prevents the body from taking in some fat and cholesterol from food. 7 Incorporating more plant-based foods into our recipes will increase our fiber and meet our fat and protein needs, without all of the excess bad fats. Beans, oats, barley, nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil are great additions to meals. 8 Click the video links below (in English or Spanish) to find out more about what cholesterol does for our body, how too much can harm us, and learn a heart-healthy Southwestern Black-Eyed Pea & Corn Salad recipe from Cooking Matters. References: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Water and Healthier Drinks: Benefits of Drinking Water. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/water-and-healthier-drinks.html National Institute of Health. National Library of Medicine. Adult Dehydration. 2021. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555956/
Local Connecticut Farmer’s Markets
HUSKY Health Community Partner Newsletter
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Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc.® (CHNCT) is the State of Connecticut’s Medical Administrative Services Organization for the HUSKY Health program.
HUSKY Health Community Partner Newsletter Page 5 Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc.® (CHNCT) is the State of Connecticut’s Medical Administrative Services Organization for the HUSKY Health program.
To book a virtual or in-person Fat Attack TM presentation, or request a table exhibit at a community event, please contact Kellie Gilbert at 203.303.3932 or kgilbert@chnct.org.
https://www.huskyhealthct.org/members/Fat_Attack/indexHome.html https://www.huskyhealthct.org/members/Fat_Attack/spanish_index.html
Clogged Arteries Video: https://youtu.be/aC-plXkHVjk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2j0avfP2ZY Southwestern Black-Eyed Pea & Corn Salad Recipe: https://youtu.be/7647qyRwsjY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wCQiRnhrB0
Peace at Home Parenting Classes: Offered in Spanish The HUSKY Health program, in partnership with Peace at Home Parenting Solutions, offers online videos that cover a diverse selection of topics for parents/caregivers. The videos offer practical tools to help support and nurture your child/family. They are between 15-20 minutes in length and include topics for the different stages of your child’s
development, from infancy to teenage years. The facilitators are a team of experts who have over 25 years of experience working with children and families. The Peace at Home Parenting Solutions videos and resources are available in English and Spanish! Some of the topics covered include: Help Your Child (& You) Worry Less, Family Rules and Routines for Better Behavior, and Talk to your Teenager to Keep Them Safe . The classes are free! For more information on this program, please contact the Community Engagement Team at 1.888.786.2345, or visit https://peaceathomeparenting.com/husky-health/ .
References: 1. https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide
HUSKY Health Community Partner Newsletter Page 6 Community Health Network of Connecticut, Inc.® (CHNCT) is the State of Connecticut’s Medical Administrative Services Organization for the HUSKY Health program. 2. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/fruits_vegetables.html 3. https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/How-can-I-get-my-children-to-eat-more-vegetables 4. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines-online-materials/top-10-things -you-need-know-about-dietary 5. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000786.htm 6. https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/dietary-guidelines/previous-dietary- guidelines/2015#callout-dietary-fats 7. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/role-of-fiber.html 8. https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/prevention.htm
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