The Poor Smoke More and Die More from Smoking
When it comes to smoking, the gap between the rich and the poor is enormous. In Yellowstone County, nearly 20 percent of adults smoke, according to the 2016-17 Community Health Needs Assessment for Yellowstone County. But among low-income adults, 37 percent are smokers.
The Benefits of Primary Care
Patients who get regular primary care are more willing to seek medical attention sooner for potentially serious symptoms, rather than putting it off until the symptoms are more severe. Primary care doctors help keep chronic conditions, such as asthma and diabetes, under control, reducing healthcare costs. And patients who trust their doctor are also more apt to take their medicine or stick to a treatment plan.
Four Things to Know About Syphilis
This Billings Gazette column offers advice about stopping the spread of this sexually transmitted disease as cases increase in Yellowstone County and in the rest of the state.
Getting Ready for Flu Season
The severity of the flu season is unpredictable, but the best available protection is a yearly influenza vaccination, as this Health Matters column advises. To help protect our patients and clients, all RiverStone Health employees get an annual flu shot.
Making Plans Helps Keep Your Family Safe
What you do before, during and after a natural disaster can make a big difference for your family, your neighbors, and your community. One of our emergency preparedness coordinators lays out the steps to get you started.
Is Sitting the New Smoking?
A morning workout may not be enough to keep you healthy if you spend most of your day sitting. Sprinkling a few minutes of exercise into your work day routine may help.
Teaching Ways to Lower Suicide Risks
Our Director of Population Health Services writes about community responses to students’ mental health needs. Those ways of reducing suicide rates include a CPR-like training to help community members to respond to individuals in crisis, a game that helps children manage their own behavior, and a program targeting the mental health needs of middle school and high school students.
Seniors More Vulnerable to Falls
One of our resident physicians in the Montana Family Medicine Residency explains some of the risk factors that make elderly people more susceptible to falls.
Helping Kids Deal with Bad Days
Our licensed clinical professional counselor at RiverStone Health’s Orchard School Clinic explains how adults modeling good behavior can help their children when they have a no good, very bad day.
Improving Academic Performance by Improving Health
School-based clinics have been shown to improve children’s overall health and their success in school. Health issues that can influence academic success include poor dental health, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, inattention and hyperactivity. School-based health centers help address those issues. They can also help reduce chronic absenteeism, which is linked to an increased risk of academic failure.
