Rock Solid Academy to hold silent, live auction fundraiser April 16 in Shavertown

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Schuyler Avenue students shine

National Public Health Week is being celebrated through Sunday. The American Public Health Association brings together communities across the United States to recognize the contributions of public health efforts and highlight issues that are important to improving the nation&#8217;s health.In 2015 and 2016, the Zika virus and Flint, Michigan&#8217;s water-quality crisis both put public health concerns in the media. &#8220;Disease detectives&#8221; who strive to contain food-borne and other infectious diseases are the well-known face of public health. But the scope of public health concerns is much wider, because most poor health comes from how we live day to day.The most recent release of the national County Health Rankings (<a href="http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/" target="_blank">countyhealthrankings.org</a>) has Luzerne County ranked 64th of 67 counties for current health status and 53rd for health factors that predict future health. Luzerne County has ranked consistently in the bottom fourth of Pennsylvania&#8217;s counties for the past six years. Our health as a population is most challenged not by access to health care, but by poverty. We rank 64th for social and economic factors that could lead to poor health.National Public Health Week&#8217;s &#8220;Facts for the Week,&#8221; (<a href="http://www.nphw.org/" target="_blank">nphw.org</a>) underline the importance of social and economic conditions to health. The website provides information on the close relationship between poverty and poor health, and fighting the inequality that leads to unequal health outcomes. Many recommendations can only be tackled at a state or national level.However, there are recommendations we can implement on a local level as we build and police our communities. As the National Public Health Week site notes: &#8220;Health must be a priority in designing our communities, from healthy housing to parks and playgrounds. Walking and biking must coexist with cars and public transportation. We need lower levels of violence and crime so everyone can safely live, work, learn and play.&#8221;LiveWell Luzerne is a Healthy Communities coalition that aims to promote and create the kinds of environments where county residents find it easy to live healthily. LiveWell Luzerne promotes our great outdoor places through the Keystone Active Zone (<a href="http://www.kazpassport.org/" target="_blank">KAZpassport.org</a>) because Luzerne County has excellent outdoor and recreational assets, and yet 30 percent of residents report no leisure-time physical activity. Getting outside is valuable for physical health and a proven stress reliever &#8211; and physical and mental health reinforce each other; see LiveWell&#8217;s <a href="http://superparks.org/" target="_blank">Superparks.org</a> website for tips on fighting the &#8220;StressMonster&#8221; and managing your mental health.Additionally we live in an environment of social groups and organizations. Despite great need for supportive organizations of all sorts, from bicycle clubs to churches to Girl Scouts, Luzerne County has fewer social associations per capita than other counties in Pennsylvania, ranking 59th of 67, according to the County Health Rankings.We need to help nurture our county&#8217;s organizations, treating fellow members with consideration and welcoming new members, because these groups provide necessary social connections and help people feel their lives have meaning. The County Health Rankings note that the health risk associated with social isolation is similar to the risk of smoking cigarettes. Additionally our voluntary organizations provide a host of other services, depending on the organization, like connection to heritage, education, environmental benefits, economic development and direct assistance to the neediest.As we celebrate National Public Health Week in 2016, we need to support the environments that create health nationally and locally. To find out more about LiveWell Luzerne, please contact me at 570-714-1953.Michele SchasbergerHealthy communities coordinatorLiveWell Luzerne County

Letter to the Editor: Improve health of Luzerne County residents with coordinated approach