Foundation for a Healthy North Dakota

We believe the people in our communities want the best health outcomes for themselves, each other, and all North Dakotans. By working in collaboration with local communities and individuals, we can help identify and remove health barriers and build a healthier state. If you have a story to share about how community wellness or a related illness has impacted your life, we want to hear from you. Your experience could help other North Dakotans! Share your story here: https://bit.ly/3uoYZt4

We're humbled and honored when people trust our organization enough to tell us how an illness or health-related experience changed their lives. Over on the FHND blog, Bethany shares with us her story about her 4-year-old daughter, Amiah, who died in 2017 after contracting influenza B. Read it here: https://bit.ly/3Nh1Vyc

Fall is the perfect time of year to get the family outdoors for a seasonal adventure! Our state has so much to offer, from pumpkin patches and corn mazes to fall festivals and beautiful foliage. Check out North Dakota Department of Commerce's guide for more ideas or, better yet, share your favorite fall activities here in the comments! https://bit.ly/47VbEUk

We're thrilled to announce another step forward in fostering the health and wellness of North Dakotans: The North Dakota Multi-Partner Health Collaborative (MPHC) named Dr. Carlos Miranda, a pediatric cardiologist at Sanford Health, as Chair of the MPHC, and Megan Langley, executive director of Strengthen ND, as Vice Chair. The Foundation for a Healthy North Dakota, American Heart Association - North Dakota, and ND Health and Human Services teamed up to launch the MPHC this year with the vision of making North Dakota the healthiest state in the nation. This marks another big step in our collaborative efforts to promote resources and community-wide initiatives that advance public health priorities. The members of the MPHC extend our congratulations to Chair Miranda and Vice Chair Langley on their appointments.

Protect yourself and your loved ones against influenza and RSV as we transition into the fall and winter months with these six tips from Dr. Nagpal of Sanford Health: 1. Wash your hands regularly. 2. Cover your cough. 3. Minimize contact with others when you're sick, even if you don't feel *that* lousy. 4. Exercise regularly to keep your body's endurance high⁣. 5. Keep up to date with influenza, COVID-19, and RSV shots⁣. 6. Work with your doctor to control any underlying medical issues. For more tips like these, watch our full webinar with Dr. Nagpal to learn more about respiratory illnesses: https://bit.ly/3PDZdUq

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as you age, you might be wondering ... when exactly am I supposed to start getting mammograms? According to our colleagues at ND Health and Human Services, women between the ages of 40 and 44 should meet with their health care provider to discuss their family medical history and determine when they should start getting regular mammograms. All women should then start getting annual mammograms beginning at age 45. And of course, it's never too early to begin doing self-exams at home — and reaching out to your doctor if you feel anything new or suspicious. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4envgTF

Our team recently made the trip to California for a three-day Change Leaders Academy training, where we expanded our leadership, collaboration and communication skills. It's always great when we can come together and learn alongside each other, and we're eager to incorporate what we learned into our work back here in North Dakota!

Today is Indigenous Peoples' Day, a day that recognizes and honors this nation's first inhabitants. Approximately 31,000 American Indians live in communities today that share geography with North Dakota, including members of Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (Three Affiliated Tribes); Spirit Lake Nation; Standing Rock Sioux Tribe; Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians; and Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Nation. Today, we'd like to shine a spotlight on some of the incredible Native-led organizations in this state who are doing important work to support Native communities — many of whom we're fortunate to consider partners in building a healthier North Dakota for all: - Native Governance Center - Indigenous Association - Turtle Mountain Tribe — including Turtle Mountain Public Health Department and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Public Health Program - National Resource Center on Native American Aging - SACRED PIPE RESOURCE CENTER - Native Ways Federation - Native American Development Center

It's National Farm to School Month! 🚜 Farm to school programs promote healthy eating among school-aged children and also support local farmers and food producers in North Dakota. Want to learn more about these programs, and how schools and food producers can participate? Check out our webinar with Amanda Olson, a farm to school specialist with NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, and Ann Olson, a local foods coordinator at Strengthen ND: https://bit.ly/4eLnenh And if you'd like to help shape the future of farm to school, join the National Farm to School Network's upcoming meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 16. It's free and open to all: https://lnkd.in/e6wU4KYB

We teamed up with local and state health care partners last month for a community kickoff event to encourage North Dakotans to prepare for the upcoming respiratory illness season by getting immunized against viruses like influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. A special shoutout to our own Mary Lizakowski for helping to plan this event, and to the group of speakers who emphasized why it's so important to protect our community against these illnesses, including: - North Dakota State Health Officer Dr. Nizar Wehbi - Danni Pinnick, an immunization surveillance coordinator at ND Health and Human Services who told a story about her son's own RSV experience - Dr. Avish Nagpal, an infectious disease physician and medical director of infection prevention at Sanford Health Fargo - Dr. Tracie Newman, a pediatrician and health officer for Fargo Cass Public Health - Joseph Halvorson, a nurse practitioner and section chair of internal medicine at Essentia Health Fargo Thanks to our partners for helping make this kickoff a success!