URBAN CALL — HEALTHY LIVING EVERY DAY!
All in the Family
Dining together helps reduce stress
By: American Heart Association
Sitting down to dinner together can help your mental health.
Health Champions Dr. Anthony Fauci, Pres. Adv.
Angela Bassett, Actress
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Lafayette Jones
Publisher, Urban Call; SMSi-Urban Call Marketing, Inc. President & CEO
Your greatest asset
Photo Courtesy American Heart Association
sounds to gather everyone around the dinner table, so give yourself permission to start small by aiming for one dinner together a week. To help plan your dinners together, the American Heart Association offers free recipes, conversation starters and more at www.heart.org/together. ; To make mealtime togetherness even easier, the American Heart Association is sharing practical and budget-friendly meal
tips each Tuesday through December. Together Tuesdays™ is helping to maximize health benefits of these shared meals. People can follow #TogetherTuesday on social media or text 2gether to 51555 to get tips sent directly to their phone. For more information on how to help reduce stress for you and your family, visit www.heart.org/stress.
More Health Tips and Information
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Forsyth County Health Department
Joshua Swift, Director
Inside...
SMSi Healthy Living Solutions, Inc. Founder & CEO
Sherita Sutton, Ass’t Dir.
African Americans have an increased risk for heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure — and chronic, constant stress can increase that risk. A new survey from the American Heart Association shows that 65% of adults say they are at least somewhat stressed, and more than a quarter are extremely or very stressed. However, regular mealtime with others could be a simple solution to help manage stress. Of the 1,000 U.S. adults surveyed for the American Heart Association’s Healthy for GoodTM movement by Wakefield Research, 91% of parents noticed their family is less stressed when they share family meals together. The majority of those surveyed also say they are more likely to make healthier food choices when eating with other people. Though, it’s not always as easy as it
Sandra Miller Jones
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People often think of their greatest assets as material possessions like their home or car, and they know these things MUST be insured. Well our greatest asset is actually our health, so families need health insurance also. Now is the time to review your health insurance options. The Affordable Care Act (called Obamacare) offers comprehensive health insurance for people under 65 years old. For those over 65 or disabled, many Medicare Plans are available. Call us at 336-7597477 if you need help understanding your choices or getting your health insurance in place. SMSi-Urban Call Marketing, Inc Winston-Salem, NC 27103 E-Mail: SMSiPartners@smsi-net.com
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Urban Call
Medicare Options
For a digital copy of Urban Call visit: Issuu.com/ SMSiUrbanCallMarketing.com
PAGE 2 URBAN CALL — HEALTHY LIVING EVERY DAY!
SMSi Trusted Health Insurance Agent Partners Here is the team of experienced Agent Ambassadors who are available at no cost to help you get health insurance now and to be your agent year round. All team members are fully licensed by the state and certified by the federal government to provide expert assistance.
Constance Baker Harris (336) 965-4140 constance harris@live.com
Charlie Bethea (336) 414-0032 bfsinsureme@gmail. com
Alvin Borders (336) 987-1256 bordersalvin@yahoo. com
Yvette Canty 336-491-4552 ycanty62@gmail. com
Sandra Miller Jones (336) 414-0905 smjones@ smsi-net.com
Triad AHA Marketing & Communications
Natalie Nicholson (336) 624-3183 natnic25@gmail. com
Sharon Lyles (336) 422-0224 SharonKLylesBusiness @gmail.com
Debra Shore (336) 813-2049 shoreweb@ bellsouth.net
John Wall (704) 905-4451 jfwall50@ hotmail.com
Talaya Loyd (336) 734-9196 taloyd5@gmail.com
Chef N’Gai pivoted American Heart Association Triad’s traditional Mobile Teaching Kitchen efforts to address mass food relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, partnering with local organizations to cook and deliver meals to nearly 3,000 families each week with Out of the Garden Project, Homegrown Heroes, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, and Second Harvest Food Bank partnerships. Also pictured is Kandace Redd, formerly with WFMY News 2.
Healthy Living champions Actress and activist
The SMSi Companies Corporate Offices 51 E. Fourth St., Suite 1702 Winston Salem, N.C. 27101-4257 Office: (336) 759-7477 Fax: (336) 941-3547
SMSi & Urban Call Community Outreach Office Goler CDC Center 899 North Liberty Street Winston Salem, NC 27101 Office: (336) 759-7477
Issuu.com/Smsiurbancallmarketing.com SegmentedMarketing.org n
Angela Bassett
Coronavirus vaccine scientist
SMSi-Urban Call Marketing, Inc. President and CEO; Urban Call Publisher: Lafayette Jones Executive Editor: Alan Cronk Production Manager: Jodi S. Sarver Digital Services Director: Jimmy Davies, Every.Black
Video Production Manager: Chris Downey, Downey Digital, LLC Photographer/Videographer: Donevan Cherry, CherVeli Media Financial Services: Roslyn Hickman Warehouse, Collation & Shipping Manager: Vincent Harris
SMSi Healthy Living Solutions Inc. SMSi Founding Chair and CEO: Sandra Miller Jones National Project Manager: Constance Baker Harris National Logistics Manager: Camille Allen Director, Financial Services: Roslyn Hickman
Angela Bassett, who stars in the TV show “9-1-1” and in blockbuster movies “Black Panther” and “Mission: Impossible – Fallout. “Losing my mother, the person who encouraged me to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming an actress, was a wake-up call to start talking about the risk of heart disease.
Dr. Corbett
Agent Ambassadors: Charlie Bethea, Alvin Borders, Yvette Canty, Constance Baker Harris, Talaya Loyd, Sharon Lyles, Natalie Nicholson, Debra Shore, John Wall
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is saving the world as a leading force behind the COVID-19 vaccine. A North Carolina native and UNC graduate, she is the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) lead scientist for coronavirus vaccine research. She is part of a team that worked with the biotechnology company Moderna on its safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.
Chief medical advisor to U.S. president
SMSi Community of Networks Dr. Fauci
Dr. Anthony Stephen Fauci an American physician-scientist and immunologist serving as the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has served as one of the lead members the White House Coronavirus Task Force and its COVID-19 Response Team.
Jimmy Davies Founder, Every.Black
Cynthia Williams Brown, PhD, Triad AHA Board Chair
Every.Black Entrepreneur Podcast Network The Every.Black Entrepreneur Podcast Network is a small business owners coalition using decades of experience to educate and create wealth through entrepreneurship, technology and strategic global networking. The network regularly airs 19 shows weekly reaching thousands of listeners in 30 countries. A weekly podcast, The Healthy Entrepreneur, hosted by Tiffany Parker, interviewed Urban Call Publisher Lafayette Jones and Cynthia Williams Brown, PhD, Chair of the American Heart Association NC Triad Board, on COVID-19 and heart disease. Williams is also Chair Department: Health, P.E. and Sports Studies at Winston-Salem State University. Access the podcast at www. Entrepreneurship.Black.
URBAN CALL — HEALTHY LIVING EVERY DAY!
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Protect Your Health in the Winter Months It's instinctive to wear a coat when the temperatures drop, we strap on seatbelts when we get into a car, and we make sure we have working smoke alarms in our homes. A significant part of life is protecting against dangerous conditions. Forsyth County Public Health Director Joshua Swift says we should think the same way about our health as it relates to COVID-19 this fall and winter. He says you should have COVID-19 rapid tests on hand, getting the flu vaccine as soon as possible, and being up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccinations.
Test Kits
Having a test kit on hand is no different than your mother keeping one of the glass mercury thermometers in the medicine cabinet. Some testing kit options have the user fill a vile with saliva, wait up to 30-minutes and watch for lines on the indicator panel to see if there is a presence of COVID-19. The federal government’s free testing kit program has expired, however, drug stores like CVS and Walgreens have them as regularly stocked items, and you can order test kits through Amazon. The tests can be as inexpensive as $8. Swift says the at-home kit is an important tool in protecting your family and co-workers.
Flu shots are created each year based on the current strain of circulating influenza, their readily available and provide max protection within weeks. “Seniors, young children, and people with existing health challenges are strongly encouraged to get the flu vaccine. These three groups of people are where we see the highest concentration of poor outcomes with the flu,” said Swift. And don’t allow your fear of needles keep you away from the vaccine since there is a nasal spray available. Flu shots are available at medical service providers and pharmacies. It’s a small investment that can protect your health over the fall and winter months.
Getting the new booster
During a 14-day stretch in October, Forsyth County recorded 8 deaths and saw as many as 18 residents hospitalized. At the same time, the county reported having the lowest number of lab-confirmed cases in six months. Officials note that many people are testing at home and not seeking a lab verified test. Since vaccines became available, pharmaceutical companies have developed bivalent vaccines. These take into account the original strain of the virus as well as the highly contagious Omicron variant. They’re now available for anyone 5 and older as long as they’ve completed their primary vaccination series, and it’s been at least 2 months since their last COVID shot.
“An at-home testing kit comes in handy on the morning someone in your family isn’t feeling well and you’re trying to decide if you can push through or if you need to stay at home, out of work or school,” said Swift. You can receive a free COVID-19 test kit at the Forsyth County Public Library Branches. The kits are distributed during regular business hours of Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a limit of one test kit per adult while supplies last. You can find articles on the best testing kits by searching Google: “Best COVID-19 Test Kits”
Flu Shots
Influenza is one of the deadliest vaccine-preventable diseases in America. The CDC estimates that the annual flu death toll can reach up to 61,000 in America. Like COVID-19, the flu is a respiratory illness that spreads from person to person and can vary in severity from one person to the next. Common Flu Symptoms Fever or chills Fatigue Sore throat Runny or stuffy nose
Shortness of breath / difficulty breathing Headache Vomiting or diarrhea Muscle pain or body aches
serious illness from the virus.”
“The COVID-19 vaccine is still our best effort at protecting against
Health officials also add that residents with compromised immune systems should also consider other protection methods like wearing masks, avoiding large crowds, and being diligent about washing their hands. You can keep up with the latest information coming for the Forsyth County Department of Public Health by following them on Facebook @FCDPH andonline at forsyth.cc/publichealth.
PAGE 4 URBAN CALL — HEALTHY LIVING EVERY DAY!
Get $2,700 a year to help pay for essentials like eligible groceries, rent and utilities The Healthy Options allowance* can help you pay for the things you need to be your healthiest. These include rent or mortgage, utilities, bathroom safety devices, healthy food, over-the-counter health items and more. Each month, a Healthy Options allowance of $225 is loaded onto a prepaid card. Unspent money doesn’t roll over to the next month. To pay for purchases, just swipe it at the register at participating stores.
New for 2023—one card for plan allowances
The Healthy Options allowance will automatically be loaded to the new Humana Spending Account Card, so you only have one card to keep track of for allowances included in your plan.
Call a licensed Humana sales agent Winston-Salem Neighborhood Center 336-293-0122 (TTY: 711) 1045 Hanes Mall Blvd. Winston-Salem, NC 27103
Charlotte Neighborhood Center 980-262-6555 (TTY: 711) 9901 E. Independence Blvd., Unit B230 Matthews, NC 28105
Greensboro Neighborhood Center 336-547-2701 (TTY: 711) 1564A Highwoods Blvd. Greensboro, NC 27410
Asheville Neighborhood Center 828-772-3090 (TTY: 711) 1863 Hendersonville Rd., Suite 122 Asheville, NC 28803
A more human way [[HumTaglineCal]] to healthcare™ * Allowance amounts cannot be combined with other benefit allowances. Limitations and restrictions may apply. Humana is a Coordinated Care HMO SNP plan with a Medicare contract and a contract with the state Medicaid program. Enrollment in this Humana plan depends on contract renewal. Applicable to Humana Gold Plus SNP-DE H1036-168, H1036-167, and H6622-027 (HMO-POS D-SNP). At Humana, it is important you are treated fairly. Humana Inc. and its subsidiaries comply with applicable federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, ancestry, ethnicity, marital status, religion or language. English: ATTENTION: If you do not speak English, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call 1-877-320-1235 (TTY: 711). Español (Spanish): ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-877-320-1235 (TTY: 711). 繁體中文 (Chinese): 注意：如果您使用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務 。請致電 1-877-320-1235 （聽障專線：711）。 Y0040_GHHKRMLTE_23R_AD_M