Activate Buffalo County, Positive Pressure, and the Diabetes Referral Network are sporting new chairs as they dig into their work in 2015.
Focused on promoting active living and healthy eating, Activate Buffalo County is expanding its work to include employee wellness this year. Coalition member Sara Giboney is the coalition’s new chair, and she’ll be leading the charge in promoting wellness across the county.
Positive Pressure, a coalition focused on preventing substance abuse, has been expanding its efforts to include controlling the post-Cruise Nite partying, providing parents with additional resources for talking to their kids, and more. Two Rivers Public Health Department’s Wellness/Environmental Coordinator Heather Easton has stepped up to become chair of the coalition.
“Keeping kids and young adults safe is a personal passion of mine and I can help do that by being a part of Positive Pressure,” Heather said. “The coalition is dedicated to educating parents and young adults about the dangers of binge drinking, providing alcohol to minors, and Responsible Beverage Serving Classes, of which I am a trainer. Buffalo County is lucky to have such an engaged group of individuals that is working hard to keep its youth and events safe for everyone.”
While Positive Pressure and Activate Buffalo County have been around for several years, the Diabetes Referral Network is a new task force that has received a $32,000 contract from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to expand upon the development of the Central Nebraska Diabetes Referral Network for diabetes self-management and diabetes prevention programs for providers located in Buffalo County.
Joining the group as chair is the Kearney Family YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program Coordinator Laura Aden. “I was honored when the committee asked me to be the chair for the Diabetes Referral Network,” Laura said. “This group has a tremendous opportunity to greatly impact our community. It is so important to help health seekers get the information they need when given a diagnosis of prediabetes or diabetes.
“Additionally, healthcare Providers will be better informed of all the services that our area has to offer. Providing useful information is the main goal. As the YMCA’s diabetes prevention program coordinator, I understand how important early intervention can be in preventing Type 2 Diabetes. It is my hope that this new referral network can help make a big difference.”