AHN News | January 2020
Your monthly news & updates from AHN!
Happy New Year!
Cervical Health Awareness Month
It's Cervical Health Awareness month, more than 13,000 women in the United States get diagnosed with cervical cancer. This disease is preventable with yearly preventative testing!

What you need to know:
  • Be proactive on routine Pap-Test, will help detect early abnormalities.
  • If abnormal test results, follow up with your doctor for any further treatment or testing.
  • Get vaccinated to prevent many forms of HPV that may lead to cervical cancer.
The Women’s Health Connection (WHC) program administered by Access to Healthcare Network provides cervical cancer screenings and diagnostic services to low-income women who are uninsured or underinsured (cannot afford the cost of care).
Mark Your Calendars!
FREE Dental Services for Children!

The 10th annual Give Kids A Smile® event is a one-day event providing FREE dental services to at-risk and uninsured children on a first-come-first-served basis.

Mark your calendars for February, 1st, 2020!
The Mammovan is coming to AHN's office!

The Nevada Health Centers Mammovan is touring southern Nevada NOW! The Mammovan will be making a visit to our Reno office located at the Reno Town Mall on Monday, February 3rd, 2020. To schedule an appointment or for more information call 1.877.581.6266
Access to Health Podcast
Hosted by Sherri Rice, CEO
Listen to our latest Access to Health podcasts! Each week, AHN's CEO, Sherri Rice, chats with a local healthcare leader on topics that matter to you. Episodes can be found at accesstohealthcare.org/podcast or by searching "Access to Health" on Apple Podcasts.
Access Medical - 6 Month Special Happening Now!

Access Medical is now offering a 6 month special for new and existing members. Members and new clients can pay for 5 months and get 1 month of an Access Medical membership FREE.

If you or someone you know needs access to healthcare services at an affordable price, click below to learn more.
New Year. Healthy You.
For many of us, the new year marks the start of a new healthy lifestyle. If you’re looking to improve your eating habits this year, our Registered Dietitians have recommended starting small and setting measurable achievable goals. Rather than cutting off your favorite foods, find ways to incorporate more nutrient-dense foods into your daily meals.

For instance, try adding an extra serving of vegetables to one of your meals for an extra dose of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. This simple act can help set the stage for additional changes and start you down the path toward achieving your health and weight loss goals.

Not sure where to start? Our dietitians have a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing…

  • Skip the drive-through and make veggie-packed freezer-friendly Breakfast Sandwiches. Click Here.
  • Prepare a batch of Roasted Vegetables over the weekend and use them on everything from salads to casseroles. Click Here.
  • Put a plant-based spin on your favorite comfort foods with this vegetarian Eggplant Parmesan. Click Here.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP)

If you already have a Medicare Advantage (MA) Plan, the MA OEP is from January – March 31. It gives you a chance to switch back to Original Medicare or change to a different MA Plan depending on which coverage works better for you. For more information on the MA OEP contact your SHIP office 1-844-826-2085. 

SHIP pr ovides free, unbiased Medicare information and counseling to northern Nevadans.
Meet Our Team - Alex Martinez, HR Director
Meet our Human Resource Director, Alex Martinez. He recently joined our AHN team with 15 years of extraordinary HR experience. During that time, he has also served time working at the 2nd Judicial District Court, helping members of our community prepare and file family-related court documents during hard times. His compassion for people grew and like our AHN staff, Alex is passionate about helping members of our community, and his employees.

He enjoys being an advocate for his employees and is honored to work for an organization with awesome work culture!
National Healthcare News
Cancer Mortality Rate Has Biggest Drop Ever
According to a study by the American Cancer society, the cancer death rate in the U.S. dropped 2.2 percent from 2016 to 2017, the largest single-year drop ever recorded. The drop is largely driven by progress against lung cancer, though the most rapid declines in the report occurred in melanoma as well. In addition to falling smoking rates impacting lung cancer, advances in treatment played a significant role in helping to improve survival rates in the two cancers. Despite the progress, cancer remains the second-leading cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease. And declines in colorectal, breast and prostate cancer deaths have slowed
Flu Could Be Worst in a Decade
According to the latest reports from the Centers for Disease Control, this year’s flu may be particularly bad as this year’s flu vaccine may not be particularly effective against the strain of the virus now widespread in the United States – the Influenza B Virus. Typically, influenza B viruses, which is most common in children, circulate during the spring, near the end of influenza season however, in the current 2019–20 season, it is the predominant strain infecting patients. And while deaths and increase of infections has not happened yet, infections did begin earlier. By late November, the flu had hit hard in the deep South, from Texas to Georgia. Experts insist it is not too late to get a flu shot. For more from the CDC, click here, and for a more in depth look,
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