Congratulations to the newest members of Live Well Allegheny! This month we welcome a new community, a school, and three new workplaces: Baldwin Township, South Allegheny School District, Oncology Nursing Society, For Good PGH, and Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC).

April serves as the month for several awareness campaigns, including Alcohol Awareness, Distracted Driving and National Minority Health Month. This year, the theme for National Minority Health Month is Active & Healthy, which promotes physical activity as an important step to a healthier life. An active and healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. According to the 2nd edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans released last year, adults need at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week with muscle-strengthening activities two or more days a week. Looking for ways to promote National Minority Health Month? Visit www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov for more information and resources.

Do you have an event coming up? Please let us know so we can add it to the Live Well Allegheny event calendar. Contact Marie Fontelo (Marie.Fontelo@AlleghenyCounty.US) with details. And don’t forget to check the partner resources page of the web site for additional resources.

Like and follow the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) on Facebook to stay up-to-date on all ACHD news.

Karen Hacker, MD, MPH
Director, Allegheny County Health Department

Are you working with kids who may be at risk of concussions? Contact our Live Well Allegheny staff about Concussion Wise Live Education program! Concussion Wise Live is an in-person education program that covers the four critical phases of concussion management: Prevention, Preparation, Response, and Recovery/Return to Play. Our Live Well Allegheny staff is trained to present this training to coaches and parents.

For more information contact Marie Fontelo at Marie.Fontelo@AlleghenyCounty.US.

Lawrenceville Family Health Center is hosting weekly “Walk & Talk with the Doc” sessions! The walking sessions, aimed at engaging community members and patients in their own health, provides an opportunity for residents to take a stroll with a doctor. The walks, held every Monday at 5:30 p.m., involve a brief presentation on a health topic followed by a 30-minute walk around Lawrenceville with a primary care doctor. All ages and activity levels are welcome. Questions? Please contact Brenna Cockburn at (412) 784-7609 or cockburnb@upmc.edu.

Attention all food service directors, educators, and farmers mark your calendars for the Regional School Food Summit being held on April 10^th. Gain information and share your experiences about local purchasing, school gardens, meal alternatives, and nutrition education. The event will be held from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Chatham University, Eden Hall campus in Gibsonia. For more information and to register, please visit: www.pittsburghfoodpolicy.org.

The fourth annual Refugee and Immigrant Health and Wellness Fair is April 13^th. The free event will feature resources from over 30 organizations, health screenings, foods from all over the world, and children’s activities. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, please visit: www.facebook.com/events.

Did you know Black Maternal Health Week is April 11-17? Celebrate the week with two great events: Black Maternal Health Mixer and Death by Delivery: Film Viewing. Celebrate black maternal health and learn about the work being done to advance health and equity for black moms in Pittsburgh. Both events are free, and childcare is available. To register, please visit: www.eventbrite.com.

Register today for Pennsylvania’s only regional breastfeeding summit! Join Healthy Start May 6-7 for BreastFED: Cultural Humility, Clinical Interventions and Community-Based Supports. BreastFED is a two-day regional symposium aimed at providing information from professionals and community experts on innovative approaches to address the needs of mothers and lactation practitioners in this region. CEU’s for lactation, nursing, social work, and midwifery are available. For more information and to register, please visit: www.healthystartpittsburgh.org/symposium.

Mark your calendars for the Third Annual Pennsylvania LGBTQA Health Conference being held June 18-19. This year’s skill-based conference will focus on addressing tobacco and behavioral health disparities through the lens of trauma-informed care and resiliency. Registration is open. For more information, please visit: www.eventbrite.com.

Did you know, April is Alcohol Awareness Month? Drinking too much alcohol increases your risk of injuries, violence, drowning, liver disease, and some types of cancer. Fortunately, we can all take steps to prevent alcohol misuse and abuse. If you are drinking too much, you can improve your health by cutting back or quitting. Some strategies to help you cut back, include keeping track of how much you drink, avoiding places where people drink a lot, and limiting the amount of alcohol you keep at home. This April, we encourage you to educate yourself and others about the dangers of excessive drinking. Use the toolkit below for more information and resources.

April is Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Awareness Month. Did you know, half of all new STDs are in people under age 25? Testing is an important step in preventing the spread of STDs. This month, get yourself tested and protect your health. ACHD’s Public Health Clinic offers free and confidential STD/HIV testing. The clinic is in the Hill District at 1908 Wylie Avenue and is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., and Wednesday from 12 p.m. — 7:30 p.m. Call 412-578-8081 or visit www.achd.net/std for more information. Looking for ways to spread the word about STD Awareness Month? Visit www.cdc.gov/std for more resources and information.

This is the latest Live Well Allegheny e-update. Please find a variety of information that will be helpful to you in your efforts and can also be shared within your own networks. As always, you can find a great deal of information on our website at: www.livewellallegheny.com including partner resources which are available here.

We now have 63 municipalities, 48 restaurants, 31 workplaces and 17 school districts united in our efforts!