Health Report Card

~Find out how Southeast Missouri stacks up when it comes to disease, fitness

Deidra King (R), 16, of Cape Girardeau had her blood pressure checked by Registered Nurse Nina Marshall as part of sports physical during a visit to the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center Monday, April 7, 2003. (DON FRAZIER * dfrazier@semissourian.com)

What's most likely to kill you in Southeast Missouri?

Heart disease and stroke.

The mortality rate for those diseases here is higher than the state average; a statistic that prompts the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Department to put them at the top of the priority list.

Southeast Missouri's health concerns and those of the state are parallel in many ways, says Jane Wernsman, the assistant director for the health department and a registered nurse. There are, however, also some significant divergences.

Wernsman points to the biannual Community Health Assessment Survey that helps her organization focus on the area's health trends and decide what actions to take in response.

The last survey, completed in 2005, showed that the region's leading causes of mortality are heart disease and stroke.

ASTHMA

Childhood asthma was also identified by the survey as a main concern. Over the last five years, the department has been part a coalition of other agencies, local hospitals, and Southeast Missouri State University. Members of the coalition share the goal of not only diagnosing childhood asthma but assessing the child's environment for contributing factors.

Recently, the health department was able to send several public health nurses and one environmental public health specialist to the Eastern Missouri American Lung Association's Asthma Certification course thanks to a grant from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The course strengthens their ability to provide follow up on school age children with asthma or asthma related health problems upon referrals from physicians, families, school nurses, or hospitals.

DENTAL CARE

The lack of access to dental care faced by Medicaid and low income populations is the final primary issue identified by the local health department. No private practice dentists in Cape Girardeau County accepts Medicaid. This results in fewer and fewer preventive dental check-ups, often causing more costly care later. A now forming coalition, similar to the one dealing with childhood asthma, is committed to finding a way to provide basic dental screenings to these populations.

OTHER CONCERNS

While the above are central concerns, many others are being closely watched. For example, childhood obesity is both a national concern and a regional one. Also, the area is higher than the national average for men and women over 50 who do not have blood stool testing or colonoscopies. Nearly 22 percent of the area's women have never had a mammogram, which should occur every one to two years for women over age 40. Finally, access to transportation continues to be a barrier to receiving health care for many in the area.

Yet, the survey presented some good news as well. Births to teens, which Wernsman says is "an issue we look at every year," has decreased. The public clinic immunization rate, at 91 percent, is well above the state average of 79 percent. Cape Girardeau County far exceeds the state average for adequate prenatal care.

In terms of staying in good health, Wernsman says not to underestimate the importance of preventive care, especially well child check ups. While income can restrict the opportunity for this care, if it is available then it should be a priority. Keeping children's immunizations current is also, according to Wernsman, incredibly important to wellness.

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