Editor,

I am a nursing student perusing my bachelors in nursing, and I have been doing a lot of research toward the Health People 2010 Objectives. Healthy People 2010 provides a framework for prevention for the Nation; it is a statement of national health objectives designed to identify the most significant preventable threats to health and to establish national goals to reduce these threats (Healthy People 2010).

While researching, I found that the biggest killer among women is heart disease, and West Virginia is one of the worst states in the nation for heart disease. Having said this, Logan County does not do much to help make this fact better. As you drive through the county, there are not many places in the outlying areas for exercise. There are three gyms in the Logan County area, but if a person does not have a car, then there is no way to get to the gyms. There is a track at the high school and in the park, but again, if there is no car then there is no way to get there.

Another thing that was difficult to find was any form of meeting about public health, or things to do to improve the health of the community. A lot of people in the community are not aware of easy steps that could help decrease the risk for heart disease, and meetings could help this. Some easy steps to complete would be blood pressure screenings, cholesterol checks, and smoking cessation programs. The health department could do these, and some services are done there. It’s the people in the outlying areas that cannot take advantage of these services. There is the Harts Health Fair for that area, and many different types of screening are offered here. Logan Regional Medical Center sets up a booth at the Logan County Arts and Crafts Fair, but these things are only two times a year. They also do not reach the outlying areas.

Some things that could be done to help improve awareness would be to set up community meetings in outlying areas, have the hospital offer blood pressure screenings at local stores and offer free smoking cessation information at area gas stations and grocery stores. These are just some things that could be done to help improve the high rate of heart disease.

Sincerely yours,

Morgan Boone

Pecks Mill