Tobacco Coalition

Learn How To Stop Smoking, Quit for Good - Tobacco Cessation Class, Free and Open to the Public, coming soon, at MVHI Office, 1192 Route 4, Canaan.

The Mascoma Valley Tobacco Coalition works to prevent youth from starting to use tobacco, prevent exposure to secondhand smoke, and help those who want to quit using tobacco. We promote cessation workshops with Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital and Dartmouth Medical School, and the NH Quitline, at 1-800-TRY-TO-STOP; a great resource for smokers who want to quit! We also participate in regional media campaigns and educational interventions with the Upper Valley Tobacco Coalition, facilitated by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

In November, the Mascoma Valley Tobacco Coalition partnered with the Tobacco Free Coalition of the Upper Valley to sponsor a poster contest for 4^th through 12^th graders in the area. Over 100 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th graders from the Enfield Village, Canaan Elementary and Indian River schools submitted anti-tobacco posters that highlighted why you shouldn’t use tobacco, or else made fun of the deceptive tobacco ads we see in magazines. The top two poster artists from each school received a gift card to Border's. A 4^th grade student from EVS won the grand prize -- $50 in cash! These top posters will be submitted to the Tobacco Free Coalition of the Upper Valley to make larger posters or calendars. Thank you to all students who worked hard on their posters!

Dental Program

The Mascoma Valley Health Initiative and Alice Peck Day Hospital have created a school-based dental program to provide dental services to elementary school students grades K to 3 in the Mascoma Valley and Lebanon school districts.

Suicide Prevention

Suicide and depression are major issues for many of our area youth. MVHI has been selected to be the pilot site for the Frameworks Youth Suicide Prevention Project. We will coordinate training of police, school officials and community youth leaders to identify children at risk, and to respond effectively to suicide events or threats.

Access to Health Care

The Mascoma Valley Health Initiative (MVHI) is currently funded by the Endowment for Health to identify solutions to the problems residents of this area have accessing health care. MVHI has developed a plan for reducing geographic barriers to care, and making it easier for people here to get the care they need. Download our Report on Regional Transportation Needs, and think about how you can help solve the problems that it discusses.

In order to understand and document the scope and level of need for primary health care services in the community, MVHI gathered information from the 2003 Community Needs Assessment, conducted interviews with community focus groups and health care providers, and compiled internet research. This research showed that the main barriers to accessing health care are availability, convenience, awareness and social stigma. It is published in the MVHI Report on Primary Care Needs

Good Neighbor Clinic in Canaan

The Good Neighbor Satellite Health Clinic in Canaan provides free medical care to low-income uninsured residents. Space is being provided by the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Mascoma Pediatric Clinic in downtown Canaan. The clinic is open on the 1^st and 3^rd Monday of each month, from 6:00 to 10:00 pm.

Call ahead for an appointment, toll-free at 1 877 552-4815.

Emergency Preparedness

MVHI facilitates the All Health Hazards Region 4 planning team along with Lebanon Fire Chief Chris Christopoulos. Region 4 covers 13 towns: Canaan, Cornish, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, Grantham, Hanover, Lebanon, Lyme, Orange, Orford, Piermont, and Plainfield. The planning team consists of representatives from fire, police, Emergency Medical Services, hospitals, Visiting Nurses Association, service organizations, town administrators, health officers, and school officials.

Pandemic Planning Update IV provides a review of the current status of pandemic influenza planning efforts in five key areas:

• monitoring and surveillance,
• vaccines,
• antiviral medications, state and local preparedness, and
• communications.

This update covers such topics as community mitigation guidance; progress on antiviral stockpiling; advances in vaccine research, development and stockpiling; our Pandemic Flu Leadership Forum and blog; and our "Know What To Do About Pandemic Flu" public service announcements.

You can read the full set of update documents at http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/panflureport4.html."

Do your part in preparing for an emergency. It's the smart thing to do. Prepare an emergency supply kit for yourself and your family. Here's what to include in it: Emergency Supplies