HIV Testing day. June 27. Annual health awareness concept for banner, poster, card and background design.
On June 27 each year, we observe National HIV Testing Day, a day to emphasize and encourage HIV testing in our communities.
The theme for this year’s NHTD is “Take The Test and Take the Next Step.” Get tested to check your status and be in the know. From there, you can take steps to be good to go. Find the HIV testing option that works best for you via your Healthy Connections provider.
HIV FAQ
What is HIV? HIV is a virus that attacks the human immune system. There is no cure for HIV. Unlike some other viruses, such as the common cold, HIV cannot be cleared from the body. However, there are treatments available. Talk to your Healthy Connections provider and see below for more information.
What is the difference between HIV and AIDS? Being HIV positive is not the same as having AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV is a virus that kills CD4 T-cells in the body. Over time, if so many CD4 T-cells are killed that the body has a reduced ability to fight infection, HIV can advance to AIDS.
How is HIV transmitted? HIV is transmitted through contact with certain body fluids, such as semen, vaginal or anal fluids, breast milk, and blood. Contact with these body fluids can occur during unprotected sex or when sharing needles or other items with body fluids on them. Mothers can pass the HIV virus to their babies during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. You CAN NOT transmit HIV through contact with sweat, tears, saliva, bath or pool water, or by sharing dishes or drinking glasses, hugging or shaking hands.
Do you have HIV? In 2019, an estimated 1 in 8 people living with HIV in the United States did not know they had it. Everyone ages 13 through 64 should get tested for HIV at least once in their lifetime. Even if you are in a monogamous relationship, you should find out for sure whether you or your partner has HIV. Healthy Connections offers HIV and STD testing and treatment. Call 888-710-8220 for appointments or learn more at https://healthy-connections.org/stdhiv.
How can I lower my risk? PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis) can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body. It is highly effective for preventing HIV if used as prescribed. Daily PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90 percent. Among people who inject drugs, it reduces the risk by more than 70 percent. The risk of getting HIV from sex can even be lower if you combine PrEP with condoms and other prevention methods. Call 888-710-8220 for appointments or learn more about PrEP by visiting https://healthy-connections.org/prep.
Congratulations to our Healthy Connections Shining STAR Employees of the Month for May:
(DRUMROLL)
WEST: megan neer
EAST: ashley steadham
Each month across the Healthy Connections Community Health Network, exemplary employees are nominated for this award for representing our Three Pillars: Excellence, Compassion, and Community. These pillars are considered heavily when choosing winners.
As winners of this Shining STAR award, Megan and Ashley are winners of a $50 gift card to the HC Hub Company Store.
Megan is a previous winner of this award. She is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Mena and works with Centralized Scheduling to answer nurse-related questions from patients. She has been with Healthy Connections since 2021. Ashley is the lead Patient Care Coordinator (PCC) at the Malvern Pinnacle clinic. She joined Healthy Connections when the clinic came on board earlier this year.
- “Megan is simply the best. You can always count on her to get done what she says she will, and you can 100 percent guarantee if she misses your phone call she will call you back, and I am saying this as a patient and coworker. She is excellent with patients. There are too many great things to say. She is kind, hard-working, prompt, and consistent. Healthy Connections is truly privileged to have her on our team.”
- “Ashley is a Patient Care Coordinator at our location and never ceases to go above and beyond for our patients and staff. She is so kind and has a true passion for what she does. Our patients and staff adore her very much.”
Congratulations to both Megan and Ashley.
Thanks again this month to everyone who nominated an employee. There were a lot of great nominations. Do you know who should be our next employees to be recognized? You can nominate them by visiting https://www.healthy-connections.org/nominate.
Healthy Connections’ Sarah Thomas and Ann Calandro participated in the 2023 Go Red For Women Health Expo and Luncheon on May 10 in Benton.
Ann Calandro, Director of Pharmacy Services, and Sarah Thomas, Community Relations Specialist, at the Go Red For Women event.
This year’s theme was “Be the Beat For Someone You Love.”
The event spotlights the fight against heart disease and stroke and celebrates the passion and power of women in their fight against these silent and deadly diseases. More than 44 percent of women ages 20 and over are living with some form of cardiovascular disease which remains the leading cause of death in women.
Thomas is part of the 2023 Circle of Red, which makes commitments annually to support the Go Red For Women movement and serve as an ambassador for the cause.
The American Heart Association is committed to advancing its mission to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Together, we can encourage women to make life-saving lifestyle choices and learn how their family history plays a role in their ongoing health. Education and action can save mothers, best friends, and sisters everywhere. For more information on becoming a Circle of Red member, contact carmen.parks@heart.org.
Congratulations to our Healthy Connections Shining STAR Employees of the Month for April:
(DRUMROLL)
WEST: LISA SQUIER
EAST: KENDALL BAILEY
Each month across the Healthy Connections Community Health Network, exemplary employees are nominated for this award for representing our Three Pillars: Excellence, Compassion, and Community. These pillars are considered heavily when choosing winners.
As winners of this Shining STAR award, Lisa and Kendall are winners of a $50 gift card to the HC Hub Company Store.
Lisa is an inventory assistant who works remotely for Healthy Connections. She rejoined the organization in 2022. Kendall is a Medical Assistant at the Malvern Pinnacle Clinic. She joined Healthy Connections in 2023 when the Pinnacle clinic joined our Community Health Network. In their nominations, this is some of what their co-workers said about them:
- “Since I started working here, I am always trying to locate receipts and Purchase Orders. Lisa has made my job significantly easier. The way she organizes the files, I no longer have to reach out to her. She has them so organized and easy to find that there are no longer hours of searching for receipts. When I send her an email, she replies within the same time I am working on it. She is just awesome.”
- “Kendall is hard-working and eager to learn new things. She is very sweet and shows compassion to our patients, some of whom we have had for 20 years. She takes her time and goes above and beyond to resolve any issues that may arise.”
Congratulations to both Lisa and Kendall.
Thanks again this month to everyone who nominated an employee. There were a lot of great nominations. Do you know who should be our next employees to be recognized? You can nominate them by visiting https://www.healthy-connections.org/nominate.
Thanks to everyone who came out for our Healthy Connections 2023 Community Easter Egg Hunt at our Mena clinic on Fiday, April 7.
The 2023 event was a huge success with double the eggs and double the fun.. Thanks to our Healthy Connections co-workers who put together and staffed the event. Thanks to community businesses who donated the many prizes we were able to give away. Thanks to Arvest Bank for providing and cooking the food. And thanks to KENA for brroadcasting live.
We were also able to promote and give Covid-19 vaccines and boosters to anyone who wanted one.
Healthy Connections was founded in Mena 25 years ago and continues to call Polk County home.
Check out the photos from the event on our Facebook page.
Congratulations to our Healthy Connections Shining STAR Employees of the Month for March:
(DRUMROLL)
WEST: DEVIN GAGE
EAST: KIM BROWN
Each month across the Healthy Connections Community Health Network, exemplary employees are nominated for this award for representing our Three Pillars: Excellence, Compassion, and Community. These pillars are considered heavily when choosing winners.
As winners of this Shining STAR award, Devin and Kim are winners of a $50 gift card to the HC Hub Company Store.
Devin is a Registered Nurse at the Mena clinic. He joined Healthy Connections in 2019. Kim is a Patient Care Coordinator at the Little Rock Midtown clinic. She joined Healthy Connections in 2022. In their nominations, this is some of what their co-workers said about them:
- “Devin is great with the patients. He also is wonderful at training others. He has a lot of patience.”
- “Kim is kindhearted, calm, and respectful. When patients come in or even call, she does anything she can to help them the best she can.”
- “Devin is very helpful and patient. He ensures that the patients are taken care of. He takes the time to speak to them and answer all the questions that they ask.”
- “When it comes to helping patients Kim goes above and beyond. She takes her time and will not end a call until the issue has been resolved. She shows care with dealing with the patients and is very empathetic to their situations.”
Congratulations to both Devin and Kim.
Thanks again this month to everyone who nominated an employee. There were a lot of great nominations. Do you know who should be our next employees to be recognized? You can nominate them by visiting https://www.healthy-connections.org/nominate.
