PRESORTEDSTANDARD

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PAIDPITTSBURGH, PAPERMIT NO. 3004

Gateway to Better Health9370 McKnight RoadSuite 300Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Spring/Summer 2017Spring/Summer 2018

PAGE 2Alive & Well STL:Moving FromMind-Fullto Mindful

PAGE 2Take 5:Do A WordSearch!

PAGE 3Things to Bring to a Doctor’s Appointment:How to be preparedfor your next visit

PAGE 3Member Orientation:Learn how to use your Gateway to Better Health benefits.

Did You Know?Since Gateway to Better Health started in 2012, did you know that it has provided:

Access to coverage for more than 58,100 otherwise uninsured St. Louis area residents

More than 232,000primary care anddental visits

More than1,000,000 medications to manage chronic conditions andother diseases

Nearly44,000specialtycarevisits

More than240,000diagnostic tests,procedures andother services

More than25,000urgentcare visits

INSI

DEHere’s to many more patients getting access to much-needed health care services in 2018!

Mindfulness TipsA Reader’s Digest article suggested these tips to practice mindfulness:• Do one thing at a time: Multi-tasking

can be overwhelming; focus on one thing at a time. When you’re eating, just eat. When you’re walking, just walk.

• Spend at least five minutes a day doing nothing: Sit in silence. Focus on your breathing. Notice the world around you. Become comfortable with silence and stillness.

• Schedule time for yourself: Scheduling something means that it’s important. You also say to yourself that you value your own well-being enough to take time during the day for yourself.

• Be purposeful in your interactions with others: When talking with someone, instead of thinking about what to say next or what you need to do in the future, focus on being present, on really listening, on really enjoying your time with that person.

Alive & Well STL:Moving From Mind-Full to MindfulIt feels like everywhere we turn today we are faced with the realities of trauma. Violence and unrest in our community, terrifying attacks throughout our country, and natural disasters affecting individuals all across the world fill our news programs, social media feeds, and too often, our minds. The problem is that in addition to trying to take in these tragedies outside of our own lives, we are also coping with the stress and trauma inside our lives.

When we get “mind-full,” of this stress, trauma, and negativity, we see and feel the impact on our lives. Sometimes it feels like racing thoughts. Sometimes it feels like it all is it too overwhelming and we find ourselves having trouble getting out of bed or enjoying the things we used to enjoy. Often, we even feel it in our bodies and find that our hearts seem to be beating faster or our legs feel heavier than they used to.

Sometimes, one of the best things we can do to address those “mind-full” moments is to be mindful. At its core, being mindful is about helping to bring our awareness, without judgment, to the present moment — away from the heaviness of the past or our worries about the future. The best way to learn how to be mindful is to practice. One way to practice is simply to focus on your breathing. You can do something called “Five Breathing.” During this, you breathe in as you count to five, hold that breath for five counts, breathe out for five counts, and then repeat four more times. As simple as this sounds, you may find that when you try to focus on your breath and nothing else, you are able to clear your head, even if it’s just for a few moments. Sometimes it feels like racing thoughts.

Another mindfulness activity that may work is what’s called “grounding.” Grounding works for some because you can do it anywhere, anytime. To start, try to get as comfortable as you can wherever you are. Then try to notice where your body is making contact with something, like your legs on the chair or your feet on the ground. Then you try to just notice the sensation of that as closely as you can. You watch your breathing to try to keep it calm and relaxed as you move your attention throughout your body.

These exercises are simple and can be done in less than 5 minutes, but the science behind them is clear. Learning to go from “mind-full” to mindful can reduce our body’s response to stress, improve our focus, and even improve our overall health and well-being. If you want to learn more about the impact of stress on our health and what you can do to help make our community more alive and well, visit www.aliveandwellstl.com.

Take 5: Do A Word Search!N B T M C E H T A E R B S L X W G R N L J O V H F E U I T A N T M X E Q V C I J C S A V L I U R E H S W P C O T S Z G E H X D A D Q E A F E O R G T R D A A K N I X R N R W D J H A Z H U D C U T I P X A A V L I P A U S E R N A B J D W D P P H K Z A P G A P T B Z A L V C S Y R V A R K X F I C R Q B N I Q B S G T M P J E O E C C F M I N D F U L N E S S N D B B Y X Y C F N H T C K J E U O L Y C A J P C C A G O T S I T F Q F U F P X G F N M P S G N N

AWARENESS BREATHEFOCUS

LISTENING MEDITATION MINDFULNESS

PAUSE PRESENT RELAX

Things to Bring to aDoctor’s AppointmentIt is important to be as prepared as possible when going to see your doctor. Having the things you need will make the appointment go more quickly and will help your doctor give you the

best care possible. The next time yougo to the doctor, bring these items:

• Gateway to Better Health card (Below)

• Photo ID

• Medication list or bottles of medications If you bring a list, write down how much you take, how often you take it, and why you take it.

• Medical history Include a list of diagnoses

(ex: diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.) and any doctors you have seen or are seeing now.

• List of questions for the doctor It is easy to get overwhelmed during the appointment and forget what you wanted to ask.

Make

the most

of your

appointment!

Gateway to Better Health Open EnrollmentDo you know someone that needs health coverage and may be interested in the Gateway to Better Health program?If so, please have them apply!

Gateway to Better Health is available to 19-64 year old adults who:• Live in St. Louis city or county• Have no other health insurance• Are not eligible for MO HealthNet (Medicaid) or Medicare• Have income at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level ($12,140 for an individual and $25,100 for a family of four)

To apply, individuals should visit one of our five primary care homes: • Affinia Healthcare• Myrtle-Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers• Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers• Family Care Health Center• St. Louis County Department of Public Health.

To learn more, please call theGateway to Better Health CallCenter at 1.888.513.1417.

TheFunnyBone

Voice of the CustomerWe’re trying to learn and grow as a program, and we want to hear what you have to say. If you’d like to share your GBH experience, please call or email Rosetta Keeton at 314-446-6454 or rkeeton@stlrhc.org.

Member OrientationsIf you are anew Gateway to Better Health member, or if you would like

more information about how to use your Gateway to Better Health coverage, please come to one of our scheduled member orientation sessions. To learn more, or to register for any of these sessions, please call the Gateway to Better Health Call Center at 1.888.513.1417.