Preventive Health

Evonnia Woods is the Senior Outreach Producer for Reproaction, an advocacy organization focusing on reproductive justice.

In Missouri, Black women are “four times more likely to die within one year of pregnancy than white women,” according to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services.

She spoke about the way that intersectional issues – like transportation, poverty and racism – can contribute to Black maternal and infant mortality.

This piece was reported and produced by Rachel Schnelle.

Mary Beth Miller is the lab director and principal investigator for the Health Intervention and Treatment Research Lab, or HIT Lab where she studies the relationship between alcohol and sleep.

She spoke about how drinking alcohol can impact the quality of sleep people get each night and how it may even be the reason you are waking up.

This piece was reported and produced by Abigail Ruhman.

Kennedi Barker is a public health nurse for Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services.

We spoke a few weeks ago during a mobile outreach vaccine clinic that she was working about how the more than 17 months of the pandemic – and working with Columbians from all walks of life – has impacted her.

Amanda Hedgpeth is the vice president of hospital operations for the CoxHealth Hospital System based in Springfield, as well as their assistant commander for COVID-19 response.

She spoke about the current COVID-19 surge in Southwest Missouri, and about her concerns for her staff and community – as well as the rest of the state – if vaccination rates remain low and case numbers continue to rise.

Andrew Pham and Alice Yu are both members of the Mizzou Asian American Association.

They spoke about the challenges of rallying a historically disconnected Asian American community in the aftermath of recent hate crimes – and about how their generation might be the ones to overcome those challenges.

This piece was reported and produced by Hannah France.

Steve Hollis and Darren Morton work closely together combating the issue of homelessness in Columbia. Hollis is the Human Services Manager of Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services, and Morton is the Director of Turning Point, an organization that works with people experiencing homelessness.

They spoke about breaking the stigmas surrounding unhoused people, and about how important it is for the entire community to understand how difficult it can be to “pull yourself up” when there are no more bootstraps.

This piece was reported and produced by Becca Newton.

Jordan Richards and Tracy Davis are both Board Members at The Center Project, an LGBTQ+ resource and community center for Mid-Missouri.

They spoke about some of the barriers transgender Missourians face when they need to go to the doctor – for gender-affirming health care or even for a simple checkup.

This piece was reported and produced by Hannah France.

Rev. Kirk Perucca is the Pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church, a multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-economic congregation in Kansas City.

He spoke with KBIA’s Levi Moltz-Hohmann about how his church has remained a resource for his community throughout the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic – and about how faith and health overlap.

This piece was reported and produced by Levi Moltz-Hohmann.

Steve Hollis and Darren Morton work closely together combating the issue of homelessness in Columbia. Hollis is the Human Services Manager of Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services and Morton is the Director of Turning Point, an organization that works with people experiencing homelessness.

They spoke about some of the barriers that Columbia’s unsheltered population faces when it comes to their mental health, and how it can affect their ability to access sufficient housing.

This piece was reported and produced by Becca Newton.

Laurie Hines and Ted Glasgow have been together for many years. Laurie is a living kidney donor and the director of the Missouri Kidney Program. Ted is an accomplished bodybuilder and an immunocompromised kidney transplant recipient, which makes COVID-19 an even larger threat.

They spoke about their decision to receive the coronavirus vaccine, and about how receiving their first doses has and hasn’t impacted their daily lives.

Liz Ellison is an RN and critical care nurse at a local hospital in Columbia. She spoke about what it’s like for her – personally – as she prepares to receive the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

She received the first dose of the vaccine last Thursday afternoon – just hours after our conversation.

Carlos Wade is an inmate at the Southeast Correctional Center in the Bootheel, and is currently working in the facility’s medical unit to keep things sanitized and, ideally, help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Southeast Correctional Center recently had an outbreak of COVID-19 cases – where 47 inmates and 20 staff members tested positive, so Carlos called me to talk about what life is like in prison during the ongoing pandemic and about some of his concerns.

According to the Department of Corrections, since the initial sentinel, or facility-wide testing was done, all but one inmate and three staff members have recovered from COVID-19.

Verna Laboy is a health educator for Columbia/Boone County Public Health & Human Services, and runs the Live Well by Faith program, a community-based health program that targets chronic health conditions through black churches.

The program supports health ministries at 17 black churches in the area by providing health programming, training and resources for people in the congregation, and leaders within each church help run programming and do data collection.

She spoke with Dee Campbell-Carter, a lifestyle coach for the program, about just a few of the ways the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is impacting the black community here in Columbia – and how they’re supporting one another.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have been playing a larger-than-ever role in response to the crisis.

So, Dr. Mary Beck, the Chief Nursing Officer for University of Missouri Health Care and a professor at MU’s Sinclair School of Nursing, spoke about some of the ways nurses have been trained and are continuing to get prepared for a potential COVID-19 surge.

This is an excerpt from KBIA’s daily talk show, the Check-In with Janet Saidi, on Wednesday, April 15. You can hear the full show – here.

Catrina Huskey and Amanda Fitzwater both work at the Butler County Health Department in Poplar Bluff. Catrina is an HIV case manager and Amanda is a prevention specialist.

They spoke about some of the stigma around HIV that continues to exist in their community and about how that, sometimes, impacts access to medical care.

Derek Landes and Cale Mitchell both work at Spectrum Health Care here in Columbia. Derek is a prevention educator and health services coordinator and Cale is the executive director.

They spoke about antibiotic resistant STIs and what simple steps people can take to keep themselves and their partners safe. These STIs have not been found in Missouri, but have been seen in some areas around the United States.

This piece was reported and produced by Veronica Mohesky.

Derek Landes and Cale Mitchell both work at Spectrum Health Care here in Columbia. Derek is a prevention educator and health services coordinator and Cale is the executive director.

They spoke about the rise of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, in Columbia and how people can work to reduce those numbers.

This piece was reported and produced by Veronica Mohesky.

Denicia Dwarica is a urogynecologist and Elizabeth Malm-Buatsi is a pediatric urologist at MU Women’s and Children’s hospital.

They spoke about some of the common myths and misconceptions about urinary tract infections, or UTIs, during November – which happens to be Bladder Health Month.

Verna Laboy and Annabelle Simmons both work with Live Well By Faith, a community health program that targets chronic disease among African Americans in Boone County.

Verna has run the program since it was established by the Columbia/Boone County health department in 2016. The program supports health ministries at 17 black churches in the area by providing health programming, training and resources for people in the congregation, and leaders within each church help run programming and data collection.

Annabelle Simmons is a health lifestyle coach at St. Luke United Methodist Church, and they spoke about some of the more creative ways they try to inspire positive change within their church-based health ministries.

Verna Laboy and Annabelle Simmons both work with Live Well By Faith, a community health program that targets chronic disease among African Americans in Boone County.

Verna has run the program since it was established by the Columbia/Boone County health department in 2016. The program supports health ministries at 17 black churches in the area by providing health programming, training and resources for people in the congregation, and leaders within each church help run programming and data collection.

Annabelle Simmons is a health lifestyle coach at St. Luke United Methodist Church, and she speaks with Verna about how they address racial health disparities through the church community.