Healthy Adults

Forces at Play: Exploring the intuitive design of the upcoming BlueCross Healthy Place at David Carnes Park in Memphis

Could the path to happiness start at your local park? It sounds too good to be true, but research increasingly shows it’s a real possibility. A recent study of well-being in 44 major cities across the U.S. found that park coverage was among the best predictors of residents’ health and happiness. The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation is investing in Memphis parks through its first BlueCross Healthy Place project, the revitalization of David Carnes Park in the city’s Whitehaven neighborhood. “Concentrating our giving on BlueCross Healthy Places will allow us to have a bigger impact within our communities, reaching both urban and rural areas across the state,” said Scott Wilson, BlueCross director of community relations and health foundation. “We’re […]
The Path to Parenthood: Two women talk about how Baby University helped them realize their full potential

For Torey Covington, motherhood was a journey that she expected to face alone. “I was 19 and pregnant and didn’t have any support from my child’s father,” Covington says. “I couldn’t even finish school.” “I was young and lost, and I didn’t know where I was heading.” “But as soon as I met my case worker from Baby University, MaryBeth Steffey, I knew I was in good hands.” Since 2015, Baby University has been partnering with expectant parents and those with young children to create sustainable futures so children can thrive. The Chattanooga-based program focuses on childhood development from prenatal stages to preschool. And it provides mothers and fathers with the tools to enhance a child’s stability while achieving their […]
Step Outside: 5 places to embrace the outdoors in Tennessee cities

Walking is good for you — this we know. But does it matter where you walk? One recent study shows it might. People who walked through nature for 90 minutes showed reduced activity in parts of the brain linked to mental illness compared to people who walked through a city. Other studies have shown that walking in nature — or even just viewing pictures of nature — can improve a person’s ability to concentrate and problem solve. In Tennessee, we’re surrounded by nature, which means we can take advantage of its restorative properties every day. Here are 5 places where you can do that without ever leaving the city: Chattanooga’s Riverwalk The Chattanooga Riverwalk stretches 13 miles along the Tennessee […]
Obesity Quiz

Tennessee’s children are now the heaviest in the nation, and adults don’t fare much better, ranking sixth. As we know, obesity is a serious health problem and can lead to diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. See how much you know about obesity in Tennessee, and scroll down to read about efforts to change it. Take the Quiz Stories about fitness & obesity awareness in Tennessee

Obesity Quiz: Test your knowledge and learn what Tennesseans are doing to stop the epidemic

Tennessee’s children are now the heaviest in the nation, and adults don’t fare much better, ranking sixth. As we know, obesity is a serious health problem and can lead to diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. See how much you know about obesity in Tennessee, and scroll down to read about efforts to change it. Take the Quiz Stories about fitness & obesity awareness in Tennessee
NashvilleHealth Wants You to Quit Smoking

Smokers know that cigarettes will damage their health, yet in Tennessee 22% of adults still light up. NashvilleHealth intends to help them quit.

NashvilleHealth Wants You to Quit Smoking: Fighting the battle against tobacco on multiple levels

Smokers know that cigarettes will damage their health, yet in Tennessee 22% of adults still light up. NashvilleHealth intends to help them quit.
Fun and Games

Meet the 2018 Tennessee Senior Olympics Hall of Fame inductees.

Fun and Games: Tennessee Senior Olympics Hall of Fame inducts 4 new members

Meet the 2018 Tennessee Senior Olympics Hall of Fame inductees.
Report Card: Senior Health

There are more than 1 million people ages 65+ in Tennessee. That’s 16% of Tennessee’s 6.7 million people. National Health Index The conditions with the biggest health impacts in Tennessee that affect seniors are: Hypertension: 13.5% Depression: 8.8% Substance or alcohol abuse: 8.2% High cholesterol: 7.8% Heart disease: 7.6% Diabetes: 5.9% COPD: 4% According to the BCBS Health Index, the health impact of a condition is how much it adversely affects the health of a population. Hypertension 1 in every 2 Tennessee seniors has high blood pressure. Depression Diabetes More than 25% of U.S. seniors have diabetes. That percentage is higher in Tennessee. Heart disease Alzheimer’s disease 110,000 Tennesseans age 65+ have Alzheimer’s disease. There has been a 148% increase […]

Report Card: Senior Health: A quick look at the over-65 population in Tennessee

There are more than 1 million people ages 65+ in Tennessee. That’s 16% of Tennessee’s 6.7 million people. National Health Index The conditions with the biggest health impacts in Tennessee that affect seniors are: Hypertension: 13.5% Depression: 8.8% Substance or alcohol abuse: 8.2% High cholesterol: 7.8% Heart disease: 7.6% Diabetes: 5.9% COPD: 4% According to the BCBS Health Index, the health impact of a condition is how much it adversely affects the health of a population. Hypertension 1 in every 2 Tennessee seniors has high blood pressure. Depression Diabetes More than 25% of U.S. seniors have diabetes. That percentage is higher in Tennessee. Heart disease Alzheimer’s disease 110,000 Tennesseans age 65+ have Alzheimer’s disease. There has been a 148% increase […]
Investing in Themselves to Help Others

Sakura Horiuchi has known she wanted to work in the medical field since she was in third grade. Inspired by a friend’s mother who was an anesthesiologist, the rising senior at Rhodes College is currently studying chemistry with the goal of becoming a surgeon. She joins Asia White and Renae Spears, both students at East Tennessee State University, as recipients of the 2018 BlueCross Power of We Scholarship. Through the program, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation awards $10,000 each year to three minority students pursuing careers in health care. Horiuchi has worked as an intern at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, where she conducted patient satisfaction surveys, and she is currently employed as an administrative assistant for a […]

Investing in Themselves to Help Others: 2018 Power of We Scholars forge their own paths, hope to inspire

Sakura Horiuchi has known she wanted to work in the medical field since she was in third grade. Inspired by a friend’s mother who was an anesthesiologist, the rising senior at Rhodes College is currently studying chemistry with the goal of becoming a surgeon. She joins Asia White and Renae Spears, both students at East Tennessee State University, as recipients of the 2018 BlueCross Power of We Scholarship. Through the program, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation awards $10,000 each year to three minority students pursuing careers in health care. Horiuchi has worked as an intern at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, where she conducted patient satisfaction surveys, and she is currently employed as an administrative assistant for a […]
Breaking the Cycle

Cereal and fruit — both are low-fat, heart-healthy foods. But for people who are diabetic, even one serving can cause blood sugar to skyrocket, derailing a healthy diet and leading to feelings of frustration and hopelessness. “For people with diabetes, there really is no good cereal; if you find one that’s low carb, it’s usually a half-cup serving size, and nobody eats that little,” says Sheila Cash, a patient at Healing Hands Health Center in Bristol. She recently began diabetes classes through their Journey for Health program. “People also think eating fruit or drinking juice is healthy, but they forget that fruit is a carbohydrate, and it has too much natural sugar for some of us. Learning things like that […]

Breaking the Cycle: Honest conversations and practical tips allow Journey for Health to change lives

Cereal and fruit — both are low-fat, heart-healthy foods. But for people who are diabetic, even one serving can cause blood sugar to skyrocket, derailing a healthy diet and leading to feelings of frustration and hopelessness. “For people with diabetes, there really is no good cereal; if you find one that’s low carb, it’s usually a half-cup serving size, and nobody eats that little,” says Sheila Cash, a patient at Healing Hands Health Center in Bristol. She recently began diabetes classes through their Journey for Health program. “People also think eating fruit or drinking juice is healthy, but they forget that fruit is a carbohydrate, and it has too much natural sugar for some of us. Learning things like that […]
Power of We Scholar: LaDarius Millen

Power of We scholarship recognizing academic achievement and promote diversity. Better Tennessee spoke to LaDarius Millen, one of the first scholarship recipients, about his education and career pursuits.

Power of We Scholar: LaDarius Millen: 3 questions with a BlueCross Health Foundation scholarship recipient

Power of We scholarship recognizing academic achievement and promote diversity. Better Tennessee spoke to LaDarius Millen, one of the first scholarship recipients, about his education and career pursuits.
Big Help

National nonprofit organizations reach millions of people, and local chapters often play a key role in supporting their work and helping their communities.

Big Help: National health organizations make a huge difference in individual lives

National nonprofit organizations reach millions of people, and local chapters often play a key role in supporting their work and helping their communities.
Moms, Babies and Drugs

The opioid crisis has had a devastating impact in Tennessee, where pregnant young women pass along drug dependencies to their babies. Dr. Craig Towers, a maternal fetal medicine specialist, has been instrumental in changing how they are treated.

Moms, Babies and Drugs: OB/GYN Craig Towers talks about his research to prevent Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)

The opioid crisis has had a devastating impact in Tennessee, where pregnant young women pass along drug dependencies to their babies. Dr. Craig Towers, a maternal fetal medicine specialist, has been instrumental in changing how they are treated.