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Bucks County Health Improvement

Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP)

Unlike Most Myths, Those About Vaccines Cause Harm

By- bchip

Jun 5, 2023 | No Comments

If you are confused about vaccine safety, please know that what you hear as sound bites are often myths. We grew up with myths. George Washington as a child, chopped down a cherry tree and admitted it to his father. Atlantis was an ancient, advanced civilization that sank into the ocean. Columbus discovered America. These falsehoods may confuse, but no one died because they believed George Washington could not lie. Vaccine myths are another story.Vaccine use can save lives. One…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP)

Updating Healthcare Directives

By- bchip

May 23, 2023 | No Comments

It’s always a good idea to look at your estate planning and advanced healthcare directive documents every year. Things can change over a year: your health or financial situation may change, someone listed in your documents may pass away or move, or your attitudes about a particular procedure or intervention may change. So take a look every year and make sure your documents still align with your wishes. Estate planning usually is understood to refer to your finances and your…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP)

What Is Nicotine Replacement Therapy?

By- bchip

May 23, 2023 | No Comments

If you are a smoker and you want to stop smoking, we at BCHIP applaud your decision. Smoking and other nicotine use cause a wide variety of serious health problems throughout the body. The statistics are sobering: Cigarette smoking increases risk of death from all causes in both men and women Smoking is a factor in many different types of cancer It increases risk of developing lung cancer 25 times and causes 90% of lung cancer deaths Smokers are 12…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP)

When Family Members Won’t Get Vaccinated

By- bchip

Apr 6, 2023 | No Comments

During the last two years, we have seen many Bucks County families divided over Covid vaccination status. Suppose you’re immuno-compromised and you feel unsafe around people who have not received a vaccination or who may have any kind of cold or illness. You have the right to advocate for yourself within your family, and you may decide not to see certain family members for the time being. Short of serious health concerns, however, try to handle this difference of opinion…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP)

Whom to Leave in Charge of Your Care: Choosing your Medical Power of Attorney in Bucks County, PA

By- bchip

Apr 6, 2023 | No Comments

An estimated 75% of all Americans will at some point be in a medical situation in which they cannot communicate their wishes. While it isn’t pleasant to think about and the conversation may be awkward, it’s important to take time to develop an advanced medical care plan, including a medical power of attorney, in case an accident or unexpected health condition leaves you suddenly unable to make decisions for your own healthcare. Having someone to advocate for you and your…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP)

Should I Vaccinate My Child? – We Can Help

By- bchip

Mar 16, 2023 | No Comments

Here in Bucks County, PA, and all over the world, childhood vaccinations have saved countless children from suffering and death due to severe childhood diseases. The cases of measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, polio, whooping cough, and other serious childhood infections have practically disappeared, thanks to these childhood vaccines and improved healthcare. However, some people have come to the conclusion that since the diseases are now quite rare, the shots are no longer necessary. Because of this, the illnesses are…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP)

When a Loved One Won’t Stop Smoking

By- bchip

Mar 16, 2023 | No Comments

If you have a loved one who can’t or won’t stop smoking, you’re both in a difficult position, but it’s not hopeless. Smoking is an addiction, not unlike alcohol or other substance abuse. The addiction makes it very difficult for the addicted person to realize he has a problem in the first place, want to quit, and successfully kick the habit. Just as with other addictions, your loved one has to first admit he has a problem. Once he recognizes…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP)

Why Is It So Hard to Quit Smoking?

By- bchip

Feb 25, 2023 | No Comments

While many people have successfully quit smoking, they will tell you it wasn’t easy. Many other people – perhaps you – have tried to quit more than once but have not yet been successful. But don’t give up. There are reasons why it’s so hard, and when you address those reasons, you can quit. BCHIP has a free online Quit Smoking Program for residents of Bucks County that will help you address the issues and succeed the next time you…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP)

College Kids and Health Care Directives – What Parents Need to Know

By- bchip

Feb 25, 2023 | No Comments

When your child turns 18, he or she is considered a legal adult. If you do not put the right legal documents in place, you lose all rights to know about or get involved in his or her medical care. Even if your child uses your health insurance and even if you pay the bills, according to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) a parent must have an 18-year-old child’s permission to be informed about the child’s health or…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP)

How to Talk to Your Children about Your Estate Planning

By- bchip

Dec 14, 2022 | No Comments

If you have adult children, the time is now to talk to them about your estate plan, including your Advance Healthcare Directive. While you may expect it to be an awkward conversation, the awkwardness often dissipates once you begin talking things out. An advance healthcare directive is much like a will, and thus, healthcare planning is much like estate planning. Just as you don’t want to leave the distribution of your remaining assets to chance or leave the kids fighting…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP)

What Should Be Included in Your Advance Care Planning?

By- bchip

Dec 7, 2022 | No Comments

What is advance care planning and how can you complete it? Our team here in Bucks County is here to help you, your friends, and your loved ones put together these important documents so your wishes are clearly understood and legally stated should something happen to you. Medical science has improved dramatically in recent years, to the point that we are able to save the lives of people who would surely have died only a few short decades ago. This…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership (BCHIP)

National Influenza Vaccination Week Is December 5-9, 2022

By- bchip

Dec 5, 2022 | No Comments

Should I get a flu shot? Cold and flu season has just begun, so it’s not too late to get your flu shot to avoid a serious illness this year. Many people do not think ahead about getting the flu shot until they hear of people who come down with the flu. If you get your shot early, you’ll have a high degree of confidence that you won’t be one of them. What is the flu? The flu is not…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership

National Influenza Vaccination Week Is December 5-9, 2022

By- bchip

Dec 5, 2022 | No Comments

Should I get a flu shot? Cold and flu season has just begun, so it’s not too late to get your flu shot to avoid a serious illness this year. Many people do not think ahead about getting the flu shot until they hear of people who come down with the flu. If you get your shot early, you’ll have a high degree of confidence that you won’t be one of them. What is the flu? The flu is not…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership

What to Expect When Your Child Is Vaccinated

By- bchip

Nov 16, 2022 | No Comments

Vaccines are an important part of fighting childhood diseases. Since the beginning of widespread vaccinations, many childhood diseases have become extremely rare, saving many children’s lives. But the germs are still out there. It’s important for children to continue to be vaccinated so that they do not contract these serious illnesses, such as measles, polio, and diphtheria. Vaccines work by stimulating the body to create antibodies to a virus (or bacterium), thus giving the body a weapon to prevent infection…

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Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership

Great American Smokeout – November 17th

By- bchip

Nov 16, 2022 | No Comments

Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of illness worldwide, causing an estimated 1 in 5 preventable deaths worldwide. While the number of people smoking in the U.S. has decreased dramatically in recent decades, some communities have higher rates of smoking than others and consequently have disproportionately higher smoking-related cancers and other diseases. These communities include persons at lower socioeconomic levels, members of various ethnic communities, those in the military, and others. It’s never too late to benefit from quitting…

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