Autumn kicks off several health intitiative in Des Moines and Iowa – from opportunities to walk or run, to ways to use the internet to improve health care across Iowa. 

A symbolic walk for a healthier Iowa 
Will walking a kilometer improve your health? Maybe not, but it’s not a bad way to spend part of an October afternoon either. Join other Iowans on a one-kilometer walk (about 7 ½  blocks) on Wednesday, Oct. 3, as part of Gov. Terry Branstad’s effort to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation. Sign up at 
www.iowahealthieststate.com.

Preview baby services
Mercy Hospital Medical Center’s annual Stork  Affair Saturday is expected to draw more than 1,000 parents-to-be. The event from 9 am. to 1 p.m. at Mercy’s Exhibitor Hall and Women & Infants’ Center a child car Seat safety check and a speed-dating format to interview potential doctors, as well as sessions on breastfeeding and new parent survival guide.   

Improving health care online 

Connect Iowa, a public-private partnership promoting broadband technology and access in the state,  this week released a report on how Iowans use the internet for health care and health information.

• 44 percent of Iowans go online to access health information.

• Six percent use smart phones to access health information and apps. 

• Approximately 91,000 rural Iowans with disabilities are using e-health tools to stay connected to their doctors and access the latest medical information

• But more than half a million Iowans age 55 and older still do not use internet health applications

• Approximately 1,000 healthcare businesses in Iowa do not use computers and an additional 1,000 healthcare businesses operate without broadband service.

Another opportunity to improve your health

Metro Arts Alliance is sponsoring  Rock ‘N’ Run 5-K run featuring local music on Sept. 22, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Clive Aquatics Center. Rock out to great bands throughout this chip-timed race, plus a free concert by The Nadas! This family-friendly event also features a 1 mile walk/run, children’s activities and festival including local food vendors and microbrew beer. Register here.