With Every Kid Healthy Week kicking off on April 22 and children’s health care costs getting increasingly more expensive, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2019’s Best & Worst States for Children's Health Care as well as accompanying videos.
In order to determine which states offer the most cost-effective and highest-quality health care for children, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 33 key metrics. The data set ranges from share of children aged 0 to 17 in excellent or very good health to pediatricians and family doctors per capita.
Best States for Children’s Health Care
Worst States for Children’s Health Care
1
Vermont
42
Ohio
2
Massachusetts
43
Louisiana
3
Rhode Island
44
Georgia
4
District of Columbia
45
Arkansas
5
Connecticut
46
Wyoming
6
New Hampshire
47
Texas
7
New York
48
Indiana
8
California
49
Alaska
9
New Jersey
50
Oklahoma
10
Maryland
51
Mississippi
Best vs. Worst
For the full report and to see where your state or the District ranks, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-child-health/34455/
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How Traditional Marketing Can Benefit From A Digital Twist
At one time, marketing meant using such tactics as buying commercial time on TV or radio stations, advertising in a newspaper or magazine, or sending your message through direct mail.
All of those remain options today, but they are joined by a plethora of digital alternatives for reaching potential customers or clients, who spend a lot of time hanging out in the digital world.
“Websites are optimized for sharing content with others, and people are getting on social media to be educated or entertained, so delivering on those ‘needs’ is super important for any business or professional who wants to remain relevant,” says Jonathan Musgrave, owner and chief digital marketer for Steep Digital Marketing (www.steepdigital.com).
Yet, Musgrave says many businesses and professionals don’t always take advantage of what digital marketing offers, instead falling back on what worked in the past, either out of habit or due to a lack of understanding of the power of digital.
And that’s no way to move forward, he says. But choosing between digital or traditional approaches to marketing isn’t an either/or proposition. Musgrave offers a few examples of how the two can be married to produce great results:
A text instead of a call. Musgrave says one of his clients, a financial professional, would buy TV time each month for a show in which he would talk about money issues. At the end of each segment, in an effort to generate leads, his firm’s telephone number would be displayed so viewers could call if they wanted more information. “I suggested that instead of a number to call, they should show a number that people could text,” Musgrave says. That change might appear insignificant on its face, but it proved to be extraordinarily consequential. The financial professional went from receiving about three responses per show to about 300.
Billboards and digital calls to action. A message on a billboard provides the same opportunity to elicit a digital response from anyone who sees it. Once again, instead of urging people to call, urge them to text. You can also include your website address in your billboard ad so those intrigued by what you have to offer can learn more there, Musgrave says.
Work digital connections into all marketing materials. Likely, you have business cards, brochures or any number of other marketing materials that people can hold in their hands. All of those should let people know how they can find you online, whether it’s on your website or on social media channels, Musgrave says. By the same token, if you have speaking engagements, you can put that information on a display poster or include it in a PowerPoint slide. “Since people always carry their phones, if they see how to find you on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or wherever, they may follow you right then and there,” he says.
“The most dangerous thing I hear people say is that digital marketing is the future,” Musgrave says. “That’s not quite accurate because the future is already here. Advertisers globally spent more on digital advertising than any other medium in 2017, displacing TV at the top of the chart for the first time. If you keep kicking the digital can down the road, by the time you catch up to it again, your competitors will have already passed you.”
About Jonathan Musgrave
Jonathan Musgrave is the owner and chief digital marketer for Steep Digital Marketing (www.steepdigital.com), which he founded in 2017. Musgrave got his start in the direct mail business, using his communication skills to craft powerful marketing messages that reached more than 1,000,000 households each month. He’s started his own wholesaling company that brought digital marketing tools to the financial advisor space for the first time in 2013 that were responsible for doubling sales for three consecutive years.
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5 Ways Climate Change Affects
The Mental Health Of Young People
The European Parliament’s recent ban on single-use plastic products was hailed as a positive step in the world’s battle against climate change.
Yet at the same time, younger generations around the world want to see more government action. Deeply concerned about their future as dire forecasts of a worsening environment continue, students from across the globe keep protesting. And while the threats often associated with climate change are to physical health, homes, the air, water, and economy, psychologists says the toll it takes on young people’s mental health can’t be ignored.
“The impact that all the aspects of climate change have on mental health is far-reaching,” says Leslie Landis (www.chendell.com), a family therapist and author of Chendell: A Natural Warrior, a fantasy novel with environmental themes. “It’s especially profound after natural disasters on teens, children and young adults – stress, depression, anxiety, and strains on relationships.
“On the other hand, the activism many young people are engaging in due to climate change is very mentally healthy. They’re inspiring others and trying to bring about action by getting people to take climate change seriously.”
Landis outlines some positive and negative impacts that climate change is having on the mental health of young people:
Positives
Activism. Young people are leading the way to fight climate change by forming mass protests around the globe. ”Climate justice is a fight for the future,” Landis says. “Despite rising sea levels, wildfires, extreme weather events and dire warnings from scientists, politicians globally haven’t responded as needed. And young people are enraged; they know that doing nothing, sitting silently, severely threatens their future.”
Innovation. In Congress, 29-year-old Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has put climate change solutions at the forefront with her proposed legislation, the “Green New Deal.” Young entrepreneurs are growing profitable businesses by focusing on environmentally friendly innovations. “Each project is an inspiring example of how young people are taking creative approaches to combating climate change,” Landis says. “In each there’s some solidarity, which is key to progress being made.”
Negatives
Anxiety, stress. “Fear of extreme weather, changing weather patterns, or worrying about what the future will look like because of climate change increases stress and anxiety,” Landis says. “That in turn can cause depression, sleep disorders and weaken the immune system.” One report says young people with depression and anxiety might be disproportionately more at risk for worsening symptoms due to climate change.
Trauma, shock. Natural disasters caused by climate change bring a high potential for severe psychological trauma from personal injury, the injury or death of a loved one, loss of personal property, and loss of pets. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can result when feelings of helplessness and despair last for long periods.
Strained relationships. “Disasters can not only hit the structure of the home hard, but also the infrastructure of family relationships,” Landis says. “Relocations or just missing the usual conveniences can result in constant tension. Children may have to attend a different school, and the safe world revolving around their home doesn’t exist anymore.”
“We keep hearing the warnings about catastrophic conditions in the coming years, which add to lost hope among a lot of young people,” Landis says. “But the activism and ideas they engage in provide hope. And confronting a problem head-on is a wonderful way to achieve mental wellness.”
About Leslie Landis
Leslie Landis (www.chendell.com) is the author of Chendell: A Natural Warrior. She holds an M.A. in psychology and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Landis also has been a legislative assistant to a U.S. senator, a teacher, financial planner, a bank trust officer, and an associate director in television.
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EXNATIONS
Announces New EP
Pink Haze
Out June 28th, 2019
Available for Pre-Order: www.exnations.com
Brooklyn, NY - April 17, 2019 - Self-proclaimed sad-pop act EXNATIONS is thrilled to announce their brand new EP, Pink Haze. Out June 28th, 2019, Pink Haze follows the band's highly successful single, "Knife," streaming now on Spotify. Fans can pre-order Pink Haze online at www.exnations.com.
The band will be supporting the release with a summer tour, kicking off July 6th in Cincinnati. The run will close out with a hometown album release show at Brooklyn's Gold Sounds on July 13th.
EXNATIONS are an indie pop band out of Brooklyn, NY; comprised of Sal Mastrocola, Taylor Hughes, and John O'Neill. Although self-defined as a 'sad' band, their color palette remains neon, penning compositions that steadily rise from somber lows of deep purple towards anthemic highs of vibrant pink and blue.
The band's debut release, Tiny Sound In The Dark, is a more-than-promising effort, laced with sparkle and anticipation. The group's knack for memorable hooks and danceable rhythms are clear, but what's even more compelling about EXNATIONS is the anthemic sense of empowerment the trio produces on their first effort.
Their forthcoming sophomore EP, Pink Haze, deals from the warm halcyon embrace of nostalgia. Beautiful and all-enveloping, it's so easy to get lost in. But over the course of the record, the band arrives at the conclusion that the haze of nostalgia best serves us when we find a way through it. When we can look at the past honestly and critically, we've got our best shot at true growth and progression.
Hazy and dream-like, yet bursting with passion and energy, EXNATIONS is a fitting metaphor for the world in 2019. It's sad, but we're still dancing.
EXNATIONS will release their new EP Pink Haze on June 28th, 2019. Pre-orders are available now at www.exnations.com.
For More Information, please visit:
Website: www.exnations.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/exnationsband
Twitter: www.twitter.com/exnations
Instagram: www.instagram.com/exnations
Pink Haze Tracklisting:
1. Tether
2. Floating on a Pink Haze
3. John Hughes Movie Soundtrack
4. Slow Erosion
5. Modern Kids
6. Dreaming Still
Upcoming Tour Dates:
July 6th - Cincinnati, OH @ Top Cats
July 7th - St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
July 8th - Kansas City, MO @ Recordbar (hosted by Jordin Silver of 96.5 The Buzz)
July 10th - Milwaukee, WI @ Miramar Theatre
July 11th - Cleveland, OH @ The Foundry Concert Club
July 12th - Pittsburgh, PA @ Black Forge Coffee House
July 13th - Brooklyn, NY @ Gold Sounds *Album Release Show
