Blog---May 21, 2025—9-10---Working on Wellness Wednesday

  When you do a Working on Wellness Wednesday Show—you have a list of guests you really like to get on the show. You don’t always get the Dean at the South Dakota Med School First---or the Sioux Falls Health Director first or second.

  With this show---they were the last of the guests to confirm—so they ran at 9:32 and 9:45.

  But we had interesting guests in position 1 at 9:06 and position 2 and 9:19.

  We started with Lisa Ottmar—Director of the Helpline Center—obviously we were talking about May is Mental Health Awareness Month—and that mental health training at Peace Lutheran Church will run rom 5-6PM on Tuesday May 27th.

  We talked as well with a 3rd day intern---Ava---who was working on the life or death case with suicide---and after Lisa—set the stage with all that’s going with the Helpline---Ava talked about the importance of what she is doing---and her hopes that she—and all of us can make quite a difference.

  Coming up on June 7th at Fawick Park—Saturday June 7th—there is a public event surrounding suicide and so much that goes with it.

  For instance—a mother who lost her 16 year old son to suicide will share her story of hope and healing. There will be a fundraiser for the Helpline Center’s suicide prevention and awareness program. 

  Lisa had her say—Ava—given her chance to say why she is involved-then the two of them will help get thru June 7th event in advance as well—as have Ava and Lisa—share the mood all around the Fawick Park event.

  Truly amazed with all Lisa does—and what Ava is doing---and what else she can do for the event and for our listeners as we follow along.

  Mary Michaels---AARP South Dakota Communications Director joined us for quite the update –scattered around the state—

Among the discussion---When a Sweepstakes Doesn’t Make YOU a Winner. As Mary pointed out there are many legitimate sweepstakes and contests out there and the idea of winning some fabulous prize can be mighty alluring. Criminals get that, and they exploit our excitement to score that big check or dream trip. But as Mary points out there are many steps you can take to help protect your data and minimize it’s value to criminals. A Hill City 5th Grader took top honors in Grandparents Essay Contest. One of the great things that happens every year during the SD Retired School Personnel convention is the presentation of the Grandparents Essay contest winner—they write an essay about their grandparent or a grandparent role model. This year Gabriella Isakson of Hill City was the winner. Coming up June 2nd—you can spring into action for Better Walking and Biking in YOUR Community---Open street events are a way to show community can reimagine public spaces like a street when it is closed to vehicles and open for pedestrians. This summer in Sioux Falls—each  Friday features  a different Open Streets event, and AARP South Dakota is proud to be collaborating with Downtown Sioux Falls and the City of Sioux Falls for this event.

    Joining us in our show Sioux Falls Health Director Joe Kippley –we talked about adolescent Mental Health Addiction issues in homeless community—Falls Community Health Shelters. There is a new grant from judicial system for medical/addiction support for participants in Drug Court-partners at Midwest Street Medicine.

   Much more but there is always a lot of great medical information from Mary at AARP.

   Joe Kippley—Sioux Falls Health Director –right around a year anniversary of his appointment talked to us about Adolescent Mental Health--- and school district—and how there is a policy on cell phone/social media---in school. We talked about it---and it makes for a different feeling----

   Also-mental health addiction issues in homeless community---Falls Community Health presence---there is no silver bullet for homeless-ness but we had the right players to talk about what we are doing and what else we will do in the future.

   Fourth guest this morning—our friend Dr. Tim Ridgway-Director of Health at the School of Medicine. ---we had a chance to review the students---what they saw when they went to Pierre for the Legislative Session—what else they learned as students learned more of what was in their books---

   We always enjoy our time with Dr. Ridgway we want to get the students encouraged—follow them when they meet the Governor---what they do in the classrooms----and help them down the road-hopefully in South Dakota to help us for generations to come. 

   Never disappointed when I get a chance to communicate with our Working on Wellness leaders. Whether it be someone that has been an interest for 3 days---or a Lisa Ottmar—that knows how to encourage the new-bees for the business and learning what they can do to make a difference.

   Listen live to the show at 1320, 105.1, 107.9—use the KELO-App—streaming on line or just ask Alexa.

   Norm Anderson posts the podcast of the show---and my job is to gather the guests and often their guests---plan the interviews---write the Q & A expected—and then write the blog—that goes with the podcast.

   Questions for me—feel free to call/text at 605-728-BILL or email me at bill.zortman@mwcradio.com.