Thursday, November 29, 2007

CINCH Needs Your Help - 2007 Salvation Army Toy Drive

For the past 3 years, CINCH has partnered with the Salvation Army Toy Drive to provide screening for health insurance for the many children who will be receiving toys from the drive. We’ve enrolled hundreds of children in FAMIS from this partnership outreach over the past 3 years, and screened over 30,000 families. Many of you have volunteered in years past – thank you! We are asking CINCH members and partners to volunteer for one (or more!) three hour shift.

CINCH invites YOU to volunteer during the 2007 Salvation Army’s Toy Drive. No prior experience is needed. All you need is a smiling face and willing heart!

WHAT:Volunteers (YOU!) will ask families standing in line if their children have health insurance or not, hand out materials and complete a brief referral form with the parents of children who need health insurance that would like assistance. They will then direct the family to the “right” location at the Toy Drive to get their assistance. CINCH will have one lead person on hand to orient volunteers on site. We need 2 volunteers on weekdays, and 4 volunteers on Friday/Saturday, as these are the highest volume days.

WHEN:Fri. 12/14 and Sat. 12/15; Mon. 12/17 thru Sat. 12/22

WHERE:4725 Virginia Beach Blvd. (former HQ bldg. in Pembroke area)

The volunteer time schedule is set in 3 hr. blocks. 9 am -12 pm (noon)
and 1 pm -4 pm
. If you cannot spend three hours at a time, any amount of participation will be appreciated and we’ll work you into the schedule.

We will need at least 4 volunteers on Friday and Saturday. One person will be designated as a lead person. That person will be able to answer your questions and keep the staffing record.

Training information will be provided as requested. Contact us at 668-6447 to get an overview of the activity and information as well as the toy drive procedure. Materials will be provided: referral forms, brochures, clipboards, pens, etc.

Contact P. Smith at 668-6447 or email at smithpe@evms.edu

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Virginia Injury Update, Fire and Burn Related Injuries in Virginia, 2001-2005

The VDH, Division of Injury and Violence Prevention just released a new unintentional injury report titled, Virginia Injury Update, Fire and Burn Related Injuries in Virginia, 2001-2005.

Burns are one of the most devastating and painful injuries one can sustain. Burn injuries require long rehabilitation and physical therapy. One can sustain a burn injury through a number of different mechanisms: exposure to fire, hot liquids and objects, chemicals, electrical currents, and extreme cold. The Virginia Injury Update includes a five year review of fire and burn related deaths and hospitalizations in Virginia. It includes case studies, a breakdown of fire/flame and hot object/substance hospitalizations, and prevention tips. The report is available for viewing or download at www.vahealth.org/civp. Hard copies will be mailed to Injury Prevention Network members, Virginia Injury Community Planning Group members, healthcare providers, fire and life safety educators, community leaders, and other injury prevention stakeholders throughout the Commonwealth. If you would like a hard copy of the report or additional copies, please contact Jennifer Schmid by email at Jennifer.schmid@vdh.virginia.gov or by telephone at (804) 864-7746 to request a copy.

In addition, two new fact sheets are available for the general public. One is on Burn Prevention and the other is on Fire Safety Education. These are also available from our Web site at www.vahealth.org/civp.

TEENS AND IMPAIRED DRIVING - Driving under the Influence Too Common among Teenagers

TEENS AND IMPAIRED DRIVING
Driving under the Influence Too Common among Teenagers


Drinking and driving among teenagers is a disturbingly common problem, says a new study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). According to Elias A. Zerhouni, NIH director, "This study shows that not only are too many teens putting themselves and others at risk by driving under the influence of drugs, but . . . there has been little improvement in the past six years." The study found that nearly a third of high school students had driven under the influence of alcohol or drugs -- or had been in the car with a driver who had -- in the previous two weeks.

Read the full article at:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/newsroom/07/NR10-29.html

TEEN SUBSTANCE ABUSE - Most Parents Can Accurately Assess Their Teens' Substance Use

TEEN SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Most Parents Can Accurately Assess Their Teens' Substance Use


Many teenagers may think they're getting away with drinking, smoking, or other drug use -- but a new study suggests that their parents might not be quite so in the dark about it. Findings from a novel study out of the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions show that most parents can accurately estimate their child's alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. According to lead researcher Neil B. McGillicuddy, Ph.D., "It seems that, despite a few exceptions, many parents do know the extent of their teenager's substance use. Parents can use this knowledge to help themselves cope with teenage substance use and the resulting stress on the family, as well as to begin conversations with their teen about making changes."
Read the full article at:
http://www.buffalo.edu/news/8919

Mental and Physical Benefits of Breastfeeding Found for Most Fragile Newborns

Mental and Physical Benefits of Breastfeeding Found for Most Fragile Newborns

Researchers have been discovering more and more benefits of breastfeeding, and here's one more: premature infants with extremely low birth weight were found to have improved mental development and fewer rehospitalizations when breast-fed shortly after birth. "These findings strongly suggest that, whenever possible, preterm infants should routinely be given breast milk during their stay in the intensive care unit," said Duane Alexander, M.D., director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institutes of Health organization that conducted the study. About 40,000 premature infants with extremely low birth weight are born in the United States each year.

Read the full article at:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2007/nichd-01.htm

New Study Looks at Bicycle Injury Toll beyond Emergency-Department Visits

BICYCLE SAFETY

New Study Looks at Bicycle Injury Toll beyond Emergency-Department Visits

The fact that bicycle-related injuries are one of the most common causes of childhood emergency-department visits is widely known -- but a new study looks deeper and finds cause for even more concern. Researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that about 10,700 children are admitted to the hospital for bicycle-related injuries each year, resulting in almost $200 million in hospital inpatient costs. The study appears in the October issue of Injury Prevention.

Read the full article at:
http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/gd/applications/
controller.cfm?page=204&id=431&type=new

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Report: Obese Children Miss More School Days

A Report out of Philadelphia — Obese elementary schoolchildren miss a couple more school days on average than their normal-weight classmates, according to a study that says being fat is a better predictor for absenteeism than any other factor.

Researchers said their results suggest that childhood obesity, in addition to serious medical issues, can lead to a plethora of additional problems down the road.

Click on the URL below for the rest of this story:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292937,00.html

New Public Fire & Life Safety Educator Level II Class Available - Expenses will be paid

ANNOUNCEMENT:

A NEW PUBLIC FIRE & LIFE SAFETY EDUCATOR, LEVEL II CLASS is NOW AVAILABLE. The FIRE PREVENTION & SAFETY GRANT awarded to VFLSC this year will pay expenses for 50 PFLSE, Level I certified educators to become certified to Level II!!

Please go to this web page to obtain more information and to apply:
http://www.vflsc.org/PFLSE2-register.htm
and feel free to visit the VFLSC online at: www.vflsc.org

Also, please help spread the word ! We will be contacting all 1035, Level I certified folks to let them know.

Governor's Healthy Students Summit

The General Assembly has designated the third week in September, 2007 and in each succeeding year, as Healthy Virginians/Healthy Students Week. In observance of the first Healthy Students Week, the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources extended an invitation to local school divisions and health districts to participate in the Governor’s Healthy Students Summit on September 20. The purpose of the Summit was to foster local collaboration between school divisions and health districts to develop action plans to address childhood obesity.

Some of the things learned by Summit participants included: (1)Recent collaborations between public education & public health for the prevention of childhood obesity in various Virginia localities; (2) How Local Wellness Policies can serve as an important tool to guide the development of childhood obesity prevention efforts at the local level; and (3) How the Governor's Scorecard for Nutrition & Physical Activity can serve as a significant motivator for the development of childhood obesity prevention efforts at the local level.

Materials from the summit are posted on the Secretary of Health and Human Resource's website and can be viewed at http://www.hhr.virginia.gov/initiatives/HealthyStudentsSummit/

CPSC Delivers the ABC's of Toy Safety

A recent press release from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Toy Safety is below. Some good information to share....

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As gift-givers shop for that perfect toy this holiday season, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is emphasizing the importance of shopping safely. Knowing your ABC’s of toy safety will make for happy holidays: (A) awareness, and knowing the (B) benefits, for (C) consumers – (Awareness Benefits Consumers).

Awareness is not only knowing there is a CPSC and what the agency does to protect consumers but also being aware of what poses the greatest risks. The leading causes of toy-related fatalities include choking and aspiration of toy parts.

The increased scrutiny of toys and the CPSC has led to B, or benefits, to consumers. CPSC has increased the agency’s inspections of toys and is taking the action needed to remove violative products from the marketplace. More companies are testing their products and reporting possible safety problems.
The Chinese government has signed new agreements to conduct pre-export inspections to prevent lead painted toys and other unsafe toys from being exported to the U.S.
“CPSC recalled 61 toys involving more than 25 million product units in 2007, underscoring CPSC’s daily commitment to keeping consumers safe 365 days a year,” said Acting CPSC Chairman Nancy Nord. “Toys today are undergoing more inspection and more intense scrutiny than ever before.”

Finally C, consumers should stay informed and be aware of recalls by signing up to receive direct e-mail notification of recalls at www.cpsc.gov. CPSC has launched a “Drive to 1 Million” to sign up at least 1 million consumers to receive this direct notification.

Consumers can also be more aware by shopping with CPSC's Top Safe Shopping Tips for this year:
•Ride-on Toys – Riding toys, skateboards and in-line skates go fast and falls could be deadly. Helmets and safety gear should be sized to fit.
•Small Parts – For children younger than age three, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking.
•Magnets – For children under age six, avoid building sets with small magnets. If magnets or pieces with magnets are swallowed, serious injuries and/or death can occur.
•Projectile Toys – Projectile toys such as air rockets, darts and sling shots are for older children. Improper use of these toys can result in serious eye injuries.
•Chargers and Adapters – Charging batteries should be supervised by adults. Chargers and adapters can pose thermal burn hazards to children.

To choose appropriate toys for children:
•Be a label reader. Look for toy labels that give age and safety recommendations and use that information as a guide.
•Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child. Look for sturdy construction, such as tightly-secured eyes, noses and other potential small parts.
•For all children under 8, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.
Once the gifts are open:
•Immediately discard plastic wrappings on toys before they become dangerous play things.
•Keep toys appropriate for older children away from younger siblings or neighbors.
•Pay attention to instructions and warnings on battery chargers. Some chargers lack any device to prevent overcharging.

National Influenza Vaccination Week - November 26, 2007 - December 2, 2007

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced this week as National Influenza Vaccination Week. This event is designed to highlight the importance of continuing influenza (flu) vaccination, as well as foster greater use of flu vacine through the months of November, December and beyond.

This year, Tuesday, November 27, 2007, is set aside as Children's Flu Vaccination Day, with a focus on vaccinating high-risk children. Even if you're healthy, if you live with or care for people at high risk for severe complications from influenza, you should get vaccinated. Groups at high risk include infants, pregnant women, kids and adults with chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, and adults aged 65 and older.

For more information please call 800-CDC-INFO.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Engaging Youth..On Their Turf: Creative Approaches to Connecting Youth through Community

Engaging Youth..On Their Turf: Creative Approaches to Connecting Youth through Community

The publication from the Healthy Teen Network offers professionals new approaches to engaging teens. It highlights six examples of programs that reach out to youth in non-traditional communities.

Save-the-Date:


The Future of the Hispanic Family (November 15, Washington, D.C.)
"For most Latinos, families are made and broken amid transformations in culture, economic footing, civic status, and identity," according to the Brookings Institution. Brookings' Center on Children and Families and the Annie E. Casey Foundation are hosting a forum to discuss trends in marriage and childbearing in the Hispanic community and address what actions policymakers and practitioners can take to strengthen Hispanic families and improve the well-being of children in these families.

Raising Awareness about Infant Mortality

In order to raise awareness about infant mortality with an emphasis on the African American community, the Office of Minority Health (OMH) has launched a new campaign, A Healthy Baby Begins with You, as part of the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities.

OMH is asking for community and faith-based organizations, city and state health departments, and private sector partners to set-up and host events in the most affected communities. In return, OMH has partnered with Behind the Bench, the National Basketball Wives Association, to connect sponsors with a local spokesperson. Additionally, OMH will organize the local event, provide all the supporting printed and electronic materials and incentives for attendees, help promote the outreach to African American women of childbearing age, pitch stories to local and national media, and more.

For more information about the campaign or how your organization can become a sponsor, call 1-800-444-6472, or email iestrada@omhrc.gov

Monday, November 12, 2007

Great American Smokeout - November 15, 2007

November 15, 2007, marks the American Cancer Society's 31st annual Great American Smokeout, an event designed to encourage cigarette smokers to quit smoking for at least 1 day so that they might quit permanently.

Information on the Great American Smokeout is available at http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ped/ped_10_4.asp or by telephone: 800-227-2345. Advice on how to quit smoking is available at http://www.smokefree.gov

SIDS Risk Reduction Continuing Education Program Emphasizes Important Role of Nurses in Health Care

The National Institutes of Health has created a continuing education program designed to help nurses communicate the risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) to parents and child caregivers. Nurses are a key information resource for new parents and often spend the most time with families in the hospital following the birth of a child.

The Continuing Education Program on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Risk Reduction was developed by the NIH’s National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) in collaboration with national nursing and health organizations. The program reviews the most current research findings and theories about SIDS and provides nurses with practical approaches to communication about SIDS in a multi-cultural environment.

"Nurses who care for infants and families in the hospital are in a unique position to educate parents and influence health and safety practices," said Duane Alexander, M.D., director of the NICHD, the NIH institute distributing the program materials.

Nurses can order a hard copy or download an electronic version of the continuing education booklet through the NICHD’s Web site, at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/sidsnursesce/, or by calling 1-800-370-2943. For more information, visit the Institute’s Web site at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/.

For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

INFLUENZA VACCINE CLINICAL TRIAL

The EVMS Department of Pediatrics – Clinical Research Unit is conducting an influenza vaccine clinical trial in children 6 through 35 months of age. Influenza (flu) is a very contagious disease that affects many people throughout the world each year. The symptoms, which include fever, muscle pain, sore throat, cough, and weakness, last from several days to a week or more. Young children, the elderly, and people with chronic health problems run a higher risk of complications than do healthy young adults. Children in this study will receive licensed flu vaccine.

Parents of children in good health, ages 6 through 35 months, who want additional information or want to enroll their children should contact Nancy DeJaeger, RN at 668-6415.

The Eastern Virginia Medical School Institutional Review Board has approved this announcement.

IRB #07-10-FB-0236

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Save-the-Date...The Inhalant Abuse Prevention Awareness Institute

Did you know the past thirty-day use of inhalants for Virginia eighth graders is double the national average? Learn about inhalants and how to address this issue in your community by attending the Inhalant Abuse Prevention Awareness Institute. For more information go to www.rmhonline.com

Friday, November 2, 2007

American College of CHEST Physicians and The CHEST Foundation offer FREE handouts

Concerned over studies demonstrating that between 20% and 68% of patients prescribed aerosol devices did not use them correctly enough to benefit from their use, several of the ACCP NetWorks collaborated to produce these handouts. Also available in English and Spanish on the ACCP Web site at www.chestnet.org/ patients/guides/inhaledDevices.php, the handouts can be downloaded and printed by health- care providers and patients.

It is our hope that these materials will help your patients breathe easier. To receive a free packet of the Spanish version handouts, e-mail your request to Spanishmaterials@chestnet.org with your complete mailing address. A limited supply is available.

Attend Luncheon - Delegate Melanie Rapp to Speak

EAT, MEET AND LEARN
Members of the GVPCCC have expressed concern over their seeming inability to get the message, across to the legislators, concerning their need for legislative support with regard to issues that are affecting their clients.

Melanie Rapp, Member of the House of Delegates for the Ninety-Sixth District, has agreed to speak at a luncheon at which she will address the issue of contacting and getting across your message to legislators. She will speak about the best ways and the best times to make contact with state legislators in order to speak with them about your needs for the support of or introduction of specific legislation. She will speak about the use of e-mail, direct mail, telephoning, visiting at the local office or the Richmond Office, visiting the legislators while in session and out of session and the like. It should be a most beneficial presentation with Delegate Rapp speaking about matters which will be of benefit to us in our advocacy role.

Melanie Rapp was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates to represent the 96th District in a special election in December of 2000, filling the vacancy created when her predecessor, Jo Ann Davis, was elected to Congress. Delegate Rapp was re-elected to full two-year terms in 2001, 2003 and 2005. She currently serves on the House Education, General Laws, and Privileges and Elections Committees. She also serves as a Deputy Whip for the House Republican Caucus and serves as a sub-committee chairman of the Teachers and Administrative Action Committee and the Housing Affordability and Real Estate Policy.

The Luncheon
Wednesday, November 14
12:00 - 1:30pm
Auditorium A of the MIH Conference Center


We need your response on or before Wednesday, November 7. Please call 886-6025 if you plan to attend. Thank you.