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| December 31, 2012- In This Issue |
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Home
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Child Crushed By a TV |
Cracking Down on Drunk Driving |
App Finds Rides for Drinkers |
Making Resolutions the Right Way |
2012 Health Care Heroes |
DPH Bids Perry Sims Farewell |
PHNEWS |
PHRECIPE |
PHTRAINING |
PHEVENTS
Televisions
are getting ever larger, sometimes even outgrowing the TV
stands, dressers or tables they sit on in people's homes.
But these
top-heavy, unstable home furnishings can pose a serious risk
to children, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC). The agency is urging home owners to
anchor and stabilize televisions, furniture and other
appliances to prevent the products from tipping over and
injuring or killing children.
In 2011, 41
people died when televisions or furniture toppled onto them,
a record high number, according to a CPSC report released
Dec. 13. Since 2000, 349 people have been killed from
tip-over accidents, and 84 percent of them were children
between ages 1 month and 8 years. From 2009 to 2011, more
than 43,000 people were injured, 59 percent of whom were
children.
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Law Enforcement Cracking Down on Drunk Driving
As an emergency physician at Grady Memorial Hospital and
director of the Emory Center for Injury Control, Dr. Deb
Houry has seen her share of injuries related to drunk
driving, especially around the holidays.
"During the
holiday season we see more 'buzzed' drivers coming from
holiday events. All it takes is a few drinks to get in a car
crash," Houry said. "Your ability to respond quickly to a
swerving car or a changing traffic light is impaired."
According to
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
there were 277 alcohol impaired driving fatalities in
Georgia in 2011.
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If you or someone
else is impaired by alcohol, the iRideHome app can help get you
home safely. Whether you are an individual who needs a ride, a
party host needing a ride for a guest or a bar or restaurant
needing rides for customers, this app will help you through the
process.
The app uses your
current location to find safe and sober driver programs offered
in your area then puts you in touch with these programs. Many of
the driver programs offer free or discounted services..
Click
here to download.
-Story by
DPH Communications
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Whether you love
them or hate them, make them or break them, most people struggle
with them..
Nearly half of
all Americans make at least one New Year's resolution, according
to an NPR Thomson Reuters health poll, and some of the most
common ones are pledges to live healthier. But keeping these
promises is another matter.
By the end of
January, one-third of those making resolutions have lapsed on
their pledges and fewer than half manage to keep their pledges
throughout the year.
Experts say the
problem with New Year's resolutions is that people underestimate
just how difficult it is to change habits, especially those
deeply ingrained. This underestimation leads them to pledge to
make sweeping lifestyle changes -- "I will eat healthy and work
out every day!" -- that are usually unattainable.
But the news
about resolutions isn't all bad. The fact that a person makes a
resolution makes them more likely to succeed at quitting smoking
or eating more vegetables than people who don't make one at
all.
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DPH Commissioner Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald
congratulates Dr. Patrice Harris, left, and
Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford, right, on receiving the
Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Board of Trustees'
2012 Public Health Award on Dec. 17.
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Two of Georgia's most ardent public health advocates have
been recognized for their commitment to improving the health of
their communities. The Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority Board of
Trustees named Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford, director of the DeKalb
County Board of Health, and Dr. Patrice Harris, director of
health services for Fulton County, as Health Care Heroes.
The organization
recognizes as Health Care Heroes individuals who make
significant contributions to the health of their communities.
Ford and Harris were given the 2012 Public Health Award for
their achievements in improving the health of Georgians,
particularly those in underserved communities, and for serving
as positive role models to young women seeking careers in the
medical field.
At an awards
ceremony Dec. 17 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Dr. Brenda
Fitzgerald, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public
Health (DPH), said the women make a significant difference in
the lives of the people they serve.
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DPH Bids Perry Sims Farewell
After more
than a decade working for the state of Georgia, Perry Sims,
chief information officer for the Georgia Department of
Public Health (DPH), is leaving the department.
Sims has
accepted a position with Advantage Behavioral Health
Systems, implementing and overseeing an electronic medical
records system for the Athens-based company.
Sims said he
was proud to have been a part of the team that established
DPH as a department in 2011.
"I am also
proud to have served with some of the most dedicated health
care professionals in the state, along with a host of
skilled scientists," he said. "I can honestly say that state
government in Georgia works because of the daily sacrifices
of our wonderful state employees."
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PHRECIPE |
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Home
|
Child Crushed By a TV |
Cracking Down on Drunk Driving |
App Finds Rides for Drinkers |
Making Resolutions the Right Way |
2012 Health Care Heroes |
DPH Bids Perry Sims Farewell |
PHNEWS |
PHRECIPE |
PHTRAINING |
PHEVENTS
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