|
|
|
| April 01, 2013 - In This Issue |
 |
Home |
Celebrate Public Health |
Agencies Unite Against Childhood Obesity |
Public Health Protects |
Schools & Communities Rewarded |
'Escape Fire' |
State of Public Health |
App Create, Find Walking Paths |
PHNEWS |
PHRECIPE |
PHTRAINING |
PH
EVENTS
 |
|
Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., DPH Commissioner
|
Think
about this for a minute. Since 1900, life expectancy for
Americans has increased by 30 years. CDC estimates that
83 percent of those increased years have been due to
public health efforts. That's quite an achievement! It
is also a good reminder for all of us as we deal with
rising health care costs that the dramatic achievements
of public health such as clean water, immunizations and
preventive measures promoting healthy living have
increased our quality of life at a fraction of the cost
of clinical care.
April 1-7 is National Public Health Week, and I invite
you to celebrate with me. During this week, when you go
to a restaurant or drive by one, think of the public
health worker who has done the inspection there to make
sure the food is safe. If you see a baby, think of the
28 newborn tests the Georgia Public Health Lab has done
to protect his life. When you take a breath in Atlanta,
consider that public health has been testing that air
for bioterrorism agents. And when you turn on the water
in your home, consider all the public health efforts to
make sure that water is clean and safe.
|
 |
|
DPH Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D.,
describes state efforts to make Georgia kids
healthier at the state Capitol.
|
Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner
Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., joined leaders from more than
30 organizations around the state for a "United Against
Childhood Obesity" day at the state Capitol on
Wednesday. Attendees, including Gov. Nathan Deal and Lt.
Gov. Casey Cagle, signaled that the childhood obesity
epidemic is at the forefront of the state's health
agenda.
"The
problem is huge in Georgia. The state ranks second in
the nation for childhood obesity," Fitzgerald said.
|
 |
|
This smoke alarm was destroyed in a
home fire, but not before it saved
the lives of the family living
there.
|
April 1 is the start of National Public Health
Week, and the American Public Health Association
wants everyone to know that public health
programs provide a solid return on investment by
saving lives, preventing injuries and protecting
property whether at home or on the go.
So what does public health do for you? Here are
a few examples:
Fire and smoke protection: It's
been 50 years since Duane Pearsall, a Denver
businessman, invented the smoke detector, and in
that time, the device has become one of the most
important home safety tools in recent history,
saving tens of thousands of lives and preventing
debilitating injuries by giving families an
early warning and chance to escape a home fire.
|
 $43
billion. $147 billion. $193 billion.
Those are the costs in health care and lost
productivity that the U.S. has paid for childhood
lead poisoning, obesity and cigarette smoking,
respectively, according to the World Health
Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).
Public health problems like these are obviously
costly, but they are also preventable. That's where
public health comes in. Keeping people physically
and fiscally healthy are two of the core missions of
public health organizations across the world,
including the Georgia Department of Public Health
(DPH). National Public Health Week highlights two
places where public health routinely fulfills these
missions: schools and communities.
|
Film explores America's health care system
District 2 Public Health and Brenau University are
teaming up to show the film "ESCAPE FIRE: The Fight
to Rescue American Healthcare" in the Thurmond-McRae
auditorium on Brenau's campus at 4 p.m. on April 2
as part of National Public Health Week.
The
film, which won multiple awards at the Sundance Film
Festival and has aired on television, focuses on the
need to transition from a system that deals with
diseases (many of which are preventable) to a system
of prevention and wellness. According to the film's
website:
|
|
DPH Commissioner focuses on department's progress
Emphasizing the value of data and importance of
building coalitions, Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D.,
commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public
Health, told attendees of the inaugural State of
Public Health Conference the state's broader
public health status is trending in the right
direction.
The conference brought together more than 200
representatives from public health, primary care
and academic and business communities to discuss
the various public health challenges facing
Georgia. Hosted by the Georgia Public Health
Training Center at the University of Georgia,
the conference featured several interactive,
solution-driven workshops tackling a variety of
key public health issues in the state.
|
Now you can create, find
and track walking paths anytime, anywhere with the
American Heart Association Walking Path App. Create
paths on the go, find paths near you, start walking and
get healthy! Sync the app to your American Heart
Association account and easily access your saved info
and favorite paths from your phone.
Click
here to download.
|
|
PHRECIPE |
 |
|
Home |
Celebrate Public Health |
Agencies Unite Against Childhood Obesity |
Public Health Protects |
Schools & Communities Rewarded |
'Escape Fire' |
State of Public Health |
App Create, Find Walking Paths |
PHNEWS |
PHRECIPE |
PHTRAINING |
PH
EVENTS
|
|
|
