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| October 31, 2011- In This Issue |
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Home | PH Board Initial Decisions |
Seymour Joins Panel |
Carbon Monoxide Dangers |
Sexual Violence Month |
Improving Overall Health |
Docs Not as Pro-vaccine |
PHRECIPE |
PHBRIEFS |
PHEVENTS
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PHNEWS
Board of Public Health Makes Initial Decisions
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Brenda Fitzgerald, MD, and members of the Executive
Leadership Team participate in conference call.
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The newly appointed Georgia Board of Public Health held its
first meeting. All nine Board Members were in attendance via
conference call October 25. While a short and efficient meeting,
the first order of business was to appoint a Board Chair and
Secretary. The Board, without hesitation, motioned and
unanimously elected Gary D. Nelson, Ph.D, as Chair, and Mitch
Rodriguez, MD, as Secretary.
Next, the Board approved a resolution to authorize $500,000
in state bonds for repairs and renovations at Georgia
Department of Public Health (DPH) facilities including the
Waycross district office building, the Albany regional
office and lab, and the Skyland regional office in metro
Atlanta. Kathryn Pfirman, DPH's Chief Financial Officer,
provided an overview and responded to questions.
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Mark Seymour, Director, Office of Procurement and
Contract Services
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Mark Seymour, Director of the Office of Procurement and Contract
Services for the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), has
been invited to serve on the inaugural Purchasing Customer
Advisory Panel (PCAP). Chaired by Leslie Lowe, Assistant
Commissioner of the State Purchasing Division for the Georgia
Department of Administrative Services (DOAS), the panel is
comprised of various state agency procurement officers and is
charged with the task of identifying and implementing improved
procurement processes for better efficiency. The panel will also
serve as an oversight committee for state procurement policies
and procedures.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for DPH to have a
representative voice in the continued development and governance
of state purchasing policy," said Janie Brodnax, Chief Operating
Officer for the Department.
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Carbon Monoxide Danger Rises as Temperatures Drop
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You can't see it, smell it, or taste it, but carbon
monoxide can kill you. |
Every year, when temperatures drop, keeping warm can turn
deadly. One month into fall and there are already reports of
two deaths in Georgia from apparent exposure to carbon monoxide,
an odorless, colorless gas. According to news reports, a
generator was placed too close to the home.
The American Lung Association reports that approximately 450
people die each year, and more than 50,000 people visit
emergency rooms in the United States because of carbon monoxide
poisoning.
Carbon monoxide can come from a number of sources: kerosene
space heaters, wood-burning stoves, camping stoves, propane
heaters and stoves, gas ranges and heating systems, charcoal
grills, and gas or diesel powered generators.
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The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) spotlights Domestic
Violence Awareness Month as we conclude the October observance.
During the month, there have been efforts focused on connecting
victims, survivors, and advocates across the nation to work together
to end violence, especially against women and children. The trauma
of violence has long-term impacts on survivors, which impact the
health and wellbeing of others. The Department's Sexual Violence
Prevention Program uses primary prevention strategies to educate
students and adults about healthy dating relationships.
With 72 percent of 8th and 9th grade students dating, teen
sexual violence is a significant concern as noted by the authors
of the 2006 Safe Dates Project. In 2007, a
Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence Victimization
report revealed that 60.4% of female and 69.2% of male victims
experienced their first rape before age 18. In addition to the
risk for injury and death, victims of dating violence are more
likely to later engage in risky sexual behavior, unhealthy
dieting behaviors, substance abuse, and, for some, suicide. And
one in four adolescents report verbal, physical, emotional, or
sexual abuse from a dating partner each year according to the
authors of the Safe Dates Project.
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Sherrill Moore, RDH, (District 5-2), provides Oral
Health Education, and has visited Macon-Bibb County EOCI
Head Start, sites Carver HS, Davis Homes HS and the
Melton Center HS.
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October is National Dental Hygiene Month, and time to learn about
and celebrate good oral health habits. The celebration reinforces
that dental check-ups are vital for health and well-being. The
Georgia Oral Health Prevention Program dentists and dental
hygienists have been providing information about oral disease
prevention, through community services and the day-to-day efforts of
state dental clinics.
Celebrating oral health is simple. "Healthy habits for a Healthy
Smile" is the American Dental Hygiene Association (ADHA)
promotion for National Dental Hygiene Month. This health
awareness effort highlights the easy ways patients can build a
simple oral health regimen into their busy lifestyles for
optimal oral health. ADHA and the Georgia Oral Health
Prevention Program continue to work toward increasing the
public's awareness about the importance of preventive dental
care. One important effort is to make sure Georgians are
maintaining good oral hygiene by developing and continuing with
daily oral health routines. For more information, visit
www.adha.org.
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Younger doctors are less likely to believe in vaccine
effectiveness compared to older doctors. (Anne
Cusack/Los Angeles Times)
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At a time when enthusiasm for vaccination is waning among parents in
the United States, a new study shows younger doctors are less likely
than their older peers to be staunch believers in the effectiveness
and safety of vaccines.
The study, presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the
Infectious Diseases Society of America in Boston, was comprised
of survey data from 551 doctors. Recent graduates from medical
school were 15% less likely to believe vaccines are effective
compared to older doctors. The research suggests that younger
doctors have a different view of the risk-versus-benefit profile
of vaccines. The doctors were surveyed at about childhood
vaccines such as polio, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella.
It could be that some younger doctors are less enthusiastic
about vaccination because they belong to a generation of people
who grew up with vaccinations and never experienced diseases
like measles and chicken pox, much less polio, the researchers
suggested.
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PHRECIPE |
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Lentil, Apple & Walnut Salad with
Cider Dressing
Servings: 8
Calories: 260
Preparation Time:
55 minutes
Click Here for Full Recipe
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Home | PH Board Initial Decisions |
Seymour Joins Panel |
Carbon Monoxide Dangers |
Sexual Violence Month |
Improving Overall Health |
Docs Not as Pro-vaccine |
PHRECIPE |
PHBRIEFS |
PHEVENTS
|
PHNEWS
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