Last week, the US Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin released a Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. This call to action was aimed at families, communities, employers and health care professionals to improve breastfeeding rates and increase support for breastfeeding. Download the complete report and the fact sheet.
On January 11, 2011, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) released a new design and organization for its Main Web site. Added features are navigation to popular links, social sharing functionality so users can share content to people through Facebook, Twitter, and social bookmarking services.
America’s Health Rankings?« has been tracking the state of our nation’s health for over 20 years. This analysis provides a comprehensive perspective on our national health issues, state by state.
America’s Health Rankings?«-2010 Edition shows Vermont at the top of the list of healthiest states again this year. Massachusetts is ranked second this year, an improvement from ranking third last year. New Hampshire is number three, followed by Connecticut and Hawaii. However, although Mississippi is 50th and the least healthy state, Louisiana is 49th. Arkansas, Nevada and Oklahoma complete the bottom five states.
Louisiana dropped two spots from last year due to several factors including a high rate of obesity and smoking. On the positive side, Louisiana has a high ranking for access to prenatal care and childhood immunizations. Stay Healthy, Louisiana has a great summary of the state’s ranking.
In honor of National Hand Washing Week, December 5-11, remember that washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to prevent the spread of disease and infection. Wash up for 20 seconds every time you sneeze, cough, blow your nose, and after you use the restroom. People notice when you don’t. And we talk. Check out the Center for Disease Control’s site for more information.
Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. For 3 decades, Healthy People has established benchmarks and monitored progress over time in order to encourage collaborations across sectors, guide individuals toward making informed health decisions, and measure the impact of prevention activities.
Healthy People 2020 continues in this tradition with the launch on December 2, 2010 of its ambitious, yet achievable, 10-year agenda for improving the NationÔÇÖs health. Healthy People 2020 is the result of a multiyear process that reflects input from a diverse group of individuals and organizations.
New topic areas for 2020 include:
Adolescent Health
Blood Disorders and Blood Safety
Dementias, Including AlzheimerÔÇÖs Disease
Early and Middle Childhood
Genomics
Global Health
Healthcare-Associated Infections
Health-Related Quality of Life and Well-Being
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health
Older Adults
Preparedness
Sleep Health
Social Determinants of Health
Stay connected to Healthy People 2020 by signing up for e-mail, following on Twitter, connecting on LinkedIn, or joining the Consortium to stay up-to-date with the latest Healthy People information and events.
Today, December 1st, is the date globally recognized as World Aids Day. This annual observance was designated in 1988 as a way to bring attention to the AIDS/HIV epidemic.
According to the Louisiana Third Quarter 2010 HIV/Aids Report published by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals 17,944 persons is currently living with HIV/AIDS in Louisiana. Between the months of January- December 2009 1,220 persons were newly diagnosed with HIV in Louisiana. These are only some of surprising statistics.
For more information about this observance and AIDS Awareness in general visit aids.gov.
NLM exhibit
With the news that Cholera has taken over 100 lives in Haiti, a National Library of Medicine exhibit on the history of the disease came to mind.
Louisiana has had its own battle with the disease. As recently as 1986, cases of cholera were reported in South Louisiana, including Jefferson Parish. Not to mention the over 4,000 people who died of the disease in New Orleans in 1832.
Bed bugs have been all over the National news and now they are making their way to Louisiana. The LSU Ag Center has published information on bed bugs; the Louisiana State Epidemiologist office has created a 12 page document on the “Control and Prevention of Bed Bugs.”
Got a cabinet full of unused prescription drugs? Well the National Takeback Initiative is going on this Saturday September 25th in hopes to safely dispose of unused and expired prescriptions and over the counter solid dosage medicines. The effort is to bring forth awareness of pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse. These drugs are a potential source of supply for illegal use and an unacceptable risk to public health and safety.
A few recommended disposal options include:
For more information, please visit:
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/takeback/
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/prescrip_disposal.pdf
Since the safety of Louisiana seafood has been a big topic in the news lately, I was pleased to discover that the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals, along with the departments of Wildlife and Fisheries, Environmental Quality, and Agriculture and Forestry have been issuing weekly Seafood Safety Surveillance Reports since July. The latest report was issued today.
110 years ago today, Major James Carroll, a US Army Physician, “allowed an infected mosquito to feed on him in an attempt to isolate the means of transmission of yellow fever. Carroll developed a severe case of yellow fever, helping his colleague, Army pathologist Walter Reed, prove that mosquitoes transmit this often-deadly disease (from the Library of Congress).” James Carroll is one of the Yellow Fever Commission physicians featured on the Enrique Alferez frieze in the LSUHSC Library Commons. The featured men are Walter Reed, Aristides Agramonte (for whom the Library was originally named), Jesse Lazear, and James Carroll.
Conquest of Yellow Fever frieze by Enrique Alferez
If you have an interest in Forensic Sciences, don’t miss this opportunity to learn from some of the best in the field. The workshop will include luncheon speakers Orleans Parish Coroner, Dr. Frank Minyard, and crime writer, forensic anthropologist, and academic, Kathy Reichs (of Bones fame.)
The 13th Annual Investigation for Identification: Forensic Sciences Enter a New Decade
Sponsored by LSU Continuing Dental Education.
Friday, August 27 – Saturday, August 28, 2010
14 hrs CDE (non-clinical, lecture) – 14 hrs CME Cat. 2 – 14 hrs CLE
Fee: $545*
Course Directors
Philip J. Levine, DDS, MS, MSM — Robert E. Barsley, DDS, JD — Robert B. Brannon, DDS, MS
Faculty
Michael Baden, MD — Henry C. Lee, PhD — Sam Brothers — Mary Manhein, MA — Tommy Martin — Robert B. J. Dorion, DDS — Christopher G. Fielding, COL, DC, USA — Joe Navarro, BS, MA
School is now in session for most states across the U.S. and right on time for National Immunization Awareness Month. The main goal is to increase awareness about immunizations which are very important because they can help protect yourself and others against life-threatening infections.
Throughout the U.S. there are?ástill some?ádeaths associated with vaccine-preventable diseases. Last year in Louisiana there was an?áincrease in reports of Hepatitis B and Pertussis (whooping cough)?áthan in 2008, which are two vaccine-preventable diseases. ?á
Not sure about what vaccines you might need? Check out the following link & take a brief quiz so that you can get a better idea of what you and your doctor should discuss on your next visit:
http://www2.cdc.gov/nip/adultImmSched/
?áFor more information, please visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam/default.htm
http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/page.asp?ID=249&Detail=7428
Four LSUHSC School of Public Health MPH students were recipients of the New Orleans Schweitzer Fellowships for 2010. Reece Alkire and Meagan Relle are working with Volunteers of America to develop and implement a disease prevention program focusing on homeless veterans. Megan Burns is creating a school gardening program at James Weldon Johnson Elementary School to instruct children on growing, preparing, and marketing fresh produce. Emily Mabile is collaborating with art therapists, teaching children in Central City how to create murals. This art form promotes mental health by empowering children to represent themselves and their schools.
The New Orleans Schweitzer Fellowship Foundaton established in 2007 as part of the U.S. Schweitzer Fellows Program?« . Approximately 200 exceptional students from the nation’s top health and human service schools are selected to follow in Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s footsteps.
The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center (GNOCDC) is commemorating the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with the New Orleans Index at Five. The index “provides a comprehensive examination of the region through 20 key indicators, as well as seven topical essays informed by on the ground experience and research.” Of particular interest to the health science community is the essay on Community Health Clinics (pdf).
Quicklinks▼
Careers
Citrix Storefront
Contact
Donate
Find Employees
LSU Health New Orleans
Intranet
Moodle
myLSUHSC
Office 365
OWA Email
Patient Care
Remote VPN
Self Service
LSU Health New Orleans