July 1 7 , 1991—T h e P o rtlan d O b s e rv e r-P a g e 9
Kaiser Permanente Offers Health
Education Classes In North Portland
Several classes open to the public
are being offered in North Portland this
summer and fall through Kaiser Per­
manente. To register for any class, call
Kaiser Permanente’s Health Education
message phone at (503) 286-6815.
“ Parenting Skills (for ages 5 to
12)” is for people wishing to improve
their parenting abilities. The eight, two-
hour sessions are on Thursday nights
from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. starting July 18
through Sept. 5. Classes will be held at
Kaiser Permanente’s Education and
Conference Center (Town Hall), 3704
North Interstate Avenue in Portland.
Cost is $72 for individuals or couples
who are Kaiser Permancnte members,
$140 for the general public (fee in­
cludes text).
“ Freedom from Fat” is Kaiser
Permanente’s 20-week weight man­
agement program for adults tired of
diets and ready for a serious, scientifi­
cally based program. The course is co­
led by professional nutritionists and
behavior specialists who teach better
eating and exercise habits. “ Winning
over W eight” is a 24-week weight
management program for adults who
are at least 50-100 lbs. overweight. A
free, one-hour explanatory session about
both courses will be held in Room
249A of Kaiser Permanente’s North
Interstate Building, 7201 N. Interstate
Avenue, on Friday, August 23, at 3:30
p.m. No registration is required.
Learn the latest and most effec­
tive techniques for kicking the smok­
ing habit for good through Kaiser Per­
manente’s “ Freedom From Cigarettes”
program. Attend at no charge a one-
hour, no-obligation explanatory ses­
sion at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, August
7, in Conference Room 249B of Kaiser
Permanente's North Interstate Build­
ing, 7201 North Interstate Avenue,
Portland. Classes consist of four two-
hour sessions and four one-and-one-
half hour sessions. Cost is $25 for
Kaiser Permanente members and $ 110
for the general public. Both groups
also pay a $50 deposit, which is re­
funded upon completion of all classes.
Communication and decision­
making skills for many couples are
easy to learn but difficult to imple­
ment. Kaiser Permanente’s “ Couples
Communication” class helps couples
learn and practice basic skills of com ­
munication. The eight, two-hour ses­
sions will be on Mondays, July 29
through Sept. 23, from 6:30 to 8:30
p.m., at Kaiser Permanente’s Educa­
tion and Conference Center (Town Hall),
3704 N. Interstate Avenue, Portland.
Everybody can experience limes
of mild depression and lowered self­
esteem. Kaiser Permanente’s “ Over­
coming Mild Depression and Low Sell-
Esteem” program, consisting of eight
TELEMETRY
STAFF RN position available. Evening and nights, 40 hours a
week, 2 to 3 years clinical experience, work with cardiac patients.
ACLS helpful.
MEDICAL ASSIST/RADIOLOGY CERTIFIED
F ull time Medical Assistant needed for our family practice
clinic located in Sandy. Some lab duties, limited x-ray-certified. 2
yrs Medical Assistant experience required. Nice work environment
and full benefits. Call Karla at 668-8002 Wed-Fri 9am-3pm
PHYSICAL THERAPIST
LICENSED physical therapist or physical therapist assistant
wanted to work with a challenging orthopedic case load. We offer
state of the art, modern testing and treatment equipment.
PORTLAND ADVENTIST MEDICAL CENTER
Apply in Personnel at
10123 SE Market St.,
Portland, OR 97215
or call 251-6130.
Tick Season Brings Threat
of Lyme Disease
Warm weather signals the start of
tick season in many areas of the coun­
try, including the Pacific Northwest.
According to the Arthritis Foundation,
the bite of a certain type of tick can
also pass along Lyme Disease. The
foundation has a free brochure with in­
formation on the disease, it symptoms,
and ways to avoid tick bites. It is avail­
able by writing the Oregon Chapter at
4412 S.W. Barbur Blvd., Portland, OR
97201, or by calling 222-7246 - Port­
land area or 1 -800-283-3004 toll free.
Lyme disease is carried by a deer
tick which is infected with a spiral­
shaped bacterium called Borrelia
burgdorferi. It is spread to humans
through the tick’s bite. Since the tick is
only the size o f a pinhead, its presence
is difficult to detect Often, it is only
through onset of a reddish or purplish
bull ’ s-eye target rash, radiating around
the bite, that a person becomes aware
of the disease. However, about one
third of those with Lyme disease never
get this rash, which usually develops
from three days to one month after the
bite. Other early-stage symptoms can
include a stiff neck, chills, fever, sore
throat headaches, fatigue and joint pain.
In the early stages, the disease is cur­
able with antibiotics.
In later stages, Lyme disease may
be confused with other medical prob­
lems which can develop weeks to years
after the first tick bite. It can cause
problems with the nervous system that
look like other diseases and can cause
serious heart problems. Lyme disease
can result in disabling, chronic type of
arthritis that most often affects the knees.
It was through research funded in
part by the Arthritis Foundation that
this disease was first discovered in Lyme,
Connecticut. The Arthritis Foundation
is the only national voluntary health as­
sociation seeking the causes, cures,
preventions and treatment for the more
than 100 forms of arthritis.
Study of Gay and Bisexual Men
Indicates Possible Changes in
safer Sex Practices
maintenance o f new health habits. CAP
Portland State University and
Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) will hold
a joint press conference on Thursday,
July 18 at 10:00 a.m. at Portland State
University in Room 327 Smith Memo­
rial Center. The two organizations will
announce findings of the pilot phase of
the Portland M en’s Study, a collabora
live research effort. The study indi­
cates that many gay and bisexual men
have difficulty maintaining safer sex­
ual behavior. CAP will announce new
educational programs designed to pre­
vent the problem of gay and bisexual
men relapsing to unsafe behavior.
The Portland Men’s Study aims to
understand how the social relationships
of
and bisexual men influence their
safer sex practices. As the AIDS epi­
demic enters its second decade, the
study will provide invaluable informa­
tion about the adoption of safer sex
practices over time. The study is re­
cruiting participants through the end of
July, 1991. Pilot findings from August,
1990 already indicate the importance
of peer support in helping gay and
bisexual men be safe.
CAP recognizes that, as with any
long-lasting health behavior change,
initial adoption is easier than ongoing
I
has anticipated this need in the design
of new programs that support gay and
bisexual men’s commitment to safer
sex.
These
------- persons will be available at
the press conference for secondary inter
views:
David Lane, HIV Educator, Ore­
gon Health Division (503) 229-5792,
will be available to discuss services
provided by the State of Oregon for
people with HIV infection.
Jeanne Gould, HIV Program Man­
ager, Multnomah County Health Divi­
sion (503) 248-3674, will be available
to discuss services provided by
Multnomah County for people with HIV
infection.
Paul Starr, Executive Director,
Cascade AIDS Project (503) 223-5907,
will be available to discuss other serv­
ices and programs of the Cascade AIDS
Project
For reporters who want additional
photo opportunities, persons complet­
ing research questionnaires and volun­
teers taking calls on the Oregon AIDS
Hotline will be available at the Cas­
cade AIDS Project after the confer­
ence, from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
A ft- *•* * * *
two-hour sessions, teaches skills to
reduce mild depression and improve
self-image. Meetings are on Tuesdays,
August 13 through Oct 1,6:30 to 8:30
p.m., at Bess Kaiser Medical Center,
5055 North Greeley Avenue, Portland.
Cost is $65 for Kaiser Permanent
members, $115 for the general public
(fee includes textbook).
Kaiser Permanente’s “ Managing
Stress and Anxiety ’ ’ program can help
manage stress which accompanies the
pressures of life. Six two-hour ses­
sions will be held July 31 through
Sept. 4 at Kaiser Permanente’s Educa­
tion and Conference Center (Town
Hall), 3704 N. Interstate Avenue,
Portland. Cost is $45 for Kaiser Per-
manente members, $90 for the general
public.
Ending a love relationship can be
difficult. Kaiser Permanente’s “ Di­
vorce Adjustment” program focuses
on adjustments to make divorce more
comfortable. Eight two-hour sessions
are 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays,
July 18 through Sept. 5, at Kaiser Per­
manente’s North Interstate Building,
7201 N. Interstate Avenue, Portland.
Cost is $70 for Kaiser Permanente
members, $120 for the general public.
To register, call Kaiser Perma­
nente’s Health Education Department
message recorder at (503) 286-6880.
Cochlear
Implants For
Children
Recently GOOD MORNING
AMERICA broadcast a segment fea­
turing a five year-old deaf child who is
on the road to hearing with a 22-chan-
nel Cochlear implant, a device which
enables even children bom deaf to
recognize environmental sounds and
speech. He was one of the first children
to receive a Cochlear implant follow­
ing the Food and Drug Administra­
tion’s approval of the device in chil­
dren, ages 2-17, last summer.
The child’s parents discovered
cochlear implant technology as a result
of a television segment that aired last
year. This underscores the media’s vi­
tal role as a prime source of informa­
tion about cochlear implants. Most
profoundly deaf children are not under
the care of audiologists or otologist,
and parents first learn through televi­
sion and newspaper reports that there is
a technology that can help their child.
This summer marks the one year
anniversary of the FDA approval. One
in 1,000 children in the United States is
bom deaf each year and thousands or
more lose their hearing during child­
hood due to accidents and illnesses. It
is particularly important to educate
parents about cochlear implants, as
surgeons and audiologists tell us that
children derive the most benefit from
the device when it is implanted as soon
as possible after they become deaf and/
or during the years they normally would
acquire speech and language skills.
Medicare Supplement
Insurance Guide
Released
Oregon Insurance Consumer Ad­
vocacy has just released its 1991 Con­
sumer Guide to Medicare Supplement
Insurance In Oregon.
The Guide summarizes the bene­
fits and premiums of the 49 most popu­
lar Medicare supplement insurance plans
available in Oregon. It also describes
the benefits o f the federal Medicare
program and defines words commonly
found in insurance contracts. Readers
of the Guide can also learn how to
make a complaint against an insurance
company or agent
Medicare supplement insurance has
historically filled all or part of the “ gaps
between charges covered by the federal
Medicare program and the actual
charges. The Consumer Guide to
Medicare Supplement Insurance in
Oregon is a useful tool for consumers
who arc trying to find the best policy to
fill those gaps.
To get a free copy of the Guide
write “ Consumer Guide to Medicare
Supplement Insurance,’ ’ Oregon Insur­
ance Consumer Advocacy, 440 Labor
& Industries Building, Salem OR 97310.
Oregon Health Sciences Uni­
versity, Portland, proposes to ac­
quire a third CAT scanner. On June 27,
1991, this project was ruled subject to
full review under certificate o f need
law. The estimated capital expenditure
for this project is $1,300,000.
Depression Called America's #1 Health Problem;
Conferece Goal is to Double Treatment Seekers
Depressive illness was character­
ized as America’s #1 mental health
problem during “ The National Con­
ference on Depressive Illness: A Call
to Action’ ’ that was attended by repre­
sentatives of more than 100 organiza­
tions.
During the conference, the Acting
Director of the National Institute of
Mental Health, Dr. Alan Leshner, said
“ Its human costs are enorm ous-in lost
lives, reduced worker productivity,
alcohol and drug abuse, and spiraling
health care expenditure. In 1989 alone
depressive illness cost the American
economy $27 billion—$17 billion in
worker absenteeism alone.”
“ We think as few as 30% of those
who have depression might be getting
treatment and our goal is to double that
in five years,” said U.S. Sen. Pete
Domenici (R-N.M.). Setting the tone
for the landmark conference, Domenici
informed participants that as many as 1
in 5 Americans will have a major epi­
sode of depression during their life­
times. The real problem, he said, is that
most people with depression will not
take care of i t
Conferees also learned that a U.S.
Senate committee is poised to conduct
a hearing on de-stigmalization of the
nation's "silent epidemic.”
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
said de-stigmatization is “ one of the
most important things we can do’ ’ and
disclosed that the Committee on Labor
and Human R esources-of which he is
ranking minority m em ber-isexpected
to focus on that aspect of treatment in
the near future. He said the panel’s
chairman has assured him th at-in
Hatch’s words—“ we will have a hear­
ing in the next few weeks...”
Commenting on barriers to treat­
ment, Dr. Frederick K. Goodwin,
Administrator of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services’ Alco­
hol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health
Administration, remarked that confer­
ees cannot allow the treatment of de­
pressive illness to be driven back “ into
the era of black magic, cultism and
superstition that we came out of a cen­
tury ago. If we allow that to happen,”
said Goodwin, it ‘ ‘could un-do most of
the work all of us have strived so hard
to achieve.”
“ Depression is eminently treat­
able,” keynote speaker William Sty-
ron told the gathering. The Pulitzer-
prize w inning author went on to say, " ft
is a horrible disease, a sometimes mor­
tal disease, but one from which people
recover-and fully recover. I’m a living
example of that...because I have been
free of depression for a long lime.”
Hosted by eight mental health or­
ganizations, the conference was held to
mobilize groups ranging from the
American Association of Retired Per­
sons to the National Urban League in
the fight against depressive illness.
Conference conveners were the
American Associauon of Pastoral Coun­
selors; the American Psychiatric Asso­
ciation; the .American Psychiatric Nurses’
Association; the American Psychology
Association; the National Alliance for
the Mentally 111; the National Depres­
sive and Manic-Depressive Association;
the National Federation of Societies for
Clinical Social Work; and the Nation.il
Mental Health Association.
For a free booklet on depressive
illness, contact:
National Depressive and
Manic-Depressive Association
P.O. Box 1939
Chicago, IL 60690
Todays Children Have Little Fear of Dental Care
Fewer children experience anxiety
towards dental care due to early dental
visits and advances in dental treatment,
according to the Multnomah Dental
Society.
Parents are now more aware of the
importance of early, regular dental visits.
In 1983, 28 percent of children be­
tween 2 and 4 years of age, and 67
percent of children between 5 and 17
years of age, had visited a dentist the
previous year, but by 1986 these per­
centages increased to 33 and 71 per­
cent, respectively.
General dentists and pediatric
dentists, who specialize in the care of
children, can provide many tips to par­
ents about preparing their children for
dental visits and about preventing den­
tal diseases.
Both dental professionals and par­
ents are becoming skilled in making
dental care a positive experience. The
Multnomah Dental Society recommends
that care should begin immediately after
birth. Cleaning infant’s gums with a
soft, damp washcloth or clean gauze
pad after each feeding establishes hy­
giene as a pleasant, daily routine.
A child’s first dental visit should
be between 2-3 years, unless an un­
usual problem or condition is present.
As teeth come in, parents should use a
soft toothbrush and a dab of toothpaste
to clean their child’s teeth. These daily
hygiene activities help accustom the
child to future dental procedures.
Parents are instructed in the care
and development of their child’s teeth
and in prevention of baby bottle tooth
decay. In this condition liquids con­
taining sugars, such as milk or juices,
are left in the infant’s mouth for long
periods of time, damaging the infant’s
teeth.
Some children initially experience
dental anxiety. In particular, they fear
injections, drilling and the possibility
of choking, but by using a number of
behavioral modification techniques.
dentists can relax their young patients.
One of the most common techniques
is role playing. Unlike adults, who can
be told what to expect o f a procedure,
children have difficulty understanding
abstractions, so they are shown—or role
play-w hat will happen. Before treat­
ment, for example, children are intro­
duced to the sounds of the vacuum, the
spray and the handpiece. When it comes
time for treatment, they have already
experienced many of the sensations of
the dental environment
Distraction, using stereo headphones
or electronic games placed in the wait­
ing rooms, is another anxiety reducing
technique. Playing tapes of children’s
favorite stories during treatments has
been found to be especially relaxing.
When 45 children aged 4 to 9 listened to
audiotaped stories during dental visits,
their level of uncooperative behavior
dropped by 80 percent, according to a
study published in The Journal of the
American Dental Association.
THE OREGON
HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HEALTH CARE FIELD
• REGISTERED NURSES
• CERTIFIED NURSE ASSISTANTS
• MEDICAL TECHNOLOGISTS
• LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES
• MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIANS
• THERAPISTS
• OFFICE SPECIALISTS
• OFFICE ASSISTANTS
• MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONISTS
Let us tell you about these, and more.
Our Personnel Office is located at 2525 SW 3rd,
Portland, Oregon 97201, (503) 494-8060.
Job line: 494-6478.
Douglas Community Hospi­
tal, Roseburg, proposes to develop
an 11-bed long-term care facility at the
hospital. The OHP has not yet ruled on
this letter of intent
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