T he P o rtland O bserver • M arch 1, 1995
P age A5
H E A LTH
Dental Care Not Available
to Many Oregonians
M any people in Oregon do not
have access to oral health care ser­
vices and face barriers in receiving
basic preventive dental services.
These are the conclusions o f an
Rural counties face an undersupply
o f dentists; three counties have no
services to the Oregon Health Plan is
a positive step tow ard im p ro v in g
dentists and another has one dentist
access. H ow ever, a serious problem
remains because o f a shortage o f
providers that exist in some areas. It
is also unclear how much capacity
to serve its 8,450 people.
Oregon Health D iv is io n task force
Oregon has one dental school,
located in Portland, M ost o f its stu­
on Access to O ral Health Services.
O ther issues and recommendations
dents spend c lin ic a l practice tim e at
the school. V e ry few have c lin ic a l
fo r im provem ents are outlined in the
experiences outside the W illam ette
V alley.
g ro u p ’ s recently released report.
D isabled, e ld e rly and poor pop­
ulations have the m ost serious access
problem s and the highest rates o f
oral disease. Public water supplies
lack flu o rid a tio n , not enough c h il­
dren receive dental sealants, and large
groups o f people are unable to access
T h e fiv e d e n ta l h y g ie n is t e d ­
u c a tio n p ro g ra m s in the state are
in P o rtla n d , G re s h a m , E ugene
and K la m a th F a lls . F ew h y g ie n ­
ists p ra c tic e b e y o n d those areas,
p a rtly because th e y are re q u ire d
regular oral health services, accord­
to p ra c tic e u n d e r the s u p e rv is io n
o f d e n tis ts and p a rtly because
ing to task force findings.
th e y p re fe r to re m a in w h e re th e y
Eighty-three percent o f general
Kaiser Permanente Offers Health
Education Classes In North Portland
practice dentists are located in the six
have a lre a d y e s ta b lis h e d w o r k ­
in g re la tio n s h ip s .
counties in the Interstate 5 corridor.
The proposed a d dition o f dental
each dentist has fo r serving M e d ic ­
aid clients and how many they are
w illin g to include in th e ir practice.
m onitor im plem entation o f these rec­
N. Interstate Ave., Portland. Cost is
$75 fo r kaiser Permanente mem­
omm endations and to evaluate our
progress,” said Dr. Grant H igginson,
M onday, Tuesday and Wednesday,
Feb. 2 7 ,2 8 and M arch 1, at Kaiser
(T ow n H a ll), 4704 N. Interstate Ave.,
Portland. Cost is $30 fo r K aiser
Permanente’ s Education & C on-
Permanente members/couples, $60
acting state health o ffic e r and task
force member “ The strategies we
propose can make a sig n ifica n t im ­
provement fo r many Oregonians who
lack access to oral health services.”
to 2 pm on Saturday, February 25,
can A m e ric a n s w ith d ia b e te s are
1995 in the Safeway Store parking
u n a w a re th e y have th e disease.
S c re e n in g is m o st im p o rta n t fo r
in d iv id u a ls w ith h ig h ris k fa c ­
co m m u n ity that is health conscious,
by understanding prevention and tak­
tu n ity Day D in n e r on February 23rd.
H ow ever, anyone may participate in
the free screening.
A c c o rd in g to the A m e ric a n
M e dical A ssociation, A fric a n A m e r­
icans are at higher ris k o f having
diabetes. M o re A fric a n A m erican
The screening w ill be conduct­
ed by The O regon L io n s Sight and
H e a rin g F o u n d a tio n ’ s M o b ile
Screening U n it. P articipants must be
18 years o r o ld e r and have taken no
food o r beverage fo r three hours p ri­
adults are diagnosed w ith diabetes
o r to screening (w ater and b lack c o f­
fee are O K ).
(1 9 % to 12% fo r w hites); die from
diabetes ( 2 - to -1 fo r w hites); and suf­
fe r serious side affects (one study
“ Early detection is often the key
to preventing serious health p ro b ­
lems,” said Urban League president
showed blacks have fiv e tim es the
and C E O Law rence J. D ark. “ We
w elcom e the chance to w o rk w ith the
rate o f kidney fa ilu re as w hites).
in g a ctio n , is part o f the U rban
League's v is io n .”
I f diabetes is detected after the
screening, fin a n c ia l assistance is
available fo r a d o c to r’ s v is it fo r peo­
ple who cannot a ffo rd care.
F or m ore in fo rm a tio n , contact
Scott M aguire, E xecutive D ire cto r
o f The L io n s F oundation at 229-
7399.
The U rban League o f Portland
is a n o n -p ro fit, com m unity-based
human service, econom ic and social
ju s tic e agency serving a t-risk youth
and fam ilies, students, jo b seekers,
and seniors in the m etro area. The
League is one o f 113 local a ffilia te s
o f the N a tio n a l U rban League.
Dental Care Offered To Children
In c e le b ra tio n o f N a tio n a l
C h ild re n 's H e a lth M o n th and as
p a rt o f the c o n tin u in g e ffo rts o f
V o lu n te e r h y g ie n is ts w il l be
p la c in g s e a la nts, a c le a r o r to o th -
c o lo re d re s in , on the c h e w in g s u r­
T he O re g o n D e n ta l H y g ie n ­
is ts ’ A s s o c ia tio n w il l be w o r k in g
in c o n ju n c tio n w ith fiv e g ra d e
the d e n ta l c o m m u n ity to m eet
faces o f the b a ck m o la rs . S e a l­
s c h o o ls and fiv e d e n ta l h y g ie n e
O re g o n ’ s o ra l h e a lth needs, the
ants are a v e ry e ffe c tiv e m e th o d
p ro g ra m s in O re g o n , th e O re g o n
O re g o n D e n ta l H y g ie n is ts ’ A s ­
o f p re v e n tin g d e ca y and a lo n g
s o c ia tio n w i l l be c o n d u c in g a
s ta te w id e se a la n t p ro g ra m fo r
H e a lth S ciences U n iv e rs ity , P o rt­
la n d C o m m u n ity C o lle g e , M t.
c ru c ia l in h e a d in g o f f the h ig h e r
H o o d C o m m u n ity C o lle g e , L a n e
tre a tm e n t c o s ts re s u ltin g
d e n ta l n e g le c t.
C o m m u n ity C o lle g e and the O r e ­
u n d e rp riv ile g e d c h ild re n d u rin g
the m o n th o f F e b ru a ry .
w ith
a d e q u a te flu o r id a tio n
are
fro m
to attend at no extra charge Please
register at least 10 days before the
class starts.
L iv in g w ith an overactive child
sessions w ill be from 6:30 to 9:30
sive diabetes screening fro m 10 am
tending the League's Equal O p p o r­
can put stress on the entire fam ily .
Learn more about coping w ith this
condition in "Parenting a C h ild w ith
p.m. on Thursdays, M arch 2 and
March 9, at K aiser Permanente’ s
E d ucation & C onference C enter
Oregonians.
“ The task force w ill continue to
Lions F oundation to g ive our co n stit­
to rs , in c lu d in g b e in g o v e rw e ig h t
and h a v in g a fa m ily h is to ry o f
d ia b e te s .
other support person is encouraged
to co n tro l yo u r diabetes. The three-
session “ Diabetes: Basic Educa­
tio n ” w ill be from 2 to 5 p.m. on
The report outl ines 13 strategies
fo r increasing access to services and
fo r im provem ent in the health o f
uents in fo rm a tio n they need to live
healthy, fu lfillin g lives. B u ild in g a
tickets w ill be given to everyone at­
ter at least 10 days before the class
starts
A tte n tio n D e fic it H y p e ra c tiv ity
D isorder (Ages 12 and U nder).”
Classes w ill be from 6:30 p m . on
Thursdays, March 2 through A p ril
27, at Kaiser Permanente’ s N orth
T h e fre e s c re e n in g is a re ­
lot at 5920 N E M a rtin L u th e r K in g ,
P e rm a n e n te ’ s H e a lth E d u c a tio n
d e p a rtm e n t at (5 0 3 ) 2 8 6 -6 8 1 6 .
fo r the general public. Please regis­
Interstate ave., Portland Cost is $ 15
fo r Kaiser Permanente members, $75
fo r the general p ublic. A spouse or
“ Emergency Care o f the Y oung
C h ild ” is a first aid and CPR program
fo r parents o f newborns The tw o
sponse to one s ta tis tic th a t we
can c o n tr o l: at le a st h a lf o f A f r i ­
Jr. B lvd . Coupons good fo r a screen­
ing and a dra w in g fo r T ra il B lazer
s p r in g
th r o u g h
K a is e r
P e rm a n e n te . F o r r e g is tr a tio n
in fo r m a tio n ,
c a ll
K a is e r
ferenceC enter(T ow n H a ll), 3704 N.
U ncontrolled diabetes can lead
to serious health problems. Kaiser
Permanente offers several classes
where you can learn self-care skills
Free Diabetes Screening Offered By
Urban League And Lions Foundation
The U rban League o f Portland
w ill co-sponsor a free com prehen­
S e ve ra l classes o p e n to the
p u b lic are b e in g o ff e r e d in
N o rth P o rtla n d th is w in te r and
Interstate Services B u ild in g , 7201
bers/couples, $140 fo r the general
public. Please register at least 10
days before the class starts.
Cameroon Pharmacist
Studies In Portland
A
p h a rm a c is t fro m
the
Cameroons w ill be spending tw o
months in Portland to gain new skills
and ultimately improve patient care
in his country.
Nkwenti Achu directs a phar­
macy in the Cameroons w hich serves
as a training center fo r U niversity o f
N igeria students, the U niversity o f
Uganda and other universities.
He w ill spend one month w ork­
ing w ith Dr. Kate Farthing, assistant
professor o f pharmacy fo r inform a­
tion sciences and director o f the O r­
egon State University/Oregon Health
Science University Drug Consulta­
tio n C enter. The p h a rm a cy in
Cameroon is also used as a reference
center fo r drug inform ation.
Achu w ill also spend a month
working with Dr. Dean Haxby, assis­
tant professor o f pharmacy and fam­
ily medicine. He w ill present a sem­
inar in Cameroon at future dates in
Corvallisand Portland. Achu.anO SU
alumnus, said many o f the health
policies in Cameroon have been based
upon health procedures adopted in
»
Professor Peter Vanderveen welcomes Nkwenti Achu (left) of the
Cameroons to the Oregon State University Pharmacy College in
Portland.
Join us in celebrating
nitje J îo rtla itô (ïDbseruer’s
Twenty-fifth Anniversary.
Sì
gon In s titu te o f T e c h n o lo g y .
Prices effective March 1 through March
7, 1995 at your nearby Safeway store
Steak
• Value Pack
• 3 or More per
Package
• SAVE UP TO
70e PER LB.
J H E IN ? /
TOMATO
KETCHUP
Squeeze Bottle
Heinz Ketchup
• 28-0unce
• SAVE UP TO
200
Seedless
• i10*Lb. Bag
Grapes O D 0 | Potatoes Q O 0
• Red
• Black
• Thompson
b
Lb.
,
Look In Your This Week Magazine
tor our weekly Safeway Savings Guide!
• Russet
Ea.
it
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