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P age A5
T he P ortland O bser \ i r • M arch 8, 1995
HEALTH
Little Scabies Mites Cause Big Itch
T h e y're tiny m ites that cause a
infested person, anything from h o ld
mighty itch. And the sharing ofgloves
ing hands to w re stlin g w ith school
the household even i f o n ly one per
son appears infested," says Church.
and mittens in w in te r can spread the
mates. They can also be spread when
‘‘Clothes and bedding also need to be
Sarcoptes scabies mites, w hich cause
people have sex o r sleep together.
washed and d ried on hot cycles.”
C h u rc h e n co u ra g e d p e o p le to
"Intense itching usually appears
scabies.
"These mites are com m on in
from four to six weeks after a person
Oregon. But because o f the stigma,
people d o n 't ta lk about being infest
ed," says Kaiser Permanente’ s infec
is firs t exposed," she says. " I f y o u ’ ve
been exposed before, the symptoms
can occur in as little as a day or tw o .”
tion co n tro l expert N ancy Church.
Church, w ho practices at Bess
Fortunately, the mites can be
k ille d w ith an application o f pre
Kaiser M edical Center in north Port
land. says children and adults pick up
scription lotions. The lotions must be
the mites form close contact w ith an
spread over the body from the neck
down. "W e must treat everybody in
Nurses Foundation, Inc. w ill fund
one year o f neighborhood im m u n i
zation clinics.
The Oregon Nurses Association
c lin ic coordinator.
The up-to-date im m u n iza tio n
rate is a lo w 49% in the Lents neigh
borhood, and school exclusion let
ters support this fin d in g. On E xclu
get p ro m p t tre a tm e n t as the m ite s
m u ltip ly r a p id ly , e n la rg in g the
rash. “ D o n ’ t be asham ed to see a
d o c to r. S ca b ie s sh o w up a m o n g
the ric h and p o o r, am o n g a ll ages
and o c c u p a tio n s - even o rc h e s tra
o u tb re a k .”
B is the part o f the M edicare program
opportunity to certain in d iv id u a ls
that covers d o cto rs’ charges. It is
w ho d id not receive an open e n ro ll
and w ho have found it d iffic u lt to
available to those people w ho are 65
and o lder o r disabled and w ho have
ment period because they were a l
purchase M edicare supplem ent in
surance w ill now have an “ open
paid into the Social Security system.
T h is special period began January
en ro llm e n t” period du rin g w hich
C ongress re c e n tly im p ro v e d
they can purchase the p o lic y o f
upon this law by a llo w in g persons
w ho have M edicare by reason o f
1,1995, and ends on June 30, 1995.
B eneficiaries who turned 65 after
care by reason o f d isa b ility d o n 't
fo llo w in g th e ir 65th birthday. For
know about th e ir open enrollm ent
e xa m p le , som eone w h o became
may purchase any M edicare sup
plem ent insurance p o lic y available
rights, according to Lisa Joyce, O r
M e d ica re -e lig ib le due to a d isa b lin g
in
egon's S e n io r H ealth Insurance
co n d itio n at age 50, w o u ld have six
Benefits Assistance (S H IB A ) C o
months beginning at age 65 d u rin g
health conditions du rin g this spe
ordinator. In 1993, the Oregon Leg
w hich no M edicare supplem ent com
islature expanded M edicare ch o ic
pany could deny coverage.
“ T h is is great news fo r M e d i
cia l period
In d iv id u a ls w h o need a s s is
s u p p le m e n t
M e d ica re su p p le m e n t p la n ap
proved fo r sale in the state o f O re
abled status and denied M edicare
o rg a n iz a tio n s can g e t fre e in
fam ilies can receive in fo rm a tio n on
the Oregon health Plan. The c lin ic
gon who is w ith in the first six months
supplem ent insurance coverage in
fo r m a tio n o r re fe rra l to a tra in e d
o f e n ro llin g in M edicare Part B,
lo c a l S H IB A v o lu n te e r fo r as
has also offe re d flu shots and a car
including people w ith medicare by
reason o f d is a b ility . M edicare Part
the past,” said Joyce.
The new leg isla tio n also offers a
seat c lin ic .
E valuation o f the p ro g ra m ’ s e f
period o f one year. The Oregon N urs
ters. C h ild re n are unable to attend
fectiveness w ill be accom plished
es Association was n o tifie d o f the
school u n til they receive th e ir shots.
using b oth fo rm a l im m u n iz a tio n
award January 19, 1995.
In 1993, seventy-one ch ild re n from
tracking mechanisms already in place
the three elementary schools serving
the area received school exclusion
through the county health depart
M e d ic a re
in s u r a n c e ,
h e a lth
and
'f.
‘Managing Herpes’ Gives
Information Doctors May Omit
develop a nursing/com m unity part
nership model that sig n ific a n tly in
approxim ately one th ird o f the par
teers and parents w ill also be asked to
creases and sustains the im m uniza
ents o f kindergartners received warn
People w ho order "M a n a g in g
avoid infecting others, so they need
the o nly nationw ide support program
tion status o f disadvantaged, urban
ing letters.
From a main intersection in the
provide feedback.
As part o f th e ir Cam paign fo r
Herpes: H ow to L iv e and Love w ith
better inform ation on transm ission,”
fo r people w ith genital herpes. The
Better health, the O regon Nurses
A ssociation launched “ Nurses G ive
a Chronic S T D ,” a new handbook
from the A m erican Social Health
she said. “ They also ask about topics
book draws on the C enter’ s 15 years
o f experience in com m unicating d a i
Lents N eighborhood.
The Oregon Nurses Association
heart o f Lents, it takes three bus
has jo in e d w ith P ilg rim Lutheran
Church, 4244 SE 91st Avenue, the
transfers to reach the closest county'
health department c lin ic . Katheryn
K in g , pastor o f P ilg rim Lutheran
K ids a B ooster),” an im m unization
tra in in g program fo r non-pediatric
M ultnom ah County Health D epart
Church, says that "tra v e lin g 20 or 30
offered tra in in g classes to o ver 500
nurses. In the past year, O N A has
Association, are most often seeking
such as n u tritio n , exercise and stress
reduction that may suppress flareups
inform ation th e ir physician has not
provided, such as how to avoid trans
o f the infection. A nd they want more
com plete in fo rm a tio n on m edical
m ittin g the infection.
P ublished in O c to b e r 1994,
treatments then th e ir doctor has pro
to press fo r a second prin tin g , b ring-
vid e d .”
G enital herpes is the most com
mon sexually transm itted disease in
ingthe total number ofco p ie s in print
the U.S., w ith an estimated 40 m il
o f herpes management.
"M a n a g in g H erpes," available
Association to p ro vid e this grass
pointm ent is often too great a barrier
nurses statewide. The volunteer nurs
es re gularly s ta ff im m u n iza tio n c lin
roots im m unization outreach. V o l
unteer nurses w ill adm inister vac
fo r many residents in our com m uni
ics an p ro vid e sig n ific a n t support fo r
ty "
statewide “ Im m unize N o w !” day.
Pastor K in g emphasizes, “ ...we
to25,000. The book currently is avail
lio n Am ericans infected, or one in
book, call the Herpes Resource Cen
fo u r adults. A bout h a lf a m illio n peo
ter at 800/230-6039 or the N a tio n al
ple, get herpes each year. A lthough
Herpes H o tlin e at 919/361-8488.
Sandy M arron, o f the Oregon
im m unization clin ics. The project
Nurses A ssociation, agrees: “ The
are so pleased to w o rk cooperatively
able o nly through direct orders to
w ill include comm unity' education
Lents neighborhood is a very under
w ith the Oregon Nurses A ssociation
A S H A ’ s Herpes Resource Center.
and targeted fo llo w -u p .
The grant w ill a llo w fo r a fu ll
served area. T his population tends to
and county health departm ent to de
and-w hite illustrations, a glossary,
resource list and index. T o order the
there is no cure fo r this vira l S T D , its
Both numbers operate fro m 9 a.m. to
pleased w ith the level o f interest in
physical and em otinal im pact can be
m in im ize d through accurate in fo r
m ation and, fo r many people, some
7 p.m. (Eastern) M onday through
tim e c lin ic coordinator, signage at
be neglected.”
The grant w ill take e ffect in
velop and strengthen the o p p o rtu n ity
fo r preschool im m u n iza tio n s and
the church c lin ic and various adver
M arch and run fo r one fu ll year.
w e ll-c h ild screenings at o u r church.”
tising approaches in the co m m u n ity.
H owever, several successful clin ics
Mem bers o f the church emphasize
A S H A president Peggy Clarke.
Volunteers w ill s ta ff the c lin ic each
have already been held at the church.
that th e ir doors are open to anyone in
em otional counseling.
“ M anaging Herpes” was w rit
and handling) to: A S H A Herpes Re
month, under the dire ctio n o f the
C lin ics w ill be open the firs t Satur-
need o f these health services.
“ M any people who call to order
the book mention that th e ir doctor
ten by Charles Ebel, d ire c to r o f
to ld them very’ little about how to
A S H A ’ s Herpes Resource Center,
13827, Research T riangle Park, N C
27709.
M a n a g in g H e rp e s ’ in the fo u r
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in softcover, has 224 pages, six black-
“ W e ha ve been e x tr e m e ly
months since we published it, said
:
medical advisers eminent in the fie ld
blocks to a health or counseling ap
“ M anaging Herpes” has gone back
■
ly w ith people who have herpes, as
w e ll as the expertise p rovided by
ment and the Lents N eighborhood
cines at the m onthly, church-based
7.
s ista n ce b y c a llin g th e S H IB A
p ro g ra m at 1 -8 0 0 -7 2 2 -4 1 3 4 .
one-tim e, six-m onth open enrollm ent
ment and p u b lic school system. Par
ticipants, co m m u n ity leaders, v o lu n
preschoolers in Southeast Portland's
• •
m a in te n a n c e
letters. In one target area school,
Lents Im m u n iza tio n P roject is to
-
ta n ce w ith M e d ic a re , M e d ic a re
ca re -eligible in d ivid u a ls w ho were
discrim inated against fo r th e ir dis
schools and ce rtifie d daycare cen
r •
> », J/.,
Í it
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the state regardless o f th e ir
have taken advantage o f the im m u n i
zation services to date. A t the c lin ic ,
• * • .6
* >•
N o v e m b e rs , 1991, and w ho d id not
receive an open enrollm ent period,
d isa b ility an open en ro llm e n t period
person has the rig h t to en ro ll in any
k <-
tr;
« t * *4 ; ’ <
ready enrolled in M edicare Part B.
Many people who have M e d i
es fo r people w ith d isabilities. A ny
Inc. to fund a m onthly Lents neigh
borhood im m unization clin ic , fo rth e
The o ve ra ll o b je c tiv e o f the
People w h o are e lig ib le fo r
day o f every m onth, fro m 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. A p p ro x im a te ly 300 people
sion Day, children who are not up-to-
date w ith th e ir im m unization sched
ule are excluded from all elementary
» V '
M edicare by reason o f d is a b ility
th e ir choice.
m em bers at th e San F ra n c is c o
O p e ra re c e n tly s u ffe re d fro m an
the A m erican Nurses Foundation,
has received a $10,000 grant from
A / '.
Medicare Supplement Changes
Mean Easier Enrollment
Oregon Nurses Association Receives
$10,000 Grant Immunization Project
The grant from the A m erican
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Friday. Orders may also be placed by
sending $19.75 (includes shipping
source Center, Dept. PR49, P O. B o x
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