Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 1996)
• ' * JF-* • » » » 'J » < .•» • IM '. tó*W >K ?. tin P okii an » O bserver • N ovember 13, 1996 P agi : A 5 H e a lth (gì Science a , Catalyzing the African American AIDS crisis More than 100 o f the nations Af rican American leaders gathered at Harvard University recently to launch a campaign against AIDS among African Americans. The Leading of Life summit was convened in re sponse to the continued dramatic rise in AIDS cases among African Amer icans: According to a recent Harvard AIDS Institute projection, in less than fouryears, more than halfofall AIDS cases in the United States will be among African Americans. T he su m m it, sp o n so re d by Harvard AIDS Institute and held this month convened leaders in academ ic, business, entertainment, j law, the media, medicine, politics, religion, and sports to raise awareness nation ally and lodevelop a national follow up campaign. “ By the year 2000, an African American will be nine times more likely to have an AIDS diagnosis than a non-African American,” said Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr., Di rector o f the W E B. Du Bois Insti tute for Afro-American Research at Harvard University. The epidemiologic picture that emerged during the summ it was grim; as many as 500,0CCAfrican Ameri cans are already infected with HIV, AIDS kills twice as many African American men aged 25 to 44 as ho micide; African American women constitute two-thirds o f all HIV-in fected women who are reported to the Centers o f Disease Control and Prevention; and more children with AIDS are African American than all other races and ethnic groups com bined. “ We want this summit to serve as a catalyst for African American lead ers, and we plan to hold them ac countable,” said Mario Cooper, a member o f the Harvard AIDS Insti tute’s International Advisory Coun cil. The individual participants ap proved a Call for Action that urges all African American leaders and federal, state, and local government officials to “support, develop, and enhance co m m u n ity -b ased p ro grams” for education, care, and pre vention o f H1V/AIDS. Among its other statements, the document ap pealed “to the President o f the Unit ed States to convene an emergency meeting o f the appropriate cabinet- level officials and community lead ers to address AIDS within African American communities.” The Harvard AIDS Institute co sponsored the summit along with the National Minority AIDS Council; the Balm in Gilead, Inc.; and the W E B. Du Bois Institute for Afro- American Research at Harvard Uni versity. The Henry J Kaiser Family Foun dation—a non-profit, independent national health care philanthropy based in Menlo Park, C alifornia- provided primary funding for the campaign. Additional support was provided by the American Express Com pany; Charles Hotel; Glaxo Wellcome, Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; and the Metropolitan Life Founda tion. The Harvard AIDS Institute is a university-w ide organization that conducts and catalyzes research to end the worldwide AIDS epidemic. The Inventor of Instead To Speak At Womens Forum Audrey, Inventor o f In ste a d Audrey will be speaking at the Eastside Athletic Club in Clackamas, OR. on Nov. 15th. The “ Womens Forum” will take place at 6pm and is free. Instead molds to a woman’s internal shape when inserted, creating a gentle seal that helps protect against leakage during heavy flow days and exercise. Instead, which can be worn at least twice as long as a tampon heavy to medium flow days and up to 12 hours on lighter days, is the first real alternative in feminine protection since the tampon was introduced in 1933. Free samples o f the product will be given out to all women attending. Dealing With Disability We don’t expect an injury or ill ness to forever change our lives. But sometimes it happens. And if it does, learning to live with a disability means making adjustments, some small, others more extensive. It also means focusing on those things you can do, not those you can’t. A free publication from MetLife and the U S. Department o f Educa tion, Dealing with Disability, discuss es some of the changes you may expe rience and shows you how to find assistance if needed. It also advises family, friends, and others, who may be inexperienced with disabilities, how to interact so that everyone feels com fortable and included. As a friend or family member o f a person with a disability, you’ll want to help out. Just remember to respect the person’s feelings. It’s O.K. to offer assistance, but don’t insist. If someone uses a wheel chair, for example, ask before pushing. And if they want to do it alone, let them. To order this free publication, send your name and address to Dealing With Disability, Consumer informa tion Center, Pueblo, Colorado 81009. racts, the treatment methods, and warning signs to watch for. Two ad ditional booklets will help you select an eye care spec ial ist, shop for glass es and contacts, and learn about sur gical procedures designed to improve near-sightedness. Because most eye disorders de velop slowly, you might not notice visual loss until it’s become severe. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on your eyes. Have regular check- ups. Regular tests are painless and quick, and are especially important if other family members have eye dis eases, or if you’re over 40. To get all booklets, send a check or money order for $ 1 to Keep an Eye on Your Eyes, Pueblo, Colorado 81009. When you write, you’ll also receive a free copy o f the Consumer Information Catalog which lists more than 200 free and low-cost federal consumer publications. Evergreen AIDS response November 20, Survival Skills— Evergreen AIDS Response hosts a panel discussion on living well with HIV. the discussion provides a chance to ask questions, exchange stories and gain new resources for people livingwell with HIV intheSW Wash ington area. This free class will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Ever green AID Response. 5305 E. 18th Street, Suite B, in Vancouver. Please call Evergreen AIDS Response (360- 735-9170) to register. November 20, Treatment update: An international teleconference-A chance to hear the latest, up-to-the- minute information about HIV treat ment from experts around the globe. Organized and facilitated for con sumers by the HIV/AIDS Division o f the Department o f Health and Human Services. The actual call is scheduled from 10:00 a m. to noon at Evergreen AIDS Response, 5305 E. 18th Street, Suite B, in Vancouver. Please call Evergreen AIDS Re sponse (360-735-9170) to register or just show up. December 15, The Fabulous Fes tival o f Friends--Join us for our an nual holiday party A family affair welcoming people from all commu- Andrea Kielish, MD, a practic ing internist in Portland, OR has been elected to a three-year term as a trustee o f the American Society o f Internal Medicine (AS1M) at the Society’s 40th anniversary annual Meeting. A national medical spe cialty society, ASIM was founded in 1956 to promote the optimal delivery o f cost-effective, high- quality medical care. Doctors o f internal m edicine-w ho specialize in the non-surgical treatment o f in ternal organs and the functions o f the body-are the nation’s major providers o f continuing, compre hensive medical care to adults and adolescents. Dr. Kielich has contributed al most two decades o f service to the betterment o f internal medicine in Oregon. She was instrumental in A ndrea M. Keil ich, MD., Trustee 1 9 9 6 , A m erican S o c ie ty o f Internal M edicine. re-establishing a state chapter o f the American Medical W omen’s Asso ciation, for which she served as the chapter’s firs, president. The past nities affected by HIV. This much anticipated event will be held at 14 16 N. Failing in Portland. Food, enter tainment, prizes, and a great time will be available for all. Watch for more information. Evergreen AIDS Response is a community based organization de signed to serve and support people living with and affected by HIV. The program was created and functions through the support o f people living with and affected by HIV. Evergreen offers many services. For more in formation, please call Evergreen at 360-735-9170. president o f the Oregon Society o f Internal Medicine and a member o f its executive council since 1984, Dr. Kielich is an active member o f the Oregon Medical Association. In addition to clinical practice, she is a clinical assistant professor in the Department o f Medicine at the O r egon Health Science University in Portland. On the national level. Dr Kielich has served ASIM on its Managed Care Committee and AIDS Task Force, and is past chair o f the Soci ety’s Pacific States Caucus and An nual Meeting Planning Committee. In 1991, she was appointed by AIM to participate in the American Med ical Association’s evaluation ofnew current procedural term inology codes for evaluation and manage ment services. Reconsidering prostate surgery Prostate surgery can lead to a high prostate-cancer survival rate. That is the conclusion o f scientists at eight U S. and European medical centers who monitored the long-term survival rates of2,758 men with pros tate cancer, most o f whom under went radical prostatectomies. “Men with early-stage prostate cancer who have their prostates sur gically removed have a high 10-year su rv iv a l ra te ,” said Dr. P e te r Scardino, chairman o f the Urology Department at H ouston’s Baylor College o f Medicine, oneofthe study sites. For men with prostate cancer that was early in its development and that had not spread beyond the prostate. 94 percent were still cancer-free 10 years after surgery. For those whose prostate cancer was more advanced, post-surgical cancer-free rates ranged from 77 to 80 percent. "This study was particularly sig nificant because it included long term results from a large number o f men in different parts o f the world,” Scardino said. “This clearly demon strates that for many men radical prostatectom y can be significant means o f stopping prostate cancer in its tracks.” There are other ways to treat pros tate cancer, Scardino said, but this stu d y in d ic a te s th at ra d ic a l prostatectomy is an important treat ment option. Prostate cancer is the leading cause o f cancer among men older than 50 and second only to lung cancer as a cause o f cancer deaths. It is particularly prevalent among black men. l he medical centers participating in the study in addition to Baylor College o f Medicine in Houston were Duke University, the University o f Utah, the University o f Chicago, Vanderbilt University, Eastern Vir ginia Medical School, the University o f W u rzb u rg in G erm an y and Erasmus University in the Nether lands. The study results were reported in the Journal o f the American Medical Association. A new role for an old friend Bess Kaiser is changing to serve you in a new way When you write, you’ll also re ceive two additional publications. The Americans with Disabilities Act: Questions and Answers addresses some common questions about this law and explains what it requires. And the rights o f air travelers with a disability are outlined in New Hori zons for the Air Traveler with a Dis ability. A free copy o f the Consumer In formation Catalog, listing more than 200 free and low-cost federal con sumer publications, is also included. Keep an eye on your eyes Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in this country, and cata racts blur the vision o f many older people. But both conditions can usu ally be controlled. Early detection and treatment can prevent them from leading to really serious consequences. Two booklets from the National Eye Institute and the Food and Drug Administration explain the testing procedures for glaucoma and cata Portland internist elected to board of national society week Emergicenter, as well as other health care services at Bess Kaiser. Also, we re excited about our future plans for growth and expansion in North/Northeast Portland. Please mark your calendars and join us: Many of you have depended on Bess Kaiser for your hospital needs or just for the comfort of knowing a hospital was nearby. So you may wonder how we ll continue to serve the community after November 22, 1996, when Bess Kaiser is no longer a full-service hospital. Join us at a community forum We ll share information about our new 24-hour, seven-day-a- Community Forum Novem ber ! 2 2:45pm-3:45pm Hollywood Senior Center 1820 N.E. 40th November ¡4 6:30pm-7:30pm Kaiser Permanente’sTown Hall 3704 N. Interstate Novem ber 19 1 lam -noon Urban League Senior Center 5,325 N.E.MLK Blvd. Enjoy some refreshments while we answer your questions and concerns.These forums are for everyone interested in knowing about Kaiser Permanente health care services in the community. For more information call (503) 813-2000. K A IS ER PERMANEJMTE
