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tin P okii an » O bserver • N ovember 13, 1996
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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