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A call for action against STDs
A landmark report by the Institute
o f Medicine calls for bold action at
the national level to prevent sexually
transmitted diseases Calling STDs
an epidemic o f "tremendous health
and economic consequences in the
U.S.,” the report links STDs with
infertility, cancer and the spread of
HIV/AIDS.
" I he Institute o f Medicine has
sounded a national wake-up call by
stating emphatically that business as
usual is not acceptable,” said Peggy
Clarke, president o f the American
Social Health Association, an 82-
year-old organization dedicated to
stopping STDs. “The report is espe
cially significant because it comes
from the prestigious IOM, a private,
nonprofit organization that advises
the federal government on health
policy.”
Titled "The hidden Epidemic:
Confronting STDs receive too little
recognition by the public and by
health care professionals. “National
action is urgently needed,” it con
cludes.
According to the report, STDs
have the greatest impact on women,
infants and adolescents. At least 15
percent o f all infertility cases among
American women are caused by pel
vic inflammatory disease, a compli
cation o f STDs. PID can also cause
chronic pelvic pain and life-threat
ening tubal pregnancies.
Infants who acquire STDs during
their mothers’ pregnancy can suffer
severe damage to the central nervous
system. Adolescents, who account
for one-fourth o f all new STD infec
tions each year, are at highest risk for
STDs because they are biologically
more susceptible to infection and
more likely than adults to have fre
quent unprotected sex
The report also emphasizes the
1996 Oregon Population survey results
connection between STDs and can
cer. Human papillomavirus, a widely
prevalent STD that often has no symp
toms, isclosely linked with nearly all
cancers o f the cervix, vagina, vulva,
anus and penis. Hepatitis B, which
can be sexual ly transm itted, is a cause
o f liver cancer.
According to the report, many
STDs, both those that cause sores
and those that cause inflammations,
increase the risk o f HIV infection.
"The human tragedy associated
with STDs is often overlooked,”
Clarke said. “For example, a teenage
girl may get an STD with no notice
able symptoms. Her family doctor
may not bring up the subject o f S ID s
or offer testing, so she continues to
harbor he infection without being
aware o f it. As a result, not only is she
at higher risk for HIV, but she may
also develop cancer or become infer
tile.”
Oregon Health Plan wins award
The Oregon Health Plan, a land
mark initiative that expands health
insurance coverage and sets explicit
priorities for determining covered
services, has been named a winner o f
a 1996 Innovations in American
Government Award by Ford Foun
dation and the John F. Kennedy
School o f Government at Harvard
University. The program was hon
ored at the State Department in Wash
ington, D.C., and received a $ 100,000
award from the Foundation.
Noting that this is the Innovations
program’s I Oth anniversary, Susan
V. Berresford, president o f the Ford
Foundation, said “For 10 years the
Innovations Awards have honored
government at its best. These exam
ples o f effective government have
produced extraordinary results for
Americans. They are helping to re-
store faith in governm ent’s ability to
solve tough problems.”
Selected from more than 1,550
applicants, the 10 winning programs
innovative solutions to some o f the
problems people care about m o st-
solutions that save taxpayers’ mon
ey, streamline services, help unde
served populations, find novel uses
for new technologies, or overcome
bureaucratic gridlock.
Coping: How to avoid a nervous breakdown
D r . C harles W. F aulkner
14. Are you frequently tired and
Recently, I responded to a letter
sleepy?
from a reader requesting information
15. Have you lost your ability to
about “nervous breakdowns”. Fol
concentrate?
lowing is a self-evaluation quiz you
!6. Do you fe e l life is an uncon
can take to determine if you are in
trollable merry-go-round o f confu
anger o f having a “nervous break
sion?
down”. Remember, the term is a slang
! 7. Do you constantly relive the
expression used by laymen to refer to
past?
acute physiological stress. Be sure to
18. Do your moods go from real
respond (yes or no) to each question
happy to real sad fo r no apparent
based on your present condition.
reason*
/. Are yo u usually nervous a nd
/ 9. Do you have trouble making
restless?
decisions about relatively insignifi
2. Do y o u fe e l rejected when oth
cant matters'*
er people criticize you?
20. Are you deeply frightened at
3. Do you often contemplate sui
the thought o f having to live day by
cide?
day?
4. Have yo u lost interest in things
21. Is your health a major con
that you previously enjoyed?
cern to you, do yo u feel its deteriora
5. Do yo u fin d y o u rse lf being
tion is affecting your regular activi
overly critical o f people, things?
ties?
6. Are yo u fea rfu l o f having a
22. Do you avoid your old friends ?
nervous breakdown?
23. Does the thought o f being
7. Do you often experience loss
alone frighten you'.’
o f temper?
24. Do you som etim esfeel you are
8. Have yo u became dependent
losing your mind?
on drugs to help yo u cope?
25. Do you spend long periods
9. Do you take life too seriously?
daydreaming and just staring into
10. Do you think that other people
space?
are the cause to yo u r problem s?
How to score the quiz: Add up
! I. Do you think yo u 've lost the
your “Yes” and “No” responses. If
chance fo r happiness a nd success?
you have three or more "Yes” re
12. Have your concern in your
sponses, you might well be on your
appearance diminished?
way to a nervous breakdown. The
13. Do you fin d that fo o d tastes
“Yes” responses indicate serious
bland and unappetizing?
emotional problems. Even a single
by
“Yes” could be indicative o f trouble.
If al I ofyour responses are “N o”, you
apparently have no emotional prob
lems.
Please note: A single sleepless
night, temper outburst, or momen
tary loss o f memory is not in itself
conclusive evidence ofan emotional
disorder. Emotional danger is indi
cated by patterns o f regular occur
rences o f the behaviors indicated in
the quiz. A capable counselor can be
helpful in making an accurate assess
ment.
Here’s how to avoid the pain of
frustration which can lead to nervous
breakdown:
/. Always have a goal or plan
2. Mingle. Be friendly with peo
ple.
3. Maintain good health (perfect
health impossible).
4. Focus on the good things in
your life. Forget the bad.
5. Turn every negative thought
immediately into a positive one.
6. Deal with problem s as soon as
they occur Discuss them with a
frie n d
7. Help make som eone else hap
py-
8. Take a break from your chores
9. Don t overdo it Be sensible
about your work
If you would like to contact Dr.
Faulkner, write him at 1635 Nathaniel
Mitchell Road, Dover, Del., 19901.
The Following is a f a d sheet on
health care coverage:
The Oregon Progress Board, in
cooperation with several other state
agencies, contracts biennially for a
survey o f Oregon households. This
survey documents demograph ic and
socio-economic characteristics of
Oregonians, and measures a wide
range o f their attitudes and values
regarding such subjects as the envi
ronment, the Oregon lottery and
quality o f life in the state.
In 1996, Bardsley and Neidhart,
a Portland-based research firm sur
veyed 5,249 households, represent
ing approximately 14,000 people.
For the first time, thanks to the
generous support o f the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation, detailed
questions on health insurance cov
erage, cost and access were includ
ed in the survey. The following is a
sample o f findings about health in
surance coverage from the survey:
♦ 11% o f Oregonians are currently
uninsured (approximately 340,000)
1994 Oregon Population Survey es
tim ated 14% (Given current popula
tion growth trends, ! 4% would now
number 450,000 Oregonians) 1993
R and survey estimated ! 7%>.
♦ !8% o f the uninsured are chil
dren.
♦ 57% o f the uninsured reside in
households with incom es below
2 0 0 % F e d e ra l P o v e rty L evel
( / 94,000 people).
♦ 70% o f the uninsured are "chron
ically" uninsured-defined as being
c o n tin u o u sly u n in su re d f o r !2
months or more
♦ !4%> o f all minorities are unin
sured and 22%> o f Hispanics are un
insured, com pared to 10% o f non
minorities
♦ 76% o f employed, insured adults
are offered insurance through their
employers. 66% o f insured adults
accept insurance through an em
ployer Nationwide only 56% o f
adults accept em ployer-based in
surance.
♦ 28%> o f em ployed, uninsured
adults decline em ployer-offered in
surance.
♦ Insufficient income still remains
a substantial barrier to those below
200%> o f the fed era l poverty level.
To be eligible fo r the UHP Medic
aid Program, most people have to
be b elo w ! 00%>. There are expecta
tions fo r pregnant women and chil
dren under the age o f six, where the
income level then can be as high as
133% o f the FPL.
Keeping “Little People” safe with airbags
“Statistics overwhelmingsupport
that airbags do save our lives. In fact
more than 1,100 lives were saved
because o f airbags in 1995,” says
Marianne Macina, CPCU, regional
manager o f the Western Insurance
Information Service(W IIS), "With
all the recent publicity over airbags
and children, it’s important to keep
airbag benefits and risks in perspec
tive.”
According to Macina, people at
risk of serious injuries from inflat
ing airbags are children who are less
than five feet tall (typically 12 years
and younger), extremely petite wom
en, and frail senior citizens. Also at
risk is anyone who is not belted
properly and drivers who sit with
their faces and chests very close to
the steering wheel.
WHS volunteers are teaming up
with Oregon Safe Kids, on Novem
ber 27 and December I, to provide
motorists with information on child
passenger safety. These traffic safe
ty advocates will be both 1-5
W ilsonville rest areas (north and
south) between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
“ People need to remember that in
most cases, other than children, the
combination of seatbeits and airbags
saves lives. Whether you sit in the
front seat equipped with an airbag or
in the back seat is a matter where you
sit the key is to be "properly belted.”
“ Properly belted” means the shoul
der strap should cross the col larbone
and the lap belt should fit “snugly”
and low over the hips. The shoulder
strap should never abe slipped be
hind the back or under the arm -this
could be extremely dangerous. “Th is
is especially true in cars equipped
with airbags,” she explained. “ With
out the restraint o f the shoulder strap,
the passenger may fall forward into
the airbag as it is deploying. This will
cause injury. The shoulder strap worn
in its proper place will keep you
against the seat and prevent you from
touching the airbag until it is de
ployed. That’s when you receive the
safety cushion benefit from the airbag
and not the injury.”
According to the Insurance In
stitute for Highway Safety, short
people, pregnant women and open
heart surgery patients should sit as
far back from the steering wheel as
possible when driving an automo
bile. Some cars have steering wheels
and telescoping adjusters that al
low drivers to move the wheel away.
People who sit close to the wheel
just to see over it, may be able to
raise their seat or tilt the wheel
down instead o f sitting so close.
Another option is pedal extend
ers. These allow drivers to sit far
ther away from the steering wheel.
You may keep this in mind when
shopping for a new car or have it
installed in your current vehicle.
Pregnant women who drive need to
leave as much room as possible
between their abnomens and the
steering wheel (these pedal extend
ers may help). Women who cannot
do this should have someone else
do the driving.
Legacy announces three new board members
Three new people have been elect
ed to he Legacy Health System Board
of Directors for three-year term s-
Steven R. Rogel, President and Chief
Executive Officer, Willamette Indus
tries, Inc.; Leon Smith, President and
C hief Executive O fficer, Albina
Community Bank; and the Very Rev
erend Anthony C. Thurston, Dean
and rector, Trinity Episcopal Cathe
dral.
Board members are: JohnG. King,
Judith A. Andersen, R.N., Carol S.
Bogardus, M.D., Wilma G. Caplan,
Larry N. C horuby, G eorge M
Douglass, M.D., Charles L. Heinrich,
Lowell W Johnson, C. W illiam
Knodell, R. Jay Lewis, III, Darrell R.
L o ck w o o d , M .D ., D uncan R.
N eilson, Jr., M.D. (vice chair),
Mitchell J. Olejko, PhilipF. Parshley,
M.D., James A. Perry (chair), Y.
Sherry Sheng, and Bishop Paul R
Swanson.
Physician joins North Portland Kaiser
Kenrick Jones, MD, has joined
Kaiser Permancnte’s medical group.
He practices internal medicine at
the HM O’s East Interstate Medical
Office in north Portland.
Born in the Caribbean island na
tion of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Jones is
a graduate ot the University of Wash
ington Medical School in Seattle. He
completed his internship and residen
cy at Alameda County Medical Center
in Oakland. He lives in Milwaukie.
Kaiser Permanente is a prepaid,
group practice health maintenance
organization serving the medical
care needs of more than 395,000
people in Northwest Oregon and
Southwest W a s h in g t o n
Advertise In
2 h r l.lo i tk i i i h ( O b s r n i r r
Call 503-288-0033
Medicare
urged to get annual flu shot
T
L., II C FA
_-_ beneficiaries
...
The U S. Department of Health
licularly minorities and low-income
and Human Services is urging older
people of all races who appear to get
Americans to get their annual flu
less preventive care than do whites
shots and avoid unnecessary illness,
and upper-income people in general.
hospitalization or even death from
Recently released statistics show that
the flu this winter. Despite the avail
4 1 percent of all beneficiaries in tra
ability of preventive vaccines, flu
ditional, fee-for-service Medicare
and pneumonia remain the fifth lead
programs, received shots in 1995.
ing cause of death among the elderly,
For African-American beneficiaries,
taking as many as 40,000 lives each
the participation rate was one-half of
year More than 90 percent of the
white beneficiaries at 21.6 percent.
deaths form flu and pneumonia oc
That is expected to be even lower for
cur among people 65 and older.
the other ethnic minorities.
' Flu can result in pneumonia in
"We are making an extra effort to
the elderly, and these are the two
reach medically undeserved groups
leading infectious disease killers
and areas," said Bruce C. Vladeck,
among older Americans," said HHS
administrator of the Health Care Fi
Secretary Donna E. Shalala. “Tragi
nancing Administration (HCFA), the
cally, many deaths from these dis
HHS agency that oversees the Medi
eases could be prevented through
care program. “For example, our Ho
immunizations."
rizons Pilot Project is designed to
The flu shot can prevent up to 70
increase flu vaccinations rates among
percent of hospitalizations and 80
African-American Medicare benefi
percent of deaths from influenza-
ciaries.”
related pneumonia among the elder
In this project, HCFA is working
ly. And it's covered by Medicare, so
togetherwith Historically BlackCol-
it's free for beneficiaries.
legesand Uni versifies (HBCUs) and
This is the fourth year that Medi
Peer Review Organizations to get
care is paying for influenza vaccina
ministers, tamily physicians and oth
tions. yet only about half of the na
ers at the community level to urge
tion's Medicare beneficiaries arc tak
African-American beneficiaries to
ing advantage of immunization—par-
get their flu shot every year.
HCFA is also developing new in
itiatives with public health and pro
vider organizations to make it easier
(or providers to administers flu shots
and bill Medicare.
Information on the Medicare flu
benefit is available in Spanish, Chi
nese, Korean and Vietnamese, and is
being distributed through the com
bined efforts of HHS agencies, includ
ing HCFA’s regional offices, the Ad
ministration on Aging, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, the
National Coalition for Adult Immuni
zation and more than 75 organizations
dedicated to adult immunization The
Agency has set a goal of 60 percent
immunization rate for Medicare bene
ficiaries by the year 2000.
The flu shots are free for benefi
ciaries enrolled in Medicare B who
receive them from Medicare “partic
ipating physicians.” These partici
pating physicians accept Medicare
payment amounts as full payment for
their services. Flu shots are given
annually.
Medicare also covers vaccinations
against pneumonococcal pneumonia.
A beneficiary who ha snot previously
received the pneumonia vaccine can
obtain it at the same time as the flu shot.
For most beneficiaries, a pneumonia
shot need not be repeated.
Helping Sickle Cell families
Sickle Cell Disease is heredity
and while it is seen predominantly
in the Black population, it is also
seen in many other populations, such
as people from parts of Asia Minor,
and Central India and bordering
countries, Greece is seen in some
Caucasians with above ancestry as
well as many others. Sickle Cell is
not contagious, affects approximate
ly I in 400 black babies and I in 10
have Sickle Cell Trait, called carri
ers. If a person is born with a Sickle
Cell gene from one parent and an
abnormal gene known as C trait,
this person has a milder form of the
disease called Sickle C Disease (SC
Disease). Another form of Sickle
Cell is Sickle Beta Plus or Zero
Thalassemia. This occurs when a
person inherits one Sickle gene and
a Thalassemia zero trait. This form
of Sickle Cell Disease affects ap
proximately i in 10,000 babies each
year and is clinically the same as
Sickle Cell Anemia.
H o no rs and
E n c o u r a g es
D iv e r s it y
Kaiser Permanente is enriched by the contributions o f individuals from a wide
variety of backgrounds We’re enhancing our workforce to better reflect the people
we serve.
r r
Kaiser Permanente currently has several hundred positions available in a wide
range o f expertise, such as:
"
------------------------
MANAGEMENT
•
•
•
•
Health Educator
Audiology
Sr Forecaster
Maintenance Supervisor
NURSING
• Medical Technologist
• Outpatient RNs &r LPNs
• Phlebotomist
• Home Health RNs
CLERICAL
DENTAL
• LPNs
• Dental Assistant
• Dental Hygienist
INFORMATION
SERVICES
PHARMACY
• Programmer Analyst
• Pharmacy Assistant
• Pharmacy Technician
LABORATORY
• Inpatient RNs
• Systems Analyst
• Professional Secretary
• Medical Transcriptionists
OTHER
• Housekeeping
• Cafeteria Aide
For a full list of the opportunities available, visit our employment office at: 500 NE
Multnomah Street (Grand Avenue entrance), M-F, 8:30am-3:30pm (503) 813-4701
Or, you may fax your resume to: (503) 813-4791.
KAISER PERMANENTE
the health carina people
An Equal Opportunity Employer