P age
T he P ortland O bserver • J anuary 8, 1997
Gcience
Kaiser Permanente Emergicenter
Kaiser Perm anente is offering
something new to the Pacific N orth­
west: the Emergicenter. The new
service is like a hospital emergency
room without the hospital.
Located for now in the same place
where the hospital emergency de­
partment always has been, but now
renamed:
Bess Kaiser Medical Office
5055 N. Greeley Avenue
Portland, OR 97217
(503)285-9321
It will move to a new building on
north Interstate in late 1998. This
new $40 million investment on the
Edgar F. Kaiser Health Center cam ­
pus will inlcude, in addition to the
E m ergicenter, after-hours urgent
care, a medical office with services
such as outpatient surgery, lab, phar­
m acy, and rad io lo g y (m am m o ­
graphy, ultrasound, CT scans, and
X-rays), and a parking structure.
The Staff Administrator is Kathy
Laird, Emergicenter Manager.
Kenneth Nisbet, M D ., Kaiser
Permanente’s chief o f Emergency
Medicine.
“ Basically, the Emergicenter is
like the ground floor o f any hospital
without the upper floors.” - Dr. Nisbet
Experienced emergency medicine
physicians, nurse practitioners, phy­
sician assistants, nurses, cast techni-
c ians and other staff provide care 24-
hours per day, seven days per week.
Specialists will provide telephone
and on-site consultation as needed.
The Emergicenter will treat emer­
gencies that are not life-threatening,
and serious injuries and illnesses that
require immediate treatment in or­
der to prevent serious complications.
(Examples are deep cuts, broken
bones, seizures, shortness o f breath,
suspected poisoning, and sudden
onset o f severe headache or abdomi­
nal pain.)
Emergency services are provided
to all patients, whether they are Kai­
ser Permanente members or not.
Only a few other such centers
known to be delivering emergency
care like this throughout the United
States, as follows:
♦ The Henry Ford Hospital System,
which has had free-standing emer­
gency departments fo r ! 5-20 years.
♦ K a ise r P e rm a n e n te s P arm a
Emergency Center in Ohio
♦ Kaiser P erm anente's Baldwin
Park Urgency Care Center in south­
ern California
Most people who use emergency
departments are not admitted to a
hospital. The history o f emergency
department use in Kaiser Perma­
nente’s Northwest division is simi­
lar to national statistics: Only 15
percent o f emergency room patients
are admitted to the hospital. Almost
half o f those who are admitted are
discharged within 24 hours.
P a tie n ts
tre a te d
at
the
Emergicenter who require hospital
admission will be transferred to the
appropriate hospital.
New study looks at women
chewing tobacco and snuff
Adult women who use snuff or
chewing tobacco are invited to par­
ticipate in an interview study which
seeks to learn more about smokeless
tobacco use by women.
Although men who use sm oke­
less tobacco have been the focus o f
previous research, not a lot is known
about women who use snuff and
chewing tobacco.
“We need to understand the fac­
tors involved with smokeless tobacco
use by women, in order to help
women who want to quit and to
develop effective prevention pro­
grams for girls at risk for using,”
says Herb Severson, a behavioral
scientist at the Oregon Research In­
stitute.
Participants in the study will be
paid $ 15 to take part in a confidential
interview about their smokeless to­
bacco use. Interviews can be con­
ducted by phone or in person, at the
participant’s convenience. Women
age 18 or older who have used smoke­
less tobacco for at least a year are
encouraged to participate. The study
is being conducted as a dissertation
project at the University o f Oregon,
in connection with the Oregon Re­
search Institute.
The use o f smokeless tobacco by
both men and women is a growing
health problem in the United States.
Many people consider smokeless
tobacco a safe substitute for smok­
ing; however, regular use o f snuff
and chewing tobacco can lead to
various health problems, including
gum disease, heart disease, and ora!
cancer.
By learning more about why
people use, we hope to find ways to
help people quite and reduce the
number o f people at risk.
For more information, or to enroll
in the study, please call Debbie
Cohen-Smith at the Oregon Research
institute at 484-2123 or 1-800-266-
7009.
Influenza Vaccinations Can
Save Health-Care Dollars
A study at Baylor College o f Medi­
cine in Houston o f patients hospital­
ized for asthma, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease or congestive
heart failure showed that two-thirds
o f them had chronic lung disease —
and 25 percent tested positive for
influenza. Another 15 percent were
found to have two other flu-like res­
piratory infections, respiratory syn­
cytial virus or parainfluenza viruses.
“This indicates that vaccinating
these patients for influenza could
reduce hospitalizations - and thus
medical costs - among these people
by as much as 25 percent,” said Dr.
W. Paul Glezen, epidemiologist at
Baylor’s Influenza Resarch Center.
In the study, researchers tested
hospitalized patients for the pres­
ence o f flu or other respiratory vi­
ruses for a four-year period.
Experts at the Flu Center have
long known that people with such
illnesses are prime candidates for
developing life-threatening compli­
cations from influenza. For that rea­
son, they have recommended that
these high-risk people get annual flu
vaccinations.
But the study’s results indicate
that the need for influenza inocula­
African American Brothers and Sisters, are
you sick an tired o f being sick and tired?
tion is even more important than
previously thought because the im­
pact o f the viruses is greater than
previously thought, G lezen said.
Many previous studies looked only
at pneumonia as a complication of
influenza.
“It’s a rarity when a medical pro­
cedure can be shown to actually save
money,” Glexen said, “but the clear
evidence is that widespread immu­
nization against influenza can pro­
duce significant medical cost sav­
ings — and all o f this can be accom­
plished with a safe, readily available
and inexpensive inoculation.”
Tips To Be Fit:
All About Exercise
by
V ince & Y olanda
Exercise & Medication
“I ’m taking medication that
makes me a little sleepy. Can / still
workout? I still feel strong. "—John
Dover, DE
Sedatives, narcotic pain relievers
and antihistamines can cause drowsi­
ness, throw your balance off and
affect your judgment. Before you
take any medication you should ask
your doctor if it’s safe to workout
while taking it. The affect o f some
medications can last even after you
finish taking them. So find ou, how
long it takes for the medication to
wear off. If the label and your doctor
tell you not to operate machinery
while taking a medication, that means
exercise equipment too.
AB Trim Down
“How can I get my abdomen
flat? / do a lot o f abdominal exer­
cises but I fe e l I need something
else. M y friends have been giving
me some o f the craziest sugges­
tions. / need some expert advice. ”-
-Mary' Jacksonville, FI
Working your abdomen every
Program Includes: Classes with Dr. Crawford; Exercise Program;
Vitamin Supplements; Stress Management; and Weight Loss Products
Classes Start Jan. 14, 1997
You M ust preregister on Jan. 2 at 6:30 PM
Please Bring All Prescription Medication With You.
Where: Lutheran Inner-City Ministries
4219 N. E. MLK Jr. Blvd.
Cost: $125 One Time Registration Fee - $175 Monthly Fee
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Enrollment is Limited! Call 833-8915 For More Information.
other day can help you develop a
trim waistline. But, you can do situps
and crunches all day and still not see
that hard earned muscle if your body
is carrying excess body fat.
When it comes to developing a
flat stomach, diet is just as important
as your workout. You have to elimi­
nate rich fatty, high sodium foods
from your diet.
Aerobic activity is the next com­
ponent you have to incorporate to
get that mid-section flat. Aerobic
activities include walking, jogging,
stair climbing, bike ridding, dancing
and swimming. Aerobic exercise is
the only way to effectively bum fat.
You must spend at least 45 minutes
each session doing aerobics to burn
fat effectively. The average person
can comfortably start with 10 to 15
minutes o f aerobic exercise. Gradu­
ally build your aerobic exercise time
to 30 to 45 minutes three to five
times a week.
Concerned about
kids & exercise
“I have a five year-old daughter.
I want to get her started with exer­
cise. H'hat is a good age to start.
-Joan Houston TX
It’s good to see that you’re con­
cerned about your child’s fitness
even at this early age. Children have
special exercise needs. And you
should keep in mind that preteens
are more prone to injuries from over­
use o f muscles, joints and bones
during exercise. It’s important to
start your child off slowly.
Walking is a great aerobic exer­
cise to start with. You can start
walking with your child as young as
five. At this age they will not only
get in a good aerobic workout, but
they will start developing good
health habits. Mounting evidence
shows that disease can begin as early
as age 10.
To determine how far your child
should walk for their age divide
your child’s age by three. One mile
in 20 minutes is a good pace for five
to eight-year-olds and one mile in
12 minutes is a pace good for a child
over nine.
Before starting your fitness pro­
gram, consult your physician.
Legacy Heart Services
Offers Educational Program
In celebration o f American Heart
Month, legacy Heart services is of­
fering a special program entitled
“Thriving—Not just Surviving: Keys
to building Heart Healthy Marriages
& Families” on Saturday, February
15, 1997.
The presentation will be followed
by a heart-healthy dessert reception
and book signing. Wayne M. Sotile,
Ph D, a nationally known author and
p re se n te r, w ill p ro v id e “ h e a rt
healthy” advice on contemporary
marriage and family life, including:
• the relationship between stress and
heart disease.
• the stages in a couple's journey.
• the myth o f the balanced life.
• how to control yourselfduring un­
controllable times.
• six keys to lasting intimacy.
At 9:30-11:00 a.m. is the presen­
tation, and 11:00 a.m. - noon Heart-
healthy dessert reception and book
signing.
The event takes place at the Mult­
nomah Athletic Club, on 1849 S.W.
Salmon Street, Portland.
Admission is free, but pre-regis­
tration is required. Call 335-3500 for
more information and to register.
For 18 years, W ayne Sotile has
co-directed Sotile Psychological as­
sociates in W inston-Salem, North
Carolina. Dr. Sotile has authored
three books, including Heart Illness
& Intimacy-How Caring Relation­
ships aid Recovery and High pow­
ered Couples, and is one o f the most
sought after speakers in the country.
His focus is on stress and relation­
ship management.
Free Health Screens
The Providence Health System
Long Term Care Division offers
free health screenings to adults
throughout the year, from 9 to 11:30
a.m., on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
The first free health screenings
will take place at Holly Tree Vil­
lage, 5335 S. W. Murray Blvd.,
Beaverton, Oregon. Call 644-6437
for more information.
A second free health screening
will happen 9 to 11:30 a.m., Thurs­
day, Jan.23, at the St. Alexander’s
Catholic Church, 170 N. 10th Ave.,
Cornelius, Oregon. Call 359-0446
for more information.
A third screening at 9 to 11:30
a m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29 will be
at the Community Senior Center o f
Hillsboro, 750 S.E. 8th, Hillsboro,
Oregon. Call 648-3823 for more in­
formation.
Adult Community Health Screen­
ings are designed to assess an
individual’s health and identify risk
factors that require follow-up care.
Participants receive a general physi­
cal assessment, a blood pressure
check, diabetes and cholesterol test,
pharmacy and nutrition counseling
and referral for medical care, if
needed.
Screenings are conducted by
health professionals and are offered
at various locations in the Portland
tri-county area.
Call (503) 288-0033 io advertise in
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