December 22, 1999
Page A3
P ortland
(Obeeroer
(Tip?
©haeruer
Health/Education
Kaiser names new
AAMC provides for their community
broker relations manager
B em ie Sims has been nam ed K aiser
Bernie Sims
P erm anente’s new broker relations
manager
In h is new ro le , S im s w ill be
responsible for the implem entation
and on-going m anagem ent o f K aiser
Perm anente’sbrokerprogram . O ther
responsibilities include working with
business line m anagers to develop
an d im p lem en t b ro k er strateg y ,
c o m p e n s a tio n ,
tr a in in g
an d
education programs.
Sim s has a b ach elo r’s degree in
business adm inistration from the
U niversity o f Redlands in California
and has extensive experience in client
management, business development,
m a rk e tin g a n d h e a lth p la n
negotiation.
Kaiser Permanente isa prepaid, group
practice health care organization
serving the health care needs o f more
than 440,000 people in N orthw est
O regon and Southw est W ashington.
State official calls
Surgeon General
report a “first”
The U.S. surgeon general’s M onday report about mental illness is a scientifically
based study that for the first tim e casts m ental illness as a public health issue,
says the state’s ch ief policy-m arker on m ental-health issues.
“The m essage is that m ental illness is a disease that is diagnosable, treatable,
costing society a fortune and w e should be doing som ething about it,’’ said
Barry S. K ast, adm inistrator o f the m ental health division in the Oregon
D epartm ent o f H uman Services.
“ People are saying the long-term im pact o f this report could do for m ental
illness w hat the surgeon general ’ s 1964 report did for smoking and health,” said
Kast, w ho attended the M onday new s conference w hile in W ashington, D.C.,
for a national m ental-health meeting.
He said the surgeon general’s report concludes mental health is fundamental
to overall health, that m ental disorders are not im aginary, and that science
show s m ental illness can be treated successfully.
“ It is exciting that the nation's doctor, Surgeon G eneral D avis Satcher, is
putting his official stam p o f approval on these findings,” K ast said. “People
aren ’t getting the treatm ent they need and those w ho do often d o n ’t get the
best care available.”
“This report shows that untreated m ental illness is m uch m ore expensive than
the treatm ent,” K ast said. “ The cost to this country is hundreds o f billions in
lost productivity, lost incom e and other private and public expenses.
He said that O regon, unlike m any states, provides state-of-the-art m ental
health drugs to patients through the O regon H ealth Plan, however.
Kast said O regon already is m aking headw ay in this area w ith a task force
looking at people w ho are diagnosed w ith both m ental-health and substance-
abuse issues, from w hich a report is expected in early 2000; a jo in t legislative
com m ittee is addressing civil com m itm ent o f people w ith m ental illness; the
governor plans to highlight m ental health in the 2001 O regon Legislature; and
a legislative joint com m ittee is looking at health-insurance parity for mental
health.
He said he is encouraged by the attention the Clinton adm inistration and
Congress are giving the issue, including approving significant budget increases
for m ental health research and services and passing the Federal W ork
The African A m erican M en ’s Club
(A A M C ),
I n c o r p o r a te d ,
a
c o m m u n ity - b a s e d ,
n o n - p r o f it
organization, d istrib u ted tw o (2)
scholarships in late Sum m er, 1999.
The recipients w ere K elva M arie
Johnson and D estiny S. Bilbrew.
K elva M arie Johnson is currently
attending Oregon State U niversity,
m a jo r in g
in
H e a lth
C a re
Administration (pre-medicine option)
and a m inor in Ethnic Studies. She is
a 1998 graduate o f Portland’s G rant
High School. O n July 17, 1999, the
A A M C, Inc. proudly presented a
check in the am ount o f $500.00 to
K elva in the beautiful rose garden at
Peninsula Park. K elva is the daughter
o f Lulu Stroud.
D estin y S. B ilb rew is cu rren tly
attending Thurgood M arshall School
ofL aw , at Texas Southern University
in Houston, Texas. M iss Bilbrew
began her second year o f law school
this fall, and she plans to com plete
law school in 2000-01, after only three
y ears. D estin y fu rth e r p la n s to
practice in sports and entertainm ent
law, with an emphasis more in the area
o f sports, possibly even becom ing a
sports agent.
D estiny graduated from Jefferson
H igh S chool in 1994, and then
o f children.
O H S U
investigates
depression
database that will allow for better patient outcomes in
for T he
P ortland O bserver
2. )
Women suffering from chronic health problems received
aboost when the Campaign for W om en’s Health Council
aw arded $75,000 to advance w om en’s health care,
the future.
“ A R a n d o m iz ed , P la c e b o -C o n tro lle d T rial o f
Acupuncture for U rinary Incontinence,” presented by
Sandra Emmons, M .D .,assistantprofessorofobstetrics
and gynecology. U rinary incontinence, though rarely
discussed publicly, is estim ated to effect 30 percent o f
women. The problem is particularly acute for w om en
who have given birth. Em m ons aim s to test a com m on
p h a rm a c e u tic a l tre a tm e n t a g a in st a p ro m isin g
a c u p u n c tu re te c h n iq u e , fo llo w in g p a rtic ip a n ts
experience up to 12 m onths after the treatment.
3. ) “ W om en’s Pain initiative," presented by David Nelson,
research and education.
The council, a group o f com m unity volunteers dedicated
to advancing the cause o f w om en’s health, raised these
funds from the proceeds o f the 1999 W om en’s Health
Gala, w hich was held M ay 6 at the Portland Hilton.
The volunteers, w orking in collaboration w ith faculty
from Oregon H ealth Sciences University, chose three
proposals from a group o f 32 that dem onstrated the wide
variety o f w omen ’ s health initiatives being investigated
in the region. The aw ard recipients, investigators from
O H SU , will each receive a $25,000 grant. The studies
include:
1.) “Vulvar Pam disorders ; Characteristics and Follow-
Up o f Patients Presenting for Specialty C are,"
Ph.D. Nelsons research aims to address two em erging
issues in medicine; m ore aggressive treatment ofpain,
and recognition o f the different w ays that m en and
w omen experience pain. By conducting a systematic
review o f the available data, N elson aim s to produce a
comprehensive and user-friendly reference guide, which
will allow for proper diagnosis and treatm ent o f pain
conditions experienced by w omen for use by the medical
presented by Jeffrey T Jensen, M.D. M .P.H.,
associate professor o f obstetrics and gynecology
in O H S U ’s school o f M edicine. V ulvar pain
disorders can dram atically decrease a w om en’s
quality o f life, yet little is known about the efficacy
o f different treatm ents in this under-studied area.
This $25,000 grant will allow Jensen and his
com m unity and the general public.
The Cam paign for W o m en ’s H ealth is a grassroots,
com m unity-based volunteer effort to support the Center for
W om en ’ s Heal th at O H SU . The Center for W omen ’ s Heal th
is a m ulti-disciplinary center dedicated to advancing the
cause o f w om en's health by supporting advanced clinical
care, cutting-edge research, and consum er and professional
colleagues to track outcom es and develop a
education.
CONTR1BL TEDSTORY
HJK I11L P Q R L L .V D .O B E L R T L R
i For patients with seasonal affective
disorder, or SAD, the holiday season
is often overshadowed by feelings o f
doom and gloom. Currently, m ost
doctors prescribe bright light therapy
as a treatment to counteract the effects
o f w inter depression. However, for
some, spending tim e sitting in front
o f a light box can be tim e-consum ing
an d in c o n v e n ie n t. T h is w in te r,
doctors at Oregon H ealth Sciences
I U niversity are testing m elatonin as
another option for those with the
w inter blues.
M elatonin is a hormone produced by
the pineal gland in the brain, normally
d u rin g th e n ig h t. It is o fte n
recommended in a pill form to patients
with sleeping problems. Scientists
believe the hormone shifts ap erso n ’s
body clock based on w hen it is
adm inistered. In the past, scientists
at O H SU have used the horm one to
adjust the internal body clock ofblind
patients who have trouble with their
sleeping schedule due to the absence
oflight.
FRESH
Successful
year for lead
testing clinic
V olunteers o f A m erica O regon in a
collaborative effort w ith Physicians
for Social Responsibility and the
Coalition ofB lack Men w ill celebrate
the successful com pletion o f the first
year o f their Lead T esting Clinic.
T he Lead testing Clinic operates on
a lte r n a tiv e S a tu r d a y s , at th e
V o lu n te e rs o f A m e ric a O reg o n
C om m on Bond Center, 4919 NE 9th
Ave. and testing is Free.
Studies show that lead poisoning is
one o f the leading causes o f severe
p sy c h o lo g ic a l an d n e u ro lo g ic a l
dam age to young children. Treatment
is highly effective if detected early.
Blood tests can show the level o f lead
present in a child. The clinic has been
e x tre m e ly su c c e ssfu l in N o rth /
N ortheast Portland, testing hundreds
$250.00 presented to her by the non­
profit organization. Destiny is the
d a u g h te r o f R e n n ie an d B e tty
Ferguson.
Justice, in Spring, 1998.
In her letter o f A ugust 13,1999 from
H ouston, D esitny was very thankful
to the AA M C, Inc., for the grant o f
c o m p le te d h e r s tu d ie s at th e
University o f W ashington at Seattle,
W a s h in g to n , e a rn in g a B A in
Sociology, w ith a minor in Society in
Health studies warded grants
Incentives Im provem ent A ct that
should help people w ith m ental illness
go to work.
for T h e P or tland OBSERY ER
From left to right: Rennie Ferguson, Martin (Mel) Moore, Kelva Johnson, Dave Clark (President
o f AAMC, Inc.), Charles (Chuck) Hinton
WHY
WORD
on
th e
CHOOSE
N A T U R E 'S ?
(aoJt ai the- dffeAesice,
JuA&ey
FREE-RANGE GROWN
CONFINED GROWING CONDITIONS
VEGETARIAN DIET
TYPICALLY FED AN IM AL FATS,
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NEVER FED ANTIBIOTICS
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DISTRIBUTED BY ONE FAMILY
AN AGRIBUSINESS PRODUCT
USUALLY HANDLED BY SEVERAL
UNASSOCIATED BUSINESSES
How- to- cDideA,
Pre-order your Nature’s turkey beginning Wednesday, November 3rd at any Nature's
Northwest Store. They’re available w hile supplies last and w ill be ready to pick up beginning
Sunday, November 21st.
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