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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 2000)
Page A5 (Clje JJortianb (Ohsvruvr-------------------------------- - January 26, 2000 f . L i tl.m ii B Family Living William and Legacy team up P a tie n ts w ho leav e h o sp ita l em ergency rooms with only the clothes on their back, and sometimes not even that, are now assured o f warm, adequate clothing - thanks to a new partnership between William Temple House and Legacy Health System. William Temple House, which provides emergency services and counseling to people in need, has agreed to supply clothing, including coats, gloves, hats and shoes, to the emergency rooms o f Legacy Good Sam aritan and Legacy Emanuel Medical Centers. “This means that anyone, including the homeless, who come to us in wet or tom clothing can leave wearing something clean and comfortable,” said Virginia Hendrickson, director o f Social Services at Legacy Health System. “Often we have only light, temporary garments to offer, which are inadequate in cold weather.” Hendrickson explained it is not just the homeless who need clothes. Patients’ clothing is often ruined in the accidents which bring them to the hospital, or have to be cut o ff in order to provide emergency care. Together, Good Samaritan and Err. inuel see more than 86,000 patients annually in their emergency rooms, so nearly every day two or three p atien ts need p ro p e r c lo th in g , Hendrickson said. She said hospitals keep some extra clothing on hand, but often do not have the garments or sizes patients need, and frequently do not have adequate cold weather clothing. “ W hen w e h eard a b o u t the ho sp itals’ dilem m a, w e saw an opportunity for W illiam Temple House to step up and meet a need,” said Donald N ichols, executive director o f the Northwest Portland- based social service agency. “This is a natural partnership,” N ichols continued. “W i lliam Temple House provides food and clothing without charge to those in need as part o f our on-going em ergency services program. We have a good selection o f clean, warm donated Win a get-away to see C iv il Rights treasures clothing, so we can provide a variety o f sizes and garments to supplement what the emergency rooms have on hand.” One element in the new agreement calls for William Temple House to conduct a clothing drive at the Legacy hospitals twice a year. The donated clothing or other household items will be collected, sorted, cleaned and prepared for reuse by William Temple House. "In addition to coasts, caps, gloves and shoes, donated sweat suits are very useful because they are warm, comfortable and adjust easily for different sized patients," Nichols said. The hospital will keep an inventory and let William Temple House know the sizes and articles o f clothing they need for their em ergency room patients. The E R staffs may also refer patients to William Temple House for o th e r a ssista n c e , in c lu d in g counseling and emergency social services. “This is a win-win for all o f us, but especially for people o f very limited means, often without family, friends or basic resources,” Nichols said. Founded in 1965 as a non-profit organization to help those in need, W illiam Tem ple House provides counseling and emergency social se rv ic e s w ith o u t c h a rg e to approximately 12,000 individuals and families annually throughout the Portland/V ancouver metropolitan area. For appointments or services, call(503)226-3021. Planned Parenthood provides cancer screening > or T he P oh i land O bsehe eh To celebrate V alentine’s Day and com m em orate N ational Cervical Cancer Awareness month, Planned P aren th o o d o f th e C o lu m b ia / Willamette are offering free breast and cervical cancer screenings Feb. 14 for women who have not had a Pap smear in the last three years. Women must make appointments for the screenings, and can call 1-800-230- PLAN to reach their closest Planned Parenthood Clinic. In 1999, about 12,800 women were diagnosed w ith cervical cancer national ly, and4,800 women died from the disease. A disproportionate n u m b e r o f d e a th s are am ong minorities and women o f low income, due in large part to lack o f insurance, transportation to a health care facility and child care for the appointment. An e stim ated 37-60 percent reduction in cervical cancer mortality is possible with regular screening for all women. If cervical cancer is delected while in its earliest stages, the survival rate is almost 100 percent, with timely and appropriate treatment and follow-up. “Virtually all o f these deaths can be prevented by making lifesaving screening services available to all women at risk,” said Lois Backus, E xecutive D irector o f Planned P a re n th o o d o f the C o lu m b ia / Willamette. “Ourcentral mission is to provide health care services to women who otherwise could not receive care. While we certainly can’t provide free breast and cervical exams every day, we want to provide this screening as our gift to the com m unity on Valentine’s Day.” The incidence o f invasive cervical cancer dramatical ly decreased by 44 percent from 1973 to 1996, while m o rta lity due to th is d ise a se decreased by 47.3 percent. Much of the reduction in cervical cancer mortality has been associated with the increased useof Pap smears. Also, early detection and treatment o f the disease improves the prognosis for women diagnosed with this disease. PPCW was founded in 1963 as a p ro v id e r o f m edical se rv ic e s, c o u n se lin g , and e d u c a tio n a l programs for low income individuals in P o rtlan d , and ex panded its coverage in 1993 to 30 o f the 36 co u n tie s, and tw o c o u n tie s in Southw est W ashington. PPCW currently operates clinics in S.E. Portland, N.E. Portland, Beaverton, G resham , Salem , B end and Affordable Quality Retirement Living for Seniors 62 years and older Alberta Simmons Plaza 6611 NE Martin Lnther King Blvd Portland, Oregon 97211 240-4198 • O ne-Bedroom Apartm ents w ith Full Sized K itchens and Living Areas • Planned A ctivities, Laundry F acility, C onference & M eetin g Room, Elevator and Library, and Off Street Parking • C onveniently Located to Shopping, Restaurants, Pharm acy, and M ed ical O ffices COW TRIBUTE!) STORE E Q H T H tP oR T L ANDOBSEKVEH As a special salute to Black History Month 2000, one very lucky family will get an up close and personal tour o f the home o f America’s Ci vil Rights movement when Atlanta’s DeKalb Convention & Visitors Bureau awards an exciting and educational all- expense-paid weekend get-away to Atlanta, Georgia. The Grand Prize winnerwill receive up to four round-trip airline tickets to Atlanta via Delta Air Lines, ground transportation, tw o nights hotel accommodations, a grand tour o f Atlanta’s African-American Heritage Treasures including Sweet Auburn, The King Center, Stone Mountain Park, Underground Atlanta and much more. Entering to win the Black History Month Vacation Package is as easy as winning itself. Entries can be submitted by sending a post card with your name, address and phone number to Black History Month Contest, DCVB, P.O. Box 93447, Atlanta, Georgia, 30318 or you can e n te r o n -lin e at w w w .atlan tasd ek alb .o rg /co n test. TheGrand Prize winner will be drawn on Feb. 28,2000, by Atlanta’s DeKalb C onvention & V isito rs Bureau President Jon Manns. "We are proud to honor Black History Month by bringing a lucky fam ily to A tlan ta and D eK alb County,” said Jon Manns, president o f Atlanta’s Dekalb Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We plan for this weekend get-away to be packed with fun. history and lots o f good-times for the whole family.” 1
