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_______________________ ï î o r t l a n i » ( ß b s e r u c r ____________________________________________
June 12,2002
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Students Make Healthy Living Video
Production shines light on risk factors for cardiovascular disease
HOLLA!
A PROGRAM OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN
HEALTH COALITION, Inc.
2S00 N. Vancouver Avenue, Suite 100, 97227; 503 413-1850
Students at Jefferson High School act out skits for a cable television show to educate their peers
and younger kids about preventing cardiovascular disease, the number one killer o f African
Americans in Oregon.
Jefferson and Benson high
school students are targeting
their peers with a life saving
message about heart disease
and stroke.
The teenagers produced a
video at Jefferson High School
last week entitled “From the
Heart” which takes aim at pre
venting cardiovascular disease
by reducing risks among Afri
can Americans. The video will
be submitted to cable channels
for broadcast.
Cardiovascular disease is
the number one killer of Afri
can Americans in Oregon. In
fact, in the U.S., blacks are
twice as likely as whites to die
from stroke and almost one
and a half times as likely to die
from a heart attack.
The students acted out skits
in the video, similar to those
seen on popular comedy shows
like Saturday Night Live, to
cover topics related to cardio
vascular disease and risk fac
tors like nutrition, physical ac
tivity, diabetes, high blood pres
sure and smoking.
“The students are using
their creativity to educate
their peers about important
health issues and they hope
their efforts will ultim ately
help save lives,” said Karen
Gress o f the African A m eri
can Health Coalition.
The coalition is the group
behind the video and part o f a
wider intervention project for
children and teenagers called
Healthy Options for Living
Longer Actively (HOLLA!).
T he o rg a n iz a tio n was
formed in Oregon earlier this
year as part o f a federal grant
to promote community health
with racial and ethnic ap-
proaches to making life saving
changes in the African Ameri
can Community over a three-
year period o f time.
The coalition is also spon
soring an intervention program
for adults called “Looking Tight,
Livin’ Right,” by using existing
relationships between beauty
and barbershop operators and
their clients to promote healthy
behaviors.
A third intervention program
by the coalition targets low-
income African Americans en
rolled in the Oregon Health
Plan by using targeted mail
ings containing health infor
mation.
All o f the efforts are de
signed to link African Ameri
cans to preventative clinical
services and other resources
known to reduce the risk of
cardiovascular disease.
Father’s Day Cards Promote Health
Did you know that African
American men have the highest
prostate cancer incidence rates
in the world and are twice as
likely to die from prostate can
cer as other American men?
Because this disease af
fects so many, the American
Cancer Society is encouraging
men and their families to ob-
tain the most accurate and up-
to-date information possible
about prostate cancer, so they
can make informed decisions
about their long-term health
care.
To coincide with Father’s
Day, June 16, the American
Cancer Society has developed
a series o f cards, which in
New Cardiac Procedure Available
cludes an insert that can be
returned to the society request
ing more information about
prostate cancer.
A limit of two o f these spe
cial Father’s Day cards are
free to anyone who calls the
Portland office o f the Ameri
can Cancer Society and re
quests them at 503-295-6422.
Healthy Options for Living Longer Actively
(HOLLA!) is a peer education project for
high school students.
Students from Benson and
Jefferson High Schools
will be trained as
Community Youth
Health Advocates
to deliver heart
disease
prevention
messages to
their peers.
HOLLA students
will also produce
and star in a
health promotion
video, "From the
Heart", which will be
aired on local television
channels.
Sponsored by the C e n te r s f o r D is e a s e C o n tr o l a n d
P r e v e n tio n and made possible in part by Legacy Emanuel.
PSU-RRI and the Department of Human Services.
"Thanks for clearing the air
at work, Oregon.”
I can remember days where I could see the smoke In my office hanging
near the ceiling tiles. But with the Oregon Smokefree Workplace Law.
It's a thing of the past. No more dirty ashtrays. No more
butts in the sink. And no more secondhand smoke.
Because now smoking doesn't work in Oregon. And I’m
breathing a lot easier.
If you’ve got questions,
please contact us:
Dr. Todd Caulfieds (left) o f Providence St. Vincent
Medical Center, assisted by technician Scott Warme,
uses a beta-emitting wire to deliver targeted radiation
to stop cells from re-blocking previously treated
arteries in a heart patient. The Providence Heart
Institute now offers the new procedure, called
intravascular radiotherapy or brachytherapy, a
minimally invasive therapy for patients with heart
disease.
Information About The Law
• Toll-free 1-866-621-6107
• www.healthoregon.org/tobacco
• Your county health department
Oregon Tobacco Qultiine
• 1-877-27O-STOP
• 1-877-2NO-FUME (Spanish)
• TTY: 1-877-777-6534
It you have a disability and need the material
In an alternate format, call 5 0 3-73 1-4 273
(TTY: 5 0 3-73 1-4 031 ).
Classes for Chronic Health Sufferers
People suffering from chronic
conditions, such as arthritis, dia
betes, lymphedema or heart dis
ease, can learn to manage symp
toms, lessen fatigue and reduce
frustration through a class at
Kaiser Permanente called Liv
ing Well With Chronic Health
Problems.
The class will m eet on
M ondays from 6:30 p.m. to 9
p.m. July 22 through Aug. 26
at K aiser Perm anente’s In
terstate Medical Office Cen
tral, 3500 N. Interstate Ave.
The course carries an $18
fee. There is no need to be a
K aiser Perm anente health
plan m em ber. To enroll, call
503-286-6816.
IT’S OREGON LAW.
O regon D epartment O f H uman S ervices