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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2003)
PagcAfl ®lje ^lortlan h (Dbseruer May 21. 2003 H ealth Window on Health Students get schooled on health care careers Area students got a good view on potential jobs in the medical field thanks to a health care career fairat Providence St. Vincent Medi cal Center. Nurses, pharmacists and radiol ogy technicians helped the stu dents participate in several medi cal-related activities at the recent event. A mannequin was used to give the students a lesson in how to resuscitate an overdose patient. Other activities included a tour an American Medical Response ambulance, working with cardiac monitoring and spinal immobiliza tion equipment; touring a Life Flight helicopter, using a cardiac monitor; and inflating an angioplasty bal loon. Students took images o f a live volunteer’s heart and performed an ultrasound on a turkey to find a Wash anna Crittendon from St. Mary's Academy, sutures a pigs hidden "mass,” in this case an ol foot at the recent health care career fair at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. ive. Lakita Davis of Hillsboro High School performs an ultrasound on a turkey to find a cashew, stuffed olive or marshmellow, items placed in the bird to represent hidden masses in the body. St. Vincent ultrasound sonographer Christine Vlasman explains the medical procedure. Groups Focus on HIV/AIDS Health Infant's Death Brings Warning Saturday event at PCC Cascade to explore issues An A frican Am erican c iv ic group and other local sponsors are hosting a free H IV /A ID S health symposium Saturday, May 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cascade Cam pus o f Portland C o m m unity C o lle g e , 705 N. Killingsworth. The Portland Chapter o f The Links is behind the effort as a cul mination ofa two-year community health awareness and outreach project, targeting the prevention o f H IV and A ID S . Theeventwill feature a speaker’s panel, information booths, break out sessions and lunch with noon entertainment. Registration is open to the pub lic with special sessions for stu dents and parents. On-line regis tration is a v a ila b le at www.thelinksportlandchapter.org. Box lunches are $10, The other sponsors include Damon Stoudamire, Inc., Cascade A ID S Projectand Eli Lilly Pharma ceutical Company. For more information, contact Link member, M. Yvonne William^ at 503-284-9485. Birth Defect Prevention Urged A new Oregon Department o f Human Services study shows that younger women are more likely to have unintended pregnancies and are less likely to take folic acid prior to conception. Folic acid can pre vent birth defects if taken before a woman becomes pregnant. “This study clearly shows that we need to increase our efforts at encouraging all fertile women, par ticularly teens, to develop the habit o f taking a daily vitamin with folic acid,” said Dr. Ken Rosenberg, a state medical epidemiologist. The research found that women who said that their pregnancy was intended were almost four times more likely to report having taken folic acid than women who said that their pregnancy was unintended. Taking folic acid beforeconcep tion can prevent birth defects, in cluding at least half o f neural tube defects, which affect the baby’s brain and spine, according to Rosenberg. “ A baby's neural tube starts to develop before a woman even knows she is pregnant,” Rosenberg said. "That's why it’s so important that all fertile women, and particu larly those who do not intend to get pregnant, take daily multivitamins that contain 400 meg (0.4 mg) o f folic acid.” The death o f an 11-week- old Oregon child due to per tussis, or whooping cough, is a sober reminder of why chil dren should be immunized, according to public health officials in the state Depart ment o f Human Services. “Pertussis is common, and it causes a nagging cough that can last for weeks in adults,” said Ann Thomas, M.D., public health physi cian in DHS. “This tragic death is a reminder that the whooping cough can be very severe and even kill infants.” Vaccination against per tussis is recom m ended at two, four and six months o f age, with additional doses at 15 months and at school en try, Thomas said. “The vaccine won’t eradi cate the bacterium, but it does prevent whooping cough,” said Thomas. “That’s why we urge parents to be diligent about getting their children immu nized on time.” Pertussis can occur at any age, but most reported cases Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health A program ol the African American Health Coalition Inc. Sponsored by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Wellness Within REACH: Mind, Body, and Soul Activity Calendar R escue o f O re g o n H e a lth P la n U rg e d (A P )— Health care activists are up the Health Plan. urging legislative leaders to find “ These cuts are not only about the money to avoid cutting more human lives lost, jobs interrupted than 100,000 low-income people and higher health costs at the emer from the Oregon Health Plan. gency room, they w ill further erode At a news conference last week, Oregon's economy and capacity to representatives o f health care respond to human need.” said Ellen groups, unions and businesses Pinney o f the Oregon Health A c said lawmakers should look at rais tion Campaign. ing cigarette and alcohol taxes and The Oregon Health Plan won reducing existing tax breaks to shore nationwide admiration for extend- Insurance for Kids You work hard to provide for your children and want to make sure they grow up strong, smart and healthy. But like many parents whose children don’t have health insurance, you worry about taking care o f them. Now, you may have one less thing to worry about. Your state, and every state in the nation, has a health insurance program for in fants, children and teens. The in surance is available to children in working families, including families that include individuals with a va riety ofimmigration status. Materi als are available that explain more about immigration and children's health insurance. The states have different eligi bility rules, but in most states, un insured children 18 years old and younger, whose families eam up to $34 ,100ayear(fora family o f four) are eligible. ! ing medical care to thousands of childless adults in low-paying jobs and others who otherwise didn’t qualify for traditional Medicaid coverage. Because o f the state's budget problems, though, more than one- fourth o f the roughly450,000 Health Plan members stand to lose their coverage July I unless lawmakers find additional revenue. PORTLAND AREA HIV SERVICES COUNCIL SEEKS NEW MEMBERS! This volunteer group identifies HIV care needs, prioritizes $3.3 million in federal funding, and conducts long-range planning. All classas ara free of charge! For Information and applications, please contact: Portland Area HIV Services Planning Council: (503) 988-3030, ext. 225. I. Tues M on Mtit Dubna 771C Kasit W ed T h u rs F ri P» »A T__:_ ¿tremili Iratnim StrmRtb Trauma Sat Strenjlk Traimi African Dance 0 -1 1 « 8 -9 « ad 2 -3 « ¿tremi" iriMim 9 -1 1 « w h íL T J i 8 -9 « aal 2 -3 « Bl uw« Nom» Brown Norria Brows Ado 100 0 -1 10 0 « Cham Sie» 6 0 0 -7 0 0 « Kednck Saluti« Amy 5325NVfan Salsa Waler Aerobics CS Water Aerob« (3 0 -7 :3 0 « 2 0 0 -3 3 )0 « ( 3 0 - 7 3 0 |» 2 .0 0 -3 .0 0 « Hastland Hampton Liles Ntiare's 3535NE15A. PeanstiaParL 700NP«tbti Hampl,« w Von Betel» tomblmmnt 7:30-830« 7 3 0 -8 3 0 « M S -1 0 3 0 « ORoorke 0 'Bourbe nKkmMl Walk« Creep# Walkmj Gro»p # Walk»! Grwp 6:00-700« 6:00-7:0« 12:30« Nickers« Nickerson Nickers« Stinti« «d L e w i» « ! Low Impart Dtinvacs Anukin Aerobin Walk 7:15-8.15« 7:15 8.15a« 9:00-10:00« Narrò Noms 5738 N Aliai HtibyAwne Cintila Chad (Gyw) 126 NE Aiuta H«lhtilhM C h R iti(U t 4635 ffittA u . WfefarTraà 42b 1 Unpwartfc • * S A. -~ A MA . _ Multnomah County Chairperson appoints members; 1/3 must be persons living with HIV. Please call for information. Deadline for applications is June 11,2003. are in children under five and o f those, 50 percent are under one year old, according to Thomas. Whooping cough is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis and is found in the mouth, nose and throat o f an infected person. It begins as a m ild infectio n with symptoms that resem ble the common cold. Within two weeks, the cough becomes more severe with episodes o f numerous coughs followed by a high-pitched whoop. (on»w»it» Prarer Irb, AerUna Aerobin 5:30-6:20« 530 -0 -2 0« (M art« 5/12/03) (atarbaai 5/12/03) Aarokin ad 6 3 0 -7 3 0 « ad6:3O-73O« Nicker«» Nkbermo 6:30-7:30« Nickers» Aarokin Aerobics Aarokin Aerobics Aerobin 6:00-7 0 0 « 6 0 0 -7 0 0 « 6:00-7 0 0 « 6:00-700« 6:00-7:00« finer (eBtr Pierce Keler Pierce Wl Maaajemeat Wt Maneerilleni lonbtinoiwj rombi»«« 9 0 0 -1 0 0 0 « 900 10:00« Hasa» lasas Must be 21 or older to participate Please check with AAHC before showing up to the first class 503-413-1850 Please receive approval from your doctor before beginning exercise class «meet Inside Lloyd Canter In front of Sears African American Health Coalition, Inc. 2800 N Vancouver Ave, Suite 100 • Portland, OR 97227 • Phone 503-413-1850 E-mail; kdempseyOaahc-portland.org • Web: www aahc-portland otg H