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.
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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.
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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
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