Washington Informer
Health Archive (248)
Part Two of Two
But leaders' zeal to improve care quickly encountered a host of obstacles. There was no agreement within the military on how to diagnose concussions, or even a standardized way to code such incidents on soldiers' medical records. Good intentions banged up against the military's gung ho culture. To remain with comrades, soldiers often shake off blasts and ignore symptoms.
Commanders sometimes ignore them, too, under pressure to keep soldiers in the field. Medics, overwhelmed with treating life-threatening injuries, may lack the time or training to recognize a concussion. The NPR and ProPublica investigation, however, indicates that the military did little to overcome those battlefield hurdles.
But leaders' zeal to improve care quickly encountered a host of obstacles. There was no agreement within the military on how to diagnose concussions, or even a standardized way to code such incidents on soldiers' medical records. Good intentions banged up against the military's gung ho culture. To remain with comrades, soldiers often shake off blasts and ignore symptoms.
Commanders sometimes ignore them, too, under pressure to keep soldiers in the field. Medics, overwhelmed with treating life-threatening injuries, may lack the time or training to recognize a concussion. The NPR and ProPublica investigation, however, indicates that the military did little to overcome those battlefield hurdles.
Many of us focus on the wrinkles and gray hair that are an unavoidable part of the aging process. But with age also comes wisdom and knowledge gained through a lifetime of experience. As I look toward my own retirement, I want to be able to enjoy time with my family and friends, and share some of my own life lessons with the next generations.
In order to ensure that I – and other seniors in our community – have many healthy years ahead, we need to be certain that proper care for chronic aging-related diseases is a priority. Across the country, more than 11 million African-American children grow up with a grandparent in the home. This dynamic can present a tremendous opportunity for different generations to learn from one another, and for grandparents to be actively involved in their grandchildren’s lives.
In order to ensure that I – and other seniors in our community – have many healthy years ahead, we need to be certain that proper care for chronic aging-related diseases is a priority. Across the country, more than 11 million African-American children grow up with a grandparent in the home. This dynamic can present a tremendous opportunity for different generations to learn from one another, and for grandparents to be actively involved in their grandchildren’s lives.
Courtesy PhotoHeart Smart Sisters will conduct targeted outreach to community groups, civic and faith-based organizations in priority Wards in the District through a series of educational events, community Town Hall meetings and health screenings sponsored by Unison Health Plan of the Capital Area together with partners Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, YWCA of the National Capital Area, Greater Washington Urban League, Latino Federation of Greater Washington and Comcast.
Who says you can’t teach an old dad new twists? All across the nation this Father’s Day weekend, people are telling their fathers, grandfathers, and other special men in their lives about a new “twist” in the law that may help them qualify for extra help paying for costs associated with their prescription drugs.
When you’re spending time with Dad this weekend, ask him if he can use some help paying for his prescription drugs. If so, tell him about the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan and the extra help available through Social Security.
If Dad is covered by Medicare and has limited income and resources, he might be eligible for extra help to pay for his monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. The extra help is worth an average of $3,900 per year.
When you’re spending time with Dad this weekend, ask him if he can use some help paying for his prescription drugs. If so, tell him about the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan and the extra help available through Social Security.
If Dad is covered by Medicare and has limited income and resources, he might be eligible for extra help to pay for his monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. The extra help is worth an average of $3,900 per year.
The medical community remains unsure as to the causes of asthma, and instead continue to focus on treating its symptoms. Courtesy Photo“There’s a tight feeling in your chest like you have on a corset, and you can’t breathe, and it really hurts,” said the District resident who has suffered from asthma since childhood.
In 2008, free clinics across the nation provided care to about 4 million uninsured people. In 2009, that doubled to about 8 million people, despite a decline in donations. Courtesy PhotoA massive free clinic scheduled in the District in August will provide much-needed free medical care to uninsured people in and around the nation’s capital. The National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) will sponsor the free clinic on August 4 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, Northwest.
“Although this has been a historic year with the passage of federal health care reform legislation, uninsured people throughout the country still need free medical resources now,” NAFC Executive Director Nicole Lamoureux said. “This free clinic is not just for the sick but also for anyone who is uninsured and has not seen a doctor recently. All participants will receive preventive primary medical care and be connected to the area’s safety-net providers.”
Let’s make sure black children learn to swim. It could save their lives.
With summer fast approaching, here’s something to think about: Black kids, ages five to 14, drowned at 3.1 times the rate of whites in that age range from 2000 to 2006, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. And in that period, African-American kids were five times as likely as white kids to drown in swimming pools.
With summer fast approaching, here’s something to think about: Black kids, ages five to 14, drowned at 3.1 times the rate of whites in that age range from 2000 to 2006, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. And in that period, African-American kids were five times as likely as white kids to drown in swimming pools.
Phill Wilson, president and chief executive officer of the Black AIDS Institute Courtesy Photo“Annual awareness days are very important, but everyday is HIV testing day at the Black AIDS Institute. A single strategy or silver bullet is not going to end the AIDS epidemic in our communities,” says Wilson.
The Prince George’s Health Department Announces National HIV Testing Day
The Prince George ’s County Health Department will be honoring National Testing Day by giving free HIV tests throughout the weekend of June 25, 2010. Since 1995, the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) sets aside June 27th as a National HIV Testing Day. The purpose of National Testing day is to promote early diagnosis and HIV-testing.
The Prince George ’s County Health Department will be honoring National Testing Day by giving free HIV tests throughout the weekend of June 25, 2010. Since 1995, the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) sets aside June 27th as a National HIV Testing Day. The purpose of National Testing day is to promote early diagnosis and HIV-testing.
The George Washington University study of 141 U.S. medical schools found that historically Black medical schools had the highest social mission rankings. Courtesy PhotoThe study, the first to score all U.S. medical schools based on their ability to meet a social mission, reveals glaring differences among institutions with regard to their production of physicians who practice primary care, work in underserved areas, and are minorities.
The George Washington University study of 141 U.S. medical schools found that historically Black medical schools had the highest social mission rankings. In a Top 20 list of medical schools with the highest social mission rankings, Morehouse College, Meharry Medical College and Howard University ranking first, second and third respectively.
Many of the institutions generally considered to be the most prestigious medical schools did not even make the Top 20 list. In fact, many of the nation's most prestigious medical schools - including Duke University, Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, Boston University and Columbia University - finished in the Bottom 20.
The study also found that: Medical schools in the Northeast generally performed poorly on all three measures and, as such, had the lowest regional social mission scores; Public medical schools graduated higher proportions of primary-care physicians than their private counterparts; Schools with substantial National Institutes of Health research funding generally produced fewer primary-care physicians and physicians practicing in underserved areas, and thus had lower social mission scores overall.
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