Health Matters

Volume 1I, Issue X June/July 2011sletter

News and Notes The Cincinnati Health Departments Denisha Garland and Ellen Berninger discuss Healthy Mondays on We Know Health Matters, CHDs show on CitiCable Time Warner Channel 23. Playback times:
M 9, 11 a.m. W 5 p.m. Th. 12 p.m. F 9 a.m. Su. 3 p.m.

Tristate Medical Reserve Corps recruiting volunteers

The Tristate Medical Reserve Corps (TMRC), launched a campaign, managed by the Cincinnati Health Department, on July 10 to recruit both medical and nonmedical volunteers who can offer support during public health emergencies in the Cincinnati area. In response to Cincinnatis devastating 2008 windstorm, volunteers staffed hotlines, performed wellness checks and delivered food and emergency supplies. An estimated 6,000 hours of support were provided during the H1N1 emergency, with 245 clinics staffed by volunteers. Currently, TMRC has approximately 2,400 volunteers. Medical professionals including physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, mental health providers and others are needed to provide direct medical services. Volunteers might be called to assist in distribution of medication or vaccines at mass distribution sites (PODS) or called to staff Alternate Care Centers (ACC) when all area hospitals have reached their maximum capacity. Public health agencies in the Cincinnati region do not have the personnel to respond to larger scale emergencies, making it essential to recruit more volunteers who can help assist with these crises. By volunteering prior to an emergency, you will be trained and provided credentials that allow you to be quickly

TMRC Regional Team and effectively deployed. You must be 18 or older to be a volunteer. For information on how to become a volunteer, visit http:// www.tristatemrc.org/ A special thank you to Libby Walter, Jared Warner TMRC Director, Carter Pittman, ER Coordinator for Hamilton County H.D., Ami Mclandsborough, John Dunham, Debbie Conradi, Amy Burson, Darryl Marsh, Pam Bauer, Sam Thompson, Kathryn Rosenbaum, Ashley Auciello, Heather Mercer, Rocky Merz, Ana RojasMoonitz Tonya Key and Kiana Trabue.

Follow CHD: Twitter: twitter.com/ CinciHealthDept Facebook: facebook.com / CincinnatiHealthDepartment

Lead Prevention Program Receives Another Perfect !

The Cincinnati Health Departments Lead Prevention Program has received another quarterly score of 100 from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, making this the consecutive perfect grade. This great news follows the lead abatement grant that was recently awarded to the City of Cincinnati in April. The award of $4.5 Million is 66 percent more than the previous grant based and is a tribute to the outstanding progress being made. Keep it up!

If you have an item you would like to Include, e-mail Rocky Merz at rocky.merz@ cincinnati-oh.gov.

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Health Matters

New online resource improves patient care

People in Greater Cincinnati have an online resource that can help them understand if they are receiving quality care. YourHealthMatters, an initiative of the Health Collaborative (www.thecollaborative.org) ,reports physician practice outcomes with a consumer-friendly approach on how to use the information to get better care. Hundreds of primary care physicians in the region are participating by measuring and reporting the outcomes achieved by patients. The site was launched in July 2010 initially focusing on diabetes care with workshops to take place this summer. Furthermore, Health Care Access Now (HCAN) has partnered with the Your Health Matters initiative of the Health Improvement Collaborative to offer four community diabetes awareness workshops for African American adults. These half-day workshops will offer an informal way to learn about medications, nutrition, how to talk about diabetes with your doctors, getting blood sugar and blood pressure screening and much more. Find out more by visiting www.yourhealthmatters.org.

Health Department Archives Circa 1911

access to resources that will result in them taking the steps for successful self-management and a healthier lifestyle. For more information, visit http://healthcareaccessnow.org/

Mondays Campaign featured in SOPHE

CHDs Health Promotions and Worksite Wellness Department and goVibrant were recently featured in Society Of P u b l i c H e a l t h Ed u c a t o r s (SOHPE) for the Healthy Mondays Campaign movement in Cincinnati. The Monday Campaigns is a national movement backed by leading public health schools that dedicates the first day of every week to improving health. Since its commencement this past April, the initiative has inspired many new programs throughout Cincinnati with more initiatives scheduled to begin this fall. For more information, contact Ohio SOPHE member and Director of Health Promotions and Worksite Wellness Denisha Garland at Denisha.garland@ cincinnati-oh.gov.

Community diabetes Workshops

The Your Health Matters Initiatives half-day workshops will offer an informal way to learn about medications, nutrition, how to talk about diabetes with your doctors, getting blood sugar and blood pressure screening and much more. The goal of Health Care Access Now is for people to have CHD employees made their first appearance in the Northside Parade on July 4. Thanks to all the staff who joined and Brenda Waldron RN the Northside Health Center Manager who coordinated.