Health Matters

News and Notes Robert Smith and Tom Hooper discuss bed bugs on this months 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.
Volume 1II, Issue VIII May 2012

CHD Nurses Accept Flo Awards

Three CHD employees were recognized for their outstanding work as public health nurses. Beth G a y, Kathy Zix and Susan Minton were winners of the 2012 F l o r e n c e From left: Susan Minton, Barb Smurda accepting for Nightingale Beth Gay and Kathy Zix Award; Barb Wiley Kroner, a former recipient of the Florence Nightingale award in 2001, was also nominated. Everyday our public health nurses go above and beyond in their ability to help our residents thrive, said CHD Interim Nursing Director Kelli Kohake. We are truly pleased with their achievements and proud of their diligent work on behalf of our City. These nursing awards are given to recognize nurses for their exceptional dedication and achievement, and outstanding contributions to direct patient care. The annual award ceremony, held April 17, 2012 was sponsored by the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing.

New Smiles for Madisonville Seniors

The Cincinnati Health Department (CHD), in partnership with Madisonville Community Council, provided dental services exclusively for senior residents of Madisonville as part of a pilot program called Senior Smile Days. Providing additional access to seniors in Madisonville will help to expand coverage for seniors who are not physically able to get to the clinics themselves, says CHD Associate Dental Director Nancy Carter. These services are essential in removing the two major barriers seniors face in getting dental care: access to care and high cost. Twentythree seniors were treated for a total value of $21,161 in services. dental services for Senior Days were provided by four additional dentists, two dental hygienists and support staff. Senior Smile Days is a pilot program modeled after the KIDS DAYS program operated by the Cincinnati Health Department on Fridays during the school year. CHD, Madisonville and community partners hope to continue the program during the summer months.

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Health Department employees Robert Smith and Mary Fairbanks staff the Health Department booth at Cincinnatis 10th annual Neighborhood Summit. The event was held May 19, 2012 at CPSs School for Creative and Performing Arts.

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Health Matters

Take Control of Your Blood Pressure

May is national high blood pressure education month. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a serious illness that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure. If you currently live with hypertension or are looking to prevent onset, follow these simple steps: Lose extra weight - Women with a waistline larger than 35 in. and men with a waistline greater than 40 in. are at a much higher risk for hypertension. Exercise regularly - The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5x per week for adults to stay healthy. Reduce salt - Limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams/day or less. Information about how much sodium is in your food can be found on food labels. Avoid tobacco - Nicotine, found in tobacco products, can significantly raise your blood pressure for up to an hour or more after tobacco use. Reduce stress - Take time to determine stressors in your life and try to eliminate as many as possible. Deepbreathing exercises or meditation can also help in reducing stress and lower blood pressure.

CHD Awarded Pool Contract

CHDs Technical Environmental Services (TES) unit licenses and inspects pools and spas to minimize the occurrence of disease and address critical health and safety issues at Cincinnati public recreational water facilities. On May 7, 2012, the TES unit was awarded a contract with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to conduct inspections and verify compliance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Act (VGBA). The VGBA was signed into law on December 17, 2007, after seven-yearold Virginia G. Baker died when the suction from a spa drain trapped her underwater. This Federal Act specifies that all public swimming pools, wading pools, spas, and hot tubs must install compliant drain covers. Additionally, in certain instances, public pools and spas must have additional devices or systems designed to prevent suction entrapment. The three year contract was awarded to a small number of health departments in the US. Importantly, it will ensure that pools in Cincinnati are in compliance with the VGBA, and thus, better able to protect the publics health.

Patient Recognizes Dr. Mehta & Elm Street Staff

A Cincinnati resident wrote to express his gratitude to Dr. Monal Mehta and staff of the Elm Street Health Center about the excellent care he received during his visit. He writes, Recently, I had my first visit with you and the staff of Elm Street Health Center. I have to say that I was truly amazed at the quality of care I received. From the receptionist to the cashier, everyone was so kind and made me feel like I was the only patient they were treating. I did not wait long for Dr. Mehta to make his way into the patient examination room, greeting me with an exuberant smile. Immediately after he had reviewed my health records, he went to work on explaining to me what he was going to do to make sure I was in the best condition I could be. He first told me he would like me to be immunized, that this would be important to my diabetic care to keep my immune system healthy. He then advised me to see an onsite nutritionist so that I could be on a proper diet for a diabetic. On that same day, he set up appointments for me to be seen by a dentist and have an eye examination for diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Mehta, I would like to commend you on a job well done; your compassion and true concern are second to none. I hope that we are able to maintain a long and faithful patient-doctor relationship. Truly, one person can make a difference! Thank you so much!

CHD Nurse Awarded Scholarship

CHD public health nurse M i c h e l l e Daniels was awarded a $2,000 Ida W. Casey Scholarship from the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. Ms. Daniels is a pediatric nurse at the Elm Street Health Center and has been a public health nurse at CHD for fourteen years. The Ida W. Casey scholarship will contribute to Ms. Daniels continuing education in the Masters of Science in Nursing program at Xavier University. The award ceremony was held on May 3 at the Health Foundation. Congrats, Michelle!

New Health Status for 2 CPS Schools

As of May 10, the School Based Health Centers at the Academy of World Languages and Withrow now have Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC-LA) Look-alike status, as approved by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) . These School Based Health Centers will receive benefits including patient access to CHD health centers outside of the school setting. Congratulations to CHDs School Health Program!

Syphilis Declines 21% in Cincinnati

Data from the Ohio Department of Health shows that the number of primary and secondary Syphilis cases in Cincinnati dropped by 21% from 241 in 2010, to 190 in 2011. This is an encouraging indication and something the Cincinnati Health Department will work diligently with its partners to continue to address. Columbus and Dayton saw cases increase during the same period.