Georgia PH week [Feb. 20, 2012]

February 20, 2012- In This Issue
Home | Healthy Work Environment | Sitting Dangerous to Health | Empowering Women | New Field Placement Program | How Support Guided Me to Exercise | Heart Attack Awareness | Gap in Health Services | PHBRIEFS |
PHRECIPE | PHTRAINING | PHEVENTS | PHNEWS | PHTECHTIP
Choosing to Create a Healthy Work Environment
When Adina Parson arrived at the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), she joined us with a new mission. She had spent previous years working to care for some of Georgia's most vulnerable citizens - our children. She came to us with a great deal of legal expertise and the key to optimal success at work.
"When I first started with state government, I realized that a large portion of my time would be spent at work," said Parson, legal counsel for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). "For that reason, I decided to create a work environment that was comfortable and that

would enable me to perform to the best of my ability."

Her office dcor holds the key to what matters most to her.

Adina Parson's office reinforces her goal to create a

There are no florescent lights and there are positive

peaceful and productive office for a healthy work space.

affirmations. "I thought about the things that cause me stress,

and I tried to find art, inspirational phrases and pictures that I could use to counter any negative thoughts,

feelings or experiences that I may have throughout the work day."

Sitting Dangerous to Health Despite Exercise

Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., (center) leads DPH employees (L-R) Ryan Deal, Bob Shaw, Khaliah Smith, Christine Greene and Jennifer Felder in exercises they can do for a few minutes throughout the day to combat the health dangers
associated with a sedentary workday.
Before settling in to read this article, stand up, stretch, march in place, do a few jumping jacks, walk to the water fountain and back, and ignore your sedentary coworkers' puzzled expressions-they are now more susceptible to obesity, heart disease and diabetes than you are.
A study from the American Cancer Society indicates that men and women who sit for more than six hours a day are 40 percent more likely to die earlier than people who sit less than three hours per day. This number still holds true for those who exercise. Even if you get your recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day and also sit for six hours, your mortality rate is still higher than those who sit less. Sitting for extended periods of time does significant damage to health that exercise cannot undo. The mortality rates nearly double for those who sit and do not exercise.

Empowering Women to Take Action Against Heart Disease

As women, we don't always put our health as a top priority. For many of us, we are busy being a mother, wife and daughter, while working full time. We juggle dropping one child off at dance lessons then the next at a t-ball game. Even though it is difficult to fit in the time to exercise for 30 minutes or make a nutritious meal, we should take the time to make our health one of our top priorities.

District 8-1 Health Director, William Grow, M.D., F.A.C.P, is traveling around the district throughout February to spread this message to as many women as possible through Go Red for Women heart disease lectures.
Since the 1980's, women have been dying at a higher rate from heart disease than men; although the stigma of heart disease is more often associated with men. Women tend to ignore the warning signs of a heart attack, attributing it to menopause or stress. But women must understand that heart disease is our number one killer.

"While the message of heart disease prevention is typically the same for men and women, women tend to ignore the signs and symptoms of heart disease more often than men," states Dr. Grow. "Many women feel they will be embarrassed if they get to the ER and the pain they feel isn't related to heart disease, but there is nothing to be embarrassed about if someone thinks they may be having a heart attack."

Brenda Mims, R.N., reviews cholesterol and blood pressure results with Go Red for Women heart disease
lecture participant Sherrie White.

DPH Seeking Sites for New Field Placement Program
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is proud to announce the Masters of Public Health (M.P.H.) Field Placement Program, in partnership with the Public Health Training Centers located at Emory University and the University of Georgia, beginning in the summer of 2012.
The goal of the program is to provide competency and practicebased experiences for the future public health workforce by placing M.P.H. students in real-world public health settings. Projects are intended to enhance a student's professional skills and knowledge while giving them the opportunity to use skills learned in the classroom. Students will apply for individual placements at the state, district or county health departments during the summer, fall and spring semesters and they will complete a defined public health project.

Support Guided Me to Exercise

Working in public health we know we are supposed to eat right and be physically active, but it can be difficult to find the time to exercise when working full time, putting dinner on the table, helping with homework, putting kids to bed, catching up on personal emails, and getting things done around the house. The weekends are often taken up by kids' sports activities and birthday parties, running errands, doing housework, and attending social obligations.

Katherine Kahn (far right, flower on t-shirt) stayed committed to It is also often outward appearances that motivate

exercise, even at four months pregnant, by meeting her boot camp group every morning at 5:45.

people to get in shape, rather than just knowing how

important exercise is for your heart and mental health

and to maintain strong muscles and bones. I have been fortunate to be thin my entire life, so exercise has never

been a necessity for losing or maintaining weight. But as I had children and got older, I noticed that I had lost

muscle tone. Despite this, I was at a loss for coming up with a plan to start exercising. But then more and more

of my friends started doing an exercise boot camp. It sounded good, but I am far from a morning person, and

this boot camp started at 5:40 a.m. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this really was the

best time of the day for me to get in my exercise.

Chatham County Health Dept. Raises Heart Attack Awareness Through Let's Dance, Savannah: Don't Miss a Beat!

In television shows or on the big screen, actors simulate having a

heart attack by clutching their chests and falling to the ground

in a very dramatic fashion. And while chest pain and pressure is

a sign of a heart attack, other less commonly known symptoms

can also signal the onset of heart distress, particularly in

women. But, according to a 2009 American Heart Association

survey, few women were aware of the most common heart

attack symptoms and only half of women indicated they would

call 9-1-1 if they thought they were having a heart attack. The

Chatham County Health Department and the U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health found a

Children and adults at the "Let's Dance Savannah: Don't creative way to try and change that in southeast Georgia.

Miss a Beat!" event dance to the U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health's "Make the Call" song, which promotes heart attack awareness in a catchy tune that lists the seven most prevalent symptoms of a heart attack for women.

"Make the Call. Don't Miss a Beat." is a campaign by the Office on Women's Health to educate women about heart attacks. "Let's Dance, Savannah!" is a Chatham County Health Department

initiative to encourage dancing as a legitimate form of exercise

and a way to prevent heart disease. Put them together and you get two fun-filled, educational events called

"Let's Dance, Savannah: Don't Miss a Beat!"

Chattahoochee Valley Health Expo Bridges Gap in Health
Services
On Saturday, February 4, the Columbus Department of Public Health partnered with local healthcare providers and professionals to sponsor the 2012 Health Expo. Residents from all over West Georgia and East Alabama packed into the Columbus Trade Center to benefit from over 40 free health screenings, which included: blood pressure checks, stroke assessments, mental health exams and a number of different cancer screenings for men and women.

Regular health exams and screenings are useful tools in
maintaining good health. The earlier a person can detect an illness, the easier it is to treat. Unfortunately, the cost of healthcare is steadily on the rise; many people are unable to afford even the most basic health services. In Muscogee County alone, 18 percent of the population lives on or below the poverty level; those who are not insured by Medicaid or Medicare are left at a disadvantage. The Health Expo's focus is addressing this growing burden in the community.

Participants at the Chattahoochee Valley Health Expo had access to 40 free health screenings including bone
density, cancer screening, and cholesterol.

Since the Health Expo began, more than 12,000 people have taken part in the event and over 51,900 health screenings were given at no cost to the participant. This year, an estimated 974 people participated in the expo. Over half of all attendees came this year for the first time, and over a quarter of all participants claimed to have no health insurance at all.

PHRECIPE
Salmon with Dill Sauce
Servings: 2 Prep & Cook Time: 15
Click Here for Full Recipe

Home | Healthy Work Environment | Sitting Dangerous to Health | Empowering Women | New Field Placement Program | How Support Guided Me to Exercise | Heart Attack Awareness | Gap in Health Services | PHBRIEFS |

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