PHWEEK 5-28-2013: Serious E. Coli Outbreak in Stephens County Follow Us! Public Health Tracks Serious E. Coli Outbreak in Stephens County Georgia public health teams are investigating an outbreak of E. coli in Submit your story suggestions, ideas, comments or a story of your own! Stephens County that sickened almost a dozen people who ate at a barbecue restaurant in the first week of May. In This Issue As of May 23, District 2 Public Health, the Serious E. Coli Outbreak Drunk Driving Tactics Falls Flat Stephens County Health Department and the Georgia Department of Students Test Drive GoNoodle Public Health (DPH) Employees Dish About Weight Loss on Katie Couric identified 10 Georgians and one South Carolina resident who were infected with E. coli 0157:H7 after eating at the BBQ Shack in Toccoa. An additional seven people were probably infected, Drive for Sight Program although their illnesses haven't been confirmed with lab results. Georgia Tobacco Quitline Pick Healthier Foods with App PHEVENTS Cherie Drenzek, D.V.M., DPH state epidemiologist, said public health officials consider outbreaks of this strain of E. coli to be public health emergencies since the infections can have severe clinical complications. An Evening of Gospel & "This is a big one, as far as E. coli outbreaks go. It's kind of an all Education hands on deck situation," Drenzek said. June 26 7 p.m. Maloof Center Auditorium, Decatur In observance of the eighth annual National HIV Testing Day, STAND Inc. Seven of the infected patients were hospitalized, five of whom have been diagnosed with Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), a kind of kidney failure that is a rare but serious complication of E. coli will host an evening of gospel and infection. education featuring the Atlanta chapter of the Gospel Music All of the patients reported their illnesses between May 4 and May Workshop of America. For more information, visit www.standinc.com. 8, and investigators believe everyone was probably sickened sometime between May 2 and May 4. Tai Chi in the Park Tuesday and Friday 11 a.m. DPH, in partnership with the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, is Drunk Driving Tactic Falls Flat offering tai chi classes at the water wall on the north end of Woodruff National board recommends lowering Park. The class is open to the BAC level, support hard to find community and there is no need to register. No classes will be held during inclement weather. Drunk driving kills about 10,000 Americans every year Free Exercise Classes and public health and safety DPH offers group exercise classes groups across the U.S. are everyday at 2 Peachtree. Classes include dance, kickboxing, yoga, walking and more. Classes are open on a first come, first served basis always looking for new ways to keep people from operating motor vehicles after and there is no need to pre-register. they've had too much to Download the monthly schedule at drink. But one recent www.health.state.ga.us/wellness. suggestion received an unusual lack of support from Submit Calendar Entries to communications@dhr.state.ga.us several major public safety groups. PHTRAINING Two for Tuesdays: Office of Human Resources Join the Office of Training and Workforce Development the second Tuesday of each month for the new learning series Two for Tuesdays. This program provides an opportunity for programs to explore new ideas, share knowledge and highlight teams and their work. L'laina Rash will discuss DPH's internship program June 11. Introduction to Public Health Think you know what public health does? Here's an opportunity to know and learn more about the field of Public Health and specifically how it works in Georgia. This course is open to all employees new and seasoned to learn more about what we are doing in Georgia and how you role supports the department's goals. Course dates are June 25, July 23, Aug. 27, Sept. 24, Oct. 22 and Nov. 26. To learn more and to register, go to SABA or email Donna Dunn at dgdunn@dhr.state.ga.us. Health Literacy and Cultural Competency: Practical Skills for Public Health Practitioners June 3 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Clarence Brown Conference Center, Cartersville This one-day course will improve the communication skills of public health practitioners by teaching strategies to incorporate key principles of health literacy and cultural competency into existing programs. For more information and to register, visit sph.emory.edu/ephtc. Contact Tara Redd, tredd@emory.edu, with questions. Register by May 28. This month, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent federal agency that reviews travel safety issues, urged states to lower their legal limits for drunk driving from .08 percent blood alcohol content (BAC) to .05 percent, the first change to the law since the limit decreased from .10 percent to its current level nearly 15 years ago. In a news conference discussing the recommendations, NTSB Chair Deborah Hersman said the goal is to eliminate alcohol-impaired driving by targeting drivers who drink but think they are not a danger. "We know drivers are significantly impaired at .05. There is no debate about that," she said. Lowering the BAC limit "has the effect of everyone drinking less." Atlanta Students Test Drive GoNoodle Quick, interactive game system gets students moving in classroom Imagine a classroom full of elementary school students running and jumping next to their desks, coached by Olympic athletes as they pretend to run hurdles in an Olympic race in just a Olympic hurdler Queen Harrison leads Mary Lin Elementary students in GoNoodle exercises. few minutes between lessons. Analyzing Health Behaviors: Practical Skills for the Public Health Professional June 4 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Clarence Brown Conference Center, Cartersville This training will provide practical information on analyzing health behaviors to develop effective interventions. The course will introduce health education intervention planning and an overview of major theories, including stages of change, health belief model and planned behavior change. For more information and to register, visit sph.emory.edu/ephtc. Contact Tara Redd, tredd@emory.edu, with questions. Register by May 28. That was the scene for students at Mary Lin Elementary School in Atlanta on May 16 when they were visited by Olympic decathlon gold medalist Ashton Eaton, Olympic hurdler Queen Harrison and Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., as they tested GoNoodle, a suite of interactive games that features running, stretching, dancing and deep breathing activities. HealthTeacher, which produces Go Noodle and other Web-based health games and apps for kids, designed the program to be a free, easy way for teachers to add physical activity to their classrooms without having to create additional lesson plans or activities. City of Atlanta Employees Dish About Weight Loss on Katie Couric's Show HIV in the South: What Nurses Need to Know June 8 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Loudermilk Center, Atlanta Topics to be discussed include HIV/AIDS clinical updates, HIVrelated legal issues, mental health and HIV, and HIV and aging. Registration is $40 and includes materials, continental breakfast, lunch and parking. Click here to register. For more information, contact Candace Meadows at 404-727-1550 or cjone17@emory.edu. Community Needs Assessment Skills for the Public Health Professional June 13 and 14 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Moultrie Technical College, Tifton The training will provide participants with the practical skills and knowledge needed to conduct a community needs assessment. Participants do not need to have skills in research, assessment or evaluation to attend. Topics will cover design and implementation of community needs assessment. For more information and to register, visit www.sph.emory.edu/ephtc. Contact Tara Redd, tredd@emory.edu, with questions. Register by June 3. City of Atlanta employees have shed hundreds of pounds and gained national recognition while doing so. On May 20, a group of workers joined Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed on Katie Couric's Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Ian Smith, M.D., discuss national talk show the city's weight loss challenge. to discuss their citywide effort to adopt healthier lifestyles. About 800 city employees joined the mayor's weight loss challenge, a six-week endeavor to improve their diet and exercise habits. Reed said encouraging employees to change their lifestyles has not only improved health and morale in the workplace, but it has helped the city save money in health care costs. "We have saved $7 million since 2010 by encouraging healthy lifestyles," Reed told Couric. $1 Donation Makes a Difference DPH's Drive for Sight program aids visually impaired Access Tables & Database Design May 30 | 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Excel Basics June 11 | 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Excel Formatting June 11 | 1:30-4:30 p.m. Excel Formulas & Functions June 18 | 1:30-4:30 p.m. Excel Multiple Worksheets June 20 | 1:30-4:30 p.m. Excel Graphical Charts June 25 | 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. McClain Hermes, 12, is too young to get a driver's license, but she appreciates the $1 donation from drivers renewing or applying for one. Those contributions go to the Georgia Department of Public Health's (DPH) Drive for Sight Program, which supports partners who provide low vision education, rehabilitation and treatment services for people who are blind or visually impaired. Excel Data Management & Pivot Tables June 25 | 1:30-4:30 p.m. For employees not at 2 Peachtree, classes can be attended remotely -however, remote attendees must be registered 48 hours prior to class. Register for all classes through SABA (2 Peachtree attendees register for "Instructor-Led" and remote attendees register for "Virtual" classes). Contact Lisa Miller if you have questions. Submit Calendar Entries to communications@dhr.state.ga.us PHNEWS Subie Green, president of The Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI), uses the funding for children's vision screenings, eye exams for adults in need, training for McClain Hermes practices techniques as a swimmer who is visually impaired. Her goal is to qualify to compete among 4,200 athletes in the 2016 Paralympic Games in those who have lost vision Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. and public education about eye donation. "Drive for Sight makes it possible for many Georgians with vision loss to learn the skills they need to be successful at school and work, and to live in their own homes instead of care facilities," said Green. "I'm inspired by the commitment of our clients to become and remain independent, to stay involved and to be contributing members of our communities -- all because of the $1 donations from Georgia drivers renewing their driver's licenses." Fluoride mystery closer to being solved CDC: Fecal bacteria common in Georgia Tobacco Quitline Sees swimming pools Spike in Calls Maine inspection rule among least National, local ads encourage smoking restrictive in US cessation Sweet Surprise: Guess Where Your World Health Added Sugar Is Coming From? Organization (WHO) will mark World No Tobacco PHRECIPE Day on May 31, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. This year's theme is "ban tobacco Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie advertising, Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes promotion and Serves 2 sponsorship." A Tips 2013 billboard on I-285 features North Carolina resident Terrie, 52, who had her larynx removed as a result of oral and throat cancers. Click Here for Full Recipe PHWEEK Editor Nicole Price Content Coordinator Connie F. Smith Sr. Graphic Designer Ginny Jacobs Interim Web Developer Jimmy Clanton, Jr. Editorial & Design Team Tammy Beasley Carrie Gann Eric Jens Nancy Nydam Sandra Roberts Director of Communications Ryan Deal According to WHO, tobacco kills up to half of its users. Tobacco also kills nearly 6 million people each year, 600,000 of whom are nonsmokers dying from breathing secondhand smoke. Unless urgent action is taken, the annual death toll could rise to more than 8 million by 2030. On a national level, CDC's Tips from Former Smokers campaign is building public awareness of the damage caused by smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke with its hard-hitting tobacco education campaign, geared toward motivating smokers to quit and keeping nonsmokers from starting. Pick Healthier Foods with 'ShopWell' App ShopWell helps you eat healthier food and achieve your nutrition goals. Use ShopWell to help manage your weight and conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and gluten intolerance. And earn rewards such as coupons and gift cards for taking healthy actions. At home and in the grocery store use the ShopWell barcode scanner to scan foods and find out if they are a good match for your diet, then get suggestions for foods that are a better your health. Consistently ranked as one of the top Health & Fitness apps, ShopWell was created by registered dietitians and is a community partner of the USDA. Click here to download. Georgia Public Health Observances | May 2013 Mental Health Month Hepatitis Awareness Month Forward email Healthy Vision Month This email was sent to gadocs@uga.edu by communications@dhr.state.ga.us | Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribeTM | Privacy Policy. Georgia Department of Public Health | 2 Peachtree Street, NW | Atlanta | GA | 30303