Follow Us! Submit your story suggestions, ideas, comments or a story of your own! In This Issue Keeping the Heart Healthy: High Blood Pressure Sheritta Frazier could have had a heart attack or a stroke. Her blood pressure was so out of control that it turned into a medical emergency one day in 2002. "Believe it or not, my blood pressure has spiked as high as 259/160," she said. "I was walking around like there was nothing wrong." Managing Keeping the Heart Healthy: Managing High Blood Pressure Frazier was diagnosed with high blood pressure, also called hypertension, at Emory Lecture Series Highlights DPH Immunization Efforts age her 34 after watching her mother and Sheritta Frazier keeps her high blood pressure in check by knowing grandmother battle the same her numbers, taking medication and Schools Train for Power Up for 30 disease. But after working for 17 years making healthy choices. Lung Cancer: Not just a disease of smokers Healthy Foods Get Star Treatment Online in public health in the Southwest Health District in Albany, Frazier, now 46, knows that high blood pressure does not have to be a death sentence. She is committed to improving her own health and to helping others in her family and community address their own risk factors. Young, Unvaccinated Adults Account for Severest Flu Cases PHEVENTS Looking for DPH events? Visit the Events Schedule on our website. PHTRAINING New Training Courses on Saba DPH is offering many new training courses, which are now available for registration on Saba. Employees can sign up to learn more about the following topics: Procurement Services, FMLA for Supervisors, Performance Management for Supervisors, Performance Management for Everyone, Manager Fundamentals for Success and Budget 101. Log on to Saba for dates and times of training and to sign up for the courses. For additional information contact Donna Dunn at dgdunn@dhr.state.ga.us Emory Lecture Series Highlights DPH Immunization Efforts The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have named immunization as one of the greatest public health achievements of all time. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) has also focused on vaccination as one of its top priorities. Patrick O'Neal, M.D., DPH's director of health protection, and Georgia Immunization Director Steve Mitchell will discuss the importance of protecting Georgians through vaccination at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health on Tues., Feb. 25. The lecture is the third of the five-part Models of Excellence lecture series focusing on some of Georgia's biggest health priorities. Mitchell said vaccinations have a tremendous impact on health in the state and around the world. Two for Tuesdays "As public health professionals we must remain vigilant in order to Join the Office of Human Resources sustain and improve the health of our population through on the second Tuesday of each month immunization," Mitchell said. from 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. for the learning series Two for Tuesdays. This series provides an opportunity for programs to explore new ideas, share knowledge and highlight teams and Schools Train for Power Up for 30 their work. On March 11, staff from DPH's STD office will present. To This week, Georgia schools will start Powering Up. learn more and to register, click here. Cobb County Schools and Decatur County Schools will begin training Instructor-Led Computer Training this week to launch Power Up for 30, a program that encourages at 2 Peachtree elementary schools to integrate 30 more minutes of physical activity into each school day. The launch marks a new phase in the state's Access Tables and Database Design efforts to get Georgia's children moving more, making healthier Tues., Feb. 25 choices and reaching their full academic potential. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Excel Basics Thurs., March 6 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. "We need to make real change in Georgia. To make real change, you don't need a monumental program, but you do need consistency, a program every day," said Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. "That's what Power Up for 30 is. Excel Formatting Thurs., March 6 2:00-4:30 p.m. It's 30 minutes, every day, every school, every child in Georgia." Excel Formulas and Functions Thurs., March 13 1:30-4:30 p.m. Lung Cancer: Not just a disease of smokers Excel Working with Multiple Worksheets Tues., March 18 9:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. Excel Data Management and Pivot Tables Tues., March 18 1:30- 4:30 p.m. Excel Intermediate Functions Fri., March 21 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cigarette smoking is the main risk factor for most patients who develop lung cancer; however, some patients who are diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked a cigarette. Physicians today are seeing more non-smokers and light smokers with lung cancer. Why do these people get lung cancer? Excel Graphical Charts Mon., March 31 2:00-4:00 p.m. "We now understand that exposure to secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer," says Dr. Rathi Pillai, Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Medical Look for Word and PowerPoint classes Oncology at Emory. "In fact, even passive exposure to tobacco smoke in April. increases your risk for developing lung cancer." 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 Secondhand smoke is responsible for 3,000 lung cancer related deaths a year in the United States, and there's a 20 to 30 percent increased risk of developing lung cancer for nonsmokers living with a smoker. This is why so many cities have passed laws to limit smoking in (2 Peachtree attendees register for restaurants, bars and clubs. Many workplaces are also "Instructor-Led" and remote becoming tobacco-free to protect the health of their employees. attendees register for "Virtual" classes). Contact Lisa Miller if you have questions. Free Online Courses Available from Healthy Foods Get Star Treatment Online Lynda.com DPH has purchased a limited number of licenses for Lynda.com, an online library of high-quality, easy-to-use instructional videos on the latest software, creative and business skills. Licenses are available for check out on a first come, first served basis. To Food is everywhere on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but how much of it is fruits and vegetables versus pies and potato chips? Pizza, ice check out a license, simply email Lisa Miller from your public health email account. Submit Calendar Entries to communications@dhr.state.ga.us cream and bacon soar on the Internet via hashtags, Instagram photos or other social media mentions, but FoodPornIndex.com aims to show how fruits the richly beet, for red, healthy example, just and veggies can be just as tasty and beautiful as ice cream, pizza or bacon. PHNEWS doesn't get much respect in cyber world. Bolthouse Farms, which produces juices, smoothies and other items, Losing Laura: the new face of drug has developed an entertaining and dare we say, educational, FoodPornIndex.com. The site hopes to "track the health of the overdose internet" by calling attention to food inequities and to highlight the plight of the beleaguered Brussels sprout and other less trendy but More Evidence That HPV Vaccine healthy fruits and vegetables. Might Lower Cervical Cancer Risk Five Ways to Help Your Kids Love Fitness The mission is front and center on Bolthouse Farm's website: "We are partners on a journey to change the way people think about and use fresh fruits and veggies. We will help inspire people to lead healthier, more vibrant lives." Average Obese Woman Gets Just 1 Hour of Exercise a Year: Study Young, Unvaccinated Adults Account for PHRECIPE Severest Flu Cases A snapshot of patients who required care at Duke University Hospital during this year's flu season shows that those who had not been vaccinated had severe cases and needed the most intensive treatment. Spinach Salad with Apples and Eggs In an analysis of the first 55 patients treated for flu at the academic medical center from November 2013 through Jan. 8, 2014, Duke Medicine researchers found that only two of the 22 patients who required intensive care had been vaccinated prior to getting sick. Serves 4 Prep and Cook Time: 45 min. Click Here for Full Recipe The findings were published online in Monday, Feb. 10, 2014, in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Georgia Public Health Observances | February 2014 Forward email