THIS ISSUE AVAILABLE ONLINE WITH EXPANDED INFORMATION AND PHOTOS AT:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/newsletter/weekly
IN THIS ISSUE:
1) Secretary Thompson Visits Alaska
2) Secretary Thompson Announces 'Safer Health Care' Campaign
3) 3 Ways to reduce your risk of West Nile Virus
4) The Surgeon General's Report for Kids about Smoking
5) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson's public schedule
Secretary Thompson Visits Alaska
Secretary Thompson will be visiting Anchorage, Nome and other destinations in Alaska to visit with American Indians and Alaska Natives and announce multiple grants to expand and improve services. There will also be a pharmacy demonstration project announced as well as the swearing in ceremony for Dr. Charles Grim, who will be the next director of the Indian Health Service.
This is the third trip to Alaska for Secretary Thompson, backing up the Bush administration commitment to supporting American Indians and Alaska Natives. The group suffers disproportionately from heart disease, obesity and diabetes, and are the least insured population in the United States.
The HHS fiscal year 2003 budget includes a total of $4 billion for programs targeting American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is an increase of $76 million over funding for fiscal year 2002.
For more information on services for Indian health, please visit the following web sites:
http://www.ihs.gov, http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/, http://www.aoa.gov/carenetwork/default.htm.
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Secretary Thompson Announces 'Safer Health Care' Campaign
Secretary Thompson announced a campaign to improve patient safety to health care providers and patients across the country. The campaign will focus on distributing new posters and fact sheets, including five tips that are practical and evidence-based so patients can improve the quality of care they receive.
"Patients have an important part to play in reducing the chance that something unintended may happen when they go to the hospital or doctor's office," Secretary Thompson said. "It's really important for people to ask questions if they have any doubts or concerns about their medicines or the treatments they are supposed to receive."
The campaign is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American Medical Association (AMA). It will encourage physicians and hospitals to hang the posters in waiting and exam rooms to improve dialog between health care providers and patients.
Copies of 5 Steps to Safer Health Care are available on the Web in English at http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/5steps.htm or in Spanish at http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/cincorec.htm. Copies also are available by calling AHRQ's Publications Clearinghouse at 1-800-358-9295 or by sending an e-mail to ahrqpubs@ahrq.gov.
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3 Ways to reduce your risk of West Nile Virus
Avoid Mosquito Bites
Apply Insect Repellent Containing DEET
(Look for: N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) to exposed skin when you go outdoors. Even a short time being outdoors can be long enough to get a mosquito bite. For details on when and how to apply repellent, see Insect Repellent Use and Safety in our Questions and Answers pages. See also Using Insect Repellent Safely from the EPA.
Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites
When possible, wear long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors. Mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing, so spraying clothes with repellent containing permethrin or DEET will give extra protection. Don't apply repellents containing permethrin directly to skin. Do not spray repellent containing DEET on the skin under your clothing.
Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours
The hours from dusk to dawn are peak mosquito biting times for many species of mosquitoes. Take extra care to use repellent and protective clothing during evening and early morning -- or consider avoiding outdoor activities during these times.
Mosquito-Proof Your Home
Drain Standing Water
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water.Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by getting rid of items that hold water. Need examples? Learn more on the Prevention of West Nile Virus Question and Answer page.
Install or Repair Screens
Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having well-fitting screens on both windows and doors. Offer to help neighbors whose screens might be in bad shape.
Help Your Community
Report Dead Birds to Local Authorities
Dead birds may be a sign that West Nile virus is circulating between birds and the mosquitoes in an area. Over 130 species of birds are known to have been infected with West Nile virus, though not all infected birds will die. It's important to remember that birds die from many other causes besides West Nile virus.
By reporting dead birds to state and local health departments, you can play an important role in monitoring West Nile virus. State and local agencies have different policies for collecting and testing birds, so check the Links to State and Local Government Sites page to find information about reporting dead birds in your area. Click here for more info about reporting dead birds and dealing with bird carcasses.
Mosquito Control Programs
Check with local health authorities to see if there is an organized mosquito control program in your area. If no program exists, work with your local government officials to establish a program. The American Mosquito Control Association can provide advice, and their book Organization for Mosquito Control is a useful reference.
More questions about mosquito control? A source for information about pesticides and repellents is the National Pesticide Information Center, which also operates a toll-free information line: 1-800-858-7378 (check their Web site for hours).
Clean Up
Mosquito breeding sites can be everywhere. Neighborhood clean up days can be organized by civic or youth organizations to pick up containers from vacant lots and parks, and to encourage people to keep their yards free of standing water. Mosquitoes don't care about fences, so it's important to control breeding sites anywhere in the neighborhood.
Find out more about local prevention efforts
Find state and local West Nile virus information and contacts on the Links to State and Local Government Sites page.
This information is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The Surgeon General's Report for Kids about Smoking
Is smokeless tobacco safe?
NO WAY!
Many people think smokeless tobacco (also known as chewing or spit tobacco, or snuff) is safe. One study quoted in the SGR said only 40 percent of kids thought smokeless tobacco was very harmful. Very wrong! The truth is that smokeless tobacco use is connected with all sorts of problems.
BAD HEALTH!
Smokeless tobacco can cause bleeding gums and sores of the mouth that never heal. Eventually you might end up with cancer.
TOUGH TO QUIT!
Tobacco is tobacco: it all contains nicotine, and nicotine is addictive!
VERY DISGUSTING!
It stains your teeth a yellowish-brown color. It gives you bad breath. It can make you dizzy, give you the hiccups, even make you throw up. (Definitely NOT cool!)
Finally, one more fact to chew on -- according to the SGR, kids who use smokeless tobacco are more likely to start using cigarettes, too. That's a double whammy that no healthy body can survive! So spit it out; say no to smokeless tobacco.
Through with chew!
For more information, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr4kids/smokless.htm
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Secretary Tommy G. Thompson's public schedule:
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Last updated August 4, 2003
United States Department of Health and Human Services
Contact the HHS Newsletter Team.