Houston Defender: Health Edition August, 2013

health

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AUGUST 15 | 2013 | DEFENDER

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Defender Special Edition

High blood pressure takes toll on Blacks

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By CIERRA DUNCAN Defender

igh blood pressure – also known as hypertension – remains one of the greatest health threats to African-Americans. More than 40 percent of African-Americans have high blood pressure, and they also develop the illness at younger ages compared to other racial

groups.

The prevalence of high blood pressure in AfricanAmericans in the United States is the highest in the world.

In addition, African-Americans are more likely to develop complications associated with high blood pressure, including stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, blindness and dementia.

Why are African-Americans plagued by high blood pressure?

“There is not one indication to its cause but it can

more than likely be genetic or due to environmental factors and lifestyle choices,” said Dr. Neha Shah, a family medicine physician with Memorial Hermann Medical Group.

Risk factors for high blood pressure include smoking, lack of exercise, obesity, high dietary intake of salt, and a genetic predisposition.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases a person’s stroke risk by four to six times. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, AfricanAmerican adults are 60 percent more likely to have a stroke than their white adult counterparts.

African-American stroke survivors are also more likely to become disabled and have difficulty with activities of daily living.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the blood vessel walls. As the heart pumps more blood, it increases the blood pressure.

Blood pressure is generally recorded as two numbers written as a ratio or one on top of the other. The first number measures the systolic pressure, which is the blood pressure when the heart contracts. The second number, the

lower of the two, is the diastolic pressure. It measures the blood pressure between heartbeats or the heart at rest.

A normal blood pressure consists of a systolic number of less than 120 and a diastolic number of less than 80. Prehypertension begins when the systolic number is between 120 and 139 and the diastolic number reads between 80 and 89.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is classified by a systolic number between 140 and 179 and diastolic number between 90 and 109.

Dr. Shah says a slightly elevated blood pressure can be treated through lifestyle changes such as exercise and dietary changes. In more serious cases, medicines such as calcium blockers, alpha-blockers, and beta-blockers can be prescribed by a physician.

If left untreated, high blood pressure can affect various parts of the body. The longer a person goes without treatment, the chances of damage to the eyes, kidney, heart, or brain increase.

The good news is, by making healthier lifestyle choices, African-Americans can lessen their chances of becoming another high blood pressure statistic.

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 15 | 2013

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health

Inside Smoking and young people 3B Texas Children’s Hospital

Changing from parent to grandparent 4B Treating high blood pressure 6B Kids and high blood pressure 7B MD Anderson Cancer Center

You can prevent colorectal cancer 8B Memorial Hermann Health System

Keeping students healthy, in school 10B Online Visit defendernetwork.com for tips on living with high blood pressure

Message from the Publisher

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suffer from high blood his special health pressure this disproportionate edition is focused number indicates a troubling on high blood pattern in our community. pressure, also The fact of the matter is, known as the in many instances, we have “silent killer,” the power to help prevent this which impacts a significant medical condition that plagues number of our readers. us. Here are a few things you Even if you don’t have high can do. blood pressure you know a Lose excess pounds. family member or friend who Generally, the more weight does have it. Or you have seen you lose the lower your blood what happens when a loved pressure. Also, watch your one has a stroke or heart attack. Sonceria Messiah-Jiles waistline. Too much weight I have seen the damage around your middle can put you at greater high blood pressure can cause even though risk of high blood pressure. you think it is something that is small and Exercise on a regular basis. Increasing insignificant. It is not something we should your exercise level can lower your blood take for granted. pressure, and if you have prehypertension, When almost 1 in 2 African-Americans

it can help you avoid developing full-blown hypertension.

Eat better and go easy on the salt. Eat a diet rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains and other low-fat foods, which can help lower your blood pressure. Put down that salt shaker and find other ways to season your food, such as no-sodium herbs and spices.

Reduce stress and anxiety, which can temporarily increase blood pressure. Find out what’s stressing you out, and see what you can do to reduce stress.

In this special edition, you will find valuable information on detecting and treating high blood pressure. You will also learn about other medical issues from our health partners, Memorial Hermann Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Children’s Hospital.

Live well and enjoy life!

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AUGUST 15 | 2013 | DEFENDER

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Kids & smoking:

What parents can do

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Defender News Services

ach year, more than 440,000 Americans die from the adverse health effects caused by smoking cigarettes.

Smoking has been found to cause a variety of illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, and lung diseases such as including emphysema, bronchitis and chronic airway obstruction.

Smoking isn’t an adults-only problem. According to the American Lung Association, every day, nearly 4,000 youth under age 18 try their first cigarette.

Among adults who smoke, 68 percent began smoking regularly at age 18 or younger, Cigarettes produce significant health problems among young people, including an increase in the number and severity of respiratory illnesses, decreased physical fitness and potential effects on the rate of lung growth and maximum lung function.

There are steps parents can take to help prevent their kids from smoking. Here is some advice from the American Lung Association.

• Tell your children honestly and directly that you don’t want them to smoke. Give them clear, consistent messages about the risks involved.

• Start talking to your kids about smoking when they are 5 or 6 years old and continue through their high school years. In addition to explaining the health dangers, tell them about unpleasant aspects such as bad breath and discolored teeth and nails.

• Set a good example by not smoking. Parents who smoke are more likely to have children who smoke.

• If you are a parent who smokes, the best thing you can do is to quit. In the meantime, never smoke around your children or let them have any of your cigarettes.

• Establish a smoke-free policy in your home. Don’t allow anyone to smoke indoors at any time.

• Make sure that the events that your children attend are

App encourages young people not to smoke Defender News Services

smoke-free.

• Support tobacco-free schools and insist that school health programs include tobacco-use prevention education.

• Know if your children have any friends that smoke.

Talk with your kids about ways to refuse a cigarette.

• If you find out that your teenager has already started smoking, your first reaction may be to order him or her to quit immediately. However, it’s important to realize that teen smokers become addicted to nicotine very quickly, and that can make quitting very difficult.

• Be patient and supportive as your child goes through the quitting process. Try to avoid threats and ultimatums. Ask a few questions and find out why your child is smoking; he or she may want to be accepted by a peer group, or want your attention.

For more information visit lung.org.

FAQs about secondhand smoke > What is secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoke is the combination of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke breathed out by the smoker. It can stay in the air for several hours and travel up to 20 feet. Even breathing secondhand smoke for just a short time can hurt your body. Over time, secondhand smoke causes disease and death in kids, teens, and adults – even if they do not smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke can increase your risk of lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent. > Does secondhand smoke contain harmful chemicals?

Yes. Among the more than 7,000 chemicals found in secondhand tobacco smoke, at least 250 are known to be harmful. At least 69

of the toxic chemicals in secondhand tobacco smoke cause cancer. > What does secondhand smoke do to your heart?

It can lead to heart attack or heart disease. About 46,000 nonsmokers die from heart disease each year as a result of secondhand smoke. > How can you protect yourself and others from secondhand smoke?

Ask people not to smoke in your home or car. Avoid places that allow smoking indoors. Choose smoke-free restaurants and other establishments. Tell your friends and family about the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Source: teen.smokefree.gov

An app to prevent teens from smoking and encourage them to quit if they’ve started is available free on the Apple iTunes Store.

The app was developed by Dr. Alexander Prokhorov, a professor in the Department of Behavioral Science at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

“Our app combines education and entertainment with comics and interactive games,” said Prokhorov, who is also director of MD Anderson’s Tobacco Outreach Education Program.

“It motivates teens to stay away from tobacco and teaches behavioral skills to help them resist pro-tobacco pressures. Such an approach is much more appealing to youth than text-based instructional tools.”

Prokhorov led the development of the app from content largely drawn from ASPIRE, which stands for A Smoking Prevention Interactive Experience. The program is a bilingual, online tobacco prevention and cessation curriculum targeting middle and high school students.

Equipped with tunes and animated teen characters, the app addresses those who have never smoked, those wanting to quit, those having trouble quitting and those not interested in quitting.

It includes gaming activities that reinforce smoking-cessation tips tailored for the teenage audience.

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 15 | 2013

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Changing from parent to grandparent

By Texas Children’s Hospital

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efore World War II, American families often lived in the same community for many generations. When a couple had their first child, family members were there to help and support them during those exciting first days and weeks. Grandparents lived with the family, or nearby, and participated in household activities regularly so support came naturally and easily. As the child grew, grandparents often provided childcare and were a steady and important influence in the child’s life.

How times have changed! Today families are mobile, living and working in many different places during their life together. Most young women work outside the home now and pay for childcare, rather than relying on family members.

For parents and grandparents living at a distance from one another, the excitement of a first grandchild can be bittersweet. As a grandparent, you want to reach out and help, but about the only thing you can offer from afar is advice and counsel. Young couples today are learning new ways to care for their babies, different from the advice passed down

for generations. Grandparents today are finding out that birth and baby care have changed and their advice may be unwanted or go unheeded.

“Becoming a parent and a grandparent are developmental milestones. Your child is having a child. It’s natural to want to do what we’ve always done – protect, advise and take care of them,” says Bonnie Bartman, education and development specialist at Texas Children’s Hospital. “But it’s their turn to learn to do those things for their child. And just as we learned ‘on the job’ to be their parent, our job is to let them learn to be a parent of this new child.”

So what’s a grandparent to do? Understand your new role.

Even if you’re an expert who has written a dozen bestsellers on parenthood, tread lightly and bite your tongue. Recognize that your child is now the responsible one. That means watching them make mistakes while they learn to be a parent, just as you did. Keep your opinions to yourself unless you’re asked – even then, speak carefully. Realize that what you say can have a huge impact on your relationship with your adult child and their partner during this sensitive time in their lives. Ask them what they expect from you and how you can best help them. And then revel in being a grandparent, one of the most fulfilling and wonderful experiences of life.

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healthnotes Talking to infants According to Dr. Jamil Joyner, pediatrician at Texas Children’s Pediatrics Gulfgate, despite a parent’s best efforts, some children will have a delay in speech development.

“When our patients have speech delays, we refer to our excellent Speech Language and Learning Clinic at Texas Children’s Hospital. The Speech Language and Learning Clinic has specially trained speech therapists that are able to diagnose and treat speech and language delays.”

Stephanie Frenkel, speech-language pathologist at Texas Children’s, offers the following tips on how to expose your child to stimulating and loving speech at home. w Narrate all that you do. For example, while you are cooking you can say, “First I’m cutting the green lettuce, next the juicy tomato and last the crunchy carrots for a salad.” w Label your child’s environment.

Babies are seeing the world for the very first time. On a car ride, you can point out the fast train, the sky up high and the fluffy clouds. w Review shared experiences with your child. Take pictures of activities you experience with your child. Look at the pictures later to discuss the setting, people involved and the events that occurred. w Read early and often to your child. Sit your baby on your lap so they can feel the cadence of your speech. When your baby is old enough to sit up, he or she may start to turn to look at you read. Make sure he or she can see your lips move and how you form words. w Create opportunities where children will need to request items. For example, if they gesture for more, give a little more so they will have to ask for it by name.

Parenting in the digital age Technology has changed and advanced at a supersonic pace, and this remarkable shift has presented a new landscape for socializing, working, parenting and relating.

Where does this ever changing landscape leave parents who are guiding youth online? Some may feel good about the move to a more digital world.

However, it may leave others feeling confused, overwhelmed or detached.

Children can utilize and mine the internet and online tools for valuable information, for connecting with friends and for developing communication skills in a modern world. Technology has advantages in learning settings as well.

Although it is not always the appropriate tool, digital communication is being utilized in classrooms, and new media

allows for autonomy and exploration not found in the traditional classroom setting.

The shift continues to progress with new technologies – it might be important to remember when talking to your child the value they may place on digital communication.

“There are some risks online that are important to discuss with your child, or your child may have some good ideas about how he or she navigates around these risks to maintain a positive reputation online,” says Dr. Amy Acosta, psychologist at Texas Children’s Hospital in the Adolescent Medicine Section.

Risks include: w Cyber bullying – Any harassment online of a peer. This may start as a “joke” and become hurtful and harassing in ways

adolescents have trouble managing and navigating. w Choosing to view inappropriate content or creating inappropriate content. w Over-sharing personal life events without realizing the publicity of the audience. Over-sharing may be linked to adolescents seeking validation online from others about private topics in a public forum.

An important reminder for parents of adolescents – feel empowered. You have been parenting your child for several years and talking through difficult decisions, identifying moments that define character and instilling values.

Talking about behavior and identity online is no different than any other ongoing conversations you’ve had with your child over the years.

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Dr. Amy Acosta

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Texas Children’s Health Plan covers children from newborns to teenagers. We even cover adults and pregnant moms through STAR Medicaid. Families with children who qualify for CHIP pay $50 or less a year. Those who qualify for Medicaid pay nothing.

CHIP and STAR Medicaid offer a wide range of benefits including checkups and shots, dental services, medications, and more.

With Texas Children’s Health Plan you also get: ■

Over 2,100 doctors.

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A 24-hour nurse hotline.

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Free transportation to doctor visits.

■

Pregnancy support program and classes.

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Help losing weight through the Keep Fit Program.

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Learn how to play soccer from the Houston Dynamo coaches.

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Fun, free member events!

For more information, to receive an application, or to

MK-1208-007

find an event in your area, visit us online or call today.

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High bloo

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Detecting and treating high blood pressure

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By CIERRA DUNCAN Defender

igh blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it often has no warning signs or symptoms. Yet it is a serious medical condition affecting 1 in 3 adult Americans and more than 40 percent of African-Americans.

It’s important to get your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. It is measured with an inflatable arm cuff and pressure gauge. These can be found at a doctor’s office and drugstores.

For adults, normal blood pressure is below 120/80. A pre-hypertensive blood pressure measures between 120 to 139/ 80 to 89. A hypertensive blood pressure measures 140/90 or higher.

“Blood pressure has to be high on two or more separate occasions when at the resting rate in order to be diagnosed as high blood pressure,” said Dr. Neha Shah, a family medicine physician with Memorial Hermann Medical Group.

According to the American Heart Association, starting at the age of 20, a blood pressure screening should take place at each doctor’s visit or at least every two years if you do not have high blood pressure.

If you have already been diagnosed with high blood pressure, blood pressure readings should be monitored closely on a regular basis.

High blood pressure has many risk factors. They include: Age – As a person ages, the risk of high blood pressure increases.

Race – High blood pressure is most common among African-Americans.

Gender – Men are more likely to have high blood pressure. Women are more likely to develop high blood pressure following menopause.

Genetics – High blood pressure often runs in families.

High blood pressure cannot be cured.

However some of its risk factors can be controlled and managed. Shah said in order to control blood pressure, a person can implement a better diet, which may include limiting salt intake and participating in regular exercise. You should also maintain a healthy weight, limit alcohol consumption, avoid smoking and manage stress.

If lifestyle and environment changes cannot control high blood pressure, one or more of the following types of medications can be prescribed by a physician to aid in treatment.

• A thiazide diuretic, also known as a water pill, is a medication that helps the kidneys eliminate sodium and water from

‘SILENT

the body, reducing blood volume and, therefore, reducing blood pressure. This is usually one of the first medications prescribed.

• Beta blockers reduce strain on the heart and open up blood vessels. This causes the heart to beat slower and with less force.

• Calcium channel blockers relax the muscles of the blood vessels and some can slow the heart rate.

If these medications don’t work, a physician may prescribe alpha blockers, alphabeta blockers, central-acting agents, renin inhibitors or angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.

Shah reiterated the best prescription for fighting the condition. “High blood pressure can be controlled by seeing your doctor regularly, watching your diet, exercising and taking your medication as prescribed,” she said.

1. Som blood 2. Am than 3. Hig herit dition more choic 4. Be older with a raise

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These days, high blood pressure affects people of all ages – including children.

New research by the American Heart Association found that the risk of elevated blood pressure has risen for children and adolescents by 27 percent over a 13-year period.

African-American children in the study group had a 28 percent greater risk of elevated blood pressure than their white peers.

High blood pressure in children can result in serious, long-term health effects, including heart disease, kidney disease and stroke.

Risk factors for high blood pressure in children include obesity and a family history of high blood pressure. Other risk factors may include sleep apnea or other sleep disorders.

In general, treating high blood pressure in kids is not that different from treating it in adults. Parents are advised to work closely with their child’s doctor to find which treatment plan will work best.

Here are some general guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control: Follow the DASH eating plan. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension plan includes eating less fat and saturated fat as well as eating more fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grain foods. Limiting salt intake can also help. A dietitian can help you and your child find ways to meet these goals without giving up favorite foods or great flavor.

ROL THE

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me 67 million American adults (31 percent) have high d pressure – that’s 1 in every 3 American adults. mong African Americans, more women (45.7 percent) men (43 percent) have the condition. gh blood pressure can run in families. People can ingenes that make them more likely to develop the conn. The risk for high blood pressure can increase even e when heredity is combined with unhealthy lifestyle ces, such as smoking cigarettes and eating a poor diet. ecause blood pressure tends to rise as people get r, everyone’s risk for high blood pressure increases age. In addition, some medical conditions can also your risk of high blood pressure.

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Watch your child’s weight. Being overweight increases the risk of developing high blood pressure. Ask your child’s doctor to help set goals for losing weight.

Your child’s doctor can also refer you to other health care professionals for assistance in setting up a weight-loss plan.

Avoid tobacco smoke. It can make blood pressure rise and directly damage your child’s heart and blood vessels. This includes secondhand smoke.

Know about medications. If your child’s high blood pressure is severe or doesn’t respond to lifestyle changes, your doctor may prescribe medication. It may take a while to find a combination of drugs that works best to control high blood pressure with the least side effects.

hypertension facts 5. Sodium is the element in salt that can raise blood pressure. Most of the sodium we eat comes from processed and restaurant foods. Eating too much sodium can increase blood pressure. Not eating enough potassium (from fruits and vegetables) can also increase blood pressure.

6. Sixty-nine percent of people who have a first heart attack, 77 percent of people who have a first stroke, and 74 percent of people with chronic heart failure have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is also a major risk factor for kidney disease.

7. High blood pressure costs the nation $47.5 billion annually in direct medical expenses and $3.5 billion each year in lost productivity.

ng the Houston area for over 80 years

8. About half (47 percent) of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control.

9. Almost 30 percent of American adults have prehypertension—blood pressure numbers that are higher than normal, but not yet in the high blood pressure range.3 Prehypertension raises your risk of developing high blood pressure.

10. Reducing average population sodium intake from 3,300 mg to 2,300 mg per day may reduce cases of high blood pressure by 11 million and save 18 billion health care dollars annually.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

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You Can Prevent

Colorectal Cancer

By MD Anderson Cancer Center

Get screened for colorectal cancer on a regular basis. More than 90 percent of people can beat colorectal cancer if it’s found early.

“Getting a colorectal cancer exam might sound painful and embarrassing but it could save your life,” says Elise D. Cook, M.D., who treats colorectal cancer patients at MD Anderson.

Don’t Wait for Signs of Illness You may think you don’t need to get screened because your body is working just fine – but that’s not true. Cancer screening exams are medical tests done when you’re healthy, and you don’t have any signs of illness.

Get Screened Beginning at Age 50 A colonoscopy finds cancer early and removes abnormal cells that may turn into cancer. Most men and women age 50 to 75 should choose one of the following exams.

• Colonoscopy every 10 years.

• Virtual colonoscopy (also called Computed Tomographic Colonography) every five years. A colonoscopy will be performed if polyps are found.

• Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) or Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) every year. The FOBT or FIT does not prevent colorectal cancer. If your doctor finds blood in your stool, you may need to get a colonoscopy.

Eat Fiber, Fight Cancer Plant foods rich in dietary fiber, like beans and apples, may reduce your risk for colorectal cancer. The more fiber you eat, the less time harmful toxins spend inside your body.

Other benefits of a high fiber diet include:

Feeling full longer. Fiber slows the speed at which food and drink leave your stomach. So, you stay full longer after each meal or snack.

Weight control. Many high-fiber foods are low in calories and packed with disease-fighting nutrients. That’s good news because maintaining a healthy weight can help you prevent cancer and other diseases.

Lower cholesterol. Some fiber-rich foods help prevent fat and cholesterol absorption, helping you lower your cholesterol.

Lower blood sugar levels. Diabetic? Fiber can help regulate your blood sugar levels.

Bowel management. Have digestive problems? Adding fiber to your diet can help protect your intestinal lining and make bowel movements easier or more frequent.

If you choose a virtual colonoscopy, check with your insurance provider before scheduling an exam. Not all insurance providers cover the cost of this exam. Colonoscopy and virtual colonoscopy are preferred by MD Anderson to find and prevent colorectal cancer.

What Happens During a Colonoscopy?

During a colonoscopy, the doctor gently puts a thin, flexible tube inside your colon. This small tube has a light and tiny video camera that allows the doctor to check for cancer or polyps. Polyps are small growths that can become cancer.

The entire exam takes about 15 to 30 minutes.

You may get medicine to help you relax or to put you to sleep during the exam.

To get the best results from your colonoscopy,

it’s important that the insides of your colon are very clean. You may need to follow a liquid diet for one to three days before the exam. Your doctor also will give you special medications, laxatives or an enema to clean out your colon on the night before the exam.

Know Your Risk Being African American is a risk factor for colorectal cancer and puts you at greater risk of getting the disease. “This does not mean you will get colorectal cancer but it does mean that it’s important for you to get tested on a regular basis,” says Dr. Cook.

A doctor can tell you what your personal risk for colorectal cancer is. He or she can then decide how often you should get tested and if you should start testing before age 50.

Finding Colorectal Screening Services For information on sites that offer colorectal cancer screening services,

contact the following agencies: • Gateway to Care, 713-783-4616 • Harris Health System, 713-526-4243 • Hope Through Grace, Inc., 713-6684673 • MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1-877632-6789 or visit www.mdanderson.org • United Way Helpline, 2-1-1 • VA (Veterans Affairs) clinic for U.S.

military veterans, 1-877-222-8387 or visit www.va.gov/healtheligibility Medicare and Medicaid • Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, or younger than age 65 with certain disabilities.

• Medicaid is available to certain lowincome individuals and families. The Texas Medicaid Program may cover a portion of colorectal cancer screening

costs.

• Call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit www.cms.hhs.gov to learn if you qualify.

Fit-Flu Program The FIT stool test is a colorectal screening exam that you can do at home.

Are you between the ages of 50 and 75 and getting your annual flu shot? Get a free FIT stool test. For questions, call askMDAnderson at 1-877-632-6789.

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AUGUST 15 | 2013 | DEFENDER

husband’s son’s best Friend’s

Your dad’s Lungs are Worth Fighting For MoM’s grandMa’s uncLe’s

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with lung cancer, insist on MD Anderson, the nation’s top-ranked cancer hospital.

Our world-renowned cancer experts are at the forefront of lung cancer discoveries and have pioneered the most advanced life-saving treatments available today. We create customized treatment plans with options such as minimally invasive surgery and innovative radiotherapy techniques. When your loved one is fighting lung cancer, you can never give up. We’re here to help.

Contact us today.

appointments available 1-877-632-6789 LungsWorthFightingFor.com

Scan to hear from some of our lung cancer survivors.

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 15 | 2013

health

Memorial Hermann’s Health Centers for Schools

Keeping Students Healthy and in School

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Memorial Hermann School-Based Health Centers Locations:

w Burbank Health Center

(HISD) 315 Berry Road Houston, TX 77022 (713) 742-8151 w Elrod Health Center (HISD) 6230 Dumfries Houston, TX 77096 (713) 771-1805 w Hogg Health Center (HISD) 1100 Merrill Houston, TX 77009 (713) 864-7614 w Jane Long Health Center (HISD) 6501 Bellaire Houston, TX 77074 (713) 777-0481 w Lamar Health Center (Lamar Consolidated ISD) 1002 E. Stadium Drive Rosenberg, TX 77471 (281) 762-8383 w Terry Health Center (Lamar Consolidated ISD) 5500 Avenue N. Rosenberg, TX 77471 (281) 238-0852 w WAVE Health Center (Pasadena ISD) 1500 Main South Houston, TX 77587 (713) 946-7461

n just a few short days, a new school year will begin with thousands of students returning to Greater Houston region classrooms to learn the fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic.

Many students will return to school happy, healthy and fed, but thousands of others live a contrasting reality. For those students, Memorial Hermann’s Health Centers for Schools program is a beacon of light.

Established in 1995, Memorial Hermann’s Health Centers for Schools (MHHCS) program has a primary goal: Keep students healthy and in school so they can learn the skills they will need for a brighter future. The program accomplishes that by providing a stable “medical home” for uninsured students from prekindergarten Examination room at the Hogg Health Center at Hogg Middle School in the Heights through 12th grade.

The Memorial Hermann Community Benefit Corporation (MHCBC) partners with three school districts – Houston, Pasadena and Lamar Consolidated – to operate the Health Centers for Schools (HCS) program.

The seven clinics in the Greater Houston region are staffed by a nurse practitioner/ physician assistant, social worker, licensed hospitalizations. vocational nurse and receptionist with physiMemorial Hermann’s HCS cian oversight provided. A certified Commuprogram is making a remarkable nity Health Worker (CHW) or navigator rodifference in the life of Jorge and tates among centers and assists parents with the lives of thousands of children CHIP/Medicaid applications and provides and families in the greater Houssocial service referrals. A registered dietitian ton area. The program provides provides nutritional counseling. Two dentists access to healthcare to more than and dental assistants staff two mobile dental 40,000 children at 49 schools units that provide preventive as well as reand demonstrates the impact of storative dental care to uninsured students. school-based healthcare on chilOpen five days a week, year round, the Hogg Health Center staff at Hogg Middle School dren and adolescents’ health and academic status program serves students in the schools’ with numerous outcome indicators. An example designated elementary and high school an asthmatic episode because she had no insuris the 84% reduction in asthma exacerbations, emerfeeder patterns. Services includes sick and injury ance. gency room visits, and hospitalizations realized by care, general and sports physicals, immunizaIn the previous year, Jorge had 15 asthma the students whose asthma care is managed by the tions, chronic care (asthma, obesity and cholesrelated absences, three emergency room visits health centers. terol), mental health therapy, social service referand four hospitalizations. At his first SBHC visit, The comprehensive primary care that is being rals, nutritional guidance and other care to meet Jorge received a steroid shot and two nebulizer provided by the MHHCS program is helping empowstudents’ needs. Dental services include cleantreatments. Afterward, Jorge and his mom reer impoverished families to address their problems ings, sealants, fillings, extractions, and crowns. turned to the SBHC for his first annual asthma head on, rather than be immobilized in the face of Consider Jorge Chavez’s story. The boy was plan and flu shot. Each year, he returns for his overwhelming odds.

Children like Jorge and thousent to the school-based health center (SBHC) by asthma plan, school and home rescue inhalers, flu sands of others continue to benefit from the medical, his elementary school nurse with an acute asthma shot and adjustment of his peak flow zones as he mental health and nutritional counseling services exacerbation. Previously, his mother had taken grows. Since receiving care at the SBHC, Jorge they need to stay healthy and stay in school. him to the emergency room each time he suffered has had no asthma related absences, ER visits or

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AUGUST 15 | 2013 | DEFENDER

Introducing Your Neighborhood Health Center Affordable, convenient, quality medical care for you and your family.

Memorial Hermann offers affordable and fast healthcare to meet your urgent care needs. At our affiliated Neighborhood Health Centers, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to take care of basic health issues. Visits are only $48. Appointments are available, but walk-ins are welcome. For your convenience, we have three locations around Houston to serve you.

Southwest 7600 Beechnut, Suite A (next to the Memorial Hermann Southwest ER) Houston, TX 77074 713.456.4280 Northwest 1800 W. 26th St., Suite 103 Houston, TX 77008 713.957.8400

Mon – Fri 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Sat – Sun 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

memorialhermann.org

Northeast 9813 Memorial Blvd., Suite H Humble, TX 77338 281.319.8500

11B

12B

DEFENDER | AUGUST 15 | 2013 |

defendernetwork.com