President Barack Obama urges nation to be proactive about diabetes

MOBILE, Ala. -- U.S. President Barack Obama signed a proclamation last week to draw attention to the enormous amount of people suffering from diabetes as he proclaimed November as National Diabetes Awareness Month. With more than 25 million Americans living with a diabetes diagnosis, and many more going undiagnosed, diabetes affects people across our country and remains a pressing national health concern.

Alabama is one of six states in the U.S. where at least 10 percent of the population has been diagnosed with diabetes.

 

"During National Diabetes Month, we renew our dedication to combating this chronic, life-threatening illness by standing with those living with diabetes," according to the proclamation, "honoring the professionals and advocates engaged in fighting diabetes, and working to raise awareness about prevention and treatment."

 

Diabetes can lead to serious complications, including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and blindness. Type 1 diabetes, often diagnosed in children, limits insulin production and its causes are not well defined. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for more than 90 percent of diabetes cases, has been linked to older age and family history, although it is increasingly being diagnosed in younger Americans and is associated with obesity and inactivity.

 

The risk is particularly high among African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. People should talk to their health care provider about steps they can take to prevent or manage this disease.

"I call upon all Americans, school systems, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, health care providers, research institutions, and other interested groups to join in activities that raise diabetes awareness and help prevent, treat, and manage the disease," the president said in the proclamation.

MCHD logo pumpkin takes the prize

Members of the Mobile County Health Department's onsite division carved the
agency's new logo on this pumpkin. The design took first prize in a pumpkin
carving contest on Oct. 31, 2013 at the Health Department. Staffers carved a
haunted house scene on the other side of the ornage orb.
 

Pumpkins & popcorn: Appreciation Day is Oct. 31

This masked pink pumpkin was submitted by MCHD's Adult Clinic last year
in the 2012 pumpkin carving contest. While it didn't earn top honors, we thought
its presentation was pretty terrific, what with the tutu and matching tablecloth.

MOBILE, Ala, -- On Thursday, Oct. 31, all Mobile County Health Department staff members are encouraged to either dress up in a costume or dress down in casual wear as we collect cans of food to donate to a local pantry. We’re also having a pumpkin carving contest for teams and a costume contest for individuals.

 You are appreciated! Snacks will be provided Oct. 31 as we learn more about seasonal flu mist. Those who work on the main campus will gather between 2 and 3 p.m. in the third floor media room in Keeler. Off site locations will have a designated time for an appreciation event to be assigned and announced by their managers.

 Contest Prizes: Prizes will be in the form of food vouchers. Teams or individuals who win the vouchers will coordinate with Missy Wilson to purchase food or snacks of your choosing. For example, the first-place pumpkin carving winner will receive a $50 voucher. It can be used to order pizza or snacks or salads (or other food items of your choice) from a local restaurant/business during weekday office hours by Friday, Nov. 15.

 Pumpkin carving contest: First place, $50 food voucher; second place, $30 food voucher; third place, $20 food voucher.

Costume contest: First place, $20 food voucher; second place, $15 food voucher; third place, $10 food voucher. All vouchers must be coordinated through Missy Wilson and used by Friday, Nov. 15^th.

Contact Missy Wilson no later than 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30 if you plan to enter the pumpkin carving contest. On the day of the judging, contestants should email photos of their pumpkins and/or costumes to Wilson no later than 9 a.m. Her email is mwilson@mchd.org. Her number is: 690-8823. Emails must include your name, department’s name, name or theme of the pumpkin or costume and your location. Special guest judges will tour Keeler on the morning of Oct. 31 to select the best entries.

 Please remember costumes should be appropriate to greet or work with the public. We don’t want to frighten or scandalize children or our co-workers. Thanks!

 

Pink bus tour: Women's Center celebrates awareness

Members of the Women's Center staff on Cox Street pose for a photo in the
Mobile County Public School System's pink bus to help promote breast cancer
awareness in Mobile on Oct. 25, 2013.

Citronelle Health Center holds open house Oct. 24

Celebrating the re-opening of the Citronelle Health Center included, from left to right,
Mobile County Health Department Health Officer Dr. Bernard Eichold, clinic
administrator Johndra Lewis, Citronelle Mayor J. Albert McDonald and Pastor
Marcus Hobbs of Living Word Church. The center re-opened after a renovation
paid for with a $500,000 Affordable Care Act grant.
 

CITRONELLE, Ala. -- The Family Oriented Primary Health Care Clinic’s Citronelle Health Center, a division of the Mobile County Health Department, recently reopened to patients after undergoing half a million in refurbishments. The $500,000 came from an Affordable Care Act Grant for Capital Development, announced in April 2012 by then U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin.

 

An open house to welcome the community back to the health center was held 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 in Citronelle. About three dozen community members and staff attended the event held at the renovated site.

 

The Citronelle Health Center’s offices were relocated for about four months while the 1940s era building on Mobile Street underwent massive renovations that transformed the clinic into a state-of-the-art facility offering pediatric care, women’s health, as well as family planning and adult care, said Johndra Lewis, an administrator with MCHD.

 

The 3,200 square foot medical clinic is open on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Medical provider Japonica Owens is accepting appointments at the center.

 

The medical practice has been modernized with all new equipment and now features six exam rooms, is handicap accessible and includes a kiosk to assist with enrolling patients in insurance programs. The waiting room, which has been restructured for better flow, includes a flat screen television to improve the patient experience, Lewis said.

 

The health center also is home to the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program in Mobile County that offers vouchers for nutritious food to low- and moderate-income nursing mothers and children up to age 5.  

 

The power of pink: Women's Center staff celebrate breast cancer awareness month

Members of the Women's Center staff pose with a pink bus on Oct. 25, 2013
 in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The bus belongs to the
Mobile County Public School System. The Women's Center has been offering
free clinical breast exams to those who qualify on Fridays in October.

MOBILE, Alabama -- The staff at the Women's Center have been wearing pink throughout October in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So when a bright pink bus pulled into the parking lot of the Cox Street location on Friday, Oct. 25, plenty of people wanted to have their photos taken with it.

Inside, dozens of patients were checking in to recieve free breast exams. The bus, courtesy of the Mobile County Public School System, served as a visual reminder that the fight againt breast cancer continues. Breast cancer will strike one in eight women in their lifetimes, medical research shows. But caught in the early stages, chances are good that many women can beat the disease.

More than 100 women have received free clinical breast exams during the month of October at the Women’s Center. The health center offered the free clinical breast exams to those who qualified. Based on income eligibility, patients may qualify for a voucher to get a free mammogram from one of our local hospitals, MCHD staff said.

“It’s important for women older than 40 to have annual clinical breast exams,” said MCHD Health Officer Dr. Bernard Eichold. “Early detection often results in good outcomes.”

Wearing T-shirts emblazoned with a "Rock the Cure" logo, several members of the Women's Center staff took a few moments out of their busy days to take photos in front of the pink bus. Most also climbed aboard for even more photos, clicking images with their cell phones.

The Mobile County Public School System will have the pink bus parked at the Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk on Saturday, Oct. 26 in downtown Mobile. Current and former MCPSS staff effected by the disease are encouraged to have their photo taken with the bus so the school system can share the images on Facebook.

Health Department staff walk (and work) to find a cure for diabetes

MCHD staff members, from left: James Currie, Margaret
McCulloch, Gail Butts, Irma Reyes, Leticia Harris and
Allisa Carl posed for a photo before a Walk for Diabetes
event held in Downtown Mobile on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013.



 

MOBILE, Ala. -- Despite murky clouds that threatened to drench downtown, at least half a dozen staff members of the Mobile County Health Department took part in a walk on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013, to help raise awareness and money for diabetes, a disease that effects millions across the U.S.

Many of those who participated wore stickers on their chests that spelled out the names of those they supported. Gail Butts walked for her husband. James Currie walked for his dad, Saints fan Jim Currie. Margaret McCulloch, an organizer of the event, walked for her patients.

Alabama is among six states in the nation with a diabetes rate greater than 10 percent, health records show. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that some 11 percent of Alabama residents have the disease characterized by a person's inability to regulate their blood sugar. Only Mississippi has a higher rate, at 11.3, according to 2012 CDC data.

Locally, as many as 40,000 Mobile County residents are thought to have the disease. Dr. Bernard Eichold, MCHD health officer, addressed the issue during the state of the health of Mobile County news conference held last month at Alabama's oldest public health agency.

Getting a handle on the epidemic is critical, Eichold said.

Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose (sugar) levels. When a person has diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin or is unable to process its own insulin effectively, CDC data shows. Glucose builds up in the blood and and causes a condition, that if not controlled, can lead to serious health complications and even death. Diabetes also is a major cause of heart disease and stroke.

Average medical expenses are typically more than twice as high for a person with diabetes as they are for a person without the disease, according to the 2012 Diabetes Report Card, a publication of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

MCHD staff celebrate Reach Out and Read event

Employees of  the Mobile County Health Department, including staff of the

Pediatric Clinic downtown, join Clifford the Big Red Dog, WPMI anchor

Pat Greenwood and Health Officer Dr. Bernard Eichold for a photo following

a Reach Out and Read event held at MCHD's main campus in downtown

Mobile on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013. Children from schools in Prichard and

Mobile took part in the initiative. Greenwood read the book "Clifford and the

Big Storm." Children took home a copy of the book, healthy snacks and

information on emergency preparedness after the event, organizers said.  

Reach Out and Read event teaches children about storm prep and Clifford the Big Red Dog

MOBILE, Ala. – The shrieks and squeals could be heard halfway down the hall on Thursday. That's when nearly 30 children from schools in Mobile and Prichard gathered at the Mobile County Health Department to hear a story about Clifford the Big Red Dog and a swirling, whirling storm.

The students also got a lesson in how to prepare for emergencies as WPMI anchor Pat Greenwood led them through the book “Clifford and the Big Storm.”

Students from the Southwest Regional School for the Deaf and Blind and Dixon Total Touch Child Care Center also were entertained by an adult-size version of Clifford as he settled in with them on a colorful patchwork of foam squares. Graphic artist James Currie played the role of Clifford for the hour-long event.

Afterward, students received hefty white lunch bags packed with healthy snacks including apples, bananas, raisins and bottles of water, along with details about storm preparation.

“We want parents and caregivers to know that reading to children is vital,” said Dr. Bernard Eichold, Health Officer for the Mobile County Health Department. “That’s why our pediatric clinics take part in the Reach Out and Read initiative.”

Throughout the year, children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years seen at MCHD pediatric clinics receive new books during regular checkups as part of the Reach Out and Read-Alabama initiative. This year, copies of the book will be distributed by pediatric healthcare providers statewide who will also be talking to parents about improving resiliency and preparedness in their families, with their children and in their communities.

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based, national nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud. The model includes providing a new, age-appropriate book for each child to take home from every checkup from 6 months through 5 years of age.

Along with the free book for every child, health providers also offer guidance to parents about the importance of reading out loud with their children daily. Research shows that families served by Reach Out and Read do read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten with larger vocabularies, stronger language skills and a six-month developmental edge.

"I love you Clifford," a little girl said as she caught sight of the large red canine Thursday morning. Clifford offered high fives and hugs, allowing the kindergarten students to pet his fur, tug his ears and snuggle close. Another little boy shook his head, seemingly surprised by the big dog. "I want to see his house." 

 

Health officials: Infant mortality rate increases in Alabama for 2012

MOBILE, Alabama -- Alabama's infant mortality rate rose to its highest point in four years, with a rate of 8.9 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2012, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. This represents the deaths of 519 infants who did not reach 1 year of age. There were 58,381 live births in 2012. In 2011, Alabama recorded its lowest infant mortality rate ever, at 8.1.

“We must focus on what needs to be done about this challenging public health concern," said Dr. Donald Williamson, state health officer. "While we are seeing positive trends such as the lowest rate of teenage births and less smoking among pregnant teens, we must explore and initiate additional strategies to reduce infant mortality.”

The percent of births to teenagers in 2012 was the lowest ever recorded at 10.7 (6,236). Infant mortality among babies of teen mothers was higher (11.1 per thousand live births) than among adult mothers (8.6).

Low birth weight infants, defined as those weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces, are more than 20 times more likely to die than infants of normal weight. Ten percent of births in 2012 were of low weight, the same as in 2011, health records indicated.

The lifestyle of the mother, such as smoking, has an impact upon the unborn child. The rate of teen women smoking during pregnancy declined from 10.8 percent of teen mothers in 2011 to 10.5 percent in 2012. Smoking among adult women ticked up slightly to 10.7 from 10.6 in 2011. Infants of mothers who smoke have a 51 percent higher infant mortality rate than nonsmoking mothers. The infant mortality rate of mothers who did not smoke was 8.3; for smokers the rate was 12.5.

Disparities by race persist in pregnancy outcomes. The 2012 infant mortality rate for black mothers was 14.4, an increase over the 2011 infant mortality rate of 13.0 per 1,000 live births. For white mothers, infant mortality also increased from a rate of 6.1 to 6.6.

By method of payment, women without insurance coverage experienced far higher infant mortality. The rates are as follows: private insurance, 6.8; Medicaid, 9.7; and self pay, 22.7 per thousand live births.

Additional strategies to further reduce infant mortality are being considered by public health officials. Initiatives include efforts to reduce the number of preterm births and limiting elective deliveries when gestation is less than 39 weeks and there is no medical indication for an earlier delivery.

Graphs and detailed charts are available at the Alabama Department of Public Health website at adph.org.

Reach Out and Read: Mobile County Health Department hopes to spread love of reading to local children through outreach initiative

MOBILE, Ala. -- Reading books to young children on a regular basis can make a world of difference in their lives. That's one of the reasons a special reading event has been planned at the Mobile County Health Department’s Pediatric Clinic at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17, which will include students from the Southwest Regional School for the Deaf and Blind and a day care center from the Prichard area, health officials said.

 

Children will gather around a larger-than-life doghouse as they hear the story of “Clifford and the Big Storm.” Clifford also will be there to hand out healthy snacks. The event will be held at the health agency’s 251 N. Bayou St. location in downtown Mobile. MCHD staff have taken part in the reading initiative since it began four years ago. This year, WPMI anchor Pat Greenwood will share some of his time with the young students as he reads about how Clifford prepared for a swirling whirling storm.

 

Throughout the year, children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years seen at MCHD pediatric clinics receive new books during regular checkups as part of the Reach Out and Read-Alabama initiative. This year, copies of the book will be distributed by pediatric healthcare providers statewide who will also be talking to parents about improving resiliency and preparedness in their families, with their children and in their communities.

 

“Using the message of this year’s book will help families understand the importance of preparedness in disasters as well as help young children cope more effectively once a disaster occurs,” said Polly McClure, statewide coordinator for Reach Out and Read-Alabama. “Having the support of partners like Books-A-Million, Inc. and the resources of Ready Baby, a targeted outreach campaign to pregnant women and families with small children teaching the importance of preparedness for family resiliency broadens the reach of our message,”

 

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based, national nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud. The model includes providing a new, age-appropriate book for each child to take home from every checkup from 6 months through 5 years of age.

 

Along with the free book for every child, health providers also offer guidance to parents about the importance of reading out loud with their children daily. The research proves that families served by Reach Out and Read do read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten with larger vocabularies, stronger language skills and a six-month developmental edge. 

 

Nationwide, Reach Out and Read doctors and nurses serve 3.9 million children and their families annually at 4,688 pediatric practices, hospitals, clinics, and health centers in all 50 states, targeting those centers which serve children at socioeconomic risk.  The 70 Reach Out and Read programs in Alabama serve a total of 129,000 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers annually.

Calling the shots: Health Department administrator Howard McCane Jr. offers color commentary during high school football games in Mobile

Howard McCane Jr. in the press box at Saraland High School.

MOBILE, Ala. -- On week days, Howard McCane Jr. is an up-and-coming public health administrator responsible for several primary care divisions at MCHD’s downtown campus. But when the clinics close on Friday evenings, the bright lights from football stadiums across Mobile County beckon.

 

McCane pulls on a set of headphones and jumps into his job as a color commentator for high school matchups aired on local radio station WNSP. “It’s all about football,” he said of how he spends much of his weekends.

 

A native of Tuscaloosa, McCane moved to Mobile in 1996. In 2005, he came to work for the Mobile County Health Department as an Environmental Health Specialist, a job he held until July when he moved to an administrative position in the Primary Care Division. He earned a degree in chemistry from Alabama A&M University and a master’s in Public Administration from the University of South Alabama.  Now, he oversees departments including pediatrics, pediatric/adolescent, dental, optometry, a refugee program and outreach/wellness at the Health Department’s downtown campus.

 

“It has been an eye opening experience,” McCane said. “It’s been very challenging, but I believe it will be very rewarding.”

 

McCane said he got into radio on a lark. He was out washing his car one afternoon and listening to a sports station and he told his wife, Latitia, that he could offer commentary just as well as the guys on the radio. His wife challenged him to do it. That day, he called up the guys on the air and found out what he needed to do to get started. Turns out, he could do it after all. After two years as a field reporter for high school football, legendary local radio broadcaster Lee Shirvanian asked him to partner with him as a color analyst.

 

These days, McCane does color commentary on Friday nights, then heads to Ladd Stadium for USA home games on Saturdays. There he works for the IMG Network which broadcasts the Jaguars games. In that role, he typically stays quiet, acting as a spotter. Spotters usually sit between the commentators in the field box and use binoculars to see which players are involved in each down.  “We’re the ones who point out on the roster who did what,” McCane said. “That’s how they are able to easily tell who made a play.”

 

Sundays bring a morning radio show for WNSP featuring McCane and co-host Tim Finnegan. They talk fantasy football from 10 to 11 a.m., taking calls, texts and tweets. “We pretty much scour the internet looking for stories on players, and we talk about the ones we believe are the best and the worst ones to play that day,” McCane said. “Fantasy football is huge.”

 

 

Free clinical breast exams on Fridays in October at MCHD's Women's Center

MOBILE, Alabama -- Breast cancer will strike one in eight women in their lifetimes, medical research shows. But caught in the early stages, chances are good that many women can and do beat the disease every day.

 

On Fridays in October, the Mobile County Health Department’s Women’s Center is offering free clinical breast exams to those who qualify. Based on income eligibility, patients may qualify for a voucher to get a free mammogram from one of our local hospitals, MCHD staff said.

 

“It’s important for women older than 40 to have annual clinical breast exams,” said MCHD Health Officer Dr. Bernard Eichold. “Early detection often results in good outcomes.”

 

There are three ways to take advantage of the free service this month. Patients can simply walk-in, call the appointment line at 251-690-8889 or call the Women’s Center registration desk at 251-690-8948.

 

Eligibility Criteria: Women must be between the ages of 40 and 64, have no insurance or be under insured and meet certain income guidelines. For more information about the program, call the Women’s Center at the number mentioned above.

 

MCHD: Mobile County Health Department launches a new era in public health

Dr. Bernard Eichold speaks with reporters after a news conference Monday

Sept. 30, 2013, on the state of health in Mobile County. The agency's new logo

can be seen behind the health officer in the third floor media room.

MOBILE, Alabama -- Health Officer Dr. Bernard Eichold, who leads the Mobile County Health Department, said Monday that agency leaders are renewing their commitment to serve the public by promoting, improving and protecting the health of those who live in coastal Alabama. Eichold unveiled a new logo on Monday, Sept. 30, 2013 to serve as a visible reminder that the 495-employee strong agency takes its mission seriously.

Eichold also addressed the state of health in Mobile County during a news conference Monday, talking about how residents ranked alongside their counterparts in Alabama and beyond on several key health and quality of life indicators.

The idea is that by making people more aware of how certain risky behaviors -- such as overindulging in highly processed foods and sugary sodas, not wearing a seatbelt or engaging in unprotected sex – negatively affect their overall health, they can be encouraged to take positive steps to improve quality of life issues. 

Here are some of the topics he talked about:

Causes of death -- In Mobile County, heart disease is the leading cause of death, with a rate of 237.1 per 100,000 people dying from the disorder annually, health statistics show. In Alabama, the rate is slightly higher with 251.8 per 100,000. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Mobile County, with 226.2 people dying per 100,000 annually. The rate for all of Alabama is a bit lower with 212.5 people per 100,000 dying from causes related to cancer.

Obesity -- The obesity prevalence in Mobile County is slightly lower than that of the state, but significantly higher than the national average. Health statistics indicate that 30.6 percent of Mobile residents are obese, while 31.6 percent of Alabama residents fall into the same category.  Statistics show that about 25 percent of Americans as a whole are considered to be obese.

Diabetes – Alabama is one of six states in the nation where more than 10 percent of the population has been diagnosed with the disease, health records show. In Mobile, it’s estimated that about 11 percent of residents, or more than 40,000 people, have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Public safety -- Crimes rates also reflect on the quality of life in a community. The overall homicide rate in Mobile County has been considerably higher than the overall rate for the state, with 12 people per 100,000 dying because of homicides in recent years. The state rate, crime records show, has been 8.2 per 100,000.

Teen Pregnancy – The teen pregnancy rate among 15- to 17-year-olds in Mobile County is alarming, standing at 30.6 per 1,000 live births. Alabama’s teen pregnancy rate is 22 per 1,000 live births, health records show. Teen pregnancies are often at higher risks for pregnancy-induced hypertension and poor birth outcomes such as premature birth and low birth weight. Low birth weight is a major predictor of mortality and disability in infancy and childhood.

Not surprisingly, other health-related indicators in Mobile County and Alabama also soar past national numbers, including rates of premature death, poor mental health days and motor vehicle crash death rates, as reported in community health surveys and U.S. Census Bureau data.

While those numbers paint a grim picture, Dr. Eichold sees hope for our community. He issued a call to action Monday, urging residents to start taking steps to become healthier. He also asked that community leaders come together to create more jogging paths and walking trails within Mobile County. He also contends that any bridge constructed across Mobile Bay should include space for people to walk, run and bike. “If we build it,” he said, “they will come.”

What's something healthy, true and new? Find out Monday at 251 North Bayou Street





                                   Signs of change are popping up all around the Health Department this week.

                                   Here, Mobile County Health Department employee Donald Black tapes white

                                   paper over a new sign set to be revealed on Monday, Sept. 30.

MOBILE, Alabama – Health Officer Dr. Bernard Eichold II, who has led Alabama’s oldest public health agency for some 23 years, plans to address the state of health in Mobile County on Monday, Sept. 30, 2013, during a news conference announcing how residents rank alongside their counterparts in the state and nation.

And for the first time in more than two decades, the Mobile County Health Department is launching something else that will serve as a visual reminder to the public and employees that the 495-employee strong agency takes seriously its mission to promote, improve and protect the health of those who live and work in our corner of coastal Alabama.

During the last week of September, employees have been given new badges and have previewed a customer service video created in house by health department employees for health department employees that reminds us all that the patient experience starts with us. The 3-minute video, inspired by work from the Beryl Institute, features 45 MCHD staff members going about their daily routines, preparing to see patients, checking to make sure our meals are safe from food-borne illnesses, setting traps for nuisance pests, filling up gas tanks before spraying for mosquitoes among dozens of other duties.

 Later in the video, each employee holds up a sign they wrote themselves that says “I am the Experience.” Feedback has been positive for the original program that also will be shown to new employees and during other public events where Alabama’s oldest health agency is promoted.

Preparing for the launch of a new era in public health in Mobile County



Mobile County Health Department employee Thomas Busby prepares to add flowers to an outdoor bed in front of the side entrance to the historic Keeler building at the agency's main campus in downtown Mobile on Friday, Sept. 27. On Monday, Sept. 30, a news conference is planned to discuss the state of the health of Mobile County among other topics.  



Baby Buggy walk to highlight safe sleep positions for infants and children

MOBILE, Alabama -- Every year in Mobile County and across Alabama, hundreds of infants die before their first birthday. Many of them fall victim to sleep-related issues that are utterly preventable, said Tony Bondora, who reviews all fetal and infant deaths for the Mobile County Health Department.

“Mobile County is particularly affected by safe sleep issues,” said Bondora, who also coordinates the Alabama Baby Coalition. “We need to do everything we can to make sure infants and babies are always safe when they sleep.”

This Saturday, on Sept. 28, beginning at 9 a.m.,  six separate “Baby Buggy Walk in the Park” events are planned in the Mobile area to encourage families to take part in a short one-mile walk. Free T-shirts will be available for the first 50 participants at each location. Bottled water and educational materials also will be provided, organizers said.

New parents, grandparents and those who care for babies are encouraged to take part. The events will be at the following locations: Cottage Hill Park; Three Mile Creek – Triennial Park; Municipal Park; Public Safety Memorial Park; McNally Park and Lavretta Park.

The walks are taking place in conjunction with National Infant Mortality Awareness Month, a time of year when health care providers typically reflect on the risk factors that increase infant mortality while also working on programs dedicated to reducing those risks.

Preliminary local data indicates that 2012 would likely show an increase in the number of infant deaths in Mobile County, Bondora said: “Final numbers are not yet known but a substantial increase in cases is very likely.”

Infants should sleep in the parent’s room in their own bed or crib, completely alone with no pillows, blankets or stuffed animals. A good alternative to bed sharing is to place the infant’s crib or cradle near the parent’s or caregiver’s bed.

Sleep-related deaths include suffocation, roll-over deaths caused when a parent or another child rolls on top of an infant, sudden unexplained death in infancy, also known as SUDI, and improper sleep position. In 2011, 44 infants died in Mobile County before their first birthday. That was up slightly from 2010 when 43 infants died.

Health providers recommend that children younger than 12 months old sleep in a bed or crib alone with no other children, adults or pets. It’s also critical that parents make sure babysitters and caregivers know to place infants on their backs to sleep. Research shows that infants placed on their stomachs who are accustomed to sleeping on their backs are at greater risk of dying, Bondora said.

The Alabama Baby Coalition is working to make Mobile a safer place to be a baby by partnering with local hospitals, medical and social services providers. For more information about the coalition, call 251-694-5007 or visit www.alabamababycoalition.org.

New seasonal flu vaccine now available at the Mobile County Health Department

Mobile, Ala. – The Mobile County Health Department is now offering flu shots for $15 at its downtown location and its eight other health centers throughout the county.

Flu shots are available on weekdays without an appointment -- for $15 -- from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Health Department’s Immunization Clinic at 251 N. Bayou St. The shots are available by appointment at the Health Department’s outlying clinics. Appointments also can be made by calling 251-690-8889. Shots at other agency clinics also are $15.

Last year, Alabama was hit hard by an early flu season and was one of more than a dozen states reporting higher-than-normal numbers of flu or flu-like illness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 2013-2014 flu vaccine is an inactivated vaccine that contains killed viruses and is given with a needle. It contains three seasonal influenza viruses that are grown in eggs. The vaccine will typically protect against three influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during this flu season, health officials said. The seasonal flu vaccine is available to those 6 months of age and older.

Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of severe influenza and their close contacts, health care personnel and close contacts of children younger than 6 months old, said Dr. Bernard Eichold, Health Officer for the Mobile County Health Department.

For more information, call the Health Department’s Immunization Clinic at 251-690-8821.

Something is definitely up at the Health Department... Stay tuned.

Mobile County Health Department's community health centers awarded patient navigator grant

MOBILE, Alabama -- The Mobile County Health Department’s Family Oriented Primary Health Care Clinics Inc. has been awarded a two-year grant to hire a patient navigator to work at one of its community health centers, according to Farah A. Arosemena, associate director of the Center for Gulf Coast Environmental Health Research, Leadership and Strategic Initiatives.

 The competitive grant, worth about $54,000 for each year of the program, is being funded through the Tulane University Gulf Regional Health Outreach Program (GRHOP) Environmental Health Capacity and Literacy Project.

“We received an outstanding and varied group of applications in this initial round to place community health workers and patient navigators,” Arosemena wrote to the health agency in a letter about the award. “We are excited to assist you in implementing your vision to better your community.”

A goal of the health outreach project is to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable Gulf Coast communities by building environmental health capacity to deliver coordinated specialty care, integrating the roles of community health workers -- including environmental health navigators -- as a viable and sustainable component of the health system.

“This grant will help us continue to offer access to quality primary health care to vulnerable populations,” said Dr. Bernard Eichold, Health Officer for the Mobile County Health Department.  “We are pleased that Tulane recognized our commitment to the community.”

Through its primary care health centers, Mobile County Health Department providers saw nearly 39,000 patients during 2012 for health care needs that included primary medical care, optometry, dentistry, women’s health, family planning and pediatric care. The Mobile County Health Department operates 10 primary care health centers throughout Mobile County, including locations in Tillman’s Corner, Semmes, Eight Mile, Citronelle, Mount Vernon and downtown Mobile.

Alabama’s oldest health agency also provides regular community outreach with its mobile unit. More than 1,000 patient encounters were logged through the use of the rolling health center during wellness screening events in the past 12 months.

For more information about other Mobile County Health Department services, visit the agency’s website at www.mobilecountyhealth.org

Mobile County Health Department's Termika Smith snags Public Health Fellowship in Government



Dr. Bernard Eichold, Health Officer for the Mobile County Health Department,
reads a certificate of appreciation for Termika Smith, an adult health administrator
who is leaving the agency to spend a year in Washington for a public health fellowship.



MOBILE, Alabama -- Termika Smith, administrator of adult health for the Mobile County Health Department’s Primary Care division, recently accepted the Public Health Fellowship in Government for 2014 from the American Public Health Association in Washington D.C. She was selected from a field of more than a 150 candidates for the position. Her last day at the Mobile County Health Department was Sept. 7.

Smith said expanding the Ryan White clinic to see more patients in a timely manner, adding peer counselors and increasing mental health accessibility are some of the accomplishments she was most proud of during her tenure at the Health Department. When she started in 2008, she said, staff members treated a total of 589 patients through the Ryan White program. By July of 2013, more than 730 patients were being treated annually at the clinic. She credits the program’s success “to a great staff of hard-working and dedicated” employees.

The addition of peer counselors, Smith said, created meaningful ways for patients to stay connected to care: “They provide the opportunity to reach patients in a way much different than someone in the clinic taking care of them.” Peer counselors are typically former or current patients who act as mentors to those seeking services through the Ryan White program.

Smith said she was first drawn to public health in high school, where she worked as a peer advocate, addressing personal health choices and disease prevention among fellow students. In college, she saw first-hand the devastating effects to coastal Alabama residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One of her first jobs was as an outreach coordinator at the University of South Alabama Center for Healthy Communities where her responsibilities included addressing the ongoing needs of those most affected by the natural disaster and working to eliminate the health disparities many of them faced because of it. 

A native of Montgomery, Smith headed south to attend college in Mobile, becoming active in youth counseling activities and public policy among other interests. Her memberships include the Alabama HIV Prevention Council, the Mobile AIDS Coalition and the United Way Young Leaders Society. 

 Before leaving the Mobile County Health Department, a luncheon was organized for Smith, complete with an original poem penned and performed by Gail Butts. Friends and coworkers gave her a pearl bracelet and a gift card. Dr. Bernard Eichold presented her with a framed certificate of recognition, detailing Smith’s more than five years of service to Alabama’s oldest public health agency. 

"We will miss Termika," Eichold said, "but we are delighted for the opportunity this fellowship affords her."

Smith, who earned an undergraduate and master’s degree from the University of South Alabama, is working to complete a doctoral degree in Education Leadership, Policy and Law from Alabama State University in December. Then, she’ll head to D.C. to begin the year-long fellowship in early 2014. “I’ve been interested in policy,” Smith said, “and this is an opportunity to see if I want to make it a career.”

The American Public Health Association is an organization of public health professionals that has worked to improve public health since 1872. The Association aims to protect Americans from preventable, serious health threats, striving to assure community-based health promotion and disease prevention and preventive health services are accessible in the U.S. 

Quality of Life: New report details community indicators for health, poverty and innovation

MOBILE, Alabama – Want to know the percentage of households in Mobile with high speed internet access? Curious about how many Baldwin residents don’t having health insurance?

The Community Indicators Report: Counties in Focus 2012, released by The Community Foundation of South Alabama (CFSA), answers those questions and more, providing a snapshot of the overall wellbeing of those who call South Alabama home by tracking poverty, health and wellness issues, economic stability, educational attainment and innovation among other topics.

The purpose of the 119-page report is to inform, inspire and influence community members, policymakers and business leaders working to make improvements in the eight county South Alabama region, according to a news release provided by the Community Foundation.

“With all of the positive transitions happening in our area, this report highlights where we need to focus our resources and efforts so that everyone can reap the benefits,” said Dr. Bert Eichold, Chairman of the Board of the Community Foundation. “For example, if you are working on healthcare issues, it provides you with a better understanding of what communities need the most help and what the barriers to proper healthcare are. This allows your organization, government, etc. to direct time and resources to address the root causes of issues.”

Alvertha Penny, president and CEO of the Community Foundation said the report “captures the issues in our region and should be used as a guide for how we, as a community, work together, direct resources, and as an impetus for shifting our collective interest to improving the quality of life in the region.”

The Community Indicators Report also offers suggestions on how to address challenges such as poverty and poor health. The Community Foundation is a tax-exempt, nonprofit foundation that assists individuals, families, corporations and nonprofit organizations with charitable giving. The group professionally manages the investment of charitable funds established by members of the community and use returns to make grants to nonprofit organizations. The Community Foundation staff works with more than 400 charitable funds.

More families may now qualify for nutrition assistance program

MOBILE, Alabama – With recent changes to federal poverty guidelines, more local families may qualify for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, better known as WIC, local health officials said.

Women who are pregnant, those who have given birth in the past six months, are breastfeeding or the parent or guardian of a child up to age 5 are encouraged to apply for WIC at the Mobile County Health Department or in the county where they reside.

“WIC isn’t just for low-income families, it’s also for families with moderate incomes who may need extra help providing nutritious foods for their young children,” said Elizabeth W. Smith, who is the Director of Nutrition Services at the Mobile County Health Department. “We provide vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs, cheese, cereal and baby formula.”

For example, a single mother and her baby can have an income of up to $552 per week (before taxes) and qualify for WIC. A husband and wife with three children can have a total weekly income of as much as $981 (before taxes) and meet the income requirements to participate in WIC.

In Mobile County in 2012, more than $10 million in WIC food vouchers were distributed to support about 14,000 participants. Statewide, more than 140,000 new mothers, infants and young children take part in the nutrition program.

WIC participants should have a limited income and a nutritional need. Families who receive Medicaid, SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps, or Family Assistance, formerly known as TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) already meet the income qualifications for WIC. Even families who do not qualify for these three programs may be eligible for WIC, health officials said. WIC is a nutrition program that provides nutrition education and supplemental foods during the early, formative years of a child’s life. For more information, contact the Mobile County Health Department at 251-690-8829 or call the statewide toll-free line in Alabama at 1-888-942-4673.

WIC is open to participants with incomes of up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level. See below:

Family size         Annual Income             Weekly Income
1                         $21,257                         $409
2                         $28,694                         $552
3                         $36,131                         $695
4                         $43,568                         $838

5                         $51,005                         $981