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.