The Mobile County Health Department's Tony Bondora featured in CityLeaders publication

MOBILE, Ala. -- Tony Bondora, MPH, works for the Mobile County Health Department as the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Coordinator and as the Alabama Baby Coalition Coordinator. An editorial he wrote was recently featured in City Lights, a newsletter distributed by citymatch, a national organization  of city and county health departments' maternal and child health (MCH) programs and leaders. The mission of CityMatCH is to strengthen public health leaders and organizations to promote equity and improve the health of urban women, families, and communities.

 Here's the editorial:

A young mother, whose baby recently died, sat nervously in front of me—her eyes anxiously darting around the room—wondering what would happen next? She had responded to my invitation to participate in a maternal interview, and she arrived on time. Knowing of her loss, I gave her my assurance that my goal was to help future women and their families avoid similar tragedies, but it seemed to go unnoticed. Bursting into tears moments later and revealing that she suspected her husband of killing her only child by smothering the infant in their bed, I knew in that moment that there was much more that I needed to learn about MCH.

In 2009, I was asked to join the inaugural class of the CityMatCH’s CityLeaders program. Honored, I accepted the invitation because I knew I needed more leadership training if I was to make a greater impact on MCH issues in my county.

My CityLeaders experience was unforgettable, and it gave me the confidence I needed to grow as an MCH professional. This program gave me the leadership training that many county-level MCH and FIMR programs lack. It became apparent that simply identifying MCH issues in my county was insufficient and that I needed to be able to inspire and lead others to make positive change in a more active way. Working with the mentor was my favorite part of the program. Realizing that senior MCH personnel working across the country were facing similar challenges that I was facing, helped me to better understand my own local challenges. Networking with other CityLeaders was invaluable and provided a much needed dialog about MCH challenges that was missing in my single person program at home.

I try to stay in touch with the friends and colleagues from CityLeaders when possible although it is not always easy. I feel it was a valuable program that instills the confidence and connections needed to succeed in MCH. I would recommend the program to anyone who is fortunate enough to attend.

I would like to think that I am now better equipped to handle MCH issues and to provide help and direction to parents like the young mother mentioned above and to use this experience to better understand MCH issues in my county.

ABOUT citymatch: CityMatCH was initiated in 1988 as a special project of the Boston Department of Health and Hospitals with the goal of improving the organization and delivery of services to urban families and children. Initial project activities centered on developing an information base on what major health departments across the United States were doing to address shared urban MCH problems such as increasing racial disparities in infant mortality, inadequate access to prenatal care, substance abuse in pregnancy, and interpersonal violence. The CityMatCH project, under the leadership of urban MCH program directors in cities across the county, evolved into a national organization in 1991.

Mobile County Health Department nutrition staff weigh and measure more than 500 students



  Mobile County Health Department Senior

  Nutritionist Dana Herazo, a Registered Dietitian,

  measures a sixth grader at a local middle school

  on Aug. 19, 2014.

MOBILE, Ala. --  While anecdotal evidence may abound, there are few studies adequately documenting nutrition and obesity issues among Mobile County children in recent history.

With that in mind, Mobile County Health Department Social and Nutritional Programs staff members visited three area middle schools this week to weigh and measure hundreds of sixth-grade students as part of an initiative with other agencies to determine the extent of obesity challenges facing area youth.

MCHD has partnered with Junior League of Mobile, the University of South Alabama and the Mobile County Public School System to conduct an assessment study to determine the outcome of evidence-based nutritional and fitness program intervention in sixth-grade students in Mobile County.

"We are working together to combat unhealthy eating," said Tabitha Olzinski, the Nutrition and Assessment Chair for Junior League of Mobile. "Middle school is a time when students really start making their own choices about what they want to eat. We want to help them learn about healhtier options."

The assessment will be created by compiling data taken from sixth-grade students and implementing evidence-based programs at three local middle schools. Data collection methods include pre and post participant surveys to gauge nutrition knowledge, demographics, nutrition choices and weight measurement assessments.

Junior League of Mobile will implement the nutrition and fitness program at two area middle schools to students who have permission from their parents to take part. JLM also will implement an evidence-based program called Planet Health through the JLM Kids in the Kitchen program at a third middle school.

Throwback Thursday: Mobile County Health Department offices originally U.S. Marine Hospital

 

 

If you aren't checking up on MCHD via Facebook, here's what you missed today, in what many describe as Throwback Thursday. #OlderthantheStatueofLiberty #mchdtbt #watchoutforghosts

 

Originally opened as the U.S. Marine Hospital, construction on the Greek Revival building began in 1838 in downtown Mobile, Ala., and was completed in 1842. Confederate and Union soldiers both were treated at the health center during the Civil War.

 

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The Board of Health moved in a year later. It has served as the main offices for the Mobile County Health Department since that time.

Mobile and Alabama infant death rates improve in 2013, public health officials report

MOBILE, Ala. -- Alabama’s infant mortality rate of 8.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013 is lower than the 8.9 rate recorded in 2012, the Alabama Department of Public Health announced Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2014. In 2013, there were 58,182 live births in Alabama and the infant mortality rate represents the deaths of 500 of these infants who did not reach their first birthday.

"Alabama's infant mortality rate has trended downward since 2007," Gov. Robert Bentley said in a news release. "Lowering the rate is a critical part of our efforts to improve public health in Alabama. We are encouraged by today's news, and we will work to continue efforts to reduce infant mortality in Alabama."

In Mobile County, 54 infants died before their first birthday, at a rate of 9.7, in 2013. That figure represents an improvement from 2012 when 60 Mobile County infants died before their first birthday, at a rate of 10.9, health data shows.

Tony Bondora, who studies infant deaths in Mobile County, noted several factors associated with the issue here. “Obesity is over represented in all of our infant fetal deaths. The average age of the mother who lost an infant also is increasing,” he said. “The average age is now 28, as compared to an average age of 24 just three years ago.”

About 60 percent of infant deaths in Mobile County are to African American mothers, Bondora said. “Receiving quality prenatal care is still a problem with about 20 percent of the mothers in this population. And low birth weights and preterm births continue to be the number one risk factor for an infant death in Mobile County.”

While disparities in pregnancy outcomes by race persist statewide, the 2013 infant mortality rate for black infants statewide was at its lowest level ever, 12.6. In contrast, the infant mortality rate for white infants increased from 6.6 in 2012 to 6.9 in 2013.

The percent of births to teenagers in 2013 in Alabama was the lowest ever recorded, 9.3 percent, (5,420 births) and the percent of births to teens less than 18 years of age was also a record low, 2.6 percent (1,524 births). Infant mortality among babies of teen mothers was higher (12.5 per thousand live births) than among adult mothers (8.2). The infant mortality rates among teens and adults by race are as follows: white teens, 8.8; black teens, 18.6; white adults, 6.7, black adults, 11.8.
Research indicates that babies born before 37 weeks of gestation face a higher risk of health problems. The percent of births at less than 37 weeks in Alabama has been trending down steadily to 11.8 percent of all live births in 2013. This compares to 13.4 percent in 2005.

“Alabama hospitals and the medical community have worked diligently to decrease elective early term deliveries at 37 and 38 weeks gestation which helps produce better birth outcomes,” said Dr. Donald Williamson, state health officer. “Other factors that improve our infant mortality rate include increased levels of prenatal care and better family planning with the advent of long-acting reversible contraceptives.”

Low birth weight infants, defined as those weighing less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces) were almost 20 times more likely to die than infants of normal weight. Ten percent of births in 2013 were of low weight.

The lifestyle of the mother, such as smoking, has an impact on the unborn child. The percent of women smoking during pregnancy increased slightly from 10.7 percent in 2012 to 10.8 percent in 2013. The infant mortality rate of mothers who did not smoke was 7.9; for smokers the rate was 13.2.

Malaria victim from Mobile, Ala., hospitalized, recovering, health officials said

MOBILE, Ala. – The Mobile County Health Department has confirmed that a teenage girl who traveled this summer to the Republic of Uganda in East Africa contracted malaria. She has been hospitalized since Sunday, Aug. 17, 2014, and is recovering.

This is the first reported case of the disease in Mobile County in at least two years, health officials said.

Dr. Bernard Eichold, Health Officer for Mobile County, advises those who plan to travel outside the United States to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Malaria is a mosquito-borne illness prevalent in more than 100 countries worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


“We are grateful the young woman is responding to treatment,” said Dr. Eichold. “It’s important, when traveling internationally, to take the proper precautions by getting all required and recommended vaccines and other treatments beforehand.”


About Malaria

Malaria is not a contagious disease spread from person to person like a cold or the flu, and it cannot be sexually transmitted, according to the CDC. It can’t be spread from casual contact with the infected, such as sitting next to someone who has the illness.

Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain mosquito which feeds on humans. Those who get malaria are typically very sick with high fevers, shaking chills and flu-like illness. Although malaria can be a deadly disease, illness and death can usually be prevented.

About 1,500 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC. The vast majority of cases in America are in travelers and immigrants returning from countries where malaria transmission occurs, many from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Like MCHD on Facebook and never miss another Throwback Thursday #tbt

MOBILE, Ala. -- We selected Mobile County's Health Officer, Dr. Bernard Eichold, to feature in our very first Throwback Thursday post on Facebook, Aug. 14, 2014.

If you haven't already, head over to Facebook and like the Mobile County Health Department's page. Family Health also has a page on Facebook, as well as the Aura Wellness Center. You never know who's going to be featured next. #MCHDTBT

Get to know Dr. Linda Davenport: Family Health provider at the DIP Health Center in Mobile

Dr. Linda Davenport joined the Family Health staff this spring. She is accepting

new patients at the Dauphin Island Parkway Health Center in Mobile.

MOBILE, Ala. -- Dr. Linda Davenport is one of Family Health's newest providers, joining the Mobile County Health Department staff earlier this spring at the Dauphin Island Parkway Health Center. She worked as a nurse for 15 years before entering medical school at the University of Michigan. At the time, her children were 4 and 8.

"Some people didn't remember me from medical school classes, but they always remembered my son because he stayed so quiet," she said. "They couldn't believe he was so well-behaved."

Now, her son is preparing to enter medical school, following in his mother's footsteps.

In 2007, after spending decades weathering winters in Michigan, where some say it's only cold 11 months of the year, Dr. Davenport decided she'd had enough of the snow. She looked for a job in the Southeastern U.S., finally settling in Thomasville, Ala. When the hospital there where she worked unexpectedly closed, she and her husband eventually looked for a new home on the Gulf Coast.

What has impressed her about MCHD, she said, is the variety of services offered to the public, from adult care to dental, optometry and even laser hair reduction. "I've never worked for a Health Department that offered so many choices to the public," she said.

Empowering patients to improve their quality of life is something she loves to do. "When I meet someone who has a poor health status, it's nice to be able to help them get to where they need to be. I love it when they come back and tell me their blood pressure is under control for the first time in years. It's a good feeling."

Serving the community: Family Health and MCHD celebrate National Health Center Week

Family Health offers free wellness screenings for National Health Center Week in Mobile

MOBILE, Alabama – Free wellness screenings, confidential STD testing and school immunizations for children age 4 and up were offered from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the William Clark Family Life Center, 2501 W. Main St. in Prichard. The wellness fair was presented by Family Health, the primary care division of the Mobile County Health Department, in observance of National Health Center Week which spans Aug. 10-16, 2014.

Media coverage included multiple broadcasts by two local television stations, WALA and LOCAL 15, and online reports published by al.com and television websites. Public health staff were interveiwed about the importance of vaccinations prior to the event. Dozens of families lined up to take part in the community outreach, health officials said.

For more than 45 years, community health centers across the U.S. have delivered comprehensive, high-quality preventive and primary health care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. During that time, community health centers have become the essential primary care medical home for millions of Americans, including some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations. With a proven track record of success, community health centers have played an essential role in national recovery and reinvestment efforts and will continue to play a key role in implementation of the Affordable Care Act, public health officials have said.

Statistics show that one in every 15 people living in the United States depends on services provided by community health centers. They are an important source of jobs in many low-income communities, employing more than 148,000 people nationwide. And with clinical and support staff who are responsive to their communities' needs and cultures, health centers are important partners in our efforts to reduce health disparities.

Since 1979, the Mobile County Health Department’s Family Health division has provided comprehensive primary care services throughout Mobile County and now provides primary care services at nine sites from Mount Vernon to Tillman’s Corner to Dauphin Island Parkway. The sites, which are all designated as Federally Qualified Health Centers, are strategically located where the targeted population needs are the greatest and access to care is limited, agency officials said. A mobile health unit also brings primary care and wellness screenings to those who might not otherwise have the means to travel to a health center.

Mobile County Health Department's Family Health welcomes veterans for primary care appointments

MOBILE, Ala. -- Dr. Bernard Eichold, Health Officer for Mobile County, applauds the efforts of U.S. lawmakers for taking steps to ensure more military veterans can turn to public health and private providers under a law signed Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014, by President Barack Obama.
Under the law, U.S. veterans who have waited at least a month for a medical appointment or who live at least 40 miles from a Veterans Affairs hospital or clinic will be able to see private doctors at government expense, according to reports by the Associated Press on Aug. 7.

“As a person with prior military service and a public health physician, I am excited for this opportunity to offer improved access to care for those who have served our nation,” Eichold said. “The Mobile County Health Department’s Family Health division has nine community health centers where veterans and their families are welcome to make a same-day or next-day appointment for primary care needs.”

Family Health, the primary care division of the Mobile County Health Department, offers a variety of services including adult health, women’s health and pediatric care, among other services. Visit www.familyhealthalabama.org  for a complete list of sites and hours of operation. Most Family Health centers are open extended hours and also feature urgent care clinics for those with
According to the AP, the law devotes $10 billion in emergency spending over three years to pay private doctors and other health professionals to care for qualifying veterans who can't get timely appointments at VA hospitals or clinics or who live more than 40 miles from one of them. It includes $5 billion for hiring more VA doctors, nurses and other medical staff and $1.3 billion to open 27 new VA clinics across the country.

Expanding the VA staff by hiring thousands of doctors, nurses and mental health counselors — another key component of the law — will take months to get underway and years to complete, VA officials told the Associated Press. Opening 27 new clinics across the country, another part of the new law, will take at least two years, officials said.

Take the survey: Alabama Public Health seeks input on maternal and child health needs

The Alabama Department of Public Health is asking residents with children to

complete a short survey to help the agency assess needs related to maternal and

child health.

MOBILE, Ala. -- The Alabama Department of Public Health is asking that families with children or youth complete an online survey concerning health and health care services. The anonymous survey is being conducted during the months of July through September and takes about 20 minutes or less to complete. To take the survey, please go to www.adph.organd click on “Survey of Alabama’s Families.”

“We want as much participation as possible from Alabama residents who are taking care of children or youth," said Alabama Health Officer Dr. Donald E. Williamson." Information gained from the survey will help us identify the most important health-related needs of children, youth and their families. This information will be considered when we decide how to best allocate resources to better promote the health of these groups.”

The Health Department receives about $11.5 million annually from the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau to assure continued improvement in the health, safety and well-being of women of childbearing age, children, youth and their families. To help assure that these dollars are used wisely, a statewide maternal and child health needs assessment is conducted every five years. 

The online survey of families is one aspect of the current needs assessment. Other aspects include a survey of health care providers and nonmedical organizations serving these groups; focus groups; and analysis of pertinent existing databases, such as birth and death records.

If you are taking care of children or youth, the Health Department would greatly appreciate your completion of the survey. Postcard-sized fliers to encourage participation in the survey are being distributed statewide at public health clinics and other places. 

For more information, please contact Tammie R. Yeldell, M.P.H., Director, Maternal
and Child Health Epidemiology Branch, Bureau of Family Health Services, Alabama Department of Public Health, by telephone at (334) 206-5553 or by email at mch@adph.state.al.us

Mobile County Health Department provides WIC services across the community

Eastern Equine Encephalitis confirmed in Mobile County horse

MOBILE, Alabama -- A horse located in the 36582 ZIP code of Mobile County has tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, according to Dr. Bernard Eichold, Health Officer for the Mobile County Health Department.

MCHD’s Vector Control division monitors encephalitis in sentinel poultry flocks strategically placed throughout the county to detect the presence of viruses carried by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes also are trapped throughout the county and tested for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, and St. Louis Encephalitis. Aggressive surveillance and control activities are ongoing.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis and other mosquito-borne viruses such as West Nile are transmitted from bird to mosquito to bird. Mosquitoes can spread the viruses by feeding on the blood of infected birds and then biting another host animal or mammal such as a horse or human. Although humans and horses can become ill from the infection, the diseases can’t be spread from people or horses. The likelihood of transmission to humans and horses can be decreased by the use of an Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus vaccine in horses. There is no vaccine available for humans, Dr. Eichold said.

Eichold advises all horse owners to have their animals vaccinated against EEE and West Nile Virus, and to call their veterinarian immediately if signs of encephalitis are observed. Clinical signs vary, but they include depression, staggering, stupor, hyper-excitability, paralysis and coma.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis can be more dangerous to people and other mammals than other mosquito-borne viruses. However the same mosquito-prevention measures reduce exposures to all such viruses. Bites to children should be watched for secondary infections that need to be treated by a physician. Mosquito bites can be treated with topical agents such as calamine and menthol lotions. Cortisone creams and oral antihistamines are available as over-the-counter medications that can reduce itching.

Inspectors regularly check areas with standing water for mosquito breeding and treat as necessary using both portable and truck mounted equipment. The inspectors also respond to service requests from residents to inspect backyard areas as well as to treat identified breeding areas and to provide education. Because of large volumes of calls received daily, service requests are responded to on a first-call, first-served basis and may take a few days to be addressed, health officials said.