 |
 |
||||
Headlines
Virginia Delivers Public Health Care To Floridians Impacted By Hurricanes
|
 |
||||
|
On September 8, 2004, 27 public health personnel from Virginia boarded planes and headed to Florida to help residents impacted by Hurricanes Charley and Frances. The nurses, outreach workers and support personnel spent six days working 12 hour shifts at a community shelter in Indian River County, Florida. “In public health, the community is our patient and, in this case, the shelter became our community,” said Pat Winter, Public Health Nurse Manager for the Western Tidewater Health District. “We were able to use our public health skills to protect health and prevent disease within the shelter community.” Pat led the team and handled administrative duties associated with the trip.
The shelter housed over 200 elderly residents and people with special medical needs. The Virginia team not only provided direct medical care, but also worked hard to provide the residents with proper hygiene and emotional support. They washed several hundred loads of laundry and helped some of the older residents get showers. And often having a heartfelt conversation with the residents was just the right medicine to ease the difficult situation.
“We were quite pleased to find that our basic nursing skills were with us. We spent time assessing people’s conditions, comforting them, assisting them with personal care, giving them an opportunity to share their concerns,” said Dibby Smith, Public Health Nurse Supervisor for the Alexandria Health District. “The work was very different from our daily jobs, but was the essence of nursing.” “It’s not surprising that a group of public health professionals from around Virginia could meet, many of which for the first time, receive an assignment and perform well.” said Gwendolyn Childs, Public Health Nurse Supervisor for the Portsmouth Health District. “Public health is public health, whether in Virginia or in Florida.” The team was composed of local public health personnel from the Alexandria, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, and Western Tidewater Health Districts. “This is a great example of public health as a team sport,” said Jeff Lake, Deputy Commissioner for Community Health Services. Mr. Lake says the Deputy Secretary of Health in Florida was amazed how quickly Virginia responded, especially over the Labor Day weekend and was impressed with the quality and dedication of Virginia’s volunteers. "It was a wonderful experience and very much a blessing to have helped the residents in the shelter and work with the Virginia Nurses and our sister VDH staff, " said Public Health Nurse Anna Pratt. "The teamwork between all the local agencies was remarkable. The experience gave us a whole new attitude about life and none of us would hesitate for one minute to do it all over again: if asked, we are ready, willing and able." Mr. Lake also thanked Julie Pettry for her tireless work making airline reservations for the 27 team members in 'real time' as well as staff members in the VDH Office of Administration who helped make the trip possible.
|
|||||
VDH Completes Study of Lead Levels in Drinking Water at Child Day Care Facilities and Elementary Schools
Kelly Vance Lobanov -Editor The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has completed a study of lead levels in the drinking water at randomly selected Virginia child daycare facilities and elementary schools. The study shows that lead levels in drinking water at most of these facilities are below the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action level. "We are pleased with the sampling results and thank the facilities that participated in the study," said State Health Commissioner Robert B. Stroube, M.D., M.P.H. VDH developed a lead level action plan last May focusing onlead monitoring efforts for child daycares and elementary schools. Staff from local health departments collected first draw samples at the most frequently used water fixture at each of the facilities. Additional samples were taken after a 60-second flush of the chosen faucets. Samples were delivered to the state's Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services for analysis. Of the 237 randomly selected sites that participated in the study, eight yielded samples with lead concentrations greater than the action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) in the first draw. The action level was established by EPA to minimize long-term exposure to lead through water ingestion. After flushing the faucet for 60 seconds and re-sampling, only one faucet continued to show a lead concentration above the action level. VDH is working with this facility with elevated levels to determine why the lead concentration is above the action level and initiate appropriate corrective actions. The facility is new and therefore had not yet completed routine sampling for lead in drinking water. Although the special sampling detected elevated lead levels, it is likely that routine sampling would have also identified the problem. Children at this facility are being provided with bottled water until the issue is resolved. "People can significantly reduce lead levels in their drinking water by flushing the faucet for 60 to 90 seconds after it has been idle for more than six hours," Dr. Stroube said. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule of 1991 requires all public water systems to conduct sampling for lead in drinking water at least once every three years. Child daycare facilities and elementary schools that have their own water systems are also subject to this rule. However, since most elementary schools and child daycare facilities get their drinking water from public water systems, they are not required to sample their water fixtures for lead. VDH continues to implement the federal Lead Contamination Control Act (LCCA) of 1988, which recalled drinking water coolers with lead-lined water reservoir tanks and banned new drinking water coolers with lead parts. The LCCA also established a technical assistance program in order to support state activities to reduce lead contamination in schools. Lead contamination rarely occurs in source water, such as wells or reservoirs. Elevated lead levels in drinking water are usually caused instead by corrosion of lead pipes or plumbing fixtures. Residents may choose to contact a plumber to find out whether their home's fixtures contain lead. Other precautions people can take at home to reduce the amount of lead in their drinking water include:
For more information about lead in drinking water, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/dw/Lead.asp.
|
back to top | ||||
| In
the News
|
|||||
VDH Office of Drinking Water Provides Training Services to Rural Drinking Water Operators In order to provide safe, potable drinking water to rural communities throughout Virginia, operators of small drinking water facilities must have a detailed knowledge of how their system operates and also obtain the proper professional licensure. Examples of these small communities, serving populations under 400, are daycare centers, mobile home parks, rural subdivisions, rural schools, and small cities and towns. There are approximately 1,200 of these types of waterworks in Virginia. Many of these communities do not have full-time operators performing the water testing duties. Instead, some operators volunteer their services while others work full-time jobs and spend very little time at the waterworks.
The Virginia Center for Very Small Waterworks provides training material, training classes, reimbursement opportunities, and exam information to these operators. Some examples of training material and classes are:
The center communicates directly with many of the operators through mass mailings and the website (www.vaclassix.com). The latest training classes, exam dates, and newsletters are highlighted on the website in order to provide up-to-date information. Operators can also order training material, submit reimbursements, and download the licensure application.
|
back to top | ||||
Virginia Medical Reserve Corps Launches Recruitment Campaign The Virginia Medical Reserve Corps launched a volunteer recruitment campaign last September as part of National Preparedness Month. The campaign called for Medical Reserve Corps volunteers needed to support public health response activities during times of emergency. Volunteers might respond to any health emergencies, including communicable disease outbreaks, natural disasters, or possible terrorism incidents. “Becoming a Medical Reserve Corps volunteer is a great way for people to help make their communities and neighborhoods stronger, safer and more secure,” said Governor Mark R. Warner. In Virginia, 12 local Medical Reserve Corps received federal grant funding in 2003. An additional Medical Reserve Corps unit on the Eastern Shore has recently received federal recognition. To date, more than 3,000 Virginians now serve as Medical Reserve Corps volunteers. The volunteers have already responded to public health events, such as assisting in the aftermath of recent hurricanes and helping to staff a tuberculosis prevention clinic in the Chesapeake area. “The local Medical Reserve Corps want to recruit medically trained volunteers, such as nurses, doctors and veterinarians,” said Lisa Kaplowitz, M.D., M.S.H.A., Deputy Commissioner for Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs at the Virginia Department of Health. “In addition, non-medically trained volunteers are needed in many areas. Anyone with useful skills, such as dispatching, data management, volunteer management, or foreign language and communication skills should consider volunteering. Local volunteers will participate in training programs tailored to their local needs, including but not limited to training in biological agents, CPR, First Aid, and emergency preparedness. In addition, many will receive first-aid kits and useful emergency information, which can be beneficial to their families in an emergency, and are kept up-to-date on community preparedness events and activities. Virginia Medical Reserve Corps' new Web site helps volunteers register with programs in their area. The Web address is www.vamrc.org. The following is a listing of the Medical Reserve Corps programs in Virginia: Western
Tidewater Health District - Suffolk, VA
|
back to top | ||||
The Virginia Board of Health and the Division of WIC and Community Nutrition Services asks for a “Call to Commitment”
Public and private organizations throughout the Commonwealth gathered recently for a briefing on Virginia's obesity epidemic and to help develop an action plan to reduce its effects in the state. The briefing, Virginia’s Expanding Waistline: How it Affects the Bottomline, was hosted in Richmond by the Virginia Board of Health and the Division of WIC and Community Nutrition Services (DWCNS). Speakers represented the
National Institutes of Health,
State Board
of Health, U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, United
States Department of Agriculture, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, and University
of Virginia’s School of Medicine. Their presentations
provided insightful information on various obesity related topics
including: current obesity trends, federal obesity and chronic disease
funding information, collaborative efforts between federal agencies
and states, and economic burden of obesity and cost-benefit of treatment. DWCNS will convene nine work groups to start the process of developing the State Plan. The nine sub-groups include: Pregnancy/Infancy, Preschool (Home and Daycare), School Age, Young Adult (Higher Education, Young Professionals, Health Clubs), Health Care (hospitals, insurance companies), Workplace, Active Seniors, Assisted Living, and Public Assistance. State planning activity will provide guidance for development of state programs and policy initiatives to reduce health risks. This comprehensive plan will address all means available to the state and communities, including programs, policy and media initiatives directed at environmental and individual levels. This plan will aid to ensure the health status and future outlook for Virginians is drastically improved.
|
back to top | ||||
| Your
Community
|
|||||
Crater Health District Celebrates “Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day”
The Crater Health District celebrated “Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day” on Tuesday, September 21, 2004. The primary focus of this day was to encourage individuals, especially minority groups who suffer from the leading causes of death in the United States, to take charge of their health. This day targets individuals who have limited access to adequate medical care. Thousands of Americans participated by visiting a health professional, making an appointment for visits, attending health events or helping family, friends and neighbors do the same. The Crater Health District hosted two events: (1)“Ask Your Doc” Senior Health Forum and (2) Community-Wide Screening. The senior health forum was hosted at the John Randolph Foundation Building in Hopewell. Twenty-two seniors attended to receive first hand information from Dr. Sherman Baker, Dr. Joan Barker, and Crater Health District Director Dr. Michael Royster. Terry Lewis, Surry County Administrator and Terry Hamner, Crater Health District Nurse Manager were also active members of the panel. The community-wide health screening was held at the Petersburg Health Department. Forty-two community members received free screenings including cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, body mass index, orasure/HIV testing, and oral cancer exams. Participants were served with healthy snacks and provided with literature from all participating vendors including the YMCA, Curves, Petersburg Health Department and Petersburg Department of Social Services. The local sponsoring agencies were the Crater District Area Agency on Aging, John Randolph Foundation, and the Petersburg Health Department. For more information about "Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day" and other news from the Crater Health District, log onto http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/LHD/crater/index.asp or call (804) 863-1652. |
back to top | ||||
