Press Releases
Year
University of Illinois and Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Partner to Offer Tobacco Cessation Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2014
Contact
Talia Oakley, Health Educator
(217) 531-4540 /
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
University of Illinois and Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Partner to Offer Tobacco Cessation Program
UI Employees and Champaign County Residents Encouraged to Kick the Habit
CHAMPAIGN, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) typically offers one Freedom From Smoking® class per year, but thanks to a new partnership with the University of Illinois, this year will be different. “Although CUPHD completed a class in April, partnering with the University of Illinois will allow us a wonderful opportunity to offer a second class in 2014 for UI employees and community members to quit together,” said Talia Oakley, Health Educator.
Freedom From Smoking® is a seven-week program that allows participants to work together with other quitters to develop and execute their own individualized “Quit Plan.” “Quitting smoking can be very difficult, and we want to support individuals in making these difficult behavioral changes so they can be successful,” said Nikki Hillier, Program Coordinator at CUPHD.
“Being able to share with and support people who were going through the same thing I was really made the class work for me,” said Carletta Donaldson, a Freedom From Smoking® graduate.
Another Freedom From Smoking® graduate, Kenneth Coulter, stated, “It’s a great deal and a great opportunity. Planning ahead and getting support from others out of class was really helpful.”
The eight-session program is available to Champaign County residents and University of Illinois employees age 18 and older. The cost is $25.00 but anyone who completes six of the eight sessions will receive a refund.
The Freedom From Smoking® program will be offered on Thursday evenings at 5:15 pm beginning on September 11, 2014. Classes will be held in the UI Wellness Center at the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), 201 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required. To register, contact Kyle Curry at 217-265-9355 or
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Take Part in National Minority Donor Awareness Week
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2014
Contact
Amanda Howie Community Blood Services of IL
(217) 367-2202 /
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Take Part in National Minority Donor Awareness Week
Local Agencies to Combine Efforts to Raise Awareness
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD), Life Goes On, Be The Match® and Community Blood Services of Illinois will come together on Monday, August 4, 2014 in an effort to reach out to community members for National Minority Donor Awareness Week. Representatives from the Secretary of State and Be The Match® will be at CUPHD, 201 W. Kenyon Road, Champaign, in the main lobby from 1:00-4:00 PM for anyone wishing to sign up for the organ and tissue registry as well as joining the marrow registry for those 18-44 years old. Community Blood Services of Illinois will also have the bloodmobile available for anyone wishing to donate blood.
National Minority Donor Awareness Week is August 1-7, 2014. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, minorities make up 57 percent of those currently on the organ donation waiting list. In 2012, 11,309 minority patients nationwide received organ transplants; there were 2,762 minority deceased donors and 1,711 minority living donors. While people of all ages and ethnicities can save and enhance lives through donation, organs are matched to recipients by a variety of factors, such as blood and tissue type, which can vary by race and ethnicity. Skin color is not a barrier when it comes to organ donations and transplant; however, the odds of a transplant being successful are much greater when a minority recipient receives an organ from a minority donor.
Although most ethnic groups donate in proportion to their percent of the U.S. population, the need for transplants in some groups is disproportionately high. Asian, Pacific Islander, Hispanic and African American populations are more likely than someone who is Caucasian to suffer from end-stage renal (kidney) disease, often as a result of high blood pressure, diabetes and other conditions that can damage the kidneys. This leads to an increased need for kidney transplants.
Of the marrow’s 12 million people, only 7 percent are African American. An African American patient will only find their match 66 percent of the time whereas a Caucasian person will find their match 93 percent of the time. Bone marrow and stem cells can be used to cure diseases such as sickle cell anemia and leukemia.
For more information, visit www.bethematch.org or to register to be an organ and tissue donor, go to www.lifegoeson.com or call (217) 782-6258.
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Download 2014-07-31-National-Minority-Donor-Awareness-Week-PR
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is One of the First in the Nation to Receive National Accreditation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2014
Contact
Julie Pryde, Administrator
(217) 531-5369 /
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is One of the First in the Nation to Receive National Accreditation
Public Health Accreditation Board Designation Recognizes High-Performing Health Departments
Champaign, IL - The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) announced today that it has achieved national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). The national accreditation program works to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing the quality and performance of the nation's Tribal, state, local and territorial public health departments. CUPHD is one of the first of hundreds of health departments across the country that sought accreditation through PHAB, the independent organization that administers the national public health accreditation program.
"We are pleased and excited to be one of the first health departments in the nation to achieve national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous quality improvement," said Julie Pryde, CUPHD Administrator. "The accreditation process helps to ensure that the programs and services we provide are as responsive as possible to the needs of our community. With accreditation, CUPHD is demonstrating increased accountability and credibility to the public, funders, elected officials and partner organizations with which we work."
The national accreditation program, jointly supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets standards against which the nation's more than 3,000 governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance. To receive accreditation, a health department must undergo a rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets or exceeds a set of quality standards and measures.
"Whenever you see our seal of accreditation, you will know that CUPHD has been rigorously examined and meets or exceeds national standards that promote continuous quality improvement for public health," Pryde said. "By continuing to improve our services and performance, we can be sure we are meeting the public health needs of those we serve as effectively as possible."
Public health departments play a critical role in protecting and improving the health of people and communities. In cities, towns and states across the nation, health departments provide a range of services aimed at promoting healthy behaviors; preventing diseases and injuries; ensuring access to safe food, water, clean air and life-saving immunizations; and preparing for and responding to public health emergencies.
"I would like to congratulate the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District on its accreditation," said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. LaMar 1--lasbrouck. "The accreditation process challenges health departments to evaluate how it is doing business, identify performance improvement opportunities and find ways to connect better with the community. Ultimately, accreditation translates into better public services and healthier communities and I give kudos to the district for a job well done."
"The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is one of the first of many health departments that we look forward to being able to recognize as a high-performing public health department," said PHAB President and CEO Kaye Bender, PhD, RN, FAAN. "The peer-review process provides valuable feedback to inform health departments of their strengths and areas for improvement, so that they can better protect and promote the health of the people they serve in their communities."
The national accreditation program was created collaboratively over a 10-year period by hundreds of public health practitioners working at the national, Tribal, state and local levels. Since the program 's launch in September 2011, nearly 130 health departments have applied to PHAB for accreditation, and hundreds of public health practitioners from across the nation have been trained to serve as volunteer peer site visitors for the program.
"Achieving accreditation indicates that the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is dedicated to improving and protecting the health of the community by striving to continuously improve the quality of the services it delivers," said PHAB Board of Directors Chair Carol Moehrle, MD. "Accreditation also promotes consistency in meeting standards. With an ever-increasing number of health departments now applying for and becoming accredited, you will be able to expect to receive the same quality of public health services wherever you go in the United States."
About the Public Health Accreditation Board
The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), established in 2007, was created to serve as the national public health accrediting body, and is jointly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The development of national public health accreditation has involved, and is supported by, public health leaders and practitioners from the national, Tribal, state, and local levels. Learn more about PHAB or sign up for the PHAB e-newsletter by visiting www.phaboard.org.
For more information about CUPHD and available services, visit www.c-uphd.org.
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