Press Releases
Year
Local School Students Go to Springfield to Support School Health Centers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2008
Contact
Heidi Britton, Program Coordinator, Urbana School Health Center
(217) 239-4220
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
Local School Students Go to Springfield to Support School Health Centers
Urbana School Representatives will Participate in Advocacy Day in Support of School Health Centers
Urbana, IL – On Wednesday, April 9, 2008, several school students from the Urbana School District along with their peers from across the state of Illinois will travel to the state capitol to support local school health centers. Students and Urbana School Health Center staff will meet at the capitol building to ask local representatives to support the return of school health center funding to the state budget. Urbana School students will have the opportunity to speak with Senator Mike Frerichs and Representative Naomi Jakobsson to discuss how essential school health centers are to their schools and communities and specifically how important the Urbana School Health Center is to them personally.
Advocacy Day, an event sponsored by the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers, is a great opportunity for students to engage in state government. Students will participate in a morning workshop which focuses on the basic skills necessary for advocating causes with governmental bodies. After lunch, the student will have the opportunity to practice their proficiency by advocating on behalf of School Health Centers with state legislators.
“The value of our student’s physical and mental health is immeasurable,” said Heidi Britton, Program Coordinator for the Urbana School Health Center, “School Health Centers need stable funding to ensure the well-being of our children.”
School health centers currently fill the gap for many vulnerable students by providing access to health care on school grounds, during the school day. School health centers are saving lives by preventing and treating chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma and sexually transmitted diseases; and providing critical mental health services, like grief therapy, crisis intervention (including bullying prevention), and suicide prevention. National and local studies have shown that school health centers decrease school absenteeism, reduce emergency room visits and reduce unhealthy behaviors in students that compromise academic success.
The Urbana School Health Center (USHC) is located at the Urbana High School at 1002 South Race Street in Urbana. USHC is a collaborative partnership of the ChampaignUrbana Public Health District, Urbana School District #116, Frances Nelson Community Health Center, Mental Health Center of Champaign County, and Prairie Center Health Systems. USHC is open Monday thru Friday; 8:00am – 4:00pm.
For more information about the Urbana School Based Health Center or other CUPHD partnerships, programs and services, please call 217-352-7961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.cuphd.org.
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Medical Volunteers Needed in Champaign County!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2008
Contact
John Dwyer, Emergency Preparedness Planner
(217) 531-2932
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
Medical Volunteers Needed in Champaign County!
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Launches Medical Reserve Corps to Help Prepare Champaign County for Times of Community Need.
Champaign, IL – The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) recently approved a Medical Reserve Corps Grant for the ChampaignUrbana Public Health District (CUPHD) to produce a local Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) this upcoming April 2008. CUPHD is currently actively searching for volunteers as the MRC begins its growing stages. These volunteers include both medical and public health professionals (active or retired) such as physicians, nurses, dentists, epidemiologists, pharmacists, emergency medical technicians, and paramedics. Volunteers interested in joining the Champaign County Medical Reserve Corps, are encouraged to contact Salva Najib at
The mission of the Champaign County Medical Reserve Corps is to create a cadre of health, medical and general volunteers that can serve and support local municipalities including first responders, area hospitals and extended care facilities in times of major emergencies or disasters. In addition, the Champaign County MRC will organize and utilize the volunteers encouraging them to share their expertise in the field as well as prepare for and respond to community emergencies as well as promoting healthy living throughout the year.
“Major emergencies can be overwhelming for first responders and caregivers, particularly within first 12-48 hour period”, said Salva Najib, MRC and Volunteer Coordinator at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. “Volunteers are crucial to successfully navigating emergencies and disasters, and will provide a valuable resource for strengthening and improving emergency preparedness in Champaign County communities”.
Other local community members are encouraged to participate in the Champaign County MRC as well. Office workers, chaplains, legal advisors, grocery workers, interpreters and others can greatly assist with vital support positions.
After President Bush’s 2002 State of the Union Address, the Medical Reserve Corps was established to promote and provide support and volunteerism throughout America. There are currently 40 MRC units in Illinois, partnered with a program called Citizen Corp, a national network of volunteers devoted to solidify hometown security. In addition to Citizen Corp, the MRC closely works with Freedom Corp, AmeriCorp, and the Peace Corp all of which are advocates of volunteerism and service nationwide.
To learn more about the Medical Reserve Corps Program, or any other CUPHD program, please call 217-352-7961 or visit the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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Rantoul High School Students “Kick Butts” on April 2, 2008 by “Taking it To the Streets”!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2008
Contact
Kari Schweighart, Health Educator
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
Rantoul High School Students “Kick Butts” on April 2, 2008 by “Taking it To the Streets”!
Rantoul High School Students Partner with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District to Raise Tobacco-free Awareness Among Teens
Champaign, IL – Rantoul High School’s REALITY, IL Chapter will hold an official “Kick Butts Day” on Wednesday, April 2, 2008. REALITY, IL is a group of high school students engaged in anti-tobacco advocacy. From 9:30 – 10:00am, Rantoul High School students will be lining up in front of the high school facing Route 136 displaying a series of homemade posters reflecting various anti-tobacco messages for passer-bys. The students hope that their messages might make other students and the local community think more seriously about the negative effects of tobacco use.
Students from Rantoul High School are joining thousands of kids across the country who are taking part in Kick Butts Day, a nationwide initiative that encourages kids to take a personal leadership role in the effort to stop youth tobacco use. Students will be encouraged to sign a Kick Butts Day pledge committing them to assist a friend or loved one to quit smoking or to take the steps necessary to stop themselves.
Rantoul High School has invited Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Staff to support the event with “give-aways” from REALITY, IL. Participants will receive a variety of premiums with the anti-tobacco message. CUPHD staff will also promote their smoking cessation program to students. Kick Butts Day activities will be available for all students during their homeroom time.
“Kids are a powerful part of the solution to reducing youth tobacco use,” said Kari Schweighart, Health Educator for CUPHD, “Rantoul High School students are sending the message that smoking is not acceptable and the consequences are both dire and preventable.”
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people each year. Everyday, more than 4,000 kids try their first cigarettes; another 1,000 kids become addicted smokers, one-third of whom will die prematurely as a result.
For more information about the various smoking cessation programs at CUPHD or other CUPHD programs and services, please call 217-352-7961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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