Press Releases
Year
Community Leaders Meet with Toronto Health Officials to Discuss SARS & Pandemic Flu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2008
Contact
Julie Pryde, Acting Public Health Administrator
(217) 531-5369 /
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
Community Leaders Meet with Toronto Health Officials to Discuss SARS & Pandemic Flu
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Hosts Summit on Champaign County Emergency Preparedness
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) will be hosting an Emergency Preparedness Summit on November 4, 2008 at the ILEAS Training Center at 1701 East Main Street in Urbana from 8:30am – 3:30pm. CUPHD has invited three key members from Toronto Public Health to meet with Champaign County community leaders to detail the importance of emergency preparedness in a pandemic situation, and the lessons learned from the 2003 Toronto SARS outbreak.
Toronto Health Officials will include:
- Lisa Berger - MD, CCFP, FRCPC, AMOH; Associate Medical Officer of Health
- Peter Macintyre; Manager of Emergency Medical Services
- Gerilynne F. Nephew – RN, BScN, DPA; Manager of Pandemic Influenza Planning & Preparedness
“In today’s global society, it is no longer a question of “if” there will be a full scale pandemic disaster that will affect Champaign County, but a matter of “when.’” said Julie A. Pryde, Acting Public Health Administrator. “This summit is providing an incredible opportunity for our community leaders to meet and discuss emergency preparedness with professionals that have faced the challenges in their own community and can share valuable lessons and insight.”
During the summit, attendees will be divided into groups representing Health Care, Emergency Services and Community. These groups will work independently with a Toronto Official to create a framework of critical planning for each sector in the event of a full scale pandemic emergency in Champaign County. Groups will be encouraged to dissect current plans and strengthen where necessary or create new plans to address additional issues that might be brought to light through the Toronto experience. Designated attendees will then meet on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at CUPHD to participate in a pandemic tabletop exercise illustrating the plans and possible outcomes from the previous day’s training.
For more information on the Champaign County Preparedness Summit, emergency preparedness or any other CUPHD program, please contact CUPHD at (217) 352-7961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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CUPHD Receives National Award to Support Diabetes Screening Activities for Local Seniors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2008
Contact
Nikki Hillier, Program Coordinator
(217) 531-2916
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
CUPHD Receives National Award to Support Diabetes Screening Activities for Local Seniors
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District to Use Award to Encourage Local Seniors to Take Advantage of Medicare Diabetes Screening Benefits
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) has received a $2500 competitive award to be used for increasing awareness of the benefits for screening for diabetes and pre-diabetes offered by Medicare. CUPHD was one of eleven community-based organizations across the United States to receive an award from the Medicare Diabetes Screening Project (MDSP).
“CUPHD is very excited about receiving this award”, said Deb Fruitt, Director of the Division of Wellness & Health Promotion for CUPHD. “Diabetes is a serious disease that effects many seniors, yet very few request regular testing from their healthcare providers. Increasing awareness of diabetes and the need for routine testing among seniors will hopefully lead to lifestyle changes that prevent diabetes or provide proper care for those that were previously undiagnosed and ultimately promote longer healthier lives for Medicare recipients.”
CUPHD has surveyed many local seniors to determine if they were aware of Medicare diabetes screening benefits, if they utilized the benefits, and what messages would be most likely to encourage them to discuss these benefits with their healthcare provider. CUPHD plans to take the results of the survey and develop a comprehensive marketing campaign that focuses on healthier living through diabetes screening. This campaign will coincide with American Diabetes Month this November.
Beginning in 2005, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began offering coverage under Medicare for screening for diabetes and pre-diabetes. The government’s goal was twofold: to encourage diabetes prevention among those found to have pre-diabetes, and to identify people who were unaware they already had diabetes so that they could begin treatment and potentially stave off the serious complications of the disease.
The Medicare Diabetes Screening Project is designed to help improve the lives of seniors ages 65 and older by educating them about the diabetes screening benefits offered by Medicare and encouraging them to ask their health care providers about getting screened during their next office visit. Founded in 2006, the MDSP is comprised of a coalition of more than 20 government agency, nonprofit organization and corporate partners, co-led by the American Diabetes Association, the Healthcare Leadership Council, and Novo Nordisk.
For more information on diabetes or any other CUPHD program, please contact CUPHD at (217) 352-7961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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More Children Ages 0-4 Died Or Were Hospitalized For Flu Last Year Than In The Previous Three Years!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2008
Contact
Brandon Meline, Director of Maternal & Child Health
(217) 531-4297 /
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
More Children Ages 0-4 Died Or Were Hospitalized For Flu Last Year Than In The Previous Three Years!
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District encourages parents to have children vaccinated against flu in a new painless way.
Champaign, IL – Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) encourages parents to have their children vaccinated against annual flu. Last flu season (2007-2008) showed a greater overall mortality and higher rates of hospitalization for children ages 04 years as compared to the previous three years. CUPHD now offers a painless flu vaccination for children ages 6 months to 18 years. The new vaccination called FluMist is not traditionally injected with a needle, but rather administered as an intranasal spray.
Thanks to the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, FluMist is free to all children who are uninsured, underinsured, Medicaid recipients, participants in All Kids, American Indian or Native Alaskan. CUPHD will charge a small administration fee of $7.00 for each dose which can be billed to Medicaid, some private insurance, or paid privately. Donations are welcome for those customers unable to pay the amount in full.
FluMist is a live weakened influenza virus vaccine approved for the prevention of certain types of influenza disease in children. FluMist should not be given to anyone with a history of hypersensitivity to eggs, egg proteins, gentamicin, gelatin or arginine; children with adverse reactions to previous flu shots; and children receiving aspirin or aspirin containing therapy. FluMist is not recommended for children with asthma or other breathing problems (these children are highly encouraged to receive a traditional flu shot via injection), history of Guillain-Barre syndrome, children with weakened immune syndrome, and long-term medical conditions including heart disease, kidney disease, and metabolic diseases such as diabetes.
“Influenza is a serious, and sometimes life-threatening disease,” said Brandon Meline, Director of Maternal & Child Health Management for CUPHD. “Children are an especially high risk population, and complications stemming from exposure to influenza infections can have far-reaching effects, especially for children suffering from chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, and assorted immune suppression factors.”
CUPHD hopes that by offering such a convenient and painless option, that more parents will have their children vaccinated, thus reducing the number of people susceptible to illness this flu season. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 5-20% of the population gets the flu annually, more than 200,000 are hospitalized from flu complications, and about 36,000 people die from the flu each year. Some people, such as the elderly, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.
FluMist is available during regular CUPHD business hours, Monday thru Friday; 8:00am – 4:00pm, at the 201 West Kenyon Road location. Please make an appointment by calling (217) 531-4305.
Immunization is an easy and effective way to keep everyone healthy and safe during flu season – make an appointment for you and your family members today!
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District’s Maternal & Child Health Management Division offers a variety of services at 201 West Kenyon Road in Champaign. Services include, but are not limited to: Women, Infants & Children (WIC), Family Case Management / Healthworks, Teen Parent Services, Childhood Immunizations, Breastfeeding Support, Blood Lead Tests, and All Kids Applications.
For more information about FluMist and other CUPHD programs and services, call (217) 352-7961 or visit the CUPHD website at www.c-uphd.org.
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