Go Red For Women Heart Health Symposium & Luncheon is Nov. 6

Saint Joseph Health System is Central Kentucky Goes Red sponsor

When the American Heart Association presented the Go Red For Women Symposium and Luncheon last year, Central Kentuckians packed the room.
The matter at hand, women’s cardiovascular health, clearly had touched a nerve, and attendees wanted to learn more about heart disease and stroke, women’s perhaps surprisingly high risk, and what could be done about it. They came to the right place.
And they will again in 2009. This year’s Go Red For Women Heart Health Symposium & Luncheon, set for Friday, November 6 at Griffin Gate Marriott Resort & Spa, will offer breakout sessions, a lively keynote speaker, survivor stories and a top-of-the-line luncheon. Registration opens at 9 a.m., breakout sessions start at 9:30 and the luncheon begins at 11:30.
Go Red For Women is an American Heart Association movement to educate women about heart disease. Long thought to be a man’s concern, it is also a woman’s health risk and, in fact, it’s women’s top health threat. It is the No. 1 killer of women and men alike—and actually kills more women than men.
One reason this has been misunderstood is that women’s heart disease warning signs may be different from the well-publicized crushing chest pain that men report, although women also could experience that, too. But other warning signs might be pain in the back, neck, jaw or stomach; shortness of breath; and nausea, cold sweat or lightheadedness. These are alarms to call 9-1-1 immediately.
This message—learn, and act fast if you suspect something is wrong—is a central focus of the Go Red For Women Heart Health Symposium & Luncheon. But that’s only one facet of this diamond. The event’s breakout sessions are State-of-the-Heart Fitness for Women, with James “Eddie” Phipps of Saint Joseph Cardiac Rehabilitation; “Heart Disease” – One Hidden Diagnosis and Its Effect on Women, with Mubashir Qazi, M.D., FACC, FSCAI; and The “Unami” Factor – The Latest in Heart Healthy Cooking, with Whitney Brown, director of consumer affairs for the Kentucky Beef Council.
Then the luncheon shifts into high gear, with a great meal, the Macy’s fashion show featuring cardiovascular disease survivors telling their stories, and guest speaker Eliz Greene, whose program is titled, “The Busy Woman’s Guide to a Healthy Heart.”
The Go Red For Women Heart Health Symposium & Luncheon benefits the American Heart Association, which funds education, advocacy and research—including more than $3.5 million in active awards at UK—to fight heart disease and stroke.
Those who want to attend the event may purchase tables of 10 for $500 each, or individual tickets for $50. For more information or to secure seats, call (859) 278-1632.

2 Days for the BLUEGRASS GREENEXPO! Help us Build a World-Class Green Community!

WHAT: The largest collection of Green Products, Exhibits & Resources ever assembled in Kentucky!
WHEN: October 24-25, 2009, Saturday 10-6 & Sunday 12-6
WHERE: Heritage Hall at Lexington Center

ADMISSION: FREE & Open to the Public
CONTACT: Ben Perry - (859) 523-4773, ben@bluegrassgreenworks.org
WEBSITE: Visit www.bluegrassgreenworks.org

Contact us about becoming a Sponsor, Exhibitor, Educator or Volunteer!

Explore over 40,000 square feet of attractions including a Trade Show, Workshops, Green Building Tours and The Kids Expo, plus Local Art, Entertainment and Food Sampling. New for 2009 is the SUN SPACE, with cooking demos by Great Local Chefs using Fresh Local Foods and Local Artists making and selling their work. Improved for 2009 is an expanded Sustainability Street exhibition on West Main Street, and several new workshops including Green Burials, Wind Energy and more.

See you at the Expo!

Ben B. Perry
President - Bluegrass Greenworks, Inc
PO Box 22580
Lexington, KY 40522-2580
(859) 523-4773 office phone/fax
(859) 327-0924 cell
ben@bluegrassgreenworks.org
www.bluegrassgreenworks.org

COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAID SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAM WOULD SAVES LIVES AND TAXPAYER DOLLARS

Advocates for a Medicaid smoking cessation program gathered in Frankfort today to urge Governor Beshear and the General Assembly to fund the $1.5 million needed to implement the comprehensive program created by HB 337 in 2007.

HB 337 created a comprehensive smoking cessation program, including counseling and medications, for the 285,000 smokers on Kentucky Medicaid. Unfortunately, no funding was attached and the program has languished unfunded for more than two years. This leaves Kentucky as one of only six states not to offer such a program.

“This is one of the best moves we could make to keep Kentuckians healthy, prevent life-threatening diseases and hold down health care costs,” said Rep. John Will Stacy, D-West Liberty, who sponsored HB 337 in 2007. “We should be following the advice of virtually all health care experts and embracing treatments with proven track records of helping people who want to give up smoking.”
Kentucky has one of the highest adult smoking rates and the highest smoking-related death rate in the country. Yet, for approximately $5 million ($1.5 from Kentucky and $3.5 in Federal matching funds), the Commonwealth could save thousands of lives and reduce our state’s Medicaid costs by millions per year.

“The framework is in place for a comprehensive program for Medicaid patients and all we have to do is fund it,” said Dr. Jon White, President of the Kentucky Medical Association. “This is sound public health policy that makes fiscal sense.”

A similar program has already proven successful in Kentucky through Passport Health Plan which provides smoking cessation benefits to its Medicaid recipients in the Louisville-area. Since 2007, more than one thousand people have enrolled in Passport’s cessation program and 51% have successfully quit smoking. Unfortunately, this same affordable opportunity to quit smoking and live healthier is not offered to the rest of Kentucky’s Medicaid recipients.

For just $1.5 million we can end the health disparity for the rest of Kentucky’s Medicaid recipients, help thousands of Kentuckians quit smoking, and save millions of taxpayer dollars in the process.

Media Contact:
Steve Bryant
502.296.1863
sbryant@perituspr.com

Health department launches special flu website

To help provide the most updated information about the flu, including H1N1, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department has launched a special website, www.LexFluCrew.com.

“The people of Lexington have several questions about the flu this fall, and we are using LexFluCrew.com to provide answers and calm any fears,” said Kevin Hall, LFCHD spokesman. “Along with our Facebook and Twitter accounts and our Flu Hotline, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is reaching people in new and exciting ways.”

The LexFluCrew.com site will be used to provide information on vaccination clinics, volunteer opportunities and more, as well as answer frequently asked questions.

“We’re excited about offering this service to Lexington residents and look forward to continuing our educational efforts about the flu,” Hall said.

For additional information, become a fan of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/LFCHD. The Flu Hotline can be reached at 288-7529.

Health department schedules H1N1 vaccine clinics for public

Lexington residents wishing to fight the flu this fall will get their first shot at the H1N1 vaccine through a series of weekend clinics hosted by the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department starting Saturday, Nov. 7.

The clinics will target the priority groups identified by the CDC: pregnant women, people between the ages of 6 months through 24 years, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, people ages 25-64 with chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems and health care and emergency services personnel.

The clinics will be held based on availability of the vaccine and could be rescheduled or postponed if there are any delays on the vaccine’s shipment. The health department will post the latest updated information on the clinics on its Flu Hotline, 288-7529, and online at www.LexFluCrew.com.

The H1N1 vaccine clinic schedule is:

• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 7
o Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, 1600 Man O’ War Blvd.
o Bryan Station High School, 201 Eastin Road

• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 21
o Tates Creek Middle School, 1105 Centre Parkway
o Jessie Clark Middle School, 3341 Clays Mill Road

• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 5
o Henry Clay High School, 2100 Fontaine Road
o Bryan Station High School, 201 Eastin Road

• 1-5 p.m. Dec. 6
o Henry Clay High School, 2100 Fontaine Road
o Bryan Station High School, 201 Eastin Road

• 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Dec. 12
o Beaumont Middle School, 2080 Georgian Way
o Lexington Traditional Magnet, 350 N. Limestone

• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 19
o Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, 1600 Man O’ War Blvd.
o Tates Creek High School, 1111 Centre Parkway

LFCHD will also be hosting a large-scale drive-thru clinic 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 14 in the parking lot at Lexmark.

All H1N1 shots provided by the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department will be free.

For additional information, become a fan of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/LFCHD.

Protecting yourself from the dreaded "swine flu"

No worries about keeping the "B" on your BLT sandwich. The H1N1 influenza virus, the "swine flu" that caused hundreds of deaths around the world earlier this year, is not caused by eating pigs.

The flu virus is spread through sneezing, coughing and contact with infected individuals. The virus infects not only humans, but also pigs, birds, horses and, rarely, dogs. Sometimes, a virus can "leap" from one species to another.

When this happens, a new virus can sometimes emerge from an infected human or animal," said Dr. Chris Nelson, associate professor in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and chief of its Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.

Symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus in people include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. About one in four of those infected also reported diarrhea and vomiting.

New vaccines to protect against H1N1 are now being tested for use this fall. To ensure full protection, Nelson says, the vaccine will probably be given in two parts, a starter dose followed by a booster about 30 days later.

However, in the event of a vaccine shortage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has established a vaccination priority list of those most at risk for serious complications from influenza. It can be viewed on the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu

The CDC advises the following precautions:
· Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
· Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
· Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
· If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.

Another way to protect your health is to stay informed by visiting the following Web sites, which are frequently updated as the situation changes:
· CDC: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu
· Kentucky Health Alerts: http://healthalerts..ky.gov
· WHO: www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu

Osteoarthritis Pain

Osteoarthritis (OA) is common, affecting 27 million people in the United States, and accounts for 25 percent of physician office visits. By age 65, 80 percent of the U.S. population will have x-ray evidence of OA; however, only two-thirds will have symptoms. Over the last decade, hospitalizations related to OA have doubled. It is the leading chronic disability in the US. Therefore this is a serious and important clinical problem.

The cause of OA is not clear. Trauma can cause OA but genetics, lifestyle and metabolism play a role. The knees, hands, hips and back are frequently affected.

Cartilage lubricates joints and helps to absorb stress. As we age, we lose joint cartilage and underlying bone may be damaged. This may cause increasing pain. As train increases, patients may be fearful of joint movement, which may cause muscle damage.

OA patients have use-related pain, stiffness, reduced movement and feelings of unstable joints. They experience joint tender spots, swelling, cracking noises of the joint, locking up of the joint and signs of mild inflammation. Excessive warmth, redness and swelling should cause the patient to see their physician.

Currently, we do not have a treatment that reverses OA damage; treatment is symptomatic. Joints can be injected with a thick material that mimics the fluid in a joint. Patients can receive medications for their pain, and physical therapy can help with the reduction in function. The approach needs to be multidisciplinary.

At the Pain Treatment Center of the Bluegrass, we are engaged in the treatment of OA as well as clinical research in OA. John F. Peppin, D.O., F.A.C.P., Director Clinical Research Division 
The Pain Treatment Center of the BluegrassClinical Associate Professor, University of Kentucky, Associate Medical Director, Hospice of the Bluegrass
2416 Regency Road 
Lexington, Kentucky 40503 
859 278-1316 ext. 266859 260-2467
859 276-3847 FAX