Read more about Erie’s Oral Health Program in the August editions of the American Dental Association and National Network for Oral Health Access!

American Dental Association (ADA) page 2

Beats this week: 

1) Before you know it the kids are going to be back in school and you will be thinking: ‘where did the summer go?’ But before sending the kiddies off to school you should be sure to get them their required school physicals and vaccinations in honor of National Immunization Awareness Month, which is celebrated in August!  

2) This week an incredibly insightful study was released on the social and economic impact of long-term obesity. The study, which used national data for 5,000 high school students over two decades, found that those individuals that had been overweight in high school and continued at that weight were less likely to advance their education and more likely to live at lower income levels than their classmates who were a healthier weight at age 18.

3) Well blogosphere, it just got a little bit easier to access dental care in the state of Illinois. In the last few months Governor Quinn has signed three bills making dental care more accessible; one of the most recent bills allows 10-day permits to out of state dentists that wish to cross the border to volunteer at dental clinics. The Chicago Dental Society’s blog, Open Wide, has a great rundown of the bills here.

4) As the city of Chicago heats up, so has the violence throughout the city. Painting a gloomy picture, overall crime is down in the city but murder rates are up. Just this past week, nine people were shot while walking near a bus terminal on Chicago’s south side.

5) Good news for women who have previously had c-sections: if you have another child you may not be required to have another c-section. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released new guidelines this week that allow most women to forego having another c-section.

Interview with Erie Family Health Center’s Dr. Souri DDS from Erie Family Health Center on Vimeo.

Cancer

For the patients in Erie’s communities, early screening for breast and cervical cancer can be problematic, especially for those who are underinsured or uninsured and without the funds to pay for the procedures. Erie has a long-standing commitment to educating women on the importance of getting screened and working to provide better access for screening, either through Erie or external referrals. In early 2008, Erie became a lead agency for the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP). Through this program, Erie can provide either through our facilities or outside agencies free screening for breast and cervical cancers to women who qualify for the program. In the first half of this fiscal year alone, Erie enrolled nearly 400 women in the IBCCP program and provided culturally competent education about the importance of screening to nearly 12,000 people.

Diabetes

Erie is committed to providing all of our patients with evidence-based programs that result in the highest quality of care to our patients. As such, in January 2009, Erie piloted a group visits model of care for our diabetic patients called the Comprehensive Diabetes Control Program. This new program, which has recently been expanded to serve patients at our two largest sites, includes two main components: 1) group medical visits where patients can receive health education, engage in discussion and form peer relationships and 2) private medical visits between a diabetic patient and their provider. Through these efforts, patients are given the tools and guidance needed to manage their condition. In fact, 74% of Erie’s diabetic patients had their blood sugar under control in 2009.

Oral Health

Oral health has been and continues to be an important health issue that goes largely unnoticed by mainstream media. At Erie, though, the link between oral health and overall wellness has not gone unnoticed. Erie’s two dental centers are state-of-the-art facilities that provide oral health care to children, pregnant women, diabetics and patients living with HIV/AIDS, as well as the nuclear family members of these patients. Erie’s oral health program focuses on preventive care, such as sealants and comprehensive education about proper dental maintenance in order to create long-term oral health care status after a patient has completed their initial treatment plan. Erie’s program has been incredibly successful since its start in 2005 and was recently awarded the Oral Health Champion Award by the National Network for Oral Health Access.

Erie, like all community health centers around the nation, is working hard to reduce and eliminate the many health disparities that are found in the communities that we serve.  We hope that many have taken this week to recognize the public health efforts that work to create a healthier America, one community at a time.

For Erie and other public health advocates around the country, one of the most important health issues facing America today are the  health disparities that exist in medically underserved communities. That means that certain groups of people in our country—like those with lower incomes—experience health problems at greater rates than the general population.  At Beats Per Minute, we would like to highlight a few of the health disparities that hit home in the communities that Erie serves.

Cancer

Nearly every person in America has had some experience with cancer: a family member, friend or friend of a friend who has been diagnosed with cancer. What many likely learned through their personal experiences is that early detection is almost always key for treating cancer. Without regular screening and early detection, treatment for cancer can often be less effective and result in higher mortality rates. This has become an issue for minority populations, who face alarming rates of cancer mortality. For example, African American women are 34% more likely to die from breast cancer than Caucasian women and African American men are twice as likely to die of prostate cancer.

Diabetes

With the increase of sugary foods and drinks, the United States has also seen an increase in the number of Americans affected by diabetes. Over 23 million Americans have diabetes and around twice that many have ‘pre-diabetes,’ a condition where glucose levels are elevated but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Minority populations are at a particular risk for developing diabetes and the complications associated with the disease, including death. Hispanics are 1.4 times more likely to develop diabetes than Caucasians and have a death rate that is 50% higher.

Oral Health

Oral health is often overlooked by the mainstream media, but public and private health experts are becoming more outspoken about the connection between oral health and overall wellness. Focusing on the need for oral health services in order to maintain overall health is especially important for minority populations who experience higher rates of tooth decay and gum disease. For example, nearly half (40%) of African American adults experience tooth decay, which is significantly higher than the rate among Caucasian adults (23%). African Americans also experience higher rates of gingivitis.

These three health problems give a glimpse into the complex and ongoing set of health disparities that exist for underserved and often minority populations in America. The list could go on and on, including obesity, HIV/AIDS, infant and maternal health, and asthma; nevertheless, the solution for all of these disparities is the same: a healthier America really does begin with the community. Community health centers, like Erie Family Health Center, reach out into our communities, help eliminate these health disparities and ensure that every community member receives the care that they deserve. These efforts include creating better access to health care, placing a greater emphasis on preventive medicine and providing culturally competent health care and education. Tune in to Beats Per Minute later this week when we outline Erie’s specific programs that work to eliminate disparities and create a healthier community!  

Erie Family Health Center is proud to announce the 2010 Golden Toothbrush Award Luncheon Keynote Speaker! June Thomas is the foreign editor of Slate, a daily Web magazine known for its analysis and commentary on news, politics and culture. Before joining the Slate in 1997, June  was the editor and foreign rights manager at Seal Press and managing editor of Women in Translation, a publishing company specializing in women’s writing from around the world. She was born and raised in Manchester, England.

June authored the American Way of Dentistry, a widely acclaimed seven part series in Slate, which provides an in-depth analysis of the state of oral health care in the United States. The seven topics covered in the series include:

The Story of My Teeth

The Disappearing Dentist

The Oral Cost Spiral

How Dentists Think

Why Poor Folks are Short on Teeth

Inside the Dental Safety Net

Healthy Teeth for All

Click here to read this series. You can also follow the series on Facebook.

Beats this week:

1) Over the weekend, patients began lining up before dawn at a dentist office in the Logan Square community of Chicago to receive free dental care. The annual event, which is hosted by Dentists With Heart, drew a line of several hundred people.

2) This week, the New York Times reported that after an extended quiet period, the U.S. is finally seeing a surge in medical schools. Could this be a response to the need for primary care providers? Beats Per Minute discussed this very issue last month.

3) Wondering why no one is talking about H1N1 anymore? The Centers for Disease Control is! The CDC says that H1N1 cases are down but reported that from April 2009 through January 2010, the U.S. saw 57 million possible cases, 257,000 hospitalizations and 11,690 deaths.

4) A study released this week found that over the last three decades chronic conditions have significantly increased in children. In fact, from 1994 to 2006 the percentage of children with chronic conditions, such as asthma, obesity and behavioral health issues, nearly doubled. The highest rates of chronic conditions were found in Latino and African American children.

5) It was announced this week that two Illinois universities will receive federal stimulus money to invest in electronic medical records technology. Last month, Erie Family Health Center completed the implementation of electronic health records at all of our nine sites. Read about it here!