Talk to Your Family About Diabetes and Healthy Vision

The subject of diabetes seems to be everywhere these days—in the news, on social media, even on talk shows. In fact, 26 million people have diabetes, and this number is increasing, putting more people at risk for health complications. If you or someone in your family has diabetes, you should talk to them about diabetic eye disease, one of the complications of diabetes.

Diabetic eye disease includes cataract, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, which is the most common form of the disease. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in adults 20–74 years of age. More than 800,000 African Americans have diabetic retinopathy, and this number will likely reach 1.2 million by 2030. While everyone who has diabetes can get diabetic eye disease, African Americans are at higher risk of losing vision or going blind from it.

“The longer a person has diabetes, the greater is his or her risk of developing diabetic eye disease,” said Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Eye Institute (NEI). “If you have diabetes, be sure to have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. Don’t wait until you notice an eye problem to have an exam, because vision that is lost cannot be restored.”

Unfortunately, diabetic eye disease often has no early warning signs. But the good news you can share with your family is that it can be detected early and treated before vision loss occurs.

“In fact, with early detection, timely treatment, and appropriate follow-up care, people with diabetes can reduce their risk of severe vision loss by 95 percent,” adds Suber Huang, M.D., M.B.A., chair of the Diabetic Eye Disease Subcommittee for NEI’s National Eye Health Education Program.

Research has also shown that when people with diabetes have good control of their blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, they can help delay getting diabetic eye disease, or slow its progress. In addition to having annual comprehensive dilated eye exams, people with diabetes should do the following to keep their health on TRACK:

· Take your medications.
· Reach and maintain a healthy weight.
· Add physical activity to your daily routine.
· Control your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
· Kick the smoking habit.

Family matters. So if you or someone in your family has diabetes, set your sight on healthy vision. Schedule a comprehensive dilated eye exam today. For more information on diabetic eye disease and tips on finding an eye care professional and financial assistance for eye care, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov/diabetes or call the NEI at 301–496–5248.

Jessie Trice Community Health Center Takes National Spotlight with Kaiser Family Foundation and Media

The Jessie Trice Community Health Center (JTCHC) hosted a meaningful and enlightening health discussion with representatives from the Kaiser Family Foundation and health policy journalists from across the country. This session took place at the Center’s corporate office, located at 5607 NW 27th Avenue in Miami.

“We were delighted to share our thoughts on the Affordable Care Act and engage in this critically important issue with Kaiser and media representatives from around the nation,” shared Annie R. Neasman, RN, MS, President and CEO of the Jessie Trice Community Health Center.

This session was part of Kaiser’s series of national site visits looking at the way different states are implementing the Affordable Care Act. The goal was to provide the invited group of journalists with an in-depth grasp of the different approaches, perspectives and challenges, and to help their reporting on these issues.

During the visit, JTCHC provided an overview of the patients and communities it serves; and shared how that may change as the Affordable Care Act rolls out. The Center also provided a snapshot of demographics, the key health/medical challenges, cultural and linguistic needs; and the current insurance status of patients and their families now, and going forward.

The Jessie Trice Community Health Center, Inc. is a Florida 501 (c) 3, not-for-profit, Federally Qualified Health Center, which has been serving Miami-Dade County since 1967. Its mission is to provide comprehensive primary health care services by increasing access and improving the quality of life of our diverse South Florida community. A community mainstay, JTCHC owns and operates sixteen (16) facilities, including eight (8) Comprehensive Primary Care centers, twenty-five (25) school-based/university centers, and other medical facilities. JTCHC’s multicultural, multilingual, and multidisciplinary staff services a diverse population of 30,000 patients who make more than 130,000 visits annually.

Family Thankful for Son’s Recovery

by Jennifer Ffrench-Parker
Special from the Crossroads News


Jeremiah Truesdale, front right, with mother Kay, father Benny and little brother Joshua, was the first to ride on Macy’s Pink Pig at Lenox Square.
One day he came into the kitchen and told her, “‘Mommy, I need to go to the doctor.’”

After the stroke in May, Jeremiah was in a medically induced coma in the intensive care unit for nine days. On May 24, he was transferred to Scottish Rite Critical Intake Rehabilitation in a wheelchair, unable to sit up without help and support.

“He couldn’t talk, he wore Pampers and Pull-Ups again,” she said. “He couldn’t use the right side of his body at all, but most of all his beautiful smile was lost.”

But four days later, Jeremiah spoke his first word again.

He hasn’t looked back.

Heather Markley, his physical therapist, said Jeremiah worked hard on his recovery every day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“He had a great attitude,” she said. “He just did such an amazing job.”

Before long, Jeremiah was inspiring and encouraging other children going through therapy. When he began running again, she said he called himself “Jaguar Jeremiah.”

“He gave nicknames to all the other children,” Markley said. “Everybody had a better time when he was around.”

Because of his fighting spirit and his remarkable recovery, when the call came to nominate a patient to be the first child to ride the Macy’s Pink Pig train on Oct. 30 at Lenox Square, Markley said he was the first kid that popped into her head.

“When he came here, he couldn’t walk or do much,” she said. “When he left, he was running and jumping. For such a young kid, he was really motivated.”

His mother called Jeremiah’s doctors and rehabilitation team “amazing people.”

“I am most thankful that God allowed us to be at that hospital when Jeremiah had that stroke,” she said. “Had we been on vacation, the outcome would have been very different.”

Truesdale says her son is speaking, dressing himself and running again because he is a fighter and because of all the prayers that went up for him.

“He likes to see the amazement on people’s face when he accomplishes something,” she said.

On Nov. 28, when her family gathers at her mother’s home for a Thanksgiving dinner, Truesdale said they will be thankful for a lot more than the fried turkey, corn bread dressing, sweet potato souffle, lima beans, and black-eyed peas.

Jeremiah’s recovery will be at the top of their list of things to be thankful for.

She says that he still sleeps in his hand brace and he is still taking outpatient therapy once a week, but his outlook is good.

“People think we are crazy when we say this, but it’s true!” she said. “Our faith is in God to bring Jeremiah through it all.”

Health Maintenance for 2014

By Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D., Special from the St. Louis American


Do you recall how you felt when you purchased your first new car? Each time you walked toward it in the parking lot, the excitement and awe-inspired sensation that tickled your skin never seemed to lessen in intensity. You adored that car: the new car smell, the pristine seats, the shiny tires, and you loved how sharp you looked in it!

However, you soon learned that beloved vehicle came with many maintenance recommendations that must be met within a timely manner. The car needed regular oil changes, tire rotations, battery checks, occasional hose and belt changes, and routine auto body detail. Keeping the car in tip-top condition required hard work, dedication, and sacrificial contributions of your monetary resources.

In comparison, the human body can similarly be explained. There are a host of recommendations that each infant, child, teen, adult, or senior need to prevent various diseases. Many of our leading health organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control, and the United States Preventative Task Force formulate the guidelines that physicians across the country follow. As each of you reflect upon this past year with its successes and failures, I hope you are considering ways to make 2014 bigger, better, and healthier. How can you achieve those goals? Where do you start? Who can assist you?

-First Step-

Make an appointment to see your primary care provider. If you do not have one, please seek recommendations from your insurance company, family or friends. Doctors should be more than just “one-night stands.” If your doctor has to introduce herself to you each rare time you visit, then obviously you have not been to the office enough. Adults should at least have a physical once a year. This physical should include a blood pressure check, weight, and BMI (body mass index) calculation. Depending upon your other health co-morbidities, a lipid panel, blood sugar, and/or a complete metabolic profile should be obtained.

-Second Step-

Become current with recommendations for your age group such as getting screening tests and immunizations. If you are a woman and at least 40 years of age, get a mammogram. This digital image of your breast can be done at any hospital or imaging center and usually does not require a referral from your doctor if you have private insurance. You simply need to call the scheduling center and make an appointment. Detecting a breast mass when it is small can potentially save your life. If the current trajectory of breast cancer disease in African American women is to change, early detection is the key.

All adults starting at age 50 need a screening colonoscopy, an endoscopic view of the colon. This procedure is not painful but does involve a fairly thorough colon preparation a day before. A flexible camera is inserted into the rectum, and advanced through the entire large intestine searching for any abnormalities, such as polyps or inflammation. If a polyp is identified, it is removed and sent to pathology to determine if cancer is present. The majority of people whose colon cancer is found early will be alive five years later and will go on to live a normal life.

-Third Step-

Commit to a four to five-day-a-week schedule of exercise. Many of the local facilities are having special promotions where there is a $0 joining fee. Consider eliminating that daily run to Starbuck’s for the Caramel Frappuccino, you would then have the money for a gym membership and you would decrease your daily calorie intake. That’s a win/win situation! Invest in yourself this year and hire a personal trainer. If you have never consistently worked out before, you need a professional to teach you the proper exercises and techniques for maximum results. You would not consider bungee jumping without receiving appropriate guidance, so why do you think exercising is any different?

-Final Step-

Stop poisoning your body. Make 2014 the year of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and water. Purify your body the natural way. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars allowing someone to flush water through you to be cleansed. Allow your body to do it naturally by eating close to nature. If it came from the ground, a vine or a tree, it is probably good for you. Eliminate excessive sugar, processed and fried foods, and those nasty cancer- causing cigarettes. You can’t even imagine how good your body will feel after that.

These are only a few suggestions to get you started on the right track. Please see your doctor so that a specific plan can be designed for you. Each of you are unique in that you are fearfully and wonderfully made and there is no one size fits all.

Lastly, I want to hear from you this year. Share your success stories. Start a health revolution at your job or place of worship. We here at The St. Louis American want to hear about it. A rising tide lifts all ships! Have a blessed and healthy New Year!

Yours in Service,

Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D.

Assistant Professor

SLUCare Family Medicine

yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com

Woman To Lead Embattled Central African Republic As New President

(GIN) To the sound of cheers from the National Assembly building, the Transitional National Council of the Central African Republic on Monday tapped Catherine Samba-Panza, mayor of the capital city of Bangui, to be the country's interim President and first woman to hold the post.

As the new leader of a country gripped by a ferocious sectarian war, Catherine Samba-Panza, 58, issued a call to the fighting groups, asking her "children, especially the anti-Balaka, to put down their arms and stop all the fighting. The same goes for the ex-Seleka. . . I don't want to hear any more talk of murders and killings.

"Starting today, I am the president of all Central Africans, without exclusion."

Born in Chad to a Cameroonian father and Central African mother, Ms. Samba-Panza is a former businesswoman, corporate lawyer, and insurance broker. She also led a reconciliation effort during a previous civil war.

Paul Simon Handy, of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in South Africa, called her "a president who can unite both the country and the political elite" but warned: "I am afraid that this process will take longer than her period in office as interim president."

The Central African Republic has been devastated by brutal fighting since a coup in March 2013 removed the unpopular president Francois Bozize. He was replaced by Michel Djotodia who suspended the constitution. Djotodia resigned this month under intense international pressure as the death toll mounted to over 1000 people and observers feared a genocide was in the works.

According to a New York Times report, "The state no longer exists in the CAR. Civil servants do not go to their offices, taxes are not collected, all the schools are closed. There is no budget, no army, no police force, no Parliament, no judges, no jails."

Against these odds, Samba-Panza, no political novice, ran a successful campaign and beat seven other candidates for the post. Among them were two women and two sons of former presidents.

Now, her primary task will be to prepare the nation for elections in the coming year. In addition she will need to temper the extreme animosity between the Christian and Muslim groups in the country.

Central African Republic has to hold a fresh election by February 2015 at the latest. France, however, wants the election to be held this year. Current law excludes the interim president from running.

"Everything we have been through has been the fault of men," said Marie-Louise Yakemba, in a press interview. Yakemba, who heads a civil-society organization that brings together people of different faiths, added: "We think that with a woman, there is at least a ray of hope."

First Scholarship Awarded In Special Ed Program

Columbia, SC - Earlier this week, John McCormick, principal of Hidden Treasure Christian School in Greenville, and fifth grader Evan Cobb, were handed a check for $5,000. The money will allow Evan, an 11 year old struggling with learning disabilities and marked AD/HD, to attend a special independent school serving students diagnosed with intellectual, physical, emotional, developmental, and learning disabilities.

Hidden Treasure Christian School opened its doors in 1981 to educate young men and women who, for various reasons, have difficulty achieving their potential in a traditional classroom setting. Hidden Treasure receives financial and in-kind support from churches, individual and corporate donors from across the country. Small class sizes and research based personalized education plans for every student are the foundation of its approach.

Despite help from the school supporters, the cost of maintaining an exceptionally qualified staff and student to teacher ratios as low as 3-to-1 means even those families with discounted tuition have to make genuine financial sacrifices for their children to attend. In Evan’s case, even a partial school scholarship and additional tuition supplements still presented a financial challenge to keep him enrolled in the school. Thanks to the $5,000 check from Advance Carolina, his parents can send him to Hidden Treasure, the school they are certain is the right place for him.

“Thanks to Advance Carolina, this will be Evan’s second year at Hidden Treasure,” explained Dorothy Cobb, Evan’s mother. “His skills in math have jumped dramatically so that he is now working on grade level; his ability to function as part of the group in his classroom has skyrocketed,” Dorothy continued, “now he is working on accumulating enough homework points to earn an invitation to the class end-of-year trip to Charleston!”

“Advance Carolina,” is a special type of nonprofit. It serves as a scholarship provider (or “SFO”) in South Carolina’s new tax credit funded grant program for exceptional needs students. The group issues grants for students like Evan enrolling at private K-12 schools that offer special services. Private taxpayers who fund these grants and are eligible for a state-income tax credit.

“Evan struggles with a specific learning disability, issues related to processing speed, and marked AD/HD,” says Mrs. Cobb. “This school is making a significant and lasting impact in Evan’s life and in the lives of about 40 other students with special needs. This would not be happening without the generosity of donors to the school and to Advance Carolina. Our family wouldn’t be able to send Evan to Hidden Treasure without this help.”

Advance Carolina was created by the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools (SCACS). The SFO was established to provide scholarships to students at SCACS-affiliated school, as well as students enrolling at other independent, non-sectarian private schools. Directors and staffers have decades of personal experience as Christian educators and the SFO targets its support to students demonstrating the greatest ability, financial, and familial need.

Advance Carolina is one of four SFOs operating in South Carolina and one of three that has signed the “Access Opportunity Best Practices Pledge.” That voluntary commitment includes a public promise to fundraise, award and administer scholarships in the most efficient, effective, and ethical manner possible. It also holds SFO employees, contractors and volunteers to high professional standards. Details of the SFOs and schools participating in the special education scholarship program can be found online at IndependentED.org

National Wildlife Refuges Announce Fee-Free Days for 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Seeing wildlife conservation in action just gained even more appeal. America's national wildlife refuges will offer free admission to visitors on these days in 2014:
· January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
· February 15-17: Presidents' Day weekend
· September 27: National Public Lands Day
· October 12: The first day of National Wildlife Refuge Week
· November 11: Veterans Day

The fee holiday is an annual inducement to visit public lands. National wildlife refuges are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the Department of the Interior.

National wildlife refuges protect many iconic species, such as alligators and bison, whooping cranes, moose and puffins. And they do it on awe-inducing landscapes that range from Oregon's rocky cliffs to Texas lagoons, from Maine wilderness to woods and fields inside the city of Philadelphia. There's at least one national wildlife refuge in every state and one within an hour's drive of most major metropolitan areas. 

You can plan a refuge visit around a bird festival, wildlife tour or other special event listed on individual refuge websites or on a master event calendar. Or plan your own outing by hiking a refuge trail or taking a drive along a wildlife viewing route. Experience seasonal wonders, such as the arrival of monarch butterflies or great flocks of migratory birds. Hear elk bugle for a mate or endangered red wolves howl in the night. Many refuges also offer great recreational opportunities such as fishing, hiking and paddling.

National wildlife refuges also help support local communities, pumping $2.4 billion into the national economy and supporting more than 35,000 jobs, according to a recent federal report. More than 45 million people visit refuges every year.

Of the nation's 562 national wildlife refuges, 460 are open to the public. Of those, only 35 refuges charge an entrance fee, generally ranging from $3 to $5. Admission to the others is free. The entrance fee waiver does not cover concessionaire or license fees for some activities such as hunting, fishing or special tours.

Other federal land management agencies that will offer fee-free days in 2014 are: the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Forest Service and the Army Corps of Engineers. Please contact each for details.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Forest Service also participate in the America the Beautiful National Parks Pass and Federal Recreational Lands Pass programs. These passes provide access to more than 2,000 national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, grasslands and other federal lands.

Four passes are available:
· free annual pass to current military members and their dependents
· free lifetime pass for people with permanent disabilities
· $10 lifetime senior pass for those aged 62 and over
· $80 annual pass for the general public.