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The Boston Marathon...

Post written by CHC member Daniel Broome

Daniel serves at the American Cancer Society at Stroger Hospital as a Patient Navigator

 

The Bombing of Boston that took place on Monday, April 15^th 2013, at the site of the Marathon finish line was a terrible and heart-wrenching event.  Many of us with friends or family in Boston were relieved to hear the confirmed safety of our loved ones. We also felt the loss of the three victims whose lives were lost in what is usually a monumental celebration of health and determination, the Boston Marathon.

Photo Credit: New York Times

Despite the two explosions, the three fatalities, and the nearly two hundred injured, we still celebrate the champions from Monday. According to the Boston Athletic Association:

17,580 people completed the marathon.

686 people between the ages of 60-69,

27 people between the ages of 70-79,

1 man over the age of 80,

And everyone in a wheelchair and in a hand-cycle completed the 2013 Boston Marathon.

Though much of the coverage of the bombing highlights the explosions and the damage done, today the stories that are being told are of the bystanders who responded immediately to assist and aid the wounded. 

It is unfortunate to see such evil being done to innocent people, but it is inspiring to see what good people are capable of doing when they work together.

 

Photo Credit: The Gaudian

Times like this remind us how public health is involved in every aspect of our lives. It is an overarching umbrella whose mission is to consider the well-being of all people and all that could threaten that well-being. As members of Chicago Health Corps and its sister AmeriCorps program, the Healthy Communities Corps, we are all united by a common altruism, a common spirit and a shared belief that helping people become healthier will make a positive difference in peoples’ lives. In the midst of this tragedy, we stand alongside and honor the runners, their families and all those who rushed to help and celebrate their great endurance, their great achievements, and their great bravery during the Boston Marathon.

We hope to see a record number of participants in the 2014 Boston Marathon!



Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Post written by CHC member Jenny Carson

Jenny serves at the American Cancer Society Colorectal Cancer Screening Navigator and Health Educator 

In addition to daily service at their host sites, several Chicago Health Corps members have the privilege of mentoring young girls interested in science, technology, engineering and math(STEM) through a local Chicago non-profit, Girls 4 Science.  Girls 4 Science is Chicago’s only all girls' science initiative, partnering with Chicago’s City Colleges on Saturdays to inspire young girls ages 10-18.  As a mentor in the Girls 4 Science program, I have learned first-hand just how important it is to promote STEM among urban youth and get young girls excited about STEM careers. In addition to the efforts of Girls 4 Science, this past March’s National Women’s History Month was dedicated to honoring the contributions of women in STEM fields, inspiring young girls to join the STEM workforce.

Members of the Chicago Health Corps at the Girls 4 Science 

Women History Month Recognition Reception.

Women’s National History Month 2013

Women’s National History Month began in 1978, as more than 100 women gathered in Santa Rosa, California to celebrate women and the contributions they have made in world history.The movement grew, and in 1988, the U.S. Congress officially designated March as Women’s History month.

source: google image search

This past March, we recognized the accomplishments of extraordinary women such as Patricia Era Bath (1942), whose invention of the Laserphaco Probe was an important milestone in laser cataract surgery; Rita R. Colwell (1934), the first woman director of the National Science Foundation; Susan A. Gerbi (1944), a molecular cell biologist whose research was significant in understanding the role of hormones in certain cancers; and Flossie Wong-Staal (1946), a virologist and molecular biologist whose work made it possible to develop HIV screening tests.

“Among the initiatives of this administration to advance gender equality, are efforts to bring more women into science and health care professions. Women who hold STEM degrees and jobs earn 30 percent more on average than women in non-STEM jobs”.– Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

Currently in the United States, only 25% of the STEM workforce is women. However, the future of women in STEM looks bright and is growing! According to the White House Council on Women and Girls, a record number of women are entering the STEM workforce, the number of female faculty at major science research universities is at an all-time high, and more girls in the United States are reporting they seek a career in science than boys their age. A brilliant example of women entering the STEM workforce are our very own Chicago Health Corps service members. Many of the wonderful women in the corps are pursuing careers as doctors, nurses, physician assistants, public health officials, and many other promising careers promoting the future health of our country. 

To learn more about Women’s History month:

• Visit The National Women’s History Project Website
• The Center for Disease Control’s celebration of Women’s History Month and CDC Women Making a Difference
• The White House Council on Women and Girls
• Check out a local organization mentoring the future workforce of women in STEM careers: Girls 4 Science.

March 10^thwas National Women and HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

• Look into the groundbreaking work of the Chicago Women’s AIDS Project
• Learn about the AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s Change My Story project

“It’s not the food in your life, it’s the life in your food”- B’Gabs

Post written by CHC Member Thu Nguyen

Thu serves at Respiratory Health Association as an asthma educator

Obesity, in an energy balance perspective, is a result of more energy in than out. Excessive energy in + little energy out = weight gain. The challenge here is that it is so easy to consume energy, and so much more difficult to expend energy. It takes me 15 minutes to chow down on a burger that is around 500 calories. Consequently, I would have to spend at least an hour in the gym to expend that much energy. Therefore, it is pertinent that we make healthy choices when it comes to the food we put in our body. We want to make sure the calories we consume come from foods that are packed with nutrients, vitamins, and fiber that will offer us satiety, and not foods that offer empty calories.

Photo of my burger

Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions with healthy food. Many people think eating healthy is a punishment because they associate healthy food as bland or tasteless. However, after our hard work at Experimental Station last week, some Chicago Health Corps members visited B’Gabs Goodies Raw Vegan Deli for lunch. B’Gabs offer high quality, soy and gluten-free vegan food. It was my first time trying a vegan hamburger, and I was very pleased. B’Gabs lives up to their philosophy by showing that healthy food is indeed flavorful and tasteful. My burger wasn’t a typical burger, but it tasted as delicious as a typical burger. If you’ve never tried vegan food, you are missing out! I guarantee you will physiologically get more for your money!  Whether you choose to eat vegan or not, just remember healthy food does taste good. Visit http://www.eatingwell.com/ for healthy and delicious recipes you can make at home!

Visit B’Gabs Goodies Raw Vegan Deli: http://bgabsgoodies.com/

Breakfast of a Champion

Post written by CHC Member Amber Adams

Suzanne serves at Heartland Health Centers as a Health Educator

 

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.” 
― A.A. Milne

You may have heard it said before that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast gives us energy for our daily activities and sets the momentum for us to perform at our very best.  Starting your day with a balanced breakfast not only gives your body the fuel it needs, but is also an important part of incorporating a healthier diet.

As a Chicago Health Corps member, I meet with patients for individualized nutrition counseling at Heartland Health Center. I stress the importance of making time for breakfast. Skipping breakfast is essentially like fasting for up to 15 hours- during this period of semi-starvation, your body actually accumulates fat, trying to conserve as much energy as possible and slowing down your metabolism.  Studies show that people who skip breakfast often weigh more, and are more likely to nibble on high-calorie snacks to ward off hunger and overeat during later meals.  Even if it requires setting that alarm and crawling out the bed 15 minutes earlier, eating a good breakfast is proven for good health.

 So, you might be asking, “What is a Breakfast of a Champion?” Well, partly, it should include what you like, have time for, and will give your body that good ol’ energy it needs. I recommend following MyPlate guidelines, which suggest trying to incorporate at least 3 of the 5 food groups in at breakfast time. Try a serving of protein, fruit and a high-fiber food like toasted whole grain bread, high-fiber (not sugary) breakfast cereal, or oatmeal.  For more information, visit MyPlate SuperTracker today for free recipes, help with planning, analyzing, and tracking your breakfast, and much more.

Remember, breakfast doesn’t have to be elaborate, but something for breakfast is always better than   

nothing. Whether at the table, on the train, or in the office, start your day with breakfast, it’s the champion thing to do.

The Question Box

Post written by CHC Member Suzanne Williams

Suzanne serves at Erie Family Health as a Health Educator

“If you have sex twice in one day, does that mean you’ll get pregnant and have two babies later?”  

This  is one example of the many questions that I receive when teaching Teen Pregnancy Prevention courses (TPP) in Chicago Public Schools.  TPP is a series of four classes that are taught to elementary, middle, and high school students all over Chicago by AmeriCorps members serving with Erie Family Health Center. This course utilizes lessons from the evidence-based Family Life and Sexual Health (FLASH) curricula and focuses on teaching students about healthy relationships, anatomy and reproduction, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections. Erie health educators have taught TPP courses to over 800 students all around Chicago!

My favorite part of teaching TPP is the QUESTION BOX! At the beginning of each session, we hand out small slips of paper and explain to the students that they can write an anonymous question or comment about ANYTHING to be answered at the beginning of the next class. We collect the slips of paper from all students, so that no one can figure out who asked what question. I love using the question box because it gives students an open forum to address their questions and concerns without fear of being judged by their classmates or going through the awkwardness of asking a parent or teacher. It is a safe way for students to ask whatever is on their mind. The question box is also a great way for health educators to assess their understanding and to determine difficult concepts that should be re-taught to the class. The question box is a great tool to use in all sex-ed classroom sessions!

AmeriCorps – The Second Time Around

 

Post written by CHC member Maggie Sugrue

Maggie serves at the ErRespiratory Health Association as a Lung Educator

 

In honor of National AmeriCorps week, I spent some time reflecting on what service has meant to me. Chicago Health Corps is not my first experience with service- last year I served with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest in Juneau, Alaska. Both of these experiences were transformative for me in many different ways.

Maggie with her 6 housemates in Juneau, Alaska. (April, 2012)

Last year, I was able to impact a community much different than one I had ever experienced before. I learned a lot not only professionally, but personally as well. Living in Alaska thousands of miles from home, adapting to a new culture, and living in a house with other volunteers made me much stronger in my convictions and cultivated my sense of self. JVC NW is based on living out four core values. Two of these values, community and simple living, I found both the most challenging and most rewarding.  When living in an intentional community with 6 other volunteers, each person’s opinion is taken into account for every decision made, ranging from something as small as which type of milk to buy to as large as where to live. This shared living experience combined with the lack of modern conveniences, such as TV and internet, provided me with many opportunities for growth. I learned the art of compromise, when to stick up for my beliefs, when to step up and take a leadership role, and what truly matters in life.



Joining Chicago Health Corps brought me back home, where I am able to apply what I learned during my service in Alaska, and continue to build on it here in my own community. Serving in the city I grew up in is an honor, and making a difference in a place I call home is something I have always wanted to do. I serve as a Lung Health Educator at Respiratory Health Association, a non-profit that promotes healthy lungs and fights lung disease through research, advocacy and education. This experience, has given me the opportunity to refine my leadership skills, build connections, and most importantly, learn more from those I serve than they may even learn from me. Service has been a once, ok twice, in a lifetime opportunity that will shape the path my life will take. It has solidified my passion for both public health and public service, and I cannot imagine where I would be without it.



Respiratory Health Associations COPD Team at the

 2012 Living Better Together COPD Conference

(Photo Courtesy of Sooz Main)