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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)

AmeriCorps Week Has Arrived!

AmeriCorps Week is a time to salute AmeriCorps members and alums for their service, thank AmeriCorps community partners, and communicate AmeriCorps impact on communities and on the lives of those who serve.  Our members are proud to serve everday.

To show your support for the Chicago Health program and other AmeriCorps programs, like us on Facebook, follow us on twitter, subscribe to our YouTube channel.  Check out ways you can get involved with AmeriCorps and start your service adventure TODAY.

 AmeriCorps members, putting words into action everyday..

The Value of Health Education

 

 

Post written by CHC member Melissa Rothman

Melissa serves at the Erie Family Health Center as a Health Educator

 

On February 22^nd, CHC members attended the Minority Health in the Midwest Conference at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Many presenters brought up the issue of the value of health education, a topic which has been increasingly discussed in the Public Health world.  I am personally very invested in health education, spending most of my service creating curriculums and teaching health classes with a particular emphasis on nutrition and healthy living.  Since 1992, the US Government has recommended different models for healthy eating, ranging from the Food pyramid to the MyPlate model, which is the current recommendation.   Despite these nutritional tools, many argue that health education has not done enough to reverse the negative health outcomes experienced by US residents.  Specifically, the obesity rate has continued to rise despite persistent health education efforts.  How long can we rely mainly on education without seeing significant health improvements?

A handful of CHC & HCC members at the conference deep in discussion, as usual. :)

If health education really is a “Band-Aid” solution, as one presenter suggested, is it better to abandon those efforts and focus on policy?  Would tackling the huge corporations that promote the consumption of high calorie foods with low nutritional value be a more effective use of time and resources?  While policy is important, I do believe that people are capable of making the changes that can transform their health and lives.  CHC has given me the chance to see the impact of education firsthand.  Although not all of my nutrition students have lost dramatic amounts of weight, a few have.  Furthermore, all of them reported feeling that they are better able and more ready to take charge of their own health, and hopefully, will continue to make healthy changes.  In my opinion, providing patients with the confidence and the tools to change their health is the value of health education.  I believe that we must continue these education efforts and combine them with policy changes in order to solve the obesity epidemic and other health issues worldwide.  

County Care

 

 

Post written by CHC member Daniel Broome

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

Having applied and received a federal waiver, Cook County has been able to start “County Care,” a niche Program that is part of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion a year in advance.

County Care is a Medicaid program available specifically for Cook County residents who do not receive Medicare or do not qualify for Illinois’ Medicaid program, like many of the clients Chicago Health Corps members serve. County Care is run jointly by the State of Illinois and the Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS).

Medicaid eligibility has become complex, mostly covering populations such as children, pregnant women, the disabled, certain non-disabled adults (such as parents and caretakers), and qualifying seniors. Moreover, Medicaid programs differ state to state. County Care, however, exists as a net to catch the specific needs of Cook County Residents who are not eligible for these programs.

So who is eligible?

·         Ages 19-64

·         Residents of Cook County

·         Citizens and 5+ Year Legal Immigrants

·         Must have a Social Security Number or have applied for one.

·         Residents who earn at or below an annual income of $15,282 if Single and $20,628 for Couples

·         Not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare

County Care will cover most health care services including:

·         Inpatient services ·         ER visits ·         Ambulatory services ·         Lab and X-Ray services ·         Prescriptions

·         Family planning services ·         Dental Services (ages 19-21) ·         Mental health assistance ·         Medical supplies ·         Hospice and palliative care.

For a complete list of services offered, visit CountyCare.com

To apply by phone call 312-864-8200 or toll free number 1-855-444-1661. Apply in person at Stroger Hospital, Provident Hospital, Oak Forest Health Center, or Erie Family Health Centers.

For more information regarding health benefits for Illinois residents, check out Illinois Health Matters.

For a quick tutorial on the Affordable Care Act and how it will impact you, check out this Video!

CHC has a YouTube Channel!

We now have a YouTube Channel!  You're excited?  I know, we are too.  

Click HERE to watch video bios of ALL of our members! 

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL FOR THE MOST RECENT VIDEO POSTS

Just for a taste here is our lovely Abbey Baus talking about her service... Check it out!

For direct links to individual bios go to Our Current Members page.

AmeriCorps* Love

Food Security for a Stronger Chicago

Post written by Amanda Casas

Amanda is serving with Erie Family Health Center - Humboldt Park as a Health Educator

Serving in various communities throughout Chicago, Chicago Health Corps members often encounter and engage with many people who may be in a situation where food security is a luxury. Food security is the ability to obtain both sufficient quantity and quality of food.

 In a recent study, an estimated 1 in 7 American are food insecure, and surveys have found that this increases to 1 in 2 Americans in some Chicago communities, such as Humboldt Park.

However, many organizations are working together to try to increase food security in Chicago. The Northwest Food Partners Network has been established to help those who need a hand AND to empower citizens to make change in their communities. This network is an alliance of organizations, mostly those with emergency food programs, whose mission is to collaborate to end hunger, improve overall nutrition, and empower community members to build their own food security.

This Alliance helps these organizations to share resources, coordinate food distribution and provide comprehensive programming, so residents can be

part of building sustainable healthy active lives. More information can be found here: 

The Network serves the Humboldt Park, Logan Square, West Town, Hermosa, Avondale, and Belmont Cragin areas. Services offered include:

• hot meals
• WIC centers
• food pantries
• produce mobiles

A few members in our sister Corps, Healthy Communities Corps (HCC), are involved with the Northwest Food Partners Network- click here learn more about their service!

Source: http://blog.premiercg.com/category/its-simple/

Serving a Balanced Education – CVCA’s Food Education Program

Post written by CHC member Chinwe Ntamere

Chinwe serves with the American Cancer Society as a Health Educator

The National School Lunch Program was introduced in 1946¹ as a program that provides breakfast and lunch to children who may otherwise have nothing to eat.  It has become the second largest food program in the U.S., spending $8 billion annually and feeding an average of 30 million children a day^1,2. Recently, some have argued that it lacks in both education and nutritional benefits, citing recent studies linking school lunches with a higher risk of obesity^3,4,5.

At a recent in-service day, Chicago Health Corps and Healthy Communities Corps visited the Chicago Vocational Career Academy (CVCA), where educators promote healthier student lunches, while also expanding student career options. As part of the Chicago Public Schools’ Culinary and Hospitality Career and Technical Education Program, students have the opportunity to gain food service certification and food preparation experience while in school. Students take an active part in creating school lunches that meet their taste, while fitting within the school’s nutritional and budgetary requirements. These are skills that the students can transfer to their own lives, encouraging them to actively think about the role of food in their own health.

David Blackmon, the Executive Director of the CPS Culinary Arts and Hospitality Program, argues that more programs like these should be offered to students, especially in lower income communities where access to healthy foods and job opportunities are limited. By providing students with career skills before college, they have the option of either entering the work world directly after graduation or entering college with a better understanding of what career path they want to follow.

At the Chicago Vocational Career Academy, they believe that all elements of the school day, whether it is the curriculum or lunch menu, should provide the students with tangible life skills. By encouraging active student participation in lunch preparation, they have empowered students to take control of their own health and nutrition, ensuring there are educational opportunities in the debated school lunch program.

1.      Committee on Nutrition Standards for National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, National Research Council. (2008). Nutrition Standards and Meal Requirements for National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs: Phase I. Proposed Approach for Recommending Revisions. (V. A. Taylor, Ed.) Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. From NAP: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12512.html

2.      Black, J. (2011, February 24). School Lunch Is Not the Answer: Improving school food is only a small step toward reducing childhood obesity. Retrieved February 9, 2013, from Slate: http://hive.slate.com/hive/time-to-trim/article/school-lunch-is-not-the-answer

3.      RABIN, R. C. (2011, February 4). Childhood: Obesity and School Lunches. Retrieved February 9, 2013, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/health/research/08childhood.html?_r=0

4.      Millimet, D., Tchernis, R., & Husain, M. (2010). School Nutrition Programs and the Incidence of Childhood Obesity. Journal of Human Resources , 45 (3), 640-645.

5.      Park, E., & Graziano, M. (Directors). (2010). Lunch Line [Motion Picture]. United States: UJI Films. From UJI Films: http://lunchlinefilm.com/

A Response to the Fat Shaming Debate: an opinion shaped by service

 

Post written by CHC member Casey Strickler

Casey serves at Erie Family Health Center as a Health Educator

For the first time across the globe, more people suffer from over nutrition than from under nutrition. This leads many in our public health community to wonder how we can ensure that the next generation will have an average life span as long as their parents’.

Part of solving any issue is defining the problem. We need to stress physical activity and healthy eating because they are good for every single body—but NOT because our kids are too fat. Recently, some bioethics researchers like Daniel Callahan have been advocating for even more stigmatization against being overweight, arguing that shame and social pressure can work as primary motivators to eat healthy and lose weight. In my opinion though, increased public stigmatization only leads to internalized self-deprecation. Shaming kids and calling them an “epidemic” is going to lower self-esteem, and is not going to reverse increasing trends of hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

Instead of making kids feel badly about their size, we should focus on providing all kids and their parents with healthy foods, exercise opportunities, and education on how to live healthy lives. Thin or otherwise, if kids never engage in physical activity, never have more than one serving of vegetables per day, and eat fast food three times a week, they will not be healthy.

All kids (and adults) should be active healthy eaters, whether or not they fit society’s definition of "thin." To achieve that goal, we need to incentivize healthy eating the way McDonalds has incentivized the Big Mac by making it accessible, understandable, and tasty. One program, Cooking Matters, aims to do just that. Last week, 18 teenagers showed up at Erie Humboldt Park, where I serve as a Health Educator, for our first class. As we cooked healthy pizzas, teens tested out new cooking skills and tasted new vegetables while learning how to prepare a nutritious and delicious dinner. The goal of the 6-week class is to provide teens with the education and resources to cook healthy meals so that they have the knowledge to make healthy choices throughout their lives.

As I handed out grocery bags filled with all the ingredients needed to make that day’s recipe at home, I asked one kid if he thought people would come back for the second class—“Oh yeah!” he exclaimed. “No one’s going to want to miss this!”

If we can incentivize healthy eating this way, we are on a much better path towards dealing with the real issues of obesity-related illness than we are by labeling it an epidemic of fat kids.

What do you think of fat shaming as a strategy? What other methods can we use to limit obesity-related diseases?

I Have a Crush on a Smoker

 

 

Post written by CHC member Daniel Broome

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

Smokers. We all know a few. Some are our elders who we know better than to chastise. Some are our friends. Odds are there are probably a few smokers in our network who we are quite fond of.

Photo Credit: http://niketalk.com

I have a friend who smokes, and I like her a lot. I have had a crush on her since I first met her last summer. I teased her once about the smoking, and all my playful jibe earned me was a side-long glare that I enjoyed more than I probably should have. But I still felt bad, because these days most people know the risks of smoking. So what do I tell someone who already knows?

Serving with the American Cancer Society [ACS] has allowed me the special privilege of directly serving the patients of John H. Stroger hospital. Those of us who come here to serve day in and day out, consider ourselves on the frontlines of the battle for the health of the community.

One enemy to our community’s health is cigarette smoke. The number of patients we treat who have smoked for more than a decade is staggering. The number of patients who are receiving treatment and continue to smoke is even more disheartening.

A recent study on the trends of female smokers reported that “…the risk of female smokers dying from lung cancer was 25.7 times higher than the risk in nonsmokers. The risk of dying from COPD was 22.5 times higher than that for nonsmokers.” That means that I have a higher chance of watching my crush get cancer or suffer from COPD, than I do of taking her out on a date.

In addition to my light-hearted fantasy, I also have family members and close friends who smoke. If you have a loved one who smokes, and you are looking for a new angle to encourage their smoking cessation, the ACS has a number of resources available. Please review these resources and continue to educate your friends and loved ones about the largely avoidable risks of smoking cigarettes.