Fireworks Safety

Be Careful This 4th of July!

Setting off your own fireworks or being near someone who is lighting fireworks is extremely dangerous. You can become a victim of severe burns, loss of limbs or worse, as a result of firework malfunctions or carelessness. Your safest choice to enjoy fireworks this long weekend would be to watch fireworks set off by professionals.

Here is a list of locations and events in Ohio that are providing awesome firework shows for your enjoyment:

1. Red White & Boom 2016 - Columbus - July 1st
2. Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Festival - "Salute to America" - July 4
3. Dayton Lights in Flight - July 3
4. Nelsonville Thunder In The Valley - July 4
5. Athens Fabulous Fourth of July - July 3
6. Fireworks in northeast Ohio

 

Injury Information

• Download this fireworks infographic 
• Fireworks Injuries poster 
• Facts about fireworks injuries  
• Demonstrating the Dangers of Consumer Fireworks

 

Protect the Eyes

• Prevent Eye Injuries from Fireworks! 
• Take this Fireworks Eye Injury Safety Quiz 

More Info

• ESPN - Jason Pierre-Paul raising firework safety awareness 
• Fireworks safety tips 
• National Council on Fireworks Safety Encourages Safe and Fun Fourth of July Celebrations
  

HIV Testing Day!

In honor of National HIV Testing Day, Monday June 27th, OACHC encourages you to spread awareness on the importance of getting tested for HIV. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS.

 

How Can You Know if You Are HIV Positive?

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. Many people with HIV don’t have any symptoms. In the United States, 1 in 8 people living with HIV don’t know they have it.

Even if you don’t feel sick, getting early treatment for HIV is important. Early treatment can help you live a longer, healthier life. Treatment can also make it less likely that you will pass HIV on to other people.

 

Am I at risk for HIV?

HIV is spread through some of the body’s fluids, like blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. HIV is passed from one person to another by:

• Having sex (vaginal, anal, or oral) without a condom or dental dam with a person who has HIV 
• Sharing needles with someone who has HIV
  
• Breastfeeding, pregnancy, or childbirth if the mother has HIV
  
• Getting a transfusion of blood that’s infected with HIV (very rare in the United States)

 

Get Tested

• Call a Community Health Center near you to make an appointment
• Use this tool to find a facility that tests for HIV (many are Community Health Centers) 

 

Learn More

• Info from aids.gov 
• Prevention 
• Living with HIV 
• HIV Basics  
• Act Against AIDS 
• CDC testing information 
• FAQs 
• STD Testing Convo Starters 
• Talking to your kids

Ohio's Commitment to Comprehensive Care

The enhanced integration of oral health and primary care is a goal for many health agencies, associations and policy makers. The Ohio Association of Community Health Centers (OACHC) is striving to meet this goal through a partnership with the Ohio Dental Association (ODA), and with funding assistance from the Ohio Dental Association Foundation, to incorporate blood pressure screening across all FQHC dental centers. This exciting initiative is slated to begin July 1, 2016.

As a partner in patient-centered care, screening patients during an oral health visit for hypertension is an important service that is both innovative and efficient. In the OACHC-ODA initiative, while preparing a patient to be seen by the dentist, a dental assistant will take a patient’s blood pressure right in the dental chair. Seamlessly, the assistant will offer health education and can even make a warm referral to a health center physician as necessary.

Like most health center initiatives, the blood pressure screening dental project boasts a quality improvement facet. Health center dental practices will collect data including the numbers of health centers participating, patients screened and how many referrals are made for further screening and treatment. The QI results will be shared to showcase the promotion of overall health during dental visits.

Prior to the collaboration, one of the barriers to screening for hypertension was a lack of blood pressure monitoring devices in each dental operatory. The financial support of this initiative provides funding for the monitors, educational handouts and comprehensive training that will be provided to each of the 33 dental centers across Ohio.

This collaboration illustrates the commitment of Ohio’s Community Health Centers to provide comprehensive care, amplifying the dentist’s role as a health professional who sees the importance of addressing patients’ total health during their oral health visit.

Please contact OACHC’s Oral Health Program Manager, Susan Lawson for more information.

National Safety Month

Injuries are a leading cause of disability for people of all ages — and they are the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1 to 44. The good news is everyone can get involved to help prevent injuries.
 
This June, we encourage you to learn more about important safety issues like prescription painkiller abuse, transportation safety, and slips, trips, and falls.

• Prescription painkiller abuse: Prescription painkiller overdoses are a growing problem in the United States, especially among women. About 18 women die every day from a prescription painkiller overdose — more than 4 times as many as back in 1999. 
• Transportation safety: Doing other activities while driving — like texting or eating — distracts you and increases your chance of crashing. Almost 1 in 5 crashes (17%) that injured someone involved distracted driving. 
• Slips, trips, and falls: One in 3 older adults falls each year. Many falls lead to broken bones and other health problems.

 

 

More Info

• Use the #safe4life hashtag to spread awareness
• Free NSC First Aid, CPR & AED Online course when you register between June 1 - June 12, 2016 
• Get your safety check up

 

OACHC's Open House

Join us for an Open House of our new location!

We are excited to be settling in our newer, much larger space at 2109 Stella Court, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Our new building offers many more communal spaces, as well as, an on-site training facility featuring state of the art audio/visual technology. We would love to have you come celebrate our new location, with light refreshments and building tours, on Thursday, June 16th from 4pm-6pm. When you arrive, there will be plenty of parking spaces available for your convenience.

Please view the attached invitation and visit www.ohiochc.org/openhouse to RSVP.

We are looking forward to seeing you soon!

RSVP HERE

Skin Cancer Prevention

Protect Your Skin!

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. UV damage can also cause wrinkles and blotches or spots on your skin. The good news is that skin cancer can be prevented, and it can almost always be cured when it’s found and treated early.

OACHC is proud to participate in Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month. During the month of May, join us in taking action to prevent skin cancer and reduce the risk of UV damage.

Take simple steps today to protect your skin:

• Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. 
• Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. Put on sunscreen every 2 hours and after you swim or sweat.
  
• Cover up with long sleeves and a hat.
  
• Check your skin regularly for changes.
• Wear sunglasses
• Avoid indoor tanning

More Information

• NIOSH Fast Fasts: Protecting Yourself from Sun Exposion 
• Sunscreen for Your Sun Day 
• Choose Your Cover 
• Sun Safety Tips
• Learn about the different types of skin cancer
• How to check your skin for skin cancer

 

Women's Health

It's National Women's Health Week: May 8-14!

#NWHW always kicks off on Mother's day to honor all women and spread awareness of the importance of staying healthy. This week highlights the importance of preventative screenings, fitness, eating healthy, things to avoid to stay healthy and mental health.

Don't know the steps you should take to lead a healthy lifestyle? 

Womenshealth.gov provides women with a "steps for better health by age" chart.  Click here to find out what you need to be doing according to your age. The CDC provides a "Check-Up Checklist:Things to Do Before Your Next Check-up" to make sure you are prepared.

Make it official! 

Take the National Women's Health Week pledge that you will start leading a healthier life. Take the pledge here!

Want to learn more?

• Here are the screenings and vaccines you should be aware of  
• Did you know exercise can help lower the risk of certain cancers and heart disease? Check out this physical activity fact sheet 
• According to the CDC we should be doing at least 2.5 hours of aerobic physical activity a week. 
• Learn about heart health eating 
• Even if you can't see it, it doesn't mean you don't need to keep it healthy. Learn about women's mental health
• Sleep! Sleep contributes to overall health.
• Practice preventative care! Always use sunscreen especially when you are going outside.
• Check out the CDC's National Women's Health Week page
• ...and don't forget to read this Women's Health Factsheet to learn even more!

http://www.womenshealth.gov/nwhw/tools/infographics/