November 6th, 2009 by Camille
The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center (STBTC) is currently in need of O negative type donors. In collaboration with area blood banks supplying Ft. Hood victims, STBTC has sent out O negative blood and platelets. O negative blood is the universal blood type and can be transfused to a patient of any blood type in an emergency. Platelet donations are also being collected by appointment this weekend. STBTC has six locations in San Antonio, one in New Braunfels and one in Victoria, Texas. All locations are currently accepting O negative donors. Visit www.southtexasblood.org or call 210.731.5990 for location hours or directions. Every day in South Texas, 600 units of blood are required in hospitals and emergency treatment facilities to help save lives of patients with cancer and other diseases, organ transplant recipients and accident victims. Donors must present identification. Anyone who is 16 years old weighing 120 pounds (with parental consent form), or at least 17 years old weighing 110 pounds and in good general health may donate blood. They have movies to watch and you’re welcome to bring your own. Takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to contribute.
Posted in News, Public Health, South Texas | No Comments »
November 5th, 2009 by Keith
The Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio has developed a new website and blog devoted to Latino health, SaludToday.
Posted in Hispanic health, Websites | No Comments »
October 30th, 2009 by Julie
PHPartners.org, a collaboration of U.S. government agencies, public health organizations and health sciences libraries, has a new topic page on Dental Public Health. The page was created by UT Health Science Center librarians, Julie K. Gaines and Linda S. Levy as part of the dental public health information project, SMILE . The page includes different topics within the dental public health field such as Associations and Organizations, Education and Training, Health Promotion and Education, and Statistics and Data.
Posted in Oral Health, Public Health, Resources, Websites | No Comments »
October 30th, 2009 by Camille
Writers and readers of health blogs now have one way to identify a site as a source of authentic health-related information. The Healthcare Blogger Code of Ethics (HBCE) reviews health blog sites to see if they maintain standards of 1) Clear presentation of perspective 2) Confidentiality 3) Commercial disclosure 4) Reliability of information and 5) Courtesy. Approved sites are listed on their website, and in turn bloggers can download an HBCE button to place on their blog’s homepage to identify themselves. The approved blogs come from a wide range of health interests, written by patients, medical health professionals, and students in both undergraduate and graduate professional health programs. An array of health-related topics are covered from personal accounts of coping with cancer, to the challenges of training to work as a paramedic, to support for independent practice for nurse practitioners. You can review the continuously updated list of medical blogs and patient blogs on their site. To have your blog reviewed so that it can be added, please visit their site here for instructions: http://medbloggercode.com/get-the-code/.
Posted in Resources, Websites | No Comments »
October 30th, 2009 by Patti
Patti Gutierrez with Dr. Leo Cigarroa
On Tuesday, October 27th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Texas A &M International University(TAMIU) hosted a Wicked Wellness Health Fair for students. faculty, staff and the Laredo Community. Participants were able to view over 25 booths set up by various agencies, receive free health information, and also free health screenings. We were also treated to yoga, sumba and spinning class demonstrations by the TAMIU students.
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October 30th, 2009 by Ron
November is American Diabetes Month, and the best way to make people aware of diabetes is to bring the knowledge of what diabetes is, how it can be prevented, and how to live with it. Both the American Diabetes Association and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease have a wealth of information to enlighten and inform. The ADA website has an online diabetes risk calculator to help visitors to the site determine if they may be at more of a risk to develop diabetes, and the NIDDK website has a publication order area where pre-printed information can be ordered free of charge. Both sites provide information English and Spanish.
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October 22nd, 2009 by Patti
25th Annual Update In Medicine Conference
UT Health Science Center at San Antonio – Laredo Campus Extension hosted AHEC’s (the Area Health Education Center of Mid Rio Grande Border Area of Texas, Inc.), 25TH annual update in medicine conference on October 16-17.
The two day event offered continuing education credits to physicians, nurses, social workers and nurse practitioners. The featured topics consisted of topics on abuse, autism, cancer, dementia, depression, COPD, MRSA, STD’s and TB outbreaks.
Keith Cogdill, from UT HSC Briscoe Library presented a PubMed Review training session for our local doctors. The PubMed participants received a special hands-on training about the PubMed database.
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October 22nd, 2009 by Linda
The CDC has recently launched this year’s “Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work” program. Intended for health professionals and the general public, the education program reminds about appropriate use of antibiotics and the threat of antibiotic resistance from overuse of antibiotics. The goal of the program is to reduce unnecessary prescribing and to modify the attitudes and behavior of the general public about when antibiotics are truly necessary. The program, introduced in 2003 is comprehensive and includes a media campaign (including a virtual press kit and materials designed for Spanish-speakers and American Indian audiences), funding and technical assistance for several state and local partners to develop, implement, and evaluate local campaigns, as well as television and radio public service announcements (PSAs) for use in local markets. Educational materials and information are available on the the “Get Smart” website at http://cdc.gov/getsmart/.
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October 22nd, 2009 by Camille
“CareLink is not insurance, but it allows participants access to the medical services and prescription drugs they need while charging them a monthly fee they can afford to pay based on their income. It also puts a tremendous focus on preventative care by requiring routine physical exams to cut down on unnecessary visits to the emergency room.”
To read more about CareLink in Bexar County, please visit http://tpr.org/news/2009/10/news0910082.html
Tags: Bexar County, Insurance, Public Health
Posted in Articles, Public Health, South Texas | No Comments »
October 18th, 2009 by Lara
Are you confused by all the information about H1N1 flu? If so, you have the opportunity to ask an expert your question. And, you can read what others have asked and the responses.
Infectious disease specialists from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio answer your questions about the H1N1 flu virus:
http://voices.mysanantonio.com/flu/
Tags: flu advice health
Posted in Public Health | No Comments »
