Health, Medicine & Nutrition

The Little Pink Purse of Courage: Questions on Breast Cancer

The Little Pink Purse of Courage


You have Breast Cancer and will need chemotherapy:  Do you know what  to ask when you sit across  the physician as the treatment plan is outlined and the doctor asks  , “Do you have any questions?”   Well, this new book, The Little Pink Purse of Courage:  When Breast Cancer  is the Diagnosis and Chemotherapy is the Treatment will provide you with all the questions you need to ask and have answered by the physician who will treat and manage your breast cancer.


Almost  10 years ago, Patricia Edwards' eldest sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a devastating moment when the surgical oncologist shared the diagnosis with them and told her sister she would need chemotherapy before he would perform surgery on her breast.  Before her first visit to the medical oncologist Edwards wrote four pages of questions, which she asked her to give the oncologist.  Our sister-in-law  attended this visit.  Edwards' sister reported  the doctor read all the questions. 


Eight years later, Edwards' sister was discharged and the physician commented on the questions. It was at that time the idea of writing THE LITTLE PINK PURSE OF COURAGE: WHEN BREAST CANCER IS THE DIAGNOSIS AND CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE TREATMENT OPTION  had its beginnings.  This booklet of 41 questions is there for you when you make your first visit and the physician says:  “Do you have any questions for me?”  At that point even the most articulate and courageous among us, lose our voice and feel suspended from the reality which is going around us.


What happens instead is the disbelief,  the fear, the anxiety, the worry, the sadness and the anger take over and all of this tends to  affect your ability to really hear what your physicians are saying.  It is very important to take someone with you.  This is a “must have” book for women and men with invasive breast cancer. It is your support network in your purse, your man bag or your pocket.


The good news for women and men, who are diagnosed with breast cancer today, is this disease is now considered a chronic illness instead of a terminal one.  Most people who are diagnosed if treated, will survive and most are living  20 years after diagnosis.


Related site: http://thelittlepinkpurseofcourage.com/

 


Trumps AIDS National Bid Whist Tournament Aug. 14

On August 14, 2010 Empower “U”, Inc.  South Beach Aids Project and the Black AIDS Institute (The Institute), will host the final qualifying tournament for the Institute’s national “Bid Whist Tournament”.

Empower “U”, Inc is a minority, peer-based, 501(c) 3 CBO founded in 1999 by two African-American women living with HIV/AIDS. Its mission is to empower, educate, and promote better health care choices for individuals and families living with or at risk for health disparities, particularly HIV/AIDS.

The Institute being the only national HIV/AIDS think tank in the United States focused exclusively on Black people, has been looking for a uniquely Black idea that could be used to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in Black communities and possibly raise resources to help fight this deadly disease. One such idea is Bid Whist. Bid Whist—in various forms—has been a popular Black American past time for centuries.

Trump AIDS and The Institute’s National Bid Whist Tournament, provides a platform to mobilize Black communities, raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and serves as the vehicle to raise funds to reduce HIV rates in Black communities

Trump_aids


Do You or Someone You Know Need Help Paying for Medications?



If you or a loved one uses prescription medication, you know how expensive they can be. Don't miss this opportunity to meet a representative from the Social Security Administration who will answer questions and assist with applications that may help you in paying for medication or getting them free.


Please spread the word about this community event. Thank you.


Sunday

June 27, 2010

2 p.m.


Antioch MBC of Liberty City

1899 NW 64th Street

Miami, FL 33147


Rev. Dr. Jimmie L. Bryant, Pastor

(305) 691-1661




UM student vies for Miss USA crown on live TV

 Pageant to be broadcast on NBC, Sunday, May 16

MacKenzieGreen UM senior Mackenzie Green, a broadcast journalism and sports administration double major, competes for the title of Miss USA Sunday night, May 16.

The pageant will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. (E.S.T.) on NBC, from the Theatre for the Performing Arts at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas.

Green, 21, is the reigning Miss District of Columbia-USA. She won the title last November.  Active on campus, Green, is a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and a reporter for SportsDesk, a show on the University’s cable news channel, UMTV. In the future she aspires to become a broadcaster for ESPN.

The winner of the Miss USA pageant goes on to compete for Miss Universe.

 



Miami Dade College Professor Among Finalists in Chamber’s Annual Health Care Heroes® Awards

MDC_Annette_Gibson Miami, May 5, 2010 – The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s (GMCC) Healthcare & Bioscience Committee recently announced Miami Dade College (MDC) nursing professor Annette Gibson as one of several finalists for its 13th annual Health Care Heroes® Awards.  Winners will be announced May 20, 2010 at a ceremony at Jungle Island.

An MDC instructor for more than 30 years, Gibson has worked tirelessly to improve health services for the community’s most disadvantaged residents. She has spearheaded numerous partnerships in an effort to extend classroom learning into the field and create hands-on opportunities for student nurses.

She is a staunch supporter of accessible health care for the homeless, a particularly underserved population in Miami-Dade County. In 2000, Gibson forged a historic partnership between MDC’s School of Nursing, the Miami Rescue Mission, and the Miami-Dade Area Health Education Center, to start a student-operated health screening program for the homeless.

“Ms. Gibson’s devotion to Miami Dade College, The Miami Rescue Mission and to improving the health of our community is truly inspiring,” wrote Shadana James, MDC Medical Center Campus’ service-learning coordinator, in Gibson’s nomination application.

“For more than 30 years her efforts have made a remarkable impact on South Florida’s healthcare community. She is an exemplary model of transforming the community into the classroom and her efforts will be seen for years to come. Ms. Gibson is more than a health care hero, she is simply a hero.”

Gibson joins two other South Florida nurses as finalists in the Nurses category. Other categories include Health Care Professionals; Bio-Medical; Individuals of Merit; Institutions/Programs; and Youth Volunteer.

The GMCC Health Care Heroes® Awards program honors individuals, institutions, professionals, students, volunteers and programs who through their individual or collective actions have made an extraordinary impact in the South Florida health care community. Miami Dade College’s retired provost and Medical Center Campus president, Dr. Kathie Sigler, is a former honoree.

For more information about the Chamber’s Health Care Heroes Awards Luncheon, contact Tania Valenzuela at 305-577-5491 or visit www.miamichamber.com.


Promoting good health in Overtown: Dr. Nelson Adams' Walk A Mile With A Child

Walkamilelarge


 

05/08/2010

8am - 12 Noon.
Historic Overtown, Fl
Gibson Park

401 NW 12th St.
Miami, Fl 33136

Registration begins at 7:30 AM

Adults: $10   Children: Free



 Brochure and Registration Details

Sponsors Welcome -  Please contact Dr. Holder at [email protected]


POWERFUL WOMEN AND FAMILIES CHILDBIRTH CLASSES

Power U Center for Social Change is launching the POWERful Women and Families Childbirth Classes for pregnant women in Overtown and the surrounding communities. Classes will begin March 25 from 6-8pm.
 
The POWERful classes are innovative and off the beaten path of standard childbirth classes because they serve a dual purpose. The first is to share information with women about their pregnancy, birth and postpartum so that they can make informed and empowered decisions about their health and the health of their baby. The second purpose is to introduce women to social justice organizing so that they can impact positive change as leaders in their communities.

"African American women are almost four times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women," explained, Jamarah Amani, community organizer of Power U's POWERful Women and Families Program. "In Miami-Dade county, Black babies are more than twice as likely to die in the first year of life as white babies. These are human rights violations. Racism and poverty are impacting life and death in our communities. These are issues that women want to do something about."
 
The classes, which were also offered last year at Power U, will cover topics ranging from birthing options, nutrition and breastfeeding to reducing toxic housing conditions, improving neighborhood schools and negotiating fair rent prices.

"I feel more respected in these classes," stated one class participant, who is also a teen mom.
 
The classes will be taught by licensed midwife Anjali Sardeshmukh on Thursday nights at 6pm for 14 weeks at Power U Center for Social Change located at 164 NW 20th Street, Miami, FL 33127.

For more information about the POWERful Women and Families Program, visit www.poweru.org.

Vanessa Woodard Byers for MIami-Dade County School Board


Closure of Jackson North and South proposed, 4,400 jobs to be cut

Well, it would be ludicrous to think the financial problems at Jackson Health System would not come without a big cost so yesterday's announced proposal to close Jackson North and Jackson South and cut 4,400 jobs really should not come as a surprise.

This announcement is tantamount to the first blow in a fight or the first tackle in a football game. If those numbers don't get the public engaged in the resolution of this issue; nothing likely will.

It's time to speak up people. It's difficult to imagine Miami without Jackson North and South. Call your County commissioner...contact the Public Health Trust...do something.


Special message from the NAACP

By Shavon Arline, NAACP Health Care Programs Director

January has been a rough month for those of us who care about meaningful health care reform. Some cynics and beltway insiders have said that we have missed our window of opportunity; that Congress will now shift its focus on to other priorities. But this sort of attitude is not only wrong-headed, it is downright undemocratic. The pundits and beltway analysts don't decide what is on the agenda-we the people decide!!!

The NAACP will continue to push ahead for comprehensive health care for all Americans, even as these nay-sayers work to prevent it from happening this year. But we cannot do it alone. Congress needs to hear from you.

This week we need all NAACP members and supporters to make their voices heard. We have set up a toll free number for you to directly call your Member of Congress. Here's what you can do:

Call 1-866-783-2462 and ask to be connected to your Member of Congress.

Tell your Member of Congress to finish the job this year. We expect a health care reform bill that mirrors the language passed by the House of Representatives, a bill that provides for:

1. Quality, affordable health care, in reach of low- and middle-income families;
2. Accountability for insurance companies, with strong regulations and consumer protections; and
3. The competition provided by a public option.

When you're done, let us know how your conversation went. We have set up an online feedback form just for this purpose.

Health care reform is not only possible this year, it is crucial. Unless we pass a strong health care reform bill, the color of your skin, your ethnic background, and where you live will continue to influence your access to health care, as well as the quality and cost of your care. These are facts that cannot be simply "tabled" for political expediency.

For more information about Health Care reform and communities of color, please visit the NAACP's 880 Campaign website.


ALONZO MOURNING CHARITIES AND UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI HEALTH SYSTEM PARTNER TO PROVIDE HEALTH SERVICES TO CHILDREN AT OVERTOWN YOUTH CENTER

 

One of South Florida’s Leading Youth Advocates and  Medical Facility Come Together for the Community

 

MIAMI, FL (November 2, 2009) – Alonzo Mourning Charities and UHealth-University of Miami Health System have joined forces to offer vital and convenient health services to the hundreds of children and families of Miami’s Overtown Youth Center (OYC), the first youth enrichment center Mourning opened in 2003. Volunteer physicians from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s UHealth joined Alonzo Mourning and other special guests on October 29th, 2009 for the unveiling of OYC’s mini-clinic.

 

Alonzo Mourning’s dedication to South Florida’s youth paired with UHealth’s vast knowledge and excellence in medical care make for the perfect team to provide Miami’s inner-city youth who attend the Center with the health services they so desperately need. Alonzo Mourning personally spoke at the opening celebration, thanking UHealth representatives for their commitment and gave guests a tour of the new clinic. UHealth volunteer physicians were on-hand to answer questions about the various services that will be provided. Speakers at the unveiling also included Carla Penn, Executive Director of the Overtown Youth Center, Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Miller School of Medicine and CEO of UHealth and OYC parent, whose child continues to receive services, Gwen McNair.

 

Local community members were also invited to the clinic opening, and a heart-wrenching story from one OYC parent described the importance of offering these services to local children and their families. Gwen McNair, mother of two young boys and one girl who attend OYC shared the story about her son with asthma who wasn’t able to pursue his passion for sports because of ongoing concerns. Her child now receives routine check-ups and monitoring from UHealth doctors and will now be able to pursue his dream.

 

The program will bring volunteer UHealth physicians to the Overtown Youth Center three times a week to provide check-ups for enrolled children and their families.  Doctor visits will occur Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Services will include: health education, promotion of health literacy, mental health screenings and referrals, community outreach – such as linkages with school nurses, first aid for sports injuries, school physicals, pre-participation physicals for OYC recreational events, select primary care services for uninsured OYC youth and their parents, and marriage/family therapy.

 

The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, the Area Health Education Center (AHEC), the Department of Otolaryngology and the Jay Weiss Center for Social Medicine and Health Equity, all part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, are collaborating to provide services through UHealth at the Overtown Youth Center.

 

“Our partnership with the University of Miami Health System allows us to take care of our students both physically and mentally now,” said Mourning.  “We’re thankful for UHealth’s commitment to the community and look forward to the benefits OYC’s children and families will receive.”

 

“The Miller School of Medicine and UHealth-University of Miami Health System are proud to take part in this partnership with the Overtown Youth Center, working together in this way we are able to bring the best medical care to our patients and to our community, as we strive to make sure our children can be the best they can be,” said Dean Goldschmidt.  “We are honored to be able to extend our clinical and social services to the Overtown community and to partner with Alonzo Mourning Charities and the Overtown Youth Center in this effort.”

 

Alonzo Mourning Charities has a long-standing history with South Florida’s youth through the various programs they organize throughout the year and positive change they encourage. In 2003, Mourning teamed with donors to build the OYC, a state-of-the-art facility in Miami’s inner city.  OYC programs are designed to engage children in educational and recreational activities that promote their physical, cognitive, motor, social, and emotional development. The OYC’s mission is to inspire and empower youth and families by fostering hope through enrichment services.

 

For more information on the Overtown Youth Center and its services, call 305-349-1204 or visit http://overtownyouth.org.