Are You Up- to- date?
August is National Immunization Awareness Month
With the summer break coming to a close and the new school year about to start, most parents agree that it is important to make sure that our children are up-to-date on their vaccinations…but are you up-to-date on yours? August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) and OWH would like to remind Hoosiers of the importance of immunizations and that EVERYONE needs to be current on their vaccinations.
One common misconception is that immunizations are just for kids. Immunizations are needed across the lifespan, from infancy to old age. We all need immunizations to keep us healthy and strong. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cites immunization as one of the top ten public health achievements of the 20th century; however, the number of people dying from vaccine- preventable diseases is staggering. In the United States, approximately 40,000 adults die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases and 200,000 people are hospitalized each year because of influenza, with most hospitalizations occuring for those aged 65 years and over.
Vaccines offer a true value in that vaccines offer a method of prevention, and it is always better to prevent a disease rather than to treat it. Vaccines are responsible for the control, and in some cases, the eradication of many infectious diseases that were once common in the United States such as: polio, measles, rubella and small pox. Maintaining a high immunization rate protects the entire community and reduces the risk that unimmunized people will be exposed to disease causing-agents.
As women, it is important that we stay healthy for our families by maintaining protection against: seasonal flu, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, shingles, HPV, pneumonia and hepatitis B. In addition, depending on factors such as age, lifestyle, occupation, medical condition, type and location of travel, specific immunizations might be required. This is why it is important that women discuss their immunization needs with their physician. To view the current recommended immunization schedule please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/index.html.
Once you have become up-to-date with your vaccination schedule, it is always important to keep a personal copy of your immunization record. Thanks to a new tool launched by the Indiana State Department of Health, MyVaxIndiana, Hoosiers can now use a convenient and efficient web-based tool to access their vaccination records. To use MyVaxIndiana one first needs to obtain a Patient Identification Number (PIN) from his/her healthcare provider. Second, visit MyVaxIndiana and enter your information, PIN and review the record release statement. Third, just print or fax a copy of your record. We urge everyone to stay up-to-date with immunizations. Immunizations protect the entire community!
H.E.R.S. (Health Education, Resources and Services) for HER
The Boone County Community Clinic (BCCC), located in Lebanon is one of a few stand-alone, state-funded, nurse-led Community Health Centers in Indiana. Under the direction of Bambi McQuade-Jones, DNP, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow, the BCCC’s model of care is centered on utilizing evidence-based medicine and health care innovation to provide the highest quality care to every patient, every day, regardless of their ability to pay. Patient visits at the BCCC have doubled in the past five years from 2,469 visits in 2007 to an expected 5,000+ visits in 2012. In response to 70 percent of their population being underserved women, the BCCC developed the ISDH-MCH funded H.E.R.S. (Health Education, Resources and Services) for HER program, which began operations in January 2012.
H.E.R.S. for HER is an intensive integrated health care intervention model founded upon the Life Course Perspective that aims to improve the health trajectories of uninsured, underinsured and Medicaid eligible women of childbearing age (14-44). Specific program goals aim to reduce smoking, obesity, unplanned pregnancies, short interval births, and increase the number of women receiving preconception and interconception counseling in our target population. More than 17 local, state, national and federal organizations are involved in carrying out the program. Over the course of 12 months, every woman in the program will be eligible for six extended integrated health care visits (one hr per visit) with women’s health and behavioral health care specialists (this includes their annual well-woman visit – pap smear, clinical breast exam, genetic breast cancer risk assessment), free membership to the local YMCA, free weekly yoga classes and access to a free solution focused brief therapy change group. In addition to these services, H.E.R.S. for HER is now offering complementary integrated prenatal and postnatal care. H.E.R.S. for HER Prenatal seeks to enhance traditional prenatal/postnatal health care to promote healthier pregnancies and improved birth outcomes among underserved women.
With zero out-of-pocket cost for women with state insurances and a maximum of $80 out-of-pocket expenses for uninsured women, H.E.R.S. for HER is a cost-effective solution for improving access to health care and ending health disparities among medically underserved women. For more information, visit the dedicated website at www.boonecountyclinic.org or email the Program Coordinator, Donald Garrett, at dgarrett@co.boone.in.us.  ~ PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING BLOOD ~
Blood donations are at the lowest level in U.S. history. Did you know one pint of blood can help up to three people? Join the OWH and raise your sleeve to donate. To schedule a donation, please visit DonorPoint.org
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