Health & Wellness
Healthbeat
Harwell new head of clinical
laboratory sciences at WSSU
Dr. George A. Harwell, former chairman, program
director, associate professor in the Department of
Clinical Laboratory Sciences at University of South
Alabama, Mobile, has been
recently appointed Chair of
the Department of Clinical
Laboratory Sciences at
Winston-Salem State
University.
Harwell has served as an
educator, technologist or
administrator for more than
three decades in the fields of
Clinical Laboratory Science
and Higher Education During
that time, he has served as
chair or in leadership roles at a
Harwell
number or institutions including university ot 5>outh
Alabama, Mobile; University of Tennessee Health
Sciences Center, Memphis; University of Texas El
Paso and University of Colorado, Denver. A well
known lecturer who has presented around the country,
Harwell has taught or directed at least 20 courses and
programs
He has received several honors, served on a num
ber of committees and holds multiple board certifica
tions.
Harwell received his B.S. in biology and MS
degree in medical technology from University of
Southern Mississippi, and his D. Ed. in educational
administration from Texas Tech.
Survey: Baptist is among
top 125 hospitals in the nation
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
has been named one of the leading hospitals in
America according to a Consumers' Checkbook sur
vey reported in the May /June 2009 issue of AARP
The Magazine.
Consumers' Checkbook, a non-profit research
organization, rated hospitals in the nation's 53 largest
metropolitan areas and came up with the top 125 hos
pitals across the nation.
In North Carolina, hospitals in three metropolitan
areas were rated: the Triangle area, the
Greensboro/Winston-Salem area and Mecklenburg
County (Charlotte). Wake Forest Baptist and High
Point Regional Health System both made the list.
The hospitals were given ratings for five criteria,
doctor recommendations, patient recommendations,
proper tests and procedures carried out, complications
I in major cases, and death rate for high-risk cases.
For Wake Forest Baptist, 93 percent of doctors
surveyed rated the institution as very good or excel
lent while 87 percent of patients said they would rec
ommend it.
ALS Association names Gilbert
as its new president and CEO
CALABASAS HILLS, Calif. - Jane H. Gilbert
has been appointed president and chief executive offi
cer of The ALS Association
She joins the Association after serving as the sen
ior vice president for chapter
Gilbert
operations tor the American
Red Cross in Washington, D.C.
In that post, which she occu
pied from 2005-2008, Gilbert
was responsible for eight serv
ice areas and 760 chapters,
leading a professional team of
more than 350 full-time
employees, managing a budget
of $900 million and directing
the administration of more
than $30 million in chapter
grants.
As president and CEO of The Association, Gilbert
has responsibility for the strategic direction and oper
ations of the organization which directs the largest
privately-funded research program into ALS and a
national network of 42 chapters that deliver an array
of service? to people living with ALS. At the national
level, Gilbert will oversee the Association's activities
in research, advocacy, finance, development, commu
nity services, patient services, communications and
operations
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which took
the life of baseball legend Lou Gehrig, is a progres
sive, neurodegenerative disease that afflicts 30j000
people in America.
Mayor proclaims April
as 4 Donate Life Month' ]
Mayor Allen Joines has proclaimed April as
Donate Life Month in the City of Winston-Salem. The
proclamation is the result of a joint effort between
Mayor Joines and Carolina Donor Services (CDS),
the region's federally designated organ and tissue
donation agency.
Currently, more than 3, (XX) people are waiting for
a transplant in North Carolina and more than IOOjOOO
people are waiting across the United States.
Approximately 18 people die every day awaiting a
life-saving transplant
The proclamation provides an opportunity to bring
Ktion locally to the fact that April is National
ite Life month, says CDS, and it will promote the
aving benefits of organ and tissue donation and
increase the awareness <>t the tremendous need for
donation in our state I he proclamation honors
donors for their generous gift, and encourages the cit
izens of Winston-Salem to consider registering to be a
donor through the DMV or www.donatelifenc.oig.
Church to host free health fair
CHRONICLE STAFF RHPORT
The Family Life
Enrichment Center of Zion
Memorial Baptist Church, 101
N. Dunleith Ave., is sponsor
ing a Community Health Fair
on Saturday. April 4 from 10
a m to 2 p.m. The health fair
is open to the public.
The event will place an
emphasis on health and safety
from a holistic perspective ,
including emotional, mental,
physical, social and spiritual
needs. A variety of health care
providers will be on hand,
manning display booths, dis
tributing information about
health and safety and perform^
ing screenings for things such
as depression, diabetes, hyper
tension and stress.
Information on topics such as
aging, caregiving, disease pre
vention and management,
employment, finances, health
and wellness; substance abuse
prevention; retirement and
end-of-life concerns will be
? i
available as well. A physical
fitness demonstration will be
presented emphasizing the use
of inexpensive, readily avail
able items found in the home.
A number of workshops are
planned with topics designed
to appeal to everyone. "Coping
and Spiritual Support,"
"Budgeting to Survive on
Less," "Chronic Disease Self
Management: and "Falls and
Home Fire Prevention" are the
subjects of some of the work
shops designed for adults.
Workshops for kids and
teens are also slated. They will
focus on topics like nutrition,
health and wellness and coping
skills to combat peer pressure.
Door prizes, refreshments and
other incentives will be avail
able to attendees.
For additional information,
call the church at 336-725
7390 between 9 a.m. and 2
p.m. Rev. Dr. Joseph Jones is
the pastor of Zion Memorial.
' I
Why dental
evaluations,
cleanings
are important
April is National Public Health
Month. Through this month, The
Chronicle ' will he featuring a series of
relevant columns from the Forsyth
County Department of Public Health .
Each week in April, residents can visit
the lobby of the Health Department to
learn more about various health top
ics. This week's (April 1-7) topics are
dental, laboratory, disease surveil
lance, pharmacy services and disaster
management.
Oral health plays a very important
role in the overall health of every per
son. Recent studies reveal that having
periodontal disease (gum disease) rais
es the risk of developing atherosclero
sis (hardening of the arteries), stroke,
and having a heart attack. Early data
from others studies are showing that
periodontal disease may increase a
woman's risk of having preterm, low
birth weight infant.
What is periodontal disease and
what is its incidence?
Periodontal disease is an infection
caused by bacteria living in our
mouths. When these bacteria form
colonies in the canal around each tooth
where the gum meets the tooth, called
the gum sulcus, they trigger inflamma
tion. This inflammation causes the
gums to become red and often includes
swelling and bleeding of the gum tis
sue. If not quickly treated, periodontal
disease can lead to the loss of bone
around the tooth's root and eventually
in the loss of the tooth. Research has
shown that periodontal disease is
widespread among US adults. The
National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey (NHANES)
found that 35 percent of US adults
with teeth between 30 and 90 years old
have periodontal disease. The survey
also showed that African-American
and Mexican-American males tended
to have poorer oral health than the rest
of thft. population, which may place
them at higher risk of periodontal dis
ease.
What are the risk factors and signs
of periodontitis?
Risk factors are characteristics that
make developing a disease more like
ly. In terms of periodontal disease, risk
factors include:
? Older age
? Decreased immunity (as with
leukemia or HIV)
? Family history of periodontal dis
Sec Drntal on All
Students in Service
A&T Photo
North Carolina A&T State University nursing students were busy at the recent
Hampton Homes Community Forum, where they prepared poster presentations on
HIV/AIDS, safe sexual practices and provided blood pressure screenings and healthy
living tips. Pictured are Professor Mary Wall, from left, with students Crystal Bailey ,
Shakiera Whyte and Whitney Wallace. Students Elizabeth Kotey, Brittany Tyson ,
Krizia Webster, Jenee Jones, Tatiana Washington and Ciera Lloyd also took part.
Health Care Vocabulary:
What Does it All Mean?
Every day we are flooded with informa
tion about certain diseases, illnesses and
health conditions, but how often do we
understand the basic terms
that go along with these
health problems? A key
part of being empowered
to take care of your health
and the health of your
loved ones is understand
ing your health care
vocabulary. Knowing the
basics can help you be
more informed about your
health status and how to
talk with your doctor about the best way to
manage your care.
Blood Pressure - is the pressure the
blood puts on your blood vessels as it is
pumped through your body. Your blood pres
sure reading has two numbers. Blood pres
sure numbers are reported as
millimeters of mercury
(mmHg). The top (systolic)
number represents the pressure
while the heart contracts to
pump blood to the body. The
bottom (diastolic) number is the
pressure when the heart relaxes
between beats. A healthy blood
pressure is around 120/80
mmHg.
Cholesterol - is a soft, fat
like, waxy substance found in the blood
stream and in all your body's cells. There are
See Health terms on A9
Hospice giving free help with living wills
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT _
Hospice & Palliative CareCenter is offer
ing informal advance care planning sessions
this spring to provide information on how to
go aDoui plan
ning for health
care decisions,
the Living Will,
and Health Care
Power of
Attorney.
Staff will be
on hand to
explain these
documents. In
addition, a
notary will be
present to assist
anyone interest
ed in completing
the documents.
A Living Will is a document in which one
specifies which life-prolonging measures
one does, and does not, want to be taken if
one becomes terminally ill or incapacitated.
Health Care Power of Attorney gives author
ization to a family member or friend to make
* ,? . ? -? ?? . ? ,*
medical and other health care decisions for
an individual when he or she is unable to do
so.
The sessions, free of charge, will be held
at Hospice & Palliative CareCenter's
Williams
Education and
Counseling
Center, 101
Hospice Lane, in
Winston-Salem.
The sessions
will be held:
Friday, April 3,
at 11:30 a.m.;
Tuesday, April
14, at 10 a.m.;
Tuesday, April
21 at 5:30 p.m.;
Friday, May 1, at
11:30 a.m.;
Tuesday, May 12, at 10 a.m.; Tuesday, May
19, at 5:30 p.m.; Friday, June 5, at 11:30
a.m.; Tuesday, June 9, at 10 a.m. and
Tuesday, June 16, at 5:30 p.m.
To make a reservation or for further
information, call 336-768-6157, ext. 622.