Health & Wellness
Healthbe;
CenterPoint/Forsvth County
aw ard for Patient Assistance
The National Association of Counties has i
nl CciiterPoint Human Sen ices and Forsyth I
a 2(K)9 NACo Achievement Award for the
ship-operated Patient \sMsiance Program
offers free medications to persons in need.
CentcrPoint Human Services, an age
manages Mental Health. Developmental
and Substance Abuse Services in Forsy
partners with the Forsyth County Pharmacy I
the Patient Assistance Program. The pr
formally in FY 06 and has increased its free
tion distribution each year. In FY 2008, ^
value of free pharmaceuticals distributed to
in need exceeded $2.2 million ??
The program utilizes free medication
from pharmaceutical representatives and
medication assistance programs offered
major pharmaceutical companies to stock
mately 30 medications. County staff dis
medications through the pharmacy as
phy sician, while CenterPoint employees help |
by electronically creating and submitting i
e applications and submitting th
ipating pharmaceutical companies.
| Forsyth Dems healthcare del
The Forsyth County Democratic Party 1
Healthcare Reform Roundtable on this
(Thursday, July 23) at 6 p.m. at the local
Headquarters. 1 128 Burke Street.
thcare reform, which is currently
on Capitol Hill, is one of the most
| issues facing our state, county and country I
party officials. The public is invited to join the c
sion to learn more about the topic and exp
ions regarding the current health care plan I
cussed in the U.S. House and
A panel of doctors and patients will lead the <
sion.
Contact the Forsyth County Democratic
336-724-5941 for more information.
Wood joins Homestead Hills
Homestead Hills, an all-inclusive, luxury ret
ment community in Winston-Salem owned and i
ated by Senior Living Communities, has I
Malissa Wood as assistant director of nursing, fs
In her new role, 1
Wood
help residents live I
healthier and happier lr
ensuring quality residen
Reporting to the
nursing. Wood will .
direct and evaluate I
activities for the con
assisted-living and
care units while
compassionate |
ensuring full complii
federal, state and lc
Prior to joining Homestead Hills, Wood i
a licensed practical nurse (LPN) at
Mary field in High Point: Maxim Medial
Greensboro; and Hillcrest Convalescent
Her well-rounded approach to patient care s
from a comprehensive education in long-l
and assisted living from the University of
Carolina at Chapel Hill. Wood plans to conti
education by enrolling in a Masters of Healtl
graduate program in August 2010.
Hospice to hold golf tourney
Hospice & Palliative CareCenter is
2(X)9 Golf Classic on Friday, Aug. 7, at Reynolds 1
Golf Course in Winston-Salem to raise money to t
efit patient care.
The tournament - captain's choice - is open I
first 112 people (28 teams of four) to register,
in and lunch begin at 1.1:30 a.m. with a she
at 1 pm. The cost is $75 per person ($300 for a 1
of four) and includes green fees, carts. In
bags. range balls, hole contests, door prizes,
awards. Beet%iav be purchased on the course.
To register for the 2009 Golf Classic or I
teer for the event, contact Carolyn Breese at I
1322.
Free clinics being swamped
DANBURY, Conn. ( AP) - Health' insurance s
doctors were unthinkable luxuries for
Anderson of Redding, laid off nearly a year ago \
his book distribution company filed for I
Like countless others stripped of health ir
ause of the recession. Anderson and his
forced to turn to a free health clinic. In all
Americans are expected to visit the i
free health clinics this year ? a
as clinics face a drop-off in financial
"Over the last year, free clinics have
increase by 40 to 50 percent," said Ni<
executive director of the
of Free Clinics. "People who
he;ilth coverage are now out of
have their health care needs met."
Anderson. 48. who had high blood j
wife, who contracted pneumonia,
a necessity
felt like we were teetering on the*
all the other bills we had to pay f
those hospital bills too, that
said Anderson, who 4
Study: Positive
THOUGHTS INCREASE
RESILIENCE
SPBC1A1 IO IHI C MKOMC I L - J
People who seed their life with frequent
moments of positive emotions increase their
resilience against
challenges, according
to a new study bv a
University of North
Carolina at Chapel
Hill psychologist and
her colleagues.
The study,
H a p p 4 n e s s
Unpacked: Positive
Emotions Increase
Life Satisfaction In
Building Resilience,"
appears in the June
issue of the bimonthly
journal Emotion.
"This stud) shows
that if happiness is
something you want
out of life, then focus
ing daily on the small
moments and cultivat
ing positive emotions
is the way to go," said
Barbara Fredriekson,
Ph.D.. Kenan
D i s t i n g.u i s h e d
Professor of
Psychology in UNC's.
College of Arts and
Sciences and the prin-.
cipal investigator of
the Positive Emotions
ana rsycnopnysioiogy Laooraiory. inose smaii
moments let positive emotions blossom, and that
helps us become more open. That openness then
helps us build resources that can help us rebound
better from adversity and stress v ward off depression
and continue to grow."
In the month long study, 86 participants were
asked to submit daily "emotion reports." rather than
answering general questions like, "Over the last few
months, how much
joy aiu you reei .
"Getting those
daily reports helped
us gather more accu
rate recollections of
feelings and allowed
us to capture emo
tional ups and
downs," said
Fredrickson. a lead
ing expert in the field
of -positive psycholo
gy
Building up a"
daily diet of positive
emotions does not
require banishing
negative emotions,
she said. The study
helps show that to be
happy, people do not
need to adopt a
"Pti'llyanna-ish"
approach and deny
the upsetting aspects
of life.
"The levels of
positive emotions that
produced good bene
fits weren't extreme.
Participants with
average and stable
levels of positive
emotions still showed growth in resilience even
when their days included negative emotions."
Fredrickson suggested focusing on the "micro
moments" that can help unlock one positive emotion
See Happy on All
Protect black babies with vaccinations
At first glance, the numbers
are dispiriting: African Americans
have 2.3-times the infant mortali
ty rate as non-Hispanic white
Americans. They are four-times
as likely to die of complications
related to low birth weight as
Caucasian infants.
These statistics from the
Office of Minority Health paint a
bleak picture, one that is further
reinforced by the fact that African
American mothers are 2.6-times
more likely than Caucasian moth
ers to begin prenatal care fate or
not at all.
With that in mind, it's lime for
a dose of encouragement. Let the
change begin in August, during
National Immunization
Awareness Month. What do infant
Corliss
Hill
Guest
Columnist
mortality and immunization have
in common? A lot, in fact.
Neonatal care begins well before
a baby is born and helps to ensure
that an infant is born healjhy.
Immunization begins during a
baby's first months and ensures
that a child remains healthy.
Failure to receive either effective
neonatal care or early immuniza
tion can go a long way toward
contributing to infant and early
childhood mortality.
Sadly, African Americans
with lower incomes lag behind
when it comes to immunization as
well. A recent survey from the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) National
Immunization found that only
73.9 percent of African American
children received a complete
series of recommended vaccina
tions compared with 77.4 percent
of Hispanic children and 77.9 per
cent of Caucasian children.
The CDC explained the dis
parity this way: Children who live
below the poverty level are less
See Immunizations on A10
Anxiety
Disorders
Anxiety disorders are very
prevalent in today's society, yet
th'ese conditions are frequently
misunderstood" and even stig
matized. While we all experi
ence anxiety? it's our body's
natural reaction to a stressful
situation? an "anxiety disor
der" is diagnosed when our
at) x lets becomes so significant
that it interferes with our daily
functioning. There does not
appear to be a disparity in the
prevalence of anxiety disorders
between African Americans
and whites; in fact, African
Americans may be less likely
to experience these conditions
than their white counterparts.
Still, the National Comorbidity
Survey-Replication (NCS-R )
estimates that nearly 30 percent
of all Americans suffer from
some form of anxiety disorder.
What are the types of
anxiety disorders?
There are five major types
of anxiety disorders: general
ized anxiety disorder (GAD),
obsessive-compulsive disorder
(OCD), panic disorder, post
traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). and social phobia. We
have discussed OCD. panic
disorder, and PTSD in prev ious
articles. Briefly. OCD is char
acterized by obsessions (recur
rent thoughts) and compulsions
(behaviors that the person feels
"compelled" to perform regu
larly). With panic disorder, a
person develops sudden, fre
quent panic attacks that impede
his or her daily functioning.
According to the American
Psychological Association
(APA), signs that you may be
having a panic attack include:
- Racing heartbeat or heart
palpitations
- Difficulty breathing: feel
ings of terror or severe dread
- Dizziness, lightheaded
ness, or nausea
- Trembling, shaking, or
sweating
- Feelings of choking or
chest pain
- Hot flashes or sudden
chills
- Tingling in fingers or toes
- Fear that you are going
crazy or are going to die
PTSD is a type of anxiety
disorder that many people
develop after they are exposed
to a traumatic event, such as a
violent accident, a war. or a
personal assault. People suffer
ing from PTSD may experi
ence vivid recollections (such
as nightmares or "flashbacks")
of their incident, feelings of
numbness or detachment from
others, or higher than usual
reactivity (for example, they
may startle easily).
According to the National
Institute of Mental Health
(NIMH), generalized anxiety
disorder (GAD) is a condition
that features "chronic anxiety.
Sec Anxiety on A10
Grant will help med
school fight hypertension
M'l ( I \i ft? THE CHRONIC! I
The Hypertension and Vascular Research
Center at Wake Forest University School of
Medicine has received renewal of a multi-million
dollar grant from the
Ferrario
National Heart. Lung and
Blood Institute of the
National Institutes of
Health to continue the
development of new
approaches to treat
hypertension and vascu
lar disease. The program
is in its 16th year of exis
tence at the School of
Medicine.
The $6,643 million
grant, a five-year renew
al of an existing award.
will provide major funding for the center's basic
science component. It will support ongoing proj
ects that investigate the causes and cures of high
blood pressure and vascular disease, including the
mechanisms of blood pressure regulation and the
See (?rant on All
Riding for A Reason ;
Hospice of Davidvtfi Rmln
More than 200 motorcycle enthusiasts were on hand for the weekend
Hospice of Davidson County 2nd Annual Ride for Angels Fundraiser. The
event, which also drew several hundred non-riders, was held at the Denton
Farmpark in Davidson County.