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Dr. Sheila Pinette Director, Maine CDC Osteopathic physician Public Health Update May 3, 2012 In this update: Stroke Awareness Month Women’s health week Lyme disease Asthma Staff announcements Disease surveillance Influenza Childhood immunization champion Active Community Conference Follow us Stroke Awareness Month May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Nearly 75% of strokes occur in people who are 65 years and older. It is important for you to know the so you can react quickly if someone has a stroke. Know the it could save a life Early recognition of stroke is critical – time lost is brain lost. Stroke include SUDDEN Numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg Slurred speech Blurred vision Dizziness or loss of balance Severe headache Rapid treatment by emergency medical providers is important to survival and recovery. At any sign of stroke: Call 911 immediately. Lower your risk of having a Stroke You can help protect yourself and loved ones from stroke by knowing the risks and taking these steps Know your ABCS o Ask your doctor if you should take Aspirin every day o Find out if you have high Blood Pressure or Cholesterol, if you do, work with your doctor to treat it o If you Smoke, get help to quit Be physically active at least 30 minutes on most days Eat more fruits, vegetables and other foods low in sodium and transfat Take medicine as prescribed by your doctor For more information visit the Maine CDC Cardiovascular Health Program Website www.mainehearthealth.org or contact [EMAIL REDACTED] Help us prevent one million heart attacks and strokes over five years http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/ ---PAGE BREAK--- Women’s health week National Women’s Health Week is a nationwide observance that begins on Mother’s Day. During the week of May 13 through May 19, individuals, families, communities, and others work to help women learn how to achieve longer, healthier, and safer lives. This year’s theme is “It’s Your Time!” and encourages women to take simple steps to improve their physical and mental health and lower their risks of certain diseases. Some of these steps include: visiting a health care professional for regular checkups and preventive screenings; getting active; eating healthy; paying attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress; and avoiding unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking or not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet. For more information, visit www.womenshealth.gov Lyme disease Lyme disease is the most common vectorborne disease in Maine. Ticks are already out and we expect the number of Lyme disease cases to increase as the weather continues to get warmer. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Maine CDC issued an advisory on May 1 to provide general information regarding ticks and Lyme disease; remind providers to report cases of Lyme disease, including those diagnosed by erythema migrans; provide resources on diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease; and remind providers that Anaplasma, Babesia and other tickborne disease are also increasing in Maine. The full health alert is available at http://go.usa.gov/V4q The 2011 Lyme disease surveillance report is now available at http://go.usa.gov/VgS Information about Lyme Disease Awareness Month is available at http://go.usa.gov/yTS For general information about Lyme disease, visit http://go.usa.gov/yTh Asthma May is Asthma Awareness Month. As of 2010, about 10% of Maine adults had asthma – Maine continues to have some of the highest adult asthma rates in the country. Half of Maine adults with asthma report that their asthma is not well or very poorly controlled. Almost 27% of Maine adults with asthma report being unable to work or carry out usual activities for one or more days in the past year because of their asthma. As of 2010, about 8.5% of Maine children had asthma; 29% of these children have asthma that is not well or very poorly controlled. More than one-third (39%) of Maine school-aged children with asthma missed one or more days of school in the past year because of their asthma. With proper self-management, including regular doctor’s visits, proper medication use, and physical activity, combined with avoiding triggers, people with asthma can live a healthy, productive life with little to no disruption due to asthma. Asthma cannot be cured, but it can be managed. Visit Maine CDC’s Asthma Prevention and Control Program at http://go.usa.gov/V4d For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/Features/AsthmaAwareness/ or http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/Asthma/ Statement by US Health and Human Services’ Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Asthma Awareness Month: http://go.usa.gov/V4U ---PAGE BREAK--- Staff announcements Lori Wolanski is the new Director of the Division of Infectious Disease at Maine CDC. Ms. Wolanski had been the Outreach and Education Coordinator for Maine CDC’s School-Located Vaccine Clinic project. She has also worked to coordinate the Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Enhanced Surveillance project, managed the Influenza-Like Illness Network provider recruitment and retention effort, served as a quality improvement champion for the Division, and paved the way for a new approach to TB patient education. Her background includes a wealth of experience in health care in the private sector, including more than 25 years of leading high-performing teams through the development of partnerships and collaborative efforts in the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Christopher Pezzullo will join Maine CDC on June 18 as Medical Director for the Division of Population Health. Dr. Pezzullo will also provide consultation and assistance to other Maine CDC divisions. Dr. Pezullo has 17 years of experience in clinical medicine, including positions as Chief Medical Officer of University Health Care and Pediatric Chair at University of New England. He has a Doctor of Osteopathy degree from University of New England and has completed a residency in Pediatrics. Dr. Pezzullo’s background includes work related to quality improvement and systems changes, grant writing, leadership in health care, and he is now serving as the president of the Maine Osteopathic Association. Disease surveillance Maine CDC has posted the following surveillance reports: 2011 MRSA Surveillance report: http://go.usa.gov/V4O Reportable Diseases, March 2012: http://go.usa.gov/V4x Maine CDC has updated the notifiable conditions reporting form available at http://go.usa.gov/V4k The updated form includes a field for laboratory test name to improve data on lab tests performed and allow for better interpretation of reports. Influenza Maine CDC reported regional flu activity for the week ending April 28, with two new outbreaks reported in long term care facilities. Weekly updates on flu activity are available online: for Maine: http://go.usa.gov/NoK for the US: http://go.usa.gov/ITB for the world: http://go.usa.gov/ITK Maine CDC reminds everyone to take everyday preventive measures against the flu: Wash your hands frequently Cough and sneeze into your elbow or shoulder Stay home when you feel sick Get vaccinated Childhood immunization champion US CDC announced during National Infant Immunization Week (April 21-28) that Dr. Lawrence Losey, a board-certified pediatrician at Parkview Adventist Medical Center in Brunswick, has been recognized as Maine’s Childhood Immunization Champion. Dr. Losey was nominated by Maine CDC and is the first Mainer to earn this distinction. Since 1994, the last week in April has been designated by US CDC to recognize the importance of immunization and to deliver a call to action to parents, caregivers, and health care providers to ensure that infants are fully immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases. Dr. Losey spearheaded efforts to build a bridge connecting private insurance companies with Maine CDC’s Immunization Program to supply most of the early childhood vaccines to all Maine children. For more than seven years he served as a mediator, navigating the way for both the public and private sectors. For more information: http://go.usa.gov/V2i ---PAGE BREAK--- Active Community Conference Maine's Active Community Conference will be held May 31 at University of Southern Maine's Abromson Conference Center in Portland. A full session will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., and is targeted primarily for professionals working in local policy, programs, and infrastructure that impact Active Community Environments. An evening session from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. is designed for elected officials and citizen volunteers who are so critical to this effort but who may not be able to attend a full daytime conference. Public and private sector professionals in the fields of Public Health, Transportation, Parks & Recreation, Planning, Public Safety, Economic Development and Public Works, as well as Elected Officials, Citizens, City and Town Mangers, Business Owners and others interested in improving their communities should attend. The cost is $40 for the full day session and $10 for the evening session. For more information: To register: L-R, former Maine CDC Director (1996-2011) Dr. Dora Mills; current Maine CDC Director Dr. Sheila Pinette; and former Maine CDC Director (1990-1996) Dr. Lani Graham, were together at a recent event honoring Dr. Bob McAfee. Follow us Follow Maine CDC’s Social Media Updates: Facebook: www.facebook.com/MaineCDC Twitter: http://twitter.com/MEPublicHealth Blog: http://mainepublichealth.blogspot.com ---PAGE BREAK--- You may subscribe to these updates for free through an RSS feed at http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/rss.php?tid=1049. In Internet Explorer and Firefox, you will be prompted to Subscribe to the Feed and then select the folder where feeds are stored. For clinical consultation and outbreak management guidance, call Maine CDC’s toll-free 24-hour phone line: 1-[PHONE REDACTED]