Health Matters

News and Notes Volume 1I, Issue VI December 2010

 The School
Health Program
is discussed dur-
Dental Services offers care, hope
ing December’s “I had to go ask for help.
“We Know Health I have never asked for help
in my whole life...If it were-
Matters,” CHD’s n’t for the Cincinnati Health
show on CitiCa- Department, I don’t know
ble Time Warner what I’d have done,” Glenn
Channel 23. Winnigham, a Price Hill
Health Center patient, said.
Playback times: This sentiment is ex-
pressed among many CHD
M– 9, 11 a.m. patients, two thirds of whom
are uninsured and have few
W– 5 p.m. other options for care.
The Health Department
Th.– 12 p.m. created a brief video about Joyce came to McMicken Dental Center in 2004
CHD’s Dental Services, led through the Drop Inn Center's program for women.
F– 9 a.m. by Dental Director Nancy She now works for Levi's in Hebron, KY. Joyce has
Carter, that is posted on been clean off drugs for seven years, and still has the
Su.– 3 p.m.
weknowhealthmatters.com. original denture that was made for her. She says no
Dental care is critical one knows she has dentures unless she tells them.
since dental-related pain or
infection is one of the top
five reasons for emergency HIV tests for World AIDS Day
room visits. Regular dental
Follow CHD on Twit- care can prevent against
ter at twitter.com/ gum disease, which has
CinciHealthDept been linked to lung disease,
heart disease, strokes, low
birth weight and premature
births. Dental care can also
increase self-image, helping
people find jobs.
At the six CHD dental
If you have an item centers, employees provide
you would like to in- 7,500 emergency care en-
clude e-mail Rocky counters and 28,000 com-
Merz at prehensive care encounters
rocky.merz@ for 12,000 patients annu- CHD raised awareness for World AIDS Day, Dec. 1,
cincinnati-oh.gov. ally. by offering free, confidential HIV, Syphilis and other
CHD also provides den- STD testing at the Clement Health Center.
A special thanks to tal care for children. The Health Department employees were guests on the
Gail Long-Cook for sealant program for Cincin- “Lincoln Ware Show” on the Buzz 1230AM and dis-
contributing the Food nati Public School Children cussed, HIV, STDs, lead, school nurses and bed
provides sealants, a decay bugs.
Safety tips. preventive procedure, for The above picture is of Lincoln Ware (left) and
3,600 students annually. Health Commissioner Dr. Maseru (right).
 Page 2 Health Matters

Holiday food safety tips In memory

The holiday season is CHD remembers Julie
full of holiday entertain- Klingenbeck, a Dental
ment with lots of home- Assistant/CRR at Price
prepared food. These Hill Health Center who
busy and hectic times can passed away on Thurs-
lead to potential food- day, Nov. 18 after a year
borne illnesses. However, long battle with cancer.
preventing a foodborne She leaves behind two
illness in our homes dur- children Emily (18 years
ing the holidays can eas- old) and Kayla (15 years
ily be avoided by follow- old). A fund for her chil-
ing some simple practices dren has been estab-
to keep food safe and lished at PNC Bank.
your holidays happy. If you would like to
prevent illnesses. Don't cabinets or fridge until make a donation to this
HYGIENE let bacteria spread from you’ve washed your fund, Dental Director
Hand washing is the one food to another, es- hands. Remember to Nancy Carter (B&K 2nd
simplest way to prevent pecially, raw meat, poultry clean faucet handles that floor) would be more than
many food borne ill- and seafood. Keep raw you touched to wash your happy to accept dona-
foods and their juices hands. tions on behalf of the fam-
nesses. Wash hands
away from ready-to-eat Use disposable towels ily.
thoroughly and frequently. CHD’s employees
foods. to clean kitchen surfaces.
Wash before, during and thoughts are with Julie’s
Prepare raw foods Soiled cloth towels, wash
after food preparation, after ready-to-eat foods, family and friends.
cloth and sponges can
especially after touching including finger sand- harbor and spread bacte-
raw food. wiches and appetizers. ria.
Minimize touching
Employee
Wash hands after Provide serving uten-
loading soiled dishes into ready-to-eat foods while sils for all finger foods.
placing on serving trays.
recognition
your dishwasher. Wash
No need to rinse off SERVING
after touching bare body
poultry, meat or fish. Food out of its proper
parts and after touching Bacteria contaminants temperature for too long is
your pet. are killed at temperatures a food safety problem. CHD recognizes and
Wash with hot water hotter than faucet water Keep hot foods at thanks Vernell Moore in
and soap. Lather hands, provides. Rinsing raw 135OF and above. the Central Lab for her
wrists and between fin- foods may generate ran- Keep cold foods at hard work in raising
gers for 20 seconds. dom splashes—cross- 41OF and below. Food money for the Making
contaminating surround- that is between 41OF Strides Against Breast
ing surfaces. and135OF is in the danger Cancer Walk, sponsored
THAWING FOOD Unwrap raw meats, zone. by the American Cancer
Thaw foods in the re- poultry and fish in the Minimize time food is Society.
frigerator; under running sink; throw out the pack- left out at room tempera- CHD’s goal was $500,
water; in a microwave; aging. ture (danger zone) to pre- but ended up raising
then cook immediately. Use separate cutting vent pathogen growth more than $900! Moore
Never defrost food at boards and utensils for which may cause a food raised $416 herself.
room temperature. different foods. Use one borne illness. Members of the team
for each raw meat or fish, For cold food, prepare were: Moore, Ellen Ber-
CROSS CONTAMINA- another for fresh produce, and refrigerate several inger and Denisha Gar-
TION another for bread. small trays of similar food. land in Health Promo-
Avoiding bacterial Minimize touching Set out one at a time to tions, Gina Pratt in Spe-
cross contamination is anything after touching help keep food at proper cial Programs and Millie
another easy practice to raw foods. Don’t open temperature. Olds in the Central Lab.