SPRING 2008
OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
RYAN WHITE CARE PROGRAM HEALTHY START OF NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA CENTRAL HEALTHY START RURAL HEALTH PARTNERSHIP OF NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA
A Message
Steven Oliva, C E O
Traumatic Brain Injury in veterans
Black infant mortality has moved to the forefront of pressing health issues in the state of Florida. House Bill 1269 appropriated $1 million to the Florida Department of Health for the formation of the Black Infant Health Practice Collaborative to develop local initiatives to address the high rate of black infant mortality in urban and rural areas. Counties identified with average nonwhite infant mortality rates of at least 1.75 times greater than the white infant mortality rate between 2003 and 2005 qualified for this Collaborative. Putnam County was identified to be part of this Collaborative. From 2004-2006, Putnam County had the highest infant mortality rate in the state and black babies in the county died at a rate that is 2.7 times higher than whites. Other counties identified to participate include: MiamiDade, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Palm Beach, Orange and Gadsden. Learn more about the Putnam County initiative in the article on the back page. The initiative will culminate with a community forum at the end of May in Palatka and our next newsletter will feature an overview of the initiative.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has been dubbed the “signature wound” of the Iraq war. The seriousness of this type of injury was brought to the public's attention when ABC reporter Bob Woodruff sustained a TBI while covering the war in Iraq in 2006. Woodruff spent five weeks in a medically induced coma as a result of a life-threatening TBI he sustained from a roadside bomb. Woodruff is one of many returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with a TBI. Concrete numbers for
total TBIs sustained in combat are hard to come by. The Bob Woodruff Family Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury website at www.bobwoodrufffamilyfund.org reports that “Sixty percent of the service members wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom have sustained blast injuries, and twothirds of them have TBI, according to the Department of Defense.” According to a report in October to the Congressional Budget Office, Projecting the Costs to Care for
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Calendar
March 2008
17th Annual HIV Conference This conference is designed to increase the knowledge and skills of HIV healthcare providers, with a continued focus on clinical care. Participation can be customized with four distinct tracks. March 28-29, Orlando For more information, visit www.FAETC.org/Conference
TBI in vets has long-term consequences for survivors, family, friends and society, cont.
Congressional Budget—costs in terms of individual lives affected, of overburdened programs that serve individuals with TBI, of lost productivity, and for taxpayers who pay for the care and disability of veterans with TBI if they cannot hold jobs. TBI not only significantly impacts the life of the survivor but the lives of family members and friends. The Brain Injury Association of Florida (BIAF) has a toll free helpline 1-800-992-3442 for family members or survivors to discuss their needs and issues with a person who is familiar with the challenges faced by individuals with TBI and their families. BIAF can supply you with needed information by sending you resources or referring you to others who can help. The helpline can also connect with your local Family Support Specialist or the nearest brain injury support group. You can visit BIAF online at www.biaf.org for more information. Veterans of US Military Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the rate of TBI diagnosis is 8.2 percent among all wounded troops (through December 2006). The report adds that “some TBIs, however, are difficult to diagnose and may go unrecognized unless screening is performed after a soldier returns to the United States from deployment.” Soldiers returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are at greater risk for brain injury than the soldiers from previous wars because of frequent exposures to blasts from improvised explosive devices (IEDs), rocket propelled grenades, land mines, missiles, and artillery shells. It is the exposure to these IEDs in combination with improved body protection and improved medical services that have led to more military personnel sustaining and surviving TBIs. In other words, more soldiers are surviving injuries now and living with the long-term effects. TBIs are sometimes difficult to detect. Blasts can cause “closed head injuries” with no external sign of trauma. Often times when there is not an open head wound, cases go undiagnosed, particularly if symptoms do not present immediately. Symptoms of TBI include loss of attentiveness, headaches, dizziness, confusion, balance problems, loss of memory, and irritable or violent behavior. The effects of TBI may significantly impact the persons' personality and behavior, which may make simple everyday tasks difficult or impossible. The normal way of life for these individuals may no longer exist. The costs of troops returning home with TBIs will impact us in more ways than were outlined in the report for the The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) is a group of seven TBI programs in Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and two civilian TBI rehabilitation programs. The DVBIC is working collaboratively to provide and improve TBI care for active duty military and reserve personnel, veterans, and their eligible beneficiaries. Each facility provides comprehensive brain injury evaluations and those admitted to TBI inpatient rehabilitation programs will receive the appropriate rehabilitation services. In Florida, the James A. Haley VA hospital in Tampa houses one of the DVBIC program sites. People with TBI who are served with Tri-Care or VA benefits may be referred to the DVBIC program by primary care physicians, other health care providers, family members, or by self-referral. You may contact the site directly or contact the DVBIC headquarters at 1-800-870-9244 or info@dvbic.org.
Lindsey Michaels, MPH, MA, CHES Community Initiatives, WellFlorida
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month
Brain Injury Association of Florida’s (BIAF) symbol for this year’s brain injury awareness campaign is a wonderful icon of the month of March—a kite. The kite was chosen because it requires people to look up, it’s a work of art and is resilient. Winston Churchill once said, “Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it.” This is true of survivors and families who overcome adversity every day and, like a kite, soar upward in spite of their challenges. Be active and promote brain injury awareness month in your community. Visit BIAF’s website at www.biaf.org for materials promoting Brain Injury Awareness Month. Or call 1-954-786-2401 and BIAF will mail you a packet of materials.
May 2008
Keeping with the Pace: An HIV Update Learn about the major topics relevant to the management of HIV, including antiretroviral therapy, HIV testing information, legal issues, co-morbid conditions, complications of HIV disease, and therapeutic interventions. May 7, Gainesville For more information, visit http://www.faetc.org/kwp/ 31st Annual Rural Health Conference This conference will focus on health professions, emerging health technology and telemedicine, best practices in rural clinical practice, healthcare policy and its effect on rural providers, healthcare system change, management, rural health research, and rural health disaster planning. Information and instruction on a variety of subjects will be offered. May 7-10, New Orleans, LA For more information, visit http://www.nrharural.org/conferen ces/sub/AnnConf.html Governor's Hurricane Conference Two and a half days are devoted to a variety of courses that will train those responsible for maintaining the public's health and safety during hurricane emergencies. Additionally, over 100 workshops will be offered that provide the latest information on ways to prepare, respond, recover and mitigate the consequences of hurricanes May 12-16, Fort Lauderdale For more information, visit www.flghc.org
Working Together to Build Healthy Communities
Want to learn more about WellFlorida and/or our Community Partners? Would your organization like to submit an article for publication in the WellFlorida newsletter? Interested in becoming a Board member at WellFlorida or with one of our Community Partners? If you answered yes to any of those questions, please contact us. Fill out the form below and mail it to us OR email Katelyn Allen at kallen@wellflorida.org OR call 352-313-6500 ext. 100. Please send me additional information on:
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ North Central Florida Ryan White CARE Program Healthy Start of North Central Florida Central Healthy Start Rural Health Partnership of North Central Florida WellFlorida Council
June 2008
2008 Jamboree and Family Forum TBI survivors, caregivers and family members of TBI-affected individuals are invited to attend. June 14-15, Canterbury Retreat in Oveido, FL For more information, visit www.biaf.org
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Visit our website: www. wellflorida.org
Area(s) of interest: Phone WellFlorida Council
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1785 NW 80th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32606 Tel: (352) 313-6500 Fax: (352) 313-6515 www.wellf lorida.org
Focus groups aim to improve black infant mortality rate in Putnam County
Putnam County has the highest infant mortality rate in the state. Black babies in Putnam County are 2.7 times more likely to die than white babies in the county and are 2 times more likely to die than other black babies throughout Florida. The Putnam County Black Infant Health Initiative, Healthy Start of North Central Florida Coalition, WellFlorida Council and community members are working to understand why black babies are dying at a higher rate than white babies by identifying factors in the health and social service system that may impact black infant deaths. If you would like to join our community team please contact Putnam County Healthy Start at 386-326-3323. WellFlorida will be conducting focus groups in Putnam County from late March through April. The focus groups will primarily target black women of childbearing age. Meetings will be brief, in convenient locations and in small group settings. Refreshments and incentives will be provided. Call 1-877-678-9355 ext 114 for dates and locations. You can help us encourage women to participate in the focus groups by wordof-mouth, or posting and distributing posters and flyers advertising the focus groups. Informational posters and flyers about the high rate of black infant mortality in Putnam County and tips for a healthy pregnancy are also available. Call Lindsey Michaels at 352-313-6500 x 114 to request materials. The more views we hear, the better we can understand and create solutions to improving the rate of black infant deaths in Putnam County.
United Way of Suwannee Valley