2007 - Alabama Department of Public Health

mission
To serve the people of Alabama by assuring conditions in which they can be healthy.
letter to the governor
The Honorable Bob Riley
Governor of Alabama
State Capitol
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
Dear Governor Riley:
I am pleased to present the 2007 Annual Report of the
Alabama Department of Public Health. This past year
the Department provided opportunities for Alabamians
to take steps toward a healthier lifestyle, created access to
health care resources, and sustained programs that offer
valuable services to the public.
Preventive health remains a primary goal of the
Department. In an effort to fulfill this goal, the
Department implemented and maintained programs
that assist Alabamians in increasing their probability
of avoiding serious health issues. One health issue that
continues to affect the state’s population is obesity. At
least two-thirds of Alabamians are overweight or obese,
and these weight issues will cause premature death rates
for decades to come.
To address this issue, the Department helped launch
the Scale Back Alabama program. This program
encouraged teams of three to five people to lose weight
and exercise. More than 5,000 teams participated in the
contest, representing 46 of the state’s 67 counties, losing
a grand total of 78,000 pounds.
In an effort to assist Alabama’s future citizens, the
Newborn Screening Program started several initiatives to
provide even better protection. The program now screens
newborns for 28 inherited disorders that could have
serious long-term effects if left undetected or untreated.
This expanded screening provides Alabama babies with
a better start in life.
A key issue for many in preventing death and disability
is access to health care. Several Departmental programs
provided many Alabamians access to health care services
that they would not otherwise be able to receive. The
ALL Kids program, administered by the Department,
marked a decade of providing health care coverage to
children this past year. During this decade, ALL Kids
provided comprehensive health care coverage to nearly
186,000 children, making a profound contribution toward
reducing the number of uninsured children in the state.
While the national rate for uninsured children is currently
11.5 percent, Alabama’s rate has declined from 15 percent
prior to ALL Kids to 7.2 percent at present, well under
the national average. At the end of 2007, a total of 69,076
children were enrolled in ALL Kids, which represents a
5.7 percent increase over 2006.
In addition to ALL Kids, health care access was
provided through the Plan First Program, which provided
physical examinations, family planning services, and
education to over 57,493 women ages 19-44 at or below the
poverty level. The Alabama Breast and Cervical Cancer
Program provided women ages 50 or older with pelvic
exams, pap smears, breast exams, and mammograms,
and diagnosed 175 women with breast or cervical cancer
during 2007. The Rural Health Section processed waivers
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