MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SPRING 2004 ...

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National Public Health Week: “Eliminating Health Disparities” The Miami-Dade County Health Department (MDCHD) kicked off National Public Health Week with an event for employees and community partners at Corporate Park. MDCHD Administrator, Lillian Rivera hosted the event, which focused on living a healthier lifestyle. Also, included was a proclamation from Mayor Alex Penelas, Commissioner Barbara Carey-Shuler and Commissioner Jimmy Morales proclaiming April 5 - 12 as National Public Health Week in Miami-Dade County. A presentation by Denise West, Director of the WIC and Nutrition program focused on the Department's award winning 5 A Day activities. Pascale Jean, Worksite Wellness Coordinator taught the group how to determine serving sizes for our meals. The keynote speaker for the day was Dr. Spencer Baron. Dr. Baron, the chiropractic physician to the Dolphins and the Marlins gave an exciting and informative presentation called, "A Day in the Life of Bad Habits." The presentation focused on things we do in our everyday life that can cause injury and what can be done to prevent such injuries. In a letter published in The Miami Herald in April, MDCHD Administrator Lillian Rivera wrote about the National Public Health Week: “This year's theme is ''Eliminating Health Disparities.'' The department is working to close the gap in health indicators in our community. One of the ways is by building two new health centers. The first is in West Perrine. The first phase of construction is almost complete. The second center is in Little Haiti and is in the final phase of securing construction permits. Also, our Special Immunization Van will cover ''pockets of need'' in the county. “The health department continues bio-preparedness efforts and has implemented a systems approach for a unified response to acts of domestic terrorism involving biological weapons of mass destruction. We are the lead agency in all inci- From left to right: Paula Schimpf, Arelis Valero, Lillian Rivera, Barbara Adkison, Karen Weller and Pascale Jean. dents involving biological terrorism. To protect first-responders, the Vaccinate Florida plan was implemented, and hundreds were inoculated against smallpox,” wrote Rivera in her letter to The Herald. CONTRIBUTING WRITER: BARBARA ADKISON Suzzane Johnson, Dr. Spencer Baron and Olga Connor. Employees of MDCHD participated in the National Public Health Week. From left to right, Marylin Rey, from the office of Mayor Alex Penelas, Lillian Rivera and Olga Connor. MDCHD Celebrates National Doctor’s Day The Florida Department of Health (DOH) recognized March 30 as National Doctor's Day, a date held to celebrate the nation's physicians and their dedication to the physical well being of their patients, communities, and country. Florida joined the nation in applauding these physicians who strive each day to treat the sick, discover new cures, prevent illness and set benchmarks for future excellence in public health. “Doctor's individual and shared efforts make an immeasurable contribution to the people of our state,” Florida DOH Secretary John O. Agwunobi, M.D., M.B.A. said. “ We offer our thanks to these physicians for striving each day to uphold outstanding public health in Florida.” “Congratulations to all the doctors that work in our Department for their dedication to public health and the many physicians in our community that provide medical care through the Volunteer Health Care Provider Program,” said Lillian Rivera, MDCHD Administrator. Many of these physicians provide medical care on a voluntary basis to uninsured individuals through the Volunteer Health Care Provider Program. Established in 1992 as part of the Florida Legislature's “Access to Health Care Act,” the program is designed to recruit and retain qualified volunteers in order to increase access to health care for Floridians. With this program, the Florida Department of Health partners with over 19,000 volunteers to provide primary and specialty health care, as well as preventive mental, dental, tertiary, and hospitalization services; yet many volunteers are still needed for a range of positions including administration, computer specialists, photographers, medical professionals, and specialized practitioners. National Doctor's Day has been held annually since 1933 when Eudora Brown Almond introduced the idea to commemorate Dr. Crawford Long's landmark use of general anesthesia in surgery nearly one hundred years prior. Since then, the United States House of Representatives adopted a resolution in 1958 to memorialize Doctor's Day, and in 1990 a resolution was signed by then-President George Bush to designate March 30 as “National Doctor's Day.” 8 HealthBeat
M D C H D C e l e b r a t e s B l a c k H i s t o r y M The tours highlighted the vibrant and rich history of African- Americans in South Florida. Did you know that Billie Holiday, the great singer of jazz and blues, was one of the most notorious tenants of the Georgette's Team Room, a 13- room house built in 1940 in Miami's Northwest area That is just one of the many interesting things we learned as part of the Black History Tours program, launched by the Miami-Dade Transit Agency in 1994 to make residents and visitors acquainted with landmarks in Miami's historical Black communities. Dozens of Miami-Dade County Health Department employees participated last February in these free tours that highlighted the vibrant and rich history of African- Americans in South Florida. Places like Charlotte Jane Cemetery, in Coconut Grove, the Lyric Theater, the Greater Bethel AME Church and the Chapman House, in Overtown, and The Wall, in Liberty City, are some of the sites the excursion features. Those who did the tour this year could also visit the Georgette's Tea Room and the Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery, in the Brownsville area. The Georgette's Team Room, built by Georgette Scott Campbell, was once a secluded getaway for Black celebrities seeking a relaxing atmosphere away from Overtown. One interesting place was the Dorsey House, home of Dana Albert Dorsey, Miami's first Black millionaire. Dorsey started as a carpenter and became a millionaire by buying land, building houses and renting them to Blacks. Another piece of history featured on the tours is the Greater Bethel AME Church. It was built in 1896 and today it's the oldest continuing all-Black congregation in Miami. The Black History Month was also celebrated by MDCHD's employees with a luncheon at Miami International Commerce Center, where the entire third floor was decorated with works of art, pictures and posters. Kathy Malone and Beverly Miles coordinated all the Black History Events. One of the purposes of this year's Black History Month observance was to educate employees on the African- Americans' contributions to society. In that regard, a "tell-astory" fashion show highlighted the lives and work of many influential African-American and their contribution. 9 HealthBeat
Page 1 and 2: HealthBeat MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HEALTH
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents ADMINISTRATOR’S
Page 5 and 6: The Refugee Health Program is Colle
Page 7: Left to right: Dr. Jayne Greenberg,
Page 11 and 12: Women and Coronary Heart Disea ELEN
Page 13 and 14: Volunteers Something Good is Happen
Page 15 and 16: I N t he Spotlight CONGRATULATIONS,

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SPRING 2004 ...

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