Family Medicine News Archive Featured in the Media JeffNEWS

Many communities across the country are currently tackling the issue of widespread disparities in all aspects of health care in an attempt to reverse the trend. Two student organizations at Thomas Jefferson University, in support of National Public Health Week (NPHW) 2004, have organized a week-long series of programs, lectures and free health screenings in order to highlight methods for reducing health disparities in the community.

JEFF Safety Awareness and Public Health Education (SAPHE) in collaboration with the Jefferson Public Health Society (JPHS) will be hosting various public activities throughout the week of April 5. JEFF SAPHE is composed of students in the Master of Science in Public Health program at the Jefferson College of Graduate Studies, JPHS’ members are Jefferson Medical College students interested in exploring the arena of public health.

One of the highlights of Public Health Week at Jefferson will be the presentation of the first annual Excellence in Community Service Award to the “Village of Arts and Humanities,” a community-based arts education and neighborhood development organization. The award is given to organizations in recognition of their commitment, dedication and constant efforts to improve the public health and daily life of Philadelphia communities.

Other highlights include a nutritional assessment sale presented by Thomas Jefferson University’s Activities office, which will sell discounted vouchers for individual Dietary Analysis and Weight Management Consultations throughout the week. The sale will be held each day Room B-100 of Jefferson Alumni Hall, 1020 Locust St. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Free health screenings will also be offered during that week. A cholesterol screening will be performed from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6, in the Gibbon building lobby of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital at 10th and Chestnut streets and on Thursday, April 8, in the lobby of Jefferson Alumni Hall. A free body mass index (BMI) analysis will also be available on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of that week from noon to 2 p.m. in the Jefferson Alumni Hall lobby.

The following is a list of activities that will be taking place during National Public Health Week, all of which are open to the public:

Date: Tuesday, April 6, 2004
Time: Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: McClellan Hall, Jefferson Medical College Building, 1025 Walnut St.
Topic: Evaluating Cultural Effectiveness in a Health-care Setting
Speakers: Noel Rosales, M.D., Director, Cultural Effectiveness Initiative, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Deborah Witt, M.D., Department of Family Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Date: Wednesday, April 7, 2004
Time: Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: McClellan Hall
Topic: MSM and HIV Epidemic: Crisis, Challenge and Opportunity
Speakers: Kevin Trimell Jones, M.Ed., Research Associate
Lisa Bond, Ph.D, Research and Evaluation
Philadelphia Health Management Corp.

Date: Thursday, April 8, 2004
Time: Noon – 1 p.m.
Location: Herbert Auditorium, Jefferson Medical College Building, 1025 Walnut St.
Topic: Applications of Public Health Data – Disease Reporting
Speaker: C. Victor Spain, DVM, Ph.D, Epidemiologist, Bioterrorism and Communicable Disease, Division of Disease Control, Philadelphia Department of Public Health

Date: Thursday, April 8, 2004
Time: 1 – 1:30 p.m.
Location: McClellan Hall
Topic: Presentation of First Annual Excellence in Community Service Award Recipient: Lily Yeh, Executive Director, Village of Arts and Humanities

For more information, call 215 503-5277.