2012 Health Supplement

HEALTH, WELLNESS & NUTRITION SUPPLEMENT / MAY 2012 H-1www.washingtoninformer.com

PRESENTS

THE WASHINgTON INfORMER HEALTH, WELLNESS ANd NUTRITION SUPPLEMEN

TCREATINg HEALTHY COMMUNITIE

S

H-2 MAY 2012 / HEALTH, WELLNESS & NUTRITION SUPPLEMENT www.washingtoninformer.com

PUBLISHERDenise Rolark Barnes

STAFF

Floyd Nelson, Managing Editor

Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director

Victor Holt, Photo Editor

Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor

John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor

Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor

Paul Trantham, Circulation Manager

Brian Young, Design & Layout

AssureTech /www.scsworks.com, Webmaster

Mable Neville, Bookkeeper

Mickey Thompson, Social Sightings columnist

Stacey Palmer, Social Media Specialist

REPORTERSBarrington Salmon, Eve Ferguson, James Wright

PHOTOGRAPHERS John E. De Freitas, Roy Lewis, Khalid Naji-Allah, Shevry Lassiter

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At Kaiser Permanente, we put a high priority on wellness – in our medical facilities and our communities. Our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to

improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We believe that good health belongs to everyone and that a commu-nity is healthy only when every person within the community reaps the benefits of access to excellent health care, fresh and affordable foods, clean and safe outdoor spaces, and equitable opportunity to live well.

As part of our Community Benefit efforts, Kaiser Permanente makes financial, material, and human resource investments across the Mid-Atlantic region to directly address these issues.

Our commitment to total health is deep and long-standing. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with communities and institu-tions everyday that share our vision and values related to health and wellness. In this special issue of the Washington Informer, you will learn more about Kaiser Permanente initiatives with our commu-nity partners that aim to make lives better.

Learn more about Kaiser Permanente and our Community Ben-efit work at www.kp.org/communitybenefit.


TO WIN,� WE HAVE TO LOSE.

CONFRONTING AMERICA' S OBESITY EPIDEMIC

HBO GO® is only accessible in the US and certain US territories. © 2012 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and related channels and service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. The “WEIGHT OF THE NATION” trademark and CDC logo are owned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS/CDC). Use of these trademarks is not an endorsement by DHHS/CDC of a particular

company or organization. The CDC logo is an official logo of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Used under license.

PARTS 3 & 4 MAY 15, 8PMPARTS 1 & 2 MAY 14, 8PMAVAILABLE ON AND ALL HBO PLATFORMS

AN HBO DOCUMENTARY FILMS MULTIMEDIA EVENT

HBO DOCUMENTARY FILMS AND THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, MICHAEL & SUSAN DELL FOUNDATION AND KAISER PERMANENTE PRESENT “THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION” EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS SHEILA NEVINS, JOHN HOFFMAN

PARTS 1& 3 PRODUCED BY JOHN HOFFMAN EDITOR PAULA HEREDIA PART 2 PRODUCED BY JOHN HOFFMAN, DAN CHAYKIN DIRECTED BY DAN CHAYKIN EDITOR JENNIFER MCGARRITY PART 4 PRODUCED BY JOHN HOFFMAN, DAN CHAYKIN DIRECTED BY DAN CHAYKIN EDITORS PAULA HEREDIA, JENNIFER MCGARRITY, CHARLTON MCMILLAN, BRUCE SHAW

PARTS 1- 4 PRODUCER SARAH TEALE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY DYANNA TAYLOR ORIGINAL MUSIC WENDY BLACKSTONE, ADAM DORN, DANIEL FREIBERG GRAPHIC DESIGN TODD RUFF CO-PRODUCERS TOMEK GROSS, ALEXANDRA MOSS, SONIA DULAY RICCI PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE SUSAN BENAROYA LINE PRODUCER ELLIN BAUMEL POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR KATE BARRY

of view, exploring the driv-ers of obesity, consequences and solutions. The four parts include:

Consequences examines the scope of the problem and explores the serious health consequences of obe-sity and overweight.

Choices gives viewers the skinny on fat, revealing what science has shown about how to lose weight, main-tain weight loss and prevent weight gain.

Children in Crisis exam-ines the damage obesity is doing to our nation’s children and the strong forces that are causing children to consume too many calories and ex-pend too little energy.

Challenges takes a look at the obesity epidemic from every angle: agriculture, eco-nomics, evolutionary biology, food marketing, racial and socioeconomic disparities, physical inactivity, American food culture and the power of industry.

The series will be avail-able to all cable subscribers, with an option to view Span-ish subtitles. This is part of HBO’s commitment to pub-lic health.

The Weight of the Nation is a comprehensive public awareness and engagement campaign that seeks to ac-celerate progress on obesity prevention and create op-portunities for community engagement, collaboration, advocacy and partnerships aimed at combating obesity and producing demand for healthier environments. Ac-tivation toolkits that include film DVDs and discussion guides are available to com-munity groups by request.

The Weight of the Nation sends a strong message that we can all take steps to sup-port our health and that of our families and our commu-nities.

To learn more, visit http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/

The U.S. is in the midst of a public health crisis, fueled by an epidemic of

obesity that is affecting 97 million Americans and over-burdening our health care system. Research indicates that obesity and overweight conditions are the second leading cause of preventable death in the country, and if this trend continues with-out meaningful intervention, entire generations will be in jeopardy.

Obesity and excess weight often lead to serious chronic diseases, including type-2 dia-betes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain cancers, with some of these conditions, for the first time ever, manifesting even in children. These conditions reduce quality of life and can result in premature death.

Further, the economic toll on our nation is tremendous: Consuming 80 percent of all health care costs in the U.S., and approximately $147 bil-lion in direct health care ex-penses alone. And, there’s a clear link between obesity and lower productivity in the workplace: “Full-time U.S. workers who have chronic health troubles or are over-weight cost more than $153 billion in lost productivity each year from absenteeism,” according to a recent Gal-lup-Healthways report. This report also indicates that the epidemic has a dispro-portionate impact on com-munities of color, children, low-income individuals, and in urban areas, this, driven largely by socio-economic factors.

With a commitment to To-tal Health, Kaiser Perman-ente joins Home Box Office (HBO), the National Insti-tutes of Health, the Institute of Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, to launch The Weight of the Nation – a 4-part documentary series that will premiere on HBO, May 14-15, 2012. Each film examines the obesity epi-demic from a unique point

The Skinny on fat: The Weight of the Nation…obesity is affecting 97 million Americans and overburdening our health care system…


workplaces, health centers, and neighborhoods. By helping indi-viduals and communities to un-derstand the connection between place and health, we are building their capacity to advocate for policies and environments that enable healthy choices.

Healthy eating and active liv-ing (HEAL) is at the core of much of the health equity work that Kaiser Permanente and oth-er organizations in the region are undertaking to improve health and reduce the prevalence of lifestyle related chronic illness – including obesity – among our most vulnerable populations. Access to healthy fresh foods and opportunities for regular physical activity are at the basis of wellbeing. And unfortunately, people on the lower end of the economic strata often bear the biggest burden of low-access.

“Our work and that of other

than just a source of good food, urban farms and com-munity gardens are valuable community assets that pro-vide opportunities for train-ing, education, and commu-nity cohesion.

z School wellness – Obese children are more likely to become obese adults, and suffer a lifetime of poor health. Ensuring all children can eat well and move their bodies in and after school is our priority.

z Healthy Outdoor Spaces – Walking and biking, wheth-er for exercise or a means to commute to school or work, is enhanced by safe streets and trails. As such, we ac-tively advocate for policies that support smart land-use and active transportation.

z Collaboration – We are partners with our commu-

nities and we encourage collaboration across sec-tors. Building healthy com-munities requires all hands on deck. We are pleased to participate in a number of collaborative partnerships to build healthy places for healthy people across the region.

z Advocacy – We strive to achieve sustainable health improvements by helping community-based organiza-tions with technical assis-tance and education to be well-informed activists and advocates for their commu-nities.

These are just some of the ways that we think we and our partners can best contribute to transforming our communities into healthier places for all.

The social and physical environments into which we are born and live have

more direct and enduring im-pact on our health than access to health care. Where there is reli-able transportation, economic opportunity, quality schools, clean and safe outdoor spaces, healthy food stores, and a vibrant social network, people tend to be healthier and live longer.

In fact, one’s zip code is a stronger predictor of health and lifespan than one’s genetic code. Mapping of the Metropolitan area shows a three to nine year difference in life expectancy be-tween some of our suburban and inner beltway communities – strongly suggesting that place matters.

That’s why Kaiser Permanente designs Community Health Ini-tiatives to engage communities to change conditions in schools,

like-minded organizations, holds the promise and the potential to improve health on many lev-els,” says Maritha Gay, Kaiser Permanente’s Sr. Director of External Affairs. “We are trying to build better food systems that put fresh foods on more tables, encourage policies that ensure neighborhoods have grocery stores and children have safe outdoor spaces to run and play.”

Toward this goal, Kaiser Per-manente invests in our local communities by supporting:

z Farmers markets – At our own medical centers and throughout the region, Kaiser Permanente is an advocate for farmers and consumers, increasing ac-cess to locally grown fresh and healthy foods in untra-ditional ways.

z Urban Agriculture – More

Kaiser Permanente’s Commitment to Community Health


Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc.2101 East Jefferson St., Rockville, MD 20852

GivE your kids somEthinG to chEw on.Farmers markets, urban farms and community gardens are a great way to help children and families learn about making smart food choices. At Kaiser Permanente, we are proud to support initiatives focused on increasing access to healthy, nutritious foods for all families. To learn more about our commitment to healthy eating and active living, visit kp.org.


IN-051012-CHS

80INFORMATION SESSIONMay 12th, 10 a.m. - noonTo RSVP: (202) 314-3657graduateschool.edu/health

The American Medical Association’s Healthcare Career Directory identifies more than 80 careers in 19 categories in the healthcare industry. Offering such broad career options, working in healthcare can be rewarding personally and professionally.

Graduate School USA Health Sciences offers programs in some of the

most in-demand occupations:

Associate Degree Programs:

•Medical Assistant•Medical Laboratory Technician

CertificatePrograms:

•ECG Technician•MedicalOfficeAdministrativeAssistant•Phlebotomy Technician

600 Maryland Avenue SWWashington, DC 20024

Center for Health Sciences

mediate surrounding counties of Maryland and Virginia (Mont-gomery, PG, Arlington and Fairfax). This trend is expected to continue through 2018, with

Careers in healthcare are as varied as the personalities of the people that work in the industry. The diverse nature of healthcare offers tremendous opportunities just starting on a career path or career changers looking to make a difference. The American Medical Association Health Care Careers Directory lists informa-tion about more than 80 health-care careers.

According to Economic Mod-eling Specialist, Inc. (EMSI) An-alyst, the Health Care and Social Assistance industry in the met-ropolitan region is thriving, with more than 324K jobs in 2011. More than 75% of those jobs are in the District and in the im-

16% job growth.The diversity of career offer-

ings are not limited to the type of work, skill sets, and knowl-edge required, but include the

work environment. Jobs in healthcare are no longer limited to hospitals, doctor’s offices, and clinics, but include settings rang-ing from free-standing dialysis and diagnostic imaging centers to the federal government. Some jobs, such as nurses and medical assistants, involve direct patient interaction while others—health service mangers for example—are more involved with the busi-ness side of healthcare.. A grow-ing area is health information technology (HIT), which entails using computer technology to manage health data. Although many jobs require a bachelor’s degree, there are numerous op-tions in which post-secondary certificate or associate degrees are necessary, particularly in al-lied health. Allied health profes-sionals are involved in the deliv-ery of health or related services, and include medical assistants, dental hygienists, and respiratory technicians, just to name a few.

For those looking for a new career, it is important to know many jobs in healthcare lead into other opportunities further up the career ladder. Many entry-level jobs serve as a step towards greater goals. For example, a phlebotomist is considered an entry-level position in the labo-ratory, but with additional educa-tion a phlebotomist can continue in the field of medical laboratory sciences and become a Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT, an associate degree). An MLT can continue their studies and

become a Medical Laboratory Technologist (MT, a bachelor’s degree). And this is only one of several career routes.

Figure 1 Sample Career Routes for Phlebotomists

Recognizing the job opportu-nities afforded to area residents in healthcare, especially DC residents, Graduate School USA offers degrees and certificate programs in several in-demand fields. The School offers associ-ate degrees in Medical Assistant and MLT, and certificate pro-grams in Medical Office Admin-istrative Assistant, Electrocar-diographic (ECG) Technician, and Phlebotomy Technician.

The School’s certificate pro-grams are designed so that most of the courses are embedded in the degree program, allowing students to complete a certificate and continue their education into a degree program; helping them move up the career ladder. In addition to curriculum de-sign, an added benefit provided to students is career planning. Graduate School USA faculty advisors help students navigate the numerous career options and map out a career plan that suites their interests and skills. For more information on careers in healthcare, contact Graduate School USA, [email protected].

Healthcare: An Industry full of Opportunities


They commend me on doing what I’m doing.”

It’s not a one-way exchange. Knight explained that, as he shares tips about good nutrition and the value of healthy food choices, he also gains insight into a community’s challenges and the personal aspirations of its residents.

“They talk about what their doctors have said to them and they want to find ways to stay healthy and to get off medi-cation,” Knight said. He ac-knowledged that some adults he encounters admit to being discouraged in their struggle to deal with diabetes, for example, a disease highly prevalent in the wards he services, but one whose effects can be better managed by a healthy diet, nutrition, and ex-ercise. Accurate information is essential in helping to achieve those goals and Knight has fully embraced SHIRE’s concept of

from people they encountered. Over 90 percent of the feedback was positive.

Before he became a devoted Adult Peer Educator, Knight was a young teen looking for a solution to a not uncommon problem. “I was a little over-weight,” he confessed, adding that his primary motivation for losing weight was not concern about health consequences but being able “to talk to the girls.” Something changed as he started attending the SHIRE presen-tations on health at the Allen Chapel Church, one of several churches that now host SHIRE programs and training for pro-spective peers.

“First was a discussion about holistic medicine. That drew me in. Then, in another session, they explained that you can use your food as medicine to lose weight. That drew me in more,” Knight said. These sessions were

followed by a discussion about the role of the society in shap-ing eating habits. By that time, Knight was hooked and signed on to become a Teen Peer Edu-cator for SHIRE. Participants are not salaried, but do receive stipends for their work.

SHIRE’s first corps of teen peer educators has now grown up, Knight among them. He has ambitions of becoming a mes-sage therapist but still, however, attends re-training sessions at SHIRE workshops. Learning from SHIRE that “you can use your food as medicine” to com-bat the effects of being over-weight was invaluable. He said that knowledge changed his life and set him in a new direction. Knight wants to spread the word – and he knows how.

Though he’s 24-years-old and part of a generation accustomed to a digital world, to Anthony Knight, the word interactive isn’t best used to describe video games, text messages, Facebook, or a Twitter account. As a an adult peer educator for the Sum-mit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc., Knight’s most rewarding moments are when he shares information about health through the me-dium human beings most trust, talking face-to-face.

Of Wards 7 and 8, where Knight conducts outreach, he said, “I’m a familiar face; it’s not like a stranger” coming into the community. In a world where bombardment from electronic devices is unceasing, he has found that people appreciate the personal touch – the time he takes with them – as well as high-ly valuing the information he has to share. “They are attentive …

grassroots networking. “It’s ac-tually something that I like to do; it’s educational and interactive,” Knight said.

Not only do peer educators ap-proach the community through conversation with residents, they employ skits, plays, and other art forms at schools and health fairs. Knight said in one play he was the vegetable man who de-scribed the nutritional benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. He’s also participated in anti-smoking campaigns.

SHIRE’s Adult Peer Educa-tor program began in 2008, then and still focusing primarily on ways to combat childhood obesi-ty. After receiving their training, the initial team of ## members, knocked on doors and can-vassed the community. Within the first three months, they col-lected over a thousand evalua-tion forms on their performance

SHIRE Peers Promote Healthy Habits by Word of Mouth

Peer Educator Trainer Jennifer Muhammad leading a class

Peer educators ran a booth at the Ward 8 Farmer's Market

Group picture of 1st group of peer educators after completing training


By Charles E. SuttonWI Staff Writer

You’ve heard the expressions “no pain, no gain” and “target heart rate” if you’re among the millions of health-conscious Americans who spend a fair amount of time working out with a personal trainer or at a fit-ness center.

Those same expressions should also resonate with chil-dren who have become seden-tary with the advent of video games and hundreds of cable television channels. Long gone are the days of playing hop-scotch and touch football that ensured that children got plenty of exercise on a regular basis.

Today, childhood obesity has become a major problem in this country. In the U.S., about 32 percent of children

are either overweight or obese. Reports suggest that children who struggle with their weight have low self-esteem and suffer with bouts of depression. They can also develop diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and bone and joint problems. In addition, children who are obese have a greater chance of becom-ing obese adults, placing them at risk for more health problems later in life.

In Prince George’s County, Strive 2 Tri is meeting the child-hood fitness challenge head on.

“If we can get more kids to become physically active and less sedentary it will give them a jump-start toward choosing a healthy and active lifestyle, which can ultimately prevent some health challenges,” said Tarus Nelson, founder of Strive 2 Tri.

Strive 2 Tri is a non-profit

organization which encourages youth between the ages of 7-17 to get healthy and stay healthy through the multisport of tri-athlons. Based in Fort Wash-ington, Md., Strive 2 Tri aims to fight childhood obesity by edu-cating youth about the benefits of daily exercise and improved nutritional choices. Strive 2 Tri further reinforces the values of charity while strengthening the community through monthly service projects. Participating in local competitions challenges its members to accomplish their goals in fitness, nutrition and life, while boosting self-esteem.

Though triathlons have grown in popularity in recent years, many people aren’t aware of this sport. A triathlon is a multisport event involving three continuous and sequential en-durance events. While there are many variations of the sport, in

its most popular form, triath-lon involves swimming, cycling and running in immediate suc-cession over various distances. Tri-athletes compete for fastest overall course completion time, including timed “transitions” between the individual swim, bike and run components. The nature of the sport focuses pri-marily on persistent and interval training in each of the three dis-ciplines, as well as combination workouts and general strength conditioning.

Triathlon competitions vary in distance. Transition areas are positioned between the swim and bike segments, and between the bike and run segments and that’s where the switches from swimming to cycling and cy-cling to running occur. These areas are used to store bicycles, performance apparel, and other required accessories in prepara-

tion to compete in the next stage of the race. The time spent in transition areas is included in the overall time of the race. Transi-tion areas vary in size depending on the number of competitors. Also, these areas serve as head-quarters before the race.

Nelson founded Strive 2 Tri last year. The disabled veteran started the program in an ef-fort to expose African-American youth to non-traditional sports, such as, swimming and cycling. Nelson, 38, views it as way of expanding the kids’ horizons, given that most of them have already been exposed to foot-ball, basketball, and baseball. The members of Strive 2 Tri are trained to participate in triathlon competitions.

“Our focus is not on winning. We want to make sure that each kid trains properly, and finishes the competition. If we happen

Strive 2 tri


to win, that’s great,” Nelson said.Nelson, a native of the Bronx,

N.Y., started triathlon training as a form of physical therapy for his injuries. As a result of his training, he recognized the posi-tive affects his workouts were having on his body. Nelson start-ed this journey three years ago. Since that time he has competed in triathlons, trained tri-athletes, and become an ambassador of the sport.

Members of Strive 2 Tri are currently training for an August event titled, “Splash and Dash.” This will be a modified triathlon with two components: swim-ming and running.

“Our training has been altered for this event because there’s no cycling component. In spite of not having a firm date yet, we’re still working hard and looking forward to competing in this ex-

citing event.” The results of triathlon

training inspired Nelson’s fam-ily to join in. His wife Yolanda, 16-year-old son Tarus, Jr., and 13-year-old daughter Asia, have all competed in triathlons. The Nelson family has become an unofficial model for the physi-cally fit modern-day family.

Strive 2 Tri has 20 participants ranging in age from 7-16. All of the children are from the District and Prince George’s County, and it’s the only youth triathlon pro-gram in the Washington metro area. For children who don’t own a bike or have the required athletic gear, the organization will provide it. Nelson aims to continue to grow Strive 2 Tri, and ultimately, have it serve as a national model for youth triath-lon training.

Program ProvideS a FitneSS model






Quality health care for our community.

202.745.7000 | www.whitman-walker.org

June | WWH volunteer

Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center1701 14th Street, NW

Max Robinson Center2301 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE

week unless the patient re-ceives prompt treatment. This includes bed rest: a diet low in protein, nitrogen and potas-sium; and drugs or fluids (giv-en intravenously) to prevent shock,” according to The Dia-gram Group in The Healthy Body: A Maintenance Manual.

The following are some ben-eficial tips to maintain healthy kidneys:

Water: According to a study by the Mayo Clinic, “Studies showing a diet drinking water throughout the day will reduce your risk of developing kidney stones. Doctors usually recom-mend passing about 2.6 quarts (2.5 liters) of urine a day. If you live in a hot, dry climate or ex-ercise frequently, you may drink more water to produce enough urine.” Fret not, if your urine

studied preventive medicine it was highly recommended. Now, you can buy SP-6 Corn-silk from Solaray to reduce water retention and support healthy kidneys.

Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 also known as “pyridoxine” is one of the eight B vitamins. It is important in preventing kid-ney stones and acts as a mild diuretic. Excellent sources are carrots, chickens, brewer’s yeast, eggs, meat, peas, sun-flower seeds, fish, walnuts, wheat germ and spinach.

Drink Less Alcohol: Drink-ing a glass of red wine has been hailed as a powerful health aid. However, if you have hyperten-sion, the health guru, Dr. Oz notes, “Men should drink less than two drinks per day and women (lighter-weight men)

By Misty Brown WI Staff Writer

Millions of Americans have kidney problems. The failure to drink water is a leading fac-tor. Simple home remedies and preventive health tips can help you to avoid kidney stones, kidney failure and offset renal diseases.

The kidneys are body waste-management organs. Kidney stones are small, hard deposits of acids and minerals that re-semble the size of a grain of salt or a large marble residing in your kidneys. They are com-ponents of urine.

“Sudden kidney failure can be due to burns, injury, shock, heart attack, drugs or certain other factors. Once the kidneys stop purifying blood, poisons build up in the body produc-ing coma and death within a

is yellow due to vitamin intake. Drink quality water from reliable sources and use water purifiers. Use your best crystal.

Food: Consume water-soluble fruits or vegetables. Good fruit sources are melons, berries, kiwis, oranges, lemons, pine-apples, mangoes, papayas and grapes. Unsweetened cranber-ries or juice are the best to prevent UTI, urinary tract in-fections. Also, it prevents the growth of bacteria by acidify-ing the urine. Good vegetables sources are the families of squash, sweet bell peppers, greens, lettuces and peas. Okra and corn are great. My late grandmother Alice, an herbal-ist, midwife and Native Ameri-can descendant gave us soaked corn silk from freshly shucked corn out of her garden in Mis-sissippi. When I grew up and

should drink 1 drink per day (a drink is a 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. or 1.5 oz. 80-proof whiskey. Strict adherence to a healthy diet ... is essential.” Visit www.doctoroz.com to view videos of “Keeping Kidneys Healthy Part 1 and 2.”

Women: If you suffer from frequent urinary tract infec-tions (UTI), avoid wearing any synthetic fabrics (pants, gym/yoga shorts and pajamas) or undergarments (girdles, pant-ies and thongs) including ny-lon and acrylic stockings. Only wear cotton garments or thigh high stockings.

References: Prescription for Nutri-

tional Healing: A Practical A-Z Ref-erence to Drug-Free remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs, & Food Supplements.

Simple Ways to Keep Kidneys Healthy


Expanding Quality Health Care In Your Community

goal in Ward 8, a community with one of the highest risks for poor health, with the opening of the Unity Health Care-Anacostia Health Center, a new state of the art health center located next to the historic Frederick Douglass home.

Built and financed by DCPCA through its Medical Homes DC initiative with generous sup-port from the DC government through the District’s Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement and the HHS Health Resources and Services Administration, the new health center offers the first state of the art primary care fa-cility east of the Anacostia River and brings not only primary health care, but also dental ser-vices, wellness programs, and mental health services to the community. The old Anacostia Health Center, housed in a World War II vintage corrugated metal Quonset hut was dispiriting, in-adequate to the needs of com-munity and had long outlived its original purpose as a temporary location. The new center marks the largest Medical Homes DC capital project completed to date. More importantly, it repre-sents a major expansion in health care capacity east of the river. At the Anacostia Health Cen-ter ribbon cutting ceremony on May 7th, DCPCA’s CEO, Sharon A. Baskerville, turned over the building to Unity Health Care CEO, Vincent Keane, for a cer-emonial one dollar bill.

“It is deeply symbolic that the

Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior once said, “Of all the forms of in-

equality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhu-mane.” Right here in our na-tion’s capital, where we have one of the highest levels of people with health insurance cover-age in the nation, we are sicker and more likely to die younger than almost anywhere else in the country. Our fractured health care system raises more barriers to getting health care than con-necting people to the care they need so they have an equal op-portunity to lead healthy lives. This broken system results in thousands of DC’s young peo-ple and adults suffering the life limiting consequences of poor health. The differences and rea-sons why we are not healthy are not only unnecessary and avoid-able, but are also profoundly un-fair and unjust. The District of Columbia Primary Care Associa-tion and its partner community health centers have a long his-tory of fighting for health equity for every resident, especially in communities that lack access to primary care doctors, den-tists, specialists, and mental and behavioral health services. To us, health equity means that ev-eryone has easy access to good, high quality health care regard-less of race, economic status, gender, religion, sexual orienta-tion, age, or neighborhood they call home. DCPCA celebrates making progress towards this

new health center in Anacos-tia is a stone’s throw away from the historic home of Frederick Douglass,” says DCPCA Chief Executive Officer Sharon A. Baskerville. “His remarkable leg-acy as an abolitionist and tireless worker for justice and equal op-portunity for all serves as an in-spiration in our pursuit of health equity, where we envision every-one in the District with an equal opportunity to be healthy and lead longer lives”, says Basker-ville.

A result of a remarkable pub-lic-private partnership, the DC government and DCPCA were able to leverage millions of dol-lars to create the Medical Homes DC capital projects program in 2004 to help ensure that the District’s medically underserved communities have better ac-cess to high quality primary care services. So far, twelve Medical Homes DC capital projects have either been completed or are in some phase of development across nearly every ward in the District. These projects include new developments, expansions, replacements, and renovations – totaling more than $100 million in projected project costs. This summer, DCPCA will break ground for a new health center in the Parkside neighborhood in Ward 7, another major and much need expansion in health care capacity for a medically un-derserved community east of the river.

Eight years ago, Medical

Homes DC was simply a vi-sion to rebuild the neglected network of primary care and safety net providers in the Dis-trict of Columbia. Today, under DCPCA’s leadership, and a team of partners that includes the Department of Health, all of our member health centers, the RAND Corporation, the Brook-ings Institute, and Capital Link,

we are well on our way to a ma-jor transformation that not only increases access to primary care in communities in need, but also begins to serve as a catalyst for health equity to District of Co-lumbia neighborhoods.

For more information about our fight for health equity and our Medi-cal Homes DC initiative, visit www.dcpca.org.

“Of all the forms of

inequality, injustice

in health care is the

most shocking and

inhumane.”Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

In Pursuit of Health Equity

Sharon A. Baskerville, CEO, DC Primary Care Association


VVSpring into healthwith VeryVegelicious!

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“Nutritional, or dietary factors, contribute substantially to the burden of preventable illnesses and premature deaths in the United States. Indeed, dietary factors are associated with 4 out of the 10 leading causes of death: coronary artery disease, some types of cancer, stroke, and type-2 diabetes…”

“Many dietary components are involved in the relationship between nutrition and health. A primary con-cern is consuming too much saturat-ed fat and too few vegetables, fruits, and grain products that are high in vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates (starch and dietary fiber) and other substances that are important to good health.”

The U.S. Department of Agricul-ture, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, American Cancer Society, American Dietetic Association, and Physicians Committee for Respon-sible Medicine are among the many expert groups strongly advising peo-ple to consume a wide variety of plant

The State Center for Health Sta-tistics Administration reveals these sobering facts:

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Washington, D.C., fol-lowed by cancer and hypertension (high blood pressure). Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death; diabe-tes, the seventh.

African Americans suffer dis-proportionately from these diseases compared to Whites. For example, in 2000, the death rate from heart disease for Blacks was 346 per 100,000 com-pared to 202.2 per 100,000 for Whites that same year.

In DC, Blacks are more than twice as likely to suffer a stroke as Whites, and adult African Americans are 1.7 times as likely to have diabetes as Whites.

According to an excerpt from Healthy People 2010, (below) what you eat can substantially increase—or de-crease—your chances of suffering from these and other diseases.

foods and limit or eliminate meat and other animal products.

VeryVegelicious (VV), founded and run by longtime vegan Caroline Cher-ry, teaches clients, primarily DC-area residents, how to incorporate tasty vegan foods into their diets by help-ing them: plan meals, select healthy foods while grocery shopping, and cook either basic dishes, or, for those so inclined, more elaborate “gourmet” fare.

VV’s “Spring into Health” special offers a free cooking lesson for all new clients—but only until June 20th! So be sure to register today. To learn more, visit: www.veryvegelicious.com.

You may also check out what oth-ers had to say about their VV experi-ences at: http://www.yelp.com/biz/veryvegelicious-bethesda.

Contact: caroline@veryvegelicious or call 301-922-6223.

By James Wright WI Staff Writer

One of the most preva-lent diseases of our time is also one of the

quietest, and yet with the prop-er regimen it can be controlled.

Hypertension, popu-larly known as high blood pressure, has no notice-able symptoms but still it is known as the “silent killer.” Left untreated, this stealth affliction can lead to a great-er risk for stroke, heart at-tack or other types of dam-age to the cardiovascular system.

Hypertension is a disease that plagues African Ameri-cans.

“One African Ameri-can dies as a result of high blood pressure every hour in this country,” said Dr. Elijah Saunders, a professor of medicine at the Univer-sity of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and co-founder of the Interna-tional Society of Hyperten-sion in Blacks. “Blacks suf-fer from heart and kidney disease at alarmingly high rates, both of which are adversely affected by high blood pressure. In fact, blacks make up about 30 percent of those on dialysis due to kidney failure.”

Saunders made his re-marks in the March 10 edi-tion of Archives of Inter-nal Medicine. He said that blacks also develop high blood pressure at younger ages than whites and suffer more damage to their organs as a result of the disease.

More than 74 million

Americans have high blood pressure, according to pub-lished reports. Approxi-mately 90 percent of people with normal blood pressure at age 55 are at risk for de-veloping high blood pres-sure as they get older.

Normal blood pressure is less than 120 over 80 – of-ten written as 120/80. Any-thing above 120 is a sign of trouble and a doctor should be consulted.

Saunders said that the best way to fight hypertension is to encourage those who suf-fer from it to make lifestyle changes. He said that “this is especially true among African Americans because there is so much obesity and diabetes in the black com-munity.”

“Studies have shown that blacks who follow a diet which is rich in fruits, veg-etables and fiber, have been able to successfully lose weight and control their blood pressure,” he said.

Saunders said that medi-cation is necessary but it must be prescribed by a doc-tor. He notes that hyperten-sion sufferers should exer-cise, moderate their alcohol intake and avoid tobacco. Other healthy foods to eat include low-fat dairy prod-ucts, poultry, fish and a rec-ommended high potassium (bananas) and low-sodium intake diet. Meats should be eaten sparingly, he said.

“The hope is that these recommendations will help save the lives of African Americans with high blood pressure,” he said.

African Americans And diet-Related Illnesses:don’t Become A Statistic!Very Vegelicious Will Show You How To Prepare Delicious, Healthy Meals

Hypertension Can Be BeatAfrican Americans who eat fruits and vegetables and exercise regularly can control their hypertension.


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the uterine cavity, within the uterine wall or on the surface of the uterus. They are the leading cause of hysterecto-mies in women.

Half of all American wom-en will have fibroids in their lifetime, but black women are three times more likely to de-velop them than women of any other race.

Unfortunately, McCray’s fi-broids did return, forcing her to undergo a blood transfusion that left her iron and energy level low. Her gynecologist rec-ommended that she undergo a hysterectomy, and McCray felt it was her only option—until she met Dr. Kevin Scott Smith at Howard University Hospital.

Smith, chief of the Division of General Obstetrics and Gy-necology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, calmed her fears and offered an alternative: a minimally in-

fibroids.“When everything is

matched, the relative risk and incidence of fibroids is two- to three-times greater in African-American women than Cauca-sian women,” Smith says.

According to the National Women’s Health Network, many women with uterine fi-broids don’t feel any symptoms. However, for about 30 percent of women in their childbearing years, fibroids can cause heavy or painful periods, abdominal pain and reproductive prob-lems, including miscarriages and infertility.

Smith says there are numer-ous ways now to treat fibroids without the use of traditional surgery.

For more information, con-tact the Howard University Hospital Department of Ob-stetrics and Gynecology at 202-865-4164

By Nyia Curtis

Tynisha McCray d e v e l o p e d uterine fi-broids 12 years ago and began exper i enc ing

the pain and side effects from them soon after. McCray tried several methods to eliminate them, but to no avail. As the physical and mental anguish began to take their toll, she had the fibroids surgically removed.

“I tried birth control and Depo-Provera hoping that my fibroids would get smaller, but they did not,” she said. “After my fibroids were removed in 2006, I was told that they could still come back.”

McCray, 40, is one of numer-ous African-American women who have uterine fibroids, or leiomyomas, which are benign tumors that can occur inside

vasive procedure called a hys-teroscopic myomectomy.

During this procedure, a pencil-thin telescope allows the doctor to see of the inside of the uterus without an incision. Fibroids within the uterine cav-ity can be removed using resect-ing tools small enough to pass through the telescope. It is per-formed on an outpatient basis.

“Dr. Smith examined me and told me that I would be fine,” McCray recalled. “He made me feel comfortable, and he said that I would not need a hysterectomy. He removed my fibroids last May, and I have been wonderful ever since.”

Smith says that fibroids have a dramatic impact on the fe-male reproductive tract and reproductive potential, and that more than 50 percent of hysterectomies performed for African-American women are related to symptoms of uterine

How to Avoid A Hysterectomy dr. Kevin Smith delivers Innovative Treatment for fibroids



WE Will not bE part ofGeneration XXL.

We believe you’re never too young to learn the importance of balance. That bodies yearn

for both cupcakes and kickball. At Kaiser Permanente, we’re helping to create healthy

communities where every person can reap the benefits of access to health care, healthy

food stores and clean, safe outdoor spaces. Learn more at kp.org

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc.2101 East Jefferson St., Rockville, MD 20852

WashingtonInformer_9.5x12.375.indd 1 4/27/12 11:15 AM

Documents

2012 Health Supplement