December Health Observances 

 Tie One on For Safety - November 27-December 3, 2011

During November and December, spirits are high, celebrations abound and travel increases on America's roadways. Unfortunately, drunk driving is usually on the rise as well.  That's why MADD conducts Tie One On For Safety, public awareness campaign, each year during the winter holiday season.

Tie One On For Safety asks Americans to place a red ribbon, MADD ribbon or window decal on their vehicles as a pledge to drive safe, sober and buckled up during the holidays and throughout the year.  The message includes safety belts because they're the best defense against a drunk driver.  To learn more visit www.madd.org/Drunk-Driving/Drunk-Driving/Programs/View-Program.aspx?program=10
 

What worksites wellness teams can do:

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Update

Americans participating in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA's) third National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 29 turned in more than 377,086 pounds (188.5 tons) of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at the 5,327 take-back sites that were available in all 50 states and U.S. territories. When the results of the three Take Back Days to date are combined, the DEA and its state, local, and tribal law-enforcement and community partners have removed 995,185 pounds (498.5 tons) of medication from circulation in the past 13 months. 

As for the 3rd statewide drug take back event in Maine, here are our statistics:

1.     Again, Maine ranked #1 per capita in the U.S. for the largest

           state collection.

2.     For the first time, Maine had the largest collection in New

           England with 14,140 lbs. collected. Massachusetts had the

              2nd largest collection with 12,464 lbs.

3.     Maine ranked #6 in the U.S. for its total collection effort on

           Oct 29. The top 5 states were CA, NY, WI, OH and PA.

Everyday is a drug take-back day in Southern Kennebec County, see list of drop boxes in the Resources section of this newsletter.

National Handwashing Awareness Week

Sponsored by the Henry the Hand Foundation, National Handwashing Awareness week is always the first full week of December.  Established in 1999, Henry the Hand is asking everyone to "Spread the word, not the germs!!" 

Henry the Hand is asking all of us to follow the 4 Principles of Hand Awareness:
     1. WASH your hands when they are

           dirty and BEFORE eating
     2. DO NOT cough into your hands
     3. DO NOT sneeze into your hands
     4. Above all, DO NOT put your fingers

           in your eyes, nose, or mouth

The Henry the Hand website offers a number of contests that can be offered by schools, hospitals and worksites including a Handwashing contest and a poster contest. He feels that proper handwashing skills are something that can help keep you healthy for a lifetime.  For more information visit www.henrythehand.com

National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month

Every day, 36 people in the United States die, and approximately 700 more are injured, in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This December, during National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month (3D Month), consider what you and your community can do to make injuries and deaths from impaired driving less of a threat.

The Problem:

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some point in their lives.
• In 2006, 13,470 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (32%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
• In one year, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This accounts for less than 1% of the 159 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.
• Alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost about $51 billion a year.

Protect Yourself and Your Family and Friends
During the holiday season, and year-round, take steps to make sure that you and everyone you celebrate with avoids driving under the influence of alcohol. Following these tips from NHTSA can help you stay safe:

• Plan ahead. Always designate a non-drinking driver before any holiday party or celebration begins.
• Take the keys. Do not let a friend drive if they are impaired.
• Be a helpful host. If you're hosting a party this holiday season, remind your guests to plan ahead and designate their sober driver, always offer alcohol-free beverages, and make sure all of your guests leave with a sober driver.

Know How Communities Can Help
Proven community and state-level methods for reducing alcohol-impaired driving include:

• Sobriety checkpoints. Studies found that fatal crashes thought to involve alcohol dropped by about 22% following implementation of sobriety checkpoints.
• Minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws. Studies found that raising the MLDA to 21 reduced crashes by about 16% among people ages 18-20 years.
• 0.08% BAC laws. Fatal alcohol-related crashes declined about 7% after 0.08% BAC laws were passed.
• "Zero tolerance" laws for young drivers. Three studies found that zero tolerance laws resulted in declines in fatal crashes among drivers ages 18-20 years of between 9% and 24%.

Resources for More Information
Web-based Resources:
CDC: Impaired Driving Fact Sheet http://www.cdc.gov/MotorVehicleSafety/Impaired_Driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Traffic Safety Facts 2006: Alcohol-Impaired Driving (PDF 630KB, 6 pages)  http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810801.PDF
Podcasts:

All Unintentional Injury Podcasts http://www.cdc.gov/injury/podcast.html

 

Safe Toy and Gift Month

www.preventblindness.org

For toy recall informaton

www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.html

www.parents.com/product-recalls/toys/

Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest

National Crackdown-Dec. 15-Jan. 2 

For information on communications strategies and campaign materials go to: www.stopimpaireddriving.org/

International Volunteer Day - December 5, 2011

www.worldvolunteerweb.org 

Holiday Pounds Loom on the Horizon

Going to the emergency room (ER) can cost a lot of time and money. In fact, according to recent research, up to 84 percent of people who go to the ER don't have true medical emergencies, and may pay up to six times more than necessary. On the other hand, if you wait days or weeks for an appointment with your primary care physician, you run the risk of your condition getting worse and requiring more complex - and more expensive - treatment. In these cases, urgent care facilities provide an option that can save you time and money.

Urgent care - also known as immediate care - is an alternative to the emergency room for the diagnosis, care & treatment of urgent, but non life-threatening, medical situations, such as illness, infection, cuts, sprains and strains, when you are unable to access your primary care physician. Urgent care fills the gap to provide prompt, affordable care for medical conditions that are too urgent to wait for the family physician, but are not serious or life-threatening situations that merit a trip to the emergency room.

Facing an urgent illness or injury needn't create an undue financial burden for a patient or the patient's family. You can benefit from significant cost savings using an urgent care facility versus a hospital ER - without sacrificing quality of care.

• Better value than Emergency Rooms - A recent study shows ER costs are 686% higher for the same quality of medical care received at an urgent care facility.
• Potential for lower co-payments - Many insurance companies have an urgent care or primary care co-payment that is substantially lower than the ER co-payment.

These days, you do have more options. And urgent care may be your very best choice for quality medical care at a reasonable price.  Urgent Care clinics offer experienced clinicians who are dedicated to treating patients with skill and respect. Plus, you don't need an appointment for your visit, and offer "no-surprise" posted pricing in convenient locations.

Article subitted by Dr. Castroina and Crystal Berry of Concentra Urgent Care with clinics located in Bangor, Augusta, Portland and Norway.  To learn more about Concentra visit www.concentra.com

Healthier Entrepreneurs Corner

by Bill McPeck

Don't spend your health now to gain wealth that you will only need to spend later to regain your health.

This Month's Question:

As an entrepreneur, most of my time and energy is going into building my business or keeping my business afloat in today's economy. Since my health is currently good, why do I need to make keeping my current health status a daily priority?

Plain and simple, health equals wealth. As an entrepreneur or solopreneur, if you are sick and out of work, you generally don't generate any revenue that day. Even if you do work when you are sick, chances are you will be a lot less productive that day.

Research coming out of the positive psychology field is showing a strong connection between our level of optimism and our physical health. It appears that our level of optimism influences our immune system. It is also well established that our stress level, especially chronic stress, also influences our immune system. When our immune system is weakened, we are more susceptible to diseases and experiencing a greater level of severity.

It is generally understood today that our health is driven by three factors:

1. Our lifestyle and health related behaviors - accounts for @40%

2. The environment - accounts for @40%

3. Our genetic make-up - accounts for @20%

Through the study of epigenetics, we are learning more about gene expression or activation and how this is related to our health related behaviors and lifestyle as well. So just because we have a genetic disposition for a particular disease, this does not necessarily mean we will develop the disease.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, chronic diseases, including non-communicable diseases (such as heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease), account for 70 percent of the deaths in the U.S. In addition, the CDC reports that 75 - 80% of all medical expenses in this country are due to chronic conditions.

When it comes to employees and chronic diseases, Gallup recently reported that fulltime workers who are:

• Of normal weight and who have no chronic health conditions report 0.34 unhealthy days each month or about 4 days (4.08) per year
• Overweight or obese and who have no chronic health conditions report 0.36 unhealthy days each month or a little over 4 days (4.32) per year
• Overweight or obese and who have 1 or 2 chronic health conditions report 1.08 unhealthy days each month or nearly 13 days (12.96) per year
• Overweight or obese and who have 3 or more chronic health conditions reported 3.51 unhealthy days each month or a little over 42 days (42.12) per year

This information suggests that as an entrepreneur, you should have as a priority not only building and maintaining your business, but also keeping yourself healthy. The two go hand and hand. Focusing solely on your business at the expense of your health could have dire wealth creation implications. This applies to both acute and chronic health issues. Being healthy pays and pays well.

Got a question? Send it to Bill at william.c.mcpeck@maine.gov. Bill McPeck is a health, wellness and safety expert with training as a social worker and personal coach, as well as holding professional certifications in worksite wellness and work-life balance. Bill is currently Director of Employee Health and Safety for Maine State Government.

Wellness Team Corner 

by Amy Wagner, CWWPC

Resources:

Tobacco Cessation:

Maine Tobacco Helpline - It is Free - It is Confidential and it Works! 

Website - www.thequitlink.org

Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/QuitLink

Twitter page - http://twitter.com/quitlink

Tobacco Intervention Basic Skills Trainings and Other Trainings:

Mar 13, 2012   Spectacular Events, Bangor

Apr 2, 2012   Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland

Level 1 Motivational Interviewing (MI) with Steve Andrew, LCSW, LADC, BCD

Feb 28, 2012   MaineHealth, 110 Free Street, Portland

Webinars: Supplemental training to the Basic Skills Trainings

(web-based trainings 11:00 am to 12:00 pm)

Dec 7, 2011  E-Cignarettes Facts and Fiction

Jan 4, 2012   The E-Referral: Maine Tobacco Helpline Update

Feb 1, 2012   CTI Treatment Center Case Studies

Mar 7, 2012   Smokeless Tobacco

Prerequisite: Completion of the Tobacco Intervention: Basic Skills Training

Intensive Tobacco Treatment Training and Conference

Apr 30-May 3, 2012  Wyndham Airport Hotel, South Portland

Prerequisite: Completion of the Tobacco Intervention: Basic Skills Training



Maine Helpers Program Train-the-Trainer

Training provides practical skills and information for both nonclinical professionals and nonprofessional lay helpers who have a desire assist Maine residents with quitting tobacco.

Mar 14, 2012  Black Bear Inn, Orono

For more information on any of these trainings, call Becky Hendrix at 662-7122 or visit www.tobaccofreemaine.org

Medication Drop Boxes:

The following law enforcement agencies have secure medication drop boxes and accept unwanted and outdated personal and veterinarian medications for disposal from the public any day their lobby is open:

Augusta Police Department,

33 Union Street

Gardiner Police Department,

6 Church Street

Winthrop Police Department, 15 Town Hall Lane

Kennebec Sheriff's Office,

125 State Street, Augusta

Hallowell Police Department is accepting medications to be disposed but the site does not have a drop box.

If you are unable to get to any of these sites to safety dispose your unwanted medications Kennebec Sheriff's Office will pick them up.  For more information call KSO at 623-2270. 

Educational Resources:

Wellness Council of Maine

Small Business Workplace Wellness Conference

December 7, 2011

7:30 am-Noon

USM Abromson Center, Portland

For a full listing of Wellness Council of Maine training opportunities visit: www.wellnesscouncilofmaine.org

For more information contact Willow Sherwood

email: director@wellnesscouncilofmaine.org

Telephone: 207-947-0307

Southern Maine Wellness Council

For a full listing of Southern Maine Wellness Council training opportunities visit www.mmc.org/lifeline_body.cfm?id=7119

For more information contact Thomas Downing, Director

Lifeline Workplace Wellness Program

Maine Medical Center

Division of Community and Prevention Medicine

Falmouth, ME 04105

P: 207-781-1545

E: downit@mmc.org

W: www.mmc.org/lifelinewellness

Kennebec Valley Entrepreneurial Network

KVEN is a regional effort supported by entrepreneurs, service providers, educational institutions, business organizations and individuals who believe that entrepreneurship is the key to prosperity for Kennebec and Somerset Counties.

In additon to regular meetings that take place every six weeks, you are invited to join the online community on 'LinkedIn.'  Just go to www.linkedin.com and register to become part of the LinkedIn online community.  Once you are registered, go to the top of the menu bar and click on 'Groups.'  Type in Kennebec Valley Entrepreneurial Network and become a member of the group.  For more information about events or to learn more about KVEN, please contact Ken Young, 453-4258, ext 16, kyoung@kvcog.org or Shelley Payne, 453-4258 ext 19, spayne@kvcog.org

Other Entrpreneurial Resources:

Women, Work and Community's 60 hour intensive business class, New Ventures, for more information email jenn.dobransky@maine.edu 

Small Business Administration (SBA) www.sba.gov

Western Kennebec County Economic Development Alliance www.wkeda.com/

Kennebec Valley Council of Governments www.kvcog.gov

Maine Department of Economic & Community Development www.maine.gov/decd/

Institute for Family-owed Business http://fambusiness.org/

Husson University's Richard E. Dyke Center for Family Business www.husson.edu/index.php?cat_id=296

Webinars, Webcasts, Reports and White Papers

Bucks Consultants www.bucksconsultants.com

Fisher and Phillips  www.laborlawyers.com

Health Promotion Live  healthpromotionlive.com

Human Nature @ Work  David Lee  www.humannatureatwork.com

Institute for Health and Productivity Management  www.ihpm.org 

National Wellness Institute  www.nationalwellness.org

WELCOA  www.welcoa.org

Wellsteps  new.wellsteps.com

Learning Resources Network (LERN) at MSAD #11 (RSU #11) For more information or to register, contact Diann Bailey, Director MSAD #11 Adult Education, Telephone 207-582-3774,

email: dbailey@msad11.org

Safety Works!

SafetyWorks!  can help you prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths and reduce related costs. Our services are free and confidential and we don't issue fines or citations.

Safety Works! help keep workers safe and healthy. And we help businesses thrive, because you will save 4-6 dollars for every dollar you invest in safety. The old adage is true - it pays to be safe!

SafetyWorks! specializes in practical solutions to help make workplaces safer and healthier.   They want your workplace to be as safe and healthy as possible.   To learn more visit http://safetyworksmaine.com/

TDES-Telephonic Diabetes Education & Support

Offers individuals with diabetes another option in managing their diabetes without the hassle of transportation issues.  Worksites looking to offer TDES as a benefit or to learn more call Phonse Allen Laney at 622-7566 extension 262 or visit www.tdes.me  Watch for next month's newsletter for feature article about TDES.

Healthy Lifestyles Resources:

SparkPeople

A FREE online site that offers free nutrition and exercise trackers, recipes, shopping lists, online communities to join, and health information.  Members set goals and can receive online support.  To learn more or join visit www.sparkpeople.com

Live Strong

This FREE online site tracks daily food intake, using MyPlate for Diabetes and non-diabetes, exercise and weight, includes detailed exercise routine, calculates body mass index (BMI) and recommended daily caloric intake based weight, height, weight loss goals, activity levels, etc for FREE.  To learn more or to join visit www.livestrong.com

Fit Day

A FREE online site where members can calculate and record daily food intake and exercise, track weight loss and monitor goals.  To learn more or join visit www.fitday.com

CDC Physical Activity Planning and Tracking Tools (also FREE)

www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/tools/index.html#Physical%20Activity%20planning

The free tools include: My physical Activity Diary, Meals Matter, Small Steps.gov, MyPyramid Tracker, MyPlate and The President's Challenge.  

Heart 360

Heart 360 is a convenient and secure location for you to track and manage your heart health.  Record your health data with Heart 360 online trackers, access additional information and resources on how to be heart healthy, and even share your results with your healthcare provider.  To learn more visit www.heart360.org

Start!

Start! is the American Heart Association's program to get Americans walking to improve heart health. To learn more visit startwalkingnow.org

America On the Move

America On the Move (AOM) is an evidence-based nonprofit dedicated to help you take small steps and make small lifestyle changes for a healthier way of life.  This site contains health information, eating, walking, healthy lifestyle tracking programs and health assessments.  To learn more visit www.americaonthemove.org

Couch to 5K

Many of the sites I work with are promoting Couch to 5K, a beginner's running schedule has helped thousands of new runners get off the couch and onto the roads, running 3 miles in just two months.  To learn more visit www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

My Fitness Pal

This free resource lets you track the food you eat and the exercise you participate in on their website or with free mobile apps: www.myfitnesspal.com

Nutrition Education

Learn more about portion size, balanced meals, and get healthy eating tips at www.choosemyplate.gov

Trail Finding Resources:

Healthy Maine Walks  www.healthymainewalks.org

Move More  www.movemore.org

Healthy Communities of the Capital Area  www.healthycommunitiesme.org

Maine Trail Finder www.mainetrailfinder.com

Maine State Parks Trails  www.trails.com/state-park-trails.aspx?keyword=state%20park&state=ME

Kennebec Land Trust  www.tklt.org

Kennebec River Rail Trail  www.krrt.org

Viles Arboretum  www.vilesarboretum.org

Trails  www.trails.com

Substance Abuse Resources:

Does Someone You Know Have an Opioid Addiction?

Free monthly meetings to learn about addiction, medication-assisted treatment and recovery 

Augusta:

Meetings are held the third Tuesday at noon at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 69 Winthrop Street.  For more information call Jayne Harper at  621-3740 or Helen Pare at 266-8881

Waterville:

Meetings are at 12:30 pm at the Eskelund Center at the Maine Children's Home, 93 Silver Street, Waterville.  The meeting date is December 7, for more information call Jayne Harper at 621-3740 or Brenda Radel at 872-7272 

All Recovery Support Meetings

Sponsored by the Maine Recovery Communities Coalition.  All Recovery Support Meetings welcome people from every addiction recovery pathway.  Meetings are free of charge.

When:  Thursdays

Where: Green Street Methodist Church, 14 Green Street, Augusta

For more information call Deb Dettor at 458-4366 or Peter Wohl at 626-3448

Find a Meeting Near You:

To find Alcohol Anonymous, Al Anon, Cocaine Anonymous, Co Anon, Narcotics Anonymous and Narcotics Anon meetings near your visit www.usrecovery.info/AA/Maine.htm

Resources from Past Articles

Mediation Services

Find out how you can take advantage of low cost mediation and conflict coaching services. Mediation Services is a  program of Volunteers of America Northern New England. Please contact Nancy Markowitz, Program Director at (207) 373-1140 ext 229, mediate@voanne.org or www.voanne.org

Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence

430-8334 or www.mcedv.org.

National Domestic Violence Helpline

1-800-799-SAFE, 1-866-834-4357 

Family Violence Project

www.familyviolenceproject.org or call 623-8637. 

The Augusta Crisis Line 623-3569 or 1-877-890-7788

Hardy Girls, Healthy Women www.hardygirlshealthywomen.org

Silent No More www.silentnomore.org

The Grandest Parents of All

A support group and series of workshops for grandparents and other relatives raising young children.  Meetings are held the third Thursday each month, 5-7 pm at Educare, 56 Drummond Ave, Waterville, for more information call Samantha Thibodeau at 626-3497

Health Risk Assessment Resource:

KeepMEWell

To take the free, easy, private health risk assessment visit www.keepmewell.org

The goals of KeepMeWell are to assist Maine adult residents to:

* Assess their risk for chronic disease

* Receive feedback that promotes action to address identified health risks

* Link to local community resources that assist residents in taking action to lower their risk for disease and improve their health

*Link uninsured and underinsured residents to healthcare services at no cost or slide scale cost

KeepMEWell is a free public service offered by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), Maine Department of Health and Human Services.  No personal information about individuals will be collected.  Only the individual will decide what to do with their personal results.  To participate fully, you will need a computer, internet access and a printer.

One great use of the personal results report is to use it as a conversation starter with your primary healthcare provider to develop a personal health plan with personal goals to address your health concerns.

 Still looking for a resource check out 211

Call 211 or go online at www.211maine.org

Healthy Maine Works

Farmers Markets

November 2-April 18

Johnson Hall Water Street  2-6 pm  First and Third Wednesdays

Save the Date:

Maine Indoor Air Quality Conference  March 20-21, 2012 to learn morevisit www.maineindoorair.org

Take it Outside

Winter Family Fun Days 2012

At Maine State Parks:

January 15

Lake St. George Park

Liberty, Maine

Children's Ice Fishing Derby

January 21

Cobscook Bay State Park

February 4

Mount Blue State Park

February 18

Range Ponds State Park

Kids' Fishing Derby

February 25

Aroostook State Park

For more information visit:

www.parksandlands.com

Our Board of Directors 

Mary Frances Bartlett

Rebecca West Dick

Dick Dyer

Rob Gordon, Treasurer

Patricia Hopkins

Kala Ladenheim

William McPeck, Vice Chair

Emilie van Eeghen

Frederick A. White, PhD

Jim Wood, Chair

Mark Yerrick, Secretary

Our Towns

Augusta

Chelsea

Farmingdale

Fayette

Gardiner

Hallowell

Litchfield

Manchester

Monmouth

Mount Vernon

Pittston

Randolph

Readfield

Richmond

Vienna

Wayne

HCCA has FREE signs: metal, corrugated plastic, window clings and laminated, Call Amy at 588-5019