Published: December 04, 2008 08:47 pm      

12-3 Health briefs

Free Medicare workshop coming to Edmond

Generations Healthcare is sponsoring a free informational seminar on Medicare for seniors and their families. The seminar will be at 10 a.m. Dec. 12 at the Edmond branch of the Oklahoma City Clinic, 200 N. Bryant Ave. A Generations Healthcare representative will be available to answer questions about Medicare and the current annual enrollment period. For more information about Generations Healthcare, call 877-280-2990 or visit www.generationshealthcare.cc.

OMRF seeking patients for arthritis and lupus studies, drug trials

Researchers at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation are looking for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus patients to take part in studies of new treatments for the diseases. OMRF’s Clinical Pharmacology Research Program conducts pharmaceutical studies on rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

People with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis or lupus who would be interested in participating in research can contact OMRF’s Clinical Pharmacology Research Program at 271-7805 or clinic@omrf.org.

Screen for hearing

Join the Integris Cochlear Implant Clinic and Hearing Enrichment Language Program (HELP) for a free hearing screening during December and January. Screenings will be offered by appointment only with staff audiologists at 3434 N.W. 56th St., Suite 101. Call the Integris HealthLine at 951-2800 to schedule your free appointment today.

Office of Child Abuse Prevention announces poster contest

All Oklahoma students in grades K-12 are invited to enter a calendar poster contest depicting positive images and illustrating the theme “It only takes a minute to make a difference in the life of a child.” The Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Office of Child Abuse Prevention, and the Child Abuse Prevention Month Action Committee are sponsoring the contest. The Arts Council of Oklahoma City will select an impartial panel of judges to judge the poster contest.

Entries must be received by Feb. 27. Contest winners will receive prizes and have their entry on public display at the State Capitol on Child Abuse Prevention Day, April 14.

Each participating school will have its own contest and submit one winning poster from each grade. For example, each elementary school will have one winner from each grade K-5; each middle school will have one winner from each grade 6-8; and each high school will have one winner from each grade 9-12. Students should check with their school office to see if their school is participating in the contest.

For more information about the poster contest, call Linda Wise or Chris Fiesel at the OSDH Office of Child Abuse Prevention at 271-7611 or send e-mail to LindaKW @health.ok.gov or ChrisF@health.ok.gov.

National Handwashing Awareness Week is Dec. 7-13

Germs on your hands cause most contagious illnesses. Your hands can pick up germs from coughing and sneezing onto them, from touching other persons’ unclean hands, and from surfaces or substances that have disease-causing germs. Hand hygiene includes hand washing and hand sanitizing. Washing hands with soap and water helps physically remove germs, and is the only way to clean hands that are visibly soiled. The Oklahoma State Department of Health public health officials are using National Handwashing Awareness Week, Dec. 7-13 as an opportunity to remind everyone about simple and inexpensive disease prevention techniques. Prevent the spread of infectious diseases by remembering to wash your hands.