Online Outside Resources

Online links for health educators and clinicians

(If you would like to submit a resource, e-mail the information to jpollara@milner-fenwick.com.)

National Health Observances

The National Health Information Center has a very handy link to all health observances throughout the year at www.healthfinder.gov.

Health professionals, teachers, community groups, and others can use these special times to sponsor health promotion events, stimulate awareness of health risks, or focus on disease prevention.

You can access any event by month and each listing includes all the information you need to contact the organization including the event’s contact person. Materials available from sponsoring organizations range from a single flyer to free packets of promotional materials.

Here’s an example of one listing for May:
National Arthritis Month
Arthritis Foundation,
1330 West Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
(800) 283-7800
(404) 872-7100 x 7888
(404) 872-0457 Fax
help@arthritis.org
www.arthritis.org  
Materials available Contact: Meera Venkatraman

True Guts

Josh Golder was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at age 16. He has been fighting this battle since then and is now helping others cope with this disease. He released True Guts, Struggle and Triumph Over Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis an inspiring video on the subject that went on to win a prestigious Freddy award. Go to www.trueguts.com. There you will find Josh’s story, clips from the video, his blog, free resources, and links. Patients and health professionals can sign up for a free monthly e-newsletter.

Federal Citizen Information Center

The Federal Citizen Information Center, based in Pueblo, Colorado has a sizable database of resources on many subjects. The FCIC brings together an array of U.S. Government information and services and makes them accessible to the public.

This information is made available on the Internet, via e-mail, in print, or over the telephone. Click on the Health button for links to items covering drugs and health aids, exercise and diet, medical problems, and mental health. Many can be ordered free or can be downloaded immediately as PDFs. www.pueblo.gsa.gov

The Joint Commission: Cultural Sensitivity

In recent years, cultural diversity has become the rule and not the exception in most areas of the country. Hospital staffs need the skills to effectively communicate with patients while respecting their culture perspective. It’s not only the right thing to do, it helps achieve better treatment results. To that end, the JCAHO offers a new resource called Cultural Sensitivity: A Pocket Guide for Health Care Professionals. The guides cost $35 for a 5 pack and are small enough to carry in a lab coat pocket for quick reference.