Communicable Disease team says goodbye to intern

Oluwasubomi “Subomi” Akindoju, CDC Public Health intern, came to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department to gain additional knowledge about Public Health.

Subomi was an intern with the Targeted Prevention and the TB teams. She was a great asset during the time spent with us. The Communicable Disease team would like to extend their appreciation to Subomi for the support she provided each program.

Targeted Prevention works annual Pride Festival

On Saturday, June 25, Lexington held its 9th annual Lexington Pride Festival, hosted by Pride Community Services. The Lexington Pride festival is the cities second largest free event that offers entertainment, food and beverages, and a chance for the Targeted Prevention team to conduct STI/HIV outreach. Many vendors and organizations were in attendance. Our team partnered with AVOL to provide free HIV screenings. Julie Moon, Lynnsey McGarrh, John Moses, Aaron Mosley Jr., and Beth Stroupe all participated in this year’s event. They distributed approximately 2,500 condoms, disseminated information about our Needle Exchange Program and other health department services, and provided education regarding safe sex practices. The team continues to conduct free HIV testing to all those who are interested in knowing their status. For additional information please contact the targeted prevention team at 859-288-2437.

The Targeted Prevention team would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Humbaugh, who came to the event to show his support. He worked diligently alongside DIS to offer event participants information about what the health department had to offer our community. The targeted prevention team has now officially inducted Dr. Humbaugh as an unofficial “in-house DIS”!

Lazy, hazy and dangerous days of summer-don’t overdo it!

Summer is probably the favorite season for many of you, but it does have special dangers. Refresh your awareness with an overview of the dangers of working in hot weather. Here are the basics on heat-related medical conditions:

1. Heat rash
   Symptoms: red, bumpy rash that can be itchy.
   Treatment: rest in a cool place and keep skin dry and clean.
2. Heat cramps
   Symptoms: painful muscle cramps.
   Treatment: drink electrolyte fluids to replace lost water and salt.
3. Heat Exhaustion
   Symptoms: weakness, dizziness or nausea; clammy skin; complexion pale or flushed; vomiting and loss of consciousness in severe cases.
   Treatment: rest in a cool place and drink plenty of fluids, preferably electrolyte fluids to replace lost salt as well as body fluids.
4. Heatstroke
   Symptoms: stops sweating; skin hot and dry; confusion, convulsions, and loss of consciousness possible.
   Treatment: call for an ambulance immediately; remove heavy outer clothing and keep victim cool by soaking clothes with water or spraying with mists of water; place ice packs under the armpits and groin area. Give only liquids to conscious victim.

Why it matters:

• In addition to the very young and the very old, those at greatest risk for heat-related illness include the overweight, those with high blood pressure or heart disease, and people taking certain medications.
• Medications that can increase your risk of heat-related illness include psychotropics; medications for Parkinson’s disease; tranquilizers such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones, and thiozanthenes; and diuretic medications or “water pills.”
• Everyone can experience a heat-related illness if they do not take the hazard seriously and follow safety precautions.

6 Health-Smart Tips for Beating Heat Hazards

It is recommended that you follow these health-smart tips for beating summer heat hazards, both on and off the job.

1. Practice pre-hydration. Before the activity starts, you should drink up to 16 ounces of fluid. After the activity begins, you should drink 8 ounces every 20 minutes during the activity.
2. Drink the right stuff. Studies have shown that flavored water is more effective than plain water at providing hydration. This is simply because plain water is much better at quenching thirst and, therefore, people drink less of it. People will drink a larger volume of flavored water because they will continue to feel thirsty.
3. Become acclimated to the heat slowly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a heat acclimation schedule can be induced in 5 to 7 days of exposure. For workers who have had previous experience with the job, CDC recommends an exposure regimen of 50 percent on day 1, 60 percent on day 2, 80 percent on day 3, and 100 percent on day 4. For new workers, CDC recommends 20 percent exposure on day 1 and a 20 percent increase on each additional day. Remember that after approximately 4 days of working in cool conditions, your heat acclimation will decrease.
4. Take off that hat. The body loses a lot of heat out of the top of the head. In winter, you want to wear a hat to keep the heat in. But in summer, you want to release body heat. If you are in hot shade, advise them against wearing a hat. If you are in direct sun and need shading, wear a visor rather than a cap.
5. Wear the right fabric. Cotton is great at absorbing moisture from the skin while sweating, but it can create a problem if the fabric becomes soaked. If possible, it is recommended that you wear a loose, thin, white, synthetic t-shirt while working in the heat. Synthetic material does not absorb sweat, but instead, sends it off the skin to be quickly evaporated. Synthetic fabrics will keep you cooler and safer from dangers of heat illness.

Signs of trouble:

The hotter it gets, the more stress on the body. The first signs of trouble include symptoms like:

• Fatigue
• Thirst
• Discomfort
• Lightheadedness

Simple heat stress, however, can quickly become heat exhaustion if early symptoms are ignored.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• Pale or flushed appearance
• Moist, clammy skin
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea

Untreated heat exhaustion can become heat stroke.

The heat stroke victim:

• Stops sweating and has hot, dry, reddish skin
• Has a rapid pulse and feels hot to the touch
• May become confused or delirious
• May suffer convulsions
• May become unconscious

Twenty percent of heat stroke victims die. Those who survive may suffer brain and kidney damage.

Moon and Stroupe attend Fatherhood Initiative

On June 18, Julie Moon and Beth Stroupe attended the Fayette County Fatherhood Initiative held at Douglass Park in Lexington, KY. They represented the health department’s targeted prevention program by providing education to the community and distributing condoms and information to the participants.

“It was one of the better events I participated in because we got the opportunity to speak with many people about safe sex practices,” said Moon.

The team also spoke with many other participants who showed interest in partnering with targeted prevention for future events. A special thanks to Anisa, Sierra and Kyle for coming out to help with logistics!

Welcome new employees!

Please take a moment to welcome the newest employees of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.

Sarah McMahan
Health Educator CHEE

 

LFCHD welcomes new commissioner, Dr. Kraig Humbaugh

Dr. Kraig Humbaugh officially joined the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department on Monday, June 13, in the position of Commissioner of Health. Dr. Humbaugh has extensive experience in public health, including epidemiology of communicable diseases, emergency preparedness and response, as well as background as a pediatrician. He describes himself as a “prevention-oriented, data-driven public health physician and epidemiologist.”

“We are very excited to have Dr. Humbaugh join us as the next Commissioner of Health,” said Paula Anderson, chair of the Lexington-Fayette County Board of Health. “In addition to his exceptional background in public health, he has widespread leadership experience on the state level. He also knows Kentucky and has worked closely with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department on many previous projects. All of those attributes made him the right choice to lead our health department.”

Dr. Humbaugh has been serving as the state health department’s director of the Division of Epidemiology and Health Planning since July 2004. He previously served as medical director for the Louisville Metro Health Department where he also was the interim director of health. He began his medical career as a pediatrician, which included a year in Russia.

Dr. Humbaugh earned his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and his medical degree from Yale University. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Otago in New Zealand and received a Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Keys talks school shots on Healthy Times radio show

Jill Keys, a team leader in School Health, joined hosts Bailey Preston and Kevin Hall on Wednesday’s Healthy Times show on Lexington Community Radio. Keys helped inform listeners about the importance of vaccines and how parents can beat the back-to-school rush by taking part in the Public Health Clinic’s vaccination schedule (see details below).

Healthy Times airs at 10 a.m. every Wednesday on 95.7 FM, with repeats on 93.9 FM at 3 p.m. Friday and 12 p.m. Sunday, 93.9 FM. It can also be streamed online at Lexington Community Radio!

Satterfield remembers fallen on Memorial Day

On Memorial Day, Dan Satterfield, Emergency Preparedness coordinator, spoke to a crowd in Salem, Ind., for an annual program remembering those who lost their lives in service to their country. Satterfield spent four years in the Air Force and 27 years in the Coast Guard.

“The reason I speak at this stuff is because it’s important for us to go back to our roots and understand how men would be so willing to give their lives,” said Satterfield.

Photo provided by Salem Leader.

In his speech, he thanked many people, including some of his hometown heroes, the American Legion, and his veteran family members.

“Men are willing to die for a cause and those men were willing to die for freedom. Those men were willing to die for those families who still live here. They wanted you to enjoy, they wanted your children to enjoy, and future generations to really enjoy the freedom they had. We’re here to honor them,” he said. Satterfield urged everyone to really use the Memorial Day holiday as a day of remembrance. “We remember these men and make sure they did not die in vain.”