Latest news with #CCHD
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Free hurricane preparedness event
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The Chatham County Health Department (CCHD) will host an Emergency and Hurricane Preparedness Event on Friday, May 30. The free event is from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the green space behind the health department building at 1395 Eisenhower Drive in Savannah. It is open to the public. Several organizations, such Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), Healthy Savannah, GROW Initiative GA, the Red Cross and Safe Kids Savannah, will be on hand with information. This event will highlight important emergency preparedness information, including the Coastal Health District's Hurricane Registry. The Registry is a list of homebound residents in coastal Georgia who cannot safely evacuate without support. Individuals on the Registry have certain medical conditions or functional challenges that make general evacuation difficult and they have no other reliable transportation to evacuate. 'Preparedness is key to staying safe during a hurricane, especially for our most vulnerable residents,' said Dr. Chris Rustin, Director of the Chatham County Health Department. 'This event is a great opportunity for the community to learn about local resources, get connected, and make sure everyone has a plan, including those who may need extra help evacuating.' Individuals must apply in advance to be on the Hurricane Registry and receive evacuation assistance. In addition to information on the Hurricane Registry, there will be: Door prizes for the first 100 attendees Raffle prizes Emergency kit demonstrations Evacuation plan guides Local resource directories Information booths Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Camden County Health Department consolidating all services into new location
Multiple clinics operated by the Camden County Health Department are shutting down as the department seeks to move its services into one location. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< CCHD is moving to Winding Road in Kingsland, which it says will 'improve [its] ability to provide vital public health services for many years to come.' As part of the transition, the health department clinic in Woodbine (1501 Georgia Avenue) and St. Marys (905 Dilworth Street), as well as the environmental health office in Kingsland (107 North Gross Road, Suite 4), will close on April 30th. That will leave patients largely without access until May 7th, when the new location opens. While services will be limited during this time, patients can still call with urgent needs. For clinical services between April 30th and May 6th, CCHD says to call 912-882-8515. For environmental health services, call 912-729-6012. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The health clinic offers the following services: Immunizations (children and adults) Women's Health Services (including birth control) Pregnancy testing Breast and Cervical Cancer Program STD testing and treatment HIV testing and services TB testing and treatment Children's Special Services Adolescent Health and Youth Development Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Environmental Health [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Carteret County to host Safe Summer Cookout to raise Fentanyl awareness
CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (WNCT) — The Carteret County Health Department (CCHD) Post Overdose Response Team (PORT) plans to host the 'Safe Summer Cookout' on Saturday, May 3, 2025. This event will be held at the Carteret County Health Department in Morehead City, N.C. from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. It is in partnership with Hope Mission of Coastal Carolina and also takes place during National Fentanyl Awareness Day. The goal is to educate the community on the dangers of fentanyl while also offering support to families affected by substance use. You will be able to enjoy free hamburgers, hot dogs, and refreshments while also getting to connect with local resources on substance use prevention, treatment programs, and support services. Raffle prizes, special guest speakers, informative demonstrations of Narcan administration by Carteret County Emergency Services, and personal stories from individuals who have been impacted by substance use will also be featured at this event. 'We recognize the importance of raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl andproviding support for those affected by substance use,' PORT team manager at CCHD, Brooke Barnhill said. 'The 'Safe Summer Cookout' provides an opportunity for our community to come together, learn and support each other in combating substance use disorder.' To learn about Carteret County's efforts against the opioid epidemic, click here. Additional details on National Fentanyl Awareness Day can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alabama House committee passes contested midwife practice bill after public hearing
Johannah McDonald, a Huntsville resident, sits in a crowded House Health Committee meeting on April 23, 2025, with her daughter, Ruhama McDonald, to watched the public hearing on SB 87, which would only allow midwives to conduct the heel stick test of the newborn screening panel. An Alabama House committee Wednesday passed a bill changing the scope of practice for midwives in Alabama after a packed public hearing over the measure. As originally filed, SB 87, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would have allowed midwives to administer three parts of newborn screenings: heel stick, hearing screening and Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) screening, which can provide early detection of genetic or metabolic conditions. But in the Senate, the bill was amended to only allow midwives to conduct a heel stick and adds language prohibiting midwives from providing 'any care' that is not in law or in an emergency to newborns. 'This bill started out with those three newborn screening tests included, but two of them were removed when the substitute was submitted over in the Senate. It passed the Senate, and so that's where the bill stands today,' said Rep. Ben Harrison, R-Elkmont, who is carrying the bill in the House. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Midwives in Alabama were only allowed to practice after the state in 2017 started regulating midwifery and lifted a four-decade ban on the practice. Midwives have since then been fighting to provide more comprehensive care. The medical community has historically pushed back against such efforts, saying midwives don't have sufficient training, especially in cases of emergency. State health guidelines in Alabama require newborn screenings within 24-48 hours postpartum. Midwives must refer newborns to pediatricians, often delaying these critical tests. While midwives can administer screenings if a doctor is absent, they are not allowed to order these tests. Alabama midwives pull support from bill after addition of 'hostile language' The new version also states that while a licensed midwife 'may order and administer a heel lance within 72 hours after birth,' they are 'prohibited from interpreting any tests or screens under this subsection and shall cause any results to be referred to a physician of the mother's choosing who is licensed to practice medicine.' 'Today, I'm calling out a disgrace … SB 87 has been hijacked. As is, it denigrates the sanctity of motherhood, the safety of newborns, and above all, is a wolf in sheep's clothing,' said Aaron Crawford, president of the Alabama Birth Coalition, who blamed lobbyists for changes in the bill. Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, said he opposed the bill as amended but supported its original intent. 'Choices and options are being removed or denied from Alabama mothers because it would seem special interest and a general attitude that our mothers and their midwives can't possibly make good decisions and should trust the experts. I would humbly submit that 6,000 years plus of evidence would be different to that,' he said. Maria Cranford, a midwife in north Alabama, said that national standards provide midwives are trained and educated in the care of mothers and newborns through the first six weeks after birth. 'This includes performing newborn exams, administering newborn screens, critical congenital heart screenings with referral… and newborn screenings,' she said. 'All of which I'm taught students to do in clinical settings — not here in Alabama, because I'm legally not allowed to.' Support for the amended bill came from the medical community, who said it would preserve medical standards. Linda Lee, executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics Alabama chapter, read a statement from Dr. Nola Jean Ernest, a pediatrician in Enterprise. Claiming there's no evidence that midwifery improves infant mortality rates, Ernest said that 'all further medical evaluation and care' should be performed by a medical provider. 'Lay midwives attending home births do not have the equivalent training or clinical experience as pediatricians or neonatologists,' Ernest wrote in the letter. Danne Howard, deputy director of the Alabama Hospital Association, also supported the bill as it passed the Senate and defended notions that 'hospitals across the state have not abandoned labor and delivery.' Rural hospitals have faced financial struggle for years, which had led to some delivery units being closed around the state. 'Alabama Hospital [Association] supported the bill as it was passed by the Senate and look forward to additional work in years to come to see what other avenues that we can make great strides in improving access to care,' Howard said. The committee approved the bill on a voice vote. The legislation moves to the full House. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oxygen-starved cancer cells develop similar survival strategies as the Sherpa population of the Himalayan region
Results of a VHIO led study show that up to 90% of chronically hypoxic patients have an EPAS1 alteration in their tumor, a gene critical for adapting to lack of oxygen in populations living at high-altitude such as Tibetans and Sherpas. EPAS1-driven adaptation mechanisms enable tumor cells to proliferate under hypoxia and similarly, allow high-altitude dwellers to survive low-oxygen conditions. Convergent evolution is a central concept in evolutionary biology, showing how different organisms can develop convergent traits independently when facing similar environmental challenges, in this instance hypoxia. Published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), findings from this study suggest that achieving a deeper understanding of the links between natural adaptation and tumorigenesis could enhance cancer driver discovery and pave the way for identifying novel therapeutic targets. BARCELONA, Spain, April 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Results of study directed by Rodrigo Toledo, Head of the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology's (VHIO) Biomarkers and Clonal Dynamics Group, show convergent genetic adaptation under hypoxia (lack of oxygen) between populations living at high-altitude in the Himalayan region such as Tibetans and Sherpas, and the development of oxygen-starved cancer cells. Patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) are chronically hypoxic and have an estimated six-fold higher risk of developing pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) which is associated with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the adrenal glands and/or paraganglia, respectively. These cancers can continue to grow and proliferate under chronic hypoxia. "With this study, we aimed to achieve deeper insights into how tumors can survive, grow, and even metastasize under low oxygen conditions, known as hypoxia. Our findings reveal a broad convergence in genetic adaptation in tumors that continue to develop and grow under hypoxia, and in high-altitude populations who thrive in such a challenging environment," said Rodrigo Toledo, corresponding author of this present article. A shared gene for survival Sherpas have a unique variant of the EPAS1 gene, which is critical for hypoxia adaptation in high-altitude environments, such as the summit of Mount Everest. Toledo's team analyzed the genomic profile of PPGL tumor samples from chronically hypoxic patients with CCHD and discovered that, among the 20,000 protein-coding genes of the human genome, the EPAS1 gene—found altered in Sherpas—was mutated with a frequency of up to 90% in these hypoxic cancer cells. "It was fascinating to observe how these tumors, which can proliferate and even metastasize under a lack of oxygen, used exactly the same gene that enables Sherpas to adapt to hypoxia," added Rodrigo Toledo. Convergent evolution: nature's shared adaptations Convergent evolution is a process where unrelated species independently develop similar traits to overcome comparable environmental challenges. For example, both whales and bats developed echolocation to move around in pitch darkness. Despite their evolutionary distance, these species share the use of the same gene (SLC26A5) to develop echolocation. "Similarly, cancer genome projects have shown that different tumor types often share the same mutations in specific sets of genes, such as TP53, KRAS and BRAF, among others, which boost their growth. This suggests that, in addition to natural populations, tumors also have degrees of genetic convergence," observed Toledo. "The most innovative aspect of this study is our discovery that when natural populations and tumors face similar environmental stresses such as lack of oxygen, they both depend on the same gene to survive. This level of convergence shows that nature shares successful solutions, whether it be in the Himalayan mountains or in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment," said Carlota Arenillas, a PhD Student of Toledo's group and first author of the article. These results could open new directions in using genetic adaptations of natural environments as a starting point to analyze datasets from cancer genomic studies and existing preclinical models toward identifying key genes for cancer survival and novel therapeutic targets. "Our findings could help guide future studies exploring the links between natural adaptation and tumorigenesis, facilitating the identification of new cancer drivers and therapeutic vulnerabilities. As an example, we aim to identify the genes responsible for adaptation to regions with high levels of ultraviolet rays and analyze them in aggressive skin cancers such as melanoma," concluded Toledo. This research has been possible thanks to the support received from the Paradifference Foundation, the PHEiPAS Patient Association, the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), and the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors (ENSAT). Rodrigo Toledo also has the support of the "la Caixa" Foundation through a CaixaImpulse grant, a Miguel Servet research contract, a grant from the National Plan of the Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII) of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, a CaixaImpulse scholarship from the "la Caixa" Foundation and a start-up grant from the FERO Foundation. Reference Carlota Arenillas, Lucía Celada, José Ruiz-Cantador, Bruna Calsina, Debayan Datta, Eduardo García-Galea, Roberta Fasani, Ana Belén Moreno-Cárdenas, Juan José Alba-Linares, Berta Miranda, Ángel M. Martínez-Montes, Cristina Álvarez-Escolá, Beatriz Lecumberri, Elvira Ana González García, Shahida K. Flores, Emmanuel Esquivel, Yanli Ding, Mirko Peitzsch, José-Ángel Robles-Guirado, Rita Maria Regojo Zapata, Jose Juan Pozo-Kreilinger, Carmela Iglesias, Trisha Dwight, Christopher A. Muir, Amelia Oleaga, Maria Elvira Garrido-Lestache Rodríguez-Monte, Maria Jesús Del Cerro, Isaac Martínez-Bendayán, Enol Álvarez-González, Tamara Cubiella, Delmar Muniz Lourenço Jr., Maria Adelaide A. Pereira, Nelly Burnichon, Alexandre Buffet, Craig Broberg, Paxton V. Dickson, Mario Fernandez Fraga, José Luis Llorente Pendás, Joaquín Rueda Soriano, Francisco Buendía Fuentes, Sergio P.A. Toledo, Roderick Clifton-Bligh, Rodrigo Dienstmann, Josep Villanueva, Jaume Capdevila, Anne-Paule Gimenez-Roqueplo, Judith Favier, Paolo Nuciforo, William Young Jr, Nicole Bechmann , Alexander R. Opotowsky, Anand Vaidya, Irina Bancos, Donate Weghorn, Mercedes Robledo , Anna Casteràs, Laura Dos-Subirà, Igor Adameyko, María-Dolores Chiara, Patricia L.M. Dahia, Rodrigo A. Toledo. Convergent genetic adaptation in human tumors developed under systemic hypoxia and in populations living at high altitudes. Cancer Discovery, April 9th About VHIO The Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), established in 2006 and located within the Vall d'Hebron Campus, is a reference comprehensive cancer center for personalized medicine in oncology. Through our purely translational and multidisciplinary research model, we aim to improve the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of cancer by transforming the latest scientific discoveries made in the laboratory into early phase clinical trials for the development of more effective therapies to improve the quality of life and survival of cancer patients. VHIO forms part of the CERCA – Research Centres of Catalonia system and is accredited as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence. Research at VHIO would not be possible without the support received from our patrons –Generalitat de Catalunya, Fundació Privada CELLEX, "La Caixa" Foundation, Fundación FERO, Fundación BBVA and the CRIS Cancer Foundation– and the public funding it receives as well as the generous support from institutional supporters, private institutions, companies, associations, societies, and individual donors. Only with such continued support will VHIO continue to advance personalized and targeted therapies against cancer. Photo - View original content to download multimedia: Sign in to access your portfolio
