74.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesExtended Clinic Hours, Educational Events Mark National Public Health Week

Extended Clinic Hours, Educational Events Mark National Public Health Week

April 7, 2008 — The V.I. Department of Health is commemorating National Public Health Week April 7 to 13 with open houses, exhibits and educational outreaches.
At an open house Monday at the Charles Harwood Medical Complex in Christiansted, the department unveiled a pilot program for the expansion of clinic hours on St. Croix.
"Extended clinic hours are a step in increased access to health care," said Health Commissioner Vivian Ebbesen-Fludd.
The pilot program began Monday on St. Croix with services being provided until 7 p.m. The department will add more hours and days in phases beginning on St. Croix, Ebbesen-Fludd said.
The schedule will be based on volume, with the aim of balancing the appointment loads. Ultimately Ebbesen-Fludd would like to have three days with longer hours. The department hopes to have the extended hours in effect territory wide by May.
The department also awarded, for the first time, Commissioner's Service Awards to citizens. Tina Tobias, RN, and Kitichia C. Weeks were honored for significant contributions to the public-health system.
Tobias has worked as a nurse at Country Day School for the past 18 years. She helped avert a potential whooping-cough outbreak. She alerted and worked with the DOH on whooping-cough cases that showed up in two students at Country Day School.
Weeks was the former V.I. State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) director/Medicare coordinator in the office of the lieutenant governor. Under her directorship, SHIP received numerous national awards. She is currently working in the New York regional office's division of Medicare Health Plan Operations.
The DOH also presented the Department of Education with 50 Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools action kits with DVDs and instructional materials for children.
The national theme for the week is: "Climate Change: Our Health in Balance." Locally it is: "The Environment and You."
Climate change can have a ripple effect on inhabitants in many ways, said Francine Lang, director of Environmental Health. Temperature changes can affect health via such issues as mold growth and high pollen counts.
Educational displays will focus on "The Environment and You" at a series of open houses.
Tuesday there will be a dental health services exhibit at Charles Harwood. On St. John, there will be a diabetes exhibit at the Morris F. DeCastro Clinic, both 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. St. Croix will have an HIV/STD/TB exhibit and St. John's clinic will hold an open house. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Schneider Regional Medical Center the department will have program education outreach exhibits mainly focusing on immunization.
Thursday at Charles Harwood there will be a chronic disease exhibit from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on St John a Maternal Child Health clinic is planned from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On Friday, the week will wind down with DOH fitness walks territory wide. Clinics and business offices will be closed to allow staff participation.

Back Talk Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name and city and state/country or island where you reside.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.