One in Five Augustans With Type 2 Diabetes Mistakenly Believe That Being Obese or Overweight Can Positively Impact Their Disease

/PRNewswire/ -- Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) announced findings today from a recent survey conducted by national research firm Yankelovich that found that more than one in five Augustans with type 2 diabetes mistakenly think that excess weight has a positive effect on the disease. In fact, research shows that being overweight often contributes to the development of diabetes, complicates proper management of the disease and can lead to other serious conditions, including blindness, kidney damage and cardiovascular disease.

Survey findings also revealed that the recession is taking a negative toll on how Augustans manage their diabetes. One in four have reduced their level of diabetes care to save money, either by limiting treatment supplies, skipping doctor visits or taking medications less often, which can all lead to significant long-term health risks.

"These findings underscore the need for more education on the importance of proper diabetes management, including the impact of weight, in Augusta and the variety of options available to them," said Dr. Steven Edelman, physician, author and founder of TCOYD.

The survey, which assessed the behaviors and attitudes of Augustans with type 2 diabetes, was commissioned by TCOYD, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 diabetes education organization that offers programs to inform, motivate and empower participants to take control of their diabetes. TCOYD is also holding a diabetes education conference that will help Augustans with diabetes and their loved ones learn how to better manage the disease. The conference and health fair, taking place on Feb. 28, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Augusta Marriott, will feature national and local medical experts in diabetes care discussing the latest developments in the treatment of diabetes, the complications of the disease, psychological barriers to controlling diabetes and nutritional issues.

The survey also found that many Augusta residents with type 2 diabetes struggle with managing their weight because of a lack of knowledge of their disease and available treatment options, as well as local challenges specific to Augusta. Survey results include:

* Seventy-nine percent of survey respondents describe themselves as
overweight, and 81 percent say that their doctor has told them to lose
weight to better manage their disease
* Seventy-one percent are aware that there are diabetes medications that
cause weight gain, but almost half are currently taking these
medications. A startling 77 percent are unaware that there are diabetes
medications that can help people lose weight



"These survey findings show that many Augusta residents with type 2 diabetes are unclear on how to manage their disease and do not have the educational and economic resources to make healthy choices," said Dr. Charles Shaefer, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia. "It is vital that Augustans receive the necessary information and resources to take care of their health and prevent serious related conditions."

Both diabetes and obesity are growing national epidemics, affecting millions in the United States and worldwide. Recognizing the impact of these and other chronic diseases on the American healthcare system, the new Obama administration is making them a primary health focus. These diseases also have a significant impact in Richmond County, where more than 10 percent of the population has diabetes and more than 30 percent are obese. With so many Augusta residents affected by these diseases, it is vital to understand the best way to manage them.

Pre-registration for the conference is recommended and is $15 per person. On-site registration begins Feb. 28, 2009 at 9 a.m., and costs $20. Financial assistance is available by calling TCOYD. To register or get more information, call (800) 998-2693 or visit http://www.tcoyd.org/.

-----
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page

Dramatic Performer to be Part of Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration in Augusta

Jim Lucas, a dramatic performer known for his uncanny resemblance to Martin Luther King Jr., will be the featured speaker at the annual Tri-College Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The ceremony, hosted in alternate years by the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta State University and Paine College, will be at noon Friday, Jan. 16 in the Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Auditorium at the Medical College of Georgia.

Mr. Lucas is an advocate of Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violent action to effect social change and has received national acclaim for dramatic recitations of his speeches. President Bill Clinton called him “the most authentic and exhilarating King I have ever seen.”

Mr. Lucas has been a guest speaker for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City and the National Baptist Convention. He has performed at more than 100 colleges and universities and throughout Germany, Japan and South Korea. His resume also includes television and film appearances in Ladder 49, Something the Lord Made, The West Wing, 24, The Wire and The District. He is currently co-starring in The Meeting, a play about the lives of Dr. King and Malcom X.

The annual Tri-College Celebration will also feature performances by choirs from all three institutions.

by Jennifer Hilliard
MCG

-----
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page

American Lung Association Faults Environmental Protection Agency for Ignoring Deadly Particle Pollution in Five U.S. Cities in List Released Today

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Lung Association faults the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for leaving five U.S. cities off its list of those required to take immediate action to reduce particle pollution in the air. This deadly omission puts public health in the following metropolitan areas at considerable risk: Houston, Texas; Augusta, Georgia; Columbus, Georgia; Greenville, South Carolina; and Fairmont, West Virginia. In addition, EPA left many individual counties off the list despite the impact of emissions from those counties on pollution in metropolitan areas.

Particle pollution is typically a mixture of ash, soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols. It can trigger heart attacks and strokes, and cause irregular heartbeats, lung cancer and premature births. Breathing particle pollution year-round can shorten life by one to three years. The five cities omitted from the EPA's list all showed unhealthy year-round levels of fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5. In its list released today, the EPA only identified counties and metropolitan areas that experience unhealthy spikes in particulate matter pollution over the course of a 24-hour period.

The Clean Air Act requires that the EPA officially notify all localities with documented unhealthy levels of particulate air pollution so that leaders can begin to make necessary changes.

"The Clean Air Act plainly requires the EPA to identify all the places where air pollution poses a threat to public health," said Paul G. Billings, Vice President, National Policy and Advocacy of the American Lung Association. "This process is essential to reducing the burden of air pollution in these communities, because it triggers critical protective measures to reduce air pollution and protect public health."

According to EPA records, year-round particulate matter levels in Houston and Columbus, Georgia, have worsened and people in these communities are at risk. Particle pollution harms people in many ways, even when the particle levels are very low. Particle pollution worsens serious respiratory disorders, including asthma and causes wheezing and coughing. People most at risk include children and teens, seniors, people with asthma and other lung diseases, people with cardiovascular diseases and diabetics.

In 2006, the EPA set new limits, called standards, for unhealthy levels of PM2.5, triggering a two-year process to identify which counties fail to meet the standards. In today's official action, the EPA formally determines, or "designates" counties that fail to meet, or "attain," the standards. Those counties then fall into a classification of "nonattainment" that triggers specific measures to be put in place to reduce emissions. Other counties do not have to comply with these requirements.

EPA misses many individual counties, limiting clean-up in larger cities

The Lung Association also found that EPA's official "nonattainment" list omitted many counties that are part of larger metropolitan areas with recognized unhealthy levels of particle pollution. Large sources of particle pollution, such as highways, railroads and industries are usually spread throughout a metropolitan area. To tackle the complex clean up of these widespread sources, the planning area needs to include all the counties where sources exist. Omitting these counties makes it harder for the rest of the metropolitan area to meet the standard. The American Lung Association previously advised EPA that all the counties should be included in any metropolitan area that monitored unhealthy levels.

"It's naive to act as if air pollution is trapped by the invisible lines that define our counties' borders," said Billings. "The EPA has a responsibility to do more to protect public health when it comes to air pollution."

-----
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page

Commerce's NTIA Urges Georgia Consumers to Apply for TV Converter Box Coupons by December 31

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced more than 231,700 over-the-air households in Georgia, those that rely on an antenna for broadcast TV, have requested coupons from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. With two months until the nation's full-power TV stations transition to 100 percent digital broadcasting, the agency is urging consumers who rely on over-the-air television and need a TV converter box coupon to apply by the end of the year.

"There may be two months until the digital television transition concludes, but consumers who want to buy a TV converter box with a coupon should apply for it in the next two weeks or possibly risk losing use of their analog TV temporarily," said Acting NTIA Administrator Meredith Baker. "It takes approximately six weeks to apply for the coupon, buy the box and try it out so it is imperative that consumers take action by December 31 or look at other options to make the transition prior to February 17, 2009."

Below are the percentages of coupons requested by over-the-air households for each DMA in Georgia.

DMA % OTA Households Who Requested Coupons
(Data as of December 14, 2008)
Albany, GA 82%
Atlanta, GA 86%
Augusta, GA 101%
Columbus, GA 89%
Macon, GA 84%
Savannah, GA 77%
Tallahassee (FL) -Thomasville (GA) 71%


For a complete listing of the markets and their participation rates by "over-the-air" TV household, go online at www.ntia.doc.gov and for more information about the Coupon Program, go to www.DTV2009.gov.

Background

The Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 requires full-power television stations to cease analog broadcasts and switch to digital after February 17, 2009. The Act authorized NTIA to create the TV Converter Box Coupon Program, which is funded by the $19 billion airwaves auction and not tax dollars. The Act funded the Program at $1.5 billion, including $1.34 billion for coupons. Currently, NTIA has obligated $1.1 billion in coupons. This obligation is a combination of coupons redeemed as well as coupons that have been ordered.

Digital broadcast television offers consumers a clearer picture, more programming choices and will free up the airwaves for better communications among emergency first responders and new telecommunications services.

Consumers receiving free, over-the-air television on analog TV sets will need to act now to ensure their televisions continue to work when full power television stations go all-digital. Viewers of over-the-air television need to look at each analog set in their home that is not connected to cable, satellite or other pay television service and make a timely decision. They can connect their television to cable, satellite or pay television service; they can replace it with a digital TV; or they may keep it working with a TV converter box.

For consumers choosing the converter box option, the TV Converter Box Coupon Program permits all households to request up to two coupons - each worth $40 - toward the purchase of certified converter boxes. Coupons may be requested while supplies last, and only one coupon can be used to purchase each coupon-eligible converter box. Consumers can purchase a converter box at one of the more than 34,500 participating local, phone or online retailers. Consumers will receive a list of eligible converter boxes and participating retailers with their coupons. Coupon applications can take several weeks to process and mail so consumers opting to purchase a converter box should act now, and should call stores before shopping to ensure the desired converter box is available. Converter boxes generally cost between $40 and $80, and coupons expire 90 days from the date they are mailed.

Consumers who choose to transition to digital television by purchasing a TV converter box with a coupon need to follow three steps and act by the end of the year because the process may take six weeks. Consumers should immediately apply for their coupons, buy a converter box when the coupons arrive and try the box with their television to address any potential technical issues before full-power broadcasters switch to digital.

Some viewers watch programs over translators or other low-power stations which may continue broadcasting analog signals after February 17, 2009. Those viewers may wish to select a converter box that will pass through analog signals.

Households may apply now for coupons online at www.DTV2009.gov, by phone at 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009), via fax at 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632) or by mail to P.O. Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208-2000. Deaf or hard of hearing callers may dial 1-877-530-2634 (English TTY) or 1-866-495-1161 (Spanish TTY). Nursing home residents may apply with the paper application available downloadable at www.DTV2009.gov.

For more information about the Coupon Program, please visit www.DTV2009.gov and for questions about the DTV transition, go to www.dtv.gov or call 1-888-CALL-FCC.

-----
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.artsacrossgeorgia.com
Arts Across Georgia

Exercise Helps Overweight Children Reduce Anger Expression

Regular exercise seems to reduce anger expression in overweight but otherwise healthy children, researchers said.

The first published study on the topic looked at 208 typically sedentary 7- to 11-year-olds who participated in a 10-15 week afterschool aerobic exercise program or maintained their usual inactive routine. The Pediatric Anger Expression Scale, used to gauge common anger expressions such as slamming doors and hitting, was given before and after the program.

"Exercise had a significant impact on anger expression in children," said Dr. Catherine Davis, clinical health psychologist in the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine. "This finding indicates that aerobic exercise may be an effective strategy to help overweight kids reduce anger expression and aggressive behavior."

The finding fits with evidence that exercise reduces depression and anxiety in children and with what's considered common knowledge that exercise helps adults manage anger, she said.

It also gives parents and other caregivers another reason to get and keep children moving. "I think it's reasonable to encourage children to exercise for a lot of good reasons," said Dr. Davis whose research on overweight children has shown regular physical activity not only reduces fatness but improves cognition and reduces insulin resistance – which can lead to diabetes.

"I think if teachers could see that exercise helps kids control their behavior and get along, they would be the top proponents of physical activity for kids," said Dr. Davis, noting that other studies suggests overweight children are more likely to be bullies and to be bullied. High levels of anger and hostility have been associated with delinquency in children, cardiovascular disease in adults and metabolic syndrome - which can lead to heart attack, stroke and diabetes - in adolescents.

The new finding, published in the November issue of Pediatric Exercise Science, appears to apply to overweight children generally, regardless of factors such as race, gender, socioeconomic status or even fitness or fatness levels, the researchers wrote. In fact, even though all participants in the exercise portion lost a significant amount of weight, they remained overweight at the study's conclusion.

With help from a five-year $3.6 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Dr. Davis already is looking to see if the finding holds in a similar group of children, who are part of a study on the impact of exercise on cognition. The goal is to determine if it was the exercise or participation in an after-school program that made the difference.

Extra attention from adults and time away from usual routines that could include disagreements with siblings and watching violence on television definitely could have a psychological impact. "With a psychological outcome like cognition or anger control, positive interaction with adults can make a big difference," Dr. Davis said.

In the published study, only the exercising children came to MCG's Georgia Prevention Institute after school. In the new study, both groups are coming to the institute, with non-exercisers enjoying arts, crafts and games. "We are trying to make it so the only difference is exercise," said Dr. Davis.

By Toni Baker
Medical College of Georgia

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home will hold Veterans Day Ceremony

The Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home will hold its annual Veterans Day ceremony at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11 in the courtyard. Col. John K. Dewey, the Training and Doctrine Command capability manager for tactical radios at Fort Gordon, will be the guest speaker and Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver will make opening remarks.

The ceremony, which is open to the public, will also feature Fort Gordon’s U.S. Army Signal Corps Band and Post Ceremonial Detachment Color Guard as well as the Butler High School Drill Team.

The Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home, operated through an interagency agreement between the Medical College of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Veterans Service, is located at 1101 15th St. For more information, call Karen Yonce at Georgia War at 706-721-2531.

By Jennifer Hilliard
Medical College of Georgia

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

FDA Statement Following CHPA's Announcement on Nonprescription Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Medicines in Children

Background: The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), an association that represents most of the makers of nonprescription over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines in children, recently announced that its members are voluntarily modifying the product labels for consumers of OTC cough and cold medicines to state "do not use" in children under 4 years of age. Additionally, the manufacturers are introducing new child-resistant packaging and new measuring devices for use with the products.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration supports the voluntary actions by CHPA members to help prevent and reduce misuse and to better inform consumers about the safe and effective use of these products for children. The FDA continues to assess the safety and efficacy of these products and to revise its OTC monograph (list of approved ingredients and amounts) for these medicines. Although this new labeling is inconsistent with the current monograph, FDA will not object, under the circumstances presented here, to the new label modification stating "do not use in children under 4," which reflects a more restrictive use of the drugs in children.

The steps that are being taken by CHPA will not affect the availability of the medicines, but this voluntary action will result in a transition period where the instructions for use of some OTC cough and cold medicines in children will be different from others. FDA does not typically request removal of OTC products with previous labeling from the shelves during a voluntary label change such as this one. Therefore, some medicines will have the new recommendation "do not use" for children under 4 years of age, while others will instruct that they not be used for children under 2 years of age. If parents or caregivers have or purchase a product that does not have the voluntarily-modified labeling, FDA recommends that they should adhere to the dosage instructions and warnings on the label that accompanies the medication. They should not, under any circumstances, give adult medications to children. If parents or caregivers have questions or are just not sure about how to use a product, they should consult with their doctor or pharmacist.

Over the last year, FDA has been working on several fronts to address the safe use of nonprescription OTC cough and cold medicines in children.

FDA has held two public meetings to hear from stakeholders and consumers on the issue, most recently, a public hearing that focused on labeling of these products on Oct. 2, 2008. In January of this year, FDA issued a nationwide Public Health Advisory recommending that these products not be used in children under the age of two because of the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening side effects.

Another part of the agency's work includes outreach to other public health agencies, consumer and patient groups companies that manufacture these products, and CHPA.

FDA will continue to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor the ongoing use of these products and to develop educational materials for parents and consumers. The Agency will also continue to reach out to the scientific community to obtain more up-to-date information and scientific data about the effects of these products in children so that it can take the appropriate regulatory steps moving forward.

All these areas are vital to support the development and review of data regarding the safe and effective use of these products.

FDA is proceeding with its rulemaking process to update the existing OTC monograph for cough and cold products for children, and will consider input from the recent hearing of Oct. 2. The rulemaking process affords additional opportunity for the submission of data and public comment.

Until all these issues are resolved, FDA continues to recommend to parents and caregivers the following:

• Do not give children medications labeled only for adults.
• Talk to your healthcare professional if you have any questions about using cough or cold medicines in children.
• Choose OTC cough and cold medicines with child-resistant safety caps, when available. After each use, make sure to close the cap tightly and store the medicines out of the sight and reach of children.
• Check the "active ingredients" section of the DRUG FACTS label of the medicines that you choose. This will help you understand what symptoms the "active ingredients" in the medicine are intended to treat. Cough and cold medicines often have more than one active ingredient (such as an antihistamine, a decongestant, a cough suppressant, an expectorant, or a pain reliever/fever reducer).
• Be very careful if you are giving more than one medicine to a child. If you are giving more than one medicine to a child make sure that they do not have the same type of "active ingredients." If you use two medicines that have the same or similar active ingredients, a child could get too much of an ingredient and that may hurt your child. For example, do not give a child more than one medicine that has a decongestant.
• Carefully follow the directions for how to use the medicine in the DRUG FACTS part of the label. These directions tell you how much medicine to give and how often you can give it. If you have a question about how to use the medicine, ask your pharmacist or your doctor. Overuse or misuse of these products can lead to serious and potentially life threatening side effects such as rapid heartbeat, drowsiness, suppression of the respiratory system, seizures and other adverse events.
• Only use measuring devices that come with the medicine or those specially made for measuring drugs. Do not use common household spoons to measure medicines for children because household spoons come in different sizes and are not meant for measuring medicines.
• Understand that using OTC cough and cold medicines does not cure the cold or cough. These medicines only treat your child’s symptom(s) such as runny nose, congestion, fever and aches and do not shorten the length of time your child is sick.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

News to Use in Fayetteville, Atlanta, Augusta, Peachtree City and all of Georgia

State Issues Certificate of Need for Ambulatory Care Center

The Georgia Department of Community Health has issued a Certificate of Need to the Medical College of Georgia Physicians Practice Group to build an ambulatory care center in Columbia County.

The Certificate of Need is a state-required license for health care services and equipment used to regulate the purchase of expensive medical equipment and control the distribution of health care resources across the state.

The planned $34 million, 65,000-square-foot facility, called MCG Medical Associates Ambulatory Care Center, would be located on Washington Road in Evans, near William Few Parkway. The proposed facility would house three operating rooms, two procedure rooms, an imaging center with a CT scanner and a clinic with 45 exam rooms. MCG specialists will provide a wide range of services from primary care to outpatient procedures and therapies, diagnostic lab tests and imaging and outpatient endoscopic and surgical procedures.

While both the state and the Physicians Practice Group acknowledged that there was not a population-based need for new ambulatory surgery operating rooms, the certificate was approved because the facility will provide an additional site for clinical service, physician training and patient-oriented research.

"This facility will exist to support the clinical, educational and research missions of the institution,” says Dr. Curt Steinhart, president and chief executive officer of Physicians Practice Group. “It will be a community-based practice, where faculty provide patient services in a setting where residents and students can learn. Exposure to both hospital and ambulatory care settings is opportune because so much of health care is moving to an ambulatory setting. We need to train our students and residents in environments like those they’ll practice in, otherwise it will be foreign to them.”

“This will be an invaluable resource as MCG looks to expand in this area,” adds Dr. D. Douglas Miller, dean of the School of Medicine and chief clinical officer at MCG. “Its completion will enable us to hire more faculty and give existing faculty more places to practice. It will also give our students and residents more opportunities for training and provide the people who receive care there access to important clinical research. As the state’s largest provider of medical education, it is important that we remain on the front line in addressing the physician shortage. This facility will be an important part of that.”

In supporting the institution’s clinical mission, the new facility will feature the newest and best technology available, Dr. Steinhart says.

“Physicians want to practice in facilities with the best equipment and facilities that create the efficiencies that make their practice as productive as possible,” he says. “And that is the type of environment patients want to come to. This ambulatory care environment will provide the type of environment that will attract the patients that will serve as the foundation for enhanced clinical service, educational opportunities for our trainees and venues for clinical research.”

The Certificate of Need process is subject to appeal over the next month, so a groundbreaking date has not been set. “However, we will continue to move forward with our planning,” Dr. Steinhart says.

By Jennifer Hilliard
Medical College of Georgia

-----
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page

Schizophrenia Research Forum at MCG September 14

The Medical College of Georgia will sponsor a free public forum on schizophrenia research from 1-4 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 14 in the first-floor auditorium, room EC 1218, of the Health Sciences Building, located at 987 St. Sebastian Way.

MCG is one of 48 universities selected nationally to host the inaugural forum, part of the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression’s Healthy Minds Across America, a national day of free public forums on mental health research. The alliance is the world’s leading charity dedicated solely to mental health research.

Speakers at the MCG conference, all alliance award winners, will be Dr. Clare M. Bergson, an assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology in the School of Medicine and associate professor of graduate studies, who researches the brain chemistry of schizophrenics; Dr. Brian Kirkpatrick, professor and vice chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior in the School of Medicine, who researches obstacles to recovery; and Dr. Lin Mei, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, chief of developmental neurobiology, professor of neurology in the School of Medicine and professor of graduate studies, who studies genes and brain development in schizophrenia. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Peter F. Buckley, professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior and associate dean for leadership development in the School of Medicine.

MCG is at the forefront of schizophrenia research with several federal grants to study the disease. Research includes Dr. Mei’s $1.6 million National Institutes of Health grant to study neuregulin-1, a gene that when mutated could cause problems with neuron communication and possibly lead to schizophrenia; and Dr. Buckley’s supplemental grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health to study a potential biomarker for schizophrenia relapse. Dr. Kirkpatrick also has received federal funding to study whether schizophrenia increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

_____
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page

Program Targets School Bus Fumes

When the bell rings signaling the end of the school day, students race to the buses waiting to take them home. Some of those buses sit with their engines running, churning up dangerous diesel exhaust particles.

Inhaling diesel exhaust can worsen or cause asthma, the most common childhood chronic lung disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Medical College of Georgia researchers aim to reduce that risk in Richmond County through Clean My R.I.D.E. - A Coalition to Reduce Inhalation of Diesel Exhaust.

"We'll assess the particulate exposure at schools, educate parents, teachers and bus drivers about the associated dangers and current idling policies and ultimately help develop a plan to decrease exposure to diesel exhaust," says Kitty Hernlen, assistant professor in the School of Allied Health Sciences Department of Respiratory Therapy and principal investigator of the $6,400 East Central Health District grant funding the program.

Bus and carpool practices will be monitored in five Richmond County schools: A. Brian Merry Elementary, Willis Foreman Elementary and Meadowbrook Elementary Schools, SpiritCreek Middle School and Butler High School. The research team will spend three days at each school to observe bus configurations, count idling vehicles and count airborne particles in the transportation pick-up areas 30 minutes before and after the dismissal bell rings.

"Every day, kids are walking through a diesel cloud to buses that are filling with diesel fumes and particulates," says Dr. Randy Baker, co-principal investigator and chair of the respiratory therapy department. "Buses at some schools will be in a straight line and others in a bus farm, where buses wait side by side. We want to determine if the bus configuration makes a difference in the concentration of particles and how long the particles hang around after the buses leave."

Diesel exhaust contains carbon particles and more than 40 hazardous air pollutants. Researchers will use a portable airborne particle counter to measure those that reach the lungs. Approximately 94 percent of particulate matter emitted through diesel exhaust is small enough to penetrate a child's narrow airways, which can inflame lungs and trigger asthma.

Pediatric deaths due to asthma are rare, but the Central Savannah River Area has seen a dramatic increase in asthma deaths in recent years – from three deaths between 1999-2004 to four deaths in a three-month period in 2006, says Ms. Hernlen.

"That cluster of deaths prompted the CDC to investigate the Augusta area," she says. "They didn't find one specific cause, but a whole list of things, and recommended asthma education for the entire community."

Ms. Hernlen is counting on the school community to do its part.

"We want to educate the schools through the parent-teacher associations, show them our findings and see if they can help change the idling policy. It's ultimately up to the school board whether they want to pursue a no-idling policy," she says.

The Richmond County Board of Education is already taking steps to eliminate unnecessary idling with a new directive to conserve fuel and lessen accumulation of fumes in and around the buses, says spokesperson Louis Svehla.

A no-idling policy would reduce diesel exhaust and save gas and money, says Dr. Baker. Other steps are more costly, such as buying new buses or retrofitting the old fleet with a particle scrubber, which can cost up to $10,000 per bus.

"We're trying to give parents some knowledge they may not have had about their children's safety and how it can be addressed now," says Dr. Baker. "Parents may think about fights on the bus, but not necessarily what their child is breathing at the bus stop."

By Paula Hinely

-----
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.artsacrossgeorgia.com
Arts Across Georgia

VA Awards $2.2 Million to Georgia Veterans Home

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To make sure the state veterans home in Augusta remains a comfortable and safe residence for veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is awarding a grant worth $2.2 million for improvements at the Georgia state facility.

"These grants honor our commitment to care for the men and women of Georgia who have served in uniform," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "Our federal-state partnership helps to provide comfortable and safe housing for Georgia veterans in a caring community."

VA's grants will cover 65 percent of the total cost of the projects. Total cost for the life patient and safety upgrades to the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home in Augusta are expected to total nearly $3.5 million.

The Augusta state veterans home is a 192-bed skilled nursing care facility located adjacent to the Medical College of Georgia Hospital and the Veterans Affairs Augusta Medical Center.

In fiscal year 2007, VA spent nearly $2.2 billion in Georgia to serve more than 760,000 veterans who live in the state. VA operates major medical centers in Atlanta, Dublin and Augusta (a two-division facility: downtown and uptown) with outpatient clinics and Vet Centers across the state.

-----
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page

Dean will give State of the School Address

Dr. D. Douglas Miller’s, dean of the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine, State of the School Address has been rescheduled for noon Friday, Aug. 15 in the Natalie and Lansing B. Lee Jr. Large Auditorium in the Auditoria Center. The address had been scheduled for July 23.

The address will be given during the school’s monthly Faculty Senate meeting.

MCG School of Allied Health Sciences Video Receives Telly Award

A video celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Medical College of Georgia School of Allied Health Sciences has earned MCG videographer Tim Johnson a Bronze Telly Award.

Mr. Johnson directed, edited, co-produced and served as videographer of Remembering 40 Years of Excellence, which debuted during MCG Homecoming in April. Dean Shelley C. Mishoe was executive producer, Dr. W. Kent Guion, associate dean for student, faculty and community affairs, producer and Grace Miller, the school's director of advancement, co-producer.

The video features historical footage and photographs and interviews with the school's founding dean, the late Raymond Bard, via archival footage, Dean Emeritus Biagio Vericella and Dean Mishoe. MCG President Daniel W. Rahn and Provost Barry D. Goldstein also are featured.

The Telly Awards honor video and film productions and local, regional and cable commercials and programs and are considered premier awards for the industry. This year's 29th annual competition received 13,500 entries from all 50 states and across the world. Entries don't compete against each other, but against a high standard of excellence, with only 18 to 25 percent of entrants receiving a Bronze Telly Award for outstanding achievement.

Mr. Johnson earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Augusta College (now Augusta State University). He has worked for production houses in California, Augusta and Aiken, S.C., and spent 10 years in cable television as a video producer and freelancer before coming to MCG's Department of Visual and Instructional Design in 2004.

He has garnered five national awards at MCG, including two Telly Awards for other School of Allied Health Sciences videos: a 2005 Silver Telly, the highest honor, for To Teach, Discover and Care, and a 2007 Bronze Telly for If Given the Opportunity. He received the Health and Science Communications Association’s Silver Award and the Admissions Advertising Award for his video, A Closer Look: MCG Admissions. In Augusta's Southern Fried Flicks Film Festival, he received the 2005 award for Best Short Feature and the 2006 award for Best Local Feature.