Lillian Shirley, RN, MPH, MPA Multnomah County Health Department Director February 15 is School Exclusion Day. Exclusion day is when local public schools, pre-schools, Head Start programs, kindergartens, private schools, and other children’s facilities will begin denying admission to students who do not have their required vaccines up to date. Families will receive letters stating [...]
Lillian Shirley, RN, MPH, MPA Multnomah County Health Department Director Coughing and wheezing that won’t stop. The wild eyes of a child who can’t get enough air. A sad child sitting on the couch watching her friends run and play. A child’s asthma can be a parent’s nightmare. Maria Rodas knows the situation all [...]
Portland, OR — Almost 70 percent of Oregon tobacco users want to quit, and those who use the free Oregon Tobacco Quit Line have a better chance of breaking their addiction for good. New online coaching services, in addition to phone coaching, make the Quit Line more convenient and accessible than ever. “We know that [...]
Lillian Shirley, RN, MPH, MPA Multnomah County Health Department Director Ask any young school-aged child what their favorite part of the school day is, and more often than not, you will hear these answers: recess, lunch, and gym class. They like math, reading, and science too, but they talk about the times that they [...]
Lillian Shirley, RN, MPH, MPA Multnomah County Health Department Director Omar is a typical teenager. He plays soccer, likes to hang out with his friends, and drinks a lot of soda and other sugary drinks. On a typical day, he’ll have sweetened juice for breakfast, a soda with lunch, a large sports drink after soccer [...]
Salem, OR — When temperatures soar, workers who perform outdoor jobs risk being more than just uncomfortable — the work can cause serious illness or even death. High humidity and rising mercury levels can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Employers and workers should be familiar with some of the common signs of heat [...]
Lillian Shirley, RN, MPH, MPA Multnomah County Health Department Director Speaking about the future, Esperanza (her name has been changed for privacy) now has strength in her voice. “Now I see the future is full of hope for my children.” It wasn’t always this way. Not so long ago, Esperanza was new to the area. [...]
Chris Thomas Oregon News Service Portland, OR — Mother’s Day isn’t the only day for moms to feel special. Health care experts say women of all ages should be making themselves a higher priority, every day. This is National Women’s Health Week, a good time to start. The messages of eating right and getting daily [...]
Julie Cortez El Hispanic News Writer Portland, OR — Roxanne Mercado has lived through a tough year, but she has lived, contrary to what doctors expected when they told her to put her affairs in order shortly after she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on May 5, 2010. On that day, Mercado had an [...]
By Lillian Shirley Multnomah County Health Department Director Imagine a mother named Luisa. She’s 26 and her baby, Isabella, is 8 weeks old. Luisa and her partner Alejandro took a childbirth education class before Isabella was born and learned about the benefits of breastfeeding. They knew they wanted to breastfeed her until she was 6 [...]
