U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative

The Surgeon General has declared Thanksgiving to be National Family History Day. The Family Health History web site has a printable form or a web based program you can use to track your family health history. The resource is also available in Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, French and Polish. Learning about your family's health history may help ensure a longer, healthier life. Though this may be a sensitive subject to address with family, knowing your family health history will empower you to focus on prevention and wellness.

The resource is available at: US Surgeon General's Family Health Initiative

http://www.hhs.gov/familyhistory/

November is National Family Caregivers Month

Over 50 million Americans are recognized this month during National Family Caregivers Month. The estimated value of the "free" services provided by those caring for loved ones who are frail, chronically ill or disabled is conservatively estimated to be $306 billion annually.

Sponsored each year by the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA), NFC Month focuses on the challenges facing family caregivers.

More... www.thefamilycaregiver.org

CDC Launches Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Campaign

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a national public education and awareness campaign on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), a weakening and often devastating illness for millions of Americans. The campaign, called "Get Informed. Get Diagnosed. Get Help", is designed to increase awareness among clinicians and the public, because 80 percent of Americans afflicted with CFS illness may not know they have it.

Press Release... www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r061103.htm
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Website... www.cdc.gov/cfs/

YSN Library November 13 - November 17

Here is the schedule for when I will be at YSN for this week.
Questions, comments, concerns? .... please email me
janene.batten@yale.edu

Monday 11/13
8:30 - 3:00
Class: 4-5pm Ovid MEDLINE Basics [Anlyan Center, Room N203]

Tuesday 11/14
Call the Medical Libray Reference Desk for assistance 737-4065
Class: 11-12pm Library 101

Wednesday 11/15
1:00 - 5:00
Class: 4-5pm EndNote Basics
Class: 4-5pm RefWorks Basics

Thursday 11/16
See me in the Medical Library for help 737-2962
Class: 3-4pm Citation Analysis: Tools of the Trade

Friday 11/17
8:30 - 5:00

Complete list of classes

7 Myths about the nursing shortage

This week on the Health Affairs blog Linda Aiken (professor of nursing at University of Pennsylvania) speaks about 7 myths that currently exist about the nursing shortage:

1. We can continue to “muddle through” present and future nurse shortages without serious consequences.
2. Not enough Americans want to be nurses.
3. The U.S. nurse shortage can be solved by opening our borders to nurses from other countries.
4. The U.S. nurse shortage can be solved by substituting unskilled labor.
5. Expanding roles and demands for nurses will be constrained by opposition from practicing physicians.
6. Care will increasingly shift to out-of-hospital settings, reducing the demand for nurses.
7. We don’t know how to solve the nurse shortage.

After reading it you are welcome to comment at the blog site.

Diabetic Recipes for November

November is American Diabetes Month. womenshealth.gov has put together some Thanksgiving recipies with just this in mind.

People with diabetes have to take extra care to make sure that their food is balanced to help manage their blood glucose levels. When you make healthy food choices, you will improve your overall health and you can even prevent conditions such as heart disease, some cancers, and hypertension.

Even if there isn't anyone in your family who is a diabetic, feature some of these recipes around your Thanksgiving Day table this year in recognition of the 20 million Americans who have diabetes—about half of whom are women.

• Cranberry lime punch
• Roasted turkey
• Basic bread stuffing
• Turkey gravy
• Candied yams
• Pumpkin pie

Sentinel Events reported to JCAHO

Fast Fact from advisory.com Daily Briefing Nov 1, 2006.

More sentinel event statistics.

JCAHO Public Policy:

• Strategies for Addressing the Evolving Nursing Crisis *
• Standing Together: An Emergency Planning Guide for America's Communities *

More from JCAHO for this month

• Sentinel Event Advisory Group meets
• Joint Commission partners with infection control leaders to identify best approaches to measure hand hygiene compliance
• Executive order to adopt quality measurement tools and uniform standards for information