National Wear Red Day^® is a day of action to show support for women and heart disease awareness. On the first Friday in February each year, HCAM encourages it’s staff to wear red and show support for this great cause.  No matter how old a woman is it’s important to take steps to prevent heart disease. Visit your doctor to identify your risk factors- 80% of Women in the US have one or more risk factors, and having just one doubles your chance of developing heart disease. Once a person has heart disease it cannot be “cured”. Raise awareness and encourage your friends, family and coworkers to wear red today! For more information on how to lower your risk visit the American Heart Lung and Blood Institute’s website.

Viral hepatitis is a highly contagious virus that infects the liver, causing liver disease, liver cancer, and premature death. Although hepatitis B and C are treatable diseases when detected early and properly managed, an estimated 4.6 million people living in the United States are currently infected with either hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Both are considered “silent diseases” because frequently, those infected have no obvious symptoms. Without proper screening and treatment, viral hepatitis patients frequently die from liver cancer or liver disease and can pass the infection on to others.

Please join us in Annapolis at the House of Delegates Office Building for an event to spread awareness about Viral Hepatitis on Wednesday March 7th, 2012. Free screenings will be offered to all who attend from 10:00am to 2:00pm. See the event flyer for more details.

From left to right, Dr. Uma Ahluwalia, Kathy Westcoat, and Dr. Peter Beilenson.

Marla Oros, President of the Mosaic Group and Chair of the HealthCare Access Maryland Board

Kathy Westcoat, President of HealthCare Access Maryland addressing the House of Delegates, Health and Government Operations Committee on the need for competent navigators as Maryland begins to implement health care reform.

If you missed the hearing yesterday please be sure to find it archived here and watch it today.

On Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 1:00 P.M., a group of local health officials and advocates will come together to testify in the Maryland General Assembly about the challenges and  opportunities related to reaching out to the uninsured. The group expected to testify includes Dr. Peter Beilenson, Howard County Health Officer, Dr. Uma  Ahluwalia, Director of the Montgomery  County Department of Health and Human Services, and Health Care Access Maryland President Kathleen Westcoat. This hearing is a great opportunity to hear the latest on Health Care Reform in Maryland, and Ms. Westcoat will be testifying on behalf of HealthCare Access Maryland.

To watch and listen to this hearing live please visit this link. On the left hand side of the page, access the folder titled “2012 Health and Government Operations”. Scroll down and click on the January 25th option. The hearing is not scheduled to start until 1:00pm and if the start time runs a few minutes late, the feed will be delayed. The video will be archived so feel free to watch or listen anytime. We encourage everyone to participate in the hearing, and pose any potential questions to our Facebook. Stay tuned tomorrow for a recap and photos of the hearing!

Read the Press Release Here

This week Governor Martin O’Malley proposed as part of his Fiscal Year 2013 Budget that the tax on cigars and smokeless tobacco be raised to a level comparable to the tax on cigarettes.

This would be a tremendous public health victory for Maryland by dramatically reducing teen use of these deadly products and raising tens of millions of dollars that can be used to fund critical health care and tobacco control programs.

Please call or email your legislators right away to strongly urge them to support the Governor’s life-saving measure. Tell them to raise the tax on cigars and smokeless tobacco to save kid’s lives.

According to the Sun, the number of men and women without a place to stay as temperatures drop is increasing. The newly constructed City Homeless Shelter sleeps 175 men and 75 women, but has 1oo less emergency beds than it’s predecessor, not enough room to shelter those seeking respite from the cold. In response to this shortage, the city has designated $160, 000 worth of funds to add bunks to the day rooms of the shelters and contract buses to transport people to overflow shelters. Visit our Homeless Outreach Services page and consider making a tax deductible donation to help us continue working towards ending homelessness with our unique “Boots on the Ground” outreach approach. By linking homeless individuals to community, health care, and job training resources we remove the barriers that keep people from finding their way to a safe, affordable place to live.  With 4100 people experiencing homelessness in Baltimore and temperatures dropping below freezing at night, there is no better time than now to help us make sure that everyone in Baltimore has a safe place to rest their head at night.

Read the Sun Article Here

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide. In the United States, according to the American Cancer Society, about 12,710 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2011 and 4,290 women died of the disease. Cervical cancer is caused by “high-risk” types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a very common sexually transmitted infection, about 3 of every 4 adults will have had HPV at some time in their lives, and most HPV infections go away without treatment. Infections that do not go away can cause cells on the cervix to change and become abnormal. Over time, abnormal cells can develop into cervical cancer.

With proper screening and vaccination, almost every case of cervical cancer can be prevented.

Cervical cancer does not cause any symptoms until it has advanced to a very late stage. That’s why it’s important to get screened regularly even if you feel healthy. There are 2 tests used for cervical cancer screening, the pap test and the HPV test. The Pap test looks for abnormal cells that can develop into cervical cancer. If necessary, the abnormal cells can be treated, but keep in mind that abnormal cells are not yet cancer. Treated effectively at an early stage, abnormal cells will not develop into cervical cancer. Current U.S. screening guidelines recommend women have their first Pap test at age 21.

The HPV test looks for the high-risk types of HPV that can cause abnormal cervical cells and cervical cancer. Current U.S. guidelines recommend that women who are 30 or older get an HPV test along with their Pap test. (HPV testing is not recommended for women under the age of 30 due to the fact that HPV infections in younger women are very common and usually disappear without treatment.) If both the HPV test and Pap test are normal, women can wait 3 years before their next screening.

A good way to prevent Cervical Cancer is to be vaccinated for high-risk HPV 16 and 18, the two strains of the disease that cause about 70% of all cervical cancers. However,  HPV vaccines are most effective when given to girls and young women who are not yet sexually active. HPV vaccines are recommended for girls 11 and 12 years old, and are approved for girls and young women up to age 26. Women who have been vaccinated must be screened regardless, to prevent cancer developing from HPV types not covered by the vaccination.

Please take the time to schedule your annual Pap test, and encourage your friends and family to do the same!

Here at HCAM we can’t wait to see what the new year brings. We know that 2012 will be a busy, exciting year for our organization. Best wishes to you and yours for 2012!

Today marks the first day of winter and the longest night of the year, an appropriate day to honor those in Baltimore and across the country, who are known to have died without a place to call home during 2011. At HealthCare Access Maryland we are all too aware of the consequences of life on the streets. A lack of shelter resources, the cold and wind, and rising energy and housing costs contribute to the early deaths of many of our neighbors.

Tonight at 5:30 at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater Baltimore and many other cities across the country will be honoring those who have had to faced these hardships and passed away. Join us to remember these men, women, and children and to ask the community to recommit to ending homelessness. To learn more about resources for those living without a reliable place to stay visit our Homeless Services Department page.

Photo by Tyler Fitzpatrick for Both Feet In

The Downtown Partnership will donate 29 Douglas Fir Christmas trees to families in need.  The trees will be available today at Center Plaza in Downtown Baltimore on a first come first serve basis.  Please come to Fayette Street at the south end of Center Plaza or Liberty Street at 39th West Lexington between the hours of 3pm and 8pm. Happy Holidays!