An annual health checkup with your primary care provider is one of the most effective ways a patient can prevent and catch potential illnesses. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, have you scheduled a screening appointment with your medical provider yet?

Colorectal cancer is cancer that forms in either the colon or the rectum. The colon and rectum are parts of the body’s digestive system which form the large intestine. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States, but it doesn’t have to be. If everybody aged 50 or older has regular screening test, as many as 80% of deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented.

Colorectal cancer screening saves lives. When colon cancer is discovered early it is highly treatable and often leads to a cure. Screening can find unusual growths in the colon or rectum—so that they can be removed before turning into cancer.

Colorectal cancer affects both men and women of all racial and ethnic groups, and is most often found in people aged 50 years or older. For men, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after prostate and lung cancers. For women, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after breast and lung cancers. The American Cancer Society estimates that 143,460 people will be diagnosed in 2012 and that 51,690 will die from colon cancer in the United States.

We at Progressive Community Health Centers encourage you to schedule your screening soon, and if you do not have a primary medical provider call us at 414.935.8000 and schedule an appointment to meet with one of our providers.

Some information in this article was adapted from Colon Cancer Alliance “Colorectal Cancer Overview”, Winter, 2012

The social work profession has been instrumental in achieving civil rights and human rights advances in the United States and across the globe for more than a century.

Programs and services provided by social workers in the following areas are essential elements of the American social safety net:

• Adolescent and Youth Development
• Aging and Family Caregiving
• Child Protection and Family Services
• Health Care Navigation
• Mental and Behavioral Health Treatment
• Military and Veterans Assistance
• NonProfit Management and Community Development
• Poverty Reduction

Social Work is unlike most other helping professions in that its members generally function as specialists and consultants in host settings led by other professions. They are also often private practitioners, educators, community leaders, policymakers or researchers.

For More Information about the Social Work Field visit http://www.socialworkers.org/

Remember the golden rules of a great smile:

1. Brush your teeth twice a day
2. Floss daily
3. Schedule an oral exam
4. Schedule a routine oral screening

It’s a common myth to think taking care of baby (primary) teeth is a waste of time since they will eventually fall out.  The truth is your child’s baby teeth DO matter.  Healthy teeth are very important to a child’s early physical, social and emotional development.  Need more proof?  Check out this video from the Wisconsin Dental Association (WDA):  Chew on This (Baby Teeth Matter).

More than half of all children have cavities by the second grade. If left untreated, cavities can cause serious infection and may lead to future problems as adult teeth grown in.  The good news is that early childhood cavities are preventable. For more info about children’s dental health, visit the WDA website.

The dental clinic at Progressive Community Health Centers treats children as young as two years old.  Celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month by scheduling an appointment today! Call us at (414) 935-8000.

• More than half of children aged 5 to 9 have had at least one cavity or filling; 78 percent of 17-year-olds have experienced tooth decay.
• Uninsured children are 2.5 times less likely to receive dental care than insured children.
• More than 51 million school hours are lost each year because of dental-related illness.

The daily reality for children with untreated oral disease is often persistent pain, inability to eat comfortably or chew well, embarrassment at discolored and damaged teeth, and distraction from play and learning.

February is Children’s Dental Month.  Be sure your child is getting proper oral care.  Make an annual appointment with your child’s dentist today!

Time: 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

Location: Health Research Center (HRC) Auditorium

The Medical College of Wisconsin’s 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration will be held Monday, Jan. 16, from 4:30 – 6 p.m. in the Health Research Center (HRC) Auditorium. This year’s theme is ‘Restoring the Dream’.

The event will include a keynote address from Eve Higginbotham, SM, MD, Visiting Scholar in Health Equity at the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The entire MCW Community is invited to this free event. A reception will follow in the Cafeteria Lobby.

Olive Demdy has been given a chance at life.

In her native Sierra Leone, Demdy, diagnosed with breast cancer this year, had very few options to combat the disease.

“We don’t get chemotherapy at home, just a mastectomy. They give you pain medication and wait for your last breath,” said Demdy, who lived a life of ostracism soon after her surgery in February.

“When you are diagnosed with cancer, people believe you are not going to survive,” she said. “They treat you as a living ghost. Most people don’t come around.”

Her plight captures the predicament of many women in West Africa, chiefly due to the misconceptions and myths surrounding the disease, said Juliet Aguwa, a native of Nigeria, who moved to the United States 16 years ago and now resides in the Milwaukee area.

There are approximately 129,000 adults in Wisconsin who don’t know they have Type 2 Diabetes. Most have never experienced any symptoms, and have no reason to suspect diabetes.

Often times, Type 2 Diabetes isn’t detected until later when noticeable complications are evident (i.e. blurred vision & heart troubles). Finding out early is the best way to treat this disease.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:

• Increased thirst
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Blurred vision
• Increased hunger
• Increased urination
• Sores that don’t heal

IF YOU HAVE ONE OR MORE OF THESE SYMPTOMS, SEE YOUR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER RIGHT AWAY!

Because Type 2 diabetes is linked to genetic factors, it is important to know your family’s health history. Take the Family Health History Quiz provided by the National Diabetes Education Program. To learn more about the risks of Type 2 Diabetes click here. For diabetes screening, schedule an appointment with a Progressive Community Health Center provider by calling (414)935-8000.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society recommends these screening guidelines for most adults. Breast self-exam (BSE) is an option for women starting in their 20s. Knowing how your breasts normally look and feel and report any breast change promptly to your health care provider. Clinical breast exam (CBE) are recommended every 3 years for women in their 20s and 30s. Scheduling yearly mammograms are encouraged for women starting at age 40.

Make an appointment with your primary care provider to get screened for breast cancer. If you are in search of a primary care provider, Progressive Community Health Centers welcomes you and your family- whether you are insured, underinsured or uninsured. Call us at 414-953-8000.

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