January is Cervical Health Awareness Month
In our first issue, we mentioned that the Cape Atlantic Coalition for Health is implementing the initiative Don’t Forget the HPV Vaccine! to increase healthcare provider recommendations and help get more
pre-teens vaccinated against this virus that causes devastating cancers in women and men. The coalition has been working with Rainbow Pediatrics (EHT and CMC) and Wildwood Medical Associates, providing them with strategies to help them effectively recommend the vaccine as cancer prevention for all eligible patients.
In November we presented on HPV awareness to parents at the Pennsylvania Avenue School and will be doing so in January at MLK Avenue School, both in Atlantic City. We are working with two other elementary schools in western Atlantic County and two in Cape May County to do the same.
For more for information about HPV and the HPV vaccine, visit cdc.org/hpv or talk to your healthcare provider. For more information about the Don’t Forget the HPV Vaccine! campaign, please visit our website capeatlanticcoalition.org.
Healthy Grocery Bundles
The Coalition’s Healthy Grocery Bundles program changed its format last winter, thanks to participant feedback and other factors. The changes include:
- A monthly newsletter mailed to all program
participants, including a theme, recipes and health education information;
- Instead of monthly pickups, there are now three pickups per year: May, September and January at the Rio Grande ShopRite only;
- There will be three events
coinciding with the pick-up themes and days, which include healthy cooking demonstrations, nutrition and physical activity
speakers, etc.
The next event will be at Brookdale Cape May (CMCH) on Tuesday, January 24th at 2 pm. As January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, the theme will be For Your Eyes Only.
Bundles will be available for participant pick-up on January 24th at the Rio Grande ShopRite, from 10am-7pm.
Upcoming Events
We are planning our second annual free oral cancer screenings, to be held during April, National Oral Cancer Awareness Month. Once scheduled, flyers and newspaper ads will be available.
The Cape Atlantic Coalition for Health screened 319 people on the beaches of Atlantic and Cape May counties at our Choose Your Cover free skin cancer screenings during the summer of 2016.
Cape May County has the highest melanoma rate in New Jersey – 138% higher than the state’s average. Atlantic County’s rate is 15% higher than the state average.
We have commenced scheduling this vital and popular free screening for summer 2017. Stay tuned!
To view the newsletter by PDF: cach-newsletter-issue-3
Previous Issues:
Issue 1: cach-newsletter-issue-1
Issue 2: cach-newsletter-issue-2