The ETMC Breast Care Center is holding a free, one-day retreat for breast cancer survivors on Friday, Oct. 7, featuring breast cancer survivor Anne Barab as guest speaker.
The ETMC Pink Ribbon Getaway will be held at the ETMC Pavilion, 801 Clinic Drive, with registration beginning at 7:30 a.m. and the conference concluding at 2 p.m.
The conference is supported by The Robert M. Rogers Foundation, JCPenney, Tyler Professional Fire Fighters Association, Mineola Fire Department and the ETMC Foundation.
The event will feature topics such as a physician panel discussion, nutrition tips, lymphedema management and door prizes. JCPenney will provide a makeup demonstration for cancer survivors.
The keynote luncheon speaker, Anne Barab of Dallas, learned she had cancer six years ago during the week of her daughter’s wedding. In her presentation, “The Big C and Me,” she talks about laughing and learning how to cope when cancer or another tragedy strikes.
Attendance for the retreat is limited.  Please contact Sandy Campbell for a registration form or with questions at 903-535-6302 or email slcampbell@etmc.org

The Northeast Texas Public Health District has started offering  flu vaccinations at their location at 815 N. Broadway.  Special NETPHD Immunization Clinic hours have been established and are Monday – Thursday 8am – 11am and 1pm – 4pm and Wednesday until 6pm.
The seasonal flu vaccination will be given on a first come, first serve basis until the vaccine supply is depleted.
The cost for the flu vaccination is $20.00 per person and the cost for the flu mist is $25.00 per person.  Medicaid and Medicare Part B will be accepted.  Children who are uninsured or underinsured and qualify for the Vaccines for Children Program will be charged $8.00.
According to Dr. Jonathan MacClements, Smith County Health Authority, “The simplest and safest protection against the influenza virus, recommended by the CDC is vaccination.  People at increased risk for complications from the flu should get the vaccine as early as possible.”
Please be aware that the seasonal flu vaccine is currently available and this flu vaccine will also protect against the H1N1 flu strain.  Therefore, only one flu shot is recommended.
For additional information, please contact the Northeast Texas Public Health District Immunizations Department at 903-510-5604 or visit us at www.healthyeasttx.org.

By George T. Roberts, Jr.

Smoke from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant materials.  Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung disease.
Common symptoms of smoke exposure include:
• Coughing     • Shortness of breath
• Chest pain    • Scratchy throat
• Runny nose    • Irritated sinuses
• Headaches     • Stinging eyes
Smoke may worsen symptoms for people who have pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as respiratory allergies, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  When smoke levels are high enough, even healthy people may experience some of these symptoms.  Limit your exposure to smoke.  Following are ways to protect your health:
If you experience any of these symptoms, take the following measures:
• Limit outdoor activities as much as possible.
• Keep the windows and doors of your home shut.
• Run the air conditioner with the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside.  If you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, seek shelter elsewhere.
• Avoid cooking as much as possible.
• Don’t burn candles or use fireplaces.
• Do not use vacuum cleaners which can stir up dust already inside your home.
• Keep your airways moist by drinking plenty of water. To help relieve dryness, breathe through a warm, wet cloth.
If you have asthma or other lung disease, follow your doctor’s advice about medicine and call your doctor if your symptoms worsen.  Be careful when traveling as smoke from the wildfires can pose serious visibility issues in some areas.  For more information, stay tuned to local radio or television.

Alpine Presbyterian Church’s Dr. Richard Hollingsworth has achieved the rare golden anniversary mark as a pastor of his denomination.
On September 9 he will be among other senior Presbyterian ministers to be honored at the conference of Grace Presbytery, which will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Worth.
After his graduation from college and seminary Dr. Hollingsworth started out pastoring congregations in Doniphan and Union, Missouri before returning to his native Texas to accept the pastorate of Waxahachie’s Central Presbyterian Church.  He next moved on to the First Presbyterian Church of Texarkana, Arkansas.  After retiring in 2001 he moved to Longview and worked as interim pastor at churches in Bossier City and Marshall.  When he accepted the pulpit committee’s offer from Alpine Presbyterian he came out of retirement and resumed full-time preaching.
Alpine Presbyterian’s morning services on September 11 will be followed by a special fellowship to recognize Dr. Hollingsworth for his long tenure in the service of Our Lord.  The public is invited to attend the luncheon at 135 Hiett Lane at its junction with Tryon Road in Longview.  Worship services start at 10:15 a.m.  For additional information please call (903) 663-1368.

Total Healthcare Center at 928 N. Glenwood Blvd. is hosting its Annual Community Health fair from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 P.M., Saturday, August 27, 2011 in the Center’s parking lot.
To kick off the event, there will be a community walk starting at 8:00 a.m.  THC invites all organizations and health-care related vendors to join in this event.  There is no booth charge.  Therefore, this is a perfect opportunity to make the community aware of available services.  More than 500 people attended last year’s event. Space is limited.  Please reserve your organization’s spot in a timely manner.  Vendors will need to bring tables, chairs, tents, fans or whatever is needed.
Attendees will be able to receive blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and PSA screenings as well as mammograms.  Additionally, eye and dental screenings will be offered.   Also, free haircuts for boys (limited space).
For more detailed information contact Jessie Bell at (903)594-7184 or at jbell@thctx.org.

By Todd Staples, Texas Agriculture Commissioner

The latest “F as in Fat” report is out and the grades are not good.
The research, sponsored by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, finds Texas has the unhealthy distinction of being among 12 states nationwide with adult obesity rates over 30 percent.
Aside from being a major health crisis, the escalating costs of obesity are draining our state’s resources and causing unnecessary health expenditures, which means taxpayers are picking up the tab for poor eating choices. If current trends in obesity-related health care costs continue, the Texas Comptroller’s Office projects obesity could cost Texas businesses $32.5 billion annually by 2030.
According to the new “F as in Fat” report, Texas currently has an obesity rate of 30.1 percent, up from 16 percent 15 years ago. The prevalence of obesity-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes also has risen. Over the past 15 years, hypertension rates among Texans have increased by 25 percent, and diabetes rates are up by a whopping 63 percent.
The good news is that we CAN do something about our state’s obesity crisis. Each of us can live healthier lives by adopting the 3E’s of Healthy Living – Education, Exercise and Eating Right.
There is no quick fix to winning the battle of the bulge, and more government is not the answer. But with each of us taking responsibility to apply the 3E’s of Healthy Living, we can begin to reverse this dangerous trend that is robbing our citizens of their health and taxpayers of billions of hard-earned dollars. Together, we can make Texas a healthier state.

The Tyler Parks and Recreation Department is proud to announce the addition of a full Body Fitness Class to the lineup at the Glass Recreation Center, 501 W. 32nd St.
This new training program will get bodies pumping; beginning with the “start it up session,” then progress to the “ramp it up session” and end with the “cool it down session”. This circuit training program uses the entire body during the one hour workout session. Classes will incorporate the use of weights, calisthenics, cardio, Pilates and yoga. Classes will meet on Mondays from 7:30-8:30 p.m. weekly; the cost is $5 per session or $20 per month.
For more information contact the Glass Recreation Center at (903) 595-7271.

By Deanna Cooper/ETR

At a press conference in City Hall, Mayor Dean brought up to date progress of the “Beat the Heat Program”.  Since the start of the program, over 92 applications have been taken; over 40 air conditioning units have been installed.
Those who are eligible are:
• Elderly, disabled and low income families
• Longview area with Zip Codes 75601-75608
• Restricted to residents without adequate air conditioning
In addition Mayor Dean is concerned for those citizens whose electric bills have sky-rocketed due to the prolonged heat.  Dean will be working towards some type of short term relief for those citizens.

To request a free air conditioner, please call Agency on Aging at 1-800-442-8845.

By K. I. Hope

America is gaining weight and the most vulnerable populations are those with low levels of education and income, as well as those with black or Hispanic heritage. The most obese state in the country, Mississippi, also happens to be the poorest. And with the rates of obesity increasing in 16 states last year and declining in none, America’s diet is influencing policy, politics and programs.
Unfortunately, the system is working against people, instead of for them. An obesity study released this week through a joint effort by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reveals further evidence of a brewing crisis, not least in the area of food stamps.
According to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization monthly Food Price Index for June 2011, world food prices increased by more than 39% June 2010. This comes at a time when more Americans than ever are participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as the program for food stamps. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the program added 17 million people in the last four years.
What was once viewed as a social stigma is now an economic necessity for one in seven Americans.
With the influx of food stamp participants, it’s important to note a recent study by Ohio State University’s Center for Human Resource Research that found food stamp recipients have a higher body mass index than non-recipients.
Research scientist Jay Zagorsky, co-author of the study, says the cost of healthy food is a significant barrier to Americans on food stamps. “It would be very difficult for a shopper to regularly buy healthy, nutritious food on that budget.”

Fast food stamps
Even as the rate of obesity is increasing in unprecedented amounts, junk food companies are lobbying to increase consumers’ ability to purchase fast food.
Yum! Brands, owner of fast food restaurants KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, is lobbying to make food stamps a form of payment in Kentucky, the sixth most obese state in the country. Only three other states – Arizona, California, and Michigan – currently allow food stamps as legal tender.
Allowing residents of Kentucky, which is also the fifth worst state for fruit and vegetable consumption, greater access to nutritionally-devoid products would be extremely detrimental to their health.
The main argument for allowing food stamps at fast food restaurants is that it provides equal access to food. However, the Centers for Disease Control offers grants to states to fight obesity and expand options for low-or-no income persons, which includes community gardens, new or improved grocery options and healthier independent stores like mom-and-pop cornershops. An increase in these options would eliminate the need for anyone to ingest fast food, regardless of income.
In addition, the debate is raising the issue of how to actually define “food” itself. In New York City, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is currently at odds with food manufacturers, who are outraged over his proposal to blacklist sugary drinks and pop from food stamp purchases.
A recent New York Times article, “Soft Drink Industry Fights Proposed Food Stamp Ban,” states that the non-profit Feeding America, an “antihunger” group, opposes Bloomberg’s plan. Feeding America is actually governed by a board of directors composed of executives from companies including Kraft, ConAgra, Mars, Inc., and General Mills – companies whose unhealthy products are composed mainly of the ingredients Bloomberg is determined to eliminate from eligibility for food stamps.

Federal subsidies help
unhealthy ingredients
The flagship products of these corporations receive billions in federal subsidies to keep costs artificially low and the products on every shelf. Unhealthy food isn’t cheaper because it’s less nutrient-dense; it’s cheaper because the government subsidizes its production — and that’s something many Americans simply don’t know about.
The Environmental Working Group reports that the federal government subsidized $261.9 billion dollars between 1995-2010, with the majority of the money going to a select few producers of crops like corn, wheat and soybeans. Other major recipients include the meat and dairy industries. Fruits and vegetables, by comparison, receive 0.37% of subsidies, despite federal nutrition recommendations advocating that one-third of daily food intake be fruits and vegetables.
In 2010, the USDA spent $64.7 billion dollars on food stamps. The same year, the USDA also gave $15 billion dollars in farm subsidies, including $1.7 billion to corn crops, which manufacture the main ingredient in soda — one of the most unhealthy items on many Americans’ daily menus.
At a time when food prices are rising rapidly and health is declining, the federal government is giving money to continue producing products that contribute to illness and obesity, while simultaneously giving people the means to buy these products.
It is as if the government is making the drugs, giving them away, and then wondering why everyone is an addict.
Easy to ignore, the obesity epidemic is often reduced to ridicule in a congress divided over issues like war and unemployment. But this is a crucial juncture, when the convergence of government programs, spending and corporate lobbying is colliding in a way that will impact everyone in America.
What we eat is harming our bodies and our budget. There aren’t any people profiting, only corporations.

East Texas Medical Center (ETMC) at Tyler and Be The Match Registry are hosting a marrow registration drive from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Thurs., July 28 in the front lobby of the hospital.
The drive is open to the public.
To join the Be the Match Registry, you must be between the ages of 18 and 60, in good general health, and willing to offer help and hope to any patient in need.
The registration process entails completing a consent form and undergoing a simple cheek swab.
For thousands of people battling leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell disease and other life-limiting diseases, a marrow transplant offers the best and, in some cases, the only hope for a cure. Seventy percent of these patients don’t have a matching donor in their families, so they depend on the Be The Match Registry, the world’s largest and most diverse listing of potential marrow donors, to find a life-saving match.
You may be the only one out of 9 million registered donors to be the match who can save someone’s life, so join the Be The Match Registry today.
The East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System is East Texas’ largest healthcare system. ETMC facilities include hospitals in Athens, Carthage, Clarksville, Crockett, Fairfield, Gilmer, Henderson, Jacksonville, Mount Vernon, Pittsburg, Quitman, Trinity and Tyler.  ETMC is a not-for-profit organization committed to improving the quality of life in communities throughout East Texas. For more information, go to www.etmc.org.

For more information on the Be The Match program, visit www.bethematch.org or call the local offices at 214-820-4279.