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Summit County Health District, in partnership with The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Open M, East Akron Community House (E.A.C.H.), Summa Health Care and the
Pink Ribbon Breast and Cervical Cancer Project, is helping to educate and empower African American women about breast health. Because of a recognizable need in the community, an Angel Network is being developed to address the disparity of breast cancer mortality rates in the African American community. While African American women have a lower incidence of breast cancer than the general population, they have the highest breast cancer mortality rate. Summit County’s breast cancer mortality rate for African American women is even higher than the state rate. The Summit County Angel Network mission is to reduce the number of deaths within the African American population by offering early detection programs, access to screening, and empowerment on breast health practices so they will take an active part in their health care.
 Many lingering misconceptions, fear and silence about breast cancer are preventing effective and early diagnosis and treatment. Women need to have an understanding regarding the importance of performing early detection breast health practices so that we can eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease. To overcome these obstacles, the Angel Network has tailored culturally sensitive and respectful education programs and interventions that specifically reach the African American community.
Current members of the Summit County Angel Network are providing educational activities in their local communities and recruiting women to be trained to join them. If you would like more information about this important health issue or the Summit County Angels Watching Over Us, please contact:
Judy McIntyre, Project Director (330-926-5761)
Linda Berger, Project Coordinator (330-926-5739)
Marlo Schmidt, Summa Outreach Coordinator (330-375-6375
Artenese Trimble, East Akron Community House Outreach Coordinator
(330-773-6838)
Vikki Thomas, Open M Outreach Coordinator (330-434-0110 ext. 428)
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BEACON
JOURNAL CHARITY FUND
The Beacon Journal Charity Fund primarily assists children who need
aid but cannot receive it from public or private social agencies.
The Fund assists with the purchase of hearing aids, eye examinations,
eyeglasses and dental care. Assistance, including orthodontia,
is limited to children under age 19. At this time, there is
no assistance for adults. The Fund does not pay medical or
hospital bills. There is no emergency assistance. (The
Board of Trustees requires complete information to determine whether
the Fund will grant assistance.) All requests must be made
by an agency. Requests may be submitted by contacting our
Tele-Health line at (330) 926-5615. |
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BENEFIT BANK
The Benefit Bank is a program that can help individuals apply for a range of benefits they may be eligible for, such as food stamps and medical benefits. There is no charge for this service and a trained counselor will enter all the necessary information into the computer. Applications can be submitted electronically or printed out from the computer and mailed. Available benefits may include:
- Food Stamps
- Ohio Works First
- Medical Benefits
- HEAP
- Child Care Assistance
- Best RX and Golden Buckeye
- Voter Registration
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
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Please call Sandy Knezevich at 330-926-5718 with any questions regarding
the Benefit Bank |
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BIRTH
and DEATH CERTIFICATES
The Summit County Health District maintains birth and death records
for any person whose birth or death occurred within Summit County but outside the city
limits of Akron and Barberton. A birth or death record
may be obtained:
- In person, by coming to the Graham Road office between the hours
of 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, or
- By mail, by printing out the forms below and mailing the address on the form, along with payment.
Birth Certificate Request Form
Death Certificate Request Form
If you are unable to print out the form, then for each request, on a piece of paper, clearly
print or type:
Full name
Date of birth or death
Parents’ names (for a birth certificate)
Where the death occurred (for a death certificate)
Your name, address, and signature
and mail to the Health District, along with payment
Our office maintains birth and death records from 1908 to the present.
Birth and death records prior to 1908 can be found in the
Records Department at the Probate Court office in Akron.
Under current regulations of the State of Ohio, only certified
birth and death certificates can be issued. The cost for each certified copy is $22.00.
If you need additional information, please call (330) 923-4891. |
VitalChek
is a web-based service that
accepts remote orders for
certified copies of
birth and death certificates.
Certified copies of birth and
death records from the Summit County Health District
can be ordered by clicking here.
at a cost of
$29.00 per certified copy
($22.00 plus a $7.00 handling charge)
VitalChek accepts MasterCard,
Visa, American Express,
and Discover.
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CREATING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
Funded through grants from the Ohio Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Creating Healthy Communities program strives to improve the cardiovascular health of Ohio, and support the Healthy Ohio initiative at the community level http://www.healthyohioprogram.org/. In Summit County, efforts in prevention and reduction of risk factors for Cardiovascular Disease in adults and children promote, support, and reinforce cardiovascular health choices in schools, worksites, health care settings, and the community in 3 targeted high need geographical areas: Akron’s Buchtel cluster, Summit Lake (Akron), and Lakemore. Risk factors addressed include physical inactivity, nutrition, tobacco use and exposure, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. For more information on any of these programs, contact 330-926-5612.
Summit County Cardiovascular Health Coalition HEART HEALTH COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY |
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EPIDEMIOLOGY
and BIOSTATISTICS
The Epidemiology/Biostatistics Unit provides epidemiological support
including data entry and data analysis for various grants throughout
the district. The staff also collaborates with other local health
departments to conduct morbidity and mortality surveillance. This
surveillance facilitates communicable disease investigations, vital
statistics requests, and the Quality of Life Project. Currently,
the Epidemiology/Biostatistics Unit has support from a biostatistician
through a partnership with the University of Akron. This individual
assists the Unit with ongoing statistical analyses. The Unit is
also responsible for providing technical support to all of SCHD,
which includes database management, data recovery and answering
requests for technical assistance.
For more information, please contact Donna
Skoda at (330) 926-5654. |
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| HOME
VISITS
Our public health nurses can visit family members in their homes
to teach and provide guidance in personal health care through assessments,
counseling, and referrals in the following areas:
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- Chronic Diseases
- Handicapping Conditions
- Family Planning
- Mental Health
- Safety
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- Communicable Diseases
- Nutrition
- Maternity / Newborn
- Vision Needs
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Please
call the Nursing Division at (330) 926-5700 or our Tele-Health line
at (330) 926-5615
to speak with a nurse about arranging a home visit. |
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TELE-HEALTH
Have a health-related question? Need
some guidance on where to go for services?
Call our Telehealth Line at (330)
926-5615 and a public health nurse
will assist you. Our nurses can provide answers to basic health-related questions,
assist you in determining steps to take and
direct you to the
appropriate community resources.
Please note that this service is NOT
for urgent or emergency calls and is not a substitute for appropriate
medical care.
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| TOBACCO
INFORMATION AND EDUCATION
Yes, You Can Quit Smoking!
The Summit County Tobacco Prevention Coalition provides support
and information for those who are
trying to quit smoking.
Call 330-861-7179
for more information.
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- Quit Smoking classes free of charge
- Discounts on Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Chantix
- Classes at a variety of locations around Summit County
- Day and evening times
- Groups led by a trained health educator
- Support from others who are trying to quit
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2010 Fall Class Schedule
More Resources:
Ohio
Tobacco QUIT LINE
- Toll-free telephone counseling
- Personalized support in the privacy of your home
- Opportunity for free or reduced-cost nicotine patches
- Services available in English or Spanish
For more information,
call
800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669)
www.ohioquits.com
For the deaf and
hard-of-hearing community,
TTY: 888-229-2182 |
Nicotine
Anonymous
- 12-Step Fellowship of men and women
helping
each other live nicotine-free
- All meetings are free
- You don't have to quit to attend
For more informaton,
call
Jules at (330) 678-3753
www.ohio-nica.org
email: neonicotine@aol.com |
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| SAFE
SLEEP PROGRAM FOR INFANTS
Keeping
Your Sleeping Baby Safe
Every year, many infants die while sleeping.
The risk of this tragedy can be reduced by knowing and following
some simple guidelines to make sure that the sleeping baby's breathing
remains clear and unobstructed and that the
baby does not get into a position that could cause
injury.
S
A F E S L E E P T O P 1 0
Courtesy
of the National Institute of Health and SID Network of Ohio
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1 |
Always
place your baby on his
or her back to sleep, for
naps and at night.
The
back sleep position is the safest, and every sleep time counts.
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2 |
Place your baby on a firm sleep surface,
such as a safety-approved crib mattress,
covered by a fitted sheet.
Never place your baby to sleep on pillows, quilts, sheepskins
or other soft surfaces. |
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Keep
soft objects, toys, and loose bedding
out of your baby's sleep area.
Don't use pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins,
or crib bumpers in your baby's sleep area, and keep all items
away from your baby's face. |
4
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Do
not allow smoking around your
baby.
Don't smoke before or after thebirth
of your baby, and don't let others smoke
around your baby. |
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Keep
your baby's sleep area close to, but
separate from, where you and others
sleep.
Your baby should not sleep in a bed or on a couch or armchair
with adults or other children, but he or she can sleep in
the same room as you. If you bring your baby into bed
with you to breastfeed, put him or her back in a separate
sleep area, such as a bassinet, crib or cradle when finished.
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6
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Think
about using a clean, dry
pacifier when placing your infant
down to sleep, but don't force the baby to take
it. (If you are breastfeeding your baby, wait until
your child is one month old or is used to breastfeeding before
using a pacifier.) |
| 7 |
Do
not let your baby overheat during sleep.
Dress your baby in light sleep clothing, and keep the room
at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult.
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8 |
Avoid
products that claim to reduce
the risk of SIDS,
because most have not been tested for effectiveness or safety. |
| 9 |
Do
not use home monitors to reduce the
risk of SIDS.
If you have questions about using monitors for other conditions,
talk to your health care provider. |
10 |
Reduce
the chance that flat spots will develop
on your baby's head, by providing "tummy
time" when your baby is awake and someone is watching.
Also change the direction that your baby lies in the crib
from one week to the next and avoid too much time in car seats,
carriers and bouncers. |
For a free presentation about safe sleep,
contact
Sherry Blair at 330-926-5629 or sblair@schd.org
For more information on keeping your sleeping baby safe, visit
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/SIDS
www.sidsohio.org
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