Fun video on animal -> human disease

Diseases Jumping from Animals to Humans: Recording

At the 2016 Joseph Leiter Memorial Lecture, guest speaker Jonna Mazet, DVM, MPVM, PhD, talked about her specialty -- diseases that jump from animals to humans. "Most of the infectious diseases that we see today like Ebola, MERS, even Zika originated from an animal host," she told the audience. "How can we stop them or stop them from expanding their range?" The recording of Dr. Mazet's lecture is available from the NIH Videocast site. 

One takeaway: each pandemic costs as much as it would take to research prevention

Coro Fellow Report: Behavioral health system in St. Louis

In January 2016, the RHC and Behavioral Health Network of Greater St. Louis (BHN) collaborated to sponsor four fellows from Coro Leadership - St. Louis (a program of FOCUS St. Louis). During the month-long assignment, the Fellows interviewed nearly 50 key stakeholders of the Behavioral Health system in St. Louis, MO. Interviews were completed to receive impressions and feedback regarding key findings from the RHC's Access to Care 2015 Report to the Community.
According to the Coro Fellows report, the "stakeholders interviewed had a unanimous message: the St. Louis region's behavioral health system is not keeping up with demand. Stakeholders cited at-capacity behavioral health entry points and cuts in funding as key factors in explaining the stress experienced by the St. Louis region's behavioral health system and its patients."

Report Key Findings:
1. Patients' Needs Are Outpacing the Region's Behavioral Health System
2. Congestion Rises as Emergency Department Encounters Increase
3. Community Mental Health Centers At Capacity
4. Community Health Centers Expand Services to Meet System Demands
5. Funding: An Underlying Cause That Limits Capacity

Click here to review the Coro Fellow report and feedback from the RHC advisory boards.

Cancer Moonshot

Cancer Support Community of Greater St. Louis and American Cancer Society High Plains Division are partnering together to take action against cancer as part of the Vice President’s Cancer Moonshot.

On June 29th, the Vice President is convening a Cancer Moonshot Summit, including conversations in communities across the United States. These Summits will be the first time that individuals and organizations representing the entire cancer community and beyond – researchers, oncologists, care providers, philanthropists, data and tech experts, advocates, patients and survivors – will all convene under the national charge to double the rate of progress toward a cure.

The St. Louis Moonshot Summit will be an opportunity to share updates and discuss efforts to accelerate progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care while keeping the patient experience at the front of the conversation.  As a participant in the Summit, you will be able to hear the Vice President’s comments about the Cancer Moonshot and the implications of the Cancer Moonshot from researchers and patients affected by cancer.

• WHERE: American Cancer Society, 4207 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, Mo 63108
• WHEN: Wednesday, June 29 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
• Lunch will be provided

Now is a great time to meet up with other supporters in your community to share stories, generate new individual and organization commitments, and get ready for the work ahead.

More information about the Moonshot can be found here:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/cancermoonshot

Invitation to the local event is here.
RSVP by calling 314-238-2000 or by emailing Kelly at koneal AT cancersupportstl DOT org.

Don't miss "Living Alive and Well in STL" on Thursday

Tune in to  "Living Alive and Well in STL" this Thursday!

Tune in to KSDK NewsChannel 5 on Thursday, June 23 from 7-7:30 p.m. for "Living Alive and Well in STL." Hosted by KSDK anchors Kay Quinn and Art Holliday, "Living Alive and Well in STL" will highlight a series of stories about how trauma and toxic stress impact the well-being of youth in our region. "Living Alive and Well STL" will feature several stories with topics ranging from preparing your young adult for the emotional challenges of the transition from high school to college to gang prevention strategies that the St. Louis City Police Department has deployed.

PTSD in veterans

This is a video from UMSL and MIMH with Martha Metter and Charles Clyde talking about PTSD and how it relates to veterans.  This recording was part of Mental Illness Awareness Week: Recovery is Possible and was recorded in October of 2008.

Library books on PTSD include

• Fields of combat: understanding PTSD among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan by Erin P. Finley
• Hidden battles on unseen fronts: stories of American soldiers with traumatic brain injury and PTSD by Patricia P. Driscoll and Celia Straus for the Armed Forces Foundation 

as well as the DVD Of men and war

Opioid use and abuse

Opioid addiction is an epidemic across the country, and news stories about it are everywhere you turn, from local news to national.  The New York Times, in a June 7 article, states that over 165,000 people in the United States died between 1999 and 2014 due to prescription opioid overdoses.  This April, Prince became another victim.

Opioids include both heroin and prescription painkillers.  They can affect balance and thinking and memory and can cause nausea, vomiting, and constipation.  Alternatives to opioids for pain management include exercise, weight loss, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness meditation, tai chi, and yoga.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention introduced new guidelines in March for prescribing opioids.

Wake Up St. Louis! is a portal for local resources.

Health on your phone

An announcement from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine MidContinental Region:

Study Examines Use of Mobile Health Applications
among U.S. Adult Populations

This study examined the use of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) among the U.S. adult population. It also investigated the respondents' attitude towards helpfulness of mHealth apps for achieving health behavior goals, medical care decision-making, and asking a physician new questions or seeking a second opinion. In a national sample of adults who had smartphones or tablets, 36% had mHealth apps on their devices. Among those with apps, 60% reported the usefulness of mHealth apps in achieving health behavior goals, 35% reported their helpfulness for medical care decision-making, and 38% reported their usefulness in asking their physicians new questions or seeking a second opinion.

This blog post has reviews of selected mobile apps by NN/LM MCR librarians who are part of the Mobile App Experience Project.  Becker Medical Library at WashU has lists of FDA approved apps, medical specialty apps, and a guide to blogs and other lists of medical apps. 

Do you use any apps to track your health or help make health decisions?  Let us know in the comments.

Government health information

Want to keep up with the latest news about the Zika virus?  How about information on flu vaccines, suicidal thoughts, physical fitness, mold, and poisoning?  A portal to access health resources?  All of this (and more) is at this website.

Screens and Sleep

Sleep is one of the cornerstones of health, affecting brain function, emotions, physical well-being, safety, and functionality.  Obesity and diabetes are correlated with lack of sleep, and cardiac health and mental health depend on sleep too.

Sunlight helps set the body's internal clock, but now electric lights and screens contribute too.  That's why scientists recommend not watching TV or using a computer near the time you want to fall asleep, and getting an hour of morning sunlight for those who have trouble falling asleep.

To read more, check out the websites below, and place a hold on Arianna Huffington's new book on sleep.

The importance of sleep
Sleep
Sleep hygiene
Sleep disorders
Understanding sleep