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Health & Fitness

Counting The Costs Of Smoking

(Friday) March 5, 2010

Although the number of people who smoke cigarettes has continued to decline, hundreds of thousands of people in Virginia and the United States continue to light up every day. Virginia has the 12th lowest smoking rate in the nation. As of 2008, 2.4 million Virginians, about 40.5% of the population, have tried smoking. Nearly 60% have tried to quit and 40% continue to smoke. One in six Virginians, about 973,000 people, were smokers in 2008.

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Cigarette smoking. (Photo: Regan Kireilis)
Cigarette smoking. (Photo: Regan Kireilis)

Catholic Community Opposes Relocation Of Teen Clinic

(Wednesday) March 3, 2010

For months, the Alexandria City Public School system and the Alexandria Health Department have been developing a plan to relocate the adolescent clinic to T. C. Williams High School. Members of the City’s catholic community are opposed to the plan because clinic staff provide contraceptives and other family planning information.

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Moran Votes To Strip Anti-Trust Exemption For Health Insurance Industry

(Thursday) February 25, 2010

Today, Congressman Jim Moran hailed the House’s passage of legislation spearheaded by Virginia Congressman Tom Perriello to foster increased competition among health insurers and lower premiums for consumers. H.R. 4626, the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act, will repeal the special anti-trust exemption for the health insurance industry. The legislation prevailed on a 406 – 19 vote.

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Congressman Jim Moran (Photo: Regan Kireilis)
Congressman Jim Moran (Photo: Regan Kireilis)

General Assembly Passes Englin Bill To Protect Children During Public Health Emergencies

(Tuesday) February 23, 2010

The General Assembly yesterday passed legislation sponsored by Delegate David Englin (D-45) to protect children during public health emergencies by ensuring they have equal access to life-saving vaccines. House Bill 270 requires the Virginia Department of Health’s emergency vaccination plans to include procedures to ensure the prompt vaccination of all school-aged children, without preference as to whether they attend private schools, charter schools, traditional public schools, or are home schooled.

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General Assembly Clears Path For Advanced Health Care Directives Registry Launch

(Wednesday) February 17, 2010

The Virginia General Assembly today passed House Bill 267, sponsored by Delegate David Englin (D-45), that will enable the Virginia Department of Health to launch a statewide Advanced Health Care Directives Registry in April.

Today’s bill begins the final phase of a two-year effort that started with 2008 legislation sponsored by Englin and State Sen. George Barker (D-39) to establish Virginia’s Advanced Health Care Directives Registry as a statewide registry for living wills and advanced medical directives so medical professionals and emergency responders can access these documents when they are needed most.

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Delegate David Englin (Photo: James Cullum)
Delegate David Englin (Photo: James Cullum)

Virginia Department Of Health Sponsors First Free Mobile Phone Health Service For Pregnant Women And New Mothers

(Friday) February 12, 2010

Today, the Virginia Department of Health announced its participation in text4baby –a new free mobile phone information service providing timely health information to pregnant women and new mothers during pregnancy and through a baby’s first year. Virginia was the only state in the country to pilot text4baby and serves as the model for the nation.

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Virginia Department Of Health Revises James And Rappahannock River Shellfish Closures

(Monday) February 8, 2010

The Virginia Department of Health announced today that the existing shellfish closures in the James and Rappahannock Rivers have been revised opening large portions of areas previously closed for shellfish harvesting.

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Alexandria Health Director Resigns

(Monday) February 1, 2010

After only 18 months as Alexandria’s Health Director, Dr. Lisa Kaplowitz has resigned. On March 1, she will become the Director of the Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, located within the Office of the Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, DC.

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Dr. Lisa Kaplowitz. (Photo: Regan Kireilis)
Dr. Lisa Kaplowitz. (Photo: Regan Kireilis)

Michelle Obama Launches National Childhood Obesity Initiative In Alexandria

(Thursday) January 28, 2010

According to a 2007 Inova Health Systems study, 42.5% of Alexandria’s children are overweight or are in danger of becoming overweight; 70 percent do not eat enough fruit and vegetables; 30 percent do not get enough exercise and more than 50 percent spend four or more hours a day looking at a television or computer screen.

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First Lady Michelle Obama greets Virginia Congressman Jim Moran (D-8th) while Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille looks on. (Photo: Liz Roll)
First Lady Michelle Obama greets Virginia Congressman Jim Moran (D-8th) while Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille looks on. (Photo: Liz Roll)

Virginia Department of Health Closes James River And Portion Of Rappahannock River To Shellfish Harvesting

(Tuesday) January 26, 2010

The Virginia Department of Health announced today that the James River and a portion of the Rappahannock River will be closed to shellfish harvesting due to flooding in those rivers. The emergency closure is effective January 27, 2010.

The James River will be closed down to the vicinity of the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel, Interstate 664. The Rappahannock River will be closed down to a line extending from Monaskon on the north shore to Stove Point on the south shore.

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