Women's Care Clinic

We placed our sticker on the Women’s Care Florida clinic to emphasize the importance of preventative health in our community. A women’s care center is important in that it deals with multiple issues regarding women’s health. Centers such as these allow for better access to health care, as it functions as a safe haven for women and works against any health disparities women may face in co-ed clinics.

The essence of public health is the prevention of diseases and promotion of good health. It is clear that many of the illnesses or diseases that individuals in our community have contracted could have been prevented if the proper procedures were taken. Routine screening procedures are paramount for every individual in order to avoid diagnosing a condition when it has already become fairly serious or life threatening. This clinic mainly offers methods of primary prevention, which is a type of prevention taken before any exposure to a disease. Such methods offered include such procedures as HPV, Hep A and B, influenza, pneumonia, and shingles immunizations. It also offers mammogram screenings as well.

            Not only does this clinic offer methods of prevention, it also promotes good health as a continuum of the prevention. The Women’s Care Florida clinic does so by providing patients with nutritional plans that encourage healthy lifestyles and prevent a number of diet-related diseases. This type of prevention is extremely important because obesity and other related diseases are very prevalent in our society today. Thus, the prevention of such illnesses by screening methods and nutritional plans make this clinic an excellent example of public health in our community.

Gas Station? Marked for Safety!

Not many people are aware of the issues of public health and or safety within their community. Little do they know, everywhere you go, theres always a chance where an incident of catching a disease and/or being in danger. Public safety is a very important part of public health, and certain objects in an area are essential in most public places. For our "This is Public Health" project, our group, Chelsea Leahy, Vincent Escuyos, and Judy Nguyen, decided we should have our sticker at a local gas station off of Fletcher Avenue. "Where is public health here?" Vincent asked. The three of us then spotted a fire extinguisher and thought, this is consider public health because it has the potential to protect someone in case of a fire from the gasoline. As you can see, the fire extinguisher was place in an area where it is easily seen and can be easily accessed. Chances of a fire or any flammable event may occur whenever people over pump their tanks, leaving leaks of gasoline on their car and/or the floor ground. With the addition to Florida's heat, a fire may occur quickly. Thus, a fire extinguisher is the first line of defense in case a small fire happens at a gas station. Furthermore, ambulances might take a while to come and regular water will have no effect to treating chemical fire, therefore having the extinguisher can be very useful. By having fire extinguishers at every gas pump, the safety of the people in that are increases dramatically if there were ever to be a fire. Also, each station has directions in how to use the equipment properly. With that being said, Public Health is marked ready for safety and protection at these local gas stations near the University of South Florida. 

Stop and Strap On To Public Health

                                                                                               

               

                                Public Health is often hard to explain to those who have no clue of what it represents. However, it is all around us and is at every corner we turn... literally. One important aspect of Public Health is signage that enforces important laws and regulations that everyday citizens may seem to forget. When my group ventured out to find our piece of Public Health, we came across a bus station. Our first instinct was, duh of course, A BUS! However, all the drivers looked angry at the world. We then thought to take a picture of a bus stop in place of the bus, but there were suspicious locals sitting at the bus stop who may have ran away with our phones instead of taking the picture. Almost out of hope, we ran into a “Buckle Up” sign in conjunction to a “Stop” sign. Hallelujah!!! The “Buckle Up” sign represents Public Health because it reminds people to wear their seat belts. The "Stop" sign represents public health in that it prevents traffic accidents. We thought this worked perfectly all together because it provides viewers with a way to critically think about what public health really is. It shows that not just doctors can be involved in public health but also every citizen, too.  After all, Public Health is a community effort to improve the overall health of a population. Not only physically, but it also works as an emotional effort to reach out to those in need and mentally stimulate the mind to think outside the box and find efforts to prevent diseases and promote health. We decided to keep our sticker on the sign not only so we can drive by and say “Yea, I put that there!”, but to also show that person that stops at that sign that they are saving lives and that Public Health is just a stop away.

                       

This is public health at Evos!

In today’s world, public health is all around us. From where we go and how we get there, the different things we come in contact with and even the food we eat. Prevention measures in each of these areas are being taken each day to promote and educate about public health measures and its benefits if people follow the public health approach. Our group decided to take on the food area of public health and wanted to spread awareness about healthy eating habits and how some company choose to serve better food options to their customers and spread awareness and education about why it is healthier to have better food choices. Going around our Tampa area it was not hard to find Evos, a company that focuses on healthier fast food. As that may not sound like a true statement, it is! Evos serves food that is half the fat of regular fast food and uses naturally grown products and all other ingredients are organic. The company allows the public to get some of their favorite traditional American food in a way that is not so health conscious and with natural ingredients; processed ingredients are nowhere to be found in their food. Around t surrounding area of the restaurant, the company has put up posters promoting not only their restaurant but also posters educating the public and their customers about healthy eating. They do so in a way that makes healthy eating “not so bad” and invites the public in to try healthy food. The hope is that not the only the customer will be satisfied with their services but that they will find satisfaction in healthy eating all the time.

Public Health is all around you, and you probably don’t even recognize it.

My group found our example for the “This is Public Health” blog at Wal-Mart. As discussed in class, public health is EVERWHERE. So why did we chose Wal-Mart? We’d like to argue that Wal-Mart is one of the most popular (and convenient) stores in America, so we figured it must have some relevance to public health. At first we discussed several different options for where to place our sticker. When we arrived to Wal-Mart we noticed that there were hand sanitizer stations conveniently located at the front of the store, and there was also a no touch hand dryer located in the bathroom. However in the end we decided to place our sticker on the blood pressure testing device provided for the public (for free) in the pharmacy section. We felt like the convenience of its location and prevalence of this device would be our best option for this assignment. Why? Because not only is it accessible and easy to use, but it also promotes prevention and self-assessment. Most people may not understand how to properly read the results of a blood pressure test, so conveniently the device provides easy to read instructions and average results. My group and I decided that this would be a perfect example for public health because it promotes awareness. This issue is very important because awareness (and possibly early detection) promotes a healthy lifestyle. We as a group felt like awareness and early detection are two of the biggest aspects of public health (and also core functions of Public Health).  Public health is all around us, even if we don’t recognize it. 

This is Public Health

Our group, Maris, Melissa, Danny, and Emily, placed our “This is Public Health” sticker on a "Bike Lane" sign, on the corner of Bruce B Downs and Fletcher Avenue, in front of UCH. We chose this spot for a number of reasons. Not only does it represent public health near hospitals and the University of South Florida, but it takes an alternative perspective because it is not dealing directly with disease. Having bike lanes promotes a healthy lifestyle, is better for the environment and safer for the students by the university.

Bike lanes promote a healthy lifestyle because they suggest that people use their bikes for transportation instead of taking cars, which also encourages exercise. Bicycle use is also better for the environment than car or bus transportation because it lessens the carbon dioxide emissions. Having bike lanes is a safety topic, as well. They ensure the safety of bicyclists on a road with high traffic, but also keep the pedestrians safe from the bike riders. These lanes force drivers to be more cautious of the driving laws in order to avoid unnecessary accidents that can be easily prevented. Our group placed our sticker near a college campus where a large portion of the student body depends on transportation other than vehicular. Bike lanes are important because they raise awareness for the drivers. This way, they are informed that they have to share the road and are conscious of their surroundings, including the speed limit, using turning signals, and stopping before the crosswalk at a red light.

Make sure to be aware of the bike lanes when you’re driving!

Public Health on Every Corner

Yes, it's a crosswalk. But it's not just ANY crosswalk, it's a special crosswalk. You see, with a limited number of resources, the city can only put so many fancy-looking crosswalks in the city. You don't think they put them just anywhere, do you? Public health's influence can be seen on literally every street corner.

We put our sticker on this crosswalk to illustrate that public health is concerned with the health of the entire community; we wanted to highlight the fact that the overall health of a community is affected by numerous factors, even factors that have nothing to do with diseases, like dangerous streets. In fact, the Tampa-St. Petersburg metropolitan area continuously tops the nation in pedestrian deaths. Traffic engineers, working in conjunction with statistics and data collected by public health officials, will choose the best locations to place automated crosswalks. This way, pedestrians can benefit by having a safe place to cross the busy streets.

We chose this location because Fletcher Avenue and Bruce B. Downs/ 30th St. is a very dangerous intersection, with two high-volume (and high-fatality) roads. Your typical commute may not be so blatantly dangerous, but that's because the public health measures regarding traffic safety have, for the most part, been very successful. Many of the things we take for granted as commuters on the road were the result of years of data collection and research by public health officials. Public health officials will collect statistics and figure out where accidents frequently occur, and use that data to advise legislators and city planners where to lower speed limits or place speed bumps. These are all different aspects of public health's mission to ensure the well-being of the public at large.

- N. Alvarado-Monsanto

- K. Mayorga

- M. Maturo

Health Center For Children and Families

We placed our public health sticker was placed on the door of the Tampa Family Health Center. This health center is located at 1502 E. Fowler Avenue, next to the Steak-N-Shake.  We chose to put our sticker at this location because it is a place that helps the community control the spread of infectious diseases and many common viruses. This is a state funded facility that welcomes children and adults who may or may not have insurance or use government funded assistance such as Medicaid and Medicare. This particular health center is one of twelve health centers that Tampa has to offer.  While this may sound like a lot, Tampa houses about 336,823 residents. With this being said, these health centers are often overcrowded and unable to assist their patients in a timely manner. Often times leading to patients losing interest in their health and making the center overall less appealing. This is an important issue because Medicaid and Medicare is usually the only source of medical assistant that inner city people, living below poverty guideline have.  Tampa Family Health Center is easily accessible and normally requires a low payment or no payment at all for services rendered. This is especially important because most private doctor visits are costly and may not be in areas where these patients can get to.  Also, this type of center can be considered a “one stop shop” being that they care for children as young as one month old and adults into their elder years. This is a center where the whole family can be seen all in one visit. This can help getting vaccinations and checks up more convenient!

Public Health in Construction Areas!

We placed our public health sticker on a sign that was in front of a construction site at the Veterans’ Hospital. It’s a safety sign that says “100% Safety. Hard hats, Safety Glasses, Traffic Vests, ect.” We placed our sticker there because this reminds the construction workers every day when they come into work that they need to be wearing the proper safety equipment. It also shows the patients of the Veterans’ Hospital that they are being 100% safe and it tells them what they are doing to make it a safe area. To us, this sign was an example of public health. We chose this location because it shows how being safe around construction areas is a big part about being safe. This is a public health issue because if the workers are not safe it could put a patient of the hospital in danger. Also, if a worker is not wearing the proper safety equipment he could be injured on the job. Then you run into the issue of them wanting workers compensation. But should they pay for it since it was their fault for not wearing the proper safety equipment? Posting a big sign like this around the construction site seems to help prevent issues like this. It will remind all the construction workers to wear the proper eye protection, head protection, and proper attire while they are on the job site. We also liked the idea that this sign was OSHA approved! OSHA plays a big part in public health around America and it was interesting to us to see a real example of OSHA in our community.  That is why this construction site sign at the hospital seemed like an example of public health to us. 

-by Jennifer See, Mitchel, Lyndsey Dyk, Luther Pierre, and Sophie.

A Buggy Issue

My group mates and I ventured to the Lettuce Lake Park on Fletcher in hopes of capturing a public health moment. A park is a place where people go to for leisure activities and exercise. It is a public health issue because the park provides the public an opportunity to exercise in a manner that is both healthy and enjoyable.  At the park, we were originally going to stick to the topic of exercising but then we saw a Mosquito Control van pull up next to us. We decided to take a picture with the Mosquito Control van instead. We chose this topic because Florida has an immensely large amount of mosquitoes, so controlling its population is a major public health issue we all deal with inevitably. Mosquitoes can cause a variety of problems to humans such as carrying and spreading infectious pathogens or causing skin rashes. As well as negatively impacting us, they can also affect our domesticated animals. Going to the park on a daily basis to exercise, wander around or to just relax is a common thing for most Floridians. Especially when you take into consideration the sunny weather we have in Florida. Due to how common it is, it is in the best interest of the people participating in these activities do so in a comfortable and healthy manner. Controlling the number of mosquitoes in a park becomes a public health issue, because it’s the health of the public that gets affected if not dealt with.

By: Pratikshya Maharana, Emily Rawlings, Emily Hulings

Sanitize! Sanitize! Sanitize!

This example of Public Health was taken at Florida Hospital- Tampa Bay Division across from the USF College of Public Health. Inside Florida Hospital there are hand-sanitizer conveniently centered next to each elevator throughout the hospital facility. Our "This is Public Health" sticker was placed on a hand sanitizer dispenser on the side of a patient/visitor elevator.
This location is important because the elevators (specifically the first floor) are filled with germs and viruses because they come in contact with medical professionals, patients, children, vendors, and visitors. The handrails on the inside of the elevators, the elevator buttons in and outside of the elevator itself are packed with germs! It's very important for us all to be aware of why it is crucial to sanitize our hands, with an alcohol based sanitizer, before and after each use of an elevator and contact with any surface. We can all agree that hospitals are occupied with many different types of patients with different illnesses. Patients with AIDS/HIV, pneumonia, cancer, open wounds, breathing complications, newborn babies, children and mothers are at high risk of contracting a "bug" while they touch an elevator. These patients along many others are very sensitive to germs and cannot risk and forms of infection, bacteria, viruses or fungus.
As humans, we unconsciously are in contact with our mouths, nose, ears, eyes and hair; not only infecting ourselves but also transmitting microorganisms to other surfaces and people. Hospitals are places we expect germs to roam but we also want patients/visitors to be as healthy as possible during their visit. Bacteria are spread mainly by infected hands; therefore, keeping your hands clean should be top priority for everyone, including patients and children, to help prevent illnesses.
*THIS IS PUBLIC HEALTH

The Greener, The Better!

 

(Bearss Groves with Ilma, Oleg, Remy, Breona, and Kiryanna )

                                                               
                                                               The Greener, The Better!  
Public Health focuses on community health and what advancements that can be made to help a populous rather than an individual. So...what better way can a community as a whole benefit from Public Health than by first providing sustainable, and nutritional produce! My group and I decided that the farmers market on Bearss and Lake Magdalene Blvd. was a perfect example of Public Health. At Bearss Groves, where we took our photo, we had the opportunity to look around and see the abundance of fruits, vegetables, herbs, dairy, and much more that can be bought locally. Some of the products at the market are grown right next to to the establishment so that a steady supply of produce is at hand. Also, much of the organic produce is affordable so that persons of any income can afford a more nutritional and beneficial alternative to food sources. Farmer's markets tackle the issue of healthy eating and the connection to a persons lifestyle. If, and when people decide to become patrons of such establishments, they will not only begin to feel the effects of a healthier individual who cooks their own meals by saving money on dining expenses, but also replenishing the community. The money spent goes back to local growers who can then continue farming and producing more products, jobs and greener appetites for the community. This, is Public Health.

-Kiryanna Stanley

Sanitize me, please!

We placed our public health sticker on the hand sanitizer located on the second floor near the Food Court at the University Mall. We chose this location because we acknowledged the fact that the mall is a central place in Tampa, with a lot of daily traffic from customers especially college students. More specifically, we decided to place our sticker in the Food Court because we realize that many individuals do not wash their hands before eating for various reasons, including laziness, which makes the central location of the hand sanitizer a more community-friendly approach to maintaining the health of the public. Furthermore, it is appropriate to include the hand sanitizers in this area specifically to be sure that the employees are serving the food with clean hands and not further transmitting germs to customers. This represents a public health issue because germs and bacteria are easily transmitted from hand to mouth contact, whether it is from handling money at the food court vendors to holding the rail when walking up the stairs or escalator. This issue is important because the convenience of hand sanitizers allows the community to clean their hands whenever a bathroom is not available or within a reasonable distance. Because people do not realize the amount of bacteria and germs they come into contact with on a daily basis, it is important for public places to keep a clean environment, as well as the necessary equipment (hand sanitizers), in order to maintain the health of the community.

By: Angela Armstrong, Anthony Carson and Janeesha McFadden

No smoking!

Francisco, Carlye, Devante, and I placed our public health sticker on a pole inside of a Target shopping center, next to a no smoking sticker. We felt that this was a prime location due to the high level of activity in the area and its openness to the public. These factors are vital in choosing a location when trying to make a statement to a large group of people. Smoking is a very common activity that has been proven to be harmful to a person's health. Nevertheless, people continue to smoke and it does not only affect the smoker. What smokers do not take into consideration is that when they smoke, it causes second hand smoke that affects others around them. Smoking is a public health issue because it affects many people and not just one specific person. In turn our goal was to have people consider the dangers of smoking and reduce public smoking in general. In this situation the goal of a public health advocate would be to prevent non-smokers from suffering consequences caused by others. In placing the public health sticker near the no smoking sticker, we felt people would think about smoking and health problems associated with it and hopefully reconsider their decision to smoke. Also, because first and second hand smoking is a major issue, we felt it very appropriate to apply the public health sticker in close proximity to the no smoking one. Overall, this assignment helped us recognize what public health really is, and its goals to help and improve society.

Healthy Living

The YMCA is centered on three pillars: youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Our public health sticker was placed at the YMCA on a bulletin board labeled “For Healthy Living”, because it represents the programs the YMCA provides to the community in order to better their day to day life styles. Some programs include; daily exercise classes Livestrong programs, diabetes and prevention classes, and silver sneakers. We chose The Y because it provides people with a place to stay active and develop healthy habits. Regular physical exercise boots the immune system and reduces the risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and other diseases. According to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), approximately 31.5% of cancer survivors had not participated in any leisure-time physical activity during the past 30 days. The highest proportion of cancer survivors reporting no leisure-time physical activity lived in the South (34.3%), followed by the Midwest (32.5%), Northeast (31.3%), and the West (25.5%). Exercise is very essential to keep the body fit and healthy. Regular physical activity has beneficial effects on most organ systems and it prevents a broad range of health problems and diseases. Lack of exercise is currently one of the greatest public health issues in the United State. Medical experts believe that exercise is one of the most important tools to improve public health and reduce the risk of major health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Some even suggest that health policies should focus on increasing people’s activity rather than worrying about weight loss. Lack of physical activity will also impact the cost of medical care. There are studies that have shown that medical costs of inactive adults are substantially higher than those of active adults. Increasing activity levels not only makes people feel better, it improves the ability of the body cells to fight disease and stay younger and healthier. By investing a small amount of time in becoming more active, we can achieve better health and less chronic diseases. Spending at least 30 minutes in moderate activity, such as a brisk walk on a daily basis has remarkable benefits for older adults. Doctors and public health specialists are suggesting that kids should exercise at least 60 minutes every day.

By: Chiara, Katheryn, Nellie, and Laura (PHC4101)

Buckle up!

We encounter things that deal with public heath every day. The clean water we drink, the “no smoking sign” we pass, even the hand sanitizer we squirt on our hands. But few people realize that we can actually wear something public health related, and choosing to not wear it could have fatal results... Seat belts! 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warns the public that not wearing a seat belt could be a deadly decision. Recent reports claim that seat belts save 9,500 lives each year. Unfortunately those same reports calculate that only 68 percent of those who are on the road actually make sure to buckle up.

While public health does deal with preventing and treating diseases it also serves to educate the public on things they can do to prevent harming their health. This is why our group decided to slap our sticker on a 2007 Hyundai Elantra’s seatbelt, to remind the public that every time you get into a car the couple of seconds that it takes to click on a seat belt could be what ends up saving your life. In fact, it is estimated that if only 90 percent of Americans were to buckle up before heading out into the road, annually we could prevent 5,500 deaths and numerous injuries.

The main goal of public health everywhere is to ensure that the public stays alive and healthy.  Seat belts are the single most effective device in a car that does that, for those who wear them they prevent death and injury.  

Statistics found on: http://www.car-accidents.com/pages/seat_belts.html

Time to Hit the Gym

Public health is everywhere! Though most people have no idea that public health surrounds them in their everyday life, one who is educated about the prevention of diseases and promotion of a healthier life that “public health” is aware of this fact. This broad subject not only surrounds us but it furthers education and awareness throughout ones community to help maintain a healthy “public” life and community. As a group, we chose a place that is surrounded by people every day whom which may not be aware that has “public health” written all over it. The location we chose to establish our bright red sticker on was a local gym. Naturally, this gym is active at all times of the day; morning, noon and night. The reasoning for our choosing this location is because a gym is a place where people go daily to not only benefit their physique but most importantly benefit their health. Thus, we thought a gym would be a perfect place to sponsor “public health” and promote the awareness that a gym is not only a place for toning those “rock hard abs” or “pumping some iron” it is also a place that manages stress in a healthy way which may improve self-esteem and self confidence thus creating a healthier life. As we know, being overweight or in extreme cases being obese has been an ongoing problem in the United States that remains today. Going to the gym easily helps people fight this increasing issue. One of the leading causes in the United States of death is heart disease. Therefore, going to a gym is one way to help prevent this disease, as well as additional measures to exercising. It also lowers the risk of diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and many other diseases. Educating others about inactivity and putting the gym in your daily routine is in fact "public health".  Although the idea of being active has been drilled into our heads, maybe a bright red sticker will make it easier by get the message across that “public health” remains and is here to remain in everyone’s everyday life, no matter where you go.
By: Jacob Parker, Kaylee Bell, Megan Myers and Sam Vaccaro

Get Sanitized Anywhere & Everywhere

 As a group we wanted to put the sticker in a place where the public would notice it off rip and what better place than the entrance to one of the busiest places in the community, the mall! With the H1N1 virus it has become evident that precaution needs to take place when it comes to large places with a lot of people. We chose this location because we think it’s vital that people should either wash their hands or use hand sanitizer. With a great amount of people coming in and out of the mall, some who have sneezed on their hands, some who have increasingly touched numerous things throughout the day, it is important that they use hand sanitizer before progressing to stores and touching items others will touch; this helps to prevent the transmission of pathogens. Placing touch free hand sanitizer dispensers in public places relates to public health by their role as a primary preventive measure. Hand sanitizers limit the exposure of sickness causing agents to potential hosts. A person's hands may carry disease causing agents prior to entering a public place. After using the touch free hand sanitizer, the bacteria are killed before it comes in contact with anyone else. The issue of having public hand sanitizer locations that people can use just about anywhere is important in aiding in the public health of the people by preventing the spread of germs. Especially when its cold/flu season, and people can contract germs easily from one another. And one of the most common ways people contract these germs is through hand contact. Although most people don’t purposefully mean to, they can spread their germs to someone else through something as simple as shaking hands. Its necessary for people to keep their hands clean, however not everyone is always around a sink with hand soap. Especially, when their out and about at public places such as the mall. But by having public hand sanitizers, it makes a practical and easy to access way for people to prevent the spread of germs and keep their hands clean.

By: Paola Lopez, Maryouri Avendano, D'iris Parrimon, Shaleek Bradford

Cancer Box

Public Health is found in many places. Whether it is a public restroom, an ambulance, no-smoking signs and garbage cans, they are everywhere you go. The four of us found a "NO SMOKING" sign in an elevator at Avalon Heights (apartment complex). We have seen multiple people in the area and even coming out of the elevator that were smoking. It should be common knowledge that smoking produces lung cancer but there are other possible outcomes such as emphysema, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, heart attacks and general discomfort while trying to breathe. Especially in a small space such as an elevator where there are no windows or ventilation, the smoke affects everyone more than it would in an open space. Also, people with asthma who are stuck in an elevator with a smoker are more prone to an attack. Even after the smoker leaves, there is a lingering smell of smoke.  In order to prevent hazardous, harmful toxins, state and federal law prohibit smoking in all elevators. If someone is caught smoking in an elevator they are fined $500 for a second degree misdemeanor. By us putting the big, bright red sticker directly under the “NO SMOKING” sign it brings attention to this and lets people realize what public health really is and will hopefully discourage people form smoking. Maybe it will also get people thinking about what else public health could be in other parts of their every day lives such as eating right, exercising, and managing stress in better ways than smoking.