Acupuncture is more than a placebo for chronic pain

Acupuncture may go more mainstream now that new research shows that it provides modest but statistically significant benefits over both standard care and placebo for patients with chronic pain.

A team led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York looked at 29 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 17,922 people from the U.S., Germany, Spain, and Sweden who suffered with back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, or chronic headaches. For greater precision, the investigators analyzed data on the individual patients, rather than outcome summaries, as prior reviews have done. The study was published online Sept. 10 by Archives of Internal Medicine.

In 18 of the studies, patients either got acupuncture, in which needles were inserted at points of the body traditionally used to provide pain relief, or standard treatments such as analgesics, physical therapy and exercise. In 11 others, acupuncture was compared with a control group that included "sham" acupuncture, in which needles didn't break the skin or were inserted superficially.

The meta-analysis showed that patients who received real acupuncture had less pain than those who got standard care or sham acupuncture. However, the differences between true and sham acupuncture were relatively modest.

While the data "indicate that acupuncture is more than a placebo," according to the report, patients who believe that acupuncture will be effective may derive some placebo-based benefit.

Bottom line: The results provide the best evidence to date that acupuncture is a reasonable option for people with chronic pain. If you decide to try acupuncture, talk with your physician first to set realistic expectations for improvement. Our recent survey of subscribers to Consumer Reports found that many derived benefit from acupuncture and other alternative therapies for 12 common health problems. See our full report on alternative therapies, including advice on how to find a good acupuncturist. If you and your doctor decide that you need prescription help, see our Best Buy Drugs report on treating chronic pain.

Source

Acupuncture for chronic pain [Archives of Internal Medicine]

Source: http://news.consumerreports.org/health/2012/09/acupuncture-is-more-than-a-placebo-for-chronic-pain.html

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Mitt Romney Allegedly Puzzled By Airplane Windows

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/09/mitt-romney-allegedly-puzzled-by-airplane-windows/

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Open Season on Salt: What the Science on Hypertension Really Shows

Shedding pounds may be a better way to promote cardiovascular health than avoiding the saltshaker

By Melinda Wenner Moyer

Image: Flickr/reallyboring

The latest news reports about salt are enough to make a parent ponder a household ban on pizza and cold cuts. A study published last week in Pediatrics found that children eat, on average, 3.4 grams of sodium daily?more than twice the amount recommended for adults by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). News outlets, including the Associated Press and USA Today, explained that, according to the study, the quarter of American kids who eat the most sodium are twice to three times as likely to develop high blood pressure as the quarter who eat the least. The take-home message from these stories is clear: kids need to cut down on salt or they will suffer serious health consequences.

It's a compelling argument. Problem is, it may be wrong.

The study that these articles reference, which was published by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), did not actually find a statistically significant association between salt intake and blood pressure in kids. And the doubling or tripling of risk described by some outlets isn't an accurate portrayal of the findings either. As lead author Quanhe Yang explained to Scientific American in an interview, high salt intake doubles the odds that kids have hypertension or pre-hypertension (and again, this doubling is not statistically significant), but odds and risk are two very different things. "I am not sure the best way to convert this odds ratio into a risk ratio," Yang says, but if he had to guess, the risk would probably be lower than the odds.

Yang's study does provide compelling insights. It shows that among obese or overweight children, increased salt intake is linked to higher blood pressure, an association that is statistically significant. Scientists have long known that obesity increases hypertension risk in adults and kids, but the CDC's study suggests that being overweight might also make kids more sensitive to salt's blood-pressure-boosting effect.

Still, the kids' blood pressure changes were not huge: The overweight children who ate the most sodium?an average of about 4.6 grams per day?had an average systolic blood pressure (the top number in the blood pressure ratio) of 112.8 millimeters of mercury (mmHg), whereas those who consumed the least?an average of 2.3 grams of sodium?had an average systolic pressure of 109 mmHg. (The two groups? average diastolic pressures, the bottom number in the ratio, were the same.) In other words, among overweight and obese kids, a doubling of sodium intake was associated with a 3 percent increase in systolic blood pressure. This difference may not be clinically significant for individuals, because "systolic blood pressure changes from minute to minute" by as much as 5 mmHg, says Michael Alderman, a professor emeritus at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and editor in chief of the American Journal of Hypertension.

An average systolic blood-pressure difference of 3 percent could, however, have consequences for overall public health. But Yang says that it's impossible to tell from his study whether eating more salt actually causes blood pressure to rise. "This is a cross-sectional study; we cannot say anything about causality," he explains. Although he and his colleagues tried to control for potentially confounding variables, it's possible that kids who eat more salt also have other habits that predispose them to high blood pressure. (For instance, research suggests that children who eat lots of salt also drink lots of soft drinks, which are associated with blood pressure increases, too.) Indeed, research doesn't always support the notion that salt causes high blood pressure: A large, multicenter study known as INTERSALT compared urinary sodium levels?an accurate indicator of prior sodium consumption?with hypertension in more than 10,000 people in 1988 and found no statistically significant association between them. In fact, the population that ate the most sodium had a lower median blood pressure than the population that ate the least.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=770e55e91d19c81206d9c29bc1757da3

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Could You Definitely Invest Into Your Foreign Exchange Industry ...

Just take viewpoints from others during the marketplaces that has a grain of salt. Should you make it possible for others to regulate your conclusions with speculations and guesswork, you shed management. The final aim is to build your positioning from solid conclusion building which might only originate from both you and your self esteem while in the understanding you?ve received as a result of homework and knowledge.

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Gamblers belong in casinos, not on foreign exchange.? Just before you start trading, you should definitely research market place developments and have performed some stock evaluation. Study publications to the issue and research on-line too.? A fundamental study course in forex trading might be definitely worth the expenditure if you would like to obtain the most outside of your obtaining and promoting expertise.

Under no circumstances trade in case you are sensation unwell or sick. Your physical issue must be in a primary rate after you are thinking of generating trades, as heavy investigation is necessary at peak overall performance. Only trade after you are experience for the leading of your match, to maximise your gain over time.

Do not take any money and invest it into a real fx account right up until you shell out some occasions practicing. Have a several months to apply and find out all that you just can previously looking to soar ideal into it. This will likely boost your possibilities for having success with it.

A great tip for foreign currency trading will be to never ever think in terms of absolutes. You?ll want to usually believe in terms of possibilities. A trade is never selected regardless of how self-confident you?re in it. A trade that appears to get an awesome you can transform sour. Sometimes, there?s no way you may anticipate when this happens. You just really have to take your decline and transfer on.

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Source: http://freefinancearticles.info/could-you-definitely-invest-into-your-foreign-exchange-industry

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Mobile Will Grab TV Advertising?s Crown

Editor?s note:?Matt Cohler is?a General Partner at?Benchmark Capital. He?s responsible for identifying investment opportunities in Internet-related companies in addition to working closely with companies across the firm?s portfolio. You can follow him on Twitter?here.? The global advertising market is big. Half a trillion dollars big in 2012. In the tech world we tend to think of the Internet when somebody mentions advertising. But even now the Internet isn't the biggest advertising market in the world. The biggest advertising market in the world is television.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/rFXKm8h3Os8/

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Joe's Health Calendar 9/25/12 Walk More Eat Less

CareVan Provides Daily Free Health Clinic

St. Joseph?s Medical Center CareVan presents a free, walk-in health clinic for low-income and no-insurance individuals or families, 16 years old and older. The hospital?s mobile health care services will be available to handle most minor urgent needs, such as minor burns, bumps, abrasions, sprains, sinus and urinary tract infections, cold and flu. No narcotics prescriptions will be offered. Diabetes screening and blood pressure screening are offered on special days only as noted. If you have questions, contact?(209) 461-3471?or visit?StJosephsCares.org/CareVan. Clinic schedule is subject to change without notice:

• Sept. 25 (today) 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.:?Spanos School, 536 S. California St., Stockton. A representative will be available to screen patients for insurance eligibility.

• Sept. 26 (Wednesday) 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.:?Dollar General, 4232 E. Main St., Stockton.
• Sept. 27 (Thursday) 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.:?Rite Aid, 1050 N. Wilson Way, Stockton. A representative will be available to screen patients for insurance eligibility.
• Sept. 28 (Friday) 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.:?Pittman School, 701 E. Park St., Stockton.
• Sept. 30 (Sunday) 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.:?Celebration on Central, 19 S. Central Ave., Lodi. Screenings for diabetes and blood pressure.

Nurturing Parenting 3-Day Seminar in Stockton

Sept. 25-27 (today through Thursday):?Click here for all the details.

Healthy San Joaquin Recognition Awards Breakfast

Sept. 26 (Wednesday) 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. (reservations required):?The Healthy San Joaquin Collaborative will present awards to individuals and organizations that exhibit actions contributing to changes promoting and encouraging nutrition and/or physical activity in San Joaquin County.?The Awards & Recognition Breakfast will be held at the?Robert J. Cabral Agricultural Center, 2101 E. Earhart Ave., Stockton. RSVP required at ?http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=8638.

Childbirth Preparation Series

Sept. 26 (Wednesday) 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. (also Oct. 3):?Class One: Understanding Pregnancy. Class Two: Understanding Labor and Birth. Class Three: Understanding Medical Procedures and Cesarean Birth. Class Four: Understanding Postpartum. Are you ready for labor and birth? This four-class series prepares mom and her coach for the emotional and physical changes of labor and birth. The series includes relaxation and breathing techniques to increase comfort during labor.?Please bring three pillows, a blanket and/or exercise mat each night of class. You should attend this series during your?third trimester.?St. Joseph?s Medical Center, Classroom 1, 1800 N. California St., Stockton. Information:?(209) 461-5213?or?www.StJosephsCares.org/Baby. Preregistration is not required for this free class.

St. Joe?s Caring for Me features Ladies Night Out

Sept. 27 (Thursday) 5 to 8 p.m.:?St. Joseph?s Caring for Me is back for its second year and set to make healthy living a fashion that never goes out of style. This special ?Ladies Night Out? celebration of health and fashion will be held at?Lincoln Center on Pacific Avenue at Benjamin Holt Drive. Attendees will be treated to samples from area wineries as well as hors d?oeuvres and a buffet dinner from Papapavlo?s. Caring for Me includes a ?chat room? featuring St. Joseph?s physicians discussing hot topics in women?s health. To top the night off, Lincoln Center will host a fashion show displaying the latest styles. The $20 admission fee includes dinner, wine, swag bag of goodies, exclusive Lincoln Center shopping hours and special discounts, and an all-access pass to St. Joseph?s physicians and health professionals. Advance tickets are available at?www.StJosephsCares.org/CaringforMe; St. Joseph?s Foundation, 1800 N. California St.; and several Lincoln Center shops including Lino Bella, Zuesters and Gary J. Long Jewelers. Information:?(209) 461-6348.

Total-Joint Replacement Class

Sept. 27 (Thursday) 1 p.m. knee class; 2 p.m. hip class:?Lodi Memorial Hospital?s Outpatient-Rehabilitation Services offers a free, educational class for those planning to have total joint-replacement surgery of the hip or knee at?Lodi Memorial Hospital West, 800 S. Lower Sacramento Road, Lodi. Learn about preparations and exercises to do before surgery; the day of surgery and what to expect during the hospital stay; rehabilitation following surgery; techniques to decrease pain and swelling; and ways to promote maximum healing and return to normal function. Call?(209) 333-3136?for more information or to sign up for the class. Family and friends are welcome and encouraged to attend. For information on other classes available at Lodi Memorial, visit?www.lodihealth.org.

Veterans Stand Down in Stockton

Sept. 28 (Friday) 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.:?This biannual event is geared toward homeless veterans, who will be able to see a doctor, have dental work done, take a shower, get a haircut, learn about resources available to them and pick up free giveaways such as a backpack, ground pad, clothes, wipes, can opener, eyeglasses, etc. There will be a barbecue at noon at the main event,?Stockton WorkNet Building, 56 S. Lincoln St., while?St. Mary?s Dining Hall, 545 W. Sonora St.,?will by the site for health services. This all-volunteer event is being coordinated by Jason Lebeouf at?(209) 954-3920. Donations still being accepted.

Let?s Get Healthy California Task Force

Earlier this year, Gov. Brown established the ?Let?s Get Healthy California? Task Force, which is charged with developing a 10-year strategic plan to improve the health of Californians, control health care costs, advance health equity and promote personal responsibility. Members of the task force and an expert advisory committee were appointed by Health Secretary Diana Dooley and will be meeting via webinar over the next few months to develop priorities and recommendations in the following areas:

• Prevention and Population Health
• Delivery System Quality Improvement
• Coverage and Access
• Affordability and Costs

To get email notices and more information please visit?www.chhs.ca.gov/Pages/HealthCalTaskforce.aspx. If you have any questions, contact Sarah Mercer at?smercer@cpehn.org. Here?s the 2012 Let?s Get Healthy California Taskforce meeting and webinar schedule:

• Sept. 28 (Friday) 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.:?Second task force meeting (Garfield Innovation Center in San Leandro); adopt priorities, targets and begin to discuss evidence-based solutions/best practices.
• Oct. 16 (Tuesday) 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.:?Evidence-based solutions/best practices.
• Oct. 23 (Tuesday) 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.:?Evidence-based solutions/best practices.
• Nov. 13 (Tuesday) 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.:?Third task force meeting (East End Complex Auditorium in Sacramento); review draft report.
• Dec. 19 (Wednesday):?Report released.

Sept. 29 (Saturday) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.:?The?Community Health and Resource Fair?in the?front parking lot at Sutter Tracy Community Hospital, 1420 N. Tracy Blvd., Tracy, will offer free health screenings, a wide range of community and county resources, ?and information about health and safety topics. Some things to know:

• Vision voucher criteria: applicant must not be enrolled in any vision insurance, Social Security number is required and household income cannot exceed 200 percent of federal poverty level
• Flu shots: available free for anyone ages 6 months and older, first come, first served
• Sutter Tracy Community Hospital welcomes D.A.R.E. and joins them in highlighting positive alternatives for Tracy?s youth.? Be sure to visit the fun activities on Eaton Avenue and D.A.R.E. to Love Tracy.
• Information:?click here?or?(209) 832-6511?or?RinaldD@sutterhealth.org.

Watch Calaveras County Turn?Pink?in the Night

Starting Oct. 1 (Monday) 6 p.m. lighting ceremony:?October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so Mark Twain St. Joseph?s Hospital in San Andreas is once again promoting Pink in The Night to emphasize the importance that early detection of breast cancer, followed by prompt treatment, saves lives. The entire community is invited to participate in the Pink in the Night opening ceremony at?The Terrace Center, 1906 Vista Del Lago Drive, Valley Springs (at Highway 26). All survivors and participants will be able to light a candle in tribute to those that are currently battling breast cancer, or in remembrance of those that bravely lost their battle, and ones that have survived the disease. Businesses are encouraged to ?pink up? their businesses with a strand of pink lights available at one of the hospital?s five Family Medical Centers in Angels Camp, Arnold, Copperopolis, San Andreas or Valley Springs. Through the ?Every Woman Counts? program, women can obtain free cancer screening health care services such as cancer screening pap smears, breast screening exams including digital mammography and diagnostic imaging reading from the radiologist. Women that are California residents can qualify to meet the income guidelines that pertain to those that do not have health insurance, or are underinsured with high deductibles and high co-pays. Those women that may be unable to afford to cover these costs may be able to immediately qualify for free services through the Every Woman Counts program. Any women desiring these services can call?(209) 754-2968?to make an appointment through the MTSJH Family Medical Center in Arnold. For information on picking up lights or the ceremony, contact Nicki Stevens at?(209)754-5919.

Breastfeeding: Getting Off to a Great Start

Oct. 4 (Thursday) 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (also Nov. 1):?Lodi Memorial Hospital, 975 S. Fairmont Ave., Lodi,?offers ?Breastfeeding: Getting off to a Great Start,? a one-session class covering the advantages of breastfeeding, basic anatomy, the breastfeeding process, common problems and solutions. An additional breastfeeding class for working moms is held?Sept. 18 (Tuesday), 6:30 to 8 p.m., and is available only to participants who have already attended ?Breastfeeding: Getting off to a Great Start.?? Call?(209) 339-7520?to register. For information on other classes available at Lodi Memorial, visit its website at?www.lodihealth.org.

16th Annual Community Health Fair on Eastside

Oct. 6 (Saturday) 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.:?The YMCA of San Joaquin County will be hosting its 16th annual Community Health Fair in partnership with Phi Delta Chi of University of the Pacific and Bi-National Health Week. Everyone is encouraged to come out and enjoy a free fun-filled event with activities and resources for children, families and individuals ? all focused on health and wellness. The event will be held at?Franklin High School, 300 W. Gertrude Ave., Stockton. Services will include vision screenings, blood pressure readings, cholesterol checks, family health insurance information, demonstrations, kids corner and much?more.

Hydrocephalus Awareness & Family Fun Day

Oct. 6 (Saturday) 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.:?The third annual Northern California Hydrocephalus Awareness & Family Fun Day will be held in Mountain House, just north of Tracy. Last year?s Family Fun Day was a huge success as our families and community came together to share and join in an inspirational day that helped raise close to $16,000 for research. This year we expect more fun, food, music, great raffle prizes and inspiration as we? continue to march on with the C.H.A.N.G.E. Hydrocephalus campaign that will:

• Increase support in local communities by holding monthly ?meet-ups? designed to empower individuals and families in dealing with the condition known as hydrocephalus and some of its challenges.
• Increase education in local schools, hospitals and other facilities that are linked to the Hydrocephalus Community by providing informational talks and/or providing educational and supportive materials.
• Work closely with neurosurgeon Dr. Peter Sun, his staff and Children?s Hospital & Research Center Oakland, to ensure the most up-to-date information and treatment for hydrocephalus is distributed to the community, schools and medical facilities.
• Increase funding for local communities here in California and across the United States, eventually spreading the C.H.A.N.G.E. campaign globally.
• Hold annual Hydrocephalus Community Awareness Family Fun Days uniting community, families, friends and anyone who wishes to join in on the inspirational fun!

A Pocketful of Change and the C.H.A.N.G.E. Hydrocephalus campaign continues with the dream it has had since it was founded in August 2010 ? continued support, awareness, education, funding and advancement toward the care and treatment of hydrocephalus and continuing to hold the Family Fun Day for the third year in a row. APC is dedicated to you, your children and our communities. Information or to volunteer:?kimruiz.apocketfulofchange@gmail.com.

Calaveras Health Fair at Mark Twain St. Joseph?s Hospital

Oct. 6 (Saturday) 8 a.m. to noon: Mark Twain St. Joseph?s Hospital, 768 Mountain Ranch Road, San Andreas, will be holding its 14th annual Fall Health Fair. ?Providing low-cost and no-cost health care services is just one way of serving our community,? hospital President Craig Marks said. ?Our health fairs benefit families that are of the underserved population or just working towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Our providers and staff are here to share preventative care and overall good health maintenance tips. Hosting our community health fairs allows us to express our gratitude to those families that entrust us with their health care needs. This is a joint collaborated effort with many other entities working together to ensure that Calaveras County residents can thrive in a healthy community.??More than 50 community health-related service groups will participate in this communitywide event. A wealth of information is available on topics such as senior health services, nutrition, fitness and diabetes. There are a variety of free health screenings ? body fat, physical fitness levels, colon cancer, stress levels and metabolic screenings. Additionally, child fluoride varnish application kits and adult flu shots are free. Low-cost testing and services include pneumonia vaccinations ($45), blood analysis ($45 ? fast after 10 p.m. Friday night), and bone density screenings ($10). In addition to the five-panel blood analysis that consists of chemistry panel, thyroid, complete blood count, lipid panel, iron for women, and PSA for men, the hospital will now screen for vitamin D deficiencies. Lions Club will be serving breakfast, and there will be live music, Bounce House, ?Jackpot Spin? and more. Information:?(209) 754-2564.

Fall Calaveras 5k Run/Walk for Breast Cancer Awareness

Oct. 6 (Saturday) 8:30 a.m. start:?Get Your Pink On! Help the Calaveras Cancer Support Group and get some exercise in. Particpate in the annual?5K Fun Run/Walk for Breast Cancer Awareness, Murray Creek Road and Pope Street across from Mark Twain St. Joseph?s Hospital, 768 Mountain Ranch Road, San Andreas. The course is on Murray Creek Road in San Andreas. $10 for children 6 to 12 and $20 for 13 and older; children under age 6 free. Information and registration: Amy Roggow at?(209) 754-2567.

Scrubs For Smiles Sale

Oct. 6 (Saturday) 8 a.m. to noon:?Emergency department nurses at?Mark Twain St. Joseph?s Hospital, 768 Mountain Ranch Road, San Andreas, will be offering ?Scrubs for Smiles? scrub sale to benefit the Smile Train. Smile Train is an international nonprofit organization that provides funding for surgeries. ?Your donations will have a positive impact on families and children with cleft palate,? registered nurse Nancy Leer said. ?Each surgery costs $250. With the Smile Train benefits, lives are forever changed for the families and children with cleft palates throughout the world.? Information:?(209) 754-2564.

Childbirth Preparation in Lodi

Oct. 6 (Saturday) 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Lodi Memorial Hospital, 975 S. Fairmont Ave., Lodi,?offers an all-day childbirth-preparation class. Cost is $45 per couple. For more information or to register, call?(209) 339-7520.? For information on other classes available at Lodi Memorial, visit its website at?www.lodihealth.org.

Parenting Your Special Needs Child

Oct. 9 (Tuesday) 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.:?Parenting your special needs child class sponsored by Family Resource Network will be held at?San Joaquin County Office of Education, Wentworth Education Center, Chartville 1 Room, 2707 Transworld Drive, Stockton. Registration required. Information:www.frcn.org/calendar.asp?or?(209) 472-3674?or?(800) 847-3030.

Prenatal Nutrition and Exercise

Oct. 10 (Wednesday) 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. (or Dec. 5):?Nurturing your baby starts by taking good care of yourself during pregnancy. Come learn about healthy weight gain guidelines, good nutrition, how to manage common pregnancy discomforts, and more. This class will give you an introduction to exercise during pregnancy including body mechanics, posture and basic back care. Please wear comfortable clothing to allow for movement.Please bring three pillows, a blanket and/or exercise mat to class.?St. Joseph?s Medical Center, Classroom 1, 1800 N. California St., Stockton. Information:?(209) 461-5213?orwww.StJosephsCares.org/Baby. Preregistration is not required for this free class.

Breastfeeding Class

Oct. 10 (Wednesday) 7 to 9:30 p.m. (or Dec. 5):?This class offers mothers and their partners information on the benefits of breastfeeding, the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and the basics of breastfeeding management. Topics include latching, the effect of analgesia/anesthesia on infant behavior, and the rationales of care practices such as early skin-to-skin contact, rooming-in and feeding on cue. Expressing breast milk, and helpful hints for your family.?St. Joseph?s Medical Center, Auditorium, 1800 N. California St., Stockton. Information:?(209) 461-5213?or?www.StJosephsCares.org/Baby. Preregistration is not required for this free class.

Multicultural Health Day in Stockton

Oct. 13 (Saturday) 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.:?West Lane Oaks Family Resource Center and the Community Partnership for Families, dedicated to building strong and resourceful families in San Joaquin County, is sponsoring its fifth annual Multicultural Health and Resource Day. The free event at?Normandy Village Shopping Center, 7908 West Lane, Stockton (at Hammer Lane)?promotes awareness of community resources, increases cultural knowledge and tolerance, and provides participants with a safe place to create alliances of strength. Free activities provided by dozens of vendors include health education, dental care information, community resources and services, free eye exams, entertainment, raffle prizes and more. Information:?(209) 644-8600.

Welcome to Life Tour

Oct. 15 (Monday) 7 to 9 p.m. (also Nov. 5, Dec. 10):?This class gives you specific information about where to go and what to do when it comes time to have your baby, including pre-admission registration. Includes a tour of the maternity area and birthing options tailored to individual needs.?St. Joseph?s Medical Center, Auditorium, 1800 N. California St., Stockton. Information:?(209) 461-5213or?www.StJosephsCares.org/Baby. Preregistration is not required for this free class.

Free Advice, Services for Medicare Beneficiaries

Trained student pharmacists from?University of the Pacific?s Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences?are again offering a number of free outreach events to help Medicare beneficiaries understand and enroll in a Part D drug plan. Beneficiaries may also review their medications with the student pharmacists to ensure they are safe, receive vaccinations for seasonal flu and pneumonia, and have their blood pressure, bone density, cholesterol, blood sugar, memory and risk for falls assessed. Beneficiaries should be aware that Plan D providers change their formularies and cost-sharing structure every year. Most who enroll will save money on prescription drugs. Those attending an outreach event should bring their red, white and blue Medicare card, all prescription medications and, if you have one, your Pacific Healthcare Passport (don?t worry if you don?t have one). Those whose preferred language is other than English can be accommodated. Appointments are highly recommended and may be scheduled by calling the number for each event. General information:?go.pacific.edu/medicare?or Joyce at?(209) 946-7754.

• Oct. 16 (Tuesday) 1 to 5 p.m.:?Jene Wah, 238 E. Church St., Stockton. Information and appointment:?(209) 463-7654.
• Oct. 21 (Sunday) 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.:?DeRosa University Center at University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Ave., Stockton. Information and appointment:?(209) 946-7658.
• Oct. 25 (Thursday) 1 to 7 p.m.:?Kirst Hall at Hutchins Street Square, 125 S. Hutchins St., Lodi. Information and appointment:?(209) 369-6921.
• Oct. 26 (Friday) 1 to 6 p.m.:?Case de Modesto, 1745 Eldena Way, Modesto. Information and appointment:?(209) 529-4950.
• Nov. 1 (Thursday) 1 to 5 p.m.:?Sierra Vista, 2436 Belleview St., Stockton. Information and appointment:?(209) 460-5051.
• Nov. 2 (Friday) 1 to 6 p.m.:?Northeast Community Center, 2885 E. Harding Way, Stockton. Information and appointment:?(209) 468-3918.
• Nov. 4 (Sunday) 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.:?O?Connor Woods, 3400 Wagner Heights Road, Stockton. Information and appointment:?(209) 956-3400.
• Nov. 11 (Sunday) 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.:?Seven Trees Community Center, 3590 Cas Drive, San Jose. Information and appointment:?(209) 946-7729.
• Nov. 15 (Thursday) 1 to 6 p.m.:?LOEL Center and Gardens, 105 S. Washington St., Lodi. Information and appointment:?(209) 369-1591.
• Nov. 17 (Saturday) 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.:?Dining room at Lytton Gardens Senior Communities, 656 Lytton Ave., Palo Alto. Information and appointment:?(650) 617-7313.
• Nov. 18 (Sunday) 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.:?Vietnames Martyrs Catholic Church, 8181 Florin Road, Sacramento. Information and appointment:?(209) 965-7343.

Having a Cesarean Birth

Oct. 17 (Wednesday) 5 to 6:30 p.m. (or Dec. 12):?This class is designed to prepare a mother and her partner who are having a planned cesarean birth or may need a cesarean birth. Learn about the cesarean procedure including anesthesia options, what to expect, how to take care of yourself during recovery and also special techniques to ensure successful breastfeeding.?St. Joseph?s Medical Center, Pavilion Conference Room (1st?floor), 1800 N. California St., Stockton. Information:?(209) 461-5213?orwww.StJosephsCares.org/Baby. Preregistration is not required for this free class.

The Newborn

Oct. 17 (Wednesday) 7 to 9:30 p.m. (or Dec. 12):?Parents-to-be, come learn about life with a newborn, the baby?s needs and changing development. Discussion includes baby care basics such as feeding, diapering and bathing, as well as the physical appearances of newborns and practical tips for parents.?St. Joseph?s Medical Center, Auditorium, 1800 N. California St., Stockton. Information:?(209) 461-5213?orwww.StJosephsCares.org/Baby. Preregistration is not required for this free class.

Stork Tours for Parents-To-Be

Oct. 17 (Wednesday) 6 to 7:30 p.m.:?Parents-to-be are invited to attend a free stork tour at?Lodi Memorial Hospital, 975 S. Fairmont Ave., Lodi.?Prospective parents may view the labor, delivery, recovery and nursery areas of the hospital and ask questions of the nursing staff. Call?(209) 339-7520?to register.?For more information on other classes available at Lodi Memorial, visit its website at?www.lodihealth.org.

Disability Resource Fair

Oct. 20 (Saturday) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.:?Celebrate National Disability Awareness Month and Disability Resource Agency for Independent Living?s 25^th?anniversary at the Disability Resource Fair & Assistive Technology Expo at?Salida Library Community Room, 4835 Sisk Road, Salida.?This free event includes resources, adaptive equipment and devices, demonstrations and raffle prizes. Information:?(866) 344-3614?or?www.drail.org.

CSU Stanislaus to Host ?Science Saturdays? For Kids

Faculty and students at?California State University, Stanislaus, 1 University Circle, Turlock, are hosting Science Saturday events to help teach children about different aspects of science. The free events will each be held in the university?s state-of-the-art Naraghi Hall of Science and are presented by the College of Natural Sciences in cooperation with the Office of Service Learning, which seeks to coordinate projects and programs that provide a direct benefit to the region while also offering CSU Stanislaus students real-world experience and networking opportunities. Space is limited and?reservations are required by calling Brett Forray in the CSU Stanislaus Office of Service Learning at (209) 667-3311.

• Oct. 20 (Saturday) 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.:??Nanotechnology: The Smallest BIG Idea in Science.? For grades 8 through 12 and limited to 20 students, this Science Saturday will have students making their own nanomaterials and discovering how they can help solve the challenges facing the field of medicine. The event is hosted by professors Elvin Aleman and Koni Stone and students in the American Chemical Society Club.
• Dec. 1 (Saturday) 1 to 4:30 p.m.:??Body Works: Heart and Lungs.? Families with middle and high school children will explore the cardiovascular and respiratory systems in this Science Saturday limited to 48 students in grades 8 through 12. Professor Mark Grobner will host the event, along with students in the Biology Club and Pre-Health Society.

Kidney Smart Class

Oct. 25 (Thursday) 2 to 4 p.m. (also Nov. 15, Dec. 27, Jan. 24, Feb. 28, March 28): Stockton Home Training Davita, 545 E. Cleveland St., Suite B, Stockton, has redesigned its free Community Kidney Disease Education classes offered monthly as space allows. Information:?(209) 944-9055.

Caring for the Caregiver Symposium in Stockton

Nov. 10 (Saturday) 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.:??A Mindset to Care? is?the theme of this year?s fifth annual Caring for the Caregiver Symposium in Stockton, sponsored by nonprofit stroke support group Healings in Motion.?Click here for registration form and full agenda.?Keynote speaker will be Dr. Gary Small, author of?The Alzheimer?s Prevention Plan,?The Memory Bible?and other best-selling books. Exhibitors should contact Corie Moyers, committee chair and director of client services at Arcadia Home Care & Staffing,coriem@arcadiacare.com;?Stockton at?(209) 477-9480?or Modesto at?(209) 572-7650. For sponsorships, contact Jim Chong, committee chair, at?(209) 534-8000?or Mary Nicholson at?(877) 672-4480 ext.5.?Information:?www.healingsinmotion.org.

Big Brother ? Big Sister in Stockton

Nov. 13 (Tuesday) 6 to 7 p.m.:?This class helps siblings learn about new babies, how it will feel to be a big brother or sister, and see new babies and where they are born in our birthing area. Families are welcome.?St. Joseph?s Medical Center, Pavilion Conference Room (1st?floor), 1800 N. California St., Stockton. Information:?(209) 461-5213?or?www.StJosephsCares.org/Baby. Preregistration is not required for this free class.

Capitol Lighting on World Diabetes Day

Nov. 14 (Wednesday) 4 to 7 p.m.:?Join the?Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Sacramento?as they illuminate the?California State Capitol?blue in celebration of World Diabetes Day. World Diabetes Day brings together the community while spreading diabetes awareness to further research and treatment. Dress in blue and show your diabetes support at the Capitol in Sacramento.

All-Day Childbirth Preparation Class

Nov. 17 (Saturday) 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.:?This class covers all information listed in our evening series in a one-day condensed class.?Please bring three pillows, a blanket and/or exercise mat each night of class. You should attend this class during your?third trimester.?St. Joseph?s Medical Center, Classroom 1, 1800 N. California St., Stockton. Information:?(209) 461-5213?orwww.StJosephsCares.org/Baby. Preregistration is not required for this free class.

Helping Special Needs Child Understand Sexuality

Dec. 4 (Tuesday) 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.:?The Birds, The Bees and Your Special Needs Child: Helping Your Child Understand Issues Related to Sexuality is sponsored by Family Resource Network. Registration required.?San Joaquin County Office of Education Wentworth Education Center, Chartville 1 Room, 2707 Transworld Drive, Stockton. Information:?www.frcn.org/calendar.asp?or?(209) 472-3674?or?(800) 847-3030.

The Great Health Care Debate Workshop-in-a-Box

The?Central Valley Health Policy Institute?based at Fresno State has developed an Affordable Care Act Policy Education Tool, ?The Great Health Care Debate Workshop-in-a-Box,? to be offered to community organizations and members of the public. The Great Health Care Debate Workshop-in-a-Box can be described as a basic curriculum and process for introducing the Affordable Care Act, understanding its flaws, options for improvement and understanding the Romney/Ryan voucher care alternative. ?It?s a nice, objective, nonpartisan presentation,? said Dr. John Capitman, executive director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute. ?People learn tools that can be used for making their own judgments about health care reform.? Included in The Great Health Care Debate Workshop-in-a-Box is a complete power point presentation with a full script and accompanying participant workbook. The workbook provides a frame through which health care policy should be examined, as well as an examination of the ACA and Ryan/Romney proposal. The Workshop-in-a-Box also includes a supporting glossary, reference section, quick sheets and current health care policy news. The Great Health Care Debate Workshop-in-a-Box is designed so that even a health care policy novice can learn, examine and understand the ACA in a way that allows them the capacity to engage others in the debate around current health care policy options in the U.S. ?We will facilitate workshops with organizations that request the service and will also provide the Workshop-in-a-Box to others in the hopes that they facilitate The Great Health Care Debate Workshop in their own communities or organizations,? Capitman said. To request The Great Health Care Debate Workshop-in-a-Box or to schedule a workshop,?contact Dr. John Capitman at (559) 228-2159.

Calling All Heroes to Fight Childhood Obesity

Deadline Oct. 15 (Monday) 9 p.m.:?UnitedHealthcare and Youth Service America are inviting schools and other community-based nonprofit organizations in Northern California to ?Step into Service? by applying for UnitedHealth HEROES grants. UnitedHealth HEROES is a wellness initiative designed to encourage young people, working with educators and youth leaders, to create and implement walking, running or hiking programs aimed at helping fight childhood obesity. Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to youth-led programs in Northern California that include both an activity element, in which kids count their steps, and a service component that increases awareness, provides direct service, enables advocacy on behalf of a cause, or features youth philanthropy around the issue of childhood obesity. UnitedHealth HEROES activities will begin on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Jan. 21 and end on Global Youth Service Day April 26-28, 2013. To learn more about the UnitedHealth HEROES program and to apply for a grant, visit?www.YSA.org/HEROES. The application deadline is 9 p.m. on Oct. 15. Grant recipients will be notified in November. A list of previous grant winners is also available online.

Faith-Based Mini Grants Available

Deadline Oct. 31 (Wednesday):?First 5 San Joaquin announces the release of the 2012-13 Faith- Based Community Initiative (FBCI) Mini-Grant for funding up to $1,000.?Click here for full application. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis now through Oct. 31 or until funding is no longer available.? Early submissions are encouraged. Information: Jovanna Gonsalves at?(209) 953-5437?or?jgonsalves@sjgov.org.

Affordable Care Act Toolkits

As consumers, businesses and health plans continue to prepare for full implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2014, the California Department of Managed Health Care has released a?series of toolkits?to educate Californians about the changes that have already occurred in the health care system. ?The Affordable Care Act puts in place strong new consumer protections, provides additional coverage options and gives people more tools to make informed choices about their health care,? DMHC Director Brent Barnhart said. ?These toolkits?are designed to ensure that individuals, families, seniors and businesses are aware of the ways they can benefit from these changes in our health care system.??The four toolkits?are designed to provide information and resources targeted to individuals, families, seniors and small businesses and contain audience specific questions and answers, a resource guide, and fact sheets on topics such as: when a plan can cancel your coverage; how to file a grievance or appeal; how to keep your coverage through a ?grandfathered? health plan; getting the most from your health care dollars; and the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP). The?toolkits?were funded through a federal Affordable Care Act consumer assistance grant.

Healthy Families: What Parents Should Know NOW

The final California state budget eliminated Healthy Families, a program providing affordable health, dental and vision coverage to nearly 900,000 California children. These children will be moved into the state?s Medi-Cal insurance program eventually and will continue to be covered by Healthy Families until then. The state?s plan for moving those covered by Healthy Families into Medi-Cal will be presented to the Legislature in October 2012. In the meantime, parents with children in Healthy Families need to understand they still have coverage and are aware of the upcoming changes. The following fliers may help:

$5,000 Grants Help Pay for Children?s Medical Expenses

UnitedHealthcare Children?s Foundation (UHCCF)?is seeking grant applications from families in need of financial assistance to help pay for their child?s health care treatments, services or equipment not covered, or not fully covered, by their commercial health insurance plan. Qualifying families can receive up to $5,000 to help pay for medical services and equipment such as physical, occupational and speech therapy, counseling services, surgeries, prescriptions, wheelchairs, orthotics, eyeglasses and hearing aids. To be eligible for a grant, children must be 16 years of age or younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside in the United States and have a commercial health insurance plan. Grants are available for medical expenses families have incurred 60 days prior to the date of application as well as for ongoing and future medical needs. Parents or legal guardians may apply for grants at?www.uhccf.org, and there is no application deadline. Organizations or private donors can make tax-deductible donations to the foundation at this website. In 2011, UHCCF awarded more than 1,200 grants to families across the United States for treatments associated with medical conditions such as cancer, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, hearing loss, autism, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome, ADHD and cerebral palsy.

How to Implement ?Rethink Your Drink? in Suffering Community

First 5 San Joaquin invites you to partner with them to promote the Rethink Your Drink (RYD) campaign in San Joaquin County. Our community is facing an unprecedented health crisis. Not only do extra calories from added sugar in drinks (such as sodas, sports drinks, juice blends and punch) contribute significantly to obesity, but they also contribute to the rise of related chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The RYD campaign aims to address this crisis by educating families about the link between consumption of these sugary drinks and the health risks. From July through September, this quarter?s health messaging efforts from First 5 San Joaquin will focus on equipping educators and advocates with resources to empower families to make healthier drink choices.?Click here for more information and resources?to assist you in your efforts.? Join the movement to help families make the change!

Facts About Fruits and Vegetables

Click here?for lots of great information about fruits and vegetables.

We?re FAT!

Here are the latest statistics?on Stockton and surrounding cities on overweight and obesity.

Institute of Medicine Aims to Accelerate Progress in Preventing Obesity

Report Recommends Strategies, Calls On All Sectors of Society to Take Action Now?The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has released a report that outlines comprehensive strategies for addressing the nation?s obesity epidemic and calls on leaders in all sectors to accelerate action to advance those strategies. The release was a highlight of the second day of the 2012 Weight of the Nation conference, hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Make physical activity an integral and routine part of life.
• Create food and beverage environments that ensure healthy food and beverage options are the routine, easy choice.
• Transform messages about physical activity and nutrition.
• Expand the role of health care providers, insurers and employers in obesity prevention.
• Make schools a national focal point for obesity prevention.

The full report, a summary, practical guides for taking action and other materials are available for free on the IOM website.

Sugary drink consumption is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. Serving healthy beverages is essential for a child?s nutritious diet, and child care settings can play an important role in helping children develop healthy nutrition habits.?Learn what you need to know about new state and federal standards?for beverages served in child care settings.?Healthy Beverages in Child Care?is a project of California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA). CFPA, founded in 1992, is a statewide public policy and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the health and well being of low-income Californians by increasing their access to nutritious and affordable food.

Questions About Health Reform Law?

• How are small businesses affected by health reform?
• Will everyone have to buy health insurance?
• How will the new provision allowing young adults to remain on a parent?s insurance work?

The FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) section of the Kaiser Family Foundation?s new Health Reform Source provides concise answers to common questions about the health reform law. You can search for your question or submit a new question if yours is not addressed.?http://healthreform.kff.org/faq.aspx. Additional questions addressing the affordability of health insurance, how programs like Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) will be financed under health reform and others are addressed in a series of Video Explainer clips featuring foundation experts answering specific questions about the law on a variety of health policy topics.http://healthreform.kff.org/video-explainers.aspx. Kaiser?s Health Reform Source,?http://healthreform.kff.org, an online gateway providing easy access to new and comprehensive resources on the health reform law, provides these and other new features and tools including an interactive timeline showing when health-reform provisions take effect, all the latest polling data, links to other information resources, and the latest health-reform headlines from Kaiser Health News.

Yoga for People Dealing with Cancer

Mondays 5:30 to 7 p.m.:?This free weekly Yoga & Breathing class for cancer patients will help individuals sleep better and reduce pain. This class is led by yoga instructor Chinu Mehdi in Classrooms 1 and 2, St. Joseph?s Medical Center, 1800 N. California St., Stockton. Information:?(209) 467-6550?or?SJCancerInfo@dignityhealth.org.

Respiratory Support Group for Better Breathing

First Tuesday of month 10 to 11 a.m.:?Lodi Memorial Hospital West, 800 S. Lower Sacramento Road, Lodi,? and the American Lung Association of California Valley Lode offer a free ?Better Breathers?? respiratory-support group for people and their family members with breathing problems including asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. Participants will learn how to cope with chronic lung disease, understand lungs and how they work and use medications and oxygen properly. Pre-registration is recommended by calling?(209) 339-7445. For information on other classes available at Lodi Memorial, visit its website at?www.lodihealth.org.

The Beat Goes On Cardiac Support Group

First Tuesday of month 11 a.m. to noon:?Lodi Memorial Hospital offers a free cardiac support group at?Lodi Memorial Hospital West, 800 S. Lower Sacramento Road, Lodi. ?The Beat Goes On? cardiac support group is a community-based nonprofit group that offers practical tools for healthy living to heart disease patients, their families and caregivers. Its mission is to provide community awareness that those with heart disease can live well through support meetings and educational forums. Upcoming topics include exercise, stress management and nutrition counseling services. All are welcomed to attend. Information:?(209) 339-7664.

Planned Childbirth Services

Tuesdays 6 to 8 p.m.:?Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?hosts a four-class series which answers questions and prepares mom and her partner for labor and birth. Bring two pillows and a comfortable blanket or exercise mat to each class. These classes are requested during expecting mother?s third trimester. Information/registration: Carolyn Sanders, RN?(209) 461-3136?or?www.Dameronhospital.org.

Say Yes to Breastfeeding

Tuesdays 6 to 8 p.m.:?Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?offers a class that outlines the information and basic benefits and risk management of breastfeeding. Topics include latching, early skin-to-skin on cue, expressing milk and helpful hints on early infant feeding. In addition, the hospital offers a monthly Mommy and Me-Breastfeeding support group where mothers, babies and hospital clerical staff meet the second Monday of each month. Information/registration: Carolyn Sanders, RN?(209) 461-3136?or?www.Dameronhospital.org.

Precious Preemies

Second Tuesday of the month, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.:?Precious Preemies: A Discussion Group for Families Raising Premature Infants and Infants with Medical Concerns required registration and is held at?Family Resource Network, Sherwood Executive Center, 5250 Claremont Ave., Suite 148, Stockton. Information:?www.frcn.org/calendar.asp?or?(209) 472-3674?or?(800) 847-3030.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous

Are you having trouble controlling the way you eat? Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is a free Twelve Step recovery program for anyone suffering from food obsession, overeating, undereating or bulimia. For more information or a list of additional meetings throughout the U.S. and the world, call?(781) 932-6300?or visit?www.foodaddicts.org.

• Tuesdays 7 p.m.:?Modesto Unity Church, 2547 Veneman Ave., Modesto.
• Wednesdays 9 a.m.:?The Episcopal Church of Saint Anne, 1020 W. Lincoln Road, Stockton.
• Saturdays 9 a.m.:?Tracy Community Church, 1790 Sequoia Blvd. at Corral Hollow, Tracy.

Break From Stress

Wednesdays 6 to 7 p.m.:?St. Joseph?s Medical Center offers the community a break from their stressful lives with Break from Stress sessions. These sessions are free, open to the public, with no pre-registration necessary. Just drop in, take a deep breath and relax through a variety of techniques. Break from Stress sessions are held in St. Joseph?s Cleveland Classroom (behind HealthCare Clinical Lab on California Street just north of the medical center. Information:SJCancerInfo@DignityHealth.org?or?(209) 467-6550.

Mother-Baby Breast Connection

Wednesdays 1 to 3 p.m.:?Join a lactation consultant for support and advice on the challenges of early breastfeeding. Come meet other families and attend as often as you like. A different topic of interest will be offered each week with time for breastfeeding assistance and questions.?Pre-registration is required. Call?(209) 467-6331. St. Joseph?s Medical Center, Pavilion Conference Room (1st?floor), 1800 N. California St., Stockton.

Adult Children With Aging Relatives

Second Wednesday of month 4:30 p.m.:?Lodi Memorial Hospital offers an Adult Children with Aging Relatives support group at the?Hutchins Street Square Senior Center. For information, call?(209) 369-4443?or?(209) 369-6921.

Individual Stork Tours At Dameron

Wednesdays 5 to 7 p.m.: Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?offers 30 minute guided tours that provide expecting parents with a tour of Labor/Delivery, the Mother-Baby Unit and an overview of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. New mothers are provided information on delivery services, where to go and what to do once delivery has arrived, and each mother can create an individual birthing plan. Information/registration: Carolyn Sanders, RN?(209) 461-3136?or?www.Dameronhospital.org.

Brain Builders Weekly Program

Thursdays 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.:?Lodi Memorial Hospital and the?Hutchins Street Square Senior Center?offer ?Brain Builders,? a weekly program for people in the early stages of memory loss. There is a weekly fee of $25. Registration is required. Information or to register, call?(209) 369-4443?or?(209) 369-6921.

Infant CPR and Safety

Second Thursday of month 5 to 7 p.m.:?Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?offers a class to family members to safely take care of their newborn.? Family members are taught infant CPR and relief of choking, safe sleep and car seat safety.? Regarding infant safety, the hospital offers on the fourth Thursday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m. a NICU/SCN family support group. This group is facilitated by a Master Prepared Clinical Social Worker and the Dameron NICU staff with visits from the hospital?s neonatologist. Information/registration: Carolyn Sanders, RN?(209) 461-3136?or?www.Dameronhospital.org.

Group Meetings for Alzheimer?s Patients, Caregivers

Thursdays 10 to 11:30 a.m.:?The Alzheimer?s Aid Society of Northern California in conjunction with Villa Marche residential care facility conducts a simultaneous Caregiver?s Support Group and Patient?s Support Group at?Villa Marche, 1119 Rosemarie Lane, Stockton. Caregivers, support people or family members of anyone with dementia are welcome to attend the caregiver?s group, led by Rita Vasquez. It?s a place to listen, learn and share. At the same time, Alzheimer?s and dementia patients can attend the patient?s group led by Sheryl Ashby. Participants will learn more about dementia and how to keep and enjoy the skills that each individual possesses. There will be brain exercises and reminiscence. The meeting is appropriate for anyone who enjoys socialization and is able to attend with moderate supervision. Information:?(209) 477-4858.

Clase Gratuita de Diabetes en Espa?ol

Cada segundo Viernes del mes:?Participantes aprender?n los fundamentos sobre la?observaci?n de az?car de sangre, comida saludable, tama?os de porci?n y medicaciones. Un educador con certificado del control de diabetes dar? instruccion sobre la autodirecci?n durante de esta clase. Para mas informaci?n y registraci?n:?(209) 461-3251. Aprenda m?s de los programas de diabetes en el sitio electronico de St. Joseph?s:www.StJosephsCares.org/Diabetes

Nutrition on the Move Class

Fridays 11 a.m. to noon: Nutrition Education Center at Emergency Food Bank, 7 W. Scotts Ave., Stockton.? Free classes are general nutrition classes where you?ll learn about the new My Plate standards, food label reading, nutrition and exercise, eating more fruits and vegetables, and other tips. Information:?(209) 464-7369?or?www.stocktonfoodbank.org.

Free Diabetes Class in Spanish

Second Friday of every month:?Participants will learn the basics about blood sugar monitoring, healthy foods, portion sizes, medications and self-management skills from a certified diabetic educator during this free class.?St. Joseph?s Medical Center, 1800 N. California St., Stockton.?Information and registration:?(209) 461-3251.Learn more on St. Joseph?s diabetes programs at?www.StJosephsCares.org/Diabetes.

All Day Prepared Childbirth Class

Third Saturday of month 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.:?Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?offers community service educational class of prebirth education and mentoring. Information/registration: Carolyn Sanders, RN?(209) 461-3136?or?www.Dameronhospital.org.

Big Brother/Big Sister

Second Sunday of month:?Dameron Hospital, 525 W. Acacia St., Stockton,?has a one-hour class meeting designed specifically for newborn?s siblings. Topics include family role, a labor/delivery tour and a video presentation which explains hand washing/germ control and other household hygiene activities. This community service class ends with a Certification of Completion certificate. Information/registration: Carolyn Sanders, RN(209) 461-3136?or?www.Dameronhospital.org.

Outpatient Program Aimed at Teens

Two programs:?Adolescents face a number of challenging issues while trying to master their developmental milestones. Mental health issues (including depression), substance abuse and family issues can hinder them from mastering the developmental milestones that guide them into adulthood. The Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) offered by?St. Joseph?s Behavioral Health Center, 2510 N. California St., Stockton, is designed for those individuals who need comprehensive treatment for their mental, emotional or chemical dependency problems. This program uses Dialectical Behavioral Therapy to present skills for effective living. Patients learn how to identify and change distorted thinking, communicate effectively in relationships and regain control of their lives. The therapists work collaboratively with parents, doctors and schools. They also put together a discharge plan so the patient continues to get the help they need to thrive into adulthood.

• Psychiatric Adolescent IOP meets Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 4 to 7:30 p.m.
• Chemical Recovery Adolescent IOP meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m.

For more information about this and other groups,?(209) 461-2000?and ask to speak with a behavioral evaluator or visit?www.StJosephsCanHelp.org.

Click here?for Community Medical Centers (Channel Medical Clinic, San Joaquin Valley Dental Group, etc.) website.

Click here?for Dameron Hospital?s?Event Calendar.

Click here?for Doctors Hospital of Manteca?Events finder.

Click here?for Hill Physicians website.

Click here?for Kaiser Central Valley News and Events

Click here?for Lodi Memorial Hospital?Event Calendar.

Click here?for Mark Twain St. Joseph?s Hospital?Classes and Events.

Click here?for San Joaquin General Hospital?website.

Click here?for St. Joseph?s Medical Center?s?Classes and Events.

Click here?for Sutter Gould news.?Click here?for Sutter Gould calendar of events.

Click here?for Sutter Tracy Community Hospital?events, classes and support groups.

San Joaquin County Public Health Services General Information

Ongoing resources for vaccinations and clinic information are:

1. Public Health Services Influenza website,?www.sjcphs.org
2. Recorded message line at?(209) 469-8200, extension 2# for English and 3# for Spanish.
3. For further information, individuals may call the following numbers at Public Health Services:

• For general vaccine and clinic questions, call?(209) 468-3862;
• For medical questions, call?(209) 468-3822.

Health officials continue to recommend these precautionary measures to help protect against acquiring influenza viruses:

1. Wash your hands often with soap and water or use alcohol based sanitizers.
2. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve, when you cough or sneeze.
3. Stay home if you are sick until you are free of a fever for 24 hours.
4. Get vaccinated.

Public Health Services Clinic Schedules (Adults and Children)

Immunization clinic hours are subject to change depending on volume of patients or staffing. Check the Public Health Services website for additional evening clinics or special clinics at?www.sjcphs.org. Clinics with an asterisk?(*)?require patients to call for an appointment.

Stockton Health Center: 1601 E. Hazelton Ave.; (209) 468-3830.

• Immunizations: Monday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Tuesday 1-4 p.m.; Wednesday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Thursday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.; Friday 8-11 a.m.
• Travel clinic*: Thursday 8-11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.
• Health exams*: Tuesday 1-4 p.m.; Wednesday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Friday 8-11 a.m.
• Sexually transmitted disease clinic: Wednesday 3-6 p.m. and Friday 1-4 p.m., walk-in and by appointment.
• Tuberculosis clinic*: Tuesday; second and fourth Wednesday of the month.
• HIV testing: Tuesday 1-4 p.m.; Thursday 1-4 p.m.

Manteca Health Center: 124 Sycamore Ave.; (209) 823-7104 or (800) 839-4949.

• Immunizations: Monday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.; Wednesday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-6 p.m.
• Tuberculosis clinic*: first and third Wednesday 3-6 p.m.
• HIV testing: first Wednesday 1:30-4 p.m.

Lodi Health Center: 300 W. Oak St.; (209) 331-7303 or (800) 839-4949.

• Immunizations: Monday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.; Friday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.
• Tuberculosis clinic*: Friday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.
• HIV testing: second and fourth Friday 1:30-4 p.m.

WIC (Women, Infants & Children) Program

Does your food budget need a boost? The WIC Program can help you stretch your food dollars. This special supplemental food program for women, infants and children serves low-income women who are currently pregnant or have recently delivered, breastfeeding moms, infants, and children up to age 5. Eligible applicants receive monthly checks to use at any authorized grocery store for wholesome foods such as fruits and vegetables, milk and cheese, whole-grain breads and cereals, and more. WIC shows you how to feed your family to make them healthier and brings moms and babies closer together by helping with breastfeeding. WIC offers referrals to low-cost or free health care and other community services depending on your needs. WIC services may be obtained at a variety of locations throughout San Joaquin County:

Stockton?(209) 468-3280

• Public Health Services WIC Main Office, 1145 N. Hunter St.: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; open two Saturdays a month.
• Family Health Center, 1414 N. California St.: Wednesday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5 p.m.
• CUFF (Coalition United for Families), 2044 Fair St.: Thursday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5 p.m.
• Taylor Family Center, 1101 Lever Blvd.: Wednesday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 4 p.m.
• Transcultural Clinic, 4422 N. Pershing Ave. Suite D-5: Tuesday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5 p.m.

?Manteca??(209) 823-7104

• Public Health Services, 124 Sycamore Lane: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5 p.m.

?Tracy?(209) 831-5930

• Public Health Services, 205 W. Ninth St.: Monday, Wednesday 8 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5 p.m.

Protect Your Preteen from Serious Diseases

The?Calaveras County Public Health Department?reminds families of preteens about recommended and required immunizations for 11-and 12-year olds. Dr. Dean Kelaita, county health officer, encouraged families of preteens to schedule a doctor visit and get vaccines they need to stay healthy and meet the Tdap school entry requirement for incoming seventh-graders. During 2010, California experienced a whooping cough (also known as pertussis) epidemic that resulted in 10 infant deaths. Incoming seventh-graders for the 2012-13 school year must provide proof of having immunization against whooping cough (Tdap) before starting school. Students who have not met the requirement will not be allowed to start school. Immunity from childhood vaccines wears off over time, exposing a child to serious diseases that can lead to missed weeks of school or serious illness. Besides the Tdap shot, there are other immunizations that are now recommended for this age group, including the meningococcal vaccine, a second chickenpox shot (if they never had chickenpox disease), and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series. Also, everyone older than 6 months is recommended to receive flu vaccine. The Calaveras County Public Health Department offers no- or low-cost vaccines to children without health insurance or whose insurance does not cover immunizations. No one is turned away for inability to pay. Information:?(209) 754-6460?orwww.calaveraspublichealth.com.

Calaveras County Public Health Community Immunization Clinics

• San Andreas: weekly at Public Health Department, 700 Mountain Ranch Road, Suite C-2. Mondays 3 to 5 p.m. and Thursdays 8 a.m. to noon.
• Valley Springs: monthly at United Methodist Church, 135 Laurel St. Third Tuesday 3 to 5:30 p.m.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

What You Need to Know About Joe?s Health Calendar

Have a health-oriented event the public in San Joaquin County should know about? Let me know at?jgoldeen@recordnet.com?and I?ll get it into my Health Calendar. I?m not interested in promoting commercial enterprises here, but I am interested in helping out nonprofit and/or community groups, hospitals, clinics, physicians and other health-care providers. Look for five categories: Community Events, News, Ongoing, Hospitals & Medical Groups, and Public Health.?TO THE PUBLIC:?I won?t list an item here from a source that I don?t know or trust. So I believe you can count on what you read here. If ther

Source: http://blogs.esanjoaquin.com/stockton-health-care/2012/09/25/joes-health-calendar-92512-walk-more-eat-less/

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To Facebook, or not to Facebook? - Digital Culture & Education

John Hilton III & Kenneth Plummer

Published Online: In press
Full Text: HTML, PDF (460 KB)

Abstract

A significant shift in computer-mediated communication has taken place, in which in some cases, social media is becoming the dominant form of communication. Organisations who wish to communicate effectively are turning to social media; however, there are challenges associated with using it. This article chronicles the attempts of one educational institution to implement the use of social media in their organisation.

Keywords: e-culture, Facebook, higher education, social media

Introduction

The use of social networks has exploded in the past few years. Social networks have been defined as ?Web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system? (Boyd & Ellison, 2008). There are several social media sites, most of which are based on a common underlying purpose of digitally connecting people.? Some are work-related (LinkedIn.com) and others got started by promoting music bands (MySpace).

At the time of the present study, Facebook is the largest social networking site in the world. Facebook started as a social media site in 2004 oriented towards college students.? (Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2007). Over the next year they gradually expanded to allow high school students, professionals, and eventually everyone to create a Facebook account. Over the past few years, Facebook has become a powerful communication medium. Facebook (2011) reports having more than 600 million users, over half of whom log in on any given day. And while some estimate that over half of all U.S. Internet users log into Facebook at least monthly (eMarketer, 2011) Facebook is not solely a U.S. sensation. Over 350,000,000 of its users are outside the United States. Globally, people spend more than 700,000,000,000 (seven hundred billion) minutes on Facebook per month. (Facebook, 2011a).

While reports as recent as June 2011 have shown a slight drop in the number of users, Facebook continues to be described ?as one of the new titans of the Internet, challenging even Google? (Schwartz, 2011). It facilitates user interconnectivity through personal relationships and recommendations through such features as like and comment.

As of March 2011 the average number of friends per user was slightly over 120 (Facebook, 2011). Globally, slightly more males (51.2%) than females (48.8%) use Facebook.? The largest Facebook user age group worldwide are those between 26-34 years of age (26.6%) followed by 18-25 year olds (26.4%) and then 13-17 year olds (20.5%).? In the United States the order differs as follows:? The largest Facebook user age group is 18-25 year olds (35%) followed by 26-34 year olds (20%) and then 35-44 year olds (16%) (Burbary, 2011). 30% of Facebook user pairs interact consistently from one month to the next (Viswanath et al., 2009).

Many companies, educational institutions, non-profits and others are seeking to leverage Facebook to increase exposure to their organisations. The ability to attract a younger demographic is particularly attractive. But although there are benefits associated with using Facebook as a communication medium, it also has inherent risks. The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the benefits and risks, and examine how a private educational institution responded to the opportunities and challenges presented by Facebook.

Review of literature

Corporations and other organisations interested in attracting attention have started noticing the marketing power of Facebook. Brands such as Visa, Bank of America, Wal-Mart and even Skittles all have Facebook pages. Fifty-six percent of 2010 Fortune 500 companies are on Facebook (Barnes, 2010). Unlike the dot com era when many companies scrambled to have an online presence minus a coherent game plan, companies today though aware of Facebook?s capabilities, manifest an uncertainty as to how these can be leveraged to benefit their overall organisationsal strategy (McCorkindale, 2010).? That being said, as these organisations find the right entry point into social media channels like Facebook, they may be able to unlock the power of social networks to further their objectives.

Businesses aren?t the only ones noticing the importance of social media in attracting attention. Colleges are starting to look more to social media to communicate with students, particularly as some studies show that email usage is decreasing in favour of social media use among their target audience. In fact, one study showed that high school students (whom colleges are trying to recruit) are more likely to use social media than email (Alexander, 2008). A study investigating Facebook usage of 92 undergraduate students found that on average this sample were on Facebook 30 minutes throughout the day with the majority of the time dedicated to viewing the posts of others and to a much lesser extent posting themselves (Pempek, Yermolayeva,? & Calvert, 2009).?? Moulaisons (2010) noted that Facebook has been used as a medium of communication in parts of the world where university online communication systems are simply not available.? They provide a global reach that is not paralleled by any learning management system.? Barnes and Mattson (2010), report that ?admissions officers have clearly embraced Facebook and other social networking sites as viable forms of communication with their constituency? (p. 2).? Madge et al. (2009) investigated the impact of using Facebook as a pre-registration tool and its impact on students? post-registration social networks.?? One key finding was that first year undergraduate ?Students reported that they specifically joined Facebook pre-registration as a means of making new friends at University? (Madge et al, 2009, p. 141).? Their survey results further evidenced that Facebook has the potential of assisting students in settling into University life.

While student recruitment constitutes one avenue of Facebook?s potential use, another potential lies in its use as a course management system, posting links to course materials.? Loving and Ochoa (2011) note that ?Instructors realised that asking college students to visit online university course sites differs greatly from bringing the course site to them? (p. 123).? Selwyn (2009) analysed 68,169 student wall posts for evidence of academic-related communication and classified these in categories such as reflection on University experience, the exchanging of practical and academic information as well as expressions of disengagement and pleas for assistance.? Loving and Ochoa (2011) noted in a case study they conducted that even though the costs or drawbacks of appropriating technologies such as Facebook for academic purposes are many, their value over conventional course management systems in many ways are ?worth the necessary work arounds? (p. 129).

Often when businesses and educational institutions use Facebook they take advantage of Facebook?s option to have ?Groups? or ?Pages.? As late as 2010 there was extensive discussion about whether organisations should use ?Groups? or ?Pages? to connect with constituents (O?Neill, 2010).? However, in 2011 Facebook made changes to their ?Groups? that made it clear that organisations should use ?Pages? rather than groups. Facebook (2011b) states, ?Pages are for organisations, businesses, celebrities, and bands to broadcast great information in an official, public manner to people who choose to connect with them.?

When organisations begin using social networks, individuals associated with those organisations also will be using them. In some cases this could create additional benefits (or drawbacks) for the organisations. For example, when students use social networking to engage faculty and personnel, those faculty and personnel may seem more accessible to students. When faculty form appropriate informal connections with students, their instructional effectiveness is enhanced (Pascarella & Terrenzini, 1991).? Sturgeon and Walker (2010) conducted a small study at a southern university with 120 faculty members, of which 90% mentioned that Facebook provides an open line of communication between them and their students.? This openness it was perceived could make the classroom experience seem less daunting and more inviting. In a study examining what happens when students connect with teachers on Facebook, Mazer, Murphy and Simonds (2007), state that:

Student perceptions of a teacher?s credibility and their reports of motivation and affective learning may also be affected by what the teacher discloses on Facebook. The number of photographs and the amount of information provided on the virtual social network may positively or negatively alter student perceptions. Much like when a teacher self-discloses face to face in the classroom, the comments made by the teacher?s Facebook friends, the special interest groups the teacher is affiliated with on Facebook, and the personal information the teacher discloses in his or her Facebook biography all may affect students? perceptions of the teacher. (.p4)

Overall, their study found that students generally perceived teachers as more open and friendly when they visited their Facebook pages. However, not all students appreciated having this kind of connection with their teachers. Hewitt and Forte (2006) observed that people use Facebook as a medium to manage their image.? They note that such control becomes onerous when tending to a variety of audiences with a myriad of tastes and crossing multiple generations and professional and educational boundaries. They also found that 33% of 136 students surveyed felt a discomfort with faculty accessing student Facebook accounts, because of what they called ?Identity Management? as well as privacy issues.? It is interesting to note that in this study males were more likely to condone faculty presence than females.

In a similar vein, privacy (or the lack thereof) has been a key area in which Facebook has been criticised. boyd and Hargittai (2010) report that ?Far from being nonchalant and unconcerned about privacy matters, the majority of young adult users of Facebook are engaged with managing their privacy settings on the site at least to some extent.? Concerns about privacy can work both ways. For example, in an educational setting some students would be aghast if they knew the kinds of information that their instructors could collect about them on Facebook. At the same time, teachers may not want their students to know about their private lives.

Not all of the concerns about professor-student Facebook interactions come from the students. In fact, some studies have shown that students are more amenable than faculty members to using social networking sites to enhance their academic experience (Roblyer et al., 2010). This reluctance on the part of professors may stem from a concern that they would be perceived as uninvited guests to a party where the rules of engagement are only vaguely familiar to them (Lipka, 2007). Some may fear that an entry into the informal cyber world of their students may undermine their credibility as qualified professors (Hartshorn and Ajjan, 2008).?? Some faculty members have expressed concern that the act of friending students may create in the students an inappropriate expectation in terms of grading and accountability (Lipka, 2007).

In any sector of society, the use of social media can create conflicting opportunities where the line between professional and client becomes blurred. For example, Jain (2009) reported on an awkward situation that arose when he (as a medical intern) accepted a Facebook friend request from a former patient. Jain said:

Confirming this patient as my ?friend? on Facebook, I was merging my professional and personal lives. From my Facebook page, Ms. Baxter could identify and reach anyone in my network of friends, view an extensive collection of personal photographs, read my personal blog, and review notations that others had left on my ?wall.? The anxiety I felt about crossing boundaries is an old problem in clinical medicine, but it has taken a different shape as it has migrated to this new medium.

In addition to awkward situations faced by individuals, from an institutional perspective, damage to an institution could occur should individuals associated with the institution make inappropriate posts on Facebook.

Chretien et. al., (2009) reported that according to their survey, 60% of medical schools ?reported incidents of students posting unprofessional online content. Violations of patient confidentiality were reported by 13%.? Similar challenges were reported by Greysen et. al. (2010). These types of incidents could reflect very poorly both on the medical school or sponsoring hospital.

In the field of education, much has been written about teachers who have been fired or reprimanded for posts on Facebook that were deemed to be inappropriate (Shapira, 2009, Knight, 2011, Heussner, 2010). In one case, a New York City public school teacher was fired for making comments like ?This is sexy? on photos of female students at his school (Chiaramonte & Gonen, 2010). In another case, a teacher was fired for stating on Facebook that students were ?snobby? and ?arrogant? (Heussner, 2010).

Individuals need to make their own decisions about how they should interact with others on Facebook. However, in some cases organisations can dictate what their employees should or should not do on Facebook, particularly in connection with the organisations. For example, some organisations have prohibited employees from using Facebook to connect with clients.

From an organisational perspective, one wonders if the damage that can potentially be caused by inappropriate posts on Facebook is worth the potential benefits of increased exposure that the medium allows. Obviously institutions cannot control whether or not their employees use Facebook on their own time. The question is, do benefits accrue to institutions who encourage their employees to use Facebook for the purposes of the organisations? The present study seeks to document the efforts of one educational institution to answer that question.

The present study

Administrators at a large private educational institution considered the possibility of using Facebook as a tool to recruit students to enroll in classes and participate in programme activities. This institution has several hundred satellite campuses across the world, and over 350,000 participants. At the time of the present study these local campuses offered classes and activities to both instruct and bring together groups of individuals. One of the potential benefits seen by the organisations of using Facebook was that since many of their constituents were on Facebook it could be a potentially good way to get the word out. In addition, several of the local organisations had unofficial Facebook Groups that had been created by students ? many local leaders felt that making these Groups official would make them more effective. A simple study was commissioned to answer the following questions:

1. What are the benefits of using Facebook as a recruitment tool at these programmes?
2. What are the costs of using Facebook as a recruitment tool at these programmes?

Twelve programme directors spanning four states (Texas, California, Florida and Utah) and two countries (United States and Per?) participated in this study.? The sample was purposeful in terms of geographical spread, but not large enough to produce statistically significant results.? Students attending these programmes consist mostly of young adults in their twenties. A few were married, most were single.? The directors of these programmes ranged from ages 30 to 60.? A few of them had earned doctoral degrees and the remainder attained at least a master?s degree.? These participants were invited to use Facebook to encourage student enrolment and participation in their programmes for 3 months.

These directors participated in Facebook in two major ways. First they created their own personal profiles on Facebook and were given the option of becoming Facebook friends with students if they felt it was appropriate. Second, they formed Facebook Groups for their local educational institutions. At that time Groups had different features that made them more appropriate for this organisations. Based on recent changes made by Facebook if this study were to be replicated, the organisations would have used ?Pages.? However, this difference is not important in terms of the present study, as the functionality of ?Groups? at that time was similar to the current functionality of ?Pages.?

A brief orientation was held to help introduce the directors as to how Facebook could be used as a recruitment tool; in addition, they were provided with some brief documentation that explained how to setup Facebook. This included statements such as, ?Remember that everything you post on Facebook is public. Please be very careful and follow all the guidelines put in place by the organisations so that nothing on your Facebook page would detract from its mission and purpose.?

Many of the participants had never used Facebook at all, and needed basic orientation to the programme. Selecting such participants was done purposefully, as it was determined that a large number of members in the organisations had never used Facebook, and in order to determine the true benefits and costs, individuals with a broad range of experience with Facebook were selected for participation. After their brief orientation, directors were largely left to their own devices in determining how to use Facebook most effectively. They were able to contact a member of the organisations in charge of technology if they had questions that they were not able to figure out on their own.

An eleven item survey (Appendix A) was administered to participants at the conclusion of the trial period.? Items directed respondents to self-assess their familiarity and comfort level with Facebook, the average amount of time spent using it each week for work purposes, and specifically how they used it as a communication tool.? In terms of benefits, respondents were directed to indicate the degree to which students were better informed about activities and class information.? They also responded to items regarding the degree to which class and activity attendance increased.? At the end of the survey they were invited to share both positive and negative experiences about using Facebook for the purposes targeted by the study.

Results

Four of the twelve participants indicated that before this study was initiated they were very familiar with using Facebook.? The other eight were mostly to very unfamiliar with using it.? At the conclusion of the study, all but one participant reported feeling either a ?high? or ?medium? level of comfort using Facebook. This seems to indicate that Facebook is a relatively easy tool to learn, and that extensive training in how to use it may not be needed.

In terms of how they used Facebook, the majority of the directors (10/12) posted information on their Facebook wall and created events.? Half of the participants used Facebook to communicate with individual students and groups of students as well as to post pictures.

On a scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree, half of the respondents strongly agreed that students were better informed about activities/classes because of their programme Facebook group.? The other half slightly or mostly agreed that students were better informed.? No one disagreed.?? One respondent shared that students in his classes were sending their friends to Facebook to check out the programme?s scheduled classes and activities.? Another indicated that based on his experience, Facebook was a superior communication tool to other more traditional forms of communication stating:

In the past, whenever I have sent emails to groups of students advertising events or classes, they tended not to respond or even get the emails. Using Facebook, however, I noticed a marked increase in the number of those who not only received the announcement but also responded. I have found that if I post something on someone?s wall, they will usually respond.

In some cases, students would use the Facebook page as a way to directly contact programme administrators. In one instance, a student wanted to attend some make up classes in order to receive a special recognition offered by the institution. The director was able to publicly respond to the question, thus addressing the needs of one individual, and hopefully passing on the information to others.

Several students in one programme expressed their appreciation to the programme director for using Facebook to communicate with them.? In the one of the programmes in Per? the director reported greater interest in their activities than they have seen before. Another director found that posting information on student?s walls generated a much higher response rate from the student than an email would.

In terms of class and activity attendance, eleven respondents felt that class attendance slightly to dramatically increased through the use of Facebook (See Figure 1).? All twelve felt that programme activity attendance increased as a result of its use with almost half strongly feeling that this was the case.? One director reported a specific increase of additional students, stating ?At our last activity we had close to 15 additional people that came as a direct result of the Facebook posting (announcement). We have seen a few of them more involved now with [our classes as well]. Anne [a new participant in the programme] volunteered to make our weekly breakfast ?. Her connection and comfortableness came because of the Facebook friends and connection.?

One other director reported tripling of the number of students enrolled in class.? For the other programme directors class and activity attendance had increased more modestly, where they reported small but noticeable increases. A third of the respondents stated that over the course of the study, momentum for its use as a programme communication tool among students did and they projected would continue to increase.

A negatively phrased item was crafted to encourage the respondents to really think about the benefit of this medium in terms of increasing class attendance.? It read ?Overall, Facebook is nice but does not really make a difference in getting more young people to attend programme classes?.? Ten of the twelve slightly-to-strongly disagreed with this statement with only one slightly agreeing with it (see Figure 2). The respondent who slightly agreed felt that asking students to go somewhere online to find out information about the classes/activities was less effective than sending the information directly to them via email.? On the whole though, respondents commented that Facebook is a medium where students they cater to communicate and express themselves.? By going directly to where they ?hang out? to promote programme classes and activities they are able to enter a place where the free flow of communication among their target audience is most prevalent.

One programme administrator put it this way: ?I feel that Facebook is more than nice in that it is a major way in which young adults communicate and express themselves. I?ve had a far higher rate of accountability for absences than before.? Another stated, ?Ultimately, the real difference maker is the principle of personal contact, be that via Facebook, email, text, phone call, personal visit, etc. I feel that Facebook has assisted me as a teacher and administrator better facilitate that personal contact.?

Another area in which respondents were surveyed concerned the amount of time that was spent using Facebook. Obviously, even if there were an increase in participation in programme activity, if this came at the cost of multiple hours spent on Facebook, the use of Facebook would need to be more carefully considered. Nine of the twelve reported spending on average 15 minutes to one hour a week using Facebook for programme purposes. ?Two reported an average use of two hours and one reported four hours.? Thus it was determined that for the most part, Facebook would not be such a time-consuming issue as to detract from other responsibilities of programme administrators.

One of the concerns from an institutional perspective was that being on Facebook would have unintended consequences for the programme, such as the inappropriate posts described in the review of literature. In addition, a concern was that spammers would make posts on these pages and cause damage to the online reputation of the organisations.

To see if this was the case, researchers observed the various groups that were set up. They found that spammers did make posts on 3 of the walls, but these were quickly taken down by the local institutions. In general, spam did not appear to be a problem. The directors as a whole did not seem to consider taking down spam or inappropriate comments to be a problem. One of the directors from Peru said, ?No considero mayor problema, siempre que se pueda quitar los comentarios inadecuados? (?I don?t consider it to be a big problem, one can always take down inappropriate comments?).

Another concern shared by administrators of the programme was the possibility of inappropriate postings being made that would reflect poorly on the organisations. For example, if a programme director were to post something like, ?I hate it when people worry so much about the environment? or ?I loved what President Obama said yesterday!? there was a potential for people with different political views to be offended by such a posting, and as a result stop their participation in the programme. Over the course of the study, no inappropriate postings were observed.

Respondents were directed to indicate the extent to which they agreed with the following statement ?I feel uncomfortable using Facebook because of the potential of being exposed to inappropriate images, sites, or relationships?.? One fourth of the respondents slightly agreed, almost half mostly disagreed and the other fourth strongly disagreed with this statement. One respondent expressed concern because he had people he did not know ?friending? him, and these people were often scantily-clad women who would then provide links to online pornography, something this programme director did not want to participate in.

While to some it might seem like common sense to not befriend total strangers on Facebook (especially if they appear from their profile picture to be promoting something that you do not want to participate in), it was not common sense to this director. This experience demonstrated that more training may be needed to help some have a greater understanding of how to effectively use Facebook, and avoid certain areas that might be problematic.

Another respondent indicated that because the Facebook site is for institutional purposes it functions like a virtual public setting where an air of professionalism must be maintained.? He believed that an individual bent on inappropriate activities will do so regardless of the venue. In other words, the telephone, email and other technologies could be used to give the organisations a bad image. Facebook is no different, and employees of an organisations should be expected to use Facebook in a professional manner, just as they would any other technology.

Discussion and Conclusion

Facebook clearly is an important method of communication, particularly for students in their twenties. Organisationss that wish to reach this age group are increasingly turning to Facebook to help convey their messages (See Barnes and Mattson, 2010; Roblyer et al., 2010; Madge et al., 2009; Mazer, Murphy and Simonds, 2007). This study showed that the administrators of the twelve programmemes, who were directed to use Facebook as a recruitment and communication tool, felt that the resulting benefits outweighed any associated costs.

The overarching benefit observed in this study included students being better informed about class assignments and activities.? The very fact that educators went to where their students virtually ?hang out? seems to have facilitated these outcomes.? However, being on Facebook does not automatically ensure that students will be better informed, nor more likely to attend class activities.? While some students could have perceived this as an intrusion on their privacy or an inappropriate mixing of their academic and social lives (See Lipka, 2007; Hewitt & Forte (2006), in the present study as well, it did not appear to have a negative effect in the aggregate in terms of increased attendance and students being better informed. There were, as noted, instances of students sharing with their friends? class-related information.? While such an occurrence could be more or less likely to happen depending on the nature of the course, it would be interesting for some educators to consider this possibility if their objective is to generate greater interest in their courses.

While more robust studies could be conducted to more fully flesh out and quantify the related costs associated with using Facebook in this manner, these costs appear to be relatively minimal when compared to the overall benefit. Only a minimal effort was expended to deal with spam, and the potential for inappropriate comments or interactions was not realised during the duration of this study. As noted, the directors had latitude to create personal pages and friend students; however, in terms of communicating with students as an institution, they used the group created for that purpose.

This study had several limitations. First, its scope was small. Only a handful of institutions were chosen to participate in the study, largely because the organisations wanted to be cautious as it began exploring the use of Facebook. Another limitation of this study is that only members of one educational institution participated.? Future studies could expand on this one by examining larger groups of people across several different institutions.

Another limitation was that it may have been too focused on the short-term. Although directors reported seeing improvement in their communication with students, was this an effect of Facebook being a ?new thing? that would eventually wear off? On the other hand, is it possible that the communication impact associated with Facebook would have been even higher had the duration of the study been longer? Another issue that would have benefitted from a longer study period is the issue of inappropriate contact occurring because of Facebook. Just because nothing inappropriate happened in three months, does not mean nothing inappropriate would happen over the course of three years.

Overall, we believe this study should provide encouragement to educational institutions considering the use of Facebook to move forward in their efforts to recruit and interact with students in ways that further their institutional objectives.? If steps are taken to minimise costs, the benefits garnered are more likely to surface. Naturally, Facebook is not a ?silver bullet? for educational or any other kind of organisations efforts to recruit and communicate with students. The question at hand was not whether Facebook should replace email or other ways of communicating with students, but rather should it be added to the toolbox of those reaching out to young adults. Our tentative conclusion is that Facebook can be used as an additional way of connecting with students. Although there is much to learn about social media in general, and Facebook in particular, it is clearly a tool that cannot be overlooked in terms of its potential.

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Biographical Statements

John Hilton III received his M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and his Ph.D. in Instructional Psychology and Technology at Brigham Young University. He is interested in researching open-access issues, particularly the creation and use of open educational resources, and looking at how free digital distribution affects learning and teaching. He can be reached via http://johnhiltoniii.org

Email: johnhiltoniii@byu.edu

Kenneth J. Plummer received his M.Ed. from the University of Utah in Educational Administration and his Ph.D. in Instructional Psychology and Technology at Brigham Young University. His research interest include making blended learning and flipped classroom models more accessible to university faculty and assessing affective outcomes in a variety of settings.

Appendix A

1. Before this pilot programme how familiar were you with using Facebook?

• Very Familiar
• Mostly Familiar
• Mostly unfamiliar
• Very unfamiliar

2. Currently, what is your comfort level with Facebook?

3. Which of the following ways did you communicate using Facebook for programme purposes?

• Posts on the Facebook wall
• Facebook emails to individual students
• Facebook emails to groups of students
• Creating events
• Posting pictures
• Other (please specify)

4. I believe that students were better informed about activities/class because of your programme Facebook group.

• Strongly Agree
• Mostly Agree
• Slightly Agree
• Slightly Disagree
• Mostly Disagree
• Strongly Disagree

5. I believe that more students came to CLASSES because of your programme Facebook group.

• Strongly Agree
• Mostly Agree
• Slightly Agree
• Slightly Disagree
• Mostly Disagree
• Strongly Disagree

6. I believe that more students came to programme ACTIVITIES because of our programme Facebook group.

• Strongly Agree
• Mostly Agree
• Slightly Agree
• Slightly Disagree
• Mostly Disagree
• Strongly Disagree

7. Overall, Facebook is nice but does not really make a difference in getting more young people to attend programme activity/classes.

• Strongly Agree
• Mostly Agree
• Slightly Agree
• Slightly Disagree
• Mostly Disagree
• Strongly Disagree

8. On average, how much time each week did you spend using Facebook for programme purposes? Options ? 15 to 6 hour frequency scale with 15 minute increments

9. ?I feel uncomfortable using Facebook because of the potential of being exposed to inappropriate images, sites, or relationships.?

• Strongly Agree
• Mostly Agree
• Slightly Agree
• Slightly Disagree
• Mostly Disagree
• Strongly Disagree

10.? Please share any concrete positive stories (you have not already shared in previous responses) that have resulted from your use of Facebook?

11.? Please share any concrete negative stories (you have not already shared in previous responses) that have resulted from your use of Facebook?

12.? Please share any other insights you have about using Facebook

Source: http://www.digitalcultureandeducation.com/uncategorized/dce_1061_hilton/

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