Wednesday, April 24, 2013

To Your Health & Upcoming Community Events

Last week, Holy Cross Hospital hosted a two-day health fair, To Your Health, offering free education exhibits and preventive screenings. On Saturday, April 20, AAHI took part in Day 2 of the health fair and provided carbon monoxide screenings for participants at its information table, where we displayed helpful materials on health topics and resources for the community in multiple languages. AAHI also used the Wheel of Health Education to inform people on the importance of maintaining a healthy heart.
04-20-13 To Your Health at Holy Cross Hospital
Thank you to Holy Cross Hospital for letting us be a part of this great health fair!

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In other news, AAHI is excited to share some upcoming events that are taking place in the community! We urge you to take advantage of these resources and spread the word to your family, friends, and neighbors!

13th Annual Housing Fair and Financial Fitness Day
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2013 
Time: 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 
Location: Activity Center at Bohrer Park, Summit Hall Farm, 506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, MD (next to Gaithersburg High School) 
Cost: FREE

The Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA), in partnership with the Housing Fair Planning Committee, invite you to their annual Housing Fair and Financial Fitness Day. The fair will offer on-site loan modifications from lenders, as well as free assistance by certified housing counselors and attorneys with experience in dealing with housing issues. Residents who wonder if they qualify for state funds made available in a settlement that affects some Maryland homeowners will receive answers to their questions about eligibility. Many useful resources will be available, including free credit reports and information on managing money, credit and utilities.




Women's Cancer Control Program: Mammogram and Pap Screening Open House
Date: Monday, April 29, 2013 
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: 2424 Reedie Drive, Wheaton, MD (next to the Wheaton Metro Station)
Documents to Bring: Proof of address, proof of income

The Women's Cancer Control Program is holding another Open House event on Monday, April 29 in Wheaton, MD.  This is a great resource for uninsured women with limited income who live in Montgomery County. For more information, please call (240) 777-1750.

Monday, April 22, 2013

New Year Celebrations

AAHI would like to wish a Happy New Year to all those who celebrated last week! On Sunday, April 14, AAHI attended both the Cambodian New Year Celebration and Sri Lankan New Year Festival.

Cambodian New Year Celebration

At the Cambodian celebration, AAHI used the Wheel of Health to educate the community on heart disease. Participants enjoyed spinning the wheel and answering questions on heart disease to win one of our small giveaway prizes! AAHI also provided health education on topics including cancer, diabetes, and local resources. Dr. Sovan Tun from the Cambodian Buddhist Society also visited the AAHI health education table.
04-14-13 Cambodian New Year Celebration

Sri Lankan New Year Festival

At the Sri Lankan festival, AAHI conducted carbon monoxide screenings for community members. Our Health Promoters were experts in providing health education on diabetes, cancer, breast self-exam demonstrations, as well as information on local resources and services. Community members expressed their appreciation for our work in promoting health and knowledge about local resources!
04-14-13 Sri Lankan New Year Festival

Thank you to both the Cambodian and Sri Lankan community for inviting us again to be a part of your New Year celebrations. We look forward to attending next year!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Past Outreach Events!

AAHI is excited about the many outreach events taking place in the community! Please read on for a recap of these events.   

Montgomery College, Rockville Campus Wellness Fair  
Montgomery College, Rockville Campus hosted a Wellness Fair for their students, staff, and faculty last week on Wednesday, April 10.  AAHI provided health education and information on several health topics, including. AAHI received positive feedback from the students who approached our table on the quality of the health education materials provided as well as the vast knowledge of our Health Promoters. 
04-10-13 Montgomery College, Rockville Campus Wellness Fair


Bait-ur-Rahman Women’s Health Fair

On Saturday, April 13, AAHI partnered with the Bait-ur-Rahman Mosque in Silver Spring to host a women’s health fair for the Muslim community. The health fair was part of their weekend-long sports event, which is held every year at the Mosque to promote fitness and wellness. Over 50 participants received AAHI’s very popular bone density screening. Participants also received information on various topics including cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart health, nutrition, and general wellness.

In addition, there was an intriguing presentation given by a nutrition educator on healthy eating. The lecture provided a general overview of nutrition, the components of a healthy meal, and the many health benefits of eating a nutritious and balanced diet. At the end of the health fair, there was an interactive tai-chi demonstration to help the women learn the how they can strengthen their bones. Participants expressed their appreciation for the quality of the health education and services provided at the health fair.


We would like to thank our Health Promoters, the Mosque, and community volunteers for such a successful turnout!


As this was an all women's event, the participants were not wearing their headscarves. To remain culturally-sensitive to the community, there are no pictures of the event.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Local Health Education and Screening Events


Our community partners have several events coming up related to health promotion and wellness. Please take advantage of these helpful events and feel free to share this information with your community!


To Your Health
Date: Saturday, April 13, 2013 & Saturday, April 20, 2013
Time: April 13th from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
April 20th from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Early Registration begins at 8:00 am)
Location: Professional and Community Education Center at Holy Cross Hospital, 1500 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring, MD. **Free parking will be available in the Dameron Employee Garage, located near Forest Glen Road and Dameron Drive.

Come and learn about health topics for the entire family—infants to seniors! The event offers health education exhibits, as well as FREE screenings. Early disease detection screenings include diabetes glucose (A1C) and lipid panel (cholesterol) tests on April 13th (do not eat or drink after midnight; must be over the age of 18) and clinical breast examinations and Pap tests (must be over the age of 21) for women on April 20th.

Also, stop by the health education tables for health information or to get more free screenings, including: Body Fat, Blood Pressure, Carbon Monoxide, AND MORE!
Testing for both days are first come, first serve: space is limited. This entire event is FREE and refreshments will be served. For additional information and/or to register, please call 301-754-8800 or visit online at www.holycrosshealth.org.

Lung Cancer Screening and Education
Date: Sunday, April 21, 2013 & Sunday, April 28, 2013
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location: Shady Grove Radiology Outpatient Imaging Center, 19731 Germantown Road, Suite 102, Germantown, MD.
Cost: $60 (Insurance cover not available)
In many cases, early detection of lung cancer can lead to effective treatments. Please join Shady Grove Adventist for their low-dose CT lung cancer screening event for high-risk Asian Pacific Islander community members.

Eligible candidates include:
  • Men and women ages 55-74.
  • Smoking history (one pack/day for 30 years, two packs/day for 15 years or three packs/day for 10 years).
  • Significant exposure to second-hand smoke and/or previous asbestos exposure.
Space is limited. Please call the Lung CT Screening Hotline to pre-register: 301-315-3780.


Spring Into Better Health at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital
Date: Sunday, April 21, 2013
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Outpatient Surgery Center, Rockville, MD
Cost: FREE
Join Shady Grove Adventist Hospital for their 7th annual heart health event! Connect with expert physicians to get the latest information on heart related diseases and conditions, answers to all of your questions, and get FREE health screenings to assess your heart risks and keep you healthy.

Screenings, Assessments and Demonstrations:
  • Ankle Brachial Index **Space is limited. Please pre-register by calling 1-800-542-5096.
  • Body Composition
  • Body Mass Index
  • Waist-to-Hip Ratio
  • Grip Strength Test
  • Bone Density Screening
  • Sleep Apnea Screening
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Risk Assessment
  • Stroke Risk Assessment
  • Proper Lifting Demonstrations
  • Medication Evaluation (please bring a list of all medications to this event)
Health "Chats"
Learn about heart and vascular health conditions and how you can improve your own health through a series of free health "chats" with local experts:
  • Complementary Medicine For The Cardiovascular Patient
  • Signs, Symptoms and Treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism
  • Imaging and Diagnosis of Peripheral Vascular Disease
To register, please call 1-800-542-5096. If you would like more information, please visit online: http://www.adventisthealthcare.com/springfling

Thursday, April 4, 2013

CASSA Health Fair

On Saturday, March 30, AAHI participated in the Chinese American Senior Service Association (CASSA) Health Fair at the MobileMed Clinic in Germantown. Health promoters provided bone density screenings as well as one-on-one educational sessions to discuss their results and ways to improve bone health. While waiting in line for the popular screening, participants received information on health topics such as osteoporosis, heart health, diabetes, and community resources in Chinese. Over 50 attendees received the screening and health education at the health fair. 

As always, thank you very much to the staff at CASSA for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful event. We look forward to the next one! Also, thank you to our health promoters who helped make this event a great success!

03-30-13 CASSA Health Fair