A special "Thank You", Cal Phillips, for bringing the Surgeon General's
message to our attention.
Many of us realize that at least, from a general health standpoint: "We are
carbon copies of our ancestors".
In my own case, having access to family heath problems during younger years,
could have led to earlier preventative medication, and the elimination of
many corrective surgeries.
The message adds urgency to our research of Genealogy.
"Keep Up The Good Work", and spread the word.
Andy Junkins, Dadeville, Al.
---- Original Message -----
From: "CALVIN PHILLIPS" <phillipscalvin(a)prodigy.net>
To: <CARROLL-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004 3:18 AM
Subject: U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative
The following has just been released by the office of the U.S.
Surgeon
Initiative and I
thought it should be known to everyone on our lists.
Cal Phillips, List Admin.
U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative
Health care professionals have known for a long time that common
diseases - heart
disease, cancer, and diabetes - and even rare diseases -
like hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell anemia - can run in
families. If one generation of a family has high blood pressure, it is not
unusual for the next generation to have similarly high blood pressure.
Tracing the illnesses suffered by your parents, grandparents, and other
blood
relatives can help your doctor predict the disorders to which you may
be at risk and take action to keep you and your family healthy.
To help focus attention on the importance of family health history, U.S.
Surgeon
General Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., in cooperation with other
agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has
launched a national public health campaign, called the U.S. Surgeon
General's Family History Initiative, to encourage all American families to
learn more about their family health history.
In addition to the Office of the Surgeon General, other HHS agencies
involved in
this project include the National Human Genome Research
Institute (NHGRI), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and the Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA).
National Family History Day
Surgeon General Carmona has declared Thanksgiving 2004 to be the first
annual
National Family History Day. Thanksgiving is the traditional start of
the holiday season for most Americans.
Whenever families gather, the Surgeon General encourages them to talk
about, and to
write down, the health problems that seem to run in their
family. Learning about their family's health history may help ensure a
longer future together.
My Family Health Portrait
Americans know that family history is important to health. A recent survey
found
that 96 percent of Americans believe that knowing their family history
is important. Yet, the same survey found that only one-third of Americans
have ever tried to gather and write down their family's health history.
Because family health history is such a powerful screening tool, the
Surgeon
General has created a new computerized tool to help make it fun and
easy for anyone to create a sophisticated portrait of their family's health.
This new tool, called "My Family Health Portrait" can be downloaded for
free and installed on your own computer.
The tool will help you organize your family tree and help you identify
common
diseases that may run in your family.
When you are finished, the tool will create and print out a graphical
representation of your family's generations and the health disorders that
may have moved from one generation to the next. That is a powerful tool for
predicting any illnesses for which you should be checked.
For information on other activities of the Office of the Surgeon General,
please
visit
www.surgeongeneral.gov.
______________________________