Health Resources 

You can give the Gift of Life by becoming an organ donor. More than 75,000 Americans are waiting for an organ transplant because too few of us are willing to be organ and tissue donors. HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has launched an initiative to promote organ donation and encourage people to make an informed decision about organ donation.

• Organ Donor (California and National)

If you are interested in a health profession, EDUMED Minority Students & Healthcare Education: An Online Guide to School Success will assist students in achieving their healthcare educational goals. An estimated 40% of the population today identifies as minority. Increased representation across cultures, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations creates a professional environment more in line with the patients it serves. One path to more diversity in healthcare is education. 

 

HRSA's Kids Into Health Careers campaign has information about encouraging children and young adults to pursue a rewarding career in the health care field. Financial aid information is also included.

 

• Minority Students & Healthcare Education: An Online Guide to School Success
• https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/find-funding/hrsa-18-007
• Kid s Into Health Careers
• HRSA Financial Aid Guidelines

Did you know that 18.3% of the U.S. population is Latino or Hispanic? Of those, over 16% reported having mental illness within the past year. That is over 10 million people! Mental Health America has a great Latinex/Hispanic web page with information for the community and mental health. You can see what are the demographic/societal issues, Prevalence, and Treatment Issues. Take some time to read some of the many Spanish language materials offered. 

• Mental Health America-Latinex/Hispanic Communities

HIV/AIDS continues to be a major health problem facing us all. HRSA provides HIV/AIDS information for clinicians who care for people living with HIV/AIDS. HRSA's Ryan White CARE Act program developed A Guide to the Clinical Care of Women with HIV.

 

• A Guide to the Clinical Care of Women with HIV.
• Available Care & Services HIV/AIDS

Information on improving the mental health of children, young people and their families is available from the National Center for School Mental Health Assistance at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the LAUSD School Mental Health, and the Center for Mental Health in Schools at the University of California in Los Angeles.

 

• Center for School Mental Health Assistance
• LAUSD-School Mental Health
• Center for Mental Health in Schools

HRSA's Bureau of Primary Health Care has developed the Lower Extremity Amputation Prevention Program (LEAP). Learn more about the steps you can take to reduce your risk of lower extremity amputation.

 

Additional diabetes resources can be found for free at novomedlink

 

• LEAP Program
• novomedlink

Bright Futures (http://brightfutures.aap.org), initiated by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) over a decade ago, is a philosophy and approach that is dedicated to the principle that every child deserves to be healthy, and that optimal health involves a trusting relationship between the health professional, the child, the family, and the community. As part of this initiative, Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents was developed to provide comprehensive health supervision guidelines, including recommendations on immunizations, routine health screenings, and anticipatory guidance. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the MCHB are committed to the multidisciplinary and multicultural nature of the Bright Futures initiative.

• http://brightfutures.aap.org/web/

MyHealthfinder is a free guide to reliable health information where you can select online publications, clearinghouses, databases, web sites, support and self-help groups, as well as other government agencies and not-for-profit organizations.

 

Both health professionals and consumers can depend on Medline Plus for accurate, current, medical information. This service provides access to extensive information specific to consumer health information from the National Institutes of Health, dictionaries, lists of hospitals and physicians, health information in Spanish and other languages, and clinical trials.

A great resource for Health Topics, Health Info Phone lines, Wellness Toolkits, and advice on talking with your doctor. 

 

OWH coordinates women's health efforts across HHS and addresses critical women's health issues by informing and advancing policies, educating health care professionals and consumers, and supporting innovative programs.

 

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) provides a wide variety of resources related to the biomedical and health sciences, both past and present. Databases and information sources include:MEDLINEplus, and TOXNET.

CDC offers many resources to help you learn about HIV. CDC fact sheets discuss how HIV affects specific subpopulations and provide information about topics such as risk behaviors and prevention tools.

 

SSA's benefit programs include: Retirement, Disability, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, Survivors benefits.

 

Explains what the surgeon general does, text of speeches, and provides a way to write to the Surgeon General.

 

Portal to federal and state health websites. Includes links to healthfinder® , Healthy People and more.

• Healthfinder
• Medline Plus
• The Office on Women's Health (OWH)
• National Library of Medicine
• MEDLINEplus
• TOXNET
• HIV/AIDS Resources
• Social Security Administration
• Office of the Surgeon General
• www.health.gov

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated or medically vulnerable. HRSA's health literacy activities strive to educate and increase awareness about the need to improve health literacy among health care providers and patients. Understanding health information and communicating well with your health care providers will help assure a healthier tomorrow. Visit HRSA's Health Literacy Web for more information.

• HRSA's Health Literacy Web

The Language Assistance Program helps provide cultural and linguistic health care services to help ensure timely access to care. Services provided include telephonic interpreters, sign language services, services for the hearing impaired and additional resources. The organization provides services, free of charge, in the requested language through bilingual staff or an interpreter. For more information reference the Language Assistance Program Quick Reference Guide.

 

• Language Assistance Program

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the National Prevention Information Network which provides information and resources on HIV disease and treatment. They can be reached toll free at 1-800-458-5231. The CDC HIV Basics and Living with HIV/Treatment websites includes Covid-19 and HIV information as well as a Resource Library and HIV Statistics Center.

 

• National Prevention Information Network
• CDC HIV Basics
• CDC Living with HIV
• HIV/AIDS Resources Manual

Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, REACH (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health) develops and tests new ways to help families manage the daily activities and stress of caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research.

 

• REACH
• Alzheimer’s Association

HHS's national campaign Closing the Health Gap offers information about bringing the best health information to African American communities.

• Closing the Health Gap

The National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, produced a very informative booklet, Mind Matters Series, which explains to teens the effects of drug abuse on the body and brain. They also have a resource page for Teens, Teachers and Parents that share games, lessons and information regarding the education of teens and drug abuse.

The NIH also has a very informative webpage which includes links to Clinical Resources, Research and Training as well as Grants and Funding

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a great resource page for everyone struggling with Drug Abuse. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.

 

• Mind Matters Series
• NIH/NIDA Teens, Teachers, and Parents
• NIDA/NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse
• SAMHSA

The Administration on Aging provides health information, elder care service locator, resource directory, safety tips, hotline for legal advice and much more for older people.

 

The California Department for Aging will direct you to Programs and Resources near you like Food and Nutrition as well as Find a Nutrition or Exercise Class. 

 

You may also want to look at the National Institute on Aging and the National Council on Aging for more helpful articles, links and resources. 

• Administration on Aging
• California Department for Aging
• National Institute on Aging
• National Council on Aging

The Food and Drug Administration has good advice and information on a variety of consumer issues including food safety, foodborne illness, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and more. Visit the FDA Consumer Advice web page.

• FDA Consumer Advice

Visit HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to learn about how these programs work and the services they provide.

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Each year it is estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 people die in U.S. hospitals because of lapses in patient safety. A Task Force, led by the Agency for Health Care Quality and Research, has developed Five Steps to Safer Health Care to help patients avoid medical errors and misunderstandings. They are:

 

• Speak up if you have questions.
• Keep a list of all medicines you take.
• Make sure you get the results of any test or procedure.
• Talk with your doctor and health care team about your options if you need hospital care.
• Make sure you understand what will happen if you need surgery. 
• Five Steps to Safer Health Care

California officials have warned that California, along with the rest of the nation, is experiencing the most severe blood shortage than it has in the last 10 years. Some hospitals may not receive as much as a quarter of the blood products they request, the Red Cross said. The Red Cross said it saw a 10% decline in the number of people donating blood since the beginning of the pandemic, with especially low donor turnout beginning when the delta variant began spreading in August. Donating blood is a lifesaving resource and a great act of kindness for those who need it most. Please visit the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies, California Volunteers, or the Red Cross to locate a donation site near you. 

• Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies
• California Volunteers
• Red Cross/Blood Donations