USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital To Host Local Goodness April 19

University of South Alabama Children’s & Women’s Hospital will host Local Goodness, a unique farm-to-table experience and silent auction on Sunday, April 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Alabama Cruise Terminal. At this casual party, guests will dine on local meats, seafood and produce as they enjoy authentic bluegrass music performed by local band Fat Man Squeeze.

Local Goodness was created to raise funds for USA Children's & Women's Hospital, the area's leader in birthing babies and the Gulf Coast's only Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Local Goodness pays tribute to local cuisine, art and music while raising awareness and support for the hospital’s mission of providing the highest quality healthcare for the children and women in this region.

Tickets for the event are $150 and can be purchased here or by calling (251) 415-1636. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Beth Mattei at (251) 415-1636 or bmattei@southalabama.edu.

USA Pediatric Healthy Life Center Providing Educational Programs to Primary Care Practices

The University of South Alabama Pediatric Healthy Life Center is providing educational programs to primary care practices throughout the region. The traveling group consists of a physician, nurse, clinical diabetes educator, and an assistant. Currently, 13 practices have registered for the program.

Dr. Daniel Preud’Homme, director of the Pediatric Healthy Life Center and professor of pediatrics at USA, said the group will provide one hour of approved CME activity, titled “Partners for Healthy Weight in Children,” at each visit. The activity, which includes a free lunch, is provided in a team-based learning format and is intended for all health professionals.

Dr. Preud’Homme said Alabama remains near the top of the childhood obesity prevalence list in the country. “Close to 25 percent of children are overweight or obese,” he said. “Obesity in children tracks well into adulthood. The key to effective obesity prevention is to address obesity as early as possible when behavior modifications may be easier, but with greatest potential to prevent co-morbidities."

The program will address evaluation, prevention and management of obesity and comorbidities in a primary care office. “Complications of obesity such as diabetes or hypertension are now commonplace in pediatrics,” Dr. Preud’Homme said. “The health burden of obesity is so significant that it is a major focus of preventive health in all children, especially in Alabama. We hope that the education and resources provided will foster the evaluation of childhood and adolescent obesity in primary care practices in the Gulf Coast area. This effort is meant to reach the maximum number of children and adolescents through their health care providers with the hope that the prevalence of obesity and its complications will subside in the population we serve.”

The CME activity is offered to any primary care offices in the region. To learn more or to schedule an activity, call (251) 434-5038.

USA's SPF 90 Team to Provide Skin Cancer Screenings at Azalea Trail Run

The University of South Alabama’s SPF 90 Team will provide skin cancer screenings at this year’s Azalea Trail Run Health and Fitness Expo on March 28, 2015, at the Mobile Civic Center Arena in Mobile, Ala.

The SPF 90 Team - established in 2006 as an outreach and education program of the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute - highlights the importance of early detection of skin cancer. The acronym SPF 90 represents Skin Protection Force, with 90 representing the percentage of skin cancer that is curable with early detection.

Dr. Marcus Tan, assistant professor of surgery at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine and a surgical oncologist at the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute will lead the SPF 90 Team. According to Dr. Tan, the incidence of melanoma in the United States is rising more rapidly than for virtually any other cancer.

There are several risk factors to consider when diagnosing melanoma including family history of melanoma, prior melanoma, multiple pigmented skin lesions and some rare genetic syndromes. In addition, extensive or severe sun exposure -- especially bad sunburns -- may also contribute to the development of this cancer.

Melanoma is a deadly disease but for patients whose melanoma is diagnosed early, the cure rate is relatively high.

Dr. Tan stresses that regular skin exams are an important part of everyone's health check-ups. For a successful self-exam, it is crucial to know what to look for. Lesions suspicious for melanoma usually have a combination of the "ABCDEs of Melanoma:"

●      A - Asymmetry
●      B - Irregular Borders
●      C - Variable Color (pigmentation)
●      D - Diameter greater than 1/4 inch
●      E - Expanding (growing) skin lesion

Free parking will be available at the Civic Center parking lot. To view a map of the Civic Center, click here.

For more information on the Azalea Trail Run Health and Fitness Expo, click here.