SmalltownBrooklyn.com in no way endorses self-diagnosis of health related problems, nor do we endorse any of the advice on the following links. Information gathered on this page should be presented to your own physician.

Last Update: 05/12/10

General Overview
NYC Current Health Alerts
Ageing
Alcohol/Family
Anthrax

Breast Cancer
Cancer
Depression
Flu
Head Lice

Health & Fitness Resources
Health Insurance For Independent Workers

Health Related Hoaxes & Rumors
Laser Eye Surgery
Lyme Disease

Mad Cow Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Organ Donation
Patients' Bill Of Rights

Pest Control - Rats
Quit Smoking

Rabies *

Suicide Prevention
Service Dogs

Travel
Trust Your Doctor?
West Nile Virus


Visit The Village Green

National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations
9 East 37th Street
New York, NY 10016
(212) 889-0606
e-mail: nabcoinfo@aol.com
www.nabco.org
 
The leading nonprofit organization that provides information and education about breast cancer. NABCO, a network of more than 400 organizations, provides detection, treatment and care to American women. Find a local Breast Cancer Support Group that's right for you
www.nabco.org/index.php/31

Metropolitan New York Registry of Breast Cancer Families
c/o
NYU Medical Center
Department of Environmental Medicine
341 East 25th Street, Room 209
New York, NY 10010
(212) 263-5964
Fax: (212) 263-8570
www.med.nyu.edu/Biostat-Epi/HomePage.html

Enrolls families in which several members have breast cancer or ovarian cancer, and is a resource for future studies of genetic and environmental factors in cancer risk.

Avon's Breast Cancer Awareness Crusade
Find out more about Avon's Breast Cancer Awareness Crusade. Read the transcripts from Live Conferences about Breast Cancer from America Online.
www.avoncrusade.com

The National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC)
1707 L Street NW, Suite 1060
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 296-7477
www.natlbcc.org

More than 450 member organizations and 58,000 individual members. It is dedicated to research, access and influence, and other issues surrounding breast cancer.

SHARE - Self-help for women with breast or ovarian cancer
1501 Broadway, Suite 1720
New York, NY 10036
Info: (212) 719-0364
Hotlines - English:
(212) 382-2111 for breast cancer
(212) 719-1204 for ovarian cancer
Hotline - Spanish:
(212) 719-4454
www.sharecancersupport.org

Free support services for anyone affected by breast or ovarian cancer and promotes public awareness and early detection of both diseases. Services include information hot lines in English and Spanish, survivor-led support groups, public education, advocacy and wellness programs.

The American Cancer Society
(888) ACS-2345
www.cancer.org

A voluntary health organization dedicated to eradicating cancer as a major health problem. It provides research, education, advocacy and service.

NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/home/home.shtml

NY State Department of Health
http://www.health.state.ny.us/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/

National Cancer Institute
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast

Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization
212 West Van Buren, 5th Fl
Chicago, IL 60607
English: (800) 221-2141
Spanish: (800) 986-9505
www.y-me.org

Provides breast cancer information, support and referrals through its national 24-hour hot lines. The hot lines are staffed by trained peer counselors who are all breast cancer survivors.

Young Survival Coalition
(212) 577-6259
www.youngsurvival.org

A volunteer network of survivors and supporters whose goal is to increase awareness of the issues surrounding breast cancer in women age 40 and under. YSC focuses its support on increasing breast cancer research, technology, education and outreach for young women.

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 370
Dallas, TX 75244
(800) 462-9273
ww5.komen.org/

Dedicated to eliminating breast cancer as a life-threatening disease by advancing research, education, screening and treatment.

NY State Department of Health
Occurrence of cancer by zip codes and address. Allows users to see the count of incidences of various types of cancer in different census blocks, which can number in the thousands of people in New York City or fewer than a hundred in upstate counties.
https://apps.nyhealth.gov/
statistics/cancer/environmental_facilities/mapping/map/

NY State Department of Health
4/12/99 - Breast cancer rates by zip code which may suggest future area for research....
www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/cancer/csii/nyscsii.htm

American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org/

CancerNet
National Cancer Institute's information listings: screening procedures, genetic risk factors, treatment options, support resources and more...
www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/

University of Pennsylvania
Clinical trials information:
www.med.upenn.edu/ohr

National Marrow Donor Program
A nonprofit organization that facilitates life-saving blood stem cell transplants for patients who do not have a donor in their family. We provide the products and services that bring patients and donors together through life-saving technology. We manage the world's largest registry of volunteer stem cell donors and cord blood units. We are also working to increase access to transplantation through research, advocacy, and public and professional education.
www.marrow.org/

Cancer American Academy of Dermatology
www.aad.org/

CDC/Cancer Prevention & Control Program
www.cdc.gov/cancer/nscpep/index.htm

National Cancer Institute
www.nci.nih.gov/

Columbia Clinical Chronobiology Program
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center

A leader in NIH-sponsored research on Seasonal Affective Disorder since the start of this field more than 15 years ago. The program focuses on the use of non-pharmacologic therapies (such as bright light) for treating different types of depression.
www.light-and-ion-therapy.org/

Music Therapy and the Power of Music
Description: Examines the power of using popular music, something
people already listen to, as a way for people to express their
feelings. Includes examples of therapeutic messages in popular music
as well as original music by Freudian Slip, therapeutic rock band
www.enterthefreudianslip.com/

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of New York City Metro, Inc. (NAMI-NYC Metro) is a grassroots organization that provides support, education and advocacy for families and individuals of all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds who live with mental illness. As one of the largest affiliates of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, we work collaboratively with our state and national affiliates and other stakeholders in the community to educate the public, advocate for legislation, reduce stigma and improve the mental health system.
www.nami.org/

National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Created within the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1989, in response to a Congressional mandate to address the needs of veterans with military-related PTSD. Its mission was, and remains: To advance the clinical care and social welfare of America's veterans through research, education, and training in the science, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and stress-related disorders. This website is provided as an educational resource concerning PTSD and other enduring consequences of traumatic stress, for a variety of audiences
www.ncptsd.va.gov .

The American Lung Association
The mission of the American Lung Association is to prevent lung disease and promote lung health .Information about Asthma, Tobacco Control, Air Quality and many other lung diseases and ailments.
www.lungusa.org

The Merck Manual of Medical Information - Home Edition
www.merck.com/pubs/manual_home/

The New England Journal of Medicine
www.nejm.org
National Association Genetic Counselors

NSGC promotes the genetic counseling profession as a recognized and integral part of health care delivery:
www.nsgc.org/

Follow The Obama White House's Health Planwww.whitehouse.gov/issues/health_care/

Free Lancer's UnionA national nonprofit (501[c][3]) organization that represents the needs and concerns of America's growing independent workforce through advocacy, information and service.

Finding your own health insurance and other benefits is one of the
biggest challenges facing people who work independently, like
freelancers, consultants, temps and the self-employed. That's why
Free Lancer's Union created the Portable Benefits Network especially for people like you, offering these services: Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance and Financial Services. If you work around New York City, you may qualify for our benefits. www.freelancersunion.org/

Parents' campaign to stop corporations from marketing junk food. Tired of children in schools being subjected to junk food? Please take a minute to visit the link below and consider sending an email to your U.S. Senators.

www.parentsagainstjunkfood.org/susanlacy.html

Pest Control (rats)
NYC Department of Health
No one should have to live with rats. When citizens, business and government work together, rat infestations can be reduced to minimal levels. For more information:
www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pest/pest.shtml

02/16/10
Rabid Raccoon Found in Downtown Brooklyn
The Prospect Park Alliance was recently informed by the Department of Health that a raccoon has tested positive for rabies in Brooklyn - the first raccoon ever to have rabies in this borough. The raccoon was found in Boerum Hill near State & Nevins Streets - not far from the Atlantic Center. No further sighting as of 3/12/10

Suspicious Raccoon Encounters:
Any encounter where the raccoon is either openly aggressive or unusually friendly, especially during daylight hours. Report such encounters to 311 immediately. If you or your dog is bitten, call 911!

311 useless?
In Prospect Park, if you suspect a rabid animal, call the Park Supervisor's office at: 718-287-9889. If it's during work hours they have expressed a willingness to investigate. Between the hours of 9 am and 6 pm, you can also call Park Enforcement Police (the green police vehicles) at 718-437-1350 or 718-437-1351.

See FIDO In Prospect Park for updates

Health Related Websites
Service dogs that are trained to assist the individual needs of a person with a disability can provide the amount of physical and/or psychological support necessary to help that person lead a more functional and independent life.

Two good websites with FAQ's are:
www.psychdog.org

The United States Dept. of Justice also has some
info on service dogs:
swww.fbi.gov/kids/dogs/service.htm

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
A national, 24-hour, and toll-free suicide prevention service available to all those in suicidal crisis who are seeking help. Individuals will be routed to the closest possible provider of mental health and suicide prevention services. The network is comprised of over 100 individual crisis centers across the country creating a nationwide coverage area.
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
1-800-273-TALK (8255)

NYC Department of Health
www.nyc.gov/health/wnv or call 311

Updated Information regarding Insect Repellents (2005)
Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
April 22, 2005
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/RepellentUpdates.htm

WNV Surveillance, Prevention and Control

To prevent the spread of West Nile virus, DOHMH monitors birds and adult mosquitoes for the presence of WNV and works closely with the medical community to monitor human illness. DOHMH conducts larval mosquito control (larviciding) throughout the summer months. If WNV activity poses an imminent risk to human health, DOHMH is prepared to spray pesticides to targeted areas to reduce the number of adult mosquitoes. DOHMH also inspects properties with areas of standing water that can serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Personal Precautions to Prevent WNV
DOHMH advises New Yorkers, especially those over 50, to take personal precautions against mosquitoes:

* If outside during the hours between dusk and dawn, when
mosquitoes are most active, wear protective clothing such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and socks.

* Consider the use of an insect repellent containing DEET and use
such products according to manufacturer's directions
.
* Make sure doors and windows have properly-installed,
tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or
holes. Recommendations to Reduce Exposure To Mosquitoes Around Your Home

* Eliminate any standing water that collects on your property:

* Dispose of containers that can collect standing water.

* Make sure roof gutters drain properly.

* Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot
tubs. Keep empty and cover if not in use.

* Drain water that collects in pool covers.

* Change water in bird baths every 3 to 4 days.

* Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.

* Remove discarded tires on your property.

* Remind or help neighbors to eliminate breeding sites on their
properties.

* Repair or replace all screens that have tears and holes.

To report dead birds:
www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/wnv/wnvbird.shtml

For more information
call 311

The No Spray Coalition
The No Spray Coalition condemns the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene’s new round of indiscriminate pesticide spraying.
www.nospray.org
(718) 670-7110
Email: editor@nospray.org or mitchelcohen@mindspring.com
Listserve: sprayno@yahoogroups.com

NYS Department of Health
www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/westnile/index.htm

NYS Department of Health Hotline
1-800-962-7366 and 1-888-697-4234

Outside NYC
(212) 341-0880

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm

US Geological Survey - National Wildlife Health Center
www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/west_nile_virus/index.jsp

NJ Department of Health and Senior Services
www.state.nj.us/health/cd/westnile/enceph.htm

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
www.state.nj.us/dep/mosquito/

Pennsylvania Department of Health
www.westnile.state.pa.us/