Rio Grande Chapter Newsletter

TSMA MISSION STATEMENT        

The purpose of the Texas Society of Medical Assistants is to promote the professional identity and statue of its members and the medical assisting profession through education and credentialing.

MEDICAL ASSISTANT CREED
I believe in the principles and the purposes of Medical Assisting.
I endeavor to be more effective.
I aspire to render greater service.
I am dedicated to the care and well-being of all people.
I protect the confidence entrusted to me.
I am loyal to my employer.
I am true to the ethics of my profession.
I am strengthened by compassion, courage and faith.

AAMA Approved Continuing Education Unit (CEU) 1G

Speaker: Rosie Rodriguez, Planned Parenthood
Topic: Domestic Violence
Where: Western Technical College, Diana Campus, Large Conference Room
When: July 20, 2006
Time: 6:30pm

Green Tea Doesn't Reduce Heart Disease Risk:FDA        

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it has found no credible scientific evidence that green tea lowers heart disease risk. The agency reviewed 105 articles and other literature before rejecting a petition to allow labels on green tea or green tea extract to state that the tea reduces the risk of heart disease, the Associated Press reported.

The petition, submitted in June 2005 by Ito En Ltd. of Japan and its U.S. subsidiary Ito En (North America) Inc., sought to make the claim that drinking at least five ounces of green tea a day may reduce the risk of heart disease. Previously, the FDA has said green tea probably does not lower the risk of breast, prostate or any other kind of cancer, the AP reported .Even so, many people believe green tea offers health benefits, and it has become increasingly popular in the United States over the last decade.

CDC to Propose HIV Testing for All U.S. Adults and Teens

Guidelines for voluntary testing for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, for adults and teens are expected to be released this summer by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The guidelines would cover testing for every American ages 13 to 64 and, if adopted by physicians, could become a routine part of physical examinations, the Associated Press reported.

Recommendations made by the CDC aren't legally binding but do influence doctors and health insurance coverage. Under the new guidelines, patients would be tested for HIV as part of a standard series of tests done when they seek urgent or emergency care, or even during routine physicals, the AP reported. The CDC isn't recommending annual  testing for everyone. Only people considered at high risk for HIV infection would receive repeated, yearly testing. This standardized approach to HIV testing would reduce the stigma of being tested, as well as help lower rates of HIV transmission, according to the CDC..

Health Tips

Healthy Foods
Focus on food, not calories or carbohydrate! Your meal plan will give you the right portion sizes of healthy foods for you! Eat five a day! Have at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables every day!
- Dr. Bright, MSN Health watch

Did You Know??
The sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation can penetrate many types of clothes? It can also go through automobile and residential windows? It can damage your eyes, contributing to cataracts, macular degeneration, an`d eyelid cancers?

The Solution:
Protect your skin by using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher and wear protective clothing when outdoors, wear UV-protected sunglasses and avoid the sun at its peek hours (10 am to 4 pm).