Dr. Antonella Annunziato, Pharmacist and Health Blogger, talks about the safety of sunscreens, as well as the pros and cons of their use.

Did you know that applying sunscreens to prevent burns reduces the risk of the Melanoma, but could it increase the incidence of other benign skin cancers?

It is increasingly known that the use of sunscreen prevents the development of the Melanoma (malignant skin cancer, with a higher mortality rate), however, there are other types of skin cancer, which according to scientific studies could escape the effectiveness of sunscreens!

Dr. Dedee Murrell, an expert who will talk about this topic at the International Congress of Dermatology 2021, in Melbourne – Australia, and the American Cancer Society, assure through clinical cases that each year more than 3.3 million patients are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer, compared to the current projection (2019) of 100,000 patients with Melanoma.

This is due to the fact that sunscreens do not protect us 100% from the sun’s rays, they only filter UV radiation, so long sun exposures could cause invisible lesions, which as a consequence would trigger mutations in certain cells of the skin, increasing the risk of incidence of other types of non-melanoma cancer.

But… Does this mean that the use of Sunscreens is not convenient?

Although it may sound paradoxical, the use of sunscreens is effective depending on the criteria and conscious use of each person and if they are combined with other sun protective measures.

For a Sunscreen to work effectively and safe, we must:

• Avoid long and indiscriminate sun exposure, even when the use of sunscreens is for avoid burns, remember they do not block 100% of the sun’s rays
• Exposures at the sunlight should be on appropriate hours, recommended by specialists, like before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
• It is recommended take sunbaths with balance, it means, several times in short terms
• Also use other measures of sun protection such as sun visors, sunglasses, clothes, to protect the most sensitive areas of the skin
• Choose a sunscreen with at least Sun Protection Factor of 50 (SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays)
• Apply the sunscreen 20 minutes before the exposure and re-apply every two hours
• Choose the right formula according to the needs of each patient, like cream, powder, spray or gel to ensure comfort and adherence
• Hydrate the skin at the end of each exposure, to avoid injuries.

Remember that the safety and effectiveness of a sunscreen is also in your hands!

Saving and improving lives is Community Health of South Florida’s (CHI) top priority. The organization was founded to ensure that everyone has access to high-quality healthcare. That mission should also be a top concern for Congressional leaders. Community Health Centers throughout the nation are calling on Congress to take action and pass the funding bill, which will allow CHI to continue serving low- to moderate-income communities.

If Congress doesn’t act by September 30th, CHI and thousands of other community health centers across the nation would be forced to scale back their services. The impact would hurt many patients who rely on CHI for their comprehensive care including: primary care, pediatrics, behavioral health, dental, vision, OB/GYN, urgent care, radiology, laboratory, pharmacy and more.

Nationwide, more than 28 million people depend on one of 1,400 Community Health Centers for health care. Closer to home, CHI served the needs of more than 82,000 patients in Monroe and Miami-Dade Counties last year.

CHI relies on federal funds to maintain its facilities, purchase supplies and pay its staff. That’s why it is critical that the community’s voice is heard throughout the Congressional halls of Washington, D.C. and beyond.

“We are asking for your help to make your voice heard. Reach out to your member of Congress and ask that your elected leaders support Community Health Centers by extending funding,” said Brodes H. Hartley, Jr., President and CEO of CHI. “Community Health Centers are a cornerstone of the nation’s health care system. We must have continued funding to respond to the community’s increasing health care needs.”

CHI has treated countless families, children, adolescents and elderly since its inception in 1971. The organization is committed to expanding access to care for all and to never turn any patient away regardless of their ability to pay.

“If the bills did not get passed, there would be a substantial impact to CHI,” said Peter Wood, CHI’s Director of Planning and Development. “Forty percent of our overall operating budget is made up of grants including federal, state and local government.”

CHI is committed to serving the needs of the community. That’s why it opened a Teaching Health Center in 2013 to address a physician shortage nationwide. This program remains successful with graduates from numerous disciplines including primary care, psychiatry and OB/GYN. Some have remained with CHI to work as physicians in community healthcare.

Beyond this, CHI provides hundreds of jobs, many of which are highly skilled. It’s economic impact to South Florida exceeds $140 million.

“There’s a great need for stable employment and decent paying jobs, especially in the Southern region of Miami-Dade County,” Wood said.

CHI encourages everyone to reach out to their member of Congress and express their support for Community Health Centers.

Title: Doctor/MD

Languages: English, Spanish

Location: Naranja Health Center/Naranja

Dr. Linda Zambra from CHI sat with us to give us a little insight on Pap Tests and the benefits behind them. Dr. Linda Zambra has been a provider at CHI’s Naranja Health Center since 2003 and received her medical degree in 1988 from the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua. After graduating from her residency in the United States back in 2003, she became part of the medical team at Community Health of South Florida Inc.

Since then, Dr. Zambrana has been working joyfully providing what she enjoys most, helping patients from different cultures be healthy and giving them all the medical and emotional support they need. Here’s what she has to share with us:

Q: Hi Dr. Zambra. Thank you for sitting down with us. So tell us, first off, what is a Pap test?

A: A Pap Test is a test for women, typically done to prevent cervical cancer.

Q: How does a Pap Test work?

A: A patient visits her doctor and her doctor will do the Pap Test through the inside of the vagina where he or she will be collecting a sample of cells from her cervix. The doctor will then send the sample to a lab when the staff will check for abnormal cells.

Q: Why does a woman need a Pap Test?

A: A Pap Test should be done in order to catch any changes in the cells that may lead to cervical cancer. Pap Tests save lives. When done at an appropriate time in a woman’s life, doctors can catch those changes in cells early on and take the next steps to prevent cervical cancer or human papillomavirus. This, of course, is beneficial to a woman’s health but is also especially important to women who have children.

Q: When does a woman need to go get a Pap Test and how often should she get one?

A: Women should be getting Pap Tests between the ages of 21-65 and they should be going in to get one once a year to every three years.

Q: How does a woman know if her Pap Test is not normal? What should she do?

A: The test results will be able to show if the cervix has any abnormal cells or diseases. It does not mean a woman has cervical cancer. When the results come in and there are changes in the cells the patient’s doctor will be able to guide her forward with the next steps.

Q: How much is a Pap Test and where can I get one?

A: At our CHI pap health center, Pap Tests are around $30-$50. We work with our patients to make sure they get the tests and care they need and we work with most insurance providers. We have many locations in South Florida with health centers and programs like Project Screen for women between the ages of 50-64. We have midwives and incredible practitioners that are always willing to help.

Q: That’s great! Anything else you would like to share with women reading this about Pap Tests?

A: Sure! I would say don’t be afraid. Most women believe Pap Tests will be incredibly painful and they’re not. CHI is a health center that is here for everyone and is a place where all can feel welcome.

Thank you Doctor. For more information on CHI and all their services check out www.chisouthfl.org.

Merlys Garcia and Ester Gomez, Hedis Compliance Technicians, do not typically make house calls. But recently they ventured out of their offices at the Doris Ison Health Center to bring two new pairs of shoes to a patient. Typically, Garcia and Gomez connect with Community Health of South Florida Inc. (CHI) patients over the phone when they are due for appointments. The ladies ensure that some of the most challenging patients with barriers to care, don’t fall through the cracks. So, when the team called a patient after he didn’t show up for a specialist appointment they were moved by the reason for his absence.

“He said I’m not gonna lie to you,” recalls Gomez. “I don’t have any shoes.”

He told her he had been hospitalized and someone stole his shoes.

They asked him what size he wears, and both Garcia and Gomez put their own money together to buy two new pairs for him.

The patient suffers from heart related issues that also interfere with his memory. After his recent hospital discharge they wanted to be sure he was doing well. So, they brought a nurse from CHI along with them to the patient’s home. The nurse checked his vitals and overall condition and the three presented him with his new shoes.

“He was very grateful for the shoes and he started talking to us about his medical history,” said Gomez. “He suffered several strokes and he has been trying to improve himself.”

It’s a moment in time that Garcia said she will cherish. “He was so grateful. He even had tears in his eyes,” remembered Garcia. “Just getting from beyond the desk and being with him, it means the world. We even prayed with him because he is a very religious person.”

The ladies were able to bring down his blood pressure at that moment and schedule a follow-up appointment for him to see the doctor. Now with his new shoes, he was confident he could make his next appointment.

“I told him that he is an inspiration to me because my father is a stroke patient,” said Gomez. “He keeps going, he wants to better himself, he has a disability, but he can improve.”

The news spread quickly back at CHI and both Gomez and Garcia were awarded with CHI’s ACTion Hero Award for their generous and caring response to a patient’s needs.

How’s your golf swing? It doesn’t have to be outstanding to join us at our annual Glen Rice Celebrity Golf Tournament at the Shula’s Golf Club in Miami Lakes on April 12th. In fact, some people just like to come and enjoy the food, drinks and the greens. Whether you’re golfing or not I hope you will join us for this fun-filled event and pledge a sponsorship. It helps push us closer to our goal of building a Children’s Crisis Center for abused children and kids with severe behavioral health issues. The crisis center will be an in-patient 24-hour facility with integrated care for children. Currently, we have a crisis unit for adults but it is not suitable for kids. That means when children are baker acted here or brought in by their parents we need to process them and transfer them to another facility miles away. Oftentimes most of the local children’s crisis centers are full. These families can’t wait any longer for help. We need to be their lifeline and you can help us do that.

March is colorectal cancer awareness month. It is the second leading cause of death from cancers that affects both men and women. If you are 50 years and older you need to get regular screenings. Talk to your doctor here at CHI about getting tested. Six out of 10 deaths from this cancer could have been prevented according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Last, but certainly not least, I want to ask you all to wish your doctor a Happy Doctor’s Day on March 30th. CHI is so fortunate to have a talented, knowledgeable, devoted, compassionate team of physicians. Our doctors work beyond the hurdles presented to ensure that everyone has access to high quality healthcare, regardless of economic background, insurance status or ethnicity. They believe in the work that they do and many of them are helping to groom the next generation of doctors by teaching the residents in our Teaching Health Center. I want our doctors to know that we are so grateful for all that they do and sincerely proud of their dedication to our patients.

Yours Truly,

Brodes H. Hartley Jr.