MINNEAPOLIS (March 14, 2012) — While there has been a great deal of attention focused on making sure children receive required vaccinations, Minnesota medical professionals and health advocates are becoming more concerned about a growing number of people over the age of 18 who are not getting vaccinated.

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March 24 of each year is World Tuberculosis (TB) Day. It is a day to raise awareness about TB.

What is TB?

TB is a serious disease caused by a bacteria (germ) called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB is spread through the air. When someone with active TB disease in their lungs coughs, sneezes, or talks, TB germs can get into the air and float. Other people close to them can breathe these TB germs into their lungs.

TB is a serious disease but it can be cured with the right medicine. TB germs usually attack the lungs. But TB germs can also attack other parts of the body, including the brain, bones and lymph nodes. Only people with active TB disease in their lungs can spread TB germs to other people.

There are two phases of TB:  latent TB infection and active TB disease. Both phases can be treated with medicine.

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By CARLOS GALLEGO
AAP staff writer

ST. PAUL (Feb. 27, 2012) — With 18 Karen “Family, Friend or Neighbors” providers attending a Shaken Baby Syndrome seminar on Monday at the Karen Organization of Minnesota.

The training organized by Think Small, a leader in early learning provider training for over 30 years. It offered valuable instruction for unlicensed “FFN” providers in prevention and care training for children.

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By Carlos Gallego

ST. PAUL (Feb. 16, 2012) — Today eight Vietnamese women interested in becoming licensed childcare providers successfully completed the required initial child care licensing orientation presented by Ramsey County staff. Marie Tran, community leader and Choua Her, Community Outreach Coordinator at Think Small (formally Resources for Child Caring) have been working with 11 Vietnamese community members since April in facilitating the trainings required to meet the licensing requirements. These classes have included: CPR, 1^st Aid, SIDS & Shaken Baby Syndrome as well as child development topics.

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Washington, D.C. (Feb. 17, 2012) — Today the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, on behalf of 39 community-based organizations dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, filed a historic amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the Affordable Care Act.

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St. Paul, Minn. (February 13, 2012) – Playwright and performance artist, Katie Ka Vang’s recent diagnosis of Stage 4 Anaplastic Large T-Cell Lymphoma has the Twin Cities community coming together. Six fundraisers in Vang’s name are actively being planned spanning from January to April with many more in the works.

Vang, 32, Director of Navigate: Artist Services at the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent (CHAT) was diagnosed on January 3 at the University of Minnesota Fairview Medical Center. Immediately, friends and family worked collectively to create fundraisers and benefits in order to offset Vang’s medical and living expenses. Vang’s first visit to the hospital was in December 2011 when she did not have medical insurance. Due to the cancer, Vang is now on medical leave for the next two to four months. Currently, her medical bill is over $70,000.

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Washington, D.C. (Jan. 31, 2012) — The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum commends the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recent decision requiring insurance coverage for a range of women’s preventive health services, including birth control, at no cost.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation’s WolvesCare initiative, presented by C.H. Robinson Worldwide, continues on Sat., Jan. 28, when the team hosts its “Cooking for a Cause” event.

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Washington, D.C. (Jan. 19, 2012) — The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum’s Policy Director, Priscilla Huang and Policy Analyst, Paulo Pontemayor received the Families USA’s inaugural Health Equity Advocate Award Thursday during the Families USA Health Action 2012 conference, in recognition of their commitment and advocacy toward achieving health equity for all.

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