Yesterday, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced that the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Animal Services is the largest animal adoption agency in the United States.

This claim is inaccurate. The County of Los Angeles’ Department of Animal Care places more animals each year than the City of Los Angeles.

The City of Los Angeles placed 25,279 animals last year, compared to 28,309 animals placed by the County. In the 2005-06 fiscal year, the City placed 24,515 animals compared to 27,670 for the County. In the year prior to that, the City placed 24,190 animals and the County placed 28,203.

The County of Los Angeles’ Department of Animal Care and Control is the largest animal control agency in the country, serving all unincorporated Los Angeles County as well as 51 contract cities. Our staff and volunteers work diligently to place abandoned animals into new, loving homes stated County of Los Angeles Director Marcia Mayeda. They should be recognized and congratulated for their efforts that lead the nation in the numbers of animals adopted.

Health officials with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health have confirmed that one person with West Nile Virus infection has died. Because the man, who lived in the San Fernando Valley, was in his 80’s and had multiple, chronic medical problems, it is not possible to determine the extent to which the virus contributed to his death. He died earlier this month following a brief hospitalization.

The elderly and those with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of complications and death from West Nile Virus than others, said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer.

Two other cases of West Nile Virus have been confirmed in Los Angeles County. A middle aged man, living in the San Fernando Valley, was diagnosed with the virus in mid-July, and an elderly man in the central Los Angeles area became ill earlier this month. Both were hospitalized briefly and are recovering at home. These cases are in addition to the case reported last week, for a total of four cases in the County.

It is important to remember that West Nile can appear anywhere in Los Angeles County or the state. The West Nile Virus has been detected in birds and mosquitoes in several areas throughout the County. We continue to urge people of all ages to take precautions, such as avoiding mosquitoes, removing pools of stagnant water around their homes, and using a repellant containing DEET when outdoors in mosquito prone areas, especially around dawn or dusk, said Dr. Fielding.

Public health officials are required to report confirmed cases of West Nile Virus to the California Department of Public Health. By protocol, the first five cases each season must be confirmed by testing at the County’s Public Health Laboratory, before they are reported to the state.

For more information on current and future cases of West Nile Virus, please click
here. The site is updated regularly.

The County Health Officer is issuing a Public Health Alert due to the National Weather Service’s forecast that hot weather will affect much of southwestern California today and into the week. Temperatures are expected to go above 100 degrees in parts of the desert, mountain, and valley areas of Los Angeles County. Air quality is also a concern, as the South Coast Air Quality Management District states air quality will be unhealthy for sensitive persons in the Santa Clarita Valley. Individuals living in this area with heart disease, asthma or other lung disease should minimize outdoor activity. Poor air quality can make people even more susceptible to heat-related illness.

While people don’t need to be told it’s hot outside, they do need to be reminded how to take care of themselves, children, the elderly, and their pets when the weather gets this hot," said Jonathan E. Fielding, M.D., M.P.H., Director of Public Health and Health Officer. "When the temperature is this high, prolonged sun exposure may cause dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Also, never leave children, elderly people, or pets unattended in closed vehicles, since temperatures can quickly rise to life-threatening levels."

If you plan to be outdoors, please take precautions to protect yourself from the heat. Symptoms of dehydration and heat cramps include dizziness, fatigue, faintness, headaches, muscle cramps, and increased thirst. Individuals with these symptoms should be removed to a cooler, shaded place and given water or sport drinks. More severe symptoms such as diminished judgment, disorientation, pale and clammy skin, a rapid and weak pulse, and/or fast and shallow breathing may indicate heat exhaustion or impending heat stroke and require immediate medical attention.

The County of Los Angeles has several cooling centers available for seniors or those looking for a place to beat the heat. A list of these centers can be found at www.ladcss.org.

While school is out and the long days of summer turn into hot nights, graffiti vandals can become more active. The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works wants County residents to know that it continues to offer graffiti removal services in unincorporated areas throughout the County.

To report graffiti in unincorporated areas, call the County’s Graffiti Hotline at (800) 675-4357, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or go online to http://dpw.lacounty.gov

and click on the Stop Graffiti link under featured items on the right side of the homepage. When graffiti is reported online, you can even upload photos and check the progress of your request. Once a graffiti removal request is submitted, Public Works strives to meet a 48-hour turnaround for street graffiti removal and 72-hour turnaround for flood channel graffiti removal. In the last year alone, Public Works has received nearly 40,000 reports of graffiti removal throughout the County.

In the event that a graffiti removal request is reported that may not be the responsibility of Public Works, you will be directed to the appropriate agency to report your request. Other agencies that deal with graffiti removal are: Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, Caltrans, Metropolitan Transit Authority, Metrolink, United States Post Office, Southern California Edison, or one of the 88 Cities within Los Angeles County.

Graffiti removal is a constant problem throughout particular hotspots areas throughout the County, especially during the summer months. Many efforts are being made to help deter youngsters from contributing to the graffiti problem.

Totally Against Graffiti (T.A.G.) is an initiative of the Department of Public Works Graffiti Abatement Program, and sponsored by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The objective of the program is to educate students and their parents of the cost and consequences of graffiti, increasing apprehension of offenders and reducing the visibility of graffiti in neighborhoods. Prevention and timely removal of graffiti addresses urban blight, which enhances the quality and attractiveness of neighborhoods for residents and businesses. Public Works contracted with KCBS Marketing and Viacom to design this very aggressive community outreach and educational program to help combat graffiti. In 2003 T.A.G. was named one of the most successful public works programs in the nation, state and county by the National Association of Counties. To get more information about T.A.G. go to
www.4tagla.com/best.htm

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the largest child welfare agency in the country, has begun a historic child welfare reform plan that will focus on preventative services to help families and keep children out of the foster care system. The plan will also broaden the search for more permanent homes for children already in the system and build on the Department’s core mandate of ensuring all children can grow up in safe, loving and permanent families.

Dubbed the Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Project, the five-year plan was approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and subsequently accepted by the California Department of Social Services. The plan provides for the flexible use of funding for Los Angeles County to further develop proactive up-front preventative services for children and families to prevent children from entering the foster care system. The waiver will also provide the ability to use funding for additional intensive services to support more timely reunifications with family or alternate permanent plans of adoption or legal guardianship for children currently in foster care.

Historically, Los Angeles County has been limited by strict federal funding guidelines to only spend its money on children in out-of-home care rather than having the ability to spend money on keeping children safely in their own homes and communities. This resulted in an over reliance on removing children from their home to ensure their safety.

Under the waiver, DCFS will be able use the IV-E funds to ensure the safety and well-being of all children, whether or not the child is removed from the home. In addition, the waiver will allow for flexibility to use the funds to provide direct services not currently funded by IV-E based on each family’s individual needs to ensure that children remain safely in their family of origin, are reunified sooner, or an alternative permanency plan is achieved timely. Flexible IV-E funding is expected to result in a shift in thinking and practices away from removal from the home as the safest and best alternative for children. With additional community based resources available with this flexible funding, more children will be able to stay safe in their own homes and, for those who cannot, a new family though adoption or legal guardianship will be available.

Using a very comprehensive and inclusive planning process, over 200 strategies and ideas of how and where to best start on using the funding were discussed and debated. Based on best practice research and extensive feedback, it was decided to start with eight major areas of focus.

The eight major areas include the following:

1. Implementation of a Countywide Prevention Initiative focusing on locally based prevention services and supports;

2. Expansion of Family Team Decision-Making;

3. Expansion of Family Finding, including expanding the use of technology such as U.S. Search to find family members;

4. Establishment of up-front mental health, domestic violence and substance abuse assessment system;

5. Expansion of Family Preservation Services;

6. Recruitment, development and use of community-based placements;

7. Enhancement of parent-child visitation, including plans to bring in more staff to serve as trained monitors to assist social workers with visits; and

8. Use of aftercare support services.

The first sequence of the waiver project includes the following:

– Expanding Family Team Decision-Making with initial attention on children in group homes;

– Contracting with agencies to conduct up-front assessments to identify domestic violence, substance abuse and mental health issues; and

– Expanding Family Finding to two additional offices.

More information about the Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Project can be found on the DCFS website at
www.lacdcfs.org

The 2007 season of Marina del Rey Summer Concerts opens Thursday, July 12 at 7:00 p.m., waterside at Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey, Supervisor Don Knabe announced recently.

Presented by Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water, both classical and pop series run concurrently throughout the summer, on alternate weeks: classical every other Thursday, and pop on alternate Saturdays. All concerts begin at 7:00 p.m. and are presented free to the public. Host for the series is Rich Capparela, popular personality on FM station KUSC 91.5.

The classical series, on Thursday evenings, July 12, July 26, August 9, and August 23, presents the 75-member Marina del Rey Summer Symphony, conducted by its Music Director Frank Fetta, with guest soloists. Highlights of the 2007 season are the July 12 appearance of the 86-voice Southern California Master Chorale presenting Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana; the stellar young violinist Lindsay Deutsch performing works by Prokofiev and Gershwin; a musical preview of the Los Angeles Opera’s 2008 season; and the brilliant pianist, Xin Xin, performing works by von Dohnanyi and Rachmaninoff.

The Saturday evening pop series on
July 21, August 4, August 18 and September 1 features an exciting star lineup including singer/songwriter Amanda McBroom, singer Lorna Luft appearing with the Marina del Rey Summer Symphony, one of the founders of the Bossa Nova movement Oscar Castro-Neves and Friends, and the legendary performers Dame Cleo Laine and Sir John Dankworth.

Sponsors of the Marina del Rey Summer Concerts are Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, the Department of Beaches and Harbors, media sponsor KUSC classical FM 91.5, and The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey.

For more information visit the Beaches and Harbors web site
www.marinadelrey.lacounty.gov or call (310) 305-9545.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has launched an innovative campaign to reverse the increase in cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia in the County. The public education campaign, funded by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, repeatedly and strongly urges young, sexually-active African American women and Latinas, gay and bi-sexual men to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) every six months.

The rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia are all alarmingly high and rising in our community, said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Public Health Director and County Health Officer. Last year alone, nearly 18,000 cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea were recorded among African American and Latina women younger than 25 years of age in LA County. Gay and bi-sexual men represented at least 1,000 cases of syphilis in 2006.

It is obvious we need a new way to tackle this situation. In conjunction with members of affected communities and with other stakeholders, we developed a campaign with the goal in mind to reduce the toll of these preventable diseases. There is no reason for anyone to suffer the devastating health consequences of these curable STDs when regular testing and treatment is easily available.

Gay and bi-sexual men in the County continue to face a serious problem with syphilis. In 2005, 85% of the recorded syphilis cases were among this group. Six out of 10 of those cases occurred among HIV-positive men. Untreated syphilis can have devastating health consequences, including impairment of the ability to walk, permanent vision loss, permanent hearing loss, and brain damage. Public Health identifies patients with these health outcomes every year.

There are more than 30,000 cases of chlamydia and more than 5,000 cases of gonorrhea in women alone every year in the County. African American and Latina women make up the largest number of those reported cases out of any other group.

Gonorrhea and chlamydia are often asymptomatic, so that infected individuals do not know they are infected, and do not seek medical care, said Peter R. Kerndt, MD, MPH, Director of the Sexually Transmitted Disease Program, Department of Public Health. However, these diseases can have serious consequences, including complications during pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility.

The campaign uses guerilla marketing tactics such as graffiti murals, sidewalk drawings, printed drink coasters and mirror stickers in night clubs and gyms, along with traditional media such as posters and billboards. Women who are most at risk of contracting gonorrhea and chlamydia will see the message I Know or Yo S. The posters and other media feature confident African American and Latina women who say they know they can prevent serious health problems by getting tested, and if need be, cured. The Check Yourself portion of the campaign reminds gay and bi-sexual men to get regular testing for syphilis, and outlines the possible health consequences related to the disease.

The process that Public Health engaged in to develop these campaigns was unprecedented in the recent history of public health in LA County. The media campaigns were developed using an evidence-based approach – as is done in the commercial sector to develop campaigns – and extensive research, including reviewing the scientific literature, the department’s public health data, and focus groups with the affected populations, including working closely with community organizations, service providers, Public Health’s own scientific staff, and marketing professionals.

The campaign itself was conceptualized and developed by Fraser Communications in Santa Monica.

The campaign is part of a comprehensive public health strategy that includes augmented Public Health Investigator field staff to follow-up on treatment with patients; additional field staff placed at community agencies that have rapport with gay and bi-sexual men, and have detected large numbers of syphilis cases in their clients; and enhanced testing in the LA County jail system, where high rates of syphilis were previously detected.

Custom Web sites have been created to deliver the message to these difficult-to-reach audiences:
www.reallycheckyourself.org
www.dontthinkknow.org

People who don’t have access to the Internet or who want to speak with someone can call the toll-free number set up for this campaign: 1-800-758-0880. Health educators are available at the number Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. They are able to talk with people about STD risk factors, symptoms, treatment options and where to find medical care throughout LA County. Information and health educators will be available in both Spanish and English.

The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health overseas environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Public Health comprises more than 4,000 employees and an annual budget exceeding $700 million. For more information on Public Health and the work we do, please visit:
www.lapublichealth.org

The Los Angeles County Sheriff is an elected official in his own right. As a result, The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has no control over sentencing, release dates or medical assessments of prisoners. That said, I am adamant that if Paris Hilton has been reassigned to house arrest and placed on electronic monitoring, it is imperative that the Sheriff makes every minute of that sentence stick. Paris Hilton needs to serve all 40 days of her full sentence on electronic monitoring.

This incident with Paris Hilton is just the most recent that highlights the problems our criminal justice system has with making sure sentences stick, whether it is in a County jail or under electronic monitoring.

Under current state law, many convicted criminals are allowed to choose between a jail sentence and electronic monitoring by law enforcement. Many criminals are choosing jail time instead of the electronic monitoring option because they know that under the current statistics of the Sheriff’s Department Early Release Program, if they enter the County jail system, they will likely only serve 10-percent of the time they were actually sentenced with, as opposed to serving 100-percent of their sentence on electronic monitoring. The Paris Hilton case is a perfect example of an inmate only serving a fraction of their sentence in jail.

That is why I authored and State Senator Gloria Romero is carrying Senate Bill 959, which will revise the state law to ensure that the decision between electronic monitoring and a jail term is left to the law enforcement community and not in the hands of lawbreakers. If serving a full-sentence through electronic monitoring becomes mandatory for certain non-violent offenders, it will free up much-needed beds in County jails for the very worst offenders, who need to remain behind bars for more than just a fraction of their sentences.

If a criminal receives a 30-day sentence, then why would they agree to be electronically monitored that entire time if they know the loopholes of Early Release mean a 30-day sentence translates into only a few days behind bars?

The choice between the two should not be an option in the hands of convicted criminals. Criminals should not get to choose their punishment simply because one takes less time to complete. Length of punishment belongs in the hands of our judges and when a judge imposes a sentence, that sentence needs to stick.

– Supervisor Don Knabe

County of Los Angeles, Fourth District

To coincide with Women’s Health Month and the Women’s Health Policy Summit, County health officials released the first ever report, Health Indicators for Women in Los Angeles County: Highlighting Disparities by Ethnicity and Insurance Status. The report showed that compared to men, women have higher rates of many serious chronic diseases and depression, and that women differ greatly in disease and death rates by race and ethnicity.
African American women had the highest overall mortality rate including the highest mortality rate for coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer. More than half of African American women were found to be at risk for developing heart disease, compared to 38% of Latinas, 36% of white women, and 27% of Asian/Pacific Islander women. In addition, more African American women were smoking cigarettes in 2005 compared to 1999.
The report also highlights disparities experienced by Latina women in the county. A higher percentage of Central American women are living in poverty, are uninsured, and lack a regular source of health care compared to Mexican, South American women, and women of other racial/ethnic groups. Latina women overall, along with African American women, have notably higher rates of overweight and obesity compared to white and Asian/Pacific Islander women. Among Latina subgroups, overweight and obesity rates are higher among Mexican (66%) and Central American women (60%) compared to South American women (47%).
Among Asian/Pacific Islander women, Vietnamese women were found to have higher rates of poverty (68%). Korean women are the least likely to report having a regular source of health care (63%) and have much lower rates of breast and cervical cancer screening compared to Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese women. These findings are unacceptable and as a community we clearly need to do more to address the underlying yet complex issues that contribute to these disparate health outcomes, said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Public Health Director and County Health Officer. The health care needs of women are unique, reflecting the influence of complex and challenging economic, social and biological factors. In addition, women are often the primary caretakers and health care decision makers for the entire family; therefore the health and well-being of women are important factors in the health of the entire family.
Other key findings on the overall health of women include:
– Rates of obesity among women have increased from 15% in 1997 to 20% in 2005,
– Compared to men, women have higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, arthritis, asthma and depression,
– Diabetes mortality rates have increased by 13% among women from 1995 to 2004, and
– The report also highlights the important role of social and economic factors as determinants of health disparities. Many factors contribute to health disparities, including poverty, gender, race/ethnicity, lack of health insurance, access to care, and environmental and lifestyle factors. For example, a key contributor to poor health among many women is the fact that almost 50% are living in poverty.

Multi-faceted strategies are needed to eliminate the health disparities identified by this report, said Ellen Eidem, program director, Office of Women’s Health. We need to continue promoting prevention and quality health care at every level as well as support research efforts and community-based interventions that can help make an impact on the women identified in this report.
The indicators are described for both women and men in the county and for women alone to emphasize gender differences. The indicators are also compared to Healthy People 2010 targets which represent the health standards our nation is trying to achieve within this decade. The data sources for the report included the 2005 LA County Health Survey, other Los Angeles Public Health Department programs, the California Health Interview Survey, and the California Department of Education. The full report will be available on the Department of Public Health Web site at:
www.lapublichealth.org/owh
The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health overseas environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Public Health comprises more than 4,000 employees and an annual budget exceeding $700 million.

A new report from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reveals that many people living in Los Angeles County are not prepared for an emergency event such as an earthquake or a terrorist attack. The risk of a natural or man-made disaster occurring here remains high, yet more than 35% of county residents who responded to the 2005 LA County Health Survey say their households are not prepared to deal with a large-scale disaster.
The report shows that differences in age, ethnicity, education, and income levels are associated with varying levels of preparedness:
– More than one-third of respondents reported they would not immediately follow instructions from a government official until they received more information. Those with higher educational backgrounds and greater income were less likely to follow immediate instructions. – Only 57% of respondents said they would immediately follow local government officials’ instructions to go to the nearest public school in the event of a terrorist attack. 4% said they would not follow such instructions at all.
– Over half of those adults living below the federal poverty level (household income of $18,700 for a family of four in 2003) reported their household is not prepared for an emergency.
– 55% of those with less than a high school education felt unprepared compared to only 28% of those with a college or graduate degree.
– 45% of Latinos and Asian/Pacific Islanders reported their households are not prepared compared to 35% of African Americans and 23% of whites.
– More older adults and seniors said they feel prepared compared to those in other age groups.
The report also focused on those who may need additional assistance during a disaster. Vulnerable populations include the poor, the elderly, families with children, individuals who are chronically ill or disabled, and those who do not speak English. The report shows these populations are concentrated in certain areas of Los Angeles County, including the geographic region known as Service Planning Area (SPA) 6, which extends from South Los Angeles to Compton.
As we have seen from Hurricane Katrina’s effects on Louisiana’s Ninth Ward, it is imperative that the residents of Los Angeles County prepare themselves for the likelihood of a disaster, natural or man-made. Residents can take basic steps as outlined in Public Health’s emergency campaign Just Be Ready; Prepare Together. These include setting aside food, water, flashlights, batteries, a first aid kit, any necessary medications, a radio, toiletries, utility shut-off tools, cash and important documents in emergency storage containers or backpacks in order to mitigate the damage that comes from such disasters, said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. In 2005, more than 20% of county households did not have emergency supplies. In addition, only 41% of residents said they had a family emergency plan, such as the phone number of a friend or relative outside the area through which family members could communicate, or a location for family members to meet in the event of a disaster. The full report, entitled How Prepared Are Los Angeles County Residents for an Emergency?, provides tips for individuals, families and communities on ways they can prepare for a disaster. It can be accessed via the Department of Public Health Web site at
http://www.lapublichealth.org/ha.
The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health overseas environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Public Health comprises more than 4,000 employees and an annual budget exceeding $700 million. To learn more about Public Health and the work we do, visit
www.lapublichealth.org.