**Work-Life Advisor**

**Vol. 14, No. 11, August 2006**

***Plain Text Version***

**August 2006 is ...**

**Medic Alert Awareness Month**

*Article Source: The Medic Alert Foundation International*

*Website: www.medicalert.org*

The MedicAlert Foundation is the sponsor of **Medic Alert Awareness
Month**. The foundation is a non-profit healthcare informatics
organization dedicated to providing services to its' members that
protect and save lives.

MedicAlert® services are built around a repository of health information
that enables members to manage their personal health records while
maintaining security, privacy and confidentiality. The premium placed on
patient confidentiality has allowed MedicAlert to earn the trust of 4
million members and the healthcare community worldwide.

As the trusted third party custodian of comprehensive personal health
information, the MedicAlert® repository can connect to and provide
critical medical information between patients, providers, payers, and
first responders 24 hours a day anywhere in the world. MedicAlert®
activities aim to ensure the rapid development and deployment of
standards to improve the quality of care and lower healthcare costs
while increasing patient safety.

**The MedicAlert® Service meets member needs with:**

**A 24-Hour Emergency Response Center** - Supported by on-site
Registered Nurses, MedicAlert will relay your vital medical information
to emergency personnel.

**A Member Services Contact Center --** MedicAlert will make free,
unlimited updates to your file, order a new emblem, or ask a question
about products and services. Someone who cares will answer your call.

**A 50-year relationship with emergency responders** who rely on us for
information that can prevent errors, speed treatment and save lives.

**MedicAlert Products & Services-** MedicAlert membership services are
available to protect your health 24/7/365.

**An in-house manufacturing and shipping facility** to engrave personal
data on emblems, so it remains confidential at all times.

**A secure in-house database** that contains your Personal Health Record
and allows us to manage member information with privacy.

**Affordable Pricing** -- For more information, visit
[www.medicalert.org](http://www.medicalert.org/) .

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**Did You Know ...**

**August 1 -7, 2006 is ...**

**World Breastfeeding Week, USA**

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) celebrates the signing of the Innocenti
Declaration on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding.
The theme for 2006 is \"Code Watch: 25 Years of Protecting
Breastfeeding.\"

The International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes is a public
health recommendation which seeks to give women pure facts about feeding
their babies, free of aggressive infant formula marketing influences, so
that mothers can make well informed feeding decisions.

*Source: La Leche League International Website, www,lalecheleague.org .*

**Hirkani's Daughters: Women Who Scale Modern Mountains to Combine
Breastfeeding and Working**

*Article Source: La Leche League International Website,
www.lalecheleague.org*

*Hirkani's Daughters*, was inspired by the tale of a milkmaid who lived
in the mountain ranges of India during the 1600s. Whether Hirkani was
real or

legend, one thing is certain: her mothering instinct was real.

Hirkani's story is both told in the pages of this book and reflected in
the challenges of

women who seek to combine breastfeeding and work.

*Hirkani's Daughters* offers you information and insight into the hearts
and homes of mothers who have succeeded with this combination. They
include doctors, teachers, maids, comedians, scientists, professors,
daycare providers, and more from over thirty-five countries and six
continents.

This book offers practical tips on combining breastfeeding and work,
breastfeeding-friendly business information and insight into the laws in
many countries that protect a mother's right to breastfeed. It is a
treasure trove of information, inspiration, and

support for working mothers.

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**Work-Life Q &A For August 2006**

**Q: What Are the College Savings Plans of Maryland?**

**A:** The College Savings Plans of Maryland is a non-profit State
agency that offers two Section 529 college savings plans to help
families prepare for the future cost of college and reduce future debt.
**The Maryland Prepaid College Trust** allows you to lock-in tomorrow's
college costs based on today's prices and helps to hedge against future
tuition increases. **The Maryland College Investment Plan** offers
investors the flexibility of 13 different investment portfolios managed
by T. Rowe Price. Both plans can be used at any federally accredited
college in the country. They are not exclusive to Maryland colleges!

**Q: What is the Healthier Worksite Initiative (HWI)?**

**A:** Spearheaded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the vision
for the HWI is a worksite where healthful choices are easy choices. The
mission is to develop, evaluate and disseminate science-based programs
that promote worksite health for all CDC/ATSDR employees, and serve as a
model and resource for other federal worksites. A website is under
development to share lessons learned with federal workforce health
promotion planners.

In 2005, there were 9600 firework-related injuries in the United States.
6600 of those injuries resulted in hospital emergency room visits during
the Fourth of July holiday. Prevent Blindness America, a national
non-profit group, recommends enjoying the fireworks by attending
authorized public displays operated by professionals.

This information has been taken from the Prevent Blindness America
Website. To learn more about Fireworks Safety or to order a free
brochure entitled "Safe Summer Celebrations", go to:
www.preventblindness.org

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**AUGUST EVENTS happening at DOT**

August 8, 12-1pm:

W-L Managers' Series: "Workforce Resiliency"

(Nassif: 3246A)

August 15, 12-1pm:

Working Parents' Discussion Group

(Nassif: 3246A)

August 17, 12-1pm:

Eldercare Discussion Group

(Nassif: 3246A)

August 22, 12-1pm:

Achieving Your Potential Series: "Finding Your Purpose"

(Nassif: 3246A)

**To Register for August Events, Please Send an E-mail to:**

**Zakina.Brooker@dot.gov**

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**THE DOT WORK-LIFE WELLNESS PROGRAM** provides information on work/life
issues such as parenting, childcare, eldercare, telework, diversity,
personal / professional development, health and wellness. Resources on
these topics can be obtained by calling 202/366-6389 or 800/525-2878
(ext. 1).