Doing Good Work » CoupleDumb

Communication is good for your health

Dec 022011

THE Relationship Blog

I’m working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) on their launch of a new initiative with the Ad Council to encourage clinicians and patients to engage in effective two-way communication to ensure safer care and better health outcomes.

As one of the more highly trafficked Mom/Parenting sites online, we know that good health is something you take very seriously in your everyday life and that your readers probably do as well.

That’s why we would love to share with you some of the new videos (and other valuable tips and tools available here: http://www.ahrq.gov/questions) that truly delves into the importance of very open communication between clinicians and their patients.

As a mom yourself, listen to Laurri Diener, mother of 3 children, talk about how better communication with her doctor helped her to get the right diagnosis and treatment so that she could sleep more and worry less.

To help provide some context around the initiative, there is also a newly published Wall Street Journal article covering the news, here. Further, the full series of new public service videos featuring real clinicians and patients can be found, here (with embeddable links found at the AHRQHealthTV YouTube page).

I have also included the press release (attached) around the initiative launch below. Please feel free to use any of the language contained therein.

Our goal is to promote the launch of the new AHRQ website and help get the message of patient/clinician communication out to as many people as possible.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or comments you may have on this important new initiative.

Heart Of Haiti

Doing Good Work

Nov 192011

THE Relationship Blog

The holidays are around the corner. Everybody knows someone or many someones who have everything. It is getting harder to shop for them every year. We suggest purchasing a gift that gives back. The Heart of Haiti campaign was created to help Haitian artisans. Aside from the masterful craftsmanship in each piece, you are directly affecting the lives of Haitians. Rebuilding after the horrible earthquake of 2010 has not been easy especially for those who were already lining in poverty. The Heart of Haiti campaign empowers these artists to create and earn enough to help their families.

Heart of Haiti is a “Trade, Not Aid” initiative launched by artist and social entrepreneur, Willa Shalit, The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and Macy’s. Each item is a one-of-a-kind design and handmade by a Haitian master artisan from raw materials such as recycled oil drums, wrought iron, papier-mâché and stone. The collection features more than 40 home decor items including quilts, metalwork, ceramics, and paintings.

Accessories include vases, candleholders, serving trays, picture frames, mirrors, coasters, necklaces, clutch purses and more! The craftsmanship and technique behind these works of art, ranging from papier-mâché vases to hand cut metal frames & wall hangings, is truly remarkable. The collection is made almost entirely from recycled and sustainable items such as old cement bags, cardboard, oil drums & local Gommier wood.

Already, The Heart of Haiti collection has led to employment of 450 artists in Haiti providing financial benefits for an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people in the country. With the holidays quickly approaching, sharing a ‘gift that gives back’ is a great way to raise awareness and celebrate artistry and regrowth. Heart of Haiti products are available exclusively at 25 Macy’s stores around the country and on Macy’s.com. The new collection can be found here. 2011 Fall Collection. Most items fall in the range from $25-$60.

We received the lovely angel for this review. All opinions are our own. Thanks to the Everywhere Society and Heart of Haiti at Macy Stores.

Hands Only CPR

Doing Good Work

Aug 252011

THE Relationship Blog

There is a new way to do CPR. It is called Hands-Only CPR. Since people in this germ-phobic do not want to put their mouth on another person’s (unless they know them romantically), the American Heart Association and the Ad Council have started a new campaign and created an app to teach this new CPR technique. Take a look.