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Genes - it's an all-in-the-family effort

Below is a message I got from Sharon Terry, President of the Genetic Alliance. The Genetic Alliance, in cooperation with some other groups, has a family history project underway. The idea is that you and your doctor can much better target preventative care and identify other problems sooner by knowing your family history.

If you've ever had any interest in documenting your family's medical history etc. here is a call-in number Thursday night to help you get started. Although the PSA and the phone bank is local to the Washington DC area, anyone can call the number.

Here's the info if you're interested:

Hello everyone,

Did you know that there are steps you can take to prevent health conditions, simply by knowing your family’s health history? Most Americans don’t! That’s why Genetic Alliance and The American Society of Human Genetics, in partnership with WJLA-TV ABC 7 (the local ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C.), launched a Family Health History Public Service Announcement (PSA) Campaign to raise awareness about the importance of knowing your family’s health history and sharing it with your healthcare providers and relatives.

Call the live Family Health History Phone Bank at 703-647-1533 to speak with healthcare professionals during WJLA-TV ABC 7’s local evening news program from 5:00-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 29, 2009. Health and wellness experts will be on the line to answer any of your questions about family health history, from how to collect it to how you can use the information to improve your family’s health.

Knowing your Family Health History is a first step toward a healthier, happier you! Please forward this message to your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and healthcare providers in the Washington, D.C. area! For more information about the Family Health History Campaign, visit: www.talkhealthhistory.org <http://www.talkhealthhistory.org/> or wjla.com <http://cfc.wjla.com/> , keyword "family"

Best regards,
Sharon

*The Family Health History Live Phone Bank is brought to you by Aetna, The American Society of Human Genetics, F.O.R.C.E., and Genetic Alliance.
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