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S T R A I G H T F R O M T H E H E A R TS e r v i c e s

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S T R A I G H T F R O M T H E H E A R TS e r v i c e s

Ce r t i f i e d by the DC Department of Health and Human Ser-

vices under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA ‘88), our clinical laboratory provides fast, accurate and affordable blood and urine testing to ensure appropriate diagnostic and medical intervention. Our team of dedicated labora-tory professionals is committed to offer-ing the most conve-nient and compre-hensive ser vices to both in-house customers as well as surrounding community members.

Our impact on the community is illustrated by the high performance and convenience of the services provided. ALHS is the sole health center in Ward 6 that offers clin-ical laboratory services on-site. The benefits to the physicians and their patients include conven- ience and faster service.

There is no driving or transportation time and the results for the most commonly requested tests are guaranteed within 24 hours. We are committed to achieve a high level of client sat-isfaction and exceed our customers’expecta-tions. Our services, are therefore, provided by strongly qualified and experienced clinical lab-oratory professionals that

are able to easily secure a satisfactory specimen and minimize discomfort. We use the most current testing methods on highly precise instrumentation, which enables us to deliver accurate results. Our services are provided by appointments or on a first come/first serve basis and walk-ins are welcomed. We currently offer a large panel of clinical blood and urine

tests including pregnancy tests, HIV and Hepatitis C antibody tests, hemo-globin/hematocrit levels, blood glucose tests for detection of diabetes, comprehensive meta-bolic panels, complete lipid profiles, chemistry and electrolytes levels. We also provide drug and alcohol screenings using a 12-Panel Multi Drug Urine test to fulfill pre-employment require-ments or private and pro-fessional requests. The clinical laboratory of ALHS has also secured a strong par tnership with a large local labo-ratory to outsource more complex testing, thereby ensuring fast service and good rates. Our excellent electronic data resources allow us to receive orders from and deliver results directly to any providers’ practice.

At Amazing Love Health Services, LLC clinical laboratory, we strive to provide friendly services at affordable costs with emphasis on quality and commitment.

The Clinical Laboratory Greetings to you from Amazing Love Health Ser-vices, LLC. In this edition, I want to bring to your attention infor-mation from the April 12, 2016

Summit on Mental Health and Addic-tion. At this Summit, a panel of guest speakers and political leaders focused on mental health in the workplace and social interaction. It was pointed out that according to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health Services, African Americans are 20% more likely to experience a serious men-tal health problem as opposed to the rest of the population. This percentage doubles when you add the number of African Americans who do not seek out mental health treatment.

One of the barriers that discour-ages African Americans from seeking mental health treatments is the social stigma associated with mental illness. At Amazing Love Health Services, LLC (ALHS) we work with participants to remove those barriers. With dignity, education, and compassion, ALHS pro-

vides the resources needed to help those in need. ALHS not only wants to remove the stigma associ-ated with mental health illness, we want to provide this community

with resources needed to address this illness and to help provide those in need with a better quality of life.

Just as we diligently worked to edu-cate the African American population about the perils of diabetes and ele-vated blood pressure we must work to educate this population about the need to get help for anger, depression, loneliness, grief, being bullied, and self-esteem.

G E O R G E S ’ C O R N E R

President/CEOBy Georges W. Ntemi

The Clinical Laboratory at Amazing Love Health Services, LLC (ALHS) offers a comprehensive panel of high-quality, affordable clinical specimen testing to the community in Ward 6.

Because We care, we are here for you. Let’s work together to make a difference for all who seek help for mental illness.

ALHS is the sole Health center in Ward 6 that offers clinical laboratory services on-site.

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S T R A I G H T F R O M T H E H E A R TS e r v i c e s

The Depar t-ment of Dis-abilit y Ser-vices Rehabili-tation Service

Administration (DDS/RSA) commonly known as Vocational Rehabili-tation (VR) program provides vocational and rehabilitative services to

individuals with disabilities to help them pre-pare for, secure, regain or retain employment. Persons with disabilities face challenges in today’s mod-ern workplace. Amazing Love Health Services LLC (ALHS) believes that

people with disabilities, given the right oppor-tunities can work and be fully integrated into mainstream society and the work place. Further-more, we believe ALHS working in concert with RSA can help reduce or remove barriers to employment. ALHS

expands its impact on the community by providing innovative workforce and develop services to the D. C. res-idents being supported by the District of Colum-bia’s Rehabilitation Services Administra-tion. ALHS’s Director of the RSA Workforce Division has 28 years of dedicated workforce development experi-ence serving persons with disabilities, return-ing citizens, dislocated workers, unemployed and underemployed res-idents of the District of Columbia. As noted in every edition of ALHS newsletter, success sto-ries are on-going.

B y T h o m a s Wa t e r s

I am pleased to have joined forces with Amazing Love Health Services as the Program Director. Amazing Love

Health Services (ALHS) and I share the common goal and mission of providing the best care and service to the resi-dents of ward 6 and to the District of Columbia at large. I am honored to share my 30 years of knowledge, experience, training and education with an organi-zation that promotes person centered mental health care. Together ALHS and I will work tirelessly to remove the neg-ative unwarranted stigma of mental ill-ness in the District of Columbia.

RSA Workforce Development Division

Erminia Scarcella, M.D.

Michael MartinProgram Director

Thomas Waters, RSA Workforce Division

Amazing Love Health Ser-vices, LLC (ALHS) is pleased to announce the appointment

of Erminia Scarcella, M.D. as Medical Director. Dr. Scarcella will continue to provide excellent treatment for pa-tients at ALHS.

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S T R A I G H T F R O M T H E H E A R TS e r v i c e s

National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birth-

day. Florence Nightingale demon-strated that advocacy is what gives power to the caring nurse. All nurses are advocates. The nurses at Amazing Love Health Services advocate for their patients everyday. The leadership of Amazing Love Health Services supports and encourages the dedicated nurses on ALHS’ staff.

N a t i o n a l N u r s e s

W o r l d M e n t a l H e a l t h D a y

Monday October 10th 201611 : 00 am - 4 : 00 pm

Amazing Love Health Services702 15th Street N.E, Washington, DC 20002

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

REMOVING THE STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS

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S T R A I G H T F R O M T H E H E A R TSucc e s S t o r y

As a Counselor, I am very careful about judging another for several reasons. First, today it is the other person and tomorrow it could

be me. Secondly, a person’s circum-stances are caused by many factors, many of which may be out of their control. The person talked about in this success story chooses to not be identified; therefore, I will refer to her as Ms. Ash. Ms. Ash had two needs (1) employment and (2) assistance with housing. Uniquely, and what made Ms. Ash’s situation for housing fixable is that she was already in an apartment but had to transition to a new apart-ment for personal reasons. She had a little savings for the security deposit in place, as well as family support, if a co-signer was needed.

Ms. Ash is a single parent of two children, ages 6 & 9. Ms. Ash con-nected with Amazing Love Health Ser-vices (ALHS), because of two reasons (1) prior successful history with the Director of Workforce Division and (2) she had faith in the capability of ALHS services. Although in her 20s,

Ms. Ash possesses skills, maturity, and an earnest need and desire to work. Ms. Ash had driving experience, flag-ger experience, and great customer service experience. Ms. Ash also had personality.

As a result of a vocational assess-ment, a job development summary tar-geted the following jobs for Ms. Ash: driver or flagger. In January 2016, Ms. Ash was successfully placed in a driver position on a temporary assignment. She picked up and dropped off disabled persons having medical appointments throughout the D. C. metropolitan area. According to Ms. Ash, she liked the job; however, as a single parent, she needed some control of her schedule. She agreed to keep the driving job until something more stable and fitting became available. The driving job also gave Ms. Ash time to start searching for a more permanent and affordable place to live.

Together, the job counselor and Ms. Ash started searching for apartments within the Washington, D.C. perime-ter. Unfortunately, Ms. Ash decided she was not able to afford DC market rent and she did not qualify for DCHA

services. Therefore, she asked to look at apartments outside of Washington, D.C. After two months of searching, an apartment became available in the Suitland area, off of Pennsylvania Ave-nue, in Maryland. In the meantime, the job counselor continued to schedule interviews for not only a more stable job but one that paid better and one that gave her the flexibility to be with her children.

In mid-March Clark Construction company was hiring for certified flag-gers. This job could not come at a more appropriate time and certainly for a better person.

Ms. Ash successfully interviewed for the job on 3/25/16 and was hired as a flagger earning $17.50 per hour-Monday through Friday of each week

Additionally, Ms. Ash’s application was approved for the apartment and she moved in on 5/2/16.

B y A L H S T e a m

From essentially homeless to

Securing housing and new Employment

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Council member Charles Allen visited Amazing Love Health Services, LLC. While there he took time out of his busy schedule to meet with the con-sumers. Amazing Love Health Sevices, LLC looks forward to work-ing with Council mem-ber Allen.

In the Community for the Community

On May 24, 2016, the honorable Charles Allen, Ward 6 Council member took time away from his busy schedule to visit Amazing Love Health Services, LLC.

Mr. Allen spent quality time with the ALHS staff to discuss ALHS’s mission and how he could be helpful to the company. Mr. Allen also took the time to meet with consumers and some Ward 6 residents to hear their concerns.

The ALHS staff was delighted to meet with Council member Allen and we look forward to working with him in the future.

In the Community

F R E E P H O N E

U N L I M I T E D T E X T S

APPLY AT AMAZING LOVE HEALTH SERVICES, LLC 702 15TH Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002

5 0 0 F R E E M I N U T E S F O R T H E F I R S T F O U R M O N T H S

P R O G R A M

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S T R A I G H T F R O M T H E H E A R THealth - Wellness

Physical wellness is also concerned with developing personal responsibil-ity for your own health care, such as caring for minor illnesses and knowing when professional medical attention is needed. Developing physical wellness empowers you to be able to monitor your own vital signs and understand your body’s warning signs. You’ll understand and appreciate the rela-tionship between sound nutrition and how your body performs. The physical benefits of looking good and feeling terrific most often lead to the psycho-logical benefits of enhanced self-es-teem, self-control, determination and a sense of direction.The path may also involve seeking out support from a mental health profes-sional when needed and gathering information in order to make informed value decisions.

Are you engaged in the process of physical wellness ?

Do I know important health num-bers, like my cholesterol, weight, blood

pressure, and blood sugar levels? Do I get annual physical exams? Do I avoid using tobacco products? Do I get sufficient amount of sleep? Do I have an established exercise

routine?If you answered “No” to any of the questions, it may indicate an area where you need to improve the state of your physical wellness.

Wellness refers to one’s ability to interact with people around them. It involves using good communications skills, having meaningful relationships, respecting yourself and others, and creating a support system that includes family members and friends.Social wellness follows these tenets:

It is better to contribute to the com-mon welfare of our community than to think only of ourselves.

It is better to live in harmony with others and our environment than to live in conflict with them.

If you are a person engaged in the pro-cess of social wellness, you see the value in living in harmony with your fellow human beings, seeking positive, interdependent relationships with oth-ers, and developing healthy behaviors. You are also willing to actively seek out ways to preserve the beauty and balance of nature and the community.

Are you engaged in the process of social wellness ?

Do I plan time to be with my family and friends?

Do I enjoy the time I spend with others?

Are my relationships with others positive and rewarding?

Do I explore diversity by interacting with people of other cultures, back-grounds, and beliefs?

“ALL OF ME”

S E R I E S P A R T 3 O F 4

Whole-Person Wellness Physical Wellness involves aspects of life that are

necessary to keep yourself in top condition. Optimal physical wellness is developed through the combination of beneficial physical activity/exercise and healthy eating habits. Elemental components of physical wellness include building muscular strength and endurance, cardiovascular strength and endurance and flexibility.

Social Wellness

The path to social wellness