Rabies vaccination

Rabies vaccination

DAMASCUS

The Mahoning County District Board of Health is having a rabies vaccination clinic for all dogs, cats, and ferrets more than 3 months of age from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Damascus Fire Department, 14860 South Pricetown Road (state Route 534).

The cost is $8 per shot – cash only – and no appointment is necessary. Pet owners must have their pets on a leash, in a cage, or carried inside a pillowcase. The clinic does not include a physical examination of the animal. The veterinary staff reserves the right not to vaccinate any animal that appears to be in poor health.

Costs are kept to a minimum through a sponsorship from the county health board and volunteer services provided by veterinarian Courtney O’Neill, Austintown Veterinary Clinic, and Damascus Ruritan Club.

‘Fight Hunger, Spark Change’ campaign

Walmart, Feeding America and the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley have kicked off the fifth annual nationwide “Fight Hunger, Spark Change” campaign online and in stores.

Between now and April 30, customers can participate in the campaign in these four ways: purchase products from Walmart stores or online; make donations at store registers to the food bank in increments of $1, $2, $5 or an amount chosen by the customer; make an online donation; or use the Walmart credit card.

Last year, Second Harvest received $50,830 from Walmart’s campaign to fight hunger. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

Pediatric cardiologist

BOARDMAN

Dr. Meagan Peek has joined Akron Children’s Hospital’s Heart Center in the Boardman campus on Market Street as a pediatric cardiologist.

She received her medical degree from the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky., where she also completed her residency in pediatrics. She completed a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

Dr. Peek is board certified in pediatrics and board eligible in pediatric cardiology. She has a special clinical interest in fetal echocardiography. She lives in Poland with her husband.

Chief quality officer

AKRON

Dr. Michael Bigham has been named Akron Children’s Hospital’s chief quality officer, a new position. In this role, he will lead quality, safety and patient experience to ensure the hospital consistently improves child health and delivers excellent patient care.

For 10 years, he has served as a pediatric intensivist in Akron Children’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. In addition, he has been the hospital’s medical director of Transport Services. He also has served the medical staff as chairman of Medical Performance Improvement for the past three years.

State ranks 24th in overall child well-being

COLUMBUS

Ohio is making headway in providing children with the resources and support they need to thrive. The state ranks 24th in overall child well-being, according to the 2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book recently released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

In particular, the economic well-being of Ohio’s children has improved. The percentage of Ohio kids living below the federal poverty line has decreased, fewer children live in families where no parent has full-time, year-round work, and fewer children are in households that spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

More than a half-million children, however, still struggle with poverty, according to the KIDS COUNT analysis.