Health briefs

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer

Well-known doctor to speak

A nationally known pediatrician will be in Hawai'i this week talking about the importance of reading aloud to young children in the development of language and cognitive skills.

Dr. Perri Klass, assistant professor of pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center is medical director of the Reach Out and Read National Center. She has trained pediatricians nationwide in integrating books and literacy into routine pediatric visits.

This year's Read to Me Conference will be held Thursday and Friday at the Hawai'i Convention Center. Klass and children's author and illustrator David Shannon ("No, David!") will speak Thursday. Cost for both days of the conference is $180. For more information, call 955-7600 or go to www.readtomeintl.org.

Group plans health meeting

The National Kidney Foundation of Hawai'i is coordinating a Keep Me Healthy Conference on Saturday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

The educational health conference is open to anyone interested in good health and will focus on diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and transplants.

For more information, visit www.kidneyhi.org, Cost is $35 per person or two for $60 with a family plan of five for $125.

Students gather 1.8M cans

More than 1.8 million aluminum cans were collected by 21,000 elementary school students at 59 schools during the state Department of Health's 2003 School Recycling Challenge.

The Department of Health worked with Reynolds Recycling Network for a third year to promote school collection programs as one way to reduce waste, learn to protect the environment, and raise money for school programs.

The top schools on O'ahu were:

• Large category: first, Pearl Ridge Elementary; second, Mililani Uka Elementary, third, Mililani Mauka Elementary, honorable mention, Moanalua Elementary.
• Medium category: first, Pearl City Highlands Elementary, second, Ali'i'olani Elementary, third, Manoa Elementary.
• Small category: first, Messiah Lutheran, second, St. Michael's School; third, Wailupe Valley School.

Top performers on the Neighbor Islands included Honaunau School and Kua'o Ka La on the Big Island; and Kilauea School, Koloa School and St. Theresa School on Kaua'i.