Happy New Year! Free Calendars from Center for Multicultural Health

The Center for Multicultural Health has received 2011 Calendars from Donate The Gift of Life, an organ donation program highlighting the many minorities who have benefited from organ donation.  We have calendars reflecting Asian/Pacific Islander, African American and Hispanic recipients.

Please stop by our offices at 3760 South Highland Drive 5th Floor,  Salt Lake City and pick up free copies to distribute to communities you serve. Pick up times are from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Contact Christine Espinel at cespinel@utah.gov or 801-273-4137 for more information.

Thank you for all you do.

Happy New Year!

Center for Multicultural Health   

An Opportunity to Hear Pacific Islander Voices In Utah

Did you know that…

• Utah Pacific Islander babies are nearly twice as likely to die before their first birthday as babies statewide.
• Pacific Islanders have the highest diabetes death rate of all Utah groups, due in part to the fact that 75% of Utah Pacific Islanders are overweight.
• Almost three times as many Utah Pacific Islanders are uninsured today compared to five years ago.

…but you can help!

The Utah Department of Health will contact Utah Pacific Islanders during the months of December 2010‐March 2011 to learn more about how to address health problems in the Utah Pacific Islander community. 

You may be asked to respond to a telephone survey, participate in a discussion group, or fill out an online survey. Your participation is completely voluntary and confidential.

Your responses will help the Utah Department of Health learn how to best prevent health problems in the Utah Pacific Islander community and the results of this study will be used to direct funding to outreach for Utah Pacific Islanders beginning in spring of 2011.

If you would like more information, contact the Utah Department of Health, Center for Multicultural Health: ddiez@utah.gov or 801-273-4140.

Thank you for your willingness to make a difference in your community.

Click here for a printable version of this announcement.

3 Fun Ways to Be Active Indoors

Don't let the winter chill take the fun out of your physical activity plan.  These indoor activities add variety to your routine and challenge your body building your fitness level and burning serious calories. 

Kick it Up a Notch!
Kickboxing mixes boxing style punches, quick moving footwork and martial art style kicks to create a fun and fast paced workout.  This high intensity activity can be toned down or intensified to meet various fitness levels.  For example, alternate foot taps to the side in place of jumping to lower the impact or add traditional jumping jacks in between moves to kick it up a notch!  Kickboxing is typically completed in an aerobic class setting but DVDs are also available.  If you are a beginner remember to start slowly and work up to more complicated moves.  A sixty minute class is estimated to burn 650 calories.*

Spin Off!
Spinning takes the stationary bike to the extreme.  Spinning is an aerobic exercise that takes place on a specially designed stationary bike, typically in a class setting.  While pedaling, motivating music and instruction help you visualize an outdoor cycling workout.  Spinning burns major calories (750 calories/hour*), tones your quadriceps (front thigh muscles) and outer thigh muscles and requires little coordination.  This workout can be adjusted to meet the fitness level of many, simply by adjusting pace and the tension knob on the bike.  Although this activity is appropriate for many it is generally not advised for those just beginning a program.

Go for a Dip!
Take it to the pool (indoors of course)!  Swimming, water aerobics and pool based classes offer an option for every fitness level and are a great way to stay active during the winter months.  The benefits of working out in water are many but one of the greatest is the ability to participate in a high intensity workout with almost no impact.  This is especially beneficial for the individual recovering from injury.   Calories burned during a sixty minute workout vary and depend on the water activity selected.  For example during a sixty minute water aerobics class you can burn 285 calories.  Swimming laps at a moderate to vigorous intensity for the same sixty minutes will burn between 500 and 750 calories.*

*Estimates are based on a 150 pound person participating in the activity listed for sixty minutes.  The estimates were completed using the Healthy Utah Physical Activity Tracker. 

Information provided by the Healthy Utah Team

Contest: Students Challenged to Help Prevent Dating Violence

Thursday, December 9, 2010

For more information contact:

Katie McMinn

Violence and Injury Prevention Program

(o) 801-538-9277 (m) 801-856-6697

What's Love Got to Do With It?

Students challenged to help prevent dating violence

 

WHAT: The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) invites Utah students to create artwork that will raise awareness of the seriousness of dating violence among their peers. Students are encouraged to submit entries inspired by the theme, "Dating Abuse Prevention: What's Love Got to Do With It?" The contest is part of a larger effort to encourage students, parents, and schools to participate in Utah's Teen Dating Violence Prevention Week held February 6-12, 2011.

Students may submit artwork in one of three categories: Visual arts, YouTube video, or Written Work. Each winner will be recognized at an awards ceremony and will receive a tuition-paid visual arts, film production, or writing class from one of three local businesses: Spy Hop Productions, Visual Arts Institute, and Higher Ground Learning Center.

WHY:   In 2009, nearly 11% of Utah 9th-12th graders reported being hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend.

WHO:   The contest is open to all Utah students in grades 7-12.

WHEN:  The deadline for entries is January 9, 2011.

WHERE:  Entries must be posted on the Utah Teen Dating Scene Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/UtahTeenDatingScene). For more information about the contest, visit http://health.utah.gov/vipp/datingviolence/mediacontest.html.

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New Program for Pregnant and Parenting Girls

Are you pregnant or a mother under age 18? You can become a member of our weekly support group.
Bene fits for Teen Success Members:
• Earn $10 for each week completed class
• $100 bonus for every 25 weeks attended
• Snack and child care provided
• Scholarship opportunities for qualifying participants
Meeting Day and Time: Wednesday 5:30 - 7:00
Meeting Location: YWCA, 322 East 300 South, Salt Lake City
For more information call Paco with Planned Parenthood: (801) 521-2741 or visit www.facebook.com/pputah

Happy New Year! Health Reforms Come into Effect Jan. 1

Many of these provisions benefit seniors on Medicare, including free preventive care doctor appointments, reduced copayments for prescriptions, and improved follow-up care after a hospitalization.  Others are designed to reduce health care costs in Medicare and in private and small employer health plans.  By this date, the federal government must also submit a plan to improve healthcare quality for Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP enrollees.  Finally, any new health plan policy that began after March 23 is required to offer free preventive care services, without co-pays or deductibles, as soon as the new "policy year" begins.  For many policies, the renewal date is January 1. Check with your insurance provider or employer to verify whether these free services apply to you.

 

Prescription Drug Discounts

Seniors who reach the coverage gap will receive a 50 percent discount when buying Medicare Part D covered brand-name prescription drugs. Over the next ten years, seniors will receive additional savings on brand-name and generic drugs until the coverage gap is closed in 2020.

 

Free Preventive Care for Seniors

The law provides certain free preventive services, such as annual wellness visits and personalized prevention plans, for seniors on Medicare.

 

Improving Care for Seniors after They Leave the Hospital

The Community Care Transitions Program will help high-risk Medicare beneficiaries who are hospitalized avoid unnecessary readmissions by coordinating care and connecting patients to services in their communities.

 

Improving Health Care Quality and Efficiency

The law establishes a new Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation that will begin testing new ways of delivering care to patients. These new methods are expected to improve the quality of care and reduce the rate of growth in costs for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). By January 1, 2011, HHS will submit a national strategy for quality improvement in health care, including these programs.
Learn more about the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

 

Addressing Overpayments to Big Insurance Companies and Strengthening Medicare Advantage

Today, Medicare pays Medicare Advantage insurance companies over $1,000 more per person on average than is spent per person in Original Medicare. This results in increased premiums for all Medicare beneficiaries, including the 77 percent of beneficiaries who are not currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. The new law levels the playing field by gradually eliminating this discrepancy.  People enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan will still receive all guaranteed Medicare benefits, and the law provides bonus payments to Medicare Advantage plans that provide high quality care.  Learn more about improvements to Medicare.

 

Bringing Down Health Care Premiums

To ensure premium dollars are spent primarily on health care, the new law generally requires that at least 85% of all premium dollars collected by insurance companies for large employer plans are spent on health care services and health care quality improvement.  For plans sold to individuals and small employers, at least 80% of the premium must be spent on benefits and quality improvement. If insurance companies do not meet these goals because their administrative costs or profits are too high, they must provide rebates to consumers.Learn more about getting value for your health care dollars.

Providing Free Preventive Care

All new health plan policies must cover certain preventive services such as mammograms and colonoscopies without charging a deductible, co-pay or coinsurance.

This part of the law is effective for people who enrolled in new job-related health plans or individual health insurance policies after March 23, 2010. If you have enrolled in a new health plan since that date, this provision will affect you as soon as your plan begins its first new “plan year” or “policy year” on or after September 23, 2010.  Since many health plans begin plan years on January 1, this is when this provision will go into effect for many people.

Learn more about preventive care benefits

This information is from http://www.healthcare.gov/

Latino Safety Video, Music and Art Contest: Entries Due December 15

GENERAL CONTEST RULES:

Submit your entry in one of three categories:

1. Create a YouTube video  Enter a video up to 90 seconds in length. Upload to YouTube then fill out online form.

2. Put your message to music  Enter an original song/rap or dance up to 90 seconds in length.

• Song/rap – Hand in media file hard copy to your local health department or email (click here for locations and addresses) OR you may include internet link when you fill out online form.
• Dance –Video record and either: Hand in hard copy/email (click here for locations and addresses) or include internet link when you fill out online form.

3. Design a work of art  Any medium is acceptable. Fill out online form then deliver hard-copy to the Utah County Health & Justice Building (151 S. University Ave. Suite 2700 Provo, UT 84601) or Salt Lake Valley Health Department (788 East Woodoak Lane (5380 South)
Murray, Utah 84107). If your artwork is computer-aided or electronic in nature you may email it or include internet link when you fill out online form. Questions about submitting artwork should be directed to the Utah County Health Dept. 801-851-7068. Artwork will be become property of the Utah County Health Department. Original artwork may be picked up after September 30, 2011

All entries must communicate the theme of:

¡Cuídate! No eres reemplazable

and one or more of the following topics:

Don't drive distracted

Don't drive under the influence of drugs/alcohol or drive drowsy

Wear your seatbelt

ENTER CONTEST BY CLICKING HERE

          Winners will be notified by January 10, 2011

Who Can Participate?
Those who identify themselves as Hispanic, reside in Utah, and are between the ages of 13-19 as of Dec. 15^th, 2010. If you want to work in a group, each person must fill out a separate entry form. If scholarship money is won it will be split between members of the group.

Timeline:

• October 11th – December 15th, 2010: Contest entries accepted.
• December 15^th, 2010: CONTEST DEADLINE
• December 16^th – January 6^th: Judging by a panel of peers and professionals.
• January 10^th: AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
• March 2011:  Presentation of award winners at the Utah Latinos in Action Conference at Utah Valley University.

Awards and Judging:

Contest winners will be determined by a panel of peers, state and local-level health educators,and other professionals who will judge entries based on how closely it matches the ¡Cuídate! theme, artistic quality and relevance to Hispanic peers.

SCHOLARSHIP PRIZES:

 

What you win BESIDES the scholarship money:

Become a star! Experience state and local recognition: publishing of your artwork to a county or state-wide audience, airing of your video or song/rap as a commercial on local TV/radio stations, performing your song/dance/rap at community venues, exposure of your artwork at local galleries.

Detailed Contest Rules:

• Participants must identify themselves as Hispanic, reside in Utah, and be between the ages of 13-19 as of Dec. 15^th, 2010.
• Entries must be submitted between Monday, October 11^st 2010, 12:01 am – Wednesday, Dec. 15^th 2010, 11:59 PM. Enter the contest by visiting: HispanicHighwaySafety.pbworks.com
• Each entry must be accompanied by a completed entry form accessible HERE.
• All entries must reference avoiding distracted driving, avoiding drunk/drugged driving, or wearing your seatbelt. Entries may address more than one issue.
• Song entries must include a copy of written lyrics/scripts.
• Entries can either come from individuals or more than one participant working together.
• If winning entries are submitted by more than one student, scholarship money will be split evenly between them.
• Entries cannot have been submitted previously in a promotion or contest of any kind or exhibited or displayed publicly through any means previously.
• Entries must not put at risk the safety of those involved or others around them.
• Entries must not include a moving vehicle (driven by you or anyone assisting with the creation of your entry) or unsafe behaviors, including but not limited to actual driving under the influence, driving without a restraint, texting while driving, or attempt to re-enact a vehicle crash.
• Entries must not idealize inappropriate behaviors as ‘cool’ but rather clearly communicate how ‘un-cool’ and unsafe taking part in those behaviors really is.
• Entries must not contain material that violates or infringes on another’s rights, including but not limited to privacy, publicity or intellectual property rights, or that constitutes copyright or license infringement (entries must not contain brand names or trademarks; song lyrics and melodies created in a song or rap must be original.  Music in a video or recorded dance must be given proper credit).
• Entries must be free of obscene language and drug or gang references;
• Entries must not contain material that is inappropriate, indecent, obscene, hateful, defamatory, slanderous or libelous;
• Entries must not contain material that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age;
• Entries must not contain material that is unlawful, in violation of or contrary to the laws or regulations in any state where Video is created; and
• Entries that violate any of the standards above will be disqualified and result in immediate exclusion from the contest.
• All submissions become property of Utah County Health Department (UCHD). Original artwork may be picked up after September 30^th, 2011 
• Winners (and parent or legal guardian if winner is a minor) may be required to sign and return a liability and publicity release within seven days following the date of the first attempted notification. Failure to comply with this deadline may result in forfeiture of the prize and selection of an alternate winner. 
•  Acceptance of the prize constitutes permission for Sponsor and its agencies to use winner's name and/or likeness, biographical material and/or entry (including an altered form of the entry) for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law.
• Award money may be used for future academic and vocational training expenses. 
• By accepting prize, winner agrees to hold Sponsor, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, representative agents, successors, and employees harmless of any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the promotion or acceptance of use of the prize. 

All submissions must be received by Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

If creative piece must be dropped off hard-copy, deliver or mail to:

Utah County Health Department Injury Prevention 
151 S. University Ave. Suite 2700

Provo, UT 84601

or

Salt Lake Valley Health Department Injury Prevention 

788 East Woodoak Lane (5380 South)
Murray, Utah 84107
(801) 313-6606 or (801) 313-6605

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Additional Resources:

These pages are trustworthy government and public health web sites that explain the dangers of distracted and other unsafe driving behaviors, and may be helpful as you create your video/song/artwork:

Zero Fatalities (Utah): A Goal We Can All Live With

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

http://distraction.gov/

National Safety Council: Driver Safety

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Teen Driving

Governors Highway Safety Association: State Info & Laws: Utah

Utah Department of Public Safety: Highway Safety Office

Distracted Driving Factsheet (statistics)

Contacting us:  Utah County Health and Justice Building: Injury Prevention

151 S. University Ave. Suite 2700. Provo, UT 84601

801-851-7068;  801-851-7035

StephanieR.uchlth@state.ut.us

askUCHD@gmail.com

Fax: 801-851-7508

Pew Center Report on Utah Latino Voters

The Utah Latino Voter report is posted at http://health.utah.gov/cmh/data.html#utahdemographics

Utah's Comprehensive Cancer Prevention and Control Plan is Now Open for Public Comment

Utah's Comprehensive Cancer Prevention and Control Plan, 2011-2015 is now open for public comment until 11:59 p.m., Sunday December 12, 2010.

 

Please visit www.UCAN.cc/state_plan_comments to view a current draft of the plan and submit comments.

 

A Quick Reference Guide is also available on the above web page. This is an abbreviated version of the Plan. It contains only the implementation and evaluation of the plan and the goals/objectves/strategies contained in it.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Kristi Wilcoxson Smith, Utah Cancer Control Program, at kwilcoxson@utah.gov or 801-538-6190.

Hill Air Force Base Diabetes Classes

Welcome to Diabetes Classes at HAFB the first and third Tuesday of every month at the Family Medicine Clinic, 75th Medical Group at Hill AFB. People with diabetes, families, and significant others are all welcome.

Topics include:  ~Podiatry (foot health) ~What Is Diabetes? ~ Dental ~ Nutrition ~ Optometry (eye health) ~ Pharmacy (medicine) ~ Psychological aspects and stress ~ Exercise 

Hill Air Force Base Diabetes Refresher Course

Second Tuesday of every month. Bring your water and join a new and interesting interactive presentation.
For more information, contact Danielle Morris, GS-11, R.N.,B.S.,C.D.E.
75th Medical Group Health Management Clinic, Diabetes Educator/Coordinator, 7321 Balmer Street, Bldg. 570, H.A.F.B., UT  84056. Commercial : 801-586-9658. DSN:  94-586-9658. Fax:  801-586-9722

People’s Health Clinic Brings Care to the Uninsured of Summit/Wasatch Counties

Where does a parent take a sick child who has no insurance, other than to the ER?  Does an uninsured adult ever get an annual physical?  What are the risks for a newborn whose mother receives no prenatal care?   

Ten years ago, a group of Summit County citizens asked those questions, and decided to start a health clinic.  First held in a medical van which roamed the two counties, the Clinic now occupies 5,000 sq. ft. in the Summit County Health Services building. For a suggested donation of $15 (no one is turned away for inability to pay), patients can be seen for general medical care, prenatal, chronic disease, and pediatric concerns.   

And what if a problem is discovered that’s more serious than the Clinic can address?   The Clinic is constantly developing relationships with local doctors and facilities where its patients can be seen for lower cost.

 The Clinic is supported by local residents, foundations, businesses, with some local and State government funding, as well as by patient donations.  Over 90% of Clinic patients contribute to their care. Only residents of Summit and Wasatch Counties without health insurance are treated.  

Here a local mother describes how she found PHC, and what it has meant to her. "Kids are kids, and we had plenty of broken bones to take care of, without any insurance.  As a mom, I put myself and my health last.  I was managing a local shop at the time, and someone told me about People's Health. I got an appointment and was treated for a thyroid problem.  In a week's time, I was back to my old self. And I've been in many times, problems found and solved!"

The People’s Health Clinic

650 Round Valley Drive

PO Box 681558

Park City, UT  84068

(435) 333-1850

www.peopleshealthclinic.org

Submitted by   

Sarah Klingenstein, Community Outreach Coordinator, People’s Health Clinic

New Federal $$ Will Help CMH Address Infant Mortality

Utah’s Black/African American and Pacific Islander babies suffer the highest rates of infant mortality in the state and a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant will help the Utah Department of Health, (UDOH) Center for Multicultural Health (CMH) understand why.
Pacific Islander infants under 12 months of age had nearly twice the death rate (8.8 deaths/1,000 births) of infants statewide (4.5 deaths/1,000 births). The rate for Black/African American infants was 8.4 deaths/1,000 births. Black/African American infants also had the highest rates of low birth weight (11.4%) and preterm birth (13.0%) of all Utah infants. The state rates were 6.8% and 9.7%, respectively.

The 3-year, $130,000 grant requires that CMH focus on evidence-based interventions addressing no more than three health disparities. In addition to health concerns surrounding births, CMH will also use the funds for research into issues of obesity and health care access among Utah minority groups, two other disparities that turned up amid a comprehensive study of minority health in Utah.

CMH is now seeking expert leaders from public health, health care and community-based organizations to participate on Advisory Boards that will plan and supervise interventions and oversee the selection of community outreach subcontractors.

Webinar Series: State Implementing Health Reforms

States have already reached benchmarks as they implement federal health reform.  State legislatures have an important role in building the framework for a full overhaul of the health care system by 2014.  The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is holding a six-part webinar series to help legislators and legislative staff navigate the complex nature of health reform. Register for any or all of these webinars at http://www.ncsl.org/?TabId=21590

The National Children's Study is Changing!

The National Children's Study is adding 30 new locations, one is Cache County which will be the 2nd in Utah to be enrolling participants.  If you are in Cache County and would like more information, contact the Cache County location at 435-797-KIDS(5437) or email nsc@usu.edu.
For more information about the National Children's Study in Utah,visit saltlake.nationalchildrensstudy.gov.  If you would like to enroll, call the enrollment hotline at 801-231-4114.

Faces of Utah Photo Bank

The Center for Multicultural Health (CMH) has begun gathering pictures of diverse individuals (multicultural, life span, gender, ability) to create a bank of pictures of actual Utahns to be used in health promotion flyers, brochures, or other health related materials.  Consent forms are available.  For more information or to contribute your picture(s), please contact Owen Quiñonez at oquinone@utah.gov.

Uninsured Adults Urged to Apply for Health Coverage. Primary Care Network (PCN) opens enrollment today!

What:  Utah’s Primary Care Network (PCN) will open enrollment today, November 8 - 22. PCN is a primary preventive health coverage plan for uninsured adults. Benefits include physician services, prescriptions, dental services, eye exams, emergency room visits, birth control, and general preventive services.

Why:  Since May 2010, PCN has been closed for enrollment and has not accepted new applications. Beginning today through November 22, all uninsured Utah adults may apply online, by mail, or in person to receive primary health care.

Who:               Adults who meet the following requirements may apply:

                                    - Age 19 through 64 (Single adults may apply)

                                    - U.S. citizens or legal residents

                                    - Not covered by other health insurance

                                    - Meet income guidelines (e.g., a family of 4 with a maximum income of $33,075 per year)

                                    - Not qualified for Medicaid

                                    - Have no access to student health insurance, Medicare or Veterans benefits.

When:             Today, November 8 through Monday, November 22

Where: Apply online at www.health.utah.gov/pcn  or call the PCN hotline at 1-888-222-2542.

Health Promotion and Education Fair for Refugees and Immigrants

EVERYONE is encouraged to come for FREE VISUAL, CHOLESTEROL, GLUCOSE, AND BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS! FREE CHILD CARE IS PROVIDED!

When: November 13, 2010 ~ Time: 10am-4pm ~ Location: Horizonte Learning Center, 1234 Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah

5 health workshops in 6 languages and diabetes, eye, and hypertension screenings

Services provided in Arabic , English, Farsi, Somali, Spanish, Urdu.

Workshops available for Diabetes/Hypertension, Cholesterol/Cardiac disease, Eye Disorders, Women's Health, Stress and Disease

Sponsored by United Service for Humanity. For more information and to register for the health fair ONLINE NOW, go to http://ushslc.blogspot.com/

Focus Group Discussion of New Colorectal Cancer Screenings

The University of Utah Psychology Department and Huntsman Cancer Institute would like to invite you to participate in a new research study. We are searching for people to be involved in a focus group discussion of new and current colorectal cancer screening tests. We are looking for White, Latino, and Black men and women to participate in the study. You do not need to have any prior knowledge about colorectal cancer or screening options. We are looking for any individual who is between the ages of 50 to 74 years, fluent in English, and who does not have a personal or family history of colon or colorectal cancer. Focus groups will be held at the Salt Lake City Public Library (Downtown) and will last approximately 2 hours. Refreshments will be served. You will be compensated for your time. The purpose of this study is to learn about local adults’ attitudes and opinions toward currently available screening options for colorectal cancer as well as attitudes and opinions about a newly developed screening option.


If you are interested in participating and/or learning more about the study please contact Jennifer Taber by email at (jennifer.taber@psych.utah.edu) or by phone at (801) 587-9022.

Nominate Yourself by Oct. 29 for CMH Advisory Boards

The Utah Department of Health, Center for Multicultural Health (CMH) was recently awarded by the Federal Office of Minority Health with funding to work in three health areas with significant disparities among racial/ethnic minorities. For the next three years, CMH will focus part of its efforts and resources on these three health issues affecting Utah’s minorities today. They are:

- Health Access for Asians, Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and Pacific Islanders/Hawaiian Natives

- Birth Outcomes for Blacks/African Americans and Pacific Islanders/Hawaiian Natives

-Obesity in Blacks/African Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, and Pacific Islanders/Hawaiian Natives.

We are looking for your assistance as we move forward. As we share our goals and seek out possible members of our advisory boards, we hope to extend our collaboration and efforts with anyone interested in reducing health disparities among ethnic minorities in Utah. We are looking for people experienced and passionate about any of these three issues. If you are think you might be a good candidate to serve in any of these boards, answer the following questions and send your response to Dulce Díez at ddiez@utah.gov or fax 801-536-0956. Nominate just yourself; if you know other possible candidates, forward this information to them and let them fill out the form. Nomination period ends October 29.

Minority Health Advisory Boards Nomination
Name:
Email:
Phone Number(s):
Agency:
Job title at your current agency:

You are interested in being part of : (indicate all that apply):
o Birth Outcomes in Minorities Advisory Board (Target population: Blacks/African Americans and Pacific Islanders/Hawaiian Natives)
o Obesity in Minorities Advisory Board (Target population: Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and Pacific Islanders/Hawaiian Natives)
o Health Access for Minorities Advisory Board (Target population: Asian Americans, Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and Pacific Islanders/Hawaiian Natives)

Briefly explain why you are interested in being part of this advisory board. (Maximum 10 lines)

Briefly describe your previous experience in this area. (Maximum 10 lines)

Briefly describe your previous experience working with the target population. (Maximum 10 lines)


Nomination period ends October 29. Selected candidates will be notified no later than November 4.

Questions: Contact Dulce Díez ddiez@utah.gov 801-273-4139

Demographic Profiles of Latino Eligible Voters in Utah

The Pew Research Center has released demographics of Latino Voters in Utah.  See    http://pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/vote2010/UT-eligible-voter-factsheet.pdf

Utah Latinos Encouraged to Learn Their HIV Status

Ethnic minorities comprise 17% of Utah's population, but made up 25% of those newly diagnosed with HIV or AIDS in 2009. 12.3% of Utah's population is Hispanic, yet in 2009, Hispanics represented 13% of all AIDS cases and 16% of all HIV cases.  NLAAD's theme for 2010 is Save a Life, It May be your Own. Get Tested for HIV .  It speaks to the critical role HIV testing and prevention education play for Hispanic/Latino communities.

  

Please visit: http://www.aidsinfoutah.net/  for a calendar of NLAAD testing events in Utah. 

For more information, contact:

Claudia Gonzalez
Outreach Program Coordinator
(801) 538-6193

Multicultural Breast Cancer Program Seeks Volunteers

Multicultural Breast Cancer Education Program

Join us in our efforts to promote Breast Cancer awareness, prevention and early detection to the refugee and immigrant community living in Utah, by becoming a Volunteer Multicultural Breast Cancer trainer and educator!

Multicultural Breast Cancer Training and What to Expect:
In an effort to educate women about breast cancer, CU is looking for volunteers to interact with the community (Refugee resettlement agencies, Church, College Campus, Health Fairs, etc.) The purpose of this training is to continue educating, informing and empowering refugee/immigrant women about the fight against Breast Cancer by having classes, trainings, workshops, and information about breast cancer.

As part of this training you will:

Learn facts about breast cancer and breast health
Learn risk factors and statistics
Learn how to protect yourself : how to do a self exam, where to go for clinical exam andv mammograms
Receive early prevention information, and resources for early screening and detection
Educate refugee/immigrant women on breast health and breast cancer by providing educational Workshops and info. on early detection and prevention
Be able to assist and increase the access of underserved multicultural, multiethnic, and multilingual women to breast cancer health education and screening
Address concerns of refugees and immigrants in relation to the disease
Successfully link the services of various orgs./agencies/clinics to women in the community through a culturally sensitive outreach program
After completion of the training, Volunteer Educators will be able to provide Breast Cancer Workshops and information to immigrant and refugee women at various organizations and events. MBC coordinator Masha Boguslavsky and Volunteer Coordinator Mayra Cedano will provide Volunteer Educators with opportunities for community outreach and education workshops.

All of our workshops are free to the community!

Breast Cancer workshops are designed to provide information about breast self-exam, early diagnosis of breast cancer and breast health issues and risks. These workshops would be of interest to anyone concerned about their breast health and can be offered through groups, organizations or business programs via group seminars, Lunch and Learns, health and safety training or conferences and conventions. Workshops are presented in a relaxed format using breast models for demonstration purposes (Participants do not have to disrobe).

Be a part of a great team that empowers women by becoming a Volunteer Breast Cancer Educator/Trainer!! For more information and questions, please contact Masha Boguslavsky, the Multicultural Breast Cancer Program Coordinator, at masha@cuutah.org; or CU Volunteer Coordinator Mayra Cedano, at mayra@cuutah.org. Or call us at 801-487-4143.

To bring a free workshop to your company, organization, give us a call at 801-487-4143.

Masha Boguslavsky

Multicultural Health Network and Breast Cancer Program Coordinator

Comunidades Unidas/Communities United (CU)

Phone: 801-487-4143

Fax: 801-487-414

www.cuutah.org

1341 S State St. Suite 211, SLC UT 84115

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families
Drawing on research from from newspaper clippings collected over a six year period, Shattered Lives: Homicides, Domestic Violence and Asian Families reviews a total of 160 cases of domestic violence related homicides in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander families. It explores the nature and types of domestic violence homicides as well as patterns in its victims and perpetrators. This report's detailed findings offer a glimpse into the complexity of the problem and its far-reaching effects on women, children, families, and communities.
http://www.apiahf.org/index.php/component/content/article/86-domestic-violence/783-dvhomicidereport.html

State Clinic Seeks Artist

The Health Clinics of Utah (state owned/operated medical and dental clinics) is opening a new location in Salt Lake City. These clinics serve diverse communities across the life span.

For this new location, we are looking to incorporate decor that will reflect an inclusive and friendly atmosphere. One key piece we are hoping to create is a framed collage of diverse images (multicultural, life span, gender, etc). Another area that requires special attention is in the children's area waiting room. We would like a mural of diverse, multicultural images or faces that would be age appropriate and fun, to be painted on the walls of the Children's Waiting Room in the dental clinic. The room is approximately 10 X 14 and the mural will cover the walls from the chair rail upward.

We are seeking assistance from you to connect CMH with a willing artist(s) (professionals or students) who would provide this necessary element to this facility. Funding is limited for such projects however CMH believes that it is very important to have decor that makes everyone feel welcome. Construction and move in is being completed now and ribbon cutting is tentatively scheduled for the first week of December.

This artwork will be located in prominent locations and will be enjoyed for many years to come. Any assistance or feedback you could provide is greatly appreciated. Please contact Christine Espinel 801-273-4137 or cespinel@utah.gov

Thanks in advance for your help.

New Healthcare Page at CMH Website

The Center for Multicultural Health has revamped its healthcare page.
The revised page includes:

• an interactive map linking to local community resources
• directories of medical, dental and mental health providers that specialize in underserved populations
• online applications to health services such as Medicaid and CHIP
• information about health care reform, Utah health care quality and more

See http://health.utah.gov/cmh/healthcareinutah.htm

New Federal $$ Will Help CMH Address Infant Mortality

Utah’s Black/African American and Pacific Islander babies suffer the highest rates of infant mortality in the state and a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant will help the Utah Department of Health, (UDOH) Center for Multicultural Health (CMH) understand why.

Pacific Islander infants under 12 months of age had nearly twice the death rate (8.8 deaths/1,000 births) of infants statewide (4.5 deaths/1,000 births). The rate for Black/African American infants was 8.4 deaths/1,000 births.  Black/African American infants also had the highest rates of low birth weight (11.4%) and preterm birth (13.0%) of all Utah infants. The state rates were 6.8% and 9.7%, respectively.

“In our Black and Pacific Islander populations, we are 20 years behind the rest of the state at preventing infant death ,” said CMH Program Manager Owen Quiñonez. The statewide infant mortality rate hasn’t been over 8 deaths/1,000 births since the 1980s.

The 3-year, $130,000 grant requires that CMH focus on evidence-based interventions addressing no more than three health disparities.  In addition to health concerns surrounding births, CMH will also use the funds for research into issues of obesity and health care access among Utah minority groups, two other disparities that turned up amid a comprehensive study of minority health in Utah.

Regarding obesity, while the majority (59.0%) of all Utah adults are overweight, the  Black/African American rate is 72.4%, Pacific Islander, 78.4%, and Hispanic, 67.3%.

CMH is now seeking expert leaders from public health, health care and community-based organizations to participate on Advisory Boards that will plan and supervise interventions and oversee the selection of community outreach subcontractors.

“Community-based leadership has been crucial to our success so far in reducing health disparities,” said Quiñonez.  “We hope that many of the advocates we have worked with over the past five years will be interested in serving on our new Advisory Boards.  We are also seeking new leaders who are experts in the fields of reproductive health, obesity prevention and health care access.”

Over the past decade, health care access has declined among Utah minorities. Hispanics had the highest uninsured rate in the state at 35.7%, up from 25.8% in 2001. Statewide, 11.1% of Utahns were uninsured. Only 8.8% of Pacific Islanders lacked health insurance in 2001, but 23.0% were uninsured in the recent analysis. Being unable to access needed care was reported by 21.3% of Hispanics and 21.9% of Blacks/African Americans in Utah, in contrast to 15.9% of all Utahns.  All Utah racial and ethnic minority groups had lower rates of receiving early prenatal care than statewide. The state rate was 79.1%; Asians, 75.2%, Blacks/African Americans, 61.2%, Pacific Islanders, 48.1% and Hispanics, 63.4%.

New Utah Health Status Update about Hispanic Health

See http://health.utah.gov/opha/publications/hsu/10Sep_Flu.pdf. The link will be stored on our website at http://health.utah.gov/cmh/data.html#udoh.

New Spanish Language Resources in Multilingual Library

Healthcare.gov explains federal health reform.  Several new guides from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality explain various medical procedures. See http://health.utah.gov/cmh/multilinguallibrary/topic/medical.html

Reports Now Available by Chapter

Moving Forward in 2010 and Health Status by Race and Ethnicity 2010 are now available by chapter for the benefit of people with slower Internet connections or those who only wish to download certain sections of the reports.

Herriman Fire Demonstrates Need to Register Cell Phones with 911

When officials needed to evacuate thousands of Herriman residents endangered by wildfires on September 19, the Valley Emergency Communications Center (VECC), which administers 911, called the residents.  VECC has all the landline phone numbers of residents in its jurisdiction, but only has cell phone or voice over internet numbers of people who have registered them.  People without landlines or registered alternate numbers did not receive the call.

Photo courtesy of Cornelia Cannon and Connor Shutt

It is important to register your cell phone with 911 if you live or work in an area where a cell phone registry is offered by the local 911 service provider. 911 may be able to use this information to contact you during a large-scale emergency such as the Herriman fire. It may also help identify your location when you call 911 during a more isolated emergency, such as a heart attack or a crime at your residence or workplace.

Utah has a the second-highest proportion of people who use only cell phones instead of land lines.  Preliminary data from the Utah BRFSS suggest that cell phone-only households are even more prevalent among Utah minorities than statewide.

Here are the links to cell phone registries in some Utah areas.  Outside of these areas, contact your local fire department or local police station to learn how to register your cell phone.

Location	How to Register Your Cell Phone
Salt Lake City	www.slcalert.com.
Other parts of Salt Lake County	http://166.70.83.157:8080/voip/login.php
Beaver County	http://www.beaverutahsheriff.com/Forms/r911.html
Iron County	http://www.ironcounty.net/departments/EmergencyManagement/r911/registration_form.cfm
Washington County	https://washingtoncounty.onthealert.com/

New Asian Language Resources in the Multilingual Library

Chinese resources about kidney disease at http://health.utah.gov/cmh/multilinguallibrary/language/Chinese.htm#kidney
Korean website about accessing healthcare at  http://health.utah.gov/cmh/multilinguallibrary/language/Korean.htm#medical

Community Organizations Added to CMH Website

New community organizations have been added to our online Community Organization list, including Harambee African American Network, the Indian Walk-In Center, and the Pacific Islander Ethnic Network.

CDC Features now available on CMH Blog.

Check them out here.

Health Reforms Go into Effect TODAY affecting young adults, sick children and preventive care

Today, September 23 2010, is exactly six months since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act became law. (This law is commonly referred to as the federal health reform law.) On this important day, several provisions of the law go into effect for the first time.  These reforms will make it easier for young adults and sick children to get health insurance. The law will forbid insurance companies from dropping coverage of enrollees because they became sick and encourage preventive care by requiring health insurance companies to offer many preventive services for free, without co-pays or deductibles.

Provisions Going Into Effect TODAY:

• Health plans that cover families must allow enrollees' children to stay on their parents' health insurance policies until they turn 26 years old, regardless of whether they are married, in school or financially dependent on their parents. See http://www.healthcare.gov/law/provisions/youngadult/index.html for more information.
• Insurance companies may not deny coverage to children under the age of 19 due to a pre-existing condition.
• Most health plans are required to offer preventive services such as immunizations, screenings and well-child appointments without charging a copayment, co-insurance, or deductible. See  http://www.healthcare.gov/law/provisions/preventive/index.html for more information.
• It is now illegal for insurance companies to search for an error, or other technical mistake, on a customer’s application after they become sick in order to deny payment for services. 
• The law sets up a way to appeal coverage determinations or claims to insurance companies and establishes an external review process.
• Insurance companies are prohibited from imposing lifetime dollar limits on essential benefits like hospital stays.
• Insurance companies’ use of annual dollar limits on the amount of insurance coverage a patient may receive are restricted for new plans in the individual market and all group plans. 

New York Times: Hospitals Focus on Diversity

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/nyregion/07hospital.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1

The CONNECTION converts to blog

The Center for Multicultural Health minority health newsletter, the CONNECTION, is now the Center for Multicultural Health blog.
The new format offers several new features for our readers:

• You can be notified of new CONNECTION articles and funding opportunities the moment they post by becoming a blog follower.
• You can interact with CMH and the rest of the Utah minority health community by adding your comments to CONNECTION posts.
• You can share posts with your networks by clicking the email, blog, twitter or facebook icons at the end of each post.
• You can find posts easily by date or by topic using the indices in the right-hand column.
• Do you prefer to get your news through facebook, twitter, or RSS feed?  Follow the CONNECTION through any of these venues.  Go to the right-hand column to "like" CMH or "join the conversation" with CMH.

Moving Forward in 2010

This report describes trends in Utah minority health since CMH was established in 2005.
www.health.utah.gov/cmh/data/movingforward.pdf

Utah Hispanic Disease Rates Fall

A new report by the Utah Department of Health (UDOH), Center for Multicultural Health (CMH) shows that Utah Hispanic/Latino health has improved since 2005, when CMH was established and baseline data were collected. The Utah Hispanic population showed improvement over time in 10 of 11 critical disease indicators.

Hispanics saw declines in several disease rates from 2005-2010, including: gonorrhea (from 34.6 cases/100,000 to 26.4/100,000; tuberculosis (from 5.9/100,000 to 4.2/100,000); and arthritis (from 14.4% to 11.0%). There was also improvement in the rates of many cancers, including: colon (14.7/100,000 to 13.6/100,000), lung (10.5/100,000 to 8.8/100,000), breast (46.6/100,000 women to 41.8/100,000) and prostate (36.7/100,000 men to 33.9/100,000) cancers. This ethnic group also had lower rates of death from diabetes (from 24.3/100,000 to 20.8/100,000) and stroke (from 10.7/100,000 to 9.7/100,000) over the time period. The coronary heart disease death rate also improved when controlling for age.

The current Utah Hispanic rates were better than the current statewide rates for arthritis (11.0% vs. 22.3% statewide); coronary heart disease death (16.5/100,000 vs. 59.2/100,000 statewide); breast cancer (41.8/100,000 women vs. 90.4/100,000 women statewide) and prostate cancer (33.9/100,000 men vs. 120.2/100,000 men statewide). Utah Hispanics still had higher rates of gonorrhea (26.4/100,000 vs. 17.3/100,000) and tuberculosis (4.2/100,000 vs. 1.4/100,000) than Utahns statewide in spite of the other improvements over time.

Chlamydia is the only disease that increased among Utah Hispanics. Chlamydia has been on the rise statewide and among all races and ethnicities for whom data are available.

“Our Hispanic community is becoming better informed about how to navigate the healthcare system, the importance of choosing healthy lifestyles and the overall significance of early screenings,” said Sabrina Morales, Executive Director of Comunidades Unidas, a local nonprofit working with CMH to eliminate ethnic health disparities in Utah. “We are very excited to hear that our community’s health is improving and. while we still have a lot of work ahead, particularly in the area of access to health care, we need to take a moment to celebrate these victories.”

Other Utah minority populations also saw some improvements in health status, but not across as many disease categories as the Hispanic population. “That doesn’t mean the other minority groups aren’t improving,” explained April Young Bennett, Multicultural Health Specialist, CMH, UDOH. “The other Utah minority populations are much smaller than the Utah Hispanic population, so it may take longer to see statistically significant differences in their rates.”

Data sources included birth and death certificates, statewide surveys, and mandated reporting of certain diseases and conditions by health organizations. For more information, see the complete report at http://health.utah.gov/cmh/data/MovingForward.pdf.