Text4Baby Summer Sign-Up Contest!

Help Sign up New Moms for Text4Babyand be eligible to WIN A YEAR'S SUPPLY OF BABY PRODUCTS and a Special Gift for Mom.

Text4Baby is a free service that provides women with important health information during pregnancy and until their baby's 1st birthday.  Pregnant women and new mothers who text "BABY" (or "BEBE for Spanish) to 511411 receive three weekly text messages, timed to their due date or their baby's birth date.  They'll learn about labor and delivery, nutrition, breast-feeding, safe sleep and more. And its free!!

Contestants get points for the number of individual pregnant women and new moms they sign up between July 8 ans Sept 10, 2011.

Go to www.text4baby.org to learn how you can help sign up pregnant women and new moms you know for text4baby-and win. Its easy and you'll be giving a mom and her baby the gift of a lifetime!

OHD is hosting Utilizing Local Media Conference on Tuesday, August 16

The Utah Dept of Health (UDOH) Office of Health Disparities Reduction (OHD) is hosting Utilizing Local Media Conference.  This conference is designed to promote the National Partnership for Action Plan and to raise awareness of health disparities impacting Utah communities.  

Local and national experts from the Salt Lake Tribune, UDOH Public Information Office and representatives from the national Office of Minority Health Region VIII will be offering insightful information about how to effectively use media.  There will also be a panel of local media representatives available to offer assistance and answer questions.

The conference will be held on Tuesday, August 16 from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm at Noah’s located on 322 West 11000 South in South Jordan.  Pre-registration is required by Thursday, August 11 at 5:00 pm.  Space is limited, so click on Online Conference Registration  and register today.

If you are looking for new ways to raise awareness about health disparities, this conference is for you. 

For more information contact Christine Espinel at cespinel@utah.gov or call 801-273-4137.

~Office of Health Disparities Reduction

County Health Rankings

Would you like to know more about the health of your own county?  Information about county health, including environmental factors such as air quality, access issues such as the number of primary care providers, and lifestyle factors such as the prevalence of smoking and drinking, are available at this site:

http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/utah

Public Comments are Now Open for New HHS Standards for Data Collection on Minorities

Proposed HHS Standards for Data Collection on Minorities
Deadline for Public Comments is August 1
HHS is seeking public comments on draft standards for data collection on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language and disability status, as required by Section 4302 of the Affordable Care Act
Public Comments Requested
How to Comment
How We Will Use Your Comments
For Further Information 

Plan for Health Data Collection on LGBT Populations
Secretary Sebelius announced that HHS would begin collecting data in its population health surveys that would facilitate identification of health issues and reduction of health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations.
Fact Sheet HTML | PDF 
Under the plan, HHS will integrate questions on sexual orientation and gender identity into national data collection efforts. This includes the testing of questions on sexual orientation and potential incorporation of these questions into the National Health Interview Survey, the department's flagship data instrument for collecting health information on populations, by 2013. This would be the first step toward development of a government-wide standard for LGBT data collection.

Nominations are Now Open for the Regional Health Equity Councils

Call for Nominations to the Regional Health Equity Councils
Deadline for Nominations is July 18Nominations are being accepted for membership on Regional Health Equity Councils that are being established by the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities (NPA).
Nominees are sought from all backgrounds, including the public, non-profit, and business sectors. Nominations will be accepted until 11:59 pm Pacific Time, July 18, 2011. Only one nomination will be accepted from each nominator. Regional Health Equity Councils
Criteria
Nominating Procedures
Review and Selection
For Further Information
If you would like to nominate someone or self-nominate, please send your nomination by email to RHECnomination@minorityhealth.hhs.gov