Help Me Grow Utah--May Networking Breakfast

You are invited! Shriners Hospitals for Children will be hosting our upcoming Salt Lake Networking Breakfast. When: Thursday, May 19th Time: 8:30 am - 10:00 am Location: Shriners Hospitals for Children   Auditorium  Fairfax Road at Virginia St.   Salt Lake City, UT 84103                    Help Me Grow Utah presents: Carolyn Christensen--Program Manager,Utah Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Carolyn is an expert in the early childhood field and will be sharing details about the programs within the Utah Bureau of Child Development A light breakfast will be served.  Click here to view the agenda. Community Connections Be sure to bring your business cards to make reconnecting with new contacts easy. Spread the word! If you know of anyone who would like to be added to the Networking Breakfast email list, please send their information to:  kalii@unitedwayuc.org Don't forget the community table!  Please bring any outreach materials that might help spread information about your programs.

Click here to RSVP

New Funding to Increase the Duration of Head Start Programs

President Obama says goodbye to students after a visit to the Yeadon Regional Head Start Center in Yeadon, Pa. in 2011. Photo by Pete Souza, White House Photographer.

New Funding to Increase the Duration of Head Start Programs

This week, the Office of Head Start announced new funding that will allow all Head Start communities to have access to full school year and full school day programming, and all Early Head Start families to receive continuous services. Congress has appropriated $294 million in supplemental funding for existing Head Start and Early Head Start programs to increase the number of hours and days of high-quality services offered each year to children enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Read more about this new development. 

APHA Webinar Series: Making the Connection, Climate Changes Health

A Four-Part Webinar Series APHA and ecoAmerica are proud to co-sponsor a four-part webinar series investigating the health impacts of climate change. The series explores the connection between climate change and key areas of our health: allergies and asthma; health risks in children; mental health; and transportation and healthy community design as a mitigation approach.  May 9 – Making the Connection: Climate Changes Allergies and Asthma May 26 – Making the Connection: Climate Changes Children’s Health June 7 – Making the Connection: Changing Climate through Healthy Community Design and Transportation June 29 – Making the Connection: Climate Changes Mental Health

Part I – Making the Connection: Climate Changes Allergies and Asthma Monday, May 9, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. EDT Don't miss the start of the series! During this webinar, participants will discover how climate change conditions impact allergies and asthma. Register today! Moderator: Mark Mitchell, MD, MPHChair, National Medical Association Council on Medical Legislation Co-Chair, National Medical Association Commission on Environmental Health Presenters: David B. Peden, MD, MSAssociate Chair for Research & Chief, Division of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology & Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics Director, Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma & Lung Biology University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine     Mona Sarfaty, MD, MPHDirector, Program on Climate and Health Center for Climate Change Communication George Mason University Stay involved! Follow the conversation on social media using the hashtags #APHAwebinar and #ClimateChangesHealth. For more information on how climate change impacts health, please visitwww.apha.org/climate. Learn more about Climate for Health, and join health leaders from across the nation to lead by example and engage others on climate solutions.

Can a Single Question Help Families Confront Poverty?

	Pediatricians are in a unique position to support more than just children's health. With one out of five kids living in poverty in the U.S., the American Academy of Pediatrics makes a bold recommendation for doctors to help families in need. It begins with one question >

In Health Matters, Place Matters - The Health Opportunity Index (HOI)

You are invited to a webinar hosted by the Federal Interagency Health Equity Team

and the Association for State and Territorial Health Officials.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDOH) developed the Health Opportunity Index (HOI) because they were aware of the health inequities that existed among people of varying socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and rural/urban backgrounds. The HOI is a composite measure of the social determinants of health. It provides a baseline for a community to determine what factors lead to positive health outcomes and healthy communities. The HOI is comprised of 13 indicators, grouped into four profiles that are indicators of the natural, built and social environment of a community, available resources, availability of economic opportunities and access to health services in a community.

The HOI helps to detect High Priority Target Areas within a community. The Index emphasizes the need for multi-sector collaboration and cooperation to improve health outcomes for all community members. This webinar will highlight how the VDOH related health data from the Health Opportunity Index to broader conditions, and used data as a lever to examine and develop public policies that promote health and health equity. Presenters will: 1) Provide a contextual overview of health inequities in Virginia 2) Discuss the HOI and its methodologies 3) Provide examples of practical applications of the HOI and 4) Review how the HOI can be used to inform policies, allocate resources, support the work of community coalitions and spur place based initiatives.

TOPIC: In Health Matters, Place Matters - The Health Opportunity Index (HOI)

SPEAKERS:  

• Justin Crow, Health Professional Shortage Designations and Geographic Information Systems Manager,
  Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) of the Virginia Department of Health
• Rexford Anson-Dwamena, Social Epidemiologist,
• Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) of the Virginia Department of Health
• Adrienne McFadden, Director,
  Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) of the Virginia Department of Health

DATE: April 28, 2016  TIME: 3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. EST

Register Here¹: http://tinyurl.com/FIHETWEBINAR

Click Here for Full Abstract and Speaker Biographies: http://tinyurl.com/NYSDH-SpeakerBios   

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: An Introspective Look

                       Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion:  An Introspective Look

Thursday, April 28, 2016
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

Register here now!

DESCRIPTION:

April is Minority Health Month! NACDD is committed to advancing health by raising awareness about the health disparities that affect racial and ethnic minorities living in priority populations. Not only is health equity a strategic priority for the Association, but also, the NACDD Board President initiated a challenge for the Association, to meaningfully and comprehensively address health equity in every area of practice. NACDD staff, consultants, and members were challenged to take an introspective look at the blind spots they possess and understand how those blind spots may alter the way they engage in their work by creating unintended barriers to achieving health equity. 

Additionally, the NACDD Health Equity Council will present tools and resources developed for state health department staff to assist with the integration of health equity concepts and theory into public health practice.   

SPEAKER INFO:

This webinar will feature Dr. Rachel Godsil of the the Perception Institute and Professor of Law at Seton Hall University, who has worked with various audiences to identify and address implicit bias, racial anxiety and stereotype threat.  Also known as implicit social cognition, implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.  These biases, which encompass both favorable and unfavorable assessments, are activated involuntarily and without an individual’s awareness or intentional control. 

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

Chronic Disease and Health Promotion Directors

Chronic Disease Practitioner Network

New app links to projects to help refugee families in Utah

New app links you to projects to help refugee families

Every year, some 1,200 refugees arrive in Utah with little more than a suitcase and the clothes on their back. The district and Granite Education Foundation have partnered with the Utah Refugee Center to lend a helping hand to refugee families in our community. 

Granite School District                    

Mapping Medicare Disparities

By: Cara V. James, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Minority Health at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

 

Mapping Medicare Disparities

 

In 2014, two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries had multiple chronic conditions and accounted for 94 percent of Medicare spending.¹ Racial and ethnic minorities experience disproportionately higher rates of disease, inferior quality of care, and reduced access to care as compared to their white counterparts.² Understanding disparities and their geographic variations is important to inform policy decisions and to identify populations and localities to target for interventions. 

 

As health care delivery system reform continues, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has an important opportunity and a critical role to play in promoting health equity.  In September 2015, the CMS Office of Minority Health (OMH) released the first CMS Equity Plan for Improving Quality in Medicare. In March 2016, CMS OMH launched a newly developed interactive tool to increase understanding of geographic disparities in chronic disease among Medicare beneficiaries.  The Mapping Medicare Disparities (MMD) Tool presents health-related measures from Medicare claims by sex, age, dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid, race and ethnicity, and state and county. It provides users with a quick and easy way to identify areas with large numbers of vulnerable populations to target interventions that address racial and ethnic disparities. The MMD Tool is expected to help government agencies, policymakers, researchers, community-based organizations, health providers, quality improvement organizations, and the general public analyze chronic disease disparities, identifying how a region or population may differ from the state or national average. 

 

 

 

 

Please, take a moment to explore the MMD Tool.  Investigate what health care disparities look like in your county or state, then pick a priority and develop a plan that could be used to help provide better care for every individual in the United States.   

 

1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Chronic Conditions among Medicare Beneficiaries, Chartbook, 2014 edition. Baltimore, MD: CMS, 2014.                    

2. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), 2014 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, Publication No. 15-0007. Rockville, MD: AHRQ, May 2015. 

###

 

OHD releases assessment reports for Glendale and South Salt Lake

From November 2015 to February 2016, the OHD has conducted online surveys among residents of Glendale and South Salt Lake to gather baseline data about how residents access medical and oral health services, and how they feel about their living conditions. The survey was conducted among adults 18 years and older and segmented by age, gender and race/ethnicity. Read Voices of Glendale Residents and Voices of South Salt Lake Residents.

Also included in the assessment is a Social Media Marketing Report of how social media was used in reaching residents and its effectiveness with this survey. 

Thanks again to those who helped promote this survey.

Community Health Workers Fly Under the Radar to Fill a Critical Role in Healthcare

(Salt Lake City, UT) – You may know them as a health advisor, advocate, promotora, or even a health navigator, but what all Community Health Workers (CHWs) have in common is the trust of the people they serve. CHWs are skilled laypeople who share similar life circumstances or shared cultures with their clients. They act as a liaison between their community and health and social services, assisting and educating the people they serve to live the healthiest lives possible.

You’ll find these talented, caring individuals in a variety of settings and positions throughout Utah working as paid staff or volunteers. Whether it’s helping at-risk pregnant women, aging seniors, or recovering addicts, the goal is helping individuals deal with and overcome their own health challenges.

"Patients struggle to access healthcare because of language barriers, cultural issues, or financial challenges,” said Anna Guymon, Community Health Worker Specialist with the Utah Department of Health. “Often these challenges are concentrated in low-income communities. Since, CHWs come from similar neighborhoods, speak the same language, and share the culture, they are able to connect with these patients on a level others in healthcare can’t."

Many partners have come together to create a coalition to provide CHWs with training, and additional resources. “Intermountain is excited to support this effort,” said Jessica Strong, CHW Project Consultant for Intermountain Healthcare. Intermountain will provide $1.2 million over the next three years to these efforts. “As a not-for-profit healthcare system, Intermountain Healthcare’s priority is to improve health in the communities we serve, and know that building partnerships and developing resources such as the CHW project will go a long way towards that goal.”

What makes CHWs so valuable?

• CHWs can help reduce the overall cost of healthcare in Utah by emphasizing prevention and teaching the proper use of healthcare services.
• Studies show that programs utilizing CHWs have improved patient health behaviors and outcomes such as greater patient health knowledge.
• CHWs assist traditionally underserved individuals to receive proper healthcare. Healthcare providers can benefit from the skills, community knowledge, and cultural literacy CHWs offer which can help them to connect better with their patients.

In an effort to better organize and prepare CHWs for the future healthcare needs of the state, a pre-conference session focused on CHWs will be held as part of the Utah Public Health Association's annual conference on Monday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel in Salt Lake City. For more information visit www.upha.org.

For more information on CHWs in Utah, visit http://ow.ly/100Bqt.

#  #  #

Media Contact:
Dave Mecham
 (801) 538-6654
dmecham@utah.gov

Webinar: Steps Every Policymaker Should Take to Advance Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

Planting Seeds in Fertile Ground: Steps Every Policymaker Should Take to Advance Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

Please join ZERO TO THREE and Manatt Health for a webinar on what states can and should be doing to advance infant and early childhood mental health.  The webinar will share key findings from a new policy brief,Planting Seeds in Fertile Ground: Steps Every Policymaker Should Take to Advance Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. Content is suitable for state mental health, Medicaid, public health and education officials, state infant mental health association leadership, child advocates, and legislative staff.

Thursday, April 28,  1-2 pm EDT; 12 noon–1p CT; 11am-12 noon MT; 10-11 am PT

Mental health disorders may begin to manifest in the first years of life.  And when left untreated, mental health problems can take root and worsen over time, with potentially serious consequences for early learning, social competence, and lifelong health.  Despite the effectiveness of early childhood mental health services, most young children still do not receive necessary treatment and services.  More appropriate policies can promote mental health well-being, prevent adverse experiences from affecting development, and provide eligible infants, young children and their families with robust access to effective mental health treatment.
For those unable to attend the live event, a recording of the webinar and supporting materials will be posted on the ZERO TO THREE website after the webinar. 

To register for the webinar click here.

Free Cancer Screenings from Huntsman Cancer

Early detection can save lives!

Free Oral Cancer Screening Clinic

Saturday, April 16, 2016

9:00 am to noon

at

Huntsman Cancer Institute

Outpatient Clinic 1A

1950 Circle of Hope

Salt Lake City, Utah

Call for an appointment: 1-888-424-2100

___________________________________

Free Skin Cancer Screening

Saturday, April 9, 2016

9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Call for an appointment today: 1-888-424-2100

High-risk groups

People who work or play outdoors—

construction workers, mail carriers, lifeguards,

golfers, skiers, hikers, cyclists, to name a few

Tanning bed users

Men in their fifties or sixties

Fair-skinned people who freckle or burn easily

People with skin “spots” that have recently

appeared, grown, or changed

Sponsored by 

Huntsman Cancer Institute and University of Utah Health Care

Ushering in a New Era in Health Equity

A rich and storied history connects health and people of color in America. The architects of our nation’s civil rights and health equity movements led major change in addressing the disparities that prevented minority populations from enjoying the same health status as other Americans. During National Minority Health Month 2016 in April, we recognize the valiant efforts of our country’s health equity champions who ensure that everyone has an equal chance at a healthier life. Read more on the Blog for Heath Equity.

Caring Connections: Seeds of Remembrance, Honoring Those Who Have Gone Before

Seeds of Remembrance

Honoring Those Who Have Gone Before

Tuesday, May 26, 2016 at 7:00 pm

Featured Guest

Nannette Wride, widow of fallen Utah County Sheriff Sgt. Cory Wride

University of Utah

Spencer F. and Cleone P. Eccles Health Sciences Building

26 South 2000 East

Salt Lake City, Utah 84112

Contact Caring Connections at 801-585-9522 or visit www.nursing.utah.edu/caring-connections

Managing your health insurance plan

If you're enrolled in a 2016 health insurance plan, here's what you need to know about getting the full benefit of your health coverage and keeping it up-to-date.

The 4 health insurance tips to use all year: Pay your first month's premium Submit any missing documents Update your income and information if it changes Be sure to file your 2015 taxes The HealthCare.gov Team

Announcing the $1.5 million Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge

Achieving health equity means addressing the social determinants of health. And in the long term, sustainable success requires reaching outside the traditional public health community to form cross-sector partnerships. That’s why this National Public Health Week, we’re so excited to announce a new opportunity to create healthier communities nationwide.
 
Announcing the $1.5 million Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge 
APHA, the Aetna Foundation and the National Association of Counties, in partnership with CEOs for Cities, announce the start of a multiyear program to encourage small to mid-sized cities, counties and federally recognized tribes to convene multisector partnerships in support of positive health change. More than $1.5 million in prizes will be awarded to participants that demonstrate measurable change in the next few years. Efforts will be judged both on the quality of cross-sector partnerships and progress on metrics such as tobacco use, walkability, housing affordability, living wages and community safety.
 
Proposals to participate in the Challenge are due May 31, 2016. 
Those selected to participate will receive community seed grants and will be offered technical assistance, subject matter expertise and online educational opportunities throughout the Challenge. So start working on your proposal today!
 
Learn more and download application materials.
 
APHA.org 

Salt Lake County Health Department announces Healthy Salt Lake

The Salt Lake County Health Department is pleased to announce the launch of www.healthysaltlake.org, a website containing a multitude of health data about Salt Lake County. 

Explore Health Data

• 175 health indicators.
• Many can be seen at zip code or small area level.
• Many can be broken down by age, gender, or race and ethnicity.
• Community profiles to understand the health needs of your area.
• Hospitalization and Emergency Department data.
• Healthy People 2020 tracker that shows progress towards meeting national targets.
• Comprehensive demographic information about Salt Lake County. 

Healthy Salt Lake Healthy Salt Lake is a collaborative effort to help Salt Lake County become the healthiest county in the nation by strengthening the whole public health system. Healthy Salt Lake is leading the development and implementation of a Community Health Improvement Plan in Salt Lake County and created workgroups to implement each priority area. Visit www.healthysaltlake.org or email healthysaltlake@slco.org to learn more.

We invite all organizations in Salt Lake County committed to advancing health and wellness for individuals, families, communities, and the environment to join us. 

HHS Health Equity Forum

Commemorating National Minority Health Month 2016 and the30th Anniversary of the HHS Office of Minority Health 

WHAT:	HHS Health Equity Forum: “Accelerating Health Equity for the Nation”
WHO:	Featured speakers:
	Karen B. DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, Acting Assistant Secretary of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Broderick Johnson, JD, Assistant to the President; Cabinet Secretary; Chair, My Brother’s Keeper Task Force; The White House John B. King, Jr., MA, JD, EdD, Secretary, U.S. Department of Education Karol V. Mason, JD, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice J. Nadine Gracia, MD, MSCE, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
WHEN:	Thursday, April 7, 2016; 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EDT)
WHERE:	Join Us Live Online to View the HHS Health Equity Forum

BACKGROUND:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) will host a Health Equity Forum (Forum) in recognition of National Minority Health Month 2016 and the 30th anniversary of the HHS Office of Minority Health.  During these observances, OMH will continue to build upon initiatives and campaigns initiated in 2015 during the 30th anniversary of the Report of the Secretary’s Task Force on Black and Minority Health (Heckler Report). 

The Heckler Report marked the first convening of health experts by the U.S. government to conduct a comprehensive study of the health status of racial and ethnic minorities, elevated minority health onto a national stage, and led to the establishment of OMH in 1986.  For 30 years, OMH has led efforts to improve the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will help eliminate health disparities. 

The Forum will highlight initiatives underway by the Obama Administration and HHS to reduce disparities and further efforts needed to accelerate health equity and expand opportunity for all.

For questions or additional information, contact us at: forum@minorityhealth.hhs.gov or 240-453-8833.