HHS Region VIII News: New Regional Director, Brian E. Shiozawa, M.D.

HHS Region VIII

Dr. Brian E. Shiozawa was appointed by the President as Regional Director in Region 8 on December 2017. As Regional Director, he leads the Denver based office as the personal representative of the Secretary. Dr. Shiozawa ensures the Department maintains close contact with state, local, and tribal partners and addresses the needs of communities and individuals in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

Dr. Shiozawa is an Emergency Physician from Utah and has served two terms as a Utah State Senator, representing District 8. He was elected to office in 2012 and 2016.  While serving as State Senator, Dr. Shiozawa sponsored and passed over 50 bills covering a range of health care related issues, opioid overdose, assault, and technology. He served on the Governor's Task Force on Health Care Reform, Chairman of the Business, Economic Development and Labor Appropriations Committee, Social Services Appropriations, and on Health and Human Services Committee. Dr. Shiozawa is a Past President of the Utah Medical Association. He also served on the Board of Trustees for St. Mark’s Hospital, was President of Emergency Physicians Group, and President of the Utah Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Oral Health America's Webinar Series: Collective Engagement

Collective Engagement: Lifelong Smiles Coalition Presenters: Di Findley; Suzanne Heckenlaible, MPA; Tracy Rodgers, RDH January 11, 2018, 2:00 PM CST   Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation, through collective engagement process, established a Lifelong Smiles Coalition as a public private partnership working to ensure optimal access to oral health care for older Iowans. Diverse membership of statewide coalition members are working to improve education and training, coordination and outreach, and public policies impacting older Iowans to achieve large scale system impact. Two specific programs will be overviewed during this webinar, Iowa Department of Public Health I-Smile Silver and Iowa CareGivers MouthCare Matters.

Continuing Education Credit: 1 *In order to receive these credits you must complete the evaluation for the specific webinar within six months of its live air date.

SAMHSA Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)

SAMHSA Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)

Offender Reentry Program

Apply Today!

Deadline: January 26, 2018

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2018 Offender Reentry Program (ORP) grants.

 The 2018 ORP program is to expand substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and related recovery and reentry services to sentenced adult offenders/ex-offenders with a SUD and/or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. These individuals are returning to their families and community from incarceration in state and local facilities including prisons, jails, or detention centers (i.e., the population of focus).

The full 2018 ORP expansion announcement can be found on the SAMHSA website at FOA Number: TI-18-003. When you are searching for a funding opportunity on Grants.gov, use SAMHSA’s FOA number as the Funding Opportunity Number listed above.

Anticipated Number of Awards: Up to 16

Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $425,000

Length of Project: Up to 5 years

Applicants should be aware that funding amounts are subject to the availability of funds.

SAMHSA will be hosting a Pre-Application webinar on December 19, 2017, see the attached document. The webinar will provide information on how to submit applications to SAMHSA using the NIH eRA System, including application and registration processes, requirements and validations and the post-submission process.

Also, please check the website for any additional information pertaining to the FOA.

Free Fare Friday

Free Fare to Help the Air

Enjoy complimentary rides on UTA across the Wasatch Front

this Friday, December 22 - all day!

New to public transit? Use UTA's Route Finder to plan your trip

The Salt Lake City Council, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and Utah Transit Authority are teaming up to cover your fare all day on December 22!

By encouraging transit ridership, the partnership seeks to raise awareness of the opportunity to improve our wintertime air quality. Bus drivers will be instructed not to accept fares and TRAX/FrontRunner stations will have signs posted indicating that no fares are required.

The Council is proud to co-sponsor this Free Fare Friday. More info here.

Nearly 1 in 5 Utahns Live with a Disability

(Salt Lake City, UT) – According to a new report released by the Utah Department of Health (UDOH), nearly one in five (17.8%) Utah adults is living with a disability. The most common are mobility-related disabilities (9.1%), followed by cognitive disabilities (8.8%), disabilities that impact independent living (4.5%), vision-related disabilities (2.8%), and disabilities that impact self-care (2.3%). Data on deaf or hard of hearing were not included in the report.

“Adults with disabilities experience significant differences in their health behaviors and overall health compared with adults without disabilities,” said Libby Oseguera, spokesperson with the UDOH. “Our data shows people with disabilities were more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors like inactivity and tobacco usage and experience a higher incidence of chronic health conditions like diabetes and obesity.”

Many of the health outcomes that persons with disabilities are more likely to experience either contribute to the top causes of death or are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. In fact, Utahns with disabilities were three times more likely to have a heart attack, two times more likely to be diagnosed with cancer (not including skin cancer), and two times more likely to have asthma or arthritis when compared to those without a disability. Focusing on improving health through exercise, proper nutrition, and preventive health check-ups often takes a backseat to the challenges faced in everyday life.

The report showed that among persons with disabilities:

• 36.9% report “fair” or “poor” health compared to only 6.7% among persons without a disability
• 41.9% report having seven or more days of poor mental health compared to 10.9% among persons without a disability
• Nearly half (49.9%) had a diagnosis of depressive disorder compared with 15.5% among persons without a disability

“Unfortunately, poor health can make the challenges of everyday life more stressful and may result in increased physical, mental, and emotional demands as diseases develop,” said Oseguera.
Findings from the report also showed Utahns with disabilities were more likely to be female, Native American/Alaskan Native, and live in the Central Utah, Southeast Utah, Tooele County, or TriCounty local health districts. Persons with disabilities were also more likely to report lower education and income levels as well as a lack of health insurance when compared to those without disabilities.
“The Utah Department of Health recognizes these disparities and is working to make wellness and prevention more engaging and inclusive of people with disabilities in our programs, particularly those within our Bureau of Health Promotion,” said Kathy Paras, manager of the UDOH Disability and Health Program.

The report also provides a list of things the UDOH, healthcare providers, state officials and community leaders, and adults living with disabilities can do to improve health outcomes. Included is the recommendation to participate in Living Well workshops offered across the state that can help with management of chronic pain and chronic diseases, found at http://livingwell.utah.gov.
A copy of the report can be found at https://health.utah.gov.
# # #
Media Contact:
Libby Oseguera
(o) 801-538-6408
laoseguera@utah.gov

UDOH Early Childhood Utah Program Manager Position open

The Department of Health has an opening for an Early Childhood Utah Program Manager, posting # 14366. The posting will close at 11:59 PM on December 25, 2017 MST

In order to be considered for an interview for these positions, you will need to apply on-line at STATEJOBS.UTAH.GOV .  If you have not done so already, you will need to create a job seeker account.

Salt Lake County Board Vacancies

Salt Lake County Mayor’s Office

Boards and Commissions Update 12.13.17

Board Openings:

We are currently seeking applicants and recommendations for the following SLCO Boards and Commissions:

Housing Trust Fund Advisory Board          10 vacancies

Purpose: To address the concerns for affordable and special needs housing within the county. To the extent possible, members shall include residents of each county council district with at least four members having expertise in affordable housing or special needs housing. Remaining members shall have expertise in the areas of business, real estate, or housing development.

SLCO Fair Board             5 vacancies

Purpose: To enhance the interest of the community by establishing, conducting, and maintaining fairs and exhibitions within Salt Lake County.

Vacant seats with the following areas of interest are available: Volunteers, Business, Special Events (2 seats), Competitive Exhibits.

Interested applicants should apply online at:

https://slco.secure.force.com/BoardApplication

and/or contact Tiffany Clason at tclason@slco.org or 385-468-7026.

America's Health Rankings from United Health Foundation shows Utah jumped to #4 in Healthiest States

The United Health Foundation 2017 Annual Report of America's Health Rankings looks at 35 different factors affecting people's health including rates of smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, low birth weight, drug deaths, environmental conditions like air pollution, and the number of doctors, dentists, and mental health providers per 100,000 people in their state.
Florida and Utah experienced the largest rank improvements since last year, rising four places in the rankings to No. 32 and No. 4 in the country, respectively. Florida’s improvements include positive changes in its rankings for the percentage of children in poverty and frequent mental distress since 2016. Utah also improved its rankings for several measures in the same time period, including air pollution and immunizations among children.

MORTALITY RATES ARE INCREASING IN MANY STATES, EVEN THOSE RANKED HIGHLY FOR OVERALL HEALTH 

This trend is also true for cardiovascular deaths. Although ranked as the fourth healthiest state this year, Utah experienced one of the largest increases in the rate of cardiovascular deaths 21.9 deaths per 100,000 population) from 2012 to 2017.

WIDE VARIATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE CONCENTRATION OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

This year's report also examined the concentration of key health care providers, including mental health providers, primary care physicians and dentists, and found wide variation across the county.
Utah and Idaho have fewer the 100 Primary Care Physicians per 100,000 population.

Read the entire 2017 report at United Health Foundation American's Health Rankings webpage.

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander National Health Interview Survey: Data Collection in Small Populations

The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander National Health Interview Survey: Data Collection in Small Populations

The National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data from the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) which was jointly supported by the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This project is the first national health survey to use a sample frame consisting of NHPI households. This project was the result of years of advocacy by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community organizations, leaders, and health researchers, combined with advancements in federal policies on data collection standards for racial/ethnic populations. Please view the survey here. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 5, 2017

- - - - -

Mayor Biskupski applauds Salt Lake City Council on action to address affordable housing

Today, the Salt Lake City Council took action on two proposals presented by the Administration to address the affordable housing crisis in Salt Lake City. The proposals specifically dealt with approximately $21 million-dollars of Redevelopment Agency (RDA) funding the RDA Board set aside to deal with affordable housing in the City.

The proposal prioritizes $10 million-dollars of funding to be administered by the RDA for a competitive fund available to developers and community groups interested in building affordable housing projects. $3 million-dollars will also be directed to the City’s Housing Trust Fund, administered by the City’s Housing and Neighborhood Development Division, to be used for general purposes and a Renovation Pilot Program, to incentivize owners to improve existing affordable housing options. The proposal also sets aside funding for specific projects, including the Barnes Bank Exchange project, and the redevelopment of the Capitol Motel.

“I am thrilled we are moving forward on funding innovative initiatives to address the affordable housing crisis in Salt Lake City, which align with our proposed housing plan, Growing SLC” said Mayor Jackie Biskupski on the proposal. “Today’s move demonstrates that both the City Council and I are in agreement that now is the time to aggressively move to bring units online quickly. This is the product of almost a year of hard work, dialogue, and collaboration to find a workable solution.”

Earlier this year, the Biskupski Administration provided the City Council with two proposals for the use of set aside funding, including one option to fund specific RDA projects and one option utilizing the City’s existing Housing Trust Fund. In working through the proposals, the Council created the $10 million-dollar RDA fund, while also funding aspects of the Housing Trust Fund option. The Mayor noted that the decision preserved the opportunity to fund projects which could create deeply affordable housing prior to the 2019 closure of the downtown shelter.

“My priority has been, and continues to be, on ensuring we have the necessary housing options available to make the new homeless resource center model a success,” said Mayor Biskupski. “When we focus on the face of this crisis, including those moving from homelessness and those just struggling to get by in our City, we are able to achieve great things.”

The proposal would give the RDA a greater role in affordable housing initiatives in the City, while enhancing the City’s existing funding options. The RDA is a division of the Department of Economic Development, which was created by the Mayor in 2016 to help streamline economic activity in the City.

“The vitality of the City is dependent on the principle of equity, from job to housing opportunities. Salt Lake City thrives when our residents have access to affordable housing that allows them to live where they work and enjoy the amenities where they call home,” said Lara Fritts, Director of the Department of Economic Development and CEO of the RDA. “The City’s economic development efforts, and the work being done by our team and Mayor, are enhanced by the Council’s decision today.”

The Council also asked the Administration to explore options for an incentivized inclusionary zoning policy. In November, HAND launched a public engagement survey regarding inclusionary zoning in the City. The survey is available at www.slcgov.com/hand.

#####

Contact:

Matthew Rojas

385-228-2365 | matthew.rojas@slcgov.com

Learning and Growing: Healthy Development During Childhood and Adolescence Webinar

Learning and Growing: Healthy Development During Childhood and Adolescence – A Healthy People 2020 Progress Review Webinar New!

Register Now | December 12, 2017 | 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. ET

Spread the word! Tell your colleagues and friends about this great learning opportunity. Forward this email or tweet about the webinar.

Join us on Tuesday, December 12 at 12:30 p.m. ET for a Progress Review webinar featuring 2 Healthy People 2020 topic areas:

• Early and Middle Childhood
• Adolescent Health

You'll also learn how the City of Cincinnati Health Department is taking a comprehensive approach to providing school-based health services.

Register today!

About Early and Middle Childhood & Adolescent Health

Childhood and adolescence provide the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional foundation for lifelong health, learning, and well-being. The behavioral patterns established early in life help determine young people's current health and well-being and their ability to live healthy and productive lives throughout their lifespan.

About Progress Review Webinars

The Progress Review webinars focus on tracking and measuring the progress of select Healthy People 2020 objectives throughout the decade.

Fluoride in Practice: Resources from the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors

Fluoride in Practice: Resources from the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors Presenters: LeeAnn Hoaglin Cooper, RDH, BS; Chris Wood, RDH, BS December 7, 2017, 2:00 PM CST This webinar will review resources addressing key elements supporting community fluoride programs available on the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) website.  REGISTER

Continuing Education Credit: 1 *In order to receive these credits you must complete the evaluation for the specific webinar within six months of its live air date.

Announcing New Wellness Court Publication: Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts Treatment Guidelines

Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts: Treatment Guidelines, 2nd ed. (2017), is designed to provide tribal communities with an overview of Western substance abuse treatment strategies that have been developed by drug court programs over the past several years and that tribal programs might consider adapting, along with traditional healing practices. This guideline draws upon drug court standards and best practices, and the experiences of hundreds of tribal and state adult and juvenile drug court programs, operating in various environments and serving a wide range of individuals addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs. Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts: Treatment Guidelines for Adults and Juveniles (2002 draft).

You can find this publication for free download on our Tribal Healing to Wellness Court Publication Series webpage, as well as on our Home.TLPI.org website. The Tribal Healing to Wellness Court Publication Series is a free resource available to the field, documenting best practices and the latest in practice-based knowledge. 

Questions? Request for technical assistance?Email: wellness@tlpi.org Tribal Law and Policy Institute 8235 Santa Monica Blvd. Ste. 211West Hollywood, CA 90046  Phone: (323) 650-5467

www.Home.TLPI.orgwww.WellnessCourts.org  Email: wellness@tlpi.org

CMS posts update to Medicare Part D Opioid Prescribing Mapping Tool

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an updated version of the Medicare Part D opioid prescribing mapping tool.  The mapping tool is an interactive, web-based visualization resource that presents geographic comparisons- at the state, county, and ZIP code levels - of Medicare Part D opioid prescribing rates.  It allows users to understand and compare opioid prescribing at the local level and better understand how this critical issue affects communities across the country.  

The updated version of the mapping tool presents Medicare Part D opioid prescribing rates for 2015 as well as the change in opioid prescribing rates from 2013 to 2015.  New for this release is additional information on extended-release opioid prescribing rates, which have been associated with misuse, including both addiction and overdose deaths as well as analyses that identify county-level hot spots and outliers.  In total, for Medicare Part D, there were approximately 80 million opioid claims for 111 distinct opioid products in 2015, accounting for $3.5 billion in spending. 

The updated Medicare Part D Opioid Prescribing Mapping Tool can be accessed at:https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Medicare-Provider-Charge-Data/OpioidMap.html

Opioid Prescribing: Safe Practice, Changing Lives

Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017 | Time: 12:00pm (ET) to 3:00pm (ET)| REGISTER HERE!

DESCRIPTION: We now know that overdoses from prescription opioids are a driving factor in the 15-year increase in opioid overdose deaths.  Since 1999, the amount of prescription opioids sold in the U.S.  has nearly quadrupled, yet there has not been an overall change in the amount of pain that Americans report.  This comprehensive course, developed by experts from Collaborative for REMS Education (CO*RE), incorporates all six units outlined in the FDA blueprint for safe opioid prescribing.  Attend this webinar if you want to be able to:

·         Counsel patients and caregivers about safer use of opioids;

·         Describe strategies for diagnosing and managing opioid-addicted patients; and

·         Practice techniques for safe opioid prescribing.

PARTICIPANTS: This webinar is designed for healthcare and human service providers including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurses, counselors, social workers, case managers, and other staff who interact with patients, who work in multiple types of settings including primary care, geriatric care, maternal and child health care, Head Start programs, STD/HIV & reproductive health care, mental health, addictions, health departments, hospitals, health centers, schools, and community health settings.  Prescribers of extended-release and long-acting opioids are particularly welcome, including pain specialists, primary care physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, advanced practice nurses, dentists, addiction medicine physicians, psychiatrists and other physicians and clinicians who prescribe opioids. Sponsored by The Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Regional Operations (Region III),         In collaboration with the American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and the Central East Addiction Technology Transfer Center

FEMA Webinar: Tribal Individual Community Preparedness and Hazard Mitigation

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Intergovernmental Affairs Division

Telephone 202-646-3444
Intergovernmental Affairs Advisory

This month, FEMA will host a webinar on Tribal Individual Community Preparedness and Hazard Mitigation. The webinar will be on Wednesday, November 29, 2017 from 3-4 p.m.

 Eastern Time (ET). Those interested in the webinar can register to participate online. For those who do not have computer access, you can listen to the webinar by calling 1-800-320-4330 and using PIN 265976#. The line will be muted until the Q&A session.

For more information, please contact the Tribal Partners Branch at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov. For more information on how we engage and work government-to-government with federally recognized tribes and tribal executives, visit FEMA Tribal Affairs. 

If you have any questions, please contact FEMA Intergovernmental Affairs at 202-646-3444.

Community Health Workers of Utah November Meeting

New Diabetes Fact Sheets Available in English and Spanish

NEW DIABETES FACT SHEETS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH

Start using the newest and most popular Diabetes at Work resources today. Available in English and Spanish, the new diabetes fact sheets provide people with diabetes information about a wide range of topics, from healthy eating to coping with the emotional side of diabetes.

Pain in the Nation: The Drug, Alcohol and Suicide Epidemics and the Need for a National Resilience Strategy

New Report: Utah's Drug, Alcohol and Suicide Death Rate Could Increase 41 percent in Next Decade; Utah Would have 14th Highest Rate in Country

Study Highlights Solutions, Calls for National Resilience Strategy

Washington, D.C., November 21, 2017 – Utah's drug, alcohol and suicide death rate could increase by 41 percent in the next 10 years, according to a new report, Pain in the Nation: The Drug, Alcohol and Suicide Epidemics and the Need for a National Resilience Strategy, released today by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and Well Being Trust (WBT).

Utah's rate could rise to 70 per 100,000 deaths from these three causes by 2025 – which would be the 14th highest – compared to the state's current rate of 49.7 per 100,000 (as of 2015), which is the 15th highest.

Nationally, deaths from drugs, alcohol and suicide could account for 1.6 million fatalities over the coming decade (2016 to 2025). This would represent a 60 percent increase compared to the past decade, if recent trends hold, based on an analysis conducted by the Berkeley Research Group (BRG) for this report. From 2006 to 2015, there were 1 million deaths from these three causes.

• Nationally, in 2015, there were 127,500 deaths from drugs, alcohol and suicide. The epidemics currently are responsible for 350 deaths per day, 14 per hour and one every four minutes.
• According to the report's projections, this could reach 192,000 per year by 2025 (39.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2015 compared to 55.9 per 100,000 in 2025).
• At a state level, in 2005, 21 states and Washington, D.C. had death rates from these three causes above 30 per 100,000, and only six states had death rates above 40 per 100,000.
• As of 2015, 48 states and Washington, D.C. had rates above 30 per 100,000, 30 were above 40 per 100,000 and five states had rates above 60 per 100,000, including New Mexico which had the highest rate of 77.4 per 100,000.
• By 2025, 26 states could reach 60 deaths per 100,000 – and two states (New Mexico and West Virginia) could reach rates of 100 deaths per 100,000.

The study found, however, that these numbers may be conservative, especially with the rapid rise of heroin, fentanyl and carfentanil use. If the nation continues along recent trajectories, death rates would actually double to 2 million by 2025.

"These numbers are staggering, tragic – and preventable," said John Auerbach, president and CEO of TFAH. "There is a serious crisis across the nation and solutions must go way beyond reducing the supply of opioids, other drugs and alcohol. Greater steps – that promote prevention, resiliency and opportunity – must be taken to address the underlying issues of pain, hopelessness and despair.

Pedestrian Summit 2017

Continuous Improvement Capacity Building Grants for agencies working with youth in South Salt Lake and Kearns

Continuous Improvement Capacity Building Grants

funded by Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah

Application

DEADLINE: December 01, 2017

United Way of Salt Lake (UWSL) has made a commitment to the community to dramatically improve outcomes for every child in our region.  We believe that if nonprofits, schools, post-secondary institutions, businesses, government, philanthropies, and community members can align their resources toward the same goals, we can eliminate disparities and ensure that every child achieves their goals.

In partnership with Regence BlueCross BlueShield, we invite you to apply for a Continuous Improvement Capacity Building  grant.  The goal of this grant is for selected nonprofits to measurably improve an outcome for a group of targeted individuals through the implementation of continuous improvement principles and increased staff capacity focused on mental health for students and families in the Granite School District. Grant recipients will receive the following:

1.      Two workshops exclusively for grant recipients on results-based accountability and short-cycle continuous improvement

2.      Access to Results-Based Facilitation Training and Leadership Training

3.      Two technical assistance sessions to ensure clear implementation of outcome focused strategies

4.      A one-time grant of $5,000 to participate in workshops and trainings and to implement a continuous improvement strategy

Nonprofits who provide mental health services low to moderate income families in Granite School District in the below areas are eligible to apply for the grant:

●       South Salt Lake

●       Kearns

Application Deadline: December 1, 2017. 

Announcement of grant decisions will be made by December 15, 2017.

If you have questions regarding this grant application, please email Katherine Bark at katherine@uw.org. Get the grant application here.

Please send your completed application electronically to:

Katherine Bark

Grants Manager

United Way of Salt Lake

katherine@uw.org