Utah Department of Health Office of Health Disparities
The Connection: News about overcoming health disparities in Utah

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Tribal Grant Writers Training

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Minority HealthOffice of Minority Health Resource Center (OMHRC), in collaboration with the Paiute Tribe of Utah Health Department: Tribal Grant Writers Training. Event to be held October 31 to November in Cedar City, UT. Deadline for registration is October 25, 2017. For further information and to register, please contact Elton Naswood.

Friday, September 22, 2017

How Hispanic/Latino Americans Can Lower Diabetes Risk

Division of Diabetes Translation Banner 2016

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with Lower Risk


Hispanic family cookingDid you know that Hispanic and Latino Americans are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes? This National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15–October 15) is the perfect time to celebrate history, culture, and family—and focus on preventing type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes often has no clear symptoms, so if your heritage is Hispanic/Latino and you have any of the risk factors below, talk to your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested:
  • Being overweight
  • Being 45 years or older
  • Having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes
  • Being physically active less than 3 times a week
  • Ever having gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
The good news is that making healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating healthy and getting more physical activity, can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by up to 58% in people at risk (71% if you’re over 60).
Type 2 diabetes can run in the family, but so can healthy habits. This National Hispanic Heritage Month, why not start a new tradition of preventing type 2 diabetes? Learn more in our feature.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Salt Lake County Youth Summit


U.S. Census Bureau Session Information: Hispanics by the Numbers

    US Census Bureau: Webinar. Hispanics by the Numbers. Learn how the Census Bureau collects, tabulates and publishes data on Hispanics in the United States. This webinar will cover numerous topics, including the history of the Hispanic population in the US, growth, top states and top percentage changes, as well as the top percentage of Hispanic ethnicities. October 5, 2017, 1:00 pm ET. Register here.

    Tuesday, September 19, 2017

    UDOH Position Opening: Nurse Practicioner

    The Department of Health has an opening for a NURSE PRACTITIONER, Utah Cancer Control, posting # 13379.  The posting will close at midnight on October 01, 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.

    Share this great opportunity with your networks and encourage them to apply at:  http://statejobs.utah.gov/jobseeker/

    Walk for Domestic Violence


    CDC Report Released: 2016 School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS) Results

    CDC
    2016 SHPPS CoverToday, CDC released district-level findings from the 2016 School Health Policies and Practices Study (SHPPS) on the Healthy Youth Web site. SHPPS is a national study periodically conducted to assess school health policies and practices.
    These new district-level data suggest that while improvements are being made in practices around some health issues, there are issues that still need improvement. SHPPS data show:
    • The percentage of districts with school health policies and practices related to violence, bullying, and suicide prevention has increased since 2000.
    • The majority of districts require high schools to provide health education on HIV, STD and substance use prevention, however, fewer districts require elementary and middle schools to provide age-appropriate education in these areas.
    • Less than 2% of districts had policies requiring schools to provide health services such as testing for HIV, STDs, and pregnancy.
    School policies and practices play an important role in supporting student health. Reversing the decline of school policies and practices regarding substance use, HIV, and STD prevention is critical to addressing these priority public health issues.
    Included in this new report are results on school policies and practices, such as health education; health services and counseling, psychological and social services; and healthy and safe school environment. Additional materials include two fact sheets highlighting key 2016 results and trends over time (2000-2016). To access these materials and learn more about SHPPS, visit: www.cdc.gov/shpps/
    Please share this new report and related resources with education and public health partners implementing teen HIV, STD and p

    Now Available: 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report

    Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Annual Report Shows More Americans Have Health Insurance and Receive Safer Care, but Gains Remain Uneven Among Minorities

    2017 QDR Report BannerAHRQ’s 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report shows that the quality of health care continues to improve gradually each year but gains remain uneven among minorities. Some of the biggest improvements are in measures of “person-centered care,” such as communication between doctors and their patients, and the safety of medical care, such as fewer complications among hospital patients who were taking anticoagulants other than warfarin.The report also indicates that fewer people were uninsured, as 11 percent of people under age 65 were uninsured in 2016 compared with 18 percent in 2010. However, most disparities in health care quality continued to persist, with no significant improvements for any racial or ethnic groups, especially people in poor, low-income and uninsured households as well as blacks and Hispanics. As a companion to the report, AHRQ’s Chartbook on Patient Safety provides new data on dozens of safety measures, such the rate of central line-associated bloodstream infections decreasing by more than 40 percent between 2009 and 2014. Access an AHRQ Views blog on AHRQ’s new report and chartbook.

    Webinar - Equity and Preterm Birth: A context for Action

    Preterm birth, the leading cause of infant mortality, has been called a dramatic and shocking example of race and place inequality in the U.S. This webinar will summarize the state of knowledge about equity and preterm birth, with an emphasis on populations at highest risk.

    SPEAKERS:


    Paula Braveman, MD, MPH
    Professor of Family and Community Medicine and Director of the Center on Social Disparities in Health, University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine
    Arthur R. James, MD, FACOG
    Interim Executive Director, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, Associate Clinical Professor, Dept OB/GYN, Wexner Medical Center The Ohio State Univeristy
    Donald K. Warne, MD, MPH
     
    Chair of the Department of Public Health, North Dakota State University, Department of Public Health
    Paul Jarris, MD, MBA (Moderator)
     
    Chief Medical Officer, SVP Mission Impact, March of Dimes Foundation
    Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST 

    REGISTER FOR WEBCAST

    Monday, September 18, 2017

    Getting Data Right— and Righteous to Improve Hispanic or Latino Health

    CDCSave the Date!
    CDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity Presents
    Getting Data Right— and Righteous to Improve Hispanic or Latino Health
    featuring
    Alfonso Rodríguez Lainz, PhD, DVM, MPVM
    Epidemiologist, U.S.– Mexico Unit, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, CDC 
    October 3, 2017
    1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET
    This discussion will focus on the importance of population health monitoring programs to collect data elements that better capture Hispanics’ diversity, and to provide language assistance to assure meaningful inclusion of all Latino and Hispanic populations in national health monitoring. 
    Registration is not required. For more information contact OMHHE@cdc.gov

    Partnering for Healthy Pregnancies: Before, During and After

    Partnering for Healthy Pregnancies:  Before, During and After
    A webinar hosted by the
    FDA Office of Women’s Health
    and the
    Region VIII Women’s Health Interagency Taskforce
    Thursday, September 28th, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. MST (4:00 – 5:00 p.m. EST)

    Learn about the free resources available to providers, home visitors and other public health professionals
    from the Food and Drug Administration and the Office of the Assistant Secretary’s Office on Women’s Health!


    For questions, please contact cpruitt@hrsa.gov or susana.calderon@hhs.gov

    HHS Commits $144.1 Million in Additional Funding for Opioid Crisis

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded an additional $144.1 million in grants to prevent and treat opioid addiction in support of President Trump’s commitment to combat the opioid crisis. The grants will be administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

    “Those supporting prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts in our local communities are heroes in our nation’s battle against the opioid crisis,” said HHS Secretary Tom Price, M.D. “On our nationwide listening tour, we have heard how critical federal resources can empower their efforts to meet the challenges of substance abuse and addiction, especially with the opioid crisis. These grants will help expand treatment and recovery services to pregnant and postpartum women who are struggling with substance abuse, train our first responders to effectively use overdose reversing drugs, improve access to medication-assisted treatment, and increase long term recovery services. Together, we can heal communities and save lives.”
                                                 
    According to SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2016 an estimated 11.8 million people misused opioids in the past year, including prescription pain relievers and heroin.  Preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 2016 suggests the number of drug overdose deaths, most of them due to opioids will likely top 60,000.

    “Opioid use disorders continue to plague our nation,” said Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. “These funds will support and expand prevention, treatment and recovery services in America’s communities.” 

    The first four of the six grant programs listed below were authorized in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) of 2016, (P.L. 114-198). CARA authorized funding to fight the opioid epidemic through prevention, treatment, recovery, overdose reversal, and other efforts. The fifth grant program listed, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), received an increase in funding for opioids in the fiscal year 2017 Omnibus Appropriations bill.

    SAMHSA is issuing the funding through the six grant programs listed below in the following amounts:
    ·         First Responders – Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act - $44.7 million. The purpose of this program is to provide training and medication for emergency treatment of opioid overdose.
    ·         State Pilot Grant for Treatment of Pregnant and Postpartum Women - Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act - $9.8 million. The purpose of the program is to support family-based services for pregnant and postpartum women with a primary diagnosis of a substance use disorder, including opioid use disorders.
    ·         Building Communities of Recovery - Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act - $4.6 million. The purpose of this program is to increase the availability of long-term recovery support for substance abuse and addiction.
    ·         Improving Access to Overdose Treatment - Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act - $1 million. The purpose of this program is to expand access to FDA-approved drugs or devices for emergency treatment of opioid overdose.
    ·         Targeted Capacity Expansion:  Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) – Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction - $35 million. The purpose of this program is to expand access to medication-assisted treatment for persons with an opioid use disorder seeking treatment.
    ·         Services Grant Program for Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women - $49 million. The purpose of this program is to expand services for women and their children in residential substance abuse treatment facilities, among other services.

    The funding will be distributed to 58 recipients, including states, cities, healthcare providers and community organizations. The funds will be awarded for three to five years, subject to availability and depending on the program.

    Earlier this year, HHS Secretary Price outlined five strategies to provide the Department with a comprehensive framework to combat the ongoing opioid crisis: improving access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services, including the full range of MAT; targeting the availability and distribution of overdose-reversing drugs; strengthening public health data and reporting; supporting cutting-edge research on pain and addiction; and advancing the practice of pain management.

    These awards follow a separate award of $485 million in grants in April 2017 – provided by the 21st Century Cures Act – to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories, and the free associated states of Palau and Micronesia by SAMHSA for opioid abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery.

    Friday, September 15, 2017

    HRSA awards $200 million to health centers nationwide to tackle mental health and fight the opioid overdose crisis

    HRSA banner image
    HRSA awards $200 million
    to health centers nationwide to tackle
    mental health and fight the opioid overdose crisis
    Today, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded more than $200 million to 1,178 health centers and 13 rural health organizations in every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin to increase access to substance abuse and mental health services.

    “No corner of our country, from rural areas to urban centers, has escaped the scourge of the opioid crisis,” said HHS Secretary Tom Price, M.D. “The Trump Administration is taking strong, decisive action to respond to the crisis caused by the opioid epidemic. These grants from HRSA go directly to local organizations, which are best situated to address substance abuse and mental health issues in their own communities.”

    Approximately $200 million will support 1,178 health centers to support expansion and integration of mental health services and substance abuse services. These services focus on the treatment, prevention, and awareness of opioid abuse in the primary care setting by increasing personnel, leveraging health information technology, and providing training.
    The expanded funding is part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ five-point strategy to fight the opioid epidemic by:
    • Improving access to treatment and recovery services.
    • Targeting use of overdose-reversing drugs.
    • Strengthening our understanding of the epidemic through better public health surveillance.
    • Providing support for cutting-edge research on pain and addiction.
    • Advancing better practices for pain management.
    "Nationally, about half of all care for common mental health conditions happens in the primary care settings," said HRSA Administrator George Sigounas, MS, Ph.D. "In health centers, where people are often most comfortable, staff with varied expertise have a unique opportunity to provide mental health and substance abuse services to patients who wouldn’t otherwise seek or have access to treatment.”

    Rural states are more likely to have higher rates of overdose death, particularly from prescription opioid overdose. To address their unique needs, 496 of the health centers that receive The Access Increases in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (AIMS) awards are located in rural communities.

    An additional nearly $3.3 million supports 13 rural health organizations to increase access to treatment and recovery services for opioid abuse under the Rural Health Opioid Program (RHOP) and the Substance Abuse Treatment Telehealth Network Grant Program (SAT -TNGP). The organizations will use these awards to advance evidence-based, opioid use disorder interventions to overcome challenges in rural communities, such as longer emergency response times and lack of access to substance abuse treatment providers.

    The new RHOP provides approximately $2.5 million for 10 rural health organizations in Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Ohio, and Virginia to help community members struggling with opioid abuse find locally available treatment options and support services through partnerships with local health care providers and other community-based groups.

    The SAT –TNGP provides approximately $670,000 for three organizations to use evidence-based, telehealth programs and networks to improve access to substance abuse treatment in rural, frontier and underserved communities.

    For more information about the impact of integrating mental health and substance abuse services at the community level, and a list of FY 2017 AIMS award recipients, visit: https://bphc.hrsa.gov/programopportunities/fundingopportunities/aims/fy2017awards/index.html
    To view a list of the RHOP and the SAT –TNGP award recipients, visit: https://www.hrsa.gov/about/news/press-releases/2017/fy17-rural-opioid-awards.html
    To learn more about the Health Center Program, visit: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/about
    To find a health center in your area, visit: http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov
    To learn more about the FORHP, visit: https://www.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth/

    Hispanic Heritage Month- September 15 to October 15

    hhm
    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Minority Health
    Hispanic Heritage Month is observed every year from September 15 to October 15 to recognize the rich cultural influence of Hispanics/Latinos in the United States. During this month, we celebrate and highlight Hispanic Heritage and look at key health issues that affect the community and offer resources and events that one can learn from and get informed in English and Spanish language.  
    Please visit the Office of Minority Health Hispanic Heritage Month site for updates on available downloadable materials and events in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month.

    Thursday, September 14, 2017

    Positive Youth Development for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth

    AIAN Project Venture 092017 bannerProject Venture, an evidence-based intervention, combines traditional native wisdom with positive youth development, social emotional learning, outdoor adventure, and service learning to create a unique approach that has been successful for more than 25 years. Beginning with a camp in Oklahoma during 1982, Project Venture has evolved into a model program recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that has been implemented in 25 states, 8 Canadian provinces, and Hungary. The National Indian Youth Leadership Project founded Project Venture and provides training, coaching, mentoring, curriculum development, and grant-writing assistance to program participants. The webinar will highlight the project’s core elements and guiding principles of this unique, internationally recognized native youth program and assist participants with exploring their readiness to implement it.

    TOPIC: Project Venture – Positive Youth Development for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth

    DATE: September 20, 2017

    TIME: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

    SPEAKERS:

    Moderator: Dr. Francine Gachupin, Member, American Indian and Alaska Native NPA Caucus

    Presenter: McClellan Hall, Founder and Executive Director of the National Indian Youth Leadership Project

    Register Here*: http://tinyurl.com/ProjectVentureRegistration 

    View the abstract and bio here: http://bit.ly/2x8JEen

    The American Indian and Alaska Native National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities (NPA) Caucus provides a forum for members to increase dialogue across the country and to coordinate and enhance tribal, state and local efforts to address health disparities and the social determinants of health for AI/ANs.

    Visit the AI/AN NPA Caucus website for more information: http://aian.npa-rhec.org/.

    *If the registration link does not work, please copy the entire link and paste it into your web browser. For webinar-specific questions, contact the moderator: csantos@explorepsa.com.


    New funding opportunity from RWJF


    What drives a patient’s trust—or mistrust—in their physician, nurse, hospital, health system, or health insurer?

    Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
    Nurse wearing a headset in front of shelves of files.While trust and respect in the patient/physician relationship are critical, the larger health care system and its many components—from customer service to clinical support staff to health insurance and billing—also play an important role in creating a health care environment that can meet patients’ needs.

    RWJF seeks to fund research studies that will examine how to build trust and mutual respect to better meet vulnerable patients’ health care needs. This funding opportunity is supported by AcademyHealth.

    Tuesday, September 12, 2017

    Public Health Grand Rounds: Healthy Aging- Promoting Well-being in Older Adults

    Public Health Events

    Healthy Aging: Promoting Well-being in Older Adults is the focus for the September 19 CDC Public Health Grand Rounds. The session -- viewable via live webcast -- will be on Tuesday, September 19, at 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. (ET). Experts will discuss the impact the aging population will have on caregivers, the public health system and older people themselves. Grand Rounds participants will learn about what CDC and public health officials can do and are doing to help older people maintain their health and independence. Presenters include:
    • Sarah Lenz Lock, JD, Senior Vice President for Policy, AARP, and Executive Director, Global Council on Brain Health, on “Promoting Health, Well-Being and Independence as We Age”
    • Matthew Baumgart, Senior Director for Public Policy, Alzheimer’s Association, on “Healthy Body, Healthy Brain: The State of Science and the Way Forward”
    • C. Grace Whiting, JD, Chief Operating Officer, National Alliance for Caregiving, on “Healthy Caregiver, Healthy Patient: Importance of Healthy Aging for Caregivers”
    • Lisa C. McGuire, PhD, Lead, CDC Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on “CDC’s Healthy Brain Initiative: Moving Forward Together”
    CDC will broadcast live the Grand Rounds on its website: https://www.cdc.gov/cdcgrandrounds/ (The link will be live five minutes before the presentation.) A few days after the session, it can be viewed on the Grand Rounds archive page: https://www.cdc.gov/cdcgrandrounds/archives/index.htm 
    All continuing education credit for Public Health Grand Rounds (PHGR) is issued online through the CDC/ATSDR Training and Continuing Education Online system: http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline  The course code is PHGR10.

    Monday, September 11, 2017

    A Roadmap to Behavioral Health

    Contact: CMS Media Relations

    A Roadmap to Behavioral Health

    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) in partnership with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released The Roadmap to Behavioral Health focuses on behavioral health as a companion guide to the C2C Roadmap to Better Care and a Healthier You. The consumer-facing resource offers important information about mental health and substance use disorder services, finding a behavioral health provider, defining behavioral health terms, receiving services, and following up on care. The resource walks through the 8 Steps of the Roadmap to offer information specific to behavioral health, and offers a glossary and links to other HHS resources.