New census-tract level data provides a deeper understanding of life expectancy gaps

New census-tract level data provides a deeper understanding of life expectancy gap

This first-of-its-kind data is the first time life expectancy at birth estimates are available nationwide down to the neighborhood level for virtually every community in America.

Calculate your neighborhood's life expectancy >

What’s in it for You? The Importance of Latino Representation in Research Studies

Monday, October 15, 2018

1:00 - 2:00 pm ET

Register Here

According to the National Institutes of Health, Hispanic/Latino communities are under-represented in federally funded clinical/cohort research studies. During Hispanic Heritage Month, the HHS Office of Minority Health is focusing its efforts on creating awareness of the importance of Hispanic/Latino community participation in research studies as a way to improve the health of this population. 

We invite you to join this webinar for an overview of Hispanic/Latino participation in research studies. Speakers will explore factors such as culture, acculturation, and fear, among others that are a barrier for enrollment and retention in research studies. 

Objectives:

• Provide an overview of the importance of minority populations participation in research studies 
• Identify factors that impede Latinos from enrolling in research studies
• Highlight programs and share resources that may help Latino communities be more involved in research 

Speakers:

-Dr. Matthew Lin, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, Director, Office of Minority Health, US Department of Health and Human Services 

-Gregory A Talavera, MD, MPH, NIH’s SOL Study Principal Investigator for the San Diego Field Center, Professor, School of Public Health San Diego State University

-Cariny Nuñez, MPH, CHRM, Senior Public Health Advisor, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

-Maria Lopez-Class, PhD, MPH, Health Disparities Scientist/All of Us Program Officer

-Edgar Gil Rico, Senior Director for Innovation and Program Development, National Alliance for Hispanic Health

Moderator:

Alexander Vigo-Valentín, PhD, Public Health Advisor, Hispanic/Latino Health Policy Lead, Office of Minority Health, US Department of Health and Human Services

Webinars October 18: Changing the course of dementia, a growing public health crisis

Mission possible: Changing the course of dementia, a growing public health crisis

What once was considered primarily a medical and aging issue is now also a rising public health concern. Each year, Alzheimer’s and other dementias increasingly impact older Americans, their families, and communities and escalate government expenditures. More than ever, public health has a critical role to play in changing the course of dementia.

Register below for an upcoming webinar with real-world examples of public health approaches to Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Two opportunities are offered on October 18, with each tailored for a specific audience. Local public health strategies will be featured in the first webinar, and the second webinar will provide examples from state public health departments.

Local Public Health Leaders and County Elected Officials

Changing the course of dementia, a growing public health crisis
Thursday, October 18, 2018 from 1:30-2:30 pm EDT
Register for local public health webinar
Hosted by: Alzheimer's Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Association of Counties, and National Association of County and City Health Officials

State Public Health Leaders

Changing the course of dementia, a growing public health crisis
Thursday, October 18, 2018 from 3:00-4:00 pm EDT
Register for state public health webinar
Hosted by: Alzheimer's Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

Both webinars will discuss how advances in scientific understanding now support a life-course approach to Alzheimer’s. Participants will learn about the Healthy Brain Initiative’s (HBI) newState and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia, The 2018-2023 Road Map, a quick-start guide for public health leaders on changing the course of dementia. The webinar will also provide:

• The case for public health action.
• Ripe-for-action Road Map strategies.
• Ready-to-use resources to promote brain health, expand early detection and diagnosis, improve safety and quality of care for people living with dementia, and attend to caregivers’ health and well-being.

About the co-hosts:

The Alzheimer’s Association aims to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

The Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program serve as the focal point of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) efforts to promote the health and quality of life of older Americans.

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) seeks to support, equip, and advocate for state and territorial health officials in their work of advancing the public’s health and well-being.

  The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) works to improve the health of the public by strengthening state-based leadership and expertise for chronic disease prevention and control in states and at the national level.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) aims to unite county governments across the United States to achieve healthy, vibrant, and safe counties.

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) is committed to improving the health of communities by strengthening and advocating for local health departments. 

Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week Highlights

This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded over $1 billion in opioid-specific grants to help combat the crisis ravaging our country. The awards support HHS’s Five-Point Opioid Strategy, which was launched last year and enhanced this week. New data unveiled recently by HHS suggests that efforts are now yielding progress at the national level.

“Addressing the opioid crisis with all the resources possible and the best science we have is a top priority for President Trump and for everyone at HHS,” said Secretary Alex Azar. “The more than $1 billion in additional funding that we provided this week will build on progress we have seen in tackling this epidemic through empowering communities and families on the frontlines.”
 
“This week, HHS updated its strategic framework for tackling the opioid crisis, which uses science as a foundation for our comprehensive strategy,” said Admiral Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health and Senior Advisor for Opioid Policy. “With these new funds, states, tribes, and communities across America will be able to advance our strategy and continue making progress against this crisis.”

Find out more at https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/about-the-epidemic/hhs-response/index.html

Expect the Great: College and Career Readiness Event

Salt Lake County Youth Government Elections

Men of Color Summit 2018

Cognitive Care Conference October 5th at South Town Expo Center

Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General's Spotlight on Opioids

The Surgeon General released Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids, a condensed document with opioid-relevant content from the 2016 Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. The Spotlight on Opioids calls for a cultural shift in the way Americans talk about the opioid crisis and recommends actions that can prevent and treat opioid misuse and promote recovery. 

The Surgeon General also released a digital postcard which is a call to action to the general public.  Learn and share the 5 actions every person can do to stem the opioid epidemic.

Webinar Series: Innovative Funding Approaches to Promote Health Equity

Taking Action to Promote Health Equity Series, Part 2:

Show Me the Money—Innovative Funding Approaches to Promote Health Equity

RSVP Today!

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

10 AM to 11:30 AM Pacific

1 PM to 2:30 PM Eastern

This is the second installment of TFAH’s 4-part Web Forum series: Taking Action to Promote Health Equity—Using the Lessons from Cutting-Edge Practices to Improve Health and Well Being.

Public health organizations often are frustrated by the lack of specialized funding to promote equity. Categorical funding by disease may restrict the types of interventions needed to tackle the complex causes of health disparities. Please join us for this Dialogue4Health Web Forum, which will feature place-based initiatives that are leveraging diverse funding, assets, and commitments of multiple sectors, while at the same time involving the community members in meaningful ways to advance health equity. Included in the session will be information on the successful Health Equity Zones in Rhode Island, which has managed the seemingly impossible task of converting categorical funding into community-driven equity work.

Registration is free and closed captioning is available to all attendees. This event is recommended for anyone working in public health, advocacy, community-based systems, education, faith-based organizations, hospitals/health systems, insurers, local and state health officials, and housing.

Copy and paste the following text into your browser: https://publichealthinstitute.webex.com/publichealthinstitute/onstage/g.php?MTID=ea2dfceee96477faa10112d9a31baee81

Presenters will include:
Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, Director, Rhode Island Department of Public Health; and President, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Ana Novais, MA, Executive Director, Rhode Island Department of Public Health
Moderator
J. Nadine Gracia, MD, MSCE, Executive Vice President, and COO, TFAH

UDOH Suicide Prevention Coordinator Position

Do you have experience building partnerships to meet a common goal? Do you have experience with mental health promotion and suicide prevention? The Utah Department of Health seeks you as the Public Health Suicide Prevention Specialist to oversee the Department's suicide prevention program for the state of Utah. You will work closely with suicide prevention coordinators from the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, the Utah State Board of Education, the Office of the Medical Examiner, and the Utah Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness to implement the state suicide prevention plan. To be successful in this position, you need to be able to work effectively on a team, build partnerships, have good organizational and time management skills, and effectively manage multiple projects with varying deadlines.  

The Ideal Candidate

• Has work experience in the prevention field.
• Has a bachelor's degree or higher in Public Health, Social Work, Education, or Social Services.
• Has a certification in suicide prevention and postvention training programs.
• Has the knowledge to manage grants, contracts, and budgets.
• Has a knowledge of Public Health principles on suicide prevention and response.
• Has a knowledge and experience with the state mental health system.

Preference may be given to applicants with any of the above items.
 
Why You Should Join Our Team
This is an opportunity to make a difference. Along with the satisfaction of helping improve awareness to Utah on Suicide Prevention you will receive great health and retirement benefits, such as, generous paid time off so you can have a positive work life balance. Click here to view a summary of all the benefits we offer.

Position closes on September 26, 2018 so get your application submitted today! To apply click here.

New Medicare Card Mailing for Utah Beneficiaries

CMS started mailing new Medicare cards to people with Medicare who live in Wave 6 states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

We finished mailing cards to people with Medicare who live in Waves 1, 2, 3, and now Wave 4 states and territories. If your Medicare patients say they did not get a card, ask them to:

• Sign into MyMedicare.gov to see if we mailed their card. If so, they can print an official card. They must create an account if they do not already have one. 
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). There might be something that needs to be corrected, such as updating their mailing address.

You can also print out and give them a copy of Still Waiting for Your New Card?, or you can order copies to hand out.

To ensure your Medicare patients continue to get care, you can use either the former Social Security number-based Health Insurance Claim Number or the new alpha-numeric Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) for all Medicare transactions through December 31, 2019.

Check this website as the mailings progress. Continue to direct your Medicare patients to Medicare.gov/NewCard for information about the mailings and to sign up to get email about the status of card mailings in their state.

We are committed to mailing new cards to all people with Medicare by April 2019.

Information on the transition to the new MBI:

• New MBI Get It, Use It MLN Matters® Article
• Transition to New Medicare Numbers and Cards Fact Sheet
• New Medicare Card information website

Census 2020 Partnership Specialist positions open

Census Partners,

We are now picking up the pace in preparation for the 2020 Census. The Partnership Specialist Positions are now open in Utah. We need your help with recruiting good candidates. The position opened today and closes on 9/20. We are conducting interviews on 9/27 in Salt Lake City and we expect the new Partnership Specialists to begin no later than 10/15/2018.  The position is well compensated with a range of $61K to 95K. There is also an opportunity for a Tribal Partnership Specialist.

Note: the internal links are for those who have worked for the Census before. If the candidate has not worked for the Census before they should use the (external) link. The positions are open in the Regional Census Website and USA/Jobs.

Please help us recruit good candidates by distributing the links and this message to your networks. The success or our outreach campaign relies heavily in hiring these individuals.

The details are below for those interested on the following links.

All positions
https://www.census.gov/about/regions/denver/jobs/utah.html

Direct to Utah, Davis and Salt Lake County positions
https://www.census.gov/about/census-careers/opportunities/positions/region-field/partnership-specialist/DENRO-PS-UT.html

Direct to Tribal Position
https://www.census.gov/about/census-careers/opportunities/positions/region-field/partnership-specialist/DENRO-PS-UT2.html

Sergio A. Martinez, Partnership Specialist
Dallas Regional Census Office/Field Division/Denver Region
U.S. Census Bureau
M : 720-325-4552
census.gov  |  @uscensusbureau

Salt Lake City’s RiverFest

Salt Lake City’s RiverFest will be ducky
Jordan Park celebration includes ducky derby dash for prizes & more

Salt Lake City’s RiverFest will be held September 15 and include lots of fun events for singles and families---including the chance to win two round trip airline tickets in the ducky derby dash.

A person can enter the ducky derby dash by purchasing a ducky to float down the river or find free ducky cards by exploring each booth at the event. The owner of the ducky who passes the finish line first will be the grand prize winner.

RiverFest offers free roasted corn, live music and dance performances, hypnotist act, interactive booths from community organizations, story time in the park, beer garden, bike taxis along the parkway, fly casting lessons, canoe rides, nature crafts, yoga, professional chalk artists, mud volleyball and other lawn games.

Participants can expect to have a lot of fun while learning all about the Jordan River Parkway. They are also invited to bring chairs and blankets to relax on the grass and watch the entertainment.

The event is hosted by Salt Lake City with support from the following sponsors: Delta Airlines, Heat Paving Inc., Mama Longlegs, NAPA, Burton Lumber and PlaySpace Designs. Photos from last year’s event are available upon request.

What:              Salt Lake City RiverFest

When:            Saturday, September 15, 2018, 3-7 p.m.

Where:            Jordan Park, International Peace Gardens, 1040 W. 900 S., Salt Lake City

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Free Higher Education Food Summit

OHD funding available for organizations serving Utah Pacific Islanders

The It Takes a Village (ITAV) program is an ongoing effort by the Utah Department of Health Office of Health Disparities (OHD) to address birth outcomes disparities among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities. OHD has developed a culturally-relevant curriculum aimed at creating healthier communities and babies. The curriculum consists of four different workshops. Workshops are facilitated by two trained facilitators and attended by eight to 12 community members.

OHD is seeking up to 10 Utah-based organizations with a tie or influence to Pacific Islanders to implement the curriculum.

• Workshops will be implemented either in late October–November 2018 (fall) or late February–March 2019 (spring).
• Each organization will identify two facilitators who are required to attend a mandatory facilitator training prior to the implementation of the workshops series.
• There will be two facilitator training:
• The first facilitator training will be held the evenings of October 9, 10, 11, and 12, 2018 (2 hours each day)
• February 2019 (days TBD)
• Each organization will recruit eight to 12 community members who will complete the four workshops.
• Organizations may apply to implement the curriculum once (fall or spring) or twice (fall and spring).
• Each organization is eligible to receive $500–$1,000, depending on the number of groups (one or two).
• The $500/per group should be spent as follows: $300–$400 to pay facilitators ($150–$200 each), $100–$200 at the discretion of the organization.

Fill out the application form and submit the form to Tima Clawson at tclawson@utah.gov.

Deadline to apply: Friday, September 14, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. MT.  Download the application form at http://www.health.utah.gov/disparities/it-takes-a-village/pdf/Mini-GrantApplicationForm-Aug2018.docx

Questions? Contact Tima Clawson tclawson@utah.gov or (801) 538-6775.

Increasing Your Organization’s Cultural Competency

Community Science Introduces

JourneyStart

An Innovative Solution to Increasing Your Organization’s Cultural Competency

Are you a small to mid-size organization (15-60 full- or part-time staff) providing health education and preventive and clinical services?

Do you provide these services in communities that are experiencing health disparities?

Are you interested in improving your organization’s cultural competency?

Are you interested in free tools and services for the next six months?

If you said yes to these questions, then this webinar is for you!

JourneyStart offers you:

• A readiness assessment
• A full cultural competency assessment that focuses on:
• Organizational policies and procedures
• Staff behaviors
• Relationships with other organizations serving the same populations
• A dashboard showing your organization’s cultural competency assessment results
• A library of cultural competency resources
• Technical assistance tailored to your organization
• A peer exchange forum

About JourneyStart

Community Science received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop JourneyStart, an online resource platform that assesses organizational cultural competency and provides tailored technical assistance to small to midsize health organizations. Culturally competent care is essential to meeting the health needs of diverse communities in our nation. JourneyStart is an innovative solution in that it:

• shifts the focus from the individual to the organization’s capacity to respond to people with differing health traditions, comfort levels with health care providers, and ability to follow healthcare advice,
• assesses an organization’s cultural competency on a continuum based on stages of behavior change, which recognizes cultural competency as a process of gradual, incremental, and ongoing change,
• employs visual analytics and cloud computing to be more accessible and user-friendly, and
• promotes a learning environment by making expertise in organizational cultural competency available to JourneyStart users and providing opportunities for organizations to learn from each other.

Interested? 

Join Kien Lee, Ph.D., and Wanda Casillas, Ph.D., from Community Science to learn more about JourneyStart and how your organization can benefit from it! 

September 5, 2018, 3:00 p.m. EST: Click here to register by September 3. 

September 13, 2018, Noon EST: Click here to register by September 11. 

September 21, 2018, 3:00 p.m. EST: Click here to register by September 19.

CCS to host Refugee Camp Exhibit