Utah Ranks in Top 5 of the 2015 Most 'Bicycle Friendly' U.S. States

For the second-straight year, Washington and Minnesota took the top two spots on an annual list of states that are best for cyclists. But the League of American Bicyclists' rankings also show that no state scored higher than 67 points out of 100.

Last on the list was Alabama, which has occupied the No. 50 slot in four of the past eight rankings. The state earned a score of 12.3 points.

Here are the top 5: Washington, Minnesota, Delaware, Massachusetts, Utah; the bottom 5: Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, Kentucky, Alabama.

The league's rankings are based on a range of criteria that reward areas such as new policies, advocacy, legal protections and infrastructure. The league also issues a "report card" for each state, including a feedback section. One common suggestion: "Adopt a statewide, all-ages cell phone ban to combat distracted driving and increase safety for everyone."

A look at recent years' rankings shows that some states have moved up and down the list. For instance, Ohio has maintained its No. 16 spot after rising from the list's lower half in 2014. Rankings by state for 2015.

Two of the sharpest declines were in Hawaii and South Carolina, which fell from 2008 ranks of 14 and 15, respectively, to 40 and 47 this year.

This year, the league advised South Carolina officials, "Repeal the state's mandatory bike lane law. These types of laws ignore the quality and safety of available bike lanes."

The "Top 10 Signs of Success" for cycling in U.S. states, according to the League of American Bicyclists are:

•     1 percent or more of people commuting by bike
•     Safe passing law (3 feet or greater)
•     Complete streets policy
•     Dedicated state funding
•     Active state advocacy group
•     State bicycle plan (adopted 2005 or later)
•     Share the road campaign
•     Vulnerable road user law
•     Bicycle safety emphasis in strategic highway safety plan
•     2 percent or more federal funds spent on bike/ped

Read the entire story at npr.org or visit The League of American Bicyclists.

U.S. Health & Human Services, Treasury and Dept of Labor Issue Guidance on Preventative Services under the ACA.

The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury are issuing important guidance to insurance companies and consumers today to help ensure that Americans have the coverage they are entitled to under the Affordable Care Act.

The law required that important preventive services, such as contraception and well-woman visits, be covered without out-of-pocket expenses (such as a co-pay or deductible).  These recommended preventive services are designed to help people stay healthy and to catch illnesses earlier on, when treatments can be more successful and costs are often lower. 

But as the law has been implemented, issues have been raised by some women and from members of Congress that insurance companies were not covering the contraceptive method recommended by doctors, as well as concerns from issuers that the existing guidance did not provide enough detail about how specific types of contraception should be covered.

Today’s guidance seeks to eliminate any ambiguity. Insurers must cover without cost-sharing at least one form of contraception in each of the methods (currently 18) that the FDA has identified for women in its current Birth Control Guide, including the ring, the patch and intrauterine devices, according to the guidance. 

Additionally, the Departments are further clarifying a series of other important preventive services protections. The guidance:

• Clarifies that if a woman is at increased risk for having a potentially harmful mutation in genes that suppress tumors – the BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 cancer susceptibility gene - a plan or issuer must cover the preventive screening, genetic counseling, and BRCA genetic testing with no cost-sharing, as long as the woman had not been diagnosed with BRCA-related cancer. Women with the BRCA-1 and 2 mutation have a risk of breast cancer that is about five times the normal risk, and a risk of ovarian cancer that is about 10 to 30 times normal.
• Makes clear for transgender people that issuers cannot limit preventive services based on an individual’s sex assigned at birth, gender identity or recorded gender. Issuers should cover the preventive services that an individual’s provider, not an insurance company, determines are medically appropriate.
• Clarifies that if a plan or issuer covers dependent children, they must provide recommended preventive services for those dependent children. This includes recommended services related to pregnancy, including preconception and prenatal care.
• Indicates that issuers cannot impose cost-sharing for anesthesia services performed in connection with preventive colonoscopies.

The following quote can be attributed to Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell -

“The Affordable Care Act was a major step forward in helping women get the health care services they need to stay healthy. Tens of millions of women are eligible to receive coverage of recommended preventive services without having to pay a co-pay or deductible, including contraception,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell.  "Today, we are clarifying these coverage requirements, including access to the full range of contraceptive methods identified by the FDA, access to genetic counseling and testing for the BRCA gene as a preventative tool in the fight against cancer, and access to preventive services for transgender individuals.”

Read the clarification online on the U.S. Department of Labor website: FAQs about Affordable Care Act Implementation (Part XXVI)
http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-aca26.html

National Women's Health Week- May 10 - 16

This week is National Women’s Health Week!

National Women’s Health Week is an observance led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health. The goal is to empower women to make their health a priority.  Focusing on women’s health is a critical issue.  A recent article in the Washington Post, highlights some alarming trends in women’s health in areas involving STDs, mental health, disparities, and chronic disease prevention. Click on the following link to read the full article. http://wapo.st/1IS1y6h

What steps can I take for better health?

To improve your physical and mental health, you can:

• Visit a doctor or nurse to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings.
• Get active.
• Eat healthy.
• Pay attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress.
• Avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, texting while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet.

Find out what additional steps you should take based on your age.

How can I participate in National Women’s Health Week?

The Office on Women’s Health invites women across the country to:

• Spread the word through social media with our easy-to-use resources. Use the #NWHW hashtag.
• Join the National Women’s Health Week Thunderclap.
• Take the National Women’s Health Week pledge.
• Organize events or activities.
• Share National Women’s Health Week infocards with your friends, family, and coworkers.
• Learn what steps you should take for good health based on your age.
• Schedule your well-woman visit every year http://www.womenshealth.gov/nwhw/checkup-day/

Visit Office of Women's Health to find out more.

Free Community Screening of Dark Side of the Full Moon

The Utah Maternal Mental Health Collaborative

proudly presents a free community screening of:

Dark Side of the Full Moon

Thursday, May 14th at 7:00 p.m. sharp

The Salt Lake City Library

Main Floor Auditorium

210 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Learn the chilling truth about the most common complication of childbirth for American women and what we can do about it in Utah.

Community discussion immediately following the film from 8:15-8:45. The nature of this film and venue are best suited for adults. Nursing babies in arms are welcome. This film may be triggering for women with personal experience with maternal anxiety and depression; caution is advised.

Preview a movie trailer.

This event is made possible by:

Intermountain Healthcare

Healing Group

Better Birth

University of Utah College of Nursing BirthCare HealthCare

The Community School of Midwifery

Utah Department of Health Maternal and Child Health

Contact Amy Rose White with questions 541.337.4960 or visit www.utah.mmhc.com.

OHD and Partners Celebrate Minority Health Month

OHD and many community partners marked Minority Health Month in Utah with exciting events.

Health screenings at Somali Community Self-Management Agency

OHD and Somali Community Self-Management Agency continued an ongoing commitment to link uninsured/underinsured individuals with primary care and medical homes.  This partnership, one of OHD’s funded efforts, provides monthly health screenings at the Somali Community offices and at the Olive Pharmacy.

“Screenings are a great way to find out what some of your risk factors are, and a lot of people that may not have gone to the doctor recently or may not have access to a doctor can actually come and get free screenings,” Jake Fitisemanu, OHD.

Ghulam Hasnain, an adviser for Somali Community Self-management Agency, also spoke about the value of that testing.  “If it’s found through testing that they do have those issues, sometimes people don’t know they have those issues, they then are referred to clinics that can help with this sort of financial profile,” he said.

Read more or watch a featured news story about the event on Fox 13 news at http://fox13now.com/2015/04/26/state-health-officials-offer-programs-to-help-minority-populations/

Breakfast hosted at Comunidades Unidas

ComunidadesUnidas also held an event, Utah Latino Health Breakfast, to discuss how to better serve the Latino community.  Discussions included how to collaborate with partners and building trust with clients.  CU organized this unique event in an effort to share and learn from shared challenges and successes.

OHD also presented at the annual Utah Public Health Association conference.  OHD showcased a new video, A Class About CLAS, which is an introduction to the National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Service Standards or CLAS Standards.  OHD provided attendees with tools and information about how to personalize a program or practice. OHD has created practical tools to help health care workers provide the best services possible to Utah’s diverse communities.  A Class About CLAS and CLAS tools can be found on the OHD website. 

Project Success and Harambee Tobacco & Health Network continued their commitment to services targeting minorities in Northern Utah with a Senior Health Fair at Second Baptist Church in Ogden in celebration of Minority Health Month.  A wonderful day for African American seniors and others included health screenings, information tables, pedicures, door prizes, and lunch.

HHS announces $2,305,900 in Affordable Care Act funding to 4 new community health centers in Utah

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced today approximately $2,305,900 in Affordable Care Act funding to 4 new health center sites in Utah for the delivery of comprehensive primary health care services to the communities that need them most.  These new health centers in Utah are projected to increase access to health care services for nearly 5,101 patients.  Nationally, approximately $101 million was awarded to 164 new health center sites in 33 states and two U.S. Territories to increase access to health care services for nearly 650,000 patients.

“The Affordable Care Act has led to unprecedented increases in access to health insurance.  Part of building on that progress is connecting people to the care they need,” said Secretary Burwell. “Health centers are keystones of the communities they serve in Utah. Today’s awards will enable more individuals and families in Utah to have access to the affordable, quality health care that health centers provide. That includes the preventive and primary care services that will keep them healthy.”

Nationally, this investment announced today will add to the more than 550 new health center sites that have opened in the last four years as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Today, nearly 13 health centers operate more than 44 service delivery sites that provide care to nearly 123,116 patients in Utah.

Health centers have also been critical in helping Utah residents sign up for health insurance through the Marketplace. Since 2013, health centers assisted more than 69,127 Utah residents in their efforts to become insured.

“More people have insurance in the United States than ever before,” said HRSA Acting Administrator Jim Macrae. “Health centers provide an accessible and dependable source of culturally competent primary care for many of the newly insured.”

The recently enacted bipartisan Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act builds on this progress by extending  mandatory funding for health centers in fiscal years 2016 and 2017.
To see a list of award winners, visit www.hrsa.gov/about/news/2015tables/newaccesspoints/.
To learn more about the Affordable Care Act, visit www.HealthCare.gov.
To learn more about HRSA’s Health Center Program, visit http://bphc.hrsa.gov/about/index.html.

U of U School of Medicine study suggests moving 2 minutes every hour improves health

 Story from npr.org

We know that sitting all day is hazardous to our health, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, inflammation and atherosclerosis. It all sounds pretty dismal, since many of today's jobs require us to be nearly glued to our computer screens. But a tiny two-minute break may help offset that hazard, researchers say.

People who got up and moved around for at least two minutes every hour had a 33 percent lower risk of dying, according to researchers the University Of Utah School Of Medicine.

"It was fascinating to see the results because the current national focus is on moderate or vigorous activity," says Dr. Srinivasan Beddhu, lead author of the study and a professor of medicine. "To see that light activity had an association with lower mortality is intriguing."
You don't need a starting line to avoid arthritis pain, researchers say. Just put on that pedometer when you get up in the morning.

The researchers looked at data from 3,626 participants in the federal National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), who wore accelerometers to measure the intensity of their activity during the day. They looked at "light" activities, things like walking around the office, up and down a few flights of stairs, even a short walk to get a cup of coffee. Beddhu says: "Our study suggests that even small changes can have a big impact."
People use energy less efficiently as they age. Running seems to help prevent that slowdown.

People who had chronic kidney disease saw a 41 percent lower risk of dying in the time period studied, which was just under three years on average. And those 383 people were also the most sedentary, spending 41 minutes of each hour immobile, compared to 34 minutes in the group as a whole. The study was published Thursday in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

While many of us are getting standing desks to combat the ills of sitting all day, Beddhu says there's not enough evidence to confirm solid benefit from standing all day versus sitting. So he suggests even if you do stand all day you may want to add a spin around the office every hour. Day to day, week to week, it adds up, he says. Varying speed while walking may make the activity much more effective.

If you're awake say, 16 hours a day and you move about two minutes every hour, that adds up to 32 minutes a day. Multiply that by five work days, you end up with 160 minutes per work week of light activity. And if you can do more, even better, says Beddhu. "If you can do five minutes every hour, you can actually end up burning 1,000 additional calories a week." That can decrease fat tissue and help maintain or even lose weight.

As for that two-minute burst of activity satisfying federal guidelines for physical activity, forget it. You still have to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every week. This more intense activity has numerous benefits of its own, including strengthening the cardiovascular system.