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

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Salt Lake County Community Health Workers Month Proclamation


Partnerships for Health Equity Drive HHS Observance of National Minority Health Month 2018

Stakeholder Announcement

Partnerships for Health Equity Drive HHS Observance ofNational Minority Health Month 2018#NMHM18

Collaborative efforts to advance health equity are the focus of activities for the April 2018 observance of National Minority Health Month, led by the Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The theme for National Minority Health Month is Partnering for Health Equity, which provides an opportunity to highlight the partnerships at the federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial levels that help reduce disparities in health and health care. 
“Addressing disparities in health and health care is among our most urgent priorities,” said HHS OMH Director and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health Dr. Matthew Lin. “We can best meet the challenges facing our communities by working closely with them to determine the best solutions that meet their needs.
Activities for National Minority Health Month include an event on April 17th at HHS, featuring leaders from the department and their partnerships in working to improve the health of the nation. The event will be streamed live.
OMH will also promote partnerships through social media activities, including a Twitter Thunderclap on April 2nd and a #Partner4HealthEquity Twitter Chat on April 25th. Please visit the OMH website to find more information on #NMHM18 events, webinars, social media graphics and messages, and other materials.
OMH also invites you to help us tell the story of the power of partnerships to improve the health of communities. Submit your own Partnerships in Action story and help us highlight the work happening in communities across the country. OMH will feature selected stories during National Minority Health Month and beyond.
“During National Minority Health Month and throughout the year, all of us have a role to play in improving the health of our communities. All of us can be a partner for health equity,” said Dr. Lin. 

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HRSA Health Equity Report Published

U.S. Department of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Health Equity has released its 2017 Health Equity Report. The report presents a comprehensive analysis of HRSA’s program efforts in reducing health disparities and promoting health equity for various populations at the national, state, and local levels. Download the report: http://bit.ly/2DEJ21V

Community-Based Participatory Research in Indian Country

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DATE: April 5, 2018
TIME: 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
MODERATORDr. Francine Gachupin, Assistant Professor, University of Arizona; and Member, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) NPA Caucus
SPEAKER: Dr. Bonnie Duran, Professor, Schools of Social Work and Public Health, University of Washington; Director, Center for Indigenous Health Research, Indigenous Wellness Research Institute; and Member, AI/AN NPA Caucus
This webinar will focus on community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles to address health disparities among American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
A brief overview of CBPR for health promising practices will be provided, as will definitions and specific examples of practices associated with outcomes for improving health equity.
Webinar participants will be able to define CBPR, community-engaged research, and promising practices in the context of the CBPR framework. The presenter will discuss the development of CBPR partnerships and will share practices and tools, connecting them to research implementation.
Click here for abstract and speaker biography: https://tinyurl.com/AIANabstractandspeaker
The American Indian and Alaska Native NationaPartnership 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/

U of U Division of Public Health Sponsoring a Community Discussion about Opioids



Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Save the Date for Nuestra Salud

Bringing Best Practices to Latino Communities livestream In Spanish/En Español

The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) in partnership with the National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA) is proud to announce an upcoming FREE 4-part Live Webcast Series in Spanish - Nuestra Salud: Bringing Behavioral Health Best Practices to Latino Communities. Each one-hour Webcast will be moderated and broadcast in Spanish bringing together a panel of experts from across the U.S. to discuss important and relevant Latino behavioral health topics. 

La Administración de Servicios de Abuso de Sustancias y Salud Mental (SAMHSA, por sus siglas en inglés), el Centro para el Tratamiento del Abuso de Sustancias (CSAT, por sus siglas en inglés) y en colaboración con National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA) se enorgullece en anunciar una serie de 4 webcasts proximamente en vivo y en español GRATUITAS - Nuestra Salud: Trayendo Las Buenas Prácticas de la Salud del Comportamiento a Las Comunidades Latinas. Cada webcast tiene una hora de duracion, será moderado y transmitido en español y reunirá un panel de expertos de todos los EE. UU. para debatir temas importantes y relevantes sobre la salud del comportamiento de los Latinos. 


Please join us for the following livestreams/
Únase a nosotros para las siguientes transmisiones en vivo:

Livestream #1
Trauma Informed Practices and Latino Populations: Getting to the Core
The webcast will focus on the incidence of trauma and its impact on the Latino family. This show will discuss how trauma promulgates mental and substance use disorders, and its impact on the family and the community.

Las Prácticas Para la Atención Informada en Traumas y la Población Latina: Llegando al Fondo 
El webcast se enfocará en la incidencia del trauma y su impacto en la familia Latina. Este programa tratara de como el trauma promulga trastornos mentales y el uso de sustancias, y su impacto en la familia y en la comunidad.

Register today
Por favor, haga clic en el siguiente enlace para registrarse hoy..
Get more information/Para mas información
Register Now!/Registrate!
I can't make it/No puedo participa

When/Cuando
Livestream #1
Monday, April 16, 2018 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM MDT/Lunes, Abril 16, 2018 desde la 1:00 PM hasta la 2:00 PM MDT
Add to Calendar/Agregar al Calendario

Livestream #2
Monday, April 16, 2018 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM MDT/Lunes, Abril 16, 2018 desde la 4:00 PM hasta la 5:00 PM MDT
Add to Calendar/Agregar al Calendario

Livestream #3
Monday, May 7, 2018 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM MDT/Lunes, Mayo 7, 2018 desda la 1:00 PM hasta la 2:00 PM MDT
Add to Calendar/Agregar al Calendario

Livestream #4
Monday, May 7, 2018 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM MDT/Lunes, May 7, 2018 desda la 4:00 PM hasta la 5:00 PM MDT
Add to Calendar/Agregar al Calendario

Where/Donde
This is an online event that will be livestreamed on Facebook Live with a live twitter chat.
Este evento será transmitido en vivo mediante Facebook Live con un chat en Español en vivo por Twitter.

Monday, March 19, 2018

Webinar: Brain Health and Risk Reduction

Public Health Events
Tumeric? Crossword puzzles? Yoga? Every day, older Americans are hearing about what they can do to prevent Alzheimer’s and other dementias. But not all claims are backed by science. Helping people understand the best strategies to protect brain health is a critical public health response to Alzheimer’s that changes the future health of our communities. 

Join the Alzheimer's Association during National Public Health Week on Thursday, April 5 from 2:00 to 3:00pm ET for an interactive webinar to learn what works to reduce risk for dementia and how state and local public health agencies can educate the public. Please register in advance.

Controlling hypertension and cutting smoking are among the interventions recommended by The Lancet International Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care based on its evidence review and meta-analysis. Lon Schneider, MD, MS, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, will discuss the Commission’s lifespan-based model of dementia risk and interventions that may maximize cognition. Molly French, Alzheimer's Association, will highlight the Association's 2015 evidence review of modifiable risk factors and a new study of lifestyle interventions.

The webinar will also feature two health departments that have provided important leadership on moving the science of risk reduction into campaigns to educate the public. Speakers will include Michele James, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control; Rachel Wexler, New Mexico Department of Health; and Gary Giron, Alzheimer's Association New Mexico Chapter. Finally, webinar participants will learn about free communications resources that are available to help public health professionals integrate brain health messaging in health education campaigns.
Be sure to register online, mark your calendars for this National Public Health Week event, and forward this message to any interested colleagues.

RWJF New funding opportunity

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Is your team interested in supporting research development, but not able to support it on your own?

RWJF is looking for a team of people to link organizations working in and with communities with strong research partners.

$700,000 in funding is available to support a “matching team" to link organizations working in and with communities with strong research partners to rigorously evaluate the health impacts of program or policy interventions.

Do you qualify? Learn more about eligibility and selection criteria >

2018 County Health Rankings

How Healthy is Your Community?

The annual Rankings provide a revealing snapshot of how health is influenced by where we live, learn, work and play. They provide a starting point for change in communities. 
 See how Utah is doing: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/

Summary of Findings

  • After nearly a decade of improvement, there are early signs that the percentage of babies born at low birthweight may be on the rise (8.2% in 2016, a 2% increase from 2014). Low birthweight is a key measure of health and quality of life. Babies are much more likely to be born at low birthweight in some communities than others. In all 50 states, there is a higher percentage of Black low birthweight babies than for other racial groups. These percentages exceed those for low birthweight babies born in the typical bottom performing county in each state.
  • Some places and groups of people have fewer social and economic opportunities, which also limit their ability to be healthy. More than 1 out of every 5 youth in the bottom performing counties do not graduate from high school in four years. For American Indian/Alaskan Native, Black, and Hispanic youth, it is 1 out of 4. In 2016, the unemployment rate for adults in the bottom performing counties was 7.5 percent, more than twice that of adults in the top performing counties (3.2%). American Indian/Alaskan Native and Black adults experienced the highest unemployment rates (10.5% and 9.9%, respectively), while Whites and Asians experienced lower rates of unemployment (4.2% and 3.5%, respectively).
  • Residential segregation provides a clear example of the link between race and place. For instance, in smaller metro and large urban counties, Black residents face greater barriers to health and opportunity. Black residents have higher rates of child poverty, low birthweight, and infant mortality, and lower high school graduation rates than White residents. Black residents are also more affected by levels of segregation than White residents. Black children and youth in more segregated counties fare worse in rates of child poverty and high school graduation than Black residents in less segregated counties.
  • Child poverty rates remain at levels higher than those of the pre-recession era despite declines in recent years. Patterns of recovery vary by both race and place. Child poverty rates have been slow to rebound in rural counties and in those with a greater share of people of color. This is important because we also know that a healthy beginning is essential to a healthy future for our nation’s children.
  • Teen birth rates have been declining across community types and racial groups for more than a decade. Hispanic teens have seen the most improvement with rates falling from 77.7 to 31.9 per 1,000 females, ages 15-19. Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native teens have also seen notable improvements. Yet gaps by place and race persist. For example, teens in rural counties have seen the least improvement and continue to have the highest birth rates, nearly twice the rate of teens in suburban counties. American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic, and Black teens have birth rates twice as high as White or Asian teens.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Four part SPANISH Webcast series on Latino Best Practices hosted by SAMHSA

The National Latino Behavioral Health Association is proud to collaborate on a four-part Spanish Webcast series entitled “Nuestra Salud” on Latino Best Practices hosted by SAMHSA.  These four webcasts will be conducted in Spanish and open to the public.  We encourage you to invite and share this SAVE THE DATE with Spanish Speaking and Limited English Proficient families, consumers, advocates, and other community members and stakeholders.  Please consider hosting a watch party or group viewing to make it easier for your families, clients and staff members to participate! 

Please register today for one or all four webcasts and help your families register online. If you have any questions, please contact Maxine Henry for information at maxine@nlbha.org

Thank you for sharing this with your networks and to the Spanish Speaking community.   Visit our website:  www.nlbha.org or Facebook page as well.

Monday, March 12, 2018

Region VIII Health Equity Council is now accepting new membership applications

The Mountain States Regional Health Equity Council (RHEC VIII) is now accepting applications for new members from Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming states.

RHEC VIII is one of 10 regional health equity councils formed to achieve health equity in the US as part of the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities (NPA). The RHECs welcome members from diverse sectors and expertise, such as community-based and faith-based organizations, foundations, health professionals, local and state government, and research and academia.

We currently are seeking committed and dedicated individuals to serve on and actively contribute to the work of RHEC VIII.

The application will remain open through March 18, 2018. If you would like to join a dynamic and committed team that represents citizens in your region, works to eliminate health disparities and create regional, inter-sectoral leadership and partnerships, please consider applying!

For more information and to apply, please visit

Bulletin from CMS: 2018 Federal Poverty Level Standards

Medicaid.gov
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an informational bulletin related to the 2018 Federal Poverty Level Standards. The updated standards are available on Medicaid.gov athttps://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility/medicaid-enrollees/index.html.
The informational bulletin can be accessed on Medicaid.gov at https://www.medicaid.gov/Federal-Policy-Guidance/Federal-Policy-Guidance.html.
 

CDC Releases 2017 Diabetes Report Card

diabetes report card coverThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Diabetes Translation has released the 2017 Diabetes Report Card. The Diabetes Report Card provides the most current information and data available about diabetes and prediabetes, along with diabetes-related preventive care practices, health outcomes, risk factors, and national and state trends.
As the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, diabetes is one of the nation’s most serious and urgent health concerns. However, the Diabetes Report Card shows some encouraging trends in diabetes management and prevention of type 2 diabetes: 
  • The rate of new cases of diabetes among US adults has decreased.
  • Overall rates of diagnosed diabetes seem to be stabilizing (although not in all populations).
  • The number of organizations that deliver the National Diabetes Prevention Program and the number of adults participating in the program has increased.
The Diabetes Report Card also recognizes ongoing challenges:
  • Members of some racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to have diagnosed diabetes than non-Hispanic whites.
  • The rate of new cases of diabetes among children and adolescents has increased.
  • Although an estimated 84.1 million US adults have prediabetes, only 11.6% of them are aware of having it. 
To learn more about what CDC is doing to help control complications from diabetes and prevent type 2 diabetes, please visit the Diabetes website.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

UDOH Job Opportunity: Chief Environmental Chemist

Department of Health has a recruitment open for the following position:

Chief Environmental Chemist
$34.08 - $48.49

This is a full-time, career service position with benefits.
Requisition #   15061
Closes:   03/19/2018 at 11:59 pm MST 

In order to be considered for an interview for these positions, you will need to apply on-line at https://statejobs.utah.gov.  If you have not done so already, you will need to create a job seeker account.    

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Opioid Overdoses Treated in Emergency Departments

The CDC released a Vital Signs report showing that emergency department visits for suspected opioid overdoses increased 30 percent from third quarter 2016 to third quarter 2017, in 16 states that have been hit hard by the opioid overdose epidemic. 

The report focuses on how all Americans can use emergency department data as a warning system and help prevent opioid overdoses and deaths; it helps us see how communities, law enforcement, the medical community, public health and government can work together in this fight:



Next Tuesday, March 13, from 2 -3:30 p.m., the CDC and the U.S. Surgeon General will host a webinar, titled “Coordinating Clinical and Public Health Responses to Opioid Overdoses Treated in Emergency Departments.” Details here: https://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2018/callinfo_031318.asp 

Monday, March 5, 2018

Health Equity Webinar: Equity in Quality

Great Lakes Health Equity Webinar headerDATE: March 23, 2018
TIME: 3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
SPEAKERS:
· Moderators: Shaan Trotter, Administrative Director, Office of Equity and Minority Health, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and James Bell, Director of Policy and Engagement, Michigan Public Health Institute
· Presenter: Knitasha Washington, Founder and CEO, ATW Health Solutions

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) produced Crossing the Quality Chasm: A new Health System for the 21st Century, a publication that defined the six aims of quality health care (described as safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable). While the report prompted national attention upon its release there is is still much work to be done to reach health equity.   Achieving more equitable outcomes includes identifying disparities, understanding the root-causes and putting into action the practice of equitable strategies.

“Equity is no longer a separate initiative but is equal to quality… it is a strategic imperative.”
Institute on Assets and Social Policy (2016)

Evidence currently shows that disparities cost the nation an estimated $50.3 billion in excess healthcare expenditures, $35 billion in illness-related lost productivity, and nearly $309 billion in premature death. Racial and ethnic minorities disproportionately represent populations bearing the greatest burdens.

This webinar will: 
1.     Explain the important role equity in health care quality improvement efforts;
2.     Describe effective approaches health service organizations have taken to integrate equity into their organizational quality strategies; and
3.     Identify strategies resources to eliminate disparities and improve outcomes in readmissions, heart disease, and diabetes.


The Great Lakes Health Equity Council (RHEC V) is one of 10 regional health equity councils formed in 2011 as a part of the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities (NPA). The NPA is a national movement with the mission to improve the effectiveness of programs that target the elimination of health disparities through coordination of leaders, partners, and stakeholders committed to action. A coalition of leaders and health disparities experts representing several sectors and the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, Great Lakes RHEC envisions a region free of disparities in health and health care, where all people attain the highest level of health. 

Visit the Great Lakes RHEC website for more information: http://region5.npa-rhec.org/.

Annual Utah Aging Alliance Conference

Friday, March 2, 2018

SAMHSA Funding Opportunity Announcement: Youth and Family TREE

SAMHSA Enhancement and Expansion of Treatment and Recovery Services for Adolescents, Transitional Aged Youth, and their Families
  • FOA Number:  TI-18-010
  • Posted on Grants.gov Friday, February 9, 2018
  • Application Due Date:  Tuesday, April 10, 2018
  • Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:  93.243
  • Purpose:  The purpose of this program is to enhance and expand comprehensive treatment, early intervention, and recovery support services for adolescents (ages 12-18), transitional aged youth (ages 16-25), and their families/primary caregivers with substance use disorders (SUD) and/or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. The recipient will be expected to provide a coordinated multi-system family centered approach that will enhance and expand comprehensive evidence-based treatment, including early intervention, and recovery support services to the population of focus.
  • Eligibility:  Eligible applicants include Federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes, tribal organizations, Urban Indian Organizations, and consortia of tribes or tribal organizations.  Please see the announcement for the full list of eligible applicants.  SAMHSA seeks to further expand access and the geographical distribution, as well as reduce duplication, of its adolescent programs.  Therefore, grant recipients funded under TI-16-006 FY 2016 Cooperative Agreements for Adolescent and Transitional Aged Youth Treatment Implementation and TI-17-002 FY 2017 Cooperative Agreements for Adolescent and Transitional Aged Youth Treatment Implementation are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity.
  • Anticipated Total Available Funding:  $14,616,450 (At least $5 million will be awarded to federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes/tribal organizations...)
  • Anticipated Number of Awards:  27 awards
  • Anticipated Award Amount:  Up to $541,350 per year
  • Length of Project:  Up to 5 years
  • Cost Sharing/Match Required?:  No

UDOH Job Opportunity: Autism System Development Program Manager Position

The Department of Health has an opening for a AUTISM SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM MANAGER, posting # 15090.  The posting will close at 11:59 PM on March 18, 2018 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.