Domestic Violence Awareness Month

This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Office on Women’s Health (OWH) is raising its voice to the important role health care professionals play in combatting the devastating health effects of domestic violence. Women and adolescents who are abused are more likely to suffer from headaches, chronic pain, and sleep issues, and violence can lead to long-term health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and cancer. Violence also increases a woman's risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.

Health care professionals are in a unique and trusted position to connect with women experiencing violence. The Affordable Care Act requires most insurance plans to cover screenings and brief counseling for domestic violence without a copayment. Evidence shows that screenings and appropriate interventions by health care professionals can improve the health of women who have been abused and their families. Domestic violence can no longer be considered a pre-existing condition by health insurers. 

Survivors of domestic violence or spousal abandonment and their dependents may qualify for a permanent special enrollment period to enroll in health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace outside of the annual Open Enrollment Period. This special enrollment period allows survivors to enroll separately from their abuser/abandoner, which may help them regain control of their medical lives. Survivors and their dependents can get the medical and psychological care they need but may not have been able to get.

For more information on screenings and counseling, please review the OWH Health Care Providers' Role in Screening and Counseling for Interpersonal and Domestic Violence fact sheet.

A Toolkit for Native Youth and Their Health Care Future

by Raho Ortiz, Director, Division of Business Office Enhancement, Office of Resource Access and Partnership, Indian Health Service

Much of our native youth in tribal communities visit an Indian Health Service (IHS) facility for their health care needs - just like their parents, grandparents, and other family members. For some, the only health care system they are familiar with is IHS. With the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, the law opened up more options and benefits for American Indian and Alaska Native adults and children through the Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicaid Expansion. But, what should native youth know about the ACA and why should they know it?

Through the IHS National Indian Health Outreach and Education (NIHOE) funding, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) created a new "Affordable Care Act Toolkit for Native Youth." The toolkit includes posters, brochures, and a video highlighting the benefits for youth through the ACA, like free immunizations and preventive screenings; the ability to stay on a parent's insurance until age 26; and continuing to use IHS with their new coverage.

The toolkit materials feature participants from the 2015 NIHB Youth Summit held in Washington, DC. The youth were filmed visiting with Members of Congress, interacting with policy officials, and learning about tribal health care reform from top leaders. The video also includes some of the youth in their home communities reflecting on their experiences in the nation's capital and the importance of quality health care for themselves and their families.

It's important to educate native youth about their health care options through the Marketplace, Medicaid, or other federal health programs. For our IHS patients, having coverage means having more options. This is particularly important for our youth as they are our future leaders and investing in their health now also means investing in their future healthy lifestyle choices. IHS and NIHB are committed to advancing positive healthy outcomes for all American Indian and Alaska Native youth.

The objectives of this new toolkit are: to introduce native youth to the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and health insurance coverage; encourage native youth to learn more about concepts of the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and health insurance coverage from their local IHS Patient Benefits Coordinator or enrollment assistor entities; and engage native youth to become advocates and resources for tribal health care reform for a healthier Indian Country.

To learn more about the Affordable Care Act Toolkit for Native Youth, visit the IHS Affordable Care Act website. For information about the ACA benefits for American Indians and Alaska Natives, visit the Marketplace Tribal Resources website.

Raho Ortiz is the Director of the Division of Business Enhancement in the Office of Resource Access and Partnerships with the Indian Health Service. He provides national oversight and guidance for IHS business offices and provides the IHS with advice regarding reimbursement policy and procedures for Medicare, Medicaid and Marketplace health plans. He is Navajo and Acoma Pueblo.

The blog can also be found at: https://www.ihs.gov/newsroom/index.cfm/ihs-blog/september2016/a-toolkit-for-native-youth-and-their-health-care-future/

FIRST ANNUAL HEALTH & DENTAL FAIR

You're invited: Celebrating 100 years of the Utah State Capitol!

In October, our beautiful State Capitol turns 100 years old. To celebrate, the Capitol Preservation Board will host several free programs during the week of October 3-8. Lt. Governor Spencer Cox and I will take part in the festivities and we invite you and your family to attend any of the following free events on your own time:

1. Capitol Open House, October 3-7, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Explore the Capitol during extended tour hours, listen to performances by school children and cultural groups in the Rotunda and view rare historical artifacts on display throughout the Capitol. Walk-ins welcome.
2. Capitol Discovery Day, October 8, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Learn about the Capitol's 100-year history through hands-on arts and crafts in the Hall of Governors. Activities include a scavenger hunt, geodesic dome construction, paper floor mosaics and more! All ages welcome, activity supplies limited and on a first come-first serve basis.
3. Commemorating a Century Gala, October 8, 6:00 p.m. Celebrate the 'People's House' with an evening similar to the dedication 100 years ago. Enjoy a formal program in the Rotunda with Gov. Gary R. Herbert, Lt. Governor Cox and legislative leadership, followed by refreshments in the Hall of Governors and a dance exhibition. Attire: Business dress or period clothing.

I hope you can join in the fun! Thank you for your hard work to ensure Utah remains the best place to live, to work and to raise a family.

Sincerely,
Gary R. Herbert
Governor

Capacity Building Webinar Series

Why All the Excitement about Logic Models? 
October 3
2:00-3:00 PM EDT
Register

Organizations are increasingly putting logic models to work to define, plan, implement and evaluate their efforts in ways that demonstrate impact to funding partners. Learn how to use logic models to effectively convey your vision for success to potential funders. The webinar will include:

• An overview of logic models
• Applying logic models in funding applications and evaluations
• Using SMART objectives

Sample logic model designs will be provided.

SAVE THE DATE! Getting to Know the Federal Government and Funding Opportunities 

October 17
2:00-3:00 PM EDT
Registration opening soon

Join OMHRC experts to hear about best practices in responding to federal funding opportunity announcements — as identified by federal partners — and where to find the latest funding opportunities.

2016 Grief and the Holidays

We are pleased to announce the date and details for Grief and the Holidays. Grief and the Holidays is Caring Connections’ yearly community education program to assist grieving persons in preparing for and navigating the holiday season. This year’s event, “In the Bleak Midwinter: Finding Hope” will feature Natalie McCullough, an interfaith chaplain who will address her many losses, and popular pianist and America’s Got Talent contestant Josh Wright. 

Grief and the Holidays will be held Tuesday, November 1 at 7PM at the University of Utah College of Nursing Annette Poulson Cumming Building, 10 South 2000 East, Salt Lake City. The event is free and open to the public, parking is provided. For questions, please call 801-585-9522.

We are grateful for the support of Larkin Mortuary as we offer Grief and the Holidays this November.

OMH Grantees: Accelerating Health Equity on the Front Lines

Achieving a nation free of disparities in health and health care extends beyond the walls of federal offices. As we deepen our reach into this current era of public health, we step into an age of a greater understanding of the factors upon which better health is built—the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age. This knowledge underscores our goal in building stronger relationships and alliances that achieve better health outcomes for all communities by bolstering the efforts of our partners.

Take for instance Oakland, CA, where minority male youth are benefiting from one of the funding opportunities that the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) awards to develop and implement health programs and activities across the nation. Our grantee, Youth Alive, is implementing innovative community policing approaches through a public health framework that help improve the health and well-being of communities of color through the Minority Youth Violence Prevention initiative. This program, and others like it, reflects the heart of our work in strengthening the capacity of community-serving organizations in their efforts to reduce health disparities in ways that address the social determinants of health.

OMH and our partners continue to stand at the forefront of responding to the needs of the community and driving monumental advancements in programs, policies, data and research. Together, over the past 30 years we have led health equity efforts at the grassroots level and seen these efforts through from recommendation to implementation. Since 1986, our office has provided tangible support to state and territorial offices of minority health, multicultural health and health equity; community and faith-based organizations; national associations and organizations; institutions of higher education; tribes and tribal organizations; and research institutions dedicated to improving the health of racial and ethnic minorities.

HHS OMH grantees are committed to developing strategies that provide minority and underrepresented students with a foundation to pursue successful careers in health professions; connect minorities and underserved populations to health insurance coverage and quality, affordable care; implement tailored state-level community interventions designed to address the most pressing disparities, including HIV/AIDS; fight against lupus, a chronic, autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minority populations; and many others.

The need to accelerate our efforts in innovative approaches to improve minority health remains evident by the persistent gaps in health and health care across communities of color, consequently leading to poorer health outcomes.

Most recently, OMH funded three new grant programs in 2016 totaling more than $7 million to support public health initiatives that impact lives across the nation. Through these efforts, we aim to improve health outcomes for minority and/or disadvantaged young people in transition from jail to their communities; promote healthy behaviors among minority and/or disadvantaged youth at-risk for poor health and life outcomes due to childhood trauma; and continue our work in reducing lupus-related health disparities.

We recognize the importance of partnerships with communities and organizations in closing the gap on health disparities and achieving better health. And as we support the work of these health equity champions, we also create a future where the intersection of health and social condition serves as the crucial nexus for ending health disparities in America.

J. Nadine Gracia, MD, MSCE, is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and Director, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.