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ACHI Web-conference
Big Vision to Practical Action: Community Engagement and Data Tools for Health Improvement Campaigns
June 21, 2007
Join us to learn how the Washington Health Foundation (WHF) created the largest civic engagement project for health in the history of Washington State - involving more than 800 organizations and business, over 200 schools, and 30,000 people - with innovative health challenges, public education messages, and public policy leadership. Registration: http://www.communityhlth.org/communityhlth/education/audio.html
A Call to Action: Ensuring Global Human Resources for Health Conference Webcast
This conference of the Health Research and Educational Trust addressed the global health care workforce shortage: what has been done and what steps are still needed to solve this critical problem. The meeting linked research, policy and action for global human resources for health. Details: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=2086
news & resources
Health Care Coverage in America: Understanding the Issues and Proposed Solutions
Several times since the 1940s, Americans have engaged in nationwide discussions about how to provide health insurance to those who don't have it, and how to help people keep their health insurance. We are in the midst of another such discussion now. Government officials, political candidates, employers, unions, community leaders and ordinary citizens are saying the nation's health care system should be improved and its benefits should be made more widely available. [Alliance for Health Reform, updated March 2007] http://www.allhealth.org/publications/Uninsured/Health_Care_Coverage_in_America_2007_54.pdf
Democrats Slowed in Efforts on Medicare
Deep cuts in Medicare's managed care programs seemed a sure bet last winter when Democrats, not exactly fans of health maintenance organizations, began to seek money to expand health coverage for poor children. Then the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens warned of the consequences for blacks and Hispanics, core constituencies for the new congressional majority. [Associated Press, 4-15-07] http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-medicare-stymied-democrats,0,7071556.story
Treasury IG Says IRS Interim Report Should Address Community Benefit
The IRS, which last year surveyed non-profit hospitals on community benefit, agreed with the treasury I[nspector] G[eneral]'s recommendation, saying that the interim report will present results of the survey and include any recommendations on next steps the IRS will take to address the community benefit standard. The report references the Ernst & Young study that AHA commissioned to independently analyze the responses of 132 of the 533 tax-exempt hospitals that responded to the survey. [AHA News Now, 4-18-07] Report (22-pg pdf): http://www.treas.gov/tigta/auditreports/2007reports/200710061fr.pdf
New Proposals Would Share Responsibility for Insurance Coverage
Most of the state and federal plans are built upon the same foundation: the concept of "shared responsibility." This ideaproposed in Commonwealth Fund-staff authored publications, including the 2003 Health Affairs article, "Creating Consensus," and 2005 Inquiry article, "A Shared Responsibility: U.S. Employers and the Provision of Health Insurance to Employees"posits that individuals, employers, and the state and federal government all bear responsibility for health insurance. [Commonwealth Fund, April 2007] http://www.cmwf.org/aboutus/aboutus_show.htm?doc_id=473954&#doc473954
California Proposal: Get Health Insurance or Pay Fine
People who refuse to obtain health insurance could be tracked down by the state or a private contractor, enrolled in a plan and fined until they pay their premiums under one proposal Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration is considering as part of his vision for covering all Californians. The proposal...was presented at a meeting Tuesday with representatives from insurers, hospitals, doctors, business groups and consumer advocates. It drew immediate criticism from critics of the central tenet of Schwarzenegger's healthcare approach, which is to require all Californians to obtain insurance. [The Los Angeles Times, 4-11-07] http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-health11apr11,1,7369920.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
CalHealthReform.org Features News, Insight, and Debate about Statewide Health Reform Efforts
To inform the broader health reform debate, the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) and the Center for Governmental Studies (CGS) are launching CalHealthReform.org, a single resource for comprehensive analysis, discussion, and news about health care reform in California. [4-18-07] http://www.calhealthreform.org/
Mass. Health Plan Finds Cost Is Too High for 20% of People
Massachusetts regulators Thursday tackled a difficult question: What is considered affordable health insurance? In an answer that pleased many of the state's patient advocates, the board overseeing the first-in-the-nation effort to require everyone to carry insurance exempted up to 20% of the state's estimated 328,000 uninsured adults from penalties if they do not purchase coverage. For that 20%...even the lowest-cost insurance plans made available through the law enacted one year ago may not be affordable. [USA Today, 4-13-07] http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2007-04-13-mass-usat_N.htm?csp=34
Counting the Poor
It's not official, but it's virtually indisputable. Poverty in America is much more widespread than has been previously acknowledged. According to the Census Bureau, nearly 37 million Americans 12.6 percent of the population were living in poverty in 2005. That means that four years into an economic expansion, the percentage of Americans defined as poor was higher than at the bottom of the last recession in late 2001, when it was 11.7 percent. [The New York Times, 4-17-07] http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/17/opinion/17tue4.html
Stopping Reform Before It Starts
Big business CEOs are lining up left and right in favor of health insurance coverage for all Americans. But there's a big barrier to a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. health-care system: small business. [Business Week, 4-16-07] http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_16/b4030078.htm
State-Market Relations for a Globalized Economy
We argue that it is time to sever benefits related to health insurance, pensions, child care and other institutional needs of single parents and two-worker families from jobs or employment status. Instead, these benefits should be made "portable" as people move from job to job and even from work to non-work. These would be treated as public goods. A universal health insurance system is designed to expand coverage to all, as a central American right, but also to relieve business of some of the immense cost of private insurance. [the New School for Social Research, 2006] http://www.newschool.edu/cepa/publications/policynotes/0604_PN_StateMarket.pdf
Should Parents Be Covered by SCHIP?
SCHIP is up for congressional reauthorization this year, and contentious issues such as expanded eligibility will surely factor in that debate. Panelists discussed one potential sticking point: whether SCHIP should be used to cover parents of low-income children. [Urban Institute, 4-12-07] http://www.urban.org/Pressroom/thursdayschild/apr2007.cfm
Most Adults Satisfied with Care at Retail-Based Health Clinics
The number of in-store health clinics operating within the walls of retail chains in the U.S. has grown over the past two years and the breadth of services they provide has expanded. One in 20 - more than 550,000 U.S. households - have visited these types of clinic (5%). In an era when many adults are concerned about the costs and quality of healthcare, large majorities of those who have used in-store clinics have been satisfied with their quality, cost and convenience. [Wall Street Journal Online, 4-11-07] http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters/wsjhealthnews/HI_WSJ_HealthCarePoll_2007_v06_i06.pdf
Embracing Health: Tools and Systems for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
This report was created from the consensus of more than 200 physicians, healthcare thought leaders, policymakers, patients and payers. It challenges the status quo of the existing healthcare system by calling for the alignment of incentives to help prevent the onset of chronic disease - the nation's number one killer. It also provides the elements of a national preventive health system and calls for Americans to rethink the very definition of wellness to include everyone, regardless of health status, age or the presence of disease or disability. [Healthways, 4-3-07] http://www.healthways.com/articles/press/2007-04-04_Outcomes_Summit.html
Are HDHPs Harder on Women?
Dr. Steffie Woolhandler thinks they are. The Harvard Medical School professor recently looked at the spending patterns of men and women in high-deductible health plans. She concludes these plans are unfair to women because they spend more on routine care than men do. [Benefit news, 4-10-07] http://www.benefitnews.com/Connect/archives.cfm?lyris=false&issuedate=2007-04-10
Leveling the Playing Field: The Personal Coach Program as an Innovative Approach to Assess and Address the Supportive Care Needs of Underserved Cancer Patients
The challenge of navigating through the maze of supportive-care services in institutions and the community often is difficult for well-educated and financially advantaged patients. Patients having barriers associated with poverty, language, literacy, culture, or social isolation have even more serious difficulties and need help both to find needed services and to use them effectively...Navigators within this program are defined as trained, culturally sensitive healthcare workers who provide support and guidance throughout the cancer-care continuum. [The Journal of Supportive Oncology, Volume 5, Number 4, April 2007] http://www.supportiveoncology.net/journal/articles/0504185.pdf
Med School in Valley? UC Merced Gets Grant
Telemedicine for underserved first step in process
Creating a University of California medical school in the San Joaquin Valley got a jumpstart recently with a $225,000 grant to establish a telemedicine network providing access to specialists for residents of the underserved region. [Stockton Record, 4-17-07] http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070417/A_BIZ/704170302/-1/A_BIZ08
Canadian Development Report 2007
The chapter Global Right to Health - poses important questions: How does the right to health impact on development in the North and in the South? How should a health care system be structured for the benefit of all citizens, especially the poor? What role does civil society play in achieving the right to health? How should a health care structure based on the right to health be financed? [available as 2.1 MB pdf] http://www.nsi-ins.ca/english/publications/cdr/2007/default.asp
Developmental Health Effects of Human Development Policy
A growing body of evidence documents the substantial effects on health of social policies whose focus is not on health per se...In this chapter, we examine evidence for the health effects of policies designed to address human development, with a particular emphasis on early childhood development policies. Because human development policies have typically played a minor role in policy discussions about health, we first define their scope and outline a general conceptual framework to support their relevance. We then review evidence to illustrate their connection with health[.] [National Poverty Center, 39-pg pdf] http://www.npc.umich.edu/news/events/healtheffects_agenda/keatingfinal.pdf
NH Childhood Obesity Expert Panel Releases Prevention Recommendations
A panel of health experts from across New Hampshire are offering recommendations for communities to prevent and treat obesity among children. They give families, physicians, schools and youth recreational organizations practical advice for promoting healthy lifestyles. "Our panel gathered information from national reports, evidence-based research, and promising prevention and treatment practices, and created one comprehensive source for New Hampshire," said Foundation for Healthy Communities Executive Director Shawn LaFrance, an ACHI member serving on the 2008 conference advisory committee. [4-11-07] http://www.healthynh.com/index-fhc.php?expand=1148#1148
State Has Most Minorities near Toxic Facilities
LA tops the nation's major urban areas with 1.1million Latinos, blacks and Asians living within two miles of hazardous waste sites. California has the nation's highest concentration of minorities living near hazardous waste facilities, according to a newly released study. Greater Los Angeles tops the nation with 1.2 million people living less than two miles from 17 such facilities, and 91% of them, or 1.1 million, are minorities. Statewide the figure was 81%. [The Los Angeles Times, 4-12-07] http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-toxic12apr12,0,4408158.story
Making Smoking History Worldwide
It seemed impossible at first. But in 2004, Ireland made history as the first country to implement a comprehensive smoking ban in indoor workplaces, including restaurants and bars. Defying dire predictions, Ireland's policy has proved to be both popular and enforceable, with ready compliance,1 no decline in business, and improved health outcomes for hospitality workers...
Historians may someday view Ireland's bold move as a tipping point for global public health. [New England Journal of Medicine, 4-12-07] http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/356/15/1496
Study Warns of Health Risk from Ethanol
If ethanol ever gains widespread use as a clean alternative fuel to gasoline, people with respiratory illnesses may be in trouble. A new study out of Stanford says pollution from ethanol could end up creating a worse health hazard than gasoline, especially for people with asthma and other respiratory diseases. [The San Francisco Chronicle, 4-18-07]
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/04/18/MNG7EPAN601.DTL
Fiduciary Guide to Toxic Chemical Risk
Report co-author and Rose Foundation Executive Director Tim Little said: "Companies' strategic choices have serious implications for government pension funds. Our report estimates the combined annual costs of environmentally related childhood asthma, cancers and neurobehavioral disorders in California, Connecticut and New York States as on the order of $15 billion dollars. Government employee pension funds, in particular, should take heed and take action - the funds, state treasuries and fund members are shouldering the resulting health care and special education costs." [Investor Environmental Health Network, 4-4-07] http://iehn.org/?q=node/41
Large Numbers of People Believe that Direct to Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs Influences their Behavior, Attitudes and Knowledge
They believe DTCA makes them more knowledgeable and more likely to ask questions, and also more concerned. [Harris healthcare News, 4-11-07] http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters/healthnews/HI_HealthCareNews2007Vol7_Iss04.pdf
Cocoa, but Not Tea, Lowers Blood Pressure
More happy justification for chocolate lovers: blood pressure (BP) responds favorably to cocoa, but not tea, a new meta-analysis suggests. Authors of the study say that while both products are rich in polyphenols, the study findings suggest that phenols in cocoa may be more active than those in tea. The study appears in the April 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. [Medscape Medical News, 4-11-07] http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/554992?src=mp
Guns in Homes Strongly Associated with Higher Rates of Suicide
In the first nationally representative study to examine the relationship between survey measures of household firearm ownership and state level rates of suicide in the United States, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) found that suicide rates among children, women and men of all ages are higher in states where more households have guns. The study appears in the April 2007 issue of The Journal of Trauma. [ASPH Friday Letter, 4-13-07] http://fridayletter.asph.org/article_view.cfm?FLE_Index=5253&FL_Index=1460
book
Dying for a Home: Homeless Activists Speak Out
Cathy Crowe always wanted to be a nurse, but she never planned to be a Street Nursea title she continues to use to evoke the horror of homelessness in a rich country like Canada. The contents of Crowe's nursing bag reveal the hard truth of her specialty: street nursing. Her vitamins will not prevent the white plague of tuberculosis from taking another life. The duct tape to fix a cardboard shelter or the bus ticket to get an elderly man to a hot air grate will not ensure a peaceful night of safety and sleep. Crowe's experience has taught her that the only thing homeless people have in common is being dehoused and forced to live in conditions of poverty. It is this first-hand experience with the disgrace of homelessness that turned her into a housing advocate and introduced her to the ten contributors to Dying for a Home. http://www.btlbooks.com/New_Titles/dyingforahome.htm
video
Speaking Together for Better Care: How Effective Medical Interpretation Can Improve Quality of Care
This video takes you to Cambridge Hospital in Massachusetts and to Phoenix Children's Hospital, where medically trained interpreter services are making a critical contribution to improving safety and clinical outcomes for patients who speak or understand little English, if any. Details and video: http://www.speakingtogether.org/5667/179591
call for papers
A Special Issue of Sociological Focus
Submission deadline: December 7, 2007
With theme of Racial and Ethnic Inequality in Health and Healthcare, Sociological Focus solicits papers that address processes and mechanisms affecting health status and/or healthcare quality, understudied populations, or understudied issues are of particular interest. Papers from a variety of methodological approaches are welcome. Information about special issue: Professor Jennifer Malat, Department of Sociology, 1009 Crosley Tower, Box 210378, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0378; em: Jennifer.Malat@uc.edu.
Send complete submissions to post office box above. Submissions should contain 2 printed copies of paper (in ASA format), an electronic copy of the paper, and a $15 fee. Sociological Focus will forward manuscripts to the special issue editor. All manuscripts will be peer reviewed. Submission requirements: http://www.ncsanet.org/sociological_focus/PUBINDEX.html
ACHI career center
Manager, Community Health and Planning, Brooks Rehabilitation, Jackson, FL
The Manager must have: expertise in review and interpretation of population health data and information, knowledge of public health concepts and expertise in the design and implementation of project monitoring strategies. Details: http://careers.communityhlth.org/search.cfm
funding & awards
Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Across the US (REACH US)
Application Deadline: May 07, 2007
The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announces the availability of fiscal year 2007 funds for cooperative agreements to advance evidence- and practice-based programs and culturally based community practices to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities through implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of state of the art knowledge. Details: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=12909
Drug Free Communities Support Mentoring Program
Application deadline: May 11, 2007
Department of Health and Human Services announces funds to support the development and/or expansion of new community coalitions that are focused on strengthening communities and reducing substance abuse among youth. Eligible applicants include public and state controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, and faith and community-based organizations. Details: http://www.samhsa.gov/Grants/2007/sp_07_002.aspx
Active Living Research Round 7
Application deadline: May 16, 2007
Active Living Research is a $12.5-million national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that stimulates and supports research to identify environmental factors and policies that influence physical activity. The purpose of this call for proposals is to increase our understanding of how environments and policies affect children's physical activity in community and school settings. Details: http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=19832
New Routes to Community Health
Application deadline: May 17, 2007
New Routes to Community Health supports local partnerships among immigrant organizations, media production centers and established community institutions to foster collaborations to improve immigrants' health, work life and civic participation. Up to eight geographically and ethnically diverse sites will receive awards of as much as $225,000 over 39 months. Details: http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=19837
Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change
Application deadline: May 17, 2007
Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change seeks to improve the quality of health care provided to patients from racial and ethnic backgrounds likely to experience disparities. Details: http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=19833
Rural Policy Analysis Cooperative Agreement
Application closing date: May 17, 2007
The purpose of this program is to support research and analysis into key policy issues affecting rural communities. This program looks at cross cutting rural health and human services issues to identify trends and challenges facing rural communities. Details: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=13534
Supporting Innovation in Health and Health Care
Application Deadline: July 10, 2007
The Local Initiative Funding Partners Program (LIFP) is a partnership program between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and local grant-makers to fund promising, original projects to significantly improve the health of vulnerable people in their communities. Details: http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=19831&c=EMC-FA144
events
Managing Transitions to Care for the Frail Elderly Audio Conference
April 26, 2007 -- 1:30-3:00 p.m. E.T.
The frail elderly, which make up a small percentage of the over-65 population, utilize the most healthcare resources of this population. By creating care management approaches unique to this population, healthcare organizations can work to not only prevent acute care episodes, but also improve the overall quality of life for the frail elderly. Details: http://www.hin.com/cgi-local/link/news/pl.cgi?mtfpg
NACo's Second Regional Health Care Leadership Institute
Application deadline: April 30, 2007
June 19-20, 2007 --New Orleans, LA
The institute, supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, is a two-day training workshop for elected county officials and their community partners. The goal of the Institute is to educate participants on issues related to access to care; to strengthen leadership skills; and to cultivate partnerships between county officials and local organizations working to improve access to care.
NACo will offer partial travel scholarships on a competitive basis for travel to the meeting. Details: http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=New_Technical_Assistance&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=23210
International Conference on Urban Health - Initial Call for Abstracts
Abstract submission deadline: April 30, 2007
October 31 - November 2, 2007
Harnessing the Power of Technology to Achieve Behavior Change and Improve Urban Health is the title of this 6th annual conference. Details: http://www.icuh2007.com/abstracts.html
The Global Crisis in the Nursing Workforce
May 1, 2007 -- 6:30 - 8:30pm, Kimmel Center For University Life, Room 405, 4th Floor
60 Washington Square South, NYC
This Conversation from the Global Public Health Series of The NYU Master's Program in Global Public Health features: Dr. Barbara Nichols (CEO, Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) and Dr. Marko Vujicic (Economist, The World Bank), and moderator Dr. Hila Richardson (Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Continuing Education and Community Partnerships in the Division of Nursing, The Steinhardt School of Education at New York University). As we move into the 21st century, the global health care infrastructure is faced with a looming shortage of nurses. Panelists will discuss the challenges this shortage poses for health systems, health status, and economic security, particularly in the sending countries. RSVP: Zach Maggio, zm10@nyu.edu or 212-998-2175
Filling their Bellies: Community Initiatives to Feed the Homeless
May 2, 2007 -- 1:10- 2:10 PM --University of Toronto, University College (15 King's College Circle) Rm 256 - 2nd Flr, East Wing Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
While the origins of homelessness in Canada arguably lie in macro-level changes in social and economic conditions, the problem itself resides in communities. Our research included an inventory of programs providing meals or snacks to homeless people, structured telephone interviews with program staff, in-depth study of a purposive sample of 18 programs, and key informant interviews with program funders and suppliers. Our results draw into question the appropriateness and effectiveness of local food provisioning efforts which, while consistent with federal policy directions on homelessness, have structural limitations that make it impossible to meet the food and nutrition needs of homeless people. Free, all are welcome. RSVP:cuhi.admin@utoronto.ca
The 2007 NNPHI Annual Conference
May 21-23, 2007 - New Orleans, LA
There are only 12 days left to register for The National Network of Public Health Institutes' annual educational conference for its members and leaders from federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and academia. Details:http://www.nnphi.org/home/section/4/conferences
CANCER: It's About Prevention. It's About Time!
May 24-27, 2007 -- University of Ottawa
Over half of all cancers are preventable. Prevent Cancer Now and the Saunders-Matthey Cancer Prevention Coalition are co-sponsoring this national conference to develop practical plans for action to stop the cancer epidemic in Canada. Featured are: outstanding keynote speakers, regional organizing, 18 participatory workshops, plus the launch of New Society Publishers' book, Cancer: 101 Solutions to a Preventable Epidemic. Details: http://www.preventcancernow.ca
ACHI Audio-conference
Community Benefit as a Business Strategy
July 19, 200711:00 am PT (12:00 noon MT, 1:00 pm CT, 2:00 pm ET)
Registration will open soon. Session details: http://www.communityhlth.org/communityhlth/education/audio.html
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