October 2, 2009

News From The Commonwealth

Department of Health Details Pandemic H1N1 Vaccine Distribution Plan for PA

The Pennsylvania Department of Health provided the state’s distribution plans for the new pandemic H1N1 vaccine.

The WIC Food Package is changing!

The largest change since WIC’s inception is taking place across the Commonwealth in all WIC clinics.  Beginning October 1, 2009, foods offered through the Pennsylvania WIC Program will better align with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as current infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).  The food package changes also facilitate WIC’s efforts to promote and support the establishment of long term breastfeeding, and allow for participant and cultural preferences. 

Foods being added include infant foods (vegetables, fruits and meats), whole grains, fruits and vegetables, soy options (tofu and soy beverages) in place of dairy, canned beans and additional varieties of fish.  Changes to the existing foods include the elimination of infant juice and reductions in the amounts of formula, milk, cheese, eggs and juice.  No complementary foods will be given to infants under the age of six months, in alignment with feeding recommendations of AAP.  Whole milk will be given to children aged 12 through 23 months, after which low-fat milk will be provided.   Women will also receive low-fat milk.  WIC is an equal opportunity provider.

Events and Trainings

The Post-Conference Edition of PHINews is Now Available

The CDC Public Health Information Network (PHIN) is a national initiative to improve the capacity of public health to use and exchange information electronically by promoting the use of standards and defining functional and technical requirements. The post-conference edition of the PHIN newsletter is available on the PHIN website. 

National Public Health Training Centers Network

Expand your public health skills by using the training and resources available from the Public Health Training Centers (PHTCs) Network. Choose from hundreds of courses in the Distance Education Center, which covers topics such as leadership and management, epidemiology, and basic public health skills. There are also resources and publications with tools and information relevant to public health practitioners. The Health Resources and Services Administration funded Public Health Training Centers are partnerships between accredited schools of public health, related academic institutions, and public health agencies and organizations.

Resources and Tools

October is Health Literacy Month

This is the 11th year of Health Literacy Month — an annual awareness-raising event started in 1999 by Helen Osborne along with a team of health literacy advocates.   The theme for Health Literacy Month 2009 is “Why Health Literacy Matters: Sharing Our Stories in Words, Pictures, and Sound.”

CDC Launches H1N1 Flu Mobile Texting Pilot

Sign up now to have important CDC information about H1N1 flu and other topics delivered directly to your mobile phone! In September 2009, CDC launched a three-month text messaging campaign pilot to share important, timely health information directly to users. To subscribe to the pilot, text HEALTH to 87000. Subscribers can expect to receive about three health messages a week during the three-month pilot. Standard text messaging rates will apply.

Improving the Health of Adolescents & Young Adults: A Guide for States and Communities

The guide offers direction on building effective community coalitions, conducting needs assessments, and developing local young adult health initiatives. The guide is based on the Healthy People 2010 initiative, which outlines 21 objectives that should be met to ensure that young people aged 10 to 24 lead healthy and productive lives, including reducing binge drinking, illegal drug use, and tobacco use.

CDC Launches New Parent Portal
How parents deal with the daily challenges of raising children is a personal decision, but sometimes they want more information from a reliable source. CDC has just launched a Parent Portal (www.cdc.gov/parents) to help parents find trustworthy, accurate information on many parenting topics in one central location.

The Health IT for Children Toolbox Now Available Through HRSA’s website

The new Health IT for Children Toolbox is accessible through HRSA’s website at: http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit/ Developed by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Office of Health Information Technology, the Health IT for Children Toolbox is a resource meant to serve those within the children’s health community who seek to integrate information technology into promoting pediatric health and well-being.

Powerful HIV/AIDS Tool Available
The National HIV/AIDS Atlas provides a powerful new tool to the public, health care professionals, policy makers and elected officials to access and map local, state and national data in order to see how HIV/AIDS is impacting their community.

The Community Health Promotion Handbook: Action Guides to Improve Community Health

Partnership for Prevention® and CDC's Healthy Communities Program have developed The Community Health Promotion Handbook: Action Guides to Improve Community Health, an evidence-based tool that bridges the gap between research and practice. Five selected recommendations from the Task Force on Community Preventive Services’ The Guide to Community Preventive Services: What Works to Promote Health? have been translated into action guides that provide public health practitioners and others interested in health promotion with the necessary “how to” guidance to implement effective community-level strategies.

Promoting Health Equity—A Resource to Help Communities Address Social Determinants of Health

This workbook is for community-based organizations, public health practitioners, and community health partners seeking to create health equity by addressing the social determinants of health.

Data and Statistics

Smoking, overeating, and having high blood pressure and cholesterol can shave up to 15 years off the lifespan of middle-aged men, according to researchers at the U.K.'s Care Quality Commission.

Multiple Studies Demonstrate Heart Benefits of Smoking Bans

A new review of 13 U.S. and international studies finds that banning public smoking can reduce the rate of heart attacks by more than one-third.

Timing of Meals May Affect Weight Gain
A new study in mice suggests that not only what, but when we eat may influence our weight.

Antibodies Reveal a New HIV-1 Vaccine Target
Researchers have discovered 2 new human antibodies that neutralize the virus that causes AIDS. The finding points to a promising new target for vaccine development.

Women who drink to excess and are overweight are more likely to develop depression, and the three disorders are interrelated in other ways, as well, according to a new study of women ages 24-30.

Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose to $13,375 for family coverage this year — a year-over-year increase of 5 percent — while inflation fell nearly 1 percent and wages rose 3.1 percent, a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust finds.

Funding Opportunities

Recovery Act Limited Competition: Building Sustainable Community-Linked Infrastructure to Enable Health Science Research (RC4)

Letter of Intent Deadline: November 12, 2009

Application Deadline: December 11, 2009

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has established a new grant program entitled Building Sustainable Community-Linked Infrastructure to Enable Health Science Research. This program, also called the “Community Infrastructure” grants program, will support the development, expansion, or reconfiguration of collaborative infrastructures needed to facilitate partnerships between academic health centers and community-based organizations for health science research.

Health and Wellness Grants

Application Deadline: November 1, 2009

The Blue Ribbon Foundation of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania invites non-profit, 501(c)(3) organizations located in and serving The Foundation’s 13-county service area (Bradford, Carbon, Clinton, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Sullivan, Tioga, Wayne and Wyoming Counties) to submit proposals for community health and wellness projects through its Impact Grant, Mini-Grant and Access to Health Care for the Uninsured and Underinsured grant programs.

CDC Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) PS10-1003: HIV Prevention Projects for Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)
Application Deadline: October 26, 2009
The purpose of the program is to support the development and implementation of effective community-based HIV prevention programs that reflect local prevention priorities and serve persons at high risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV; to promote collaboration and coordination of HIV prevention efforts among CBOs, health departments, and private agencies; and to build the capacity of CDC-funded CBOs delivering selected interventions to persons at high risk for acquiring or transmitting HIV.

Ryan White Part A HIV Emergency Relief Grant Program

Deadline: October 30, 2009
Part A of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act authorizes grants for primary medical care, access to antiretroviral therapies and other core serves and support services to Eligible Metropolitan Areas (EMAs) and Transitional Grant Areas (TGAs).  Part funds may be used to provide a continuum of care for people living with HIV disease who are primarily low income, underserved, uninsured and underinsured.

Nickelodeon - Big Green Help Grant

Deadline: Rolling
Nickelodeon’s Big Green Help grant is providing resources to schools and community-based organizations to support environmentally friendly projects that educate and inspire kids to take care of the environment; be active and live healthily; and engage in community service.

State Street Foundation
Deadline: Rolling
Through its Global Philanthropy Program (GPP) the foundation makes effective and socially responsible corporate contributions to nonprofit and charitable organizations that provide community service initiatives, including help for the homeless. There are no geographic limitations, but there is an emphasis on Boston.  GPP is designed to help generate and sustain positive change, while complementing the development of worldwide business operations.

Please contact the funder directly for the most complete and current information, including eligibility criteria.

SHIP Partnership Spotlight

Tell us about your partnership accomplishments

We would like to use this section of our weekly bulletin to highlight your accomplishments and allow you to share them with other SHIP Partners. If you have news, successful programs, new plans, or other important milestones that you would like to share please send a condensed, print-ready article to the SHIP Coordinator.

Comments? Suggestions?

Please send any comments or suggestions for this and future Bulletins to the SHIP Coordinator. Your input is valued and appreciated.

Disclaimer:

The information provided in this bulletin is intended to be of general information to the Pennsylvania's SHIP-affiliated partnerships.  It is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any specific process, service, product, company or funding source outside of the Department of Health auspices.  Further examination and research of information is recommended.