Foster's Announces New Community Grants Program Deadline: April 28, 2006
Foster's ( http://www.fosters.com.au/ ), a beverage company based in Melbourne, Australia, has announced a new initiative of the Foster's in the Community Program. The Foster's Community Grants Program will award grants to community-building projects in the fields of wellness, culture, and the environment. Applications are open to charities and not-for-profit organizations in Australia and the United States Foster's Community Grants will conduct two funding rounds per year. In 2006 these will be as follows: Round 1 -- March 1 to April 28, 2006; and Round 2 -- August 1 to September 29, 2006. The online application form will be live and available during these dates.
RFP Link: http://fconline.fdncenter.org/pnd/10001590/fosters
Children Affected by AIDS Foundation Offers Support for Camping Programs Deadline: April 13, 2006 (Letters of Intent)
The Children Affected by AIDS Foundation ( http://www.caaf4kids.org/ ) requests Letters of Intent for the CAAF Camp Network for the provision of camp services to children infected with HIV and children affected by HIV/AIDS. Through the Camp Network Initiative, CAAF seeks to award grants between $1,000 and $15,000 to already established 501(c)(3) nonprofit camp organizations that provide services for children up to 13 years of age. See the CAAF Web site for complete program information and Letter of Intent submission procedures.
RFP Link: http://fconline.fdncenter.org/pnd/10001588/caaf4kids/camp
Children Affected by AIDS Foundation Invites Letters of Intent Deadline: April 13, 2006 (Letters of Intent)
The Children Affected by AIDS Foundation ( http://www.caaf4kids.org/ ), which seeks to make a posi- tive difference in the lives of children infected with HIV and affected by HIV/AIDS by helping to meet their diverse needs, advocating and educating on their behalf, and bringing joy and fun into their lives, is accepting Letters of Intent for its domestic grants program. Visit the CAAF Web site for complete grant program information and Letter of Intent guidelines.
RFP Link: http://fconline.fdncenter.org/pnd/10001587/caaf4kids/domestic
[posted on the RFP Bulletin (March 24, 2006)]
View two online videos on the issues of translation and interpretation in medicine. http://www.rwjf.org/portfolios/features/profiledetail.jsp?featureID=1427&type=1&iaid=133
[posted on the Robert Wood Johnson Advances e-Newsletter]
The WISEWOMAN program provides low–income, under insured and uninsured women aged 40–64 years with chronic disease risk factor screening, lifestyle intervention, and referral services in an effort to prevent cardiovascular disease. CDC funds 15 WISEWOMAN projects, which operate on the local level in states and tribal organizations. Projects provide standard preventive services including blood pressure and cholesterol testing, and programs to help women develop a healthier diet, increase physical activity, and quit using tobacco. WISEWOMAN funds two programs working with Alaska Native women as well as programs serving American Indian women in Nebraska, Nevada, and South Dakota. For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/wisewoman.
REACH 2010 is designed to eliminate disparities in cardiovascular disease as well as immunizations, breast and cervical cancer screening and management, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and infant mortality. REACH 2010 supports community coalitions in designing, implementing, and evaluating community–driven strategies to eliminate health disparities. The activities of these community coalitions include continuing education on disease prevention for health care providers, health education and health promotion programs that use lay health workers to reach community members, and health communications campaigns. REACH funds core capacity building projects in American Indian and Alaska Native communities in Albuquerque, NM; Oklahoma City and Talihina, OK; Anchorage, AK; and Nashville, TN. For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/reach2010
[posted on Digest for IndigenousNewsNetwork@topica.com, issue 676]
By Cathy Brockmeier
"Saint Francis Medical Center, a 2004 Foster G. McGaw Prize finalist, listened to its Latin American immigrant community and answered with a number of innovative programs to improve communication, services and wellness.
Mention central Nebraska to most Americans, and they’re likely to think it’s about as ethnically homogeneous as anywhere in the United States. But recent immigrants from Central and South America have shifted the demographic landscape."
http://tinyurl.com/jsnyd
See SFMC's web site Wellness Works/Por Su Salud http://www.wellnessworksonline.org/
U.S. Military Has New Online Mental Health Resource
Anonymous self-assessment program helps spot problems
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_31669.html
Robert Preidt
WEDNESDAY, March 29 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. military personnel and their families now have a free, anonymous Web-based mental health and alcohol self-assessment program. The service is available worldwide and provides immediate results, plus referrals to military mental health services.
See the website at: http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/ Select the link for Military.
Related MedlinePlus Pages:
* Mental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//mentalhealth.html
* Veterans and Military Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//veteransandmilitaryhealth.html
Parents and Children Facing a World of Risk
About a quarter of American families with children work regularly but remain low-income. Parents balance the stress of a low-paying job, often with inflexible hours and few benefits, against the demands of raising children. They face greater risks with fewer cushions than their middle-class counterparts. Many exist one step away from catastrophe: a sick child or absent child care provider could trigger the loss of a job and the onset of poverty. [The Urban Institute, 3-10-06] http://www.urban.org/publications/311288.html
U.S. Physician Charity Care Continues Decade-Long Decline
The proportion of U.S. physicians providing charity care dropped 8 percentage points in the last decade, falling to 68 percent of physicians in 2004-05 from 76 percent in 1996-97, according to a national study released by the Center for Studying Health System Change. The drop in physician charity care occurred as the number of uninsured Americans grew to 45.5 million in 2004, signaling growing stress on the health care safety net. "The decline in physician charity care—long a critical part of the safety net—is alarming given the increase in the number of uninsured Americans," said Paul B. Ginsburg, Ph.D., president of HSC, a nonpartisan policy research organization funded principally by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. [3-23-06] http://www.hschange.com/CONTENT/827/
Medica Foundation -- Behavioral Health and Racial Disparities Grant Program
Deadline: April 28, 2006
The Medica Foundation funds community-based programs and initiatives that can provide sustainable, measurable improvements in the availability, access, and quality of healthcare. There are two funding priorities for 2006: 1) Behavioral Health: Filling the Gaps, a program that develops capabilities or changes processes related to behavioral health care service interventions, accessibility, and sustainability; and 2) Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care and/or Enhancing Cultural Competency, a program that identifies gaps in health care for diverse populations and develops programming related to the identified racial and ethnic disparities. Details: http://www.healthinschools.org/grants/ops589.asp
[posted on ACHI Community Health News, 3-30-06]
Urban Health Partners at the Wayne State University Shiffman Medical Library provides culturally relevant health information resources, customized on-site training, and document services to public health providers serving diverse communities in Detroit and southeastern Michigan. This diverse geographic area includes the nation’s highest concentration of Arab Americans. Urban Health Partners campus-community partnerships identified the need for improved access to health information in Arabic. This led to the development of an easy-to-use online collection of over 80 free Arabic-language health materials for health providers and community members. Please visit the Urban Health Partners web site for more information!
http://www.lib.wayne.edu/shiffman/urbanhealth
A curriculum to use to discuss cultural competence issues with health care providers and health care students. ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/nhsc/resources/info/culture.pdf (This does not open in Firefox)
The National Cancer Institute is pleased to announce its most recent Cancer Surveillance Monograph Methods for Measuring Cancer Disparities: Using Data Relevant to Healthy People 2010 Cancer-Related Objectives. This report raises some conceptual issues and provides an innovative methodological approach germane to measuring progress toward the goal of eliminating health disparities. It highlights major issues that may affect the choice of measurement techniques and systematically reviews methods used in health disparities research. The authors recommend a sequence of steps to measure and monitor disparity trends using a suite of indicators and measurement strategies explaining in detail the strengths and weaknesses of each.
http://seer.cancer.gov/publications/disparities/
You may be interested in a new flyer from the Specialized Information Services Division of NLM, "Resources for Science Teachers: Classroom Resources from the National Library of Medicine". SIS does not have printed copies to distribute but you're welcome to adapt and print the file to suit your promotional opportunities or link to it from your web site. http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/resources_science_teachers.pdf
This HIV/AIDS workshop is designed to inform and educate attendees about the impact that HIV/AIDS is having in the Arab-American community. The session will examine the disease from a global, national, and local perspective. The goal of the workshop is to educate, motivate, and mobilize leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS, which is an important health issue that can no longer be ignored.
Attendees can expect a workshop that is filled with up-to-date facts about the disease, practical solutions on ways they can make a difference by helping those who are affected and infected by HIV/AIDS, and suggestions on how to reach those who are most at risk for HIV/AIDS with awareness andprevention messages.
The workshop is being sponsored by The Leadership Campaign on AIDS, the Office of HIV/AIDS Policy, a program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. see http://www.accesscommunity.org/health/
[HHS CFBCI Listserv: March 24, 2006]
Street Outreach Program. Department of Health and Human Services announces funds to address runaway and homeless youth problems and conduct outreach services designed to build relationships between grantee staff and street youth. A range of education, intervention, and prevention services are offered to youth who are at risk of being subjected to sexual abuse or exploitation. The goal of these efforts is to help young people leave the streets and assist in moving and adjusting to a safe and appropriate living arrangement. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations. The deadline for applications is
May 18, 2006. Approximately $5,000,000 is available to fund 50 awards, up to $200,000. A match is required. For further information, contact Kelli Matson-Geist at (866) 796-1591 or FYSB@dixongroup.com; or go to: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/HHS-2006-ACF-ACYF-YO-0105.html
Disabled Youths. Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation announces funds to help young people with disabilities maximize their potential and their participation in society through technology. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations. The deadline for applications is July 1, 2006. For further information, go to: http://www.meaf.org/
HIV/AIDS Programs. The M·A·C AIDS Fund provides funds to organizations that provide basic needs, direct services, education, awareness and prevention programs to men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations. There is no deadline date for applications. For further information, go to: http://www.macaidsfund.org/who/who.html
StreetSentz Community Grant Program. RadioShack Corporation supports organizations and programs that focus on prevention of family violence/abuse and/or child abduction. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations. The deadline for applications is June 15, 2006. Awards up to $500 are available. For further information, go to: http://www.radioshackcorporation.com/cc/contributions.html
Funding Alert is a free service of the Office of Partnerships and Grants Development. To start your own online subscription to Funding Alert, simply register with DC.Gov and subscribe at DCDocs http://dc.gov/registration/dcdocs.asp. For archives, visit http://opgd.dc.gov, Information, Grant Funding Alerts.
Problem drinking strongly linked to wide range of physical ailments, study finds
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_31558.html
HealthDay
Robert Preidt
MONDAY, March 27 (HealthDay News) -- Alcohol abuse and dependence among American Indians is related to a higher risk for a host of health problems, a new study shows.
"Among American Indians, five of the top 10 causes of death are strongly associated with alcohol use: accidents, suicides, homicides, and cirrhosis. These causes of deaths occur at rates at least three to four times the national average," study co-author Jay Shore, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado at Denver, the Health Sciences Center's American Indian and Alaska Native Programs, said in a prepared statement.
Related MedlinePlus Pages:
* Alcohol Consumption - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//alcoholconsumption.html
* Native-American Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//nativeamericanhealth.html
The Healthy Teen Network (HTN), formerly the National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting and Prevention (NOAPPP), has revamped its website http://www.healthyteennetwork.org/. HTN is a national membership organization of practitioners, policy makers, and state and local coalitions concerned with adolescent pregnancy, parenting, and prevention that provides information and education to inform practice and policy.
Upcoming Conference
Coming of Age: Supporting Teens & Young Families in the 21st Century
November 15-18, 2006
Hyatt Regency Orange County, Anaheim, CA
The HTN conference attracts more than 800 professionals who work on behalf of adolescents and their children to reduce teen pregnancy, promote beneficial decisions regarding sexuality and reproductive issues, ensure healthy pregnancies, and support teen parents to raise healthy children.
[posted on NMAC Lifeline ]
The Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) have launched a searchable online database of Asian language cancer materials. This effort is supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The Asian and Pacific Islander Cancer Education Materials Web tool (APICEM) is designed to help Asians and Pacific Islanders with limited English-speaking abilities gain access to information on how to reduce their risks of preventable malignancies, including cancers of the breast, cervix, colon, liver, lung and stomach. See the website at http://www.cancer.org/apicem [posted on CAPHIS]
Please see the current issue of TribalConnections.org for an introduction to new editor Mairead Widby, an article on a health care network serving members of the Hopi and Navajo tribes in Arizona, information on health care in rural Alaska, and more, at: http://www.tribalconnections.org/index.html [posted on Native Share]
Pollutants Threaten Poor, Minority Kids
Their families are more likely to live near lead, pesticides, study finds
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_31366.html
Robert Preidt
WEDNESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Environmental toxins that harm a child's brain development and other aspects of health are much more likely to affect poor or minority kids than youngsters from white or more affluent families, a U.S. study shows.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, also believe that local, state and federal policies aren't doing enough to correct these inequities.
The findings appear in the March/April issue of Child Development.
Some Local Drinking Water Contains Too Much Fluoride
U.S. panel concludes that health threats exist, including bone fractures
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_31374.html
WEDNESDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- The current maximum level of fluoride allowed in U.S. drinking water is too high, and may cause health problems such as bone fractures and, ironically, erosion of tooth enamel.
That's the conclusion of a panel from the National Academy of Sciences commissioned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assess the safety of fluoride levels in drinking water.
Related MedlinePlus Pages:
Child Development - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//childdevelopment.html
Children's Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//childrenshealth.html
Environmental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//environmentalhealth.html
Child Dental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//childdentalhealth.html
Dental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//dentalhealth.html
Drinking Water - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//drinkingwater.html
MedlinePlus Health News, Thursday March 23, 2006
After School Advantage Program. GTECH provides community organizations with state-of-the-art, Internet-ready computer centers. Computer centers are designed to provide inner-city children aged 5-15 with a meaningful learning experience in a safe environment during the critical after-school hours. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations. There is no deadline date for applications. For further information, contact GTECH at or elena.lupinacci@gtech.com; or go to: http://www.gtech.com/about_gtech/proposal_guidelines.asp
Bricks and Mortar Projects. Kresge Foundation announces funds to strengthen the capacity of organizations to provide effective programs of quality. The Foundation primarily makes challenge grants for building construction, renovation, purchase of real estate and major equipment. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations and community-based organizations. There is no deadline date for applications. For further information, go to: http://www.kresge.org/
Innovative Technology Uses for Nonprofits. TechSoup has created a new website, NetSquared (Net2) which is based on the belief that both online and offline work of every organization can be enhanced by an online community in which organizations and users support one another. Net2 is actively seeking the involvement of nonprofit organizations, companies, funders, and innovators who care about the strategic, organizational, operational, and technical challenges facing nonprofits today. For further information, go to: http://www.netsquared.org/
Nonprofit Internet Techniques. Groundspring.org offers its Internet Techniques Series, a collection of free learning topics to assist nonprofit organizations in making effective use of the Internet in a variety of areas. The series covers topics such as strategies for success, online fundraising, email messaging, driving traffic to your site, online advocacy campaigns, searching on the Web, and more. For further information and to access the series, go to: http://www.groundspring.org/learningcenter/series.cfm
Funding Alert is a free service of the Office of Partnerships and Grants Development. To start your own online subscription to Funding Alert, simply register with DC.Gov and subscribe at DCDocs http://dc.gov/registration/dcdocs.asp. For archives, visit http://opgd.dc.gov, Information, Grant Funding Alerts.
More than a doctor’s appointment:Why urban health clinics are so important to Native Americans http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=7678
Native American Times 3/21/2006
"With the proposal to slash funding for 34 Urban Indian Health Care Centers coming up for a vote in the near future, Alyssa Macy, the political director for the Minnesota-based Center for Civic Participation, is circulating a document that details just how important the centers are. Macy is of Wasco, Hopi and Navajo descent and is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon."
[posted on Digest for IndigenousNewsNetwork@topica.com, issue 669]
I will be exhibiting at the Public Library Assocation Conference in Boston, MA http://www.placonference.org/ If you are at PLA, stop by the National Library of Medicine booth! Postings to the blog will be sporadic in the next week.
Blacks' low trust of docs linked to communication
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_31050.html
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
By Megan Rauscher
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study raises the concern that black patients with lung cancer have lower levels of trust in their physicians in part because of poorer perceived communication about their treatment.
Urban Air Clean-Ups Save Lives
Ridding skies of particulate matter cuts heart, respiratory deaths, study finds
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_31067.html
HealthDay
Robert Preidt
WEDNESDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- Cutting down on fine particulate matter in city air can be a real lifesaver, a new study finds.
"This reduction was observed specifically for deaths due to cardiovascular and respiratory disease and not from lung cancer," researcher Francine Laden, of Channing Laboratory in Boston, said in a prepared statement.
Related MedlinePlus Pages:
African-American Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//africanamericanhealth.html
Talking With Your Doctor - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//talkingwithyourdoctor.html
Air Pollution - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//airpollution.html
Heart Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//heartdiseases.html
Lung Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//lungdiseases.html
A new web page that addresses the relationship between pesticides and human health has been added to the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) Enviro-Health Links. The page provides links to selected web sites on pesticide exposure, as well as on the treatment and prevention of pesticide poisoning. http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/pesticides.html In our everyday lives, we all handle many chemicals (including pesticides) that can be toxic if ingested or inhaled. Acute or chronic exposure to pesticides can cause severe and even life-threatening illnesses. The risk of potential injury to a chemical is determined by exposure and toxicity. Without both factors there is no risk. If we take care to limit our exposure and handle these substances safely, we reduce our risk. This web page provides selected links to help identify and reduce the risk.
Speaking Together: National Language Services Network (NLSN) is a new Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) national program that will support hospitals to improve the quality and availability of health care language services for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). The core component of Speaking Together: National Language Services Network is a 16-month-long hospital learning collaborative that will foster shared learning and innovation among all program participants. Sites selected to participate in the collaborative will receive grants of up to $60,000, as well as technical assistance and training using measures developed by the National Program Office (NPO). http://www.speakingtogether.org/
HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality today released a new interactive Web-based tool for States to use in measuring health care quality. The new State Snapshot Web tool is based on the 2005 National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR) and the 2005 National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR), originally released on January 9, and provides quick and easy access to the many measures and tables of the NHQR from each State’s perspective. http://www.qualitytools.ahrq.gov/qualityreport/2005/state/summary/intro.aspx
Answer the question: Where can I find information about US and international hospitals? See this factsheet put together by the National Library of Medicine http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/hospital.html
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation(RWJF) provides grants for projects that advance their mission to improve the health and health care of all Americans. Each year, they award approximately $370 million in grants that fall within 11 key interest areas. There is a guide for first time applicants. Explore this website for more ideas and information on the RWJF. http://www.rwjf.org/applications/index.jsp
[posted on PHPartners - New Links for the week of Mar 17, 2006 http://phpartners.org/]
Examining the Health Disparities Research Plan of the National Institutes of Health: Unfinished Business
Board on Health Sciences Policy (HSP), 2006
US National Academies of Sciences
The correct URL is http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3740/22356/33275.aspx
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is pleased to announce the Call for Nominations for our newly created Komen Native American and Alaska Native National Advisory Council.
The focus of the advisory council will be to assist the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in reducing disparities in breast cancer morbidity and mortality among the Native American and Alaska Native populations. This council will be inclusive of Indian Health Service, Tribal and Urban Native programs. There are eleven advisory council positions to fill. Please consider nominating a Native individual to join the Foundation in our continuous mission to eradicate breast cancer as a life threatening disease and make a difference in the lives of Native American and Alaska Native women.
Deadline for Nominations: 5 p.m. (CST) on Friday, March 31, 2006.
View/download the nomination packet- http://www.komen.org/stellent/groups/public/@dallas/documents/-komen_site_documents/callfornoms-nativeamalaska.pdf
From: ResourceShelf's DocuTicker http://www.docuticker.com/ Docuticker is a daily update of new reports from government agencies, ngo's, think tanks, and other groups. DocuTicker is compiled by the librarians who bring you ResourceShelf.com.
Diversity Spreads Out: Metropolitan Shifts in Hispanic, Asian, and Black Populations Since 2000 By Shirl
Demographics--United States
Source: The Brookings Institution
"Hispanic, Asian, and black populations continue to migrate to, and expand their presence in, new destinations. They are increasingly living in suburbs, in rapidly growing job centers in the South and West, and in more affordable areas adjacent to higher-priced coastal metro areas. The wider dispersal of minority populations signifies the broadening relevance of policies aimed at more diverse, including immigrant, communities."
Full Paper (PDF; 4.03 MB) http://www.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/20060307_Frey.pdf
Examining the Health Disparities Research Plan of the National Institutes of Health: Unfinished Business
Board on Health Sciences Policy (HSP), 2006
US National Academies of Sciences
Available online at: http://darwin.nap.edu/books/0309101212/html/
“…..The range of diseases and conditions for which there are differences spans virtually all biomedical disciplines. There are complex, interrelated social, economic, behavioral, health care and other environmental aspects – and the differences, their features, and the roles of contributing factors vary among affected populations and subpopulations.
The review committee sees the opportunity and need for NIH to focus even more on health disparities as a research entity and move knowledge and understanding forward as no other agency or setting can. Along with understanding the biomedical aspects of diseases and conditions that are the manifestations of health disparities, there is need to know more about the contributions and interactions of core conditions and factors that may be common to the genesis of disparate health. The NIH should take leadership in helping to understand, further define and develop methodology regarding health disparities research. As well, given the particular importance of the translation of new information into best practices in the care of patients, there is opportunity to better understand, design and assess communication of health disparities information to health professionals and the public as a core NIH effort with much to be learned and applied….”
[posted on PAHO/WHO EQUITY List]
The National Library of Medicine sends out a daily Health News email. From the March 14th email, there are three stories of interest:
Prescription program may up healthcare racial gap
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_30924.html
Monday, March 13, 2006
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A program designed to reduce inappropriate prescriptions for benzodiazepines, such as Xanax and Valium, had the unintended consequence of increasing racial disparities in access to care, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"This is the first well-controlled study to show that health policies designed to reduce drug costs and abuse can increase racial disparities in access to effective care for those with chronic illnesses, like schizophrenia," lead author Dr. Sallie-Anne Pearson, from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, said in a statement.
Lumbee Indian Tribe at Raised Heart Risk
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_30942.html
HealthDay
By Robert Preidt
MONDAY, March 13 (HealthDay News) -- Highlighting the need to pinpoint populations at special risk for heart disease, researchers report that members of the Lumbee Native American tribe of North Carolina face higher cardiac dangers than Americans in general.
The Lumbees are the second largest Native American tribe east of the Mississippi River. It's estimated there are more than 50,000 Lumbees in North Carolina.
A team from Duke University in Durham, N.C., found that 920 Lumbees hospitalized for heart treatment had significantly higher rates of cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and prior history of coronary heart disease, and were more likely than others to receive angioplasty during their hospitalization. The Lumbee patients also tended to be younger and were more likely to be female.
Women, Minorities Less Likely to Get Best Heart Attack Care
White male patients are most often transferred to high-quality medical centers, study finds
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_30947.html
HealthDay
MONDAY, March 13 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to receiving the best care after heart attack, the deck is stacked against women, minority populations and older people, new research suggests.
Thirty-five percent of patients over age 64 who are rushed to local community hospitals with acute heart attacks are then transferred to larger hospitals for more aggressive interventions -- procedures known to improve survival rates, the researchers said.
Related MedlinePlus Pages:
African-American Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//africanamericanhealth.html
Medicaid - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//medicaid.html
Schizophrenia - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//schizophrenia.html
Coronary Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//coronarydisease.html
Native-American Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//nativeamericanhealth.html
Health Statistics - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//healthstatistics.html
Heart Attack - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//heartattack.html
Women's Health Issues - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//womenshealthissues.html
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has added new chemical and health-related data to its interactive mapping site, TOXMAP (http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov). Released in September, 2004, TOXMAP helps users explore the geographic distribution of certain chemical releases, their relative amounts, and their trends over time. This release data comes from industrial facilities around the United States, as reported annually to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Now, users can also use TOXMAP to find information about Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund sites and substances. Since many users may not be experienced in reading maps or understanding map data, TOXMAP provides a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/help/faq.jsp) and a "Glossary of Terms" (http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/help/glossary.jsp). Both resources attempt to provide questions/answers to supplement the user's ability to understand the map displays and the data. More information about TOXMAP can be found at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/toxmap.html. [posted on NLM-TOX-ENVIRO-HEALTH-L]
The Center of Minority Health at the Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburg http://www.cmh.pitt.edu/home1.html has created a bookmark to "Save the Date" for activities at their institution. http://www.cmh.pitt.edu/pdf/aahpc/06/savethedatebookmark.pdf See more on their events at http://www.cmh.pitt.edu/aahpc.html And while you are on the website, be sure and revist the Minority Health Archive http://minority-health.pitt.edu/
Alabama Public Health Training Network
Satellite Conference & Live Webcast
Wednesday, March 15, 2006 • 2:00-4:00 p.m CT • 3:00-5:00 p.m. ET • 1:00-3:00 p.m. MT • 12:00-2:00 p.m. PT
Webcast Information: Register at http://www.adph.org/alphtnTo view webcast, you need RealPlayer. See the publicity flyer at http://www.adph.org/alphtn/463flyer.pdf
April is Minority Health Month! http://www.nmhmf.org/ This is a good opportunity to demonstrate your part in closing the health information gap within communities of color. The National Network of Libraries of Medicine has created factsheet emails http://nnlm.gov/mcr/resources/community/NationalMinorityHealtMonth.doc with information pamphlets and other resources available to you for outreach to American Indian/Alaska Natives, African, Asian and Hispanic/Latino American communities. Each section focuses on one of the four federally designated racial and ethnic minorities. Send out one email a week during the month of April to remind others of the importance Minority Health Month. See other resources of interest at http://nnlm.gov/mcr/resources/community/minority.html
Information Guide on Frontier Frontier is often thought of in terms of population density and distance in minutes and miles to population centers and other resources, such as hospitals. http://www.raconline.org/info_guides/frontier/
Information Guide on Health Literacy Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. http://www.raconline.org/info_guides/healthliteracy/
Information Guide on Networking and Collaboration Efforts to improve and sustain the quality of life in rural communities must include collaboration and networking among a broad spectrum of leaders in health and human services, government, education, business, the faith community, and economic development. http://www.raconline.org/info_guides/networking/
Assessment and Planning Tool Kit for Suicide Prevention in First Nations Communities
Developed to help individuals and groups interested in addressing the issue of suicide in their communities. It is a framework to guide First Nations (indigenous peoples) in assessing and planning a suicide prevention plan. http://www.naho.ca/firstnations/english/documents/NAHO_Suicide_Eng.pdf
[posted on Rural Assistance Center Human Services Update]
New Guide Facilitates Partnerships between Hospitals, Public Libraries to Inform Consumers About Patient Safety
A new tool is now available to help organizations develop and provide consumer awareness programming for patient safety. Partnering for Patient Empowerment Through Community Awareness (PPECA), a hospital-library collaborative program, is releasing new content this week. The PPECA Facilitator’s Guide and module presentations are now freely available for organizations to use in their own patient safety educational efforts. http://www.galter.northwestern.edu/PPECA/index.htm [posted on CAPHIS]
"A study published in the February issue of Medical Research and Review found that having access to medical interpreters can not only substantially reduce racial and ethnic disparities but also improve patients' experiences. Researchers led by Leo S. Morales, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of California, Los Angeles, analyzed data collected by the California State Children's Health Insurance Program from parents of children enrolled in participating health plans.
They found that less than half of patients who required an interpreter during a medical visit reported they were provided one. Those who did have access to an interpreter, however, were much more satisfied with their care." Read the article online at:
http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=360684
[posted on Commonwealth Fund e-mail alert]
Great American Bake Sale Seeks Proposals to Increase Participation in USDA Afterschool and Summer Nutrition Programs
Deadline: April 15, 2006
Presented by Share Our Strength ( http://www.strength.org/ ) and Parade Magazine, the Great American Bake Sale ( http://www.greatamericanbakesale.org/ ) encourages all Americans to take a powerful stand against childhood hunger by hosting bake sales in their communities. Proceeds are submitted to Share Our Strength and distributed to the nation's most effective childhood hunger organizations annually. Share Our Strength will be accepting grant applications from current sponsors of summer and afterschool meal pro- grams for children that utilize USDA reimbursement and advocacy organizations that provide technical assistance to these programs. For more information about the program and to access the application form, visit the great American Bake Sale Web site. RFP Link: http://fconline.fdncenter.org/pnd/10001277/americanbake
Nominations Invited for Steve Patterson Sports Philanthropy Award
Deadline: April 14, 2006
Established in 2004 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ( http://www.rwjf.org/ ) and the Sports Philanthropy Project ( http://www.sportsphilanthropyproject.com/ ), the Steve Patterson Sports Philanthropy Award recognizes the team or player foundation whose work at the national or community level is devoted to improving the lives of others, especially the most vulnerable among us. Recipients of the award are working to make a difference in their communities in areas such as health and healthcare and education. Members of the Sports Philanthropy Project may nominate a team (e.g., community relations department), a team's 501(c)(3)foundation, an athlete's 501(c)(3) foundation, or an athlete's 501(c)(3) donor-advised fund for the award. The award carries a $5,000 honorarium. The 2006 winning team or athlete philanthropy will be honored at an award presentation in its or his/her community. SPP will promote the award nationally as well as in the winner's community. Visit the awards program Web site for more information and the call for nominations http://fconline.fdncenter.org/pnd/10001282/stevepatterson
American Legacy Foundation Accepting Nominations for Tobacco Documents Awards
Deadline: April 29, 2006
The American Legacy Foundation ( http://americanlegacy.org/ ) is accepting nominations for two Tobacco Industry Document Awards:
The Sybil G. Jacobs Award for Outstanding Use of Tobacco Industry Documents recognizes a person who has made a significant and well-recognized contribution to the health of the public in the recent past through use of tobacco documents. The award honors innovation in the use and application of tobacco industry documents to improve the public's health and, where applicable, to further the goals of tobacco prevention and control in order to help build a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Those nominated should be individuals who have made a notable impact through innovative use of tobacco industry documents as applied to research, policy, or advocacy.
The Christine O. Gregoire Youth/Young Adult Award for Outstanding Use of Tobacco Industry Documents recognizes a person 24 years of age or younger who has made a contribution to the health of the public through use of tobacco documents.
Each award recipient will receive a $7,500 cash award and will be expected to attend the awards ceremony at the 13th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Washington, D.C., on July 13, 2006. Visit the American Legacy Foundation Web site for complete nomination guidelines. RFP Link: http://fconline.fdncenter.org/pnd/10001287/americanlegacy
[posted on RFP Bulletin (March 10, 2006)]
Public Hearings in Seattle, WA (February 7, 2006) "A National Dialogue: The Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education"
See the materials provided by Pam Silas, Executive Director, American Indian Science and Engineering Society, including her written testimony and an overview of American Indian/Alaska Native Education.
http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/1st-hearing/index.html
Extracting Knowledge from Science: A Conversation with: Elias Zerhouni , director of the US National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
By Barbara Culliton, deputy editor of Health Affairs.
"National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Elias Zerhouni is pushing hard for innovation and the risk taking required to make major leaps in medicine. Fully attuned to cutting-edge work that crosses disciplines, he cites nanotechnology, clinical databases designed to answer research questions, systems biology, and an openness to radical ideas among his top priorities. The NIH director’s job, he says, “is to have a vision.” This requires leveraging NIH funding so that money is spent more wisely and has a cumulative effect on population health. Knowledge can be extracted from science, and health system transformation is made possible." [Health Affairs 25 (2006): w94–w103 (published online 9 March 2006; 10.1377/hlthaff.25.w94)] http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.25.w94/DC1 [posted on PAHO/WHO Equity Listserv]
Reuters Health Information
Wednesday, March 8, 2006
By Amy Norton
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Research has long shown that older adults face a higher risk of death soon after losing a spouse. But a new study suggests that while the phenomenon affects white spouses, the same is not true of black spouses.
In an analysis of data on more than 400,000 older married couples in the U.S., researchers found that the death of a spouse appeared to substantially increase a white person's risk of dying -- particularly in the months shortly after the loss.
In contrast, there was no such "widowhood effect" among black husbands and wives.
The findings, say the study authors, suggest that African Americans are better able than whites to cope with the death of a spouse -- possibly due, in part, to the types of social support black adults tend to have.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_30726.html
Related MedlinePlus Pages:
Family Issues - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//familyissues.html
The BC Rural Women’s Network launched the Online Safety Toolkit. This user-friendly guide will help Internet users be safer and more critical when going online.
The Online Safety Toolkit was created in response to findings from the Online Safety for Women Project funded by Status of Women Canada and the National Crime Prevention Strategy.
While there are an increasing resources developed for parents, children, and youth to use the Internet safely, very little information is directed towards the growing risks facing women who use the Internet. The BC Rural Women’s Network sees the Online Safety for Women Project as important initiative to address the rise in violence women face via the Internet and to help decrease the vulnerability of online users, in particular, marginalized rural women. http://www.onlinesafetytoolkit.com/ [posted on the Digital Divide Network listserv http://www.digitaldivide.net/]
Funded by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the short film follows Alana Williams as she and her grandmother make a doctor's appointment, see the doctor, and find health information at the library.
Narrated in English, Spanish, and Sudanese-Nuer, the movie is designed for young children and adults unfamilar with the US healthcare system. The film is now available at no cost to librarians, community health providers, immigrant support agencies, and elementary school professionals in DVD and VHS format. View the film online in all three languages at http://www.unmc.edu/library/clues/
This week's Funding Alert http://opgd.dc.gov/opgd/lib/opgd/services/grant/funding_alerts/currentnewsletter.pdf has too many health related grants to list on the blog. Below are just a few of the relevant grants highlighted in this issue. Make sure you open the PDF file above and read about all the funding opportunities!
Carol M. White Physical Education Program. Department of Education announces funds to initiate, expand, or enhance physical education programs, including after-school programs, for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Recipients must implement programs that help students make progress toward meeting State standards. Eligible applicants include independent school districts, faith-based, and community-based organizations. The deadline for applications is April 12, 2006. Approximately $17,400,000 is available to fund 58 awards. A match is required. For further information, contact Monica Woods at (202) 260-3954 or monica.woods@ed.gov; or go to: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=8215. This grant is subject to "Intergovernmental Review" under EO 12372. Please go to http://opgd.dc.gov/, Select "State Single Point of Contact" to comply.
Children with Disabilities: Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results. Department of Education announces funds to promote academic achievement and improves results for children with disabilities by supporting technical assistance, model demonstration projects, dissemination of useful information, and implementation activities that are supported by scientifically based research. Eligible applicants include public and state controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. The deadline for applications is April 17, 2006. Approximately $1,200,000 is available to fund 3 awards up to $400,000. For further information, contact Julius Cotton at (202) 245-6140 or julius.cotton@ed.gov; or go to: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=8246.
College Assistance Migrant Program. Department of Education announces funds to provide the academic and financial support necessary to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their children successfully complete their first year of college. Eligible applicants include public and state controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations. The deadline for applications is April 14, 2006. Approximately $2,300,000 is available to fund 7 awards, ranging from $150,000-$425,000. For further information, contact Julius Cotton at (202) 245-6140 or julius.cotton@ed.gov; or go to: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=8203.
Formative Internet-Based Intervention Research to Improve Health and Reduce HIV Transmission Among HIV Positive Persons. Department of Health and Human Services announces funds to conduct formative research to design and pilot-test an Internet-based intervention to motivate people living with HIV to adopt and maintain behaviors that improve their health and reduce the risk of HIV transmission to others. Eligible applicants include city or township governments, county governments, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, state governments, private institutions of higher education, small businesses, nonprofit, faith-based, and community-based organizations. The deadline for applications is April 20, 2006. Approximately $300,000 is available to fund 1award. For further information, contact Gladys Gissentanna at (404) 639-0941 or GGissentanna@cdc.gov; or go to: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/PS06-004.htm.
Opt-Out HIV Testing in Emergency Department Settings. Department of Health and Human Services announces funds to assess the feasibility of offering HIV testing on a voluntary opt-out basis in the emergency department (ED) setting in high-prevalence communities; to evaluate models for providing opt-out testing; to compare opt-out testing to traditional and routinely offered HIV testing in EDs; and to increase access to quality medical care, treatment, and ongoing prevention services for those diagnosed with HIV. Eligible applicants include city or township governments, county governments, special district governments, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, state governments, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit, faith-based, and community-based organizations. The deadline for applications is April 20, 2006. Approximately 3 awards ranging from $280,000-$425,000 are available. For further information, contact Angie Tuttle at (404) 639-8305 or ATuttle@cdc.gov; or go to: http://www.cdc.gov/od/pgo/funding/PS06-003.htm.
Local Initiative Funding Partners Program 2007. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation seeks to fund promising, original projects to improve significantly the health of vulnerable people in their communities. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations. The deadline for applications is July 6, 2006. Approximately $6,000,000 is available to fund 14 awards, ranging from $200,000-$500,000. A match is required. For further information, go to: http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=19279.
Funding Alert is a free service of the Office of Partnerships and Grants Development. To start your own online subscription to Funding Alert, simply register with DC.Gov and subscribe at DCDocs http://dc.gov/registration/dcdocs.asp. For archives, visit http://opgd.dc.gov, Information, Grant Funding Alerts.
Programs include community health centers, migrant worker health centers
HealthDay
Robert Preidt
Tuesday, March 7, 2006
TUESDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- Public "safety net" medical services -- such as community health centers, public hospitals, migrant worker health centers and primary-care programs in public housing -- play a crucial role in providing health care to uninsured children in the United States.
That's the finding of a Rand Corp. study in the March issue of Pediatrics.
The study of more than 2,600 uninsured children, aged 2 to 17, who lacked insurance for at least one full calendar year at some time from 1996 to 2000, found that children in rural areas were more likely to receive medical services if they lived closer to safety net medical providers or if there were more primary-care doctors nearby.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_30707.html
Related MedlinePlus Pages:
Children's Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus//childrenshealth.html
PubMed Abstract: http://tinyurl.com/npf9w
[posted in MedlinePlus Health News, Wednesday March 8, 2006]
“Growing Up around the World” series helps kids find out about other countries
ALSC’s International Relations Committee has created a series of bibliographies that identify fiction and nonfiction that will help young people in the U.S. understand the lives of children living in other countries today. http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/alscresources/booklists/GrowingUpAroundWorld.htm [American Libraries Direct 3/8/2006]
Where There Is No Internet: Delivering Health Information via the Blue Trunk Libraries
Pascal Mouhouelo, Auguste Okessi, Marie-Paule Kabore
PLOS Medicine Volume 3, Issue 3, March 2006
“Unfortunately, there are still many areas in the developing world that have neither computers nor a reliable electricity supply. Thus, in spite of the rapid development of information and communications technologies, the gap between “the haves and have-nots” continues to blight isolated areas (those outside a capital city). In these areas, the appropriate solution to information access is still printed material. In response to this need for printed health information, WHO librarians created the Blue Trunk Library (BTL) project.”
http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030077
Unequal Access to Health Care: A Test of Language Services at Alameda County Hospitals
“This is one of the first studies to measure the availability of language services to limited English proficient speakers of Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Tagalog. The Discrimination Research Center (DRC) trained testers to place more than 550 calls to request emergency services at 12 Alameda County Hospitals. In Alameda County, where over 30% of residents speak a language other than English at home, the implications are immense. DRC found that almost 2 out of 3 calls made in Vietnamese and Cantonese resulted in a hang-up or getting disconnected. Only 62% of the tests conducted in Spanish reached a Spanish speaker even though over 14% of Alameda County residents speak Spanish.”
Discrimination Research Center: http://drcenter.org/websys94.pl
Direct link to the study: http://drcenter.org/staticdata/Unequal_Access_to_Health_Care_DRC.pdf
[posted on CLAStalk-list]
SNHC Accepting Applications for Upcoming FREE Phoenix Regional Intensive Training
Phoenix, AZ Training Date: April 27-29, 2006
Registration Deadline: March 21, 2006 – For more information, go to http://www.hivta.org/
The Supporting Networks of HIV Care Project (SNHC) seeks applications from non-profit, community-based and faith-based organizations interested in participating in the upcoming, Free Regional Intensive Training in Phoenix, Arizona, April 27-29, 2006. The deadline for applications is March 21, 2006.
The goal of the Supporting Networks of HIV Care (SNHC) Regional Intensive Training is to equip nonprofit, community-based and faith-based organizations with the specific tools and practical skills necessary to effectively expand, or improve, their capacity to implement HIV primary care and support services within communities of color. [posted on NMAC Lifeline]
"NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, presents this first comprehensive state-by-state analysis of mental health care systems in 15 years. Every U.S. state has been scored on 39 specific criteria resulting in an overall grade and four sub-category grades for each state. The national average grade is D. Five states receive grades in the B range. Eight receive Fs. None received As." You can view the data on each state, read an overview, and examine the full report. (Source: NAMI) http://www.nami.org/gtsTemplate.cfm?Section=Grading_the_States&lstid=676 [posted on Sound Partners for Community Health Weekly Digest for March 7-13, 2006]
Ich Weiss Nicht Was Soll Es Bedeuten: Language Matters in Medicine
The PLoS Medicine Editors- 3(2): e122 - February 28, 2006 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0030122
Volume 3 | Issue 2 | FEBRUARY 2006
Available online at: http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030122
“……For better or worse, English (with its many words annexed from Latin and other languages) is today's lingua franca in the medical and life sciences. It is nearly impossible to be a successful medical or life scientist without basic skills to read and communicate in English.
There are, however, many other potential consumers of medical and scientific research results—health-care professionals, educators, and the general public—for whom proficiency in English is a luxury that only some can afford. Moreover, important research results are published in languages other than English. And whereas many English-speaking scientists are content to ignore such publications despite the potential adverse effects of ignorance, for some types of research—for example, systematic reviews—the consequences of restricting the search to English titles or keywords defeats the purpose of providing a comprehensive summary of the existing information."
[posted on PAHO/WHO EQUITY list]
The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies in Washington, D.C. has published a new brochure, "Addressing Racial and Ethnic Health Care Disparities; Where Do We Go From Here?" The brochure is available at this URL: http://www.iom.edu/?id=33252 [posted on Kellogg75]
Local Initiative Funding Partners is a partnership program between Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and local grantmakers that seeks to fund promising, original projects to improve significantly the health of vulnerable people in their communities. Grantmakers propose a funding partnership by nominating community initiatives that offer creative solutions to critical health or health care problems. To learn more about this program and the projects already funded or to pose your own question, please visit the Local Initiative Funding Partners Web site at: http://www.lifp.org [posted on RWJF Funding Alert]
The Aetna Foundation Announces its 2006 Regional Community Health Grants Program
Deadline: March 31, 2006
In 2006, Aetna ( http://www.aetna.com/ ) and the Aetna Foundation will award up to $2.9 million through the Regional Grants Program for philanthropic initiatives focused on the following healthcare issues: depression; childhood health -- obesity (including diabetes) and oral health; and end-of-life care.
Applications will be accepted from February 28, 2006, to March 31, 2006, for all regions (i.e., Mid-Atlantic, North Central, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and West). For the full program description, including information regarding funding areas of interest, geographic targets, and funds available by region, go
to: http://www.aetna.com/foundation/communitygrants/2004_rfp.htm [posted on Kellogg75]
Education and training are the linchpins that will give the nation's Hispanic workers and their children important tools to contribute to and share in U.S. prosperity, says a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council that examines the Hispanic experience in the United States. Read the press release at http://www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309096677?OpenDocument Copies of Multiple Origins, Uncertain Destinies: Hispanics and the American Future are available from the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at http://fermat.nap.edu/catalog/11314.html Read it online for free at http://fermat.nap.edu/books/0309096677/html/
Cable Positive’s "Tony Cox Community Fund" (TCCF) is a national grant program that encourages community-based AIDS organizations and cable outlets to partner in joint community outreach efforts, or to produce and distribute new, locally focused, HIV/AIDS-related programs, public service announcements (PSAs) and other programming promoting the grantee organization’s programs, services and upcoming fundraising events. The deadline to apply is March 10, 2006. http://www.cablepositive.org/programs-tonycox.html [posted on NMAC Lifeline]
The March issue of NIH News in Health, the monthly newsletter bringing you practical health news and tips based on the latest NIH research, is now online at http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/. Also, if you haven’t already filled out our online survey, please take a few moments to go to http://newsinhealthsurvey.od.nih.gov and tell us what you think about NIH News in Health.
In the March issue:
Feature Stories:
§ Supplementing Your Diet. Vitamins, Minerals and Beyond
§ Make the Kidney Connection. Millions at Risk for Kidney Disease
Health Capsules:
§ Healthier 'Soul Food' Helps With Diabetes
§ Don't Ignore Smell and Taste Problems
Featured Web Site:
§ 5 to 9 a Day
Please pass the word on to your colleagues about NIH News in Health. The content is not copyrighted. Stories can be reprinted without permission, and copies can be downloaded and displayed free of charge.
HealthDay
Robert Preidt
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
WEDNESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- By changing the way they gather information about their patients' race and ethnicity, doctors could improve efforts to eliminate race-linked gaps in health care, a U.S. study shows.
Patients who were asked to describe their race and ethnicity were more likely to answer the question -- and give more accurate answers -- than if they were asked to check off a box for one of the federal government's categories for race and ethnicity.
For example, patients who were asked to describe their race and ethnicity were less likely to select the "unknown" or "other" category if they were given the opportunity to be specific.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_30427.html
Related MedlinePlus Pages:
African-American Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/africanamericanhealth.html
Hispanic-American Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hispanicamericanhealth.html
Asian American Health http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/asianamericanhealth.html
Native American Health http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nativeamericanhealth.html
Talking With Your Doctor - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/talkingwithyourdoctor.html
Social Determinants of Health and Nursing: A Summary of the Issues : What's the Issue?
In all countries, it is well-established that poorer people have substantially shorter life expectancies and more illnesses than the rich. This phenomenon has been observed since at least the nineteenth century when Chadwick (1965) investigated the health of the working classes in Victorian England...The Whitehall civil service study compared the health status of individuals over time with their position in a well-defined job hierarchy. Those lower in the hierarchy experienced three times the risk of death from heart disease, stroke, cancer, gastrointestinal disease, accident and suicide compared with those at the top of the hierarchy. [Canadian Nurses Association Background, 10-05] http://www.cna-nurses.ca/CNA/documents/pdf/publications/BG8_Social_Determinants_e.pdf
Stretching the Safety Net to Serve Undocumented Immigrants
A small but increasing proportion of immigrants to the United States is undocumented. Because most undocumented immigrants lack health insurance, they primarily rely on safety net providers for care. Communities with more developed safety nets and historically large numbers of immigrants appear more adept at caring for both legal and undocumented immigrants[.] [HSC, Issue Brief No. 104, 02-06] http://www.hschange.org/CONTENT/818/
Healthy America: Wellness Where We Live, Work and Learn
Call to Action: An Agenda for America's Governors
Obesity is one of the nation's fastest-rising health problems—increasing 74 percent between 1991 and 2001, according to data from the Centers for Disease control and Prevention...[G]overnors...can help build a culture of physical activity, prevention, and wellness. They can promote healthy lifestyles and encourage healthy choices in homes, schools, and workplaces. Call to Action: http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0602HEALTHYAMCALL.PDF
Creating Healthy States: http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0602CREATINGHEALTHYSTATESACTIONS.PDF
[ACHI Community Health News, 3-1-06]
Sunday, March 5 through Saturday, March 12, 2006, is the 17th Annual Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS. The Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS is a powerful week of prayer, education and action. This national AIDS awareness campaign engages Black congregations to support, encourage and empower African Americans to take action toward stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS in Black communities worldwide. For more information see http://www.balmingilead.org/programs/weekofprayer2006/default.asp [posted on National Minority AIDS Council list]
CDC Releases Tool to Aid Infant Death Scene Investigation http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r060301.htm
For the first time, law enforcement, coroners and medical examiners will have the information they need to more accurately determine the cause of a child's death with the Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation (SUIDI) Reporting Form. This establishes national standards for data collection at infant death scene investigations.
University of Maryland Graduate Certificate in Public Health Informatics http://www.onlinestudies.umd.edu/phi/
Online graduate certificate program in Public Health Informatics with a curriculum rich in the latest scientific and technological principles and practices. Courses include: "Public Health Information Systems," "Geographic Information Systems in Public Health Surveillance," "Information Management for Public Health Professionals," and "Advanced Health Informatics." The graduate certificate satisfies the Continuing Education Units (CEUs) requirements of health educators through SOPHE. Credits earned may also meet the degree requirements for the MPH and PhD degrees.
[posted on PHPartners http://phpartners.org/ - New Links for the week of Mar 03, 2006]
"At a time when arguably, US healthcare is at its worst, it’s an inarguable fact that rural Americans are more frequently denied access to health care than their urban counterparts. The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) cites a study released today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that concludes the Nation’s healthcare safety net, in large part filled by Community Health Centers (CHC), is grossly inadequate in rural areas. Access to, as well as recruitment and retention of physicians and other medical providers in rural communities lags far behind that of urban and metropolitan areas."
Part of a Press Release of the National Rural Health Association
Designing Healthy Communities: Raising Healthy Kids April 3-9, 2006 The planning materials for National Public Health Week (NPHW) 2006 are now available http://www.apha.org/nphw/2006/
"During NPHW, the American Public Health Association (APHA), will aim to improve the understanding of the relationship between built environments- homes, schools, parks and community design- and the health and safety of children by promoting solutions that families, communities and policy-makers can use to improve children's health in their communities. Each day will focus on the relationship between the built environment and a core children's health issue, with additional focus on effective solutions based on case studies from model communities."
Connecticut Public Television has teamed up with Native American Public Telecommunications to produce a 13-part series titled Seasoned With Spirit: A Native Cook’s Journey. The cook is Loretta Oden (Citizen Potawatomi) of Oklahoma, who ran Blue Corn Restaurant in Santa Fe for many years. The ethnobotanist and Native food historian has completed five episodes so far, each shot entirely on location, including a show on buffalo and related foods filmed on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, a segment on wild ricing with Winona LaDuke taped on the White Earth Reservation, and a segment on “the original gumbo” of the Houma people of Louisiana. The series is slated to begin airing in April on PBS. Check for local listings, http://www.pbs.org [posted on Digest on IndigenousNewsNetwork@topica.com, issue 655]
How often do Americans use health care services? If you're looking for an answer, this report may be "just what the doctor ordered." It provides data on the frequency of visits to doctors, dentists and hospitals and whether or not people are taking prescription medicine - by characteristics such as self-reported health status, age and health insurance coverage status. Internet address: http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p70-106.pdf
[posted on aapcho-path listserv]
The Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies announces the publication of the latest Latino Data Project Report: “Crude Birth Rates and Contraceptive Use by Racial/Ethnic Group, 1990-2000” by Victoria Stone Visit http://web.gc.cuny.edu/lastudies/ where you can see this and all previous Latino Data Project Reports.
[posted on REFORMANET listserv]
How can we help prevent overweight and obesity in children? National Heart Lung Blood Institute(NHLBI) and three other Institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are collaborating to spread the word about We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition). We Can! is designed as a one-stop resource for those interested in practical tools to help children 8-13 years old stay at a healthy weight. There are many ways for you or your organization or community group to get involved in We Can! http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/
Hispanics are disproportionately affected by diabetes and hypertension, the two leading causes of kidney disease. Other risk factors for kidney disease include cardiovascular disease and a family history of kidney disease. Hispanics are nearly twice as likely to develop kidney failure as non-Hispanic.
The National Kidney Disease Education Program is an initiative of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, one of the National Institutes of Health. The NKDEP aims to raise awareness of the seriousness of kidney disease, the importance of testing those at high risk, and the availability of treatment to prevent or slow kidney failure for the public and providers.
New materials were developed in collaboration with kidney disease experts and community-based organizations serving the Hispanic community. To view the NKDEP Spanish-language website, and to download or order the brochure, visit http://www.nkdep.nih.gov/espanol
The brochure, along with additional information, is also available by calling the NKDEP toll free number at 1-866-4-KIDNEY (1-866-454-3639). Instructions are available in Spanish and English. http://www.nkdep.nih.gov/resources/index.htm
The website and brochure provide science-based information on the risk factors for kidney disease, the basic principles of kidney function, as well as the importance of early testing. The materials also stress the availability of medications that can prevent or slow the disease progression. Additional Spanish-language resources are available on diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease.
[posted on KDHE's Office of Local and Rural Health listserv]