Health Equity 3rd Annual Leadership Institute

Are you interested in health equity research?

Please consider attending the UW Collaborative Center for Health Equity’s (CCHE) 3rd annual Health Equity Leadership Institute!

SAVE THE DATES: June 10-15, 2012

Application release date: February 1st

Completed application: February 24th

HELI Scholars RSVPs needed: April 1st

In partnership with the University of Maryland School of Public Health’s Center for Health Equity, the Collaborative Center for Health Equity at the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers an intensive weeklong “research boot camp” focused on increasing the number of investigators, particularly minority investigators, engaged in health disparities/health equity research that are successful in tenure track academic appointments in schools of public health, medicine and other health and behavioral health science disciplines and help them in achieving research funding through the NIH.

To join the conversation or learn more click here http://www.crech.org/joomla15/images/stories/Documents/derek%20pdf%2012.19.11.pdf

The National Health Service Corps - Students to Service Program

The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP) pilot application cycle is now open. The S2S LRP provides loan repayment assistance to medical students (MD and DO) in their last year of school, in return for a commitment to provide primary health care services in eligible Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) of greatest need.

The program is seeking applicants who have an interest in serving communities with limited access to health care and in providing care through their initial service commitment and beyond.
Financial Benefits

The S2S LRP will provide funds to participants to repay their outstanding qualifying student loans while still completing health professions training.

Program Options Include:
Full-Time Clinical Practice. The NHSC will pay up to $120,000 for an initial three years of full-time clinical service defined as no less than 40 hours per week, for a minimum of 45 weeks a year.

Half-Time Clinical Practice. The NHSC will pay up to $120,000 for an initial six years of half-time clinical service defined as no less than 20 hours per week (not to exceed 39 hours per week), for a minimum of 45 weeks per year.

Annual payments of up to $30,000 will be made over the course of four years. With continued service, eligible providers may be able to pay off all qualifying student loans.

Learn more about eligibility and how to apply at http://www.nhsc.hrsa.gov/loanrepayment/studentstoserviceprogram/index.html?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NHSC%20Update&utm_content=S2S+Announcement+to+Potential+Applicants

What’s New…? New CLAS Initiative Brings Community Together Through Medical Interpretation Network Partners

What’s new at the VDH, Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE)? First, we are happy to report that we have a new CLAS Specialist, Valerie McAllister. Valerie joined our staff in January and she has been working on a number of initiatives to address providing cultural and linguistic appropriate services within the Commonwealth. One notable new initiative that Valerie is leading, that may be very helpful for your organization and community. At our 2009 Virginia Health Equity Conference, a significant number of attendees identified the need to enhance providing culturally competent healthcare services to rural and urban LEP (Limited English Proficiency) individuals in the Commonwealth. The attendees felt that there was a need to establish a Statewide Medical Interpreter Collaborative

Network. The Network would embark upon: • Identifying availability of medical interpreter services in communities • Identifying barriers and opportunities to serving the LEP population • Collaboration and sharing of existing resources • Developing opportunities to create new resources • Establish statewide priorities in field of medical interpretation. To begin to assess and address these needs, the OMHHE has hired two Medical Interpreter Network Coordinators who will canvass the state, reaching out to community partners to identify opportunities to bring resources together, setting up regional meetings to establish interest and build upon ideas, and define individual and community goals. Our Medical Interpreter Network Coordinators are: Mayra Creed of Newport News and Dr. Wendy Welch of Big Stone Gap, Virginia.

Click here to learn more about these key staffers

Application Available for 2011 Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is accepting applications for the 2011 Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program. This intensive summer program provides college students with an opportunity to work on policy issues in a congressional office and to engage in original health policy research and analysis under the guidance of Foundation research staff.

The application deadline is 5pm ET on Friday, December 3, 2010. Application matrials and more information are available online. Click here to learn more

$2.5 Million Federal Grant Awarded!

A five-year, $2.5 million federal grant will create a statewide public health training center led by the Eastern Virginia Medical School / Old Dominion University Graduate Program in Public Health.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration will fund the Commonwealth Public Health Training Center. It's a partnership of the state's graduate programs in public health, the state health department, the Virginia Public Health Association and family medicine residency programs.

The new center will train Virginia Department of Health employees, educate family-medicine residents about public health issues, strengthen the pipeline for the future public-health workforce and host statewide training events.

To Learn More Click Here

Procurement Training Courses

The Office of Purchasing and General Services (OPGS) is pleased to announce two procurement training courses 1) VDH-Procurement Overview and 2) Procurement-DGS eVA & Quick Quote. The training provided will enhance efficiency and compliance when procuring goods and services for VDH and provide a detailed walkthrough of the eVA system and the utilization of eVA Quick Quote. Please register for these courses in TRAIN at https://va.train.org/DesktopShell.aspx. If you need assistance with your TRAIN access, please contact your local Super User.

All Office/District Business Managers and employees responsible for managing or procuring goods and services are highly encouraged to attend.

The training dates for these two courses are:

VDH-Procurement Overview-TRAIN Course #1023145
August 5, 2010 from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
September 21, 2010 from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
* Register for this course

General Procurement Training; an overview of the complete procurement process highlighting proper procurement methods and procedures and purchasing limits.

Procurement-DGS eVA & Quick Quote-TRAIN Course #1023144
August 5, 2010 from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
September 21, 2010 from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
* Register for this course

eVA and Quick Quote (QQ) training presented by DGS; a detailed look at the requirements, benefits and proper use of the eVA system and QQ application.

Training locations at the James Madison Building will be:

Main Floor Conference Room on August 5, 2010
Main Floor Conference Room on September 21, 2010.

For those of you that will be joining us by way of polycom, please reserve a site and send Rich Watson an email confirming where you would like to be connected.

New translational health disparities research course at NCMHD!

SAVE THE DATE
September 20 - October 1, 2010

NCMHD TRANSLATIONAL HEALTH DISPARITIES COURSE: INTEGRATING PRINCIPLES OF SCIENCE, PRACTICE AND POLICY IN HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH

The National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) is hosting a translational health disparities research course on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland from September 20, 2010 to October 1, 2010. This two-week intensive course will provide specialized instruction on the concepts, principles, methods, and applications of health disparities science, practice, and policy. A faculty of recognized experts in health disparity science will lead individual sessions. The course is free, but attendance is limited and admission will be competitive. The costs of transportation, room and board will not be covered.

To participate, you must submit an application, which NCMHD will review by early August. NCMHD will start accepting applications in early July. Please check the NCMHD Web site,

www.ncmhd.nih.gov, for course registration information, which will appear at that time.
Please see the attached document for more details.

Application Information
* NCMHD will begin accepting applications in early July. Please check the NCMHD Web site, www.ncmhd.nih.gov, for course registration information, which will appear at that time.
* The deadline for applying is 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, July 30, 2010.
* Applicants will be notified if they have been accepted, waitlisted, or rejected no later than Monday, August 9, 2010.
* It is preferred that you submit your application online via the NCMHD Web site starting in early July. When you submit your application, it will generate an e-mail to your selected reference person asking for their recommendation.
* Please begin preparing the following information for your application:
* A synopsis of your relevant work experience (Maximum word count 250)
* Your educational history in 250 words; this may include honors and awards (Maximum word count 250)
* An essay that responds to the following question: Why do you want to take this course and how will the knowledge gained from it contribute to your future career goals?(Maximum word count 350)
* A letter of recommendation. (Please ask the person who will serve as your reference to describe your strengths and personal qualities in 350 words or less.)

For further information or questions, please send an email to the Course Coordinator at NCMHDhealthdc@mail.nih.gov

Native Americans embrace tradition to defeat diabetes

Finding a Native American in Towaoc, Colo., who does not have diabetes or know someone with diabetes is rare.

"It is the exception," says Gerald Pond, general manager of the Ute Mountain Casino Hotel and Resort.

Pond, whose roots are with the Assiniboine tribe in Montana, comes from a family of nine. Seven members have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, he says.

Of the 3.3 million American Indians and Alaska Natives in the USA, about 16% have diabetes, most of them type 2, says the Indian Health Service, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. That's almost twice the rate of diabetes in whites.

Thousands of scientists are gathering this weekend in Orlando for the American Diabetes Association's 70th scientific sessions, an annual conference that focuses on advances in diabetes research and the needs of patients, including high-risk groups such as Native Americans and African Americans.

TWITTER CHAT: Tweet #DukeMedUSAT to ask endocrinologist Susan Spratt questions at 10 a.m. ET

Renewed Energy and Hope

Though the number of diabetes cases in tribal communities is daunting, it's not the end of the story, say many tribal members and health care workers. A number of communities in recent years have taken on diabetes with a vengeance and are reaping healthy results. Individual efforts as well as government grants are helping. Improved access to health care, nutritional counseling in schools and businesses, school mentoring programs and community farming are among the programs making headway.

"Things have been changing. There's a new energy," says Chippewa Ann Bullock, the medical consultant for the Health and Medical Division of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, in Cherokee, N.C. She says tribes have been traumatized historically, but "there's a new sense of hope."

NATIVE AMERICAN: Doctors blend modern care, medicine men
DIABETES: Drugs don't reduce heart problems

Community leaders such as Pond are bringing about change, too. Pond, 53, says his own diabetes motivated him to revamp the casino buffets with more vegetable choices and fewer fatty and sugary foods, set up a workout room for his security staff, and invite Jan DeLeo, a registered dietitian, to give nutrition seminars to his employees.

"It's for a selfish reason. Healthy employees don't cost as much to employ, they come to work more often, and they do a much better job. But it makes me happy to help them, too," says Pond, who was diagnosed four years ago and has since lost weight and started exercising.

Government financial assistance is easing the problem, too. Since Congress established the Special Diabetes Program for Indians in 1997 in response to the growing epidemic in native populations, diabetes-focused health services in tribal areas are more common.

DeLeo and Mary North, a home health nurse for the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, visit patients, including tribal elder Ira Cuthair, in Towaoc every week. North refills insulin supplies and other medications and takes tribe elders to medical appointments.

Cultural Identity Is The Key

Dawn Satterfield, a team leader for the Native Diabetes Wellness Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Diabetes Translation, says the CDC has been working with 17 tribal communities to improve access to local, fresh produce. For many people living on reservations, grocery stores can be dozens of miles away.
Preserving and renewing cultural identity is a key feature of the programs, Satterfield says. "We've listened to tribe elders from the beginning, and through our Traditional Foods project, we've honored the concepts of harvesting, gathering and preparing traditional foods like squash and berries," she says.

Other initiatives:

•At a meeting of tribal grant recipients this month in Tulsa, the Ramah Navajo tribe reported on its successful composting program to restore the soil so members can grow traditional vegetables.
•The Standing Rock Nation, bordering North and South Dakota, is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, offering fresh-produce vouchers the elderly can use at local farmers markets. Redemption rates are more than 50%, Satterfield says.

•In North Carolina, the Cherokee Choices program includes mentoring in elementary schools for the most at-risk children, Bullock says. "They teach not only about fruits and veggies but emotional coping tools. They take children on cultural field trips and develop a sense of pride in who they are."
Key to many programs is the rebuilding of pride and self-esteem, and keeping in mind the spiritual component of healing and overcoming diabetes, Bullock says.

As Terry Knight, 61, a Ute Bear Dance Chief who has diabetes explains, the tribe's spirit is the bear: "He represents strength and power and wisdom, the ability to survive against all odds."

Health Equity Tool launches, and letter to Secretary Sebelius

Prevention Institute http://www.preventioninstitute.org is pleased to announce the launch of the Health Equity & Prevention Primer http://www.preventioninstitute.org/tools/focus-area-tools/health-equity-toolkit.html which is full of effective tools for community-based prevention.

With the recent passage of health reform (HR 4872), our nation has made anhistoric investment in prevention and wellness to support coordinatedefforts to achieve equitable health and safety outcomes. This investment comes on the heels of ARRA funds to support Communities Putting Prevention to Work. As groups across the country galvanize efforts to improve health, *Prevention Institute is pleased to announce the launch of the Health Equity and Prevention Primer HEPP: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Xfdzv1MoMnc%2BB3oABdYuxJkfLwMH9tgX

The primer packages a number of our effective tools for community-based prevention--like the *Two Steps to Prevention* framework, *The Spectrum of Prevention* and *Collaboration Multiplier*--along with researchand case examples from across the country, into an easy-to-access, online training format. Informed by national leaders in health equity, public health department staff and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,the Primer provides a rich array of resources to support learning,exploration and implementation. Continuing education credits are available for each hour of self-directed training.

Take a look and let us know what you think: See more* http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?=2&c=xooCFyEMBv2CJgtaixnfrpkfLwMH9tgX

PI and Policy Link recommend next steps to Sebelius

Prevention Institute and Policy sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Director Kathleen Sebelius with our joint recommendations for allocating funding under health reform's Prevention and Public Health Fund.

Read the letter and recommendations

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=dbq93lAkeqYaAgs%2BZu6sTJkfLwMH9tgX

Competent C.A.R.E. Training Day

Tuesday May 4, 2010
Cultural Arts Center 
Glen Allen, VA

Sponsored by: the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the DBHDS Statewide Cultural and Linguistic Competency Steering Committee.

Standards 1-3 of the Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services will be the main focus of this training. This is the second in a series of four training days that will be provided over the course of the next twelve months. These trainings are sequential and are designed to provide increased learning over time.

Overview: This interactive training opportunity will require participants to have a basic knowledge of the definitions of cultural and linguistic competence. It will not provide an introductory overview. Participants will discover that cultural competence consists of much more than what can be seen with the naked eye. Sessions will focus on how self awareness and power, race, gender and generational differences can impact any given situation. Participants will also explore how invisible areas that are often overlooked can be potential barriers to organizational communication, employee performance, and service provision.

Learn more >

How to Communicate Effectively When Working with Interpreters

How to Communicate Effectively When Working with Interpreters (Free Workshop)
Friday March 19, 2010
8:30am*-11am

Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services**
10299 Woodman Road
Glen Allen, VA 23060

When you and your client/patient don't speak the same language, providing quality care is almost impossible without the help of someone to interpret. Many organizations today turn to a variety of people to bridge the language gap, from untrained bilingual staff to professional medical interpreters. However, there's a knack to working with even the best interpreter. This workshop is designed to assist participants to work more effectively with interpreters when dealing with clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Learn more >

* There will be light refreshments from 8:30 - 9:00am

** Colaborando Juntos workshops are FREE and OPEN to anyone interested in skill building for service providers. Service providers from Social Services, Public Health, Mental Health, Developmental Services, students, and private sector employees are welcome to attend.

VCU Department of Epidemiology and Community Health Seminars

Public Health Forums 2010 are posted on the department website. Check them out and make plans to attend!

February Public Health Seminars at VCU

Monday, February 1, 2010, 12-1:00 PM
One Capitol Square Building

5th Floor Conference room

HOMBRE--Honduras Outreach Medical Brigada Relief Effort

Dr. Michael Stevens, Fellow in Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology at VCU will describe HOMBRE and discuss the health concerns and pressures faced by people in the Yoro district of rural Honduras as illustrated by data from 2 needs assessment surveys collected in 2008 and 2009. He will also describe his work with a large-scale water filter project the program has been participating in since 2008 and discuss potential future health projects in this region.

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Thursday, February 4, 2010, 12-1:00 p.m.

Medical Sciences Building

1217 E. Marshall St.

Room 104/105

Health Disparities Brown Bag Lecture: "Understanding Health Disparities and Health Equity"

Saba Masho, PhD, will examine the differences in the burden of disease between socio-demographically defined groups of people. She will shed light on how disparities can lead to morbidity and mortality. This event is sponsored by the Dept. of Epidemology and Community Health, and the Center on Health Disparities.

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Thursday, February 18, 2010, 10-11 AM
MCV Campus, Molecular Medicine Research Building

1220 East Broad Street - Room 1013

"Environmental exposures contributing to inner-city asthma"

Guest Speaker: Matthew S. Perzanowski, MPH, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Introductory Workshop for Nonprofit Board Members (January 28)

The Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence is offering an introductory workshop for individuals interested in or new to nonprofit board service. The workshop will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2010 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at The Community Foundation's offices (Suite 110, 7501 Boulders View Drive, Richmond, VA 23225). The workshop facilitator is Katie Campbell.

Building Blocks for Nonprofit Board Members - An Introduction is a three hour workshop which focuses on the following topics:

• Introduction to Nonprofits
• Nonprofit Governance
• Top Ten Board Responsibilities (Determine Mission and Purpose, Build Foundation, Relationship with the Executive Director, Strategic Planning, Ensure Legal and Ethical Integrity, Ensure Fiscal Responsibility, Assure Quality, Recruit and Assess Board, Serve as Community Ambassadors, Build Organizational Capacity)
• What Should I Expect
• Getting Started

The intended workshop audience is - individuals who have never served on a nonprofit Board, are considering joining a nonprofit Board, or recently became a Board member for the first time.

Workshop participants will also be eligible to participate in BoardLink which facilitates matches individuals with board/committee positions in local nonprofits.

The cost for attending this workshop is $25/individual and includes light refreshments and all materials. Please make checks payable to the Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence or register online at www.pnerichmond.org.

Places are limited, so register early! Please note the Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence is unable to offer a refund unless the workshop is canceled. If you are unable to attend the workshop, someone from your organization is welcome to take your seat.

Please contact Marium Ahmad-Kazmi via email mahmad-kazmi@pnerichmond.org or via phone (804) 330-7400 ext 108, or visit the Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence’s website, www.pnerichmond.org for additional information.

"Health Disparities in Rural Settings" Graduate Level Course Via Podcast with 1.8 CE credits

Shenandoah University Division of Nursing’s Graduate Program is offering a course titled “Health Disparities in Rural Settings.” It is available for 1.8 CE credits from the Virginia Nurse’s Association and the American College of Nurse-Midwives and is offered through podcasts that can be downloaded onto ipods through iTunes U.

This course analyzes the complex health disparities that occur in rural settings and that are rooted in historic and contemporary inequities. Topics include discussions of health care systems, health policies, distributions of resources, community needs assessment strategies, access to health care professionals and ethical considerations. Existing multi-level intervention strategies aimed at eliminating health disparities will be assessed, including those specific to rural settings as well as community-academic partnerships that translate research into action.

The podcasts are lectures and interviews with experts in the field. They can be downloaded from www.shenandoahgraduatenursing.com.

• Go to “Electives and CEUs.”
• Click on “Health Disparities in Rural Settings”

On ITunes U, get all lectures and subscribe to the course. By subscribing, you will be able to get new interviews as they occur.

When you are finished with the course, fill out the “Health Disparity CE Evaluation Form.” Email jfehr@su.edu notifying them that the Evaluation form has been filled out. Give them your address so that they can mail you your certificate.

Training Opportunity - Competent C.A.R.E.

Competent C.A.R.E.: Culturally Appropriate and Respectfully Engaging

May 4, 2010 - 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The Cultural Arts Center
2880 Mountain Rd.
Glen Allen, VA 23060

Learn tools to help staff and organizations integrate culturally competent care.

Cost: $ 20 (lunch included)

Learn more >

What Every Interpreter Needs to Know to Get Certified

Since the National Board Written Exam is language neutral (it is all in English) all medical interpreters, regardless of the language you work in, can take at least the National Board written exams as of October 10, 2009. The oral exam for Spanish is finalized and by the end of 2010 there will be 21 other languages available. The Qualification and the Screening processes will be further developed next year so that interpreters who work in minority languages or new emerging languages can also get fully credentialed. To know what is on the exams and basic information about national certification please attend the meeting below.

Topic: What Every Interpreter Needs to Know to Get Certified

Date: Monday, November 16, 2009

Time: 9 AM Pacific Time/ 11 AM Central / 12 Noon Eastern Standard Time

Duration: 1 hr

Meeting Password: NationalCert2009 (case sensitive)

To access Audio portion of the meeting:
Call (408) 792-6300 ID 88069241 (this is a toll number)

To access Webinar Presentation:
1. Go to https://imiaweb.webex.com/imiaweb/j.php?ED=117432122&UID=1055115517&PW=NMjRkMDg1MTYw&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D
2. Enter your name and email address
3. Enter the meeting password: NationalCert2009
4. Click "Join Now"

NOTE: If you are not able to connect with the Webinar presentation link above, just follow along with the presentation which is also available at the IMIA website at: http://www.imiaweb.org/uploads/docs/11-09-09-TestProcessSlides_final.pdf

Dr. Michael O. Royster Highlighted as a Kellogg Health Scholar

The Kellogg Health Scholars Program is a unique program designed to develop future leaders committed to achieving health equity and eliminating health disparities.

Dr. Michael O. Royster, Director of the Office of Minority Health and Public Health Policy at the Virginia Department of Health is currently featured on the program website.