#11 - 2008

June 23, 2008

This periodical newsletter is sent via E-mail to all members and friends of the California Public Health Association-North. It is designed to provide updates and encourage networking and information exchanges. If you do not wish to receive it, please send a note to: office@cphan.org

WHAT'S IN THIS ISSUE:

• CPHA-N Legislation Committee Report
• APHA Annual Meeting in San Diego October 26th - 29th - Registration Open
• Sierra Health Foundation commits $2.4 million to new grantmaking
• VOLUNTEERS AVAILABLE: Berkeley students looking for volunteer needs assessment work.
• National Resource Center focused on the public health preparedness needs of culturally diverse communities.
• New Funding from California Breathing Asthma Program
• Cost of Cancer Care: Issues and Implications
• The Public Health Nursing Workforce in California
• New campaign encouraging men to seek preventive care
• African American Tobacco Control Conference: A Community Under Siege
• “This Is Public Health” Video Available Online
• APHA's Get Ready Now Newsletter now available
• Earn Continuing Education Credit with New Documentary on Health Inequalities
• New On-Line Education Program ‘Health Literacy’ Training
• Wanted: P/T Association/Business Manager for established not-for-profit organization
• Position opening - Development Associate with the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
• Two positions with Communities for a Better Environment
• Two positions at YES!
• California Primary Care Association has an employment opportunity available

ANNOUNCEMENTS, PUBLICATIONS AND TOOLS

CPHA-N Legislation Report June 19, 2008

The report of the CPHA-N Legislative Committee was presented and discussed at the June 20, 2008 meeting of the CPHA-N Governing Council. The report, presented in a summary grid format, is available at the end of this issue of the newsletter. The Governing Council discussed these bills and approved a motion to support.

APHA Annual Meeting in San Diego October 26-29
Registration and Housing Are Now Open

Attendees can now access the official Registration and Housing Web site for the 2008 Annual Meeting in San Diego. Complete your online meeting registration and select the link for APHA Housing and your data will pre-populate on the online hotel/housing form for one-stop convenience. In order to confirm hotel reservations, discounted rates at official APHA Annual Meeting hotels and access complimentary shuttle bus service to the convention center, attendees must make their hotel reservations through APHA Housing Services. The Opening General Session will take place on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 12 p.m.–2 p.m. at the San Diego Convention Center. Special Opening General Session keynote speakers will be announced shortly. For the most up-to-date information, go to www.apha.org/meetings.

Sierra Health Foundation commits $2.4 million to new grantmaking

Sierra Health Foundation announced an expansion of their grantmaking and the launch of the Responsive Grants Program, which will provide $2.4 million in funding over the next two years to nonprofit organizations and public agencies in their 26-county funding region. They are asking organizations and agencies to tell us what their community needs and concerns are, and how a grant from Sierra Health can help address them. Responsive grants up to $40,000 each will support projects in three broad funding areas: Expanding Health Insurance, Improving Health Care Access and Promoting Health.

Of the $1.2 million available this year, 30 percent ($360,000) will be available exclusively to projects serving rural areas of Sierra Health's funding region. The remaining 70 percent ($840,000) will be available to projects serving urban areas and/or rural areas. Please see the application materials on our Web site for a funding region map and details.

Grant applications are due to Sierra Health Foundation by noon on August 15. We will hold a series of proposers' conferences in late June and July. Although attendance at a proposers' conference is not required, it is encouraged.

Register for a proposers' conference and download application materials on Sierra Health's Web site: www.sierrahealth.org

VOLUNTEERS AVAILABLE:
Berkeley students looking for volunteer needs assessment work

The University of California at Berkeley’s school of public health is offering a needs assessment course to master’s-level students this fall. The course will require enrolled students to volunteer for a community needs assessment project. They will work in pairs or teams of three and will be expected to volunteer eight hours every week for 2.5 months between September and late November. The school is helping pair these students with agencies that conduct needs assessment work. If you or your project is interested in working with student volunteers, contact Obiel Leyva at (510) 643-7541 or obiel@berkeley.edu.

National Resource Center focused on the public health preparedness needs of culturally diverse communities

A joint initiative of the Drexel University School of Public Health's Center for Health Equality and the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health, the National Resource Center will serve as a central clearinghouse of resources and an exchange site to facilitate communication, networking and collaboration among key players working to build resilience and eliminate disparities for culturally diverse communities in emergencies. The site features hundreds of cross-referenced annotated resources in over 40 languages highlighting research, training and education opportunities, measurement and evaluation tools, effective risk communication strategies, and other successful programs and projects. Visit www.DiversityPreparedness.org today to browse for resources that will help meet the preparedness needs of diverse communities.

New Funding Opportunity from California Breathing Asthma Program

We are pleased to announce the release of the 2008-2009 funding cycle for the Strategic Plan Implementation Grants program. The purpose of these grants is to stimulate and augment projects that can reduce asthma disparities, and advance the goals and objectives outlined in the newly released Strategic Plan for Asthma in California. (To view the Strategic Plan go to
www.californiabreathing.org Awards for this cycle will focus on outdoor environments, housing, and community engagement in local policy development.

If you have questions about the grant program, please contact
Bindi Gandhi at (510) 620-3605, bindi.gandhi@cdph.ca.gov
OR Janet Tobacman at (510) 620-3694, janet.tobacman@cdph.ca.gov

Cost of Cancer Care: Issues and Implications

Even though this paper was first published over a year ago in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, it still stands as an excellent reference piece on cancer care and cost.

The article, Cost of Cancer Care: Issues and Implications by Neal I Metropolis and Kevin Schulman is available on line for your reference at http://dreg.cancer.go/files/genomic/metropolis-011007.puff.

The Abstract: Medical technology is increasingly costly in most fields of clinical medicine. Oncology has not been spared from issues related to cost. In part resulting from the tremendous scientific progress that has lead to new tools for diagnosis. treatment and follow-up of our patients. The increasing cost of health care in general (and cancer care in particular) raises complex questions related to its effects on our economy and the citizens of our society. This article reviews the macroeconomic principles and individual behaviors that govern medical spending, and examines how cost disproportionately affects various populations. Our overall goal is to frame debate about health policy concerns that influence the clinical practice of oncology.

The Public Health Nursing Workforce in California

For several years we've been trying to determine more about the public health force in our state. With the help of the State Office of Healthcare Workforce Development we obtained this estimate (Board of Registered Nursing data) of the largest category - PHN's.

43,866 RNs had CA public health certification in 2006
41,607 of these had California addresses
35,534 have CA addresses and were employed in 2006
6,099 have CA addresses & were not working in 2006
1,136 say retirement was a "very important" reason for not working in 2006
2,274 say retirement was an "important" reason for not working in 2006

7,278 RNs lived in California & worked in public/community health agencies
3,401 of these reported having a public health nursing certification

(Note that these are based on a sample survey, so there is some error in these estimates.)

Joan Edelstein, DrPH, RN, the CE Chair for CPHA-N helped to clarify this number. When nursing students complete their BSN, they have the option of getting the PHN certificate at the same time. So the number of nurses with PHN certificates is likely accurate but may not reflect the number actually working in Public Health in some capacity. For example, an ICU nurse may also have a PHN certificate.

We are still interested in knowing the actual number of PHN's who are currently employed in the public health workforce and may be interested in our CE programs. In addition, the number of retired PHN's in the state, who also may want CE opportunities. At the present time, there is no state association of Public Health Nurses or central rallying place and the only formal group we could find via an internet search is the California Conference of Local Health Department Nursing Directors. [Special Thanks to Michael Radian, Angela Minnie, Dorian Rodriguez for their help in collecting this data.]

If anyone has more information they can add to this...please let us know.

New campaign encouraging men to seek preventive care

In an attempt to encourage more men to seek preventive health are, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently launched the “Real Men Wear Gowns” public service campaign. The campaign, developed in conjunction with the Advertising Council, encourages men older than 40 to learn which preventive screening tests are recommended for them and when the tests should be conducted. Men are 25 percent less likely than women to have visited a doctor within the past year and are 38 percent more likely than women to have neglected getting a cholesterol test, according to the 2005 HARD Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

The “Real Men Wear Gowns” campaign includes new television, radio, print and Web advertising designed to be light hearted and incorporate family as a key motivating factor for men to take a more active role in preventive health. The campaign encourages men to visit www.ahrq.gov/realmen to access commended ages for preventive testing, lists of recommended tests, a quiz on knowledge of preventive health, tips for talking with a doctor, a glossary of consumer health terms an other resources.

African American Tobacco Control Conference: A Community Under Siege

The California Department of Public Health, California Tobacco Control Program is hosting an African American Tobacco Control Conference entitled: A Community Under Siege: The State of Black California and Tobacco Use. The conference will be held on September 26, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. The conference will be preceded by a 30 year anniversary celebration hosted by the California Black Health Network. The purpose of the conference is to increase awareness and understanding of the impact of tobacco use in the African American community and to call the community to action toward reducing tobacco-related disease and mortality. Specific conference objectives are to:

Create innovate ways to implement and sustain activities that will eliminate the health disparities associated with tobacco use; Discover new strategies to stimulate and deepen the tobacco control growth and capacity in the African American community; Identify new strategies for broadening partnerships with the African American community; and Identify and explore methods to close the tobacco related disparity gap. The African American adult smoking prevalence rate in California is 18.9 vs...13.3 for the general adult prevalence rate. The conference will best benefit organizations in California that serve African American communities. For information contact: La Roux Pendleton, MPH at California Tobacco Control Program 916-449-5531 LaRoux.Pendleton@cdph.ca.gov

RESOURCES

“This Is Public Health” Video Available Online

The “This is Public Health” campaign rolled out a new video during National Public Health Week last year that demonstrates all the ways in which public health improves our lives. View the video and learn more about the campaign at www.thisispublichealth.org/

APHA's Get Ready Now Newsletter is available

The latest edition of Get Ready Now, the quarterly newsletter of the Get Ready campaign, was sent out to partners in early June and is available on http://www.getreadyforflu.org/. The newsletter features highlights of the Get Ready activities of APHA’s Affiliates, instructions on subscribing to the Get Ready RSS feed, information on National Preparedness Month 2008 in September and updates on APHA activities. Visit http://www.getreadyforflu.org/ to learn more!

Earn Continuing Education Credit with New Documentary on Health Inequalities

Health professionals can learn more about how social justice affects health and earn continuing education credit by viewing the new documentary series Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? This four-hour series examines America's socio-economic and racial inequities in health. Licensed health professionals can view the documentary for continuing education credit; and anyone, including undergraduate and graduate students, can study more deeply for university credit through San Francisco State University. More information is available at www.cel.sfsu.edu/unnaturalcauses.

New On-Line Education Program ‘Health Literacy’ Training to Improve Provider-Patient Communication from the National Committee for Quality Assurance

This new award winning training course titled “Unified Health Communication: Addressing Health Literacy, Cultural Competency, and Limited English Proficiency” is designed to help health care providers improve communications with their patients. This program was designed and developed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and is jointly sponsored by NCQA.The interactive training aims to raise the quality of provider-patient interactions by teaching providers and their staff how to gauge and respond to their patients’ health literacy, cultural background, and language skills.The course’s five modules take four to five hours to complete, averaging 45 minutes to an hour for each module. Modules 1 through 4 focus on: An Introduction to Health Communication, Health Literacy, Cultural Competency and Limited English Proficiency. Module 5 allows participants to apply information learned in previous modules to test their ability to communicate effectively with patients. Self-paced instruction allows participants to complete one or more modules at a time. Colorful graphics, interactive elements and video vignettes enhance the learning experience.

Continuing education credit is available for a variety of health care professionals including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants and health education specialists. www.ncqa.org NCQA - 1100 13th Street NW, Suite 1000 | Washington, DC 20005 Telephone: 202/955-3500 | Fax: 202/955-3599 | Customer Support: 888/275-7585

JOB OPENINGS

Wanted: P/T Association/Business Manager for established not-for-profit organization (contract position).

The California Public Health Association – North, a California 501(c )(3) organization, affiliated with the American Public Health Association, is seeking a part-time Association Business Manager contractor.

Core Tasks: Coordinating and implementing membership operations: Establishing and operating strong member acquisition and retention programs, monitoring membership renewals, mailing out membership solicitations to new prospects, etc.

Financial support functions: Routing checks for signatures, receiving and depositing incoming checks, paying authorized bills, tracking revenues and expenditures to projects, financial reporting, keeping insurance current, etc.

General Governing Council (Board) support: Meeting reminders, distribution (not generation) of agendas, etc.

Records maintenance: Retention of minutes and handouts; legal documents, Continuing Education documentation;

Communication, correspondence monitoring and routing: Checking Association phone, fax, e-mail and regular post; distributing as appropriate; establishing conference call arrangements; working with Website manager

Optional:
1) Event support: Managing generating, distributing event notices; establishing and maintaining contacts with speakers and sponsors overseeing registration; managing event budget, and logistics, including dealing with the venue, making food arrangements, overnight accommodation, etc.
2) Accounting functions, with associated generation of annual tax and other forms. CPHA-N currently has a contract bookkeeper and may retain same; open to change
3) Annual Meeting Support: The Association conducts an annual meeting, currently spanning two days. This requires facility contracting, publicity production and generation, speaker and sponsor tracking, support to the Annual Meeting Program Committee.

Skills: Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously; Excellent communication skills; Computer skills: Word, Excel, Quick Books, PowerPoint, web-based questionnaire programs, web-based meeting scheduling.
Location: Primarily work at home, sometimes some on-site event work or attendance at Governing Council meetings in downtown Oakland
Hours: Variable, approx 10 hrs per week, not including annual meeting, special events, or accounting.
Location: Much work can be done from home office.

Responses should include: Experience (if any), qualification in the major tasks, familiarity with named computer programs, Web-related skills; References (preferably current clients for similar services); Hourly rate or other compensation expectations.

If interested, please submit a proposal to CPHA-N, c/o Giorgio Piccagli, President at office@cphan.org

Development Associate with the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives

GAIA, a dynamic environmental justice network with members in 80 countries, is seeking an energetic individual donor fundraiser who will help to develop our organization's individual donor program (grassroots and major donors) while providing occasional support to foundation and grant writing fundraising efforts. To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and two writing samples to berkeley@no-burn.org. No calls please.

2 positions with Communities for a Better Environment

Voter Program Coordinator with the Communities for a Better Environment
(July-Nov): http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/281969-88

Researcher, part-time with the Communities for a Better Environment
(June-Dec): http://www.idealist.org/if/idealist/en/SiteIndex/AssetViewer/default?asset=Job&asset-id=281893-234

Two positions at YES! in Soquel, California

Founded in 1990 by two teenagers, YES! is a nonprofit organization that connects, inspires and empowers young changemakers to join forces for a thriving, just and sustainable way of life. Our three program areas are Global Leadership Jams, Leveraging Privilege for Social Change, and Supporting Aligned Movements. We work at the meeting point of internal, interpersonal, and systemic transformation. YES! has spoken to more than 650,000 students and organized more than 90 week-long gatherings for visionary young leaders from 65+ nations. Alumni surveys have shown that, among other things, 94% of Jammers gained valuable skills and perspectives that enhanced their life.

Program Coordinator
http://www.yesworld.org/progcoordinator.html
Development Coordinator
http://www.yesworld.org/devcoordinator.html

Both positions open until filled, with August 15th as an ideal start date. For information go to YES! in Soquel, CA http://www.yesworld.org

California Primary Care Association has the following employment opportunity available: Database Programmer

The Database Programmer will create, maintain, and expand CPCA’s ability to collect, analyze, and disseminate data and information for the purposes of advocacy, capacity development, and health service planning. This position will also support the development of CPCA’s Data Center as well as the creation of data projects, tools, and resources. Click on the link to our web site for complete job descriptions and application instructions. http://www.cpca.org/about/cpcajobs/

CPHA-N Legislation Report - June 19, 2008

Note: The CPHA-N Governing Council voted to support all of these bills.

Posted 6/28/08

#10 - 2008

June 10, 2008

This periodical newsletter is sent via E-mail to all members and friends of the California Public Health Association-North. It is designed to provide updates and encourage networking and information exchanges. If you do not wish to receive it, please send a note to: office@cphan.org

What's in this issue:

• In Memoriam: Alvin R. Leonard, MD, MPH (Attachment)
• Public Health Groups sue US Government for representation on US Industry Trade Advisory Committees (Attachment)
• The Institute of Medicine serves as adviser to the nation to improve health.
• New children's health data now available
• AcademyHealth HSR Impact Award Call for Nominations
• Designed for Disease: The link between local food environments and obesity and diabetes.
• New book on Health Insurance is published: “ Healthcare, Guaranteed”
• "Gaining Ground on Breast Cancer" Scientific American - June 2008
• "Our cities, our health, our future"- a Report to the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health
• Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development's California Healthcare Tool
• The American Prospect: What Path to Universal Health Care? -Thursday, June 19. 2008 in Los Angeles
• “Healing the Globe” gathering in NY July 28-August 1, 2008
• 2009 NACDD Chronic Disease Academy set for March 25-27, 2009 in Seattle, Washington
• The Institute for Local Government's Healthy Communities hosting a series of three online dialogues
• Cancer Health Disparities Summit 2008 July 14–16, 2008 (Registration closes June 20th)
• World Health Organization (WHO) Summer School
• Annual National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media August 12-14, 2008
  
• The California Primary Care Association has an employment opportunity available.

ANNOUNCEMENTS, PUBLICATIONS, TOOLS

In Memoriam: Alvin R. Leonard, MD, MPH, passed away on April 20th, 2008 at the age of ninety. Please see the attached obituary about this great public health leader and past President of CPHA-N.

Public Health Groups sue US Government for representation on US Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs).

At a hearing on May 16 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, CPHA-N joined the Center for Policy on Trade and Health (CPATH) and other public health groups and health professionals to demand that corporate interests be balanced with public interest representation on US Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs) that advise the US Trade Representative (USTR) on trade policies affecting public health. Non-profit and public interest organizations have been systematically denied posts on industry-dominated trade advisory committees that have significant impact the health of millions of people around the world. See the attached press release for the full story.

The Institute of Medicine serves as adviser to the nation to improve health.

Established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine provides independent, objective, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public. The mission of the Institute of Medicine embraces the health of people everywhere. Learn more about the IOM at: http://www.iom.edu/

AcademyHealth HSR Impact Award Call for Nominations

AcademyHealth has issued a call for nominations for the fourth annual Health Services Research Impact Award which recognizes outstanding research that has been successfully translated into health policy, management, or clinical practice and, as a result, had a positive impact on health and health care. Given that this award may be of particular interest to your staff, members and/or affiliates, I am writing to inquire about the best way to promote this opportunity to those interested parties.

The lead researcher of the winning impact will receive $2,000, and the research will be dissemi nated widely as part of AcademyHealth's ongoing efforts to promote the field of health services research.The deadline for nominations is July 30, 2008. For more information on eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and application details, visit our Web site at http://www.academyhealth.org/awards/hsrimpactsnominations.htm.

New children's health data now available

With data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and First 5 California released a new online resource this month. Called “Young Children’s Health in California,” this online data source provides county and regional information on health topics specifically related to children up to five years of age. This easy-to-read “snapshot” of children’s health statistics is available at: www.healthsnapshots.org. PHI partners with UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research in conducting CHIS.

Designed for Disease: The link between local food environments and obesity and diabetes.

On April 29, 2008, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, PolicyLink and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research released a landmark study that examined the link between the types of food choices available in neighborhoods and rates of obesity and diabetes. The report is based on data from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), 2005 InfoUSA Business File, and the 2000 US Census. The Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI) was calculated for 43,000 adult CHIS participants by dividing the total number of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores by the total number of grocery stores and produce vendors within a given radius around their home address.

The average California RFEI is 4.48. Adults with higher RFEIs are at an increased risk for obesity and diabetes than adults with lower RFEIs .Obesity prevalence is 20% and diabetes 23% higher for Californians with RFEIs of five compared to those whose RFEI is below three. The report provides detailed information on the findings of the study as well as policy recommendations to help improve local food environments and health outcomes.For more information or to access the full report please visit the California Center for Public Health Advocacy's website at www.Publichealthadvocacy.org California

New book on Health Insurance: “ Healthcare, Guaranteed” by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel

A new paperback book, “Healthcare, Guaranteed,” was reviewed in current issue of Newsweek. The book builds a case for a voucher plan for health insurance. The government would offer every American a voucher for health insurance - one that covers the same benefits that members of Congress receive. Insurance companies would have to accept the vouchers, and each person could choose from a variety of private networks of docs, hospitals and health plans. The book is due out next week.

"Gaining Ground on Breast Cancer" Scientific American - June 2008

Excellent and very informative article in the June, 2008 Issue of Scientific American: "Gaining Ground on Breast Cancer" by Francisco J. Esteva and Gabriel N Hortobagyi. Reviews the very latest targeted therapies.

"Key Concepts" include:
"Breast Cancer Survival rates have been climbing in North America, thanks to increased early detection and novel treatment options; Many new treatments target specific molecules on tumor cells; Breast cancer was the first solid tumor type for which molecular-target therapy became available and the success of the approach promises further dramatic advances."

More on this at the Scientific American Website: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=gaining-ground-on-breast-cancer

"Our cities, our health, our future"- - a Report to the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health from the Knowledge Network on Urban Settings (KNUS).

This KNUS report summarizes the findings concerning structural and intermediate social determinants of health that are of importance in the urban setting. The framework of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) guided the work. While unmasking the health inequities and inequalities in urban settings, it was decided at an early stage to make a strategic focus on slums and informal settlements where one billion people live in deplorable conditions. Chair and Lead Writer: Tord Kjellstrom Available online as PDF file [199p.]:
http://www.who.int/social_determinants/resources/knus_final_report_052008.pdf

Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development's California Healthcare Tool

The state agency that collects data about hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities in California has a new "toy" for administrators and other health care "geek"s who like to play around with numbers. The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development's California Healthcare Tool is a Web-based mapping tool that draws on a data warehouse of 68 million patient records. Users can look up financial and utilization data about different hospitals and create patient origin and market share maps. Features include looking up health care facilities based on different criteria, information about admissions to hospitals and emergency rooms, financial records and facility demographics, summaries of vital statistics from the Department of Public Health and data on the top diagnosis.

"This is an effort to provide health care purchasers, providers and consumers with the most timely up-to-date health care information in an easy to navigate Web site," said the agency's director, Dr. David Carlisle. The Atlas can be accessed at www.oshpd.ca.gov/atlas.

MEETINGS AND OTHER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

The American Prospect: What Path to Universal Health Care? --Thursday, June 19. 2008

The next president will attempt to expand health coverage; this much we know. But will any of the candidates' special solutions actually fix our system? Experts will discuss the politics of health reform and what it will take to achieve a system that is truly universal, efficient, affordable and has prevention at its core. Panelists: Fabian Núñez, member and speaker emeritus, California State Assembly; Neal Halfon, M.D., director, UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities and Ezra Klein, associate editor, The American Prospect and Moderator Matt Miller, senior fellow, Center for American Progress and host, Left, Right & Center on 89.9 KCRW . This program will take place at: The California Endowment's Center for Healthy Communities, 1000 N. Alameda St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 Light refreshments will be served. Admission and parking are free. For more information, please e-mail rsvpchc@calendow.org

"Healing the Globe" gathering in NY July 28-August 1, 2008

The Global Health Council is convening council members and partners to discuss global health issues this summer. Called "Healing the Globe," the event will take place at the Chautauqua Institution near Buffalo, New York. It is scheduled for July 28-August 1. To make reservations, call 1-800-821-1881 and reference the discount ID code "GHC" to take advantage of special partner and member rates.

2009 NACDD Chronic Disease Academy set for March 25-27, 2009 in Seattle, Washington

The 2009 NACDD Chronic Disease Academy will be held March 25 – 27, 2009 in Seattle, Washington. The Academy will provide skill-building training activities designed to increase the knowledge, skills and abilities of chronic disease practitioners at the local, regional and state levels. Training will be presented in five tracks: Program Design and Evaluation, Policy and Systems Change, Strategic Leadership, Program Management, and Research and Best Practice Utilization in the workplace.

The 2008 Chronic Disease Academy, held in February 2008, offered 15 training workshops to 225 attendees, and was an unqualified success. Participant evaluations clearly validated the need for this hands-on, skill-based approach to professional development, and we look forward to providing additional quality workshops in 2009.

For information, contact: Marcia A. Noble, MN, Professional Development Director National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) 2872 Woodcock Blvd., Suite 220 Atlanta, GA 30341 (770) 458-7400 mnoble@chronicdisease.org or www.chronicdisease.org

The Institute for Local Government's Healthy Communities program hosting a series of three online dialogues

The Institute for Local Government's Healthy Communities program, in collaboration with the Cities, Counties and Schools Partnership, will host a series of three online dialogues during the summer and fall of 2008. This online learning opportunity will allow city and county officials around the state to connect with peers and issue experts on ways to develop policies and strategies that will reverse negative health trends related to physical inactivity, unhealthy eating, and environmental hazards.

Participants will be able to log in any time during a 10-day period for each online discussion to ask questions, share stories, and download educational resources posted by expert panelists and other participants. The collected wisdom will be preserved on the ILG and CCS websites for public use. This is an opportunity for local officials to get to know some peers better and to tap into the experiences of many city and county leaders and policy advisors from all over California.

ILG Healthy Community Online Dialogue Schedule and Topics:

June 16th-25th: Planning for Safe and Healthy Walking/Biking Routes to Schools in Your Community.
July 14th-23rd: Factoring Resident Health into City and County Planning
September 29th- October 6th: Access to Healthy and Nutritious Foods: How Can Local Governments Combat Childhood Obesity?

It's free to sign up! For an invitation please email Greg Keidan, Program Coordinator, Collaborative Governance Initiative Institute for Local Government at gkeidan@ca-ilg.org phone: 916-658-8292

Cancer Health Disparities Summit 2008 July 14–16, 2008 (Registration closes June 20th)

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) cordially invites you to participate in the Cancer Health Disparities Summit 2008 to be held July 14–16 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Bethesda, Maryland. This conference will focus on basic, clinical, and community-based participatory research efforts that encompass the goal of reducing cancer health disparities. A major focus of this conference is to promote knowledge of contributing factors and solutions derived from evidence-based interventions. This three-day conference will feature an interactive agenda to highlight the science of participating programs and, in addition to the many networking opportunities, will offer plenary and concurrent sessions, roundtable discussions, and skill-building workshops. It is hoped the Summit will facilitate an environment conducive for collaboration and expansion of participants' research capacities.

This year's meeting is combined with the Professional Development Workshop. Junior investigators will participate in skill-building concurrent sessions and an optional poster competition. A mock review session will also take place on July 16 from 1:00 to 5:30 p.m. Because space is limited during the mock review session, pre-registration is required. More information—including the tentative agenda and conference overview—is available via the Summit 08 Web site at http://www.cancermeetings.org/chdsummit08.

20th National Conference on Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Cultivating Healthy Communities

Mark your calendars now to join us for the 20th National Conference on Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Cultivating Healthy Communities, on February 23-25, 2009 at the Gaylord National Convention Center in Washington, DC. This conference will celebrate two decades of extraordinary progress in the prevention and control of chronic diseases and offer attendees opportunities to learn about successful chronic disease prevention efforts, best practices, and effective interventions used by their colleagues. For the first time, attendees will be invited to participate in the development of a conference Call to Action, a framework of both individual and collective actions to accelerate our progress in preventing disease and promoting health over the next 20 years. The Co-sponsors of the conference are the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), the Directors of Health Promotion and Education (DHPE), and the Prevention Research Centers (PRCs). Call for Abstracts will open August 1, 2008. Continuing education credits will be offered. Visit www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/conference for updates and more information.

World Health Organization (WHO) Summer School

WHO will host a summer school program on the social determinants of health this summer (June 30 - July 4, 2008) at the University College in London. Please click here for more information. http://www.who.int/social_determinants/resources/csdh_media/csdh_summer_school_08_flyer.pdf

Annual National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media August 12-14, 2008

The National Center for Health Marketing and Office of Enterprise Communications, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is sponsoring the Annual National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media in Atlanta. Join other practitioners and academics from the fields of health communication, marketing and media and forge new collaborations for research and practice as we work to improve the health of the public. Planning is now under way to ensure that the conference continues the legacy of excellence in content and interaction that was established with the initial conference held in August 2007. Additional updates on registration and program details will follow. You have the opportunity to be alerted when new information is available for the 2008 Conference by signing-up for CDC's email subscription service.

Please feel free to submit suggested topics for the 2008 Conference to NCHMconference@cdc.gov

POSITION AVAILABLE

The California Primary Care Association has the following employment opportunity available: Associate Director, Quality Improvement

The Associate Director of Quality Improvement will support regional associations and their community clinics and health centers to improve the quality of care to clinic patients, to support operational efficiencies, to build capacity for quality improvement at the regional association and clinic level, and to strengthen and preserve California's nonprofit outpatient health care safety net by overseeing statewide quality improvement (QI) projects. Initially, this position will provide leadership, direction and oversight to the Accelerating Quality Improvement through Collaboration (AQIC) project which is designed to strengthen and spread quality improvement processes at the individual clinic, regionally at the consortia level, and at the state level. Please forward to qualified individuals. Click on the link to our web site for complete job descriptions and application instructions
http://www.cpca.org/about/cpcajobs/

Posted 6/13/08

#9 - 2008

May 26, 2008

This periodical newsletter is sent via E-mail to all members and friends of the California Public Health Association-North. It is designed to provide updates and encourage networking and information exchanges. If you do not wish to receive it, please send a note to: office@cphan.org

Sorry about that! Our Website was off-line for a couple of weeks. We're happy to say that it has been fully restored and is back at work for all of us. It's a great information resource - so pay us another visit soon: www.cphan.org A very special thanks to Bill Zarchy and Adele Amodeo for their efforts in geting us back on line.

Now posted on our Library Page:
Presentations and Power Point slides
from our March 13-14th Annual Meeting

Planning a conference or special event?

Let us know about it -- what, when & where -- so it can be posted in this newsletter. We'll need the information as early as possible. If it is many months away, it can be posted on our Public Health Calendar in the newsletter plus on our website. Just think of this newsletter as another way to help promote it.

What's in this issue:

• The new Strategic Plan for Asthma in California, 2008-2012.
• CDPH and PHI release new publication on climate change
• Public Health Traffic Safety Institute: A Roadway to Traffic Safety Seeks Participants
• Volunteers Needed for DrPH Competency Development Process
• ARHQ findings: Hispanics with limited proficiency in English access health care less often
• New Public Service Campaign to encourage adult Hispanics to visit their doctor for preventive care.
• Health Care Delivery “State Snapshots” are now available
• Informative legislative grid
• 10th Annual MCH Summer Institute on Health Disparities - June 12, 2008
• National Center for Health Statistics 2008 Data Users Conference - August 11-13, 2008
• National Wellness Conference - July 12-17, 2008
• Colorectal Cancer Awareness Community Forum on September 27th at UC Davis Medical Center
• Position opening: Fall Prevention Coordinator in Napa, California
• Position opening with the Center for Community Health and Well-Being, Inc.

The new Strategic Plan for Asthma in California, 2008-2012.

The new Strategic Plan for Asthma in California is now available. It may be downloaded from the following web sites:

http://betterasthmacare.org/files/AsthmaStrategicPlan4-21-08.pdf http://www.californiabreathing.org/images/stories/publications/asthmastrategicplan_2008.pdf

CDPH and PHI release new publication on climate change

Together with colleagues from the California Department of Public Health, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, PHI Principal Investigator Paul English has co-authored a report about the public health effects of climate change. Funded in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this publication addresses community vulnerabilities as well as strategies for preventing and adapting to the effects of climate change in California. To learn more about their findings, visit http://www.ehib.org/paper.jsp?paper_key=climate_change_2008 or http://www.phi.org/library.html.

Public Health Traffic Safety Institute: A Roadway to Traffic Safety Seeks Participants

The American Public Health Association in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is seeking applicants to participate in the Public Health Traffic Safety Institute (PHTSI). The PHTSI presents an ideal forum for experienced and passionate individuals to play a major role in strengthening linkages between public health and traffic safety. Public health and traffic safety professionals are encouraged to form multidisciplinary teams to develop a program or plan to address traffic safety. The plans should focus one of the three areas: motorcycle safety, pedestrian safety or driver inattention.

Four state teams will be selected to participate in the PHTSI which includes a one-day training orientation at APHA’s Annual Meeting in San Diego California, technical assistance throughout the year, and a 5,000.00 mini-grant to help with the fulfillment of the proposed plan. Applications are now available online and are due July 1, 2008. To review application, click here. For further information, contact Mighty Fine at mighty.fine@apha.org.

Volunteers Needed for DrPH Competency Development Process

Volunteers are needed for DrPH Competency Development Process Workgroups. Preliminary core competencies have been identified and the next step is to populate workgroups to further define each preliminary core competency and related sub-competencies. The workgroups include: Advocacy; Communication; Community/Cultural Orientation; Critical Analysis; Leadership; Management; and Professionalism & Ethics.

Please submit as many names as you'd like. Include full name, title, and email of each volunteer. Please email your list of volunteers to John McElligott at jmcelligott@asph.org and reference which core competency he/she would like to define.

For more information about the DrPH project, please visit the Association of Schools of Public Health's Website: http://www.asph.org/document.cfm?page=1004.

Agency for Health Research and Quality Report: Hispanics with limited proficiency in English access health care less often.

Only about 49 percent of Hispanics who are not comfortable speaking English have a regular source of medical care, such as a family doctor or community health clinic, compared to 63% of Hispanics who speak English proficiently. About 6 of every 10 Hispanics with limited English proficiency are also uninsured compared with 3 of every 10 Hispanics who speak English proficiently. For more information see Demographics and Health Care Access of Limited-English-Proficient Hispanics, MEPS Research Findings #28 at www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb

New Public Service Campaign to encourage adult Hispanics to visit their doctor for preventive care.

The Agency of Health Research and Quality has a new public service campaign in cooperation with the Advertising Council to encourage adult Hispanics to visit their doctor for preventive care. For information on this go to: www.ahrq.gov/superheroes

Health Care Delivery "State Snapshots" are now available

The annual analysis to help health leaders ID areas of health care delivery that need quality improvement now includes information re: each State’s rate of obesity, health insurance coverage, mental illness, and the number of specialist doctors. The updated Snapshots released by AHRQ also tracks States’ progress toward reaching government-set health goals for 2010. Go to: http://statesnapshots.ahrq.gov/snaps07/

Legislative Update

Special thanks to our Legislative Committee Chair, Marty Martinez for providing this update. This gives us a brief look at some of the current California health-related legislation.

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

10th Annual MCH Summer Institute on Health Disparities - June 12, 2008

The Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health proudly presents: 10th Annual MCH Summer Institute on Health Disparities - Promoting Health Equity: Family centered program development and advocacy. To be held Thursday June 12, 2008 8:00a.m. - 4:45p.m. at the Continuing Education and Conference Center, University of MN, St. Paul Campus - For conference information and the poster submission form, visit: http://www.epi.umn.edu/mch/events Questions: Jan Pearson pears014@umn.edu 612-626-8644

National Wellness Conference - July 12-17, 2008

The National Wellness Conference will be held in Stevens Point, Wisconsin July 12-17, 2008. "A Visionary Turning: Well Earth, Well People" is the title of this major conference. For information on the program: www.nationalwellness.org

National Center for Health Statistics 2008 Data Users Conference - August 11-13, 2008

The National Center for Health Statistics 2008 Data Users Conference will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington DC August 11-13, 2008. Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the NCHS. For information see:
www.cdc.gov/nchs

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Community Forum on September 27th at UC Davis Medical Center

The California Colorectal Cancer Coalition is holding Colorectal Cancer Awareness Community Forum on September 27th. The program will be held at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento from 10AM-2PM. The Coalition is a part of the California Dialogue on Cancer and was formed to advance colorectal screening in the state. For information about this program: www.cdoc-online.org

Position available: Fall Prevention Coordinator in Napa, California

Position reports to the Fall Prevention Program Director and supervises support staff. STARTING SALARY: $60,000-$65,000 annually. Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy, Public Health, Nursing, Social Work, (public health, health education, health administration, gerontology, or equivalent) Gerontology and two years experience working with older adults. Please reply by submitting a resume Via email to terrid@aaans.org Must put “Fall Prevention Program” in the subject line. Fax to (707) 644-7905 or Mail to P.O. Box 3069, Vallejo, CA

Position opening: Center for Community Health and Well-Being, Inc.

Function of the position: Per California State regulations, a Master’s level (MPH) Health Educator will review and approve health education protocols associated with a clinics’ Comprehensive Perinatal Health Program (CPSP) and update them annually. The Birthing Clinic is committed to ensuring the quality of educational programming in its CPSP Program. Therefore, under the supervision of the Clinic Administrator, the MPH Health Education Consultant will evaluate the quality of educational programming in The Birthing Clinics CPSP Program. For more information contact: Wendy Petko at (916) 558-4820 wendypbpclinic@yahoo.com

Your CPHA-N is a non-profit organization with IRS Tax donation/deduction status. Our main funding support comes from membership dues and member support. If you are looking for a special 'charity' we are right here. We are currently seeking contributions to our 2008 Program Enhancement Fund This fund is needed to support additional CE programs and member services and to expand these to more areas of Northern California.

Making a donation is easy: Just go to our Donation Page at http://cphan.org/donate.html

You'll find a secure way to donate, plus you'll get a receipt for your personal tax records. If you prefer, just send a check payable to CPHA-N to our office: 555 12th St. 10th Fl. Oakland CA 94607

Thanks for any support you can provide.

Posted 5/24/08

#8 - 2008

April 28, 2008

This periodical newsletter is sent via E-mail to all members and friends of the California Public Health Association-North. It is designed to provide updates and encourage networking and information exchanges. If you do not wish to receive it, please send a note to: office@cphan.org

A special welcome to the large group of participants at the March 13th/14th Annual Meeting who elected to become active members of CPHA-N. We hope you will enjoy this copy of the E-MAILER newsletter. Please note that it is designed to encourage networking and information exchanges. If you have conferences and special events that should be shared, please send them to our attention at office@cphan.org or ghildo@earthlink.net. - Please give us as much advance notice as possible. We usually send out several E-Mailer editions each month, and announcements can be repeated.

What's in this issue:

• The Strategic Plan for the California Department of Public Health
• Healthy People 2010 Objectives: 23-year Behavioral Risk Factor Survey Report 1984-2006
• Latest Quality and Disparities Report available from The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
• Survey Research Group releases new report
• PHI IN THE NEWS: BARHII health inequities report makes headlines
• A new Strategic Plan for Asthma in California (SPAC)
• California Cancer Registry releases new cancer reports.
• Climate change presentation given by Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH
• Standards, Accreditation, and Improvement: Raising the Bar of Public Health Performance—May 29, 2008
• The Reversal of Fortunes: Trends in County Mortality and Cross-County Mortality Disparities in the United States
• National Ad Campaign: New National Ad Campaign Features the Theme "Real Men Wear Gowns"
• First Nationwide Survey of Public Health Department shows lack of resources, health challenge when facing climate change.
• MEETING: Building Capacity to Eliminate Health Disparities: The Founding Meeting of the Academy for HealthEquity
• MEETING: California Primary Care Association's Annual Conference to be held October 2-3, 2008
• JOB: California Primary Care Association has employment opportunity available: Associate Director, Clinical Affairs
• FELLOWSHIPS: American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Public Health Fellowship in Government.
• Special appreciation

The Strategic Plan for the California Department of Public Health may be viewed at:
http://ww2.cdph.ca.gov/Documents/StrategicPlan.pdf

Healthy People 2010 Objectives: 23-year Behavioral Risk Factor Survey Report 1984-2006 (Issued in April 2008)

The California Behavioral Risk Factor Survey has operated for the past 23 years, collecting health data from a cross-section of California non-institutionalized adult population with telephones in their homes. This 92 page report issued in April 2008 examines California's progress in reaching the Healthy People 2010 Objectives and examines trends over time. You can access this informative report at the Public Health Institute's Website at:

http://www.phi.org/pdf-library/Healthy%20People%202010%20Objectives.pdf

The PHI 'Library' section also has a number of other important public health reference reports, including the 2008 one on Cervical Cancer in California, produced by the California Cancer Registry.

Latest Quality and Disparities Report available from The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

This year's National Healthcare Quality Report synthesizes more than 200 "quality measures," which range from how many pregnant women received prenatal care to what portion of nursing home residents were controlled by physical restraints. The Report summarizes which racial, ethnic, or income groups are benefiting from improvements in care. The 2007 reports draw on data from more than three dozen data bases, most sponsored by Federal health agencies. The quality report serves as the basis for AHRQ's upcoming State Snapshots, which is issued each spring and provides details on how health care quality trends vary from State to State. The reports are available at www.ahqr.gov/qual/qrdr07.htm.

Survey Research Group releases new report

The Survey Research Group (SRG) at PHI has prepared a new report examining California’s progress in reaching the Healthy People 2010 Objectives. Called “Healthy People 2010 Objectives: 23-Year Behavioral Risk Factor Survey Report 1984-2006,” the publication examines trends over time. To read SRG’s report, visit http://www.phi.org/library.html.

A new Strategic Plan for Asthma in California (SPAC)

The California Department of Public Health now has an approved Strategic Plan for Asthma in California (SPAC) and is proceeding with plans for promotion and dissemination of the new Plan, with an official release in May, 2008. The State steering committee that oversaw the development of this plan is reaching out to key stakeholders. The Plan address key issues such as improving access to care, eliminating health disparities by advocating for public policies and sufficient resources, cultural and linguistic competency, and promoting data and research. The Health Care Goal specifically promotes work in the development of: standards of care for asthma in California; reimbursement for comprehensive chronic disease management within public and private payer systems; expansion of quality improvement for asthma care within public and private health care delivery and payer systems; integration of clinical asthma care with community stakeholders; improved knowledge of health care practitioners, allied health professionals, and community health workers with a high priority on those serving underserved populations; and improved access to high quality care for underserved populations by implementing best practice policies and strategies. We will provide a contact for a pre-print version of this in an future issue.

PHI IN THE NEWS: BARHII health inequities report makes headlines

Where you live can impact your life expectancy by as much as a decade, according to a new report produced by the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII) at PHI. Called “Health Inequities in the Bay Area,” the publication outlines the many ways that social factors such as place of residence and income affect people’s health. These findings have captured the interest of several Bay Area news outlets. The Oakland Tribune, Contra Costa Times, San Mateo Times, KTVU-TV, KRON-TV, and KCBS news radio all covered the story. To read The Oakland Tribune’s coverage, visit http://www.phi.org/. To download a complete version of the publication, visit http://www.phi.org/library.html.

California Cancer Registry releases new cancer reports

The California Cancer Registry (CCR) has released two new cancer reports. The first summarizes cancer incidence and mortality rates in the state from 1988 through 2005. Called “Cancer in California, 2008,” this report offers a special section called “Special Highlights on Cancers by Race and Ethnicity” which provides additional critical detail on cancers among non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific Islanders. The second report, entitled "Cervical Cancer in California, 2008," summarizes the state of cervical cancer in California. To download either report, visit http://www.ccrcal.org/Publications.html or http://www.phi.org/library.html.

PHI assists the state in operating CCR, which is recognized nationally for the quality and completeness of its data on cancer incidence in California. Since 1988, approximately 450 cancer research projects have been conducted using CCR data, and 2,053 articles and abstracts have been published in scientific journals and books.

Climate change presentation given by Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH

View the Los Angeles Department of Public Health's Power Point Slide climate change presentation given by Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and County Health Officer. This presentation was delivered to the Southern California Public Health Association Annual Conference on April 18, 2008. Go to www.lapublichealth.org

Standards, Accreditation, and Improvement: Raising the Bar of Public Health Performance—May 29, 2008

The Public Health Training Network will host a satellite broadcast and web cast on information about national and state efforts in accreditation and improvement for health departments. The program will present at case study conducted at the New Hanover County Health Department in coastal North Carolina. The broadcast will occur on Thursday, May 29 from 2-3 p.m. (ET) and will be moderated by Drs. Edward Baker, director of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, and Stephanie Coursey, Chief of Public Health Practice at the CDC. The case study describes:The department self assessment, including benchmarks and activities; The three-day visit by a multidisciplinary team of peer volunteers; and The accreditation process by the North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation Board. For more information, please visit www.publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu.

The Reversal of Fortunes: Trends in County Mortality and Cross-County Mortality Disparities in the United States

Authored by Ezzati M, Friedman AB, Kulkarni SC, Murray CJL PLoS Medicine Vol. 5, No. 4, e66 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050066 Read the open-access, full-text article at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0050066

PLoS Medicine (http://medicine.plosjournals.org) is an open-access journal published weekly by the Public Library of Science (http://www.plos.org). Sign up for issue alerts, and they will email the table of contents to you each month: http://register.plos.org

AHRQ and Ad Council Encourage Men To Take Preventive Steps in Their Health Care--New National Ad Campaign Features the Theme "Real Men Wear Gowns"

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) joined with The Advertising Council to launch a national public service campaign designed to raise awareness among middle-aged men about the importance of preventive medical testing. Men are 25 percent less likely than women to have visited the doctor within the past year and are 38 percent more likely than women to have neglected their cholesterol tests (Source: AHRQ Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2005). Furthermore, men are 1.5 times more likely than women to die from heart disease, cancer and chronic lower respiratory diseases (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005).

The campaign highlights the work of the AHRQ-sponsored U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which is an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention that systematically reviews the evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for clinical preventive services. Created pro bono for the Ad Council by McCann Erickson Detroit, the public service advertising campaign includes new television, radio, print and Web advertising featuring the theme "Real Men Wear Gowns." The lighthearted ads incorporate family as a key motivating factor for men to take a more active role in preventive health. They show the target audience that being a real man means taking care of themselves (and their health) in order to be there for their families and in the future. Ad Council research showed this was a strong motivating factor for men.

The campaign encourages men to visit a comprehensive Web site, www.ahrq.gov/realmen. The site provides the recommended ages for preventive testing (as well as a list of tests), a quiz designed to test your knowledge of preventive health care, tips for talking with your doctor, a glossary of consumer health terms, and links to online resources where you can find more medical information

First Nationwide Survey of Public Health Departments Shows Lack of Resources, Health Challenge When Facing Climate Change Washington, D.C. (April 24, 2008)

Climate change is a concern to most local public health directors but few have resources to tackle the problem, according to a national survey conducted by National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and George Mason University.

The survey, included in the report Are We Ready? Preparing for the Public Health Challenges of Climate Change, is the first national one of its kind that assesses the perceptions and activities of local public health directors regarding climate change and public health.

More than half of the surveyed directors are concerned about the health effects of climate change on their jurisdictions, though only a small group has been able to make adaptation or prevention a priority. “Local health departments recognize that climate change imperils the health of their communities. It is essential that they gain the new knowledge and sustained resources needed to help them prepare for the increased severity of health-threatening problems that we can expect, from long-term heat waves to increased populations of disease-bearing mosquitoes,” said Patrick Libbey, Executive Director of NACCHO.

The majority of health directors said they perceived a lack of knowledge about climate change both within their health department and among other key stakeholders in their communities; a lack of adaptation and mitigation planning expertise in the public health community at large; and significant financial and human resource limitations on their ability to respond to climate change. Of the directors surveyed:

Nearly 70% believed that climate change had already occurred in their jurisdictions; 78% believed their jurisdictions would experience climate changes over the next 20 years; 60% said that their local populations would experience one or more serious public health problems over the next 20 years as a result of climate change; More than 50% felt that climate change was an “important priority,” but only 19% of respondents indicated that climate change was among their departments’ top 10 current priorities; 82% felt they lacked the expertise to craft adaptation plans; 77% said that additional resources would improve their departments’ ability to deal with climate change as a public health issue. “These findings show that while public health officials recognize the need to be prepared for adverse health impacts from climate change, there are serious gaps in the U.S. public health system’s ability to meet that need,” said Dr. John Balbus, Environmental Defense Fund’s Chief Health Scientist and lead author of the report. “With public health departments already stretched thin by increasing demands and decreasing federal assistance, the additional challenges posed by climate change threaten to put more people in harm’s way.”

Recommendations from the report focus on protecting preventing climate-related health dangers by ensuring the responsiveness and efficiency of the public health system; preventing climate-related disease as much as possible by reducing greenhouse gas emissions to levels required to avoid climate change’s most severe effects; and enhancing public health by aligning desirable goals like reductions in greenhouse gasses with critical public health goals.

“As Congress debates climate change solutions, we hope they too will see the importance of ensuring that communities have the resources available to deal with the health impacts,” said Balbus. “We must be ready on the local level to handle climate change implications.”