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PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
 It is my pleasure to welcome you to
this edition of The VOICE! The VOICE serves as an important
communication tool for our membership and our partners. We hope that
you will take advantage of the information and resources
shared. I also hope that this newsletter finds you in good
spirits and health. With the hustle and bustle of daily life, and
the challenges that we face as public health professionals, it is so
easy to get stressed and/or discouraged. However, our goal is to
serve you and be a valuable resource to you in your health education
and health promotion planning and implementation efforts. DHPE is
working very hard on the strategic issues and goals identified in
its Strategic Plan. There are several special projects going on
right now to address the above. It is indeed a journey, not a
destination.
Coming
your way very soon will be the proceedings from the DHPE/CDC
Prevention Research Centers Partners Meeting on bringing research to
practice. DHPE plays a key role in this effort as we all know
the importance of helping communities better understand and
implement evidence based practice.
Planning is still continuing with the leadership of the
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) and the
Association of State and Territorial Directors of Public Health
Nutrition (ASTDPHN). We will be unifying some legislative advocacy
efforts and looking at the various ways we can enhance the capacity
and effectiveness of all of our members. We can accomplish so much
more though partnership.
I urge
you to get involved if you are not already. Our strength is in
a strong, active and supportive membership. Don’t forget about the
two options for our voting membership (single voting member and
voting member and four associates). The second option will expand
membership benefits and opportunities to your staff. For more
information about how you can contribute articles, news and updates
to the newsletter, please contact President Elect and Membership
Services Committee Chair, Jayne Andreen or our Membership Services
Manager, Bles Dones. As always, thank you for all that you do
at the state level to promote and enhance the professional practice
of Health Promotion and Public Health Education. Have a safe and
blessed holiday season!
Sincerely,
Lavell
R. Thornton, MPH, CHES
LEGISLATIVE
UPDATE
Democrats
Gain Control of Both House and Senate
109th
Congress
House: 232
Rep – 202 Dem – 1 Ind.
Senate: 55
Rep – 44 Dem – 1 Ind.
110th
Congress
House: 230 Dem – 195 Rep – 10
undecided
Senate: 49 Rep – 51 Dem*
* Includes 2
independents that will caucus with the
Democrats
Appropriations
Heading
into the November Elections, only two of the twelve FY 2007
appropriations bills had been completed – Defense and Homeland
Security. The remainder of the federal government is
funded on a continuing resolution through November 17. The
agencies within the Labor HHS and Education are funded at the prior
2006 spending level during the term of the continuing
resolution. Full
story
Before the
election, Congress addressed the following
legislation:
Health
Disparities Bill Introduced
Last September 29, 2006,
Senators Bill Frist (R-TN) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) introduced the
Minority Health Improvement and Health Disparity Elimination Act (S.
4024) establishing and re-authorizing various federal programs to
reduce health disparities among minority population and the
disadvantaged. For more information, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ and type
either word/phrase or bill number.
NIH
Re-authorization Bill Passed
The House passed NIH
re-authorization bill, the National Institutes of Health and Reform
Act (H.R. 6164), which authorizes a 5% annual increase in NIH’s
budget for fiscal years 2007-2009, launch a new agency wide
electronic reporting system to catalogue all the research activities
of NIH in standard format and other
provisions.
Bioterrorism
and Pandemic Vaccine Bill
The Senate has combined its
version of Biodefense and Pandemic Vaccine and Drug Development Act
(S.1873) with the All Hazards Preparedness bill (S.3678) and tried
unsuccessfully to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. The
Senate bill would authorize a loan repayment program in return for
service in health department, authorizes the Centers for Public
Health Preparedness program, and calls for core curriculum and
competency-based education at accredited schools of public
health. The bill may move in a November/December lame duck
session of Congress.
NEWS FROM
DHPE
CDC, DHPE and SOPHE Join
Together to Offer 2007 Conference in Seattle
Mark your calendars and
make plans to attend the DHPE/CDC 2007 National Conference on Health
Promotion and Education and SOPHE’s 2007 Mid-year Meeting to be held
in Seattle,
WA on June 7-9,
2007. The conference
theme is “Changing the Face
of Health Education and Health Promotion.” Conference
registration will be available by December 2006. Click
here for more information.
At the end of the
2007 conference in Seattle, the International Union of Health
Promotion and Education begins its own conference on June 10,
2007 in Vancouver, Canada. Transportation options are
available from Seattle to
Vancouver.
 Dunlap Appointed DHPE’s New Vice
President
Jennifer Dunlap, DHPE’s
voting member from the state of Indiana was appointed DHPE’s Vice
President for the 2006-2007 term. Dunlap currently serves as
Marketing Director, Office of Public Affairs at Indiana State
Department of Health.
Former
DHPE/CDC Summer Intern Discusses Advantages of Internship
Program
Ulrica Andujar, MPH
(pictured) recently completed the DHPE/CDC
Internship Program for Students of Minority Serving
Institutions.
According to her, the program prepares the diverse public
health workforce and equips it with tools necessary to address
public health issues and become successful professionals in the
field. Full
story
DHPE
Announcements:
Sara Bowie,
DHPE School Health
Program Manager’s new address is Sara Bowie, DHPE, 1900 Association
Drive, Suite 101, Reston, VA 20191. E-mail is sbowie@dhpe.org
September 2006 Prevention
Research Center Feature: DHPE wishes to acknowledge
the contribution of Lara Peck, Program
Coordinator, University
of South Carolina PRC, for providing us information about USC PRC
that we featured in the September 2006 issue of The
Voice.
MEMBERS
CORNER
ASSOCIATE
MEMBERS: DHPE welcomes Becky Smith (VA),
Felicia Mott-Vincent (MI), Terry Dibble (MI), D.E. Murray (CA),
Douglas Coyle (TX), Suzy Harrington (TX), Tina Munoz (CA),Lauren
Rose Pino (MA),Rubelyn Mays (TN), Jim Dobson (MA), Martin Ayim (LA),
Gloria McCall (VA), Julie Ryczek (FL), Crystee Cooper-Walton (TX),
Kathryn Rogers (KS), Rena Molina (NY)`Vicki Pilgrim (GA), Pat Jones
(GA), Jean Gearing (GA), Shonta Chambers (GA), Laurie Eldridge (AL),
Kyle J. Renold (AL), Heidi Hataway (AL), Paula Eurek (NE), Kathy
Ward (NE), Raponzil “Ra” Drake (NE), David Palm (NE), Kathy Payne
(OK), Traci House (OK), Misty Fuzzell, S. Marissa New
(OK)
NEWS FROM
THE STATES AND PARTNERS
FROM THE
STATES
 Florida Commits to Promote
Health Education Through Health Related Majors &
Minors
As part of a
ground-breaking education initiative, the 2006 Florida
legislature passed House Bill 708, creating s.1003.428 known as the
A++ Secondary Reform Act. Full
story More
information at http://fldoe.org/APlusPlus/.
What is Florida’s Coordinated School Health
Program?
 The Florida Department of Education in
cooperation with the  Department of
Health administers the CDC’s Coordinated School Health
Program(CSHP) grant to assist in the development and enhancement of
school-based programs that protect and maintain student health and
support academic achievement. A detailed discussion of CSHP can
also be found in its newsletter, Florida
Healthy Schools.
Health Resources for
Supplemental Classroom Materials Available for
Free
A wealth of school
health and safety resources is available at the Florida Department
of Education for everyone to take advantage of these valuable
services. Check Florida
Healthy Schools newsletter.
Obesit y Prevention Program Involves
Youth
The Florida Department
of Health developed a youth advocacy program, YEAH!
(Youth Empowered Ambassadors for Health), involving youth
from youth-based organizations to promote healthy behaviors.
MORE NEWS
FROM THE STATES
Report Urges More
Physical Activity for Georgians
According to the 2006 Georgia Surveillance
Report, approximately 3,500 Georgians die annually due to less
physical activity. To
view full report, click
here.
California Adopts Legislation
Enhancing Public Health Response and Emergency
Preparedness
Last September 2006, CA
Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 162 and announced a $9 M grant to
UCLA to expand a first-of-its kind lab at the university. Full
story
New Survey Shows Updated
Population Statistics in Storm-Affected Parishes in Louisiana
The 2006 Louisiana
Health and Population Survey showed accurate population
estimates to best plan and allocate public service resources and
disaster recovery funds. Click here for news
release. Also
visit http://www.dhh.state.la.us/
Montana
Department of Health Releases Two Reports
 The MT Dept. of Health and State Medical
Officer, Dr. Steve Helgerson, MD, MPH released two reports
chronicling prevention opportunities for health professionals in
Montana. Montana
Public Health: Prevention Opportunities Under the Big Sky
and Major
Prevention Opportunities to Improve Health in Montana were
recently released. Full
story
UPCOMING
STATE CONFERENCES AND PROGRAMS
2006 Illinois Women’s
Health Conference, December 6-7, 2006, IL
Dept. of Public Health, Office of Women’s Health, Hyatt Regency
O’Hare, Rosemont, IL.
Click
here to register.
15th Texas HIV/STD Conference, December 11-15, 2006, TX
Dept of State Health Services, Renaissance Austin Hotel, Austin, Texas. Call Jean Gibson
512-533-3023 or e-mail her at jean.gibson@dshs.state.tx.us
FROM OUR
PARTNERS
Groundbreaking Snack
Food Agreement Aims to Combat Childhood Obesity
The Alliance
for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative of the William
J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart
Association, announced a significant agreement
with five of the nation's leading food manufacturers that could
lead to healthier food choice and help combat childhood
obesity.
New Web Pages for USDA’s
Eat Smart. Play Hard™ Healthy
Lifestyle
A new kid’s
website was introduced by the USDA’s
Eat Smart. Play Hard™ Healthy Lifestyle shows that kids can
learn about being active and eating healthy.
EPA and Partners Develop
a National Pilot Program for the Elderly
The Environmental Protection’s
Agency’s Aging Initiative and national partners are
developing a program, “Building Healthy Communities for Active
Aging,” which encourages older persons to engage in more physical
activity and increase awareness on the value of linking Smart
Growth with the elderly population’s need to become
physically active.
UPCOMING
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Public Health
Preparedness Summit, February 16-23, NACCHO,
Hilton Washington, Washington, DC. More information at http://www.naccho.org/
2007 Health Education
Advocacy Summit,
March 3-5, 2007, Health
Education Advocate, Washington, DC.
HMA's
2007 Conference, Jouney with Us Through Health
Ministires Healing Waters, June 21-24, 2007, Health Ministries
Association, Hyatt Regency on the Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX..For
more information, go to
http://www.healthministriesassociation.org/
CDC CORNER
CDC’s Resources and
Ongoing Research Address School-Related Violence
Frequent school-related
shootings and youth violence have been reported in the headlines and
TV news in the last several weeks, causing serious concerns about
the safety of children and teens in schools. After the tragic event in
Columbine and those that followed it, many parents are fearful that
the shootings are becoming prevalent and they are anxious for means
of preventing these unfortunate events. To learn more about
preventive measures, CDC continues its research on school-related
violence and has useful resources and preventive means
available. Click here.
CDC Releases its 2005
SMART BRFSS Data and Prevalence Tables
The 2005 SMART BRFSS
data and prevalence tables are now available from the CDC’s
Behavioral Surveillance Branch in the Division of Adult and
Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion. SMART BRFSS (Selected
Metropolitan/Micropolitan Area Risk Trends from the Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance System) now includes data from 2002-2005 and
prevalence estimates of over 170 MMSA’s (Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statiscal Areas), Click here
to obtain more details.
Workplace Health Promotion
Planning Resources List Available
A useful list of
resources regarding planning worksite health promotion programs is
released and made available by the CDC. Click
here to access the list.
2006 National
Environmental Public Health Conference, December 4-6, 2006,
CDC, Downtown Atlanta Hilton,
Atlanta,
GA. E-mail Jerry Hershovitz at
jmh6@cdc.gov
The
12th Annual Maternal and Chief Epidemiology
Conference: Making
Methods and Practice Matter for Women, Children and Families,
December 6-8, CDC. Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Atlanta GA. E-mail Seema Gupta at cvk9@cdc.gov
2007
CDC Diabetes Conference,
April 30-May 3, 2007, CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation, Hilton
Atlanta, Atlanta, GA.
Go to http://www.cdc.gov/
 FOCUS ON PREVENTION RESEARCH
CENTERS
November's Featured
PRC:
The
Uni versity of Alabama
Center for the Study of Community Health
Founded in
1986, and funded as one of the CDC Prevention Research Centers in
1993, the Center for the Study of Community Health (CSCH) in the UAB
School of Public Health focuses on reducing health risks among
underserved populations throughout the state of Alabama and plays a
leading role in the development of community-based research at the
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). More
Core Research Project: The UAB PRC’s core
community-based participatory research project is called Flying
Sparks. This project builds on the Center’s prior ten
years of research on the effectiveness of community health advisors
(CHAs) for implementing risk-reduction programs for residents in
rural Alabama. More
Current SIP and Grant Project: Over the past
10 years the Center has received 19 Special Interest Projects funded
by the CDC as well as numerous state and local grants. More a
detailed discussion of Special Interest Projects, click
here.
BODYLOVE: a radio soap opera, debuted in
2003 on WJLD 1400 AM in Birmingham, Alabama. It is currently aired
on fifteen radio stations statewide. The primary purpose of the
BODYLOVE is to promote healthier lifestyles through a serial radio
drama in an entertaining manner. More
CARES: Congregational Advocates Reaching
and Empowering Survivors
This 3-year project funded by the
Lance Armstrong Foundation, is designed to develop a cancer
survivorship resource center and outreach mechanism within 6 African
American churches, to serve the congregation and surrounding
underserved neighborhood community. More
The Magic City Stroke Prevention Project:
(MCSPP) is a community-focused effort to reduce the burden of stroke
among African Americans residing in Birmingham and Jefferson
counties of Alabama. Click
here for complete information.
ABOUT THIS
NEWSLETTER
The Directors of Health
Promotion and Education (DHPE) is a 501(C)(3) association based in
Washington,
DC and is an affiliate
of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
(ASTHO). DHPE is
organized specifically to provide leadership in health promotion,
programming, practice, training, technical assistance and policy
developments
DHPE is funded primarily
through cooperative agreement # CU 012359, “Development and Support
of Core Public Health Functions Related to Health Promotion and
Education.”, coordinated by the Division of Adult and Community
Health (DACH) of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention
and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). DHPE’s “The Voice” is
supported by this cooperative agreement.
DHPE makes every effort
to present reliable and accurate information in this newsletter;
however, DHPE does not endorse, certify, approve or guarantee
accuracy, timeliness or completeness of such information. Therefore, any references to
a program, service, process or system do not imply or constitute
endorsement or recommendation by DHPE, unless expressly noted. Past
issues are archived on-line at http://www.dhpe.org/
Any comments or suggestions regarding this
newsletter should be directed to bdones@dhpe.org. If you wish to
remove your name from future mailings of this newsletter, please
reply to this issue and type “UNSUBSCRIBE.” in the subject
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