PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
 Greetings! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful and
safe summer. You may have heard the expression, “Change is
inevitable, growth optimal”. Well, that is what DHPE is doing,
growing in scope and in the development of special projects to
better serve you. The
past three months have been exceptionally busy with three major
meetings. First, DHPE in collaboration with the Prevention Research
Centers at CDC convened a group of public health leaders in July to
discuss issues of bringing research to practice – that is how to
take effective interventions to scale and widely disseminate them to
have an impact on public health. DHPE has noted a gap in
communication between researchers and health promotion practice and
we look forward to the fruits and recommendations from that
discussion. Thanks to our Past President Jim McVay and Pam Eidson
for their hard work.
Second, in August, the
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) hosted a meeting
with the leadership of DHPE and the Association of State and
Territorial Directors of Public Health Nutrition (ASTDPHN). The purpose of this meeting
was to discuss how the organizations can best work together in an
era of shrinking resources and increased public health expectations.
While there are differences, there were many similarities. The NACDD
and DHPE are already working together on some initiatives. Our
shared goals will be where we will start:
*unifying advocacy
efforts,
*increasing member
effectiveness, and
*influencing issues that
impact members and programs.
Third, the 2006
National Health Promotion Conference was a great success. It
was the first collaborative conference organized under the new
Coordinating Center for Health Promotion at
CDC. There were over 1,300 participants from all around the world
representing a variety of public health disciplines and settings.
DHPE was a co-sponsor and provided leadership and support to the
registration process. I extend special thanks to our Executive
Director, Rose Marie Matulionis, Kaili McCray, and Donna
Nichols. The Conference
Planning Committee consisted of various partners and really
delivered with an impressive program.
The above just skims the
surface with all the special projects that the association and board
members are involved with. You will be hearing updates on some of
them real soon. So as you can see, we are working toward our goals
in partnership and in a variety of ways. We have an ambitious year
planned. The determinants of health are beyond the capacity of any
one practitioner, discipline or organization Together we can achieve
so much more!
I urge you to get
involved if you are not already. DHPE has so much to offer.
Membership is the lifeblood of the association. This year we
approved 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.
Lastly, we have a strong
past and so much to look forward to. On behalf of our board, please
join us as DHPE sets sail in some new waters. For more information
about how you can contribute, 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.
Sincerely,
Lavell
Thornton
LEGISLATIVE
UPDATE
Fall
Prevention Legislation Introduced in the House of
Representatives
A bill addressing the
issue of falls and fall-related injuries among older adults was
recently introduced by Ralph M. Hall (R-4th TX) and Frank
Pallone (D-6th NJ).
H.R. 5608, “Keeping
the Seniors Safe from Falls Act 2006.” To view complete
text, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ and enter
the bill number.
Personal
Health Investment Today Act of 2006
Representative Jerry
Weller (R-IL) recently introduced H.R. 5479, Personal Health
Investment Today Act or PHIT in order to encourage Americans to
engage more in physical activity to curb the rise of overweight and
obesity.To view text of the bill, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov/ and enter
the bill number.
Representative Tom Udall (D-NM-3) Introduces HeLP
America
Act
H.R. 5951,
Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention America Act (HeLP) has
recently been introduced in the House in order to improve the health
of Americans, thereby reducing health costs through by re-directing
the focus of the national health care system towards prevention,
wellness and self-care. Go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ and search
bill number H.R. 5951.
Bill to
Improve Preparedness for and Response to Bioterrorism in the
Senate
The All-Hazards
Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Act has been
recently introduced in Senate (S. 3042). Click
here for bill summary and status.
NEWS FROM DHPE
DHPE
Guidebook on School Employee Wellness Now Available!
The new publication, “School Employee Wellness:
A Guide for Protecting the
Assets of Our Nation’s Schools” is a comprehensive guide
providing information, practical tools and resources for school
employee wellness programs.
The first of its kind, the guidebook can be downloaded for
FREE at http://www.schoolempwell.org/
“DHPE School Employee Wellness Guide” Presented at Clinton
Presidential Library
 On August 1, 2006, DHPE members Mary Bobbitt-Cooke
(NC), Tom Sims (WV), DHPE staff member Sara
Bowie and CDC-DASH representative Michael Schmoyer, presented
the DHPE guidebook in conjunction with the first Alliance
for a Healthier Generation Healthy Schools Forum. The Forum, held at the
Clinton Library in Arkansas marked the official
launching of the Healthy Schools Program, focusing on improving
food, physical activity and staff wellness in schools across the
country. Former President
Bill Clinton was a presenter at the Healthy
Schools Forum.
MEMBERS
CORNER
ASSOCIATE
MEMBERS: DHPE welcomes Jessica Smith
(VA); Mary Craig (NY); James Davie (MD); Lois Harlston (TN); Leslie
Bolte (OH); Chimene McElwain (CA); Linda Forys (TX); Victeka Howell
(GA); Beryl Davis (GA); Geraldine Williams (CA); Lorrain Dillon
(VA); Kimberly Ingledue (FL); Jessica McGlynn (CT); Sue McKenzie
(WI), Becky Smith (VA); Felicia Mott-Vincent (MI); Terry Dibble
(MI); DDE Murray (CA)
NEWS FROM
THE STATES AND PARTNERS
FROM THE
STATES
Utah’s
Blueprint to Promote Healthy Weight for Children, Youth and
Adults
The Utah D epartment of Health released "Tipping the
Scales Toward a Healthier Population: The Blueprint to
Promote Health Weight for Children, Youth and Adults" in May
2006. It is a
comprehensive, statewide obesity prevention agenda to assist
families, communities, schools, worksites, media, healthcare
providers and the government in Utah to assume active roles to
address obesity and overweight epidemic. See http://health.utah.gov/obesity/nextsteps.html
or contact Richard
Bullough at 801-538-0201 or e-mail him at rbullough@utah.gov.
 Smoke- Free New Jersey: A breath of Fresh
Air!
On April 15, 2006,
New
Jersey enacted a landmark Smoke-Free Air Act, which
prohibits smoking in indoor public places and workplaces. The Act ensures that workers
have a safe work place and that all nonsmokers, including children
and senior citizens, can breathe smoke- free air in the public
places they visit. Full
story
To learn more about New
Jersey’s Smoke-Free Act initiative, visit its
website wherein different types of brochures on
understanding the Act and the its application to business owners and
managers can also be downloaded.
MORE NEWS
FROM THE STATES
Colorado
Passes Bill on Funding School-Based Health
Center
Initiative
The Colorado
General Assembly passed House Bill 06-1396 during its 2006
legislative session, creating a new grant program in support of
those communities operating school-based health centers (SBHC’s). Click
here for additional information. Read announcement.
Tobacco
Sales to Minors in Hawaii among the Lowest in the
Nation
A survey by Hawaii’s Dept. of Health’s Alcohol and Drug
Abuse Division and the University of Hawaii’s Cancer Research Center showed
that Hawaii tobacco sales to minors
continue to be low across the state. It placed third in the
nation, behind Delaware and
Arkansas..
Full
story
Louisiana Rebuilds after
Hurricanes
After
the devastating effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the
state government of Louisiana and its citizens
were seriously committed to the rebuilding process. To learn more about
the initiatives of Louisiana and its Department of Health, go
to http://www.louisianarebuilds.info/. Read press
release from the governor and visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/.
UPCOMING
STATE CONFERENCES AND PROGRAMS
Satellite broadcasts
schedule for 2006, Alabama Public Health Training Network,
Alabama Dept. of Public Health. Check schedule
.
Maryland's 18th Annual
Suicide Prevention Conference: Suicide, the Unseen
Violence October 4, 2006,
Baltimore,
MD, Dept. of Health
& Mental Hygiene. Contact Henry Westray, Jr. at
410-402-8494 or e-mail at westrayh@dhmh.state.md.us.
Iowa WIC
Conference, October 24-25, 2006, West Des Moines, IA, Iowa
Dept. of Health, Bureau of Nutrition & Health Promotion. Go to http://www.trainingresources.org/
or call (515) 309-3315.
Tennessee
17th Annual Health Professional Recruitment Fair
– Healthcare Opportunities in
Tennessee: Join the Journey to Healthy Tennesseans, October
31-November 1, 2006, Franklin, TN, TN Department of Health and TN
Public Health Association.
Click
here for information.
FROM
OUR PARTNERS
Covering Kids
& Families Launches “Back-to-School Campaign
2006”
Covering Kids and
Families, a national initiative
out of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, focuses on reducing the
number of eligible but uninsured children and adults through
Medicaid or State Children’s Health Insurance Program. It launched
its annual “Back to School Program.” during August-September.
To learn more go to http://www.coveringkidsandfamilies.org/.
Surgeon
General’s New Report on Secondhand
Smoke
U.S. Surgeon General
Richard H. Carmona recently released “The Health Consequences of
Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke,” a comprehensive
scientific report focusing on the dangers and effects of secondhand
smoke.
Full
story. In addition, CDC published the Second
Hand Smoke Factsheet.
HealthierUS Veterans : Improving the
Health of Veterans & Their
Families
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) and U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS) launched HealthierUS
Veterans.
It focuses on educating and informing veterans and their
families on the risks of diabetes and obesity. HealthierUS Veterans was
also featured in CDC’s Steps
E newsletter, Spring and Summer 2006 issue. Steps Program is a part of
the President’s HealthierUS
Initiative. For more information on the CDC newsletter, visit http://www.cdc.gov/steps.
Office of
Minority Health (DHHS) Provides Language Services
Guide
A Patient-Centered Guide to
Implementing Language Access Services in Healthcare
Organizations from the Office of Minority Health, is now
available to meet the needs of patients with limited
proficiency in English.
Find out more by visiting http://www.omhrc.gov/
UPCOMING
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
2006 AAHE &
NASPE Faculty Development
Institute, September 28-30,
2006, Landsdowne, VA, AAHE & NASPE. Click here
.
Third Biennial Cancer
Survivorship Research Conference, October 4-6, 2006,
Bethesda,
MD, American Cancer
Society-NCI’s Office of Cancer Survivorship-Lance Armstrong
Foundation. Check out
http://www.blsmeetings.net/survivorship06
The New Health Education
Standards: Advocacy and Implementation, October 5, 2006,
1-5 pm, Angola, IN, AAHPERD. Contact Dr. David
Anspaugh at 260-665-4143 or e-mail him at aspaughd@tristate.edu.
80th
Annual ASHA School Health Conference, October
1-14, 2006, St. Louis, MO, American School Health
Association. Contact
Mary Barner Ramsier at mbrasier@ashaweb.org
SOPHE
57th Annual Meeting, November 2-4, 2006
Boston,
MA, SOPHE. Visit its website, http://www.sophe.org/
2006 Cooper Institute
Conference Series on promoting physical
activity, October 26-28, 2006, Dallas, TX. Go to http://www.cooperinst.org/
ACSM’s 54th
Annual Meeting, May 30-June 2, 2007,
New Orleans, LA,
American College of Sports Medicine. Visit ACSM Conferences for
registration
information.
CDC
CORNER
VERB™ Campaign Develops
Successful Messages on Physical Activity
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s VERB™ campaign
completed a set of reports on frequent themes and recommendations to
develop successful messages regarding physical activity. Click
here for information.
Health Marketing: A New Way of
Reaching the Public to Improve Health
If you have
not read the July 2006 issue of CDC’s Preventing Chronic Disease
Journal, an interesting article regarding the use of
health marketing as a means to reach the public and improve health
was featured. The essay, “Improving Health Through Health
Marketing,” written by Jay M. Bernhardt, PhD, MPH, makes a
compelling case of the important role of marketing in health
promotion and education. The whole essay
is in the July
issue.
CDC Helps States Improve
Oral Health
According to a CDC
report in 2005, Americans made 500 million visits to dentists and
approximately $84 billion spent on dental services. However, there were still
many who fail to observe the measures proven effective in
preventing oral diseases, mouth & throat diseases, cavities that
could lead to cancer and minimizing huge dental costs. More
info
4th Annual
Public Health Information Network Conference, Sept. 25-27, 2006,
CDC. Contact Barb
Nichols at (404) 639-7600 or e-mail phin2006@cdc.gov
National Tobacco Control
Program & Evaluation Meeting, October 17-19, Atlanta,
GA, CDC Go to http://www.cdc.gov/prc/index.htm or contact
PHunting@cdc.gov for more
information
National Prevention
Summit: Prevention, Preparedness and
Promotion, October 26-27,
Washington,
DC, U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services. To
register, visit http://www.healthierus.gov/steps/summit.html
 FOCUS ON PREVENTION RESEARCH
CENTERS
National
Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion
September’s Featured
PRC: The University of
South Carolina Prevention Research
Center (USC PRC)
The USC Prevention Research
Center is housed at the Arnold School of Public Health,
with offices in the new Public Health Research Center in Columbia,
SC. (downloadable brochure
is also available) To achieve its vision of Physically Active People in
Active Community Environments, USC PRC is committed to
conducting research to benefit the health of individuals, families
and communities. Primary research goals include identifying factors
affecting physical activity in community settings. Full
story
 Core Research Project: 
Policy and environmental
change to promote physical activity is a
participatory, university-community
partnership, conducted in Sumter
County, South Carolina
through the Sumter County Active Lifestyles
(SCAL) coalition.
Since 1998, SCAL and PRC
have worked together to identify physical community priorities
relating to policy and environmental supports and barriers to
physical activity and have used the community’s knowledge and
interest to conduct a community assessment…. Full
story
Training for Researchers
and Practitioners
The Physical Activity
and Public Health (PAPH) Courses which were
developed by USC PRC and CDC consists of an 8-day Postgraduate Course on Research
Directions and Strategies and a 6-day Practitioner’s Course on
Community Interventions held annually in September. PAPH website is at http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/seapines/index.htm.
Physical Activity
Resources
USC PRC primary
resources of information and materials for practitioners include its
website, newsletter and listserv. It maintains an extensive website, http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/
providing resources to researchers, public health practitioners and
to those interested in promoting physical activity in their
communities. Several tools were available from the website such as
Compendium of Physical
Activities and the
Environmental Supports for Physical Activity Questionnaire. Click here
for more information.
The USC Prevention Research Center
Notes is an e-mail
newsletter with current information about physical activity and
public health. It
includes updates of current journal articles, notices of new
reports, materials and resources. If you want to subscribe
(or unsubscribe) to the newsletter, send an e-mail to USCPRC@gwm.sc.edu.
The Physical Activity and Public
Health On-Line Network is a listserv advancing public health
approaches to promoting physical activity and creating an
international network of public health practitioners, researchers
and those interested.
Visit newsletter/listserv
link.
Physical
Activity–Related Projects
 Step Up, Step Out! , a community-based
participatory research used to design, implement and evaluate a
social marketing intervention to promote physical activity. Materials were developed to
h elp  people become more active on their
own. The program encourages exercising 30 minutes a day, 5 days a
week. Step Up, Step Out materials available by visiting its website.
Step Up, Step Out! materials include weekly behavioral tips,
exercise log, testimonials, safety tips and other information useful
to be more physically active.
Evaluation of Active for Life® - funded
by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, USC PRC is conducting an
independent evaluation of the program which was primarily designed
to address major gaps in the science and practice literatures by
examining the translation of two efficacious, theory-based physical
activity interventions.
They were Active Choices (Stanford University) and Active Living
Every Day (The Cooper Institute and Human Kinetics, Inc). Texas
A&M University is the National
Program Office for Active for Life. More info available at
http://www.activeforlife.info/. The results of the first
year of Active for Life were published in the July issue of the
American Journal of
Public Health.
Prevention Research
Center Healthy Aging Research Network, which was funded by
the CDC, aims to better understanding of the determinants of healthy
aging and assist in the translation of research into sustainable
community-based program throughout the nation. To learn more about Healthy Aging
Network, go to http://depts.washington.edu/harn/.
Physical
Activity Policy Research Network,
funded by the CDC and in which USC PRC is a  center, has its mission of
conducting trans disciplinary policy research by identifying
physical activity policies, identifying the determinants of the
outcomes of physical activity policies. 
Impact of an Urban
Trail-Conversion – USC PRC’s partnership
with the Palmetto Conservation aims to evaluate the impact of a two
mile rail-trail segment near downtown Spartansburg, SC. The study also looks at all
traffic speeds and volumes of vehicles on nearby roads, etc. and
funding came from Mary Black
Foundation.
Factors Influencing
Physical Activity in Older African American Men – The USC PRC received
funding from NIH to use qualitative research methods to identify
barriers and facilitators engaging in physical activity for older
African American men; and to broaden understanding of age
and culturally appropriate physical activity.
DHPE
expresses its thanks and appreciation to Delores Pluto,
PhD, USC PRC Newsletter Editor, for providing us with
information about the University of South Carolina Prevention Research
Center (USC PRC) which is featured in
this month’s The
Voice.
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
line
| 
