Making it Better, Your Minnesota's Health Improvement Log

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July 9, 2015

Current and archived issues available at www.health.state.mn.us/divs/oshii/log

To be added to the distribution list please email Health.MakingitBetter@state.mn.us.

In This Week's Issue

• Don't forget!
• Gems
• Resource ~ Public Health Quality Improvement Exchange
• Resource ~ Local Foods, Local Places Technical Assistance ~ Due Sept 15
• Resource ~ Global Green Technical Assistance ~ Due July 17
• EBT/Market Bucks at Farmers Markets ~ Marshall ~ July 13, 1pm
• Funding Opportunity ~ Minnesota Farm to School Grant ~ Minnesota Department of Agriculture ~ Due Nov 4
• Resource ~ Tobacco Tax Increases
• Resource ~ Map Smokefree Laws ~ American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation
• Resource ~ Point-of-Sale Case Studies ~ Center for Public Health Systems Science
• Evaluation Due Date Changes
• Save the Date ~ Regional Learning Meetings ~ Tobacco ~ July

Don't forget!

• Today ~ July 9 ~ 10am ~ Making it Better Regional Learning Meeting ~ Detroit Lakes
• Mon ~ July 13 ~ Southeast Minnesota Partnership for Community-Based Health Promotion
• Tues ~ July 14 ~ 10am ~ Making it Better Regional Learning Meeting ~ Duluth
• Weds ~ July 15 ~ 2pm ~ Point-of-Sale Connect Call ~  1-888-354-0094  PIN:  8132089
• Thurs ~ July 16 ~ 10am ~ Making it Better Regional Learning Meeting ~ Marshall

Gems

The Mora Housing and Redevelopment Authority implemented a full no-smoking policy for all of its properties, including 108 residents, effective January 1, 2015. Since that time, they have worked with Partners in Healthy Living to enforce the new policy and make environmental changes to encourage and support tenants who choose to quit smoking.

Pine City Council recently passed an updated policy regarding tobacco use!  This update is to include e-cigarettes into the restrictions for 10 local parks.  Thank you City Council for partnering with Partners in Healthy Living to make the healthy choice the easy choice! 

Effective August 1, Nicollet County will have a tobacco-free and electronic delivery device environment policy. This pertains to all county grounds including parking lots, sidewalks, county owned or leased vehicles and equipment and private vehicles parked in county owned or leased lots. County owned buildings and structures within parks and trails are included. On May 26th, 2015, the Nicollet County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the policy. By attending board workshops, Healthy Together SHIP staff addressed questions and concerns before the vote. This was a very valuable part of the process. In a previous county worksite wellness survey, 79% of responders indicated tobacco free grounds as high or very high in importance.

In April of 2015, Live Active Mankato implemented its smoke-free housing policy, which prohibits smoking in all indoor spaces. The policy also prohibits the use of hookah and e-cigarettes. Live Active Mankato is college housing with 11 buildings totaling 486 units. They are also building another 50 unit building that will open later this year. Way to go Live Active Mankato, and kudos to the American Lung Association MN – Mankato TFC for supporting their decision to go smoke-free!

Seitzer Properties in Mankato, which consists of two 4-plexs went smoke-free in June 2015. The policy was adopted in April and prohibits smoking property-wide, including prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes, hookah, and incents. Thanks to the hard work of Seitzer Properties for implementing this policy and for the support of American Lung Association MN – Mankato TFC.

Do you have a resource or success story (“gem”) to share for a future issue?  Submissions for each week’s Thursday publication are due by noon every Tuesday to Health.MakingitBetter@state.mn.us or community specialists for:

• SHIP  Meredith Ahlgren, Allison Heinzeller, Jessica Smith or Dan Taylor
• Tobacco Pa Khang
• American Indian LaRaye Anderson or Sarah Brokenleg
• Community Wellness Rachel Mahon Bosman

Resource ~ Public Health Quality Improvement Exchange

PHQIX (Public Health Quality Improvement Exchange) is an online community designed to be a communication hub for public health professionals interested in learning and sharing information about quality improvement activities in public health.   The website includes an on-line data base of quality improvement efforts from across the country, a search function and a forum where you can ask questions of site users and/or QI experts. 

The search function is user-friendly and allows for targeted searches.   You can search by topic, size of population, state and even by national standards and measures.   You can search at any time, but if you want to have access to some of the other features in the website, you will need to register. 

While searching under the topic “Community Engagement”, there were 58 results so you may want to consider checking it out today at: https://www.phqix.org/

Resource ~ Local Foods, Local Places Technical Assistance ~ Due Sept 15

CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity is pleased to announce the application period for round two of the Local Food Local Places program is now open through Sep 15.   Please help us get the word out to local communities about this great opportunity by posting information on your websites, distributing it through your list servs, or forwarding it to communities and partners you think might be interested.

This federal initiative provides direct technical support to local communities to help boost economic opportunities for local farmers and businesses; improve access to healthy local foods; and create walkable, healthy, and economically vibrant neighborhoods.  The effort is part of the White House Rural Council’s “Rural Impact” effort to improve quality of life and upward mobility for kids and families in rural and tribal communities. Through the program a team of agricultural, transportation, public health, environmental, and regional economic experts work directly with local communities to spur local economic growth and improve the quality of life for all residents.  

For more information and a link to the application, click here.

Resource ~ Global Green Technical Assistance ~ Due July 17

Global Green Technical Assistance: Global Green is accepting applications for no-cost technical assistance that can help communities create greener, more equitable, and more vibrant neighborhoods. The assistance uses Global Green’s sustainable neighborhood assessment tool, which is based on the LEED for Neighborhood Development standard, a nationally recognized method for creating neighborhoods that are walkable, bikeable, resource-efficient, and equitable. This free assistance is being provided under a grant to Global Green from EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities' Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program.

Eligible applicants are local and tribal governments. The deadline for applications is July 17. For more information and the application form, click here.

EBT/Market Bucks at Farmers Markets ~ Marshall ~ July 13, 1pm

Join an introductory meeting on EBT/Market Bucks  at Farmers Markets in SW MN. Presenters will be representatives from Office of Economic Development/Department of Human Services. The audience is vendors and market managers but SHIP staff are welcome to attend. 

Marshall | July 13 | 1-2:30pm 

Many from the SW region have expressed an interest in this program.  

• coming together, 
• Q & A session, 
• sharing our resources and;
• getting the conversations started is our first step.

Western Community Action:

Community Room

1400 S Saratoga St.

Marshall, MN 56258

(507) 537-1416

*Please follow South Saratoga Street detour via Windstar Street off Hwy 59

Funding Opportunity ~ Minnesota Farm to School Grant ~ Minnesota Department of Agriculture ~ Due Nov 4

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Farm to School Grant Program anticipates awarding up to $500,000 in competitive grants to increase sales of locally grown and raised foods to K-12 schools and child care centers in 2015. Grants are intended to 1) purchase equipment to allow schools and child care centers to purchase, prepare and serve more Minnesota grown and raised food and 2) create a feasibility plan that identifies specific equipment, tools, training or policies needed by school districts and child care centers. Proposals must be received no later than 4 p.m. on Monday, November 4, 2015.

View the complete request for proposals and instructions for submittal. 

For questions, contact Ashley Bress at 651-201-6648. 

Resource ~ Tobacco Tax Increases

An update on state tobacco tax increases is provided by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Of note is the disparity between the average tax rate of 48.5 cents per pack in major tobacco states compared to $1.74 per pack in non-tobacco states. All of TFK’s tax factsheets have been updated with the new rates and related information here. 

Resource ~ Map Smokefree Laws ~ American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation

The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation has updated their lists and maps of U.S. municipalities and states with smokefree laws now in effect. They are available here. Check out the new chart of e-cigarette laws here. 100% smokefree laws in non-hospitality workplaces, restaurants, and bars now protect 49.5% of the U.S. population. 

Resource ~ Point-of-Sale Case Studies ~ Center for Public Health Systems Science

The Center for Public Health Systems Science (CPHSS), with funding from the National Cancer Institute State & Community Tobacco Control Research Initiative, has developed a series of case studies on communities that have passed point-of sale-policies. CPHSS is pleased to release Reducing Cheap Tobacco & Youth Access: New York City, the third and latest in the series. Press release.  

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Evaluation Due Date Changes

To decrease grantee burden we are reducing and eliminating some of the Evaluation reports for the remainder of SHIP 3. 

• The Tobacco PSE tracker due dates of Aug 31 and Oct 31 have been cancelled and combined into one final due date: Sept 30.
• After more thorough review of current data, we are cancelling the last submissions for both the Health Care PSE Tracker and the Active Living PSE Tracker. Cancelled Aug 31 and Oct 31.
• Grantees should contact their Community Specialist or Evaluation Liaison with any questions or concerns.

The final due dates for evaluation are:

Aug 14: Intake and Reach Reporting is due. 

Sept 30: Tobacco PSE Tracker is due.

A revised table of SHIP 3 Monitoring & Evaluation Due Dates (revised July 2015) is now posted to the SHIP 3 Evaluation web page.

Save the Date ~ Regional Learning Meetings ~ Tobacco ~ July

Click here to register.

Click on date/location for agenda. 

July 9 | 10am | Detroit Lakes

July 14 | 10am | Duluth

July 16 | 10am | Marshall

July 22 | 11:30am | Minneapolis

July 28 | 10am | Rochester

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