Making it Better, Your Minnesota's Health Improvement Log
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October 23, 2014

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
• Conference ~ Minnesota Healthy Communities: Measuring Our Impact ~ Minneapolis, Nov 4
• Webinar ~ Hmong 101 ~ Hmong Cultural Center ~ Oct 29, 1p
• Training ~ Smarter Lunchrooms: Quick and Easy Ways to Increase Participation and Reduce Waste ~ Minnesota Department of Education
• Funding Opportunity ~ Farm to School and Child Care Grants ~ Minnesota Department of Agriculture ~ Due Nov 3
• Training ~ Smarter Mealtimes: Cues that Drive Behavior and Influence Choice in the Child Care Setting ~ Minnesota Department of Education ~ Nov 4 & Dec 3
• Webinar ~ Smoke-free Policies Redux: Current Status & Current Challenges ~ Tobacco Control Legal Consortium ~ Oct 30, 12p
• Resources ~ Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
• Public Comment ~ Healthy People 2020 ~ Due Nov 7
• Survey ~ Bike Friendly State Application ~ MnDOT
• Save the Date ~ Regional Learning Meetings ~ Healthy Eating & Active Living ~ Nov 13
• Save the Date ~ Regional Learning Meetings ~ Healthy Eating & Active Living ~ Nov 13

Don't forget!

• CANCELED ~ Oct 23 ~ 11am ~ Conference Call ~ SHIP Health Care Call 
• Monday ~ Oct 27 ~ Making it Better Regional Learning Meeting ~ Rochester
• Tuesday ~ Oct 28 ~ 2:30pm ~ Conference Call ~ CTG Health Care Call ~ 1-888-742-5095 ~ Conference Code: 4587613329
• Tuesday ~ Oct 28 ~ 2pm ~ Webinar ~ I Impact Achievement! Strategies to Influence Educational Leaders to Support School Health
• Wednesday-Thursday ~ Oct 29-30 ~ Food Access Summit 2014 ~ Duluth

Gems

Redwood County recently passed a tobacco-free grounds policy. Following a presentation by Southwest Health and Human Services, commissioners held a discussion and unanimously voted to pass the policy effective November 1, 2014. Kudos to SWMHHS on this great work!

As of October 1, Lakewood Health System implemented a new sugar-free beverage policy, aligning with its commitment of promoting good health and wellness in the community.  Lakewood Health System is one of eight hospitals in Minnesota to eliminate sugary beverage sales within the hospital. Lakewood will be offering a new alternative beverage menu to sugary beverages, and it will include flavored and infused water, sugar-alternative soda, and low-calorie sports drinks. For more information, please visit here or here. 

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 grant managers for:

• SHIP/CTG Allison Heinzeller, Rachel Mahon Bosman, Sarah Small or Jessica Smith
• Tobacco Christine Godwin
• American Indian Donna Isham

Conference ~ Minnesota Healthy Communities: Measuring Our Impact ~ Minneapolis, Nov 4

What matters most when it comes to producing good health? Research shows that socioeconomic and environmental factors account for about half of what determines our health outcomes. These factors include not only income and education, but the characteristics of the neighborhoods in which we live—such as access to quality housing, grocery stores that carry fresh produce, safe places to exercise, and good schools and jobs.The 2014 MN Healthy Communities conference will focus on measuring the impacts of these projects. Registration closes Oct 28; click here for more information. 

Webinar ~ Hmong 101 ~ Hmong Cultural Center ~ Oct 29, 1p

Hmong 101 Webinars are intended for professionals who would like to learn more about the backgrounds and experiences of Hmong Americans who live in their communities. These webinars are useful for those who work in education, health, social services, employment services and other government service professions as well as the private sector. The 90 minute Hmong 101 webinars are led by Hmong Cultural Center staff and are interactive with the opportunity for participants to submit questions using CHAT technology. All participants will also have receive an electronic copy of the full Hmong 101 program curriculum as well as a certificate of program completion. Click here to register. 

Training ~ Smarter Lunchrooms: Quick and Easy Ways to Increase Participation and Reduce Waste ~ Minnesota Department of Education

This workshop will introduce the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement, Behavioral Economics and provide materials and systematic methods for attendees to apply in their local school lunchrooms.

The course is broken into six sessions:

1. Theory of Behavioral Economics and the Smarter Lunchroom Makeover.
2. Smarter Lunchroom case studies & Lunch Line Redesign.
3. Putting Thought into Action:  Diagnose, Prescribe, Implement, Evaulate.
4. Generating Buy-In.
5. Spreading the Word:  How to Work with Adult Learners.
6. Research Module/Data Management.

Nov 5 – St. Cloud Register

Nov 6 – Marshall Register

Dec 2– Roseville Register

Funding Opportunity ~ Farm to School and Child Care Grants ~ Minnesota Department of Agriculture ~ Due Nov 3

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is soliciting Farm to School grant proposals from K-12 institutions and has expanded the program to include child care centers. So far, very few applications have been received from child care centers or organizations that serve child care programs. These grants are an interesting opportunity to explore the feasibility of setting up a Farm to Child Care system for one or a group of child care centers, identifying “product availability and cost, specific equipment, tools, training or policies” that would be needed.

A list of farmers who are interested in selling to child care programs already exists here. 

For more information about the grants or to apply, visit the MDA website.Please encourage child care centers, economic development organizations, non-profit organizations and educational service cooperatives in your area to consider this opportunity.

Training ~ Smarter Mealtimes: Cues that Drive Behavior and Influence Choice in the Child Care Setting ~ Minnesota Department of Education ~ Nov 4 & Dec 3

As a follow-up to the October webinar Introduction to Behavioral Economics for Child Care Centers, the Minnesota Department of Education is offering an in-person Smarter Lunchroom training in 2 locations.

Background: The mission of the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement is to equip those working in food environments with children with evidence-based tools that improve child eating behaviors and thus improve the health of children. Learn how to apply the Smarter Lunchroom concepts and strategies in child care centers.

Smarter Lunchrooms demonstrate core values including:

• Low cost/no-cost solutions.
• Mealtime environment focus.
• Promotion of healthful eating behaviors.
• Sustainability.

Who should attend the training session: Child and Adult Care Food Program center directors, child care center personnel and health professionals that deliver training to child care centers.

In-Person Training: Smarter Mealtimes: Cues that Drive Behavior and Influence Choice in the Child Care Setting

Nov 4 – St. Cloud Register | Dec 3 – Roseville Register

Webinar ~ Smoke-free Policies Redux: Current Status & Current Challenges ~ Tobacco Control Legal Consortium ~ Oct 30, 12p

The Tobacco Control Legal Consortium is sponsoring a webinar entitled “Smoke-free Policies Redux:  Current Status & Current Challenges." State and local smoke-free laws that protect workers and the public from exposure to secondhand smoke in public places and places of employment are a critical component of any community's public health efforts. While adoption of these policies has been very successful, with over 30 states and thousands of local communities passing some form of smoke-free policy, millions of people in the U.S. are still exposed to secondhand smoke in public places and places of work on a daily basis. This webinar will review the current profile of smoke-free policies around the country and look at some local recent successes. Attendees will also hear from an official with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on the efforts to get a state-wide smoke-free law passed in that state. Registration information is here.

Resources ~ Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has begun a new campaign that will urge retail stores to stop selling tobacco products.  The campaign will also encourage consumers to shop at tobacco-free stores by providing an interactive map on their website that shows nearby stores without tobacco products.

Please click on the link below to access the website, which contains an interactive map, social media messages, and toolkits for retailers, partners, and consumers.

• Campaign website: www.ShopTobaccoFree.org
• Toolkits for retailers, partners, and shoppers: http://shoptobaccofree.org/campaign-assets/
• Campaign press clip: http://fox43.com/2014/10/20/new-campaign-urges-retailers-to-go-tobacco-free/
• CounterTobacco.org’s 2014 Point-of-Sale Report: http://countertobacco.org/2014-pos-report-nation

No resources

Public Comment ~ Healthy People 2020 ~ Due Nov 7

You are invited to participate in the Healthy People 2020 process! The public comment period is open now through November 7, 2014.

Public comment will allow you to:

• Comment on proposed new objectives to be added to the following topic areas:
• Arthritis, Osteoporosis, and Chronic Back Conditions
• Early and Middle Childhood
• Heart Disease and Stroke
• Maternal, Infant, and Child Health
• Tobacco Use
• Propose new objectives to be included in one of the 42 existing Healthy People 2020 topic area. 

To participate in the public comment period, visit HealthyPeople.gov.

Survey ~ Bike Friendly State Application ~ MnDOT

MnDOT is looking for help with our Bicycle Friendly State application. This annual application involves answering questions about:

• infrastructure and funding that provide safe places to bike
• education and encouragement programs that promote cycling
• passage and enforcement of bicycle-friendly laws that make it safe and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities to ride

The survey will take about 5 minutes, and your responses will be anonymous. Last year's responses helped immensely, and gave us great insight into the thoughts and opinions of those that bike and walk in our state.Take the Bicycle Friendly State application survey. 

Save the Date ~ Regional Learning Meetings ~ Healthy Eating & Active Living ~ Nov 13

Please check out the agenda for the November 13 Making It Better Regional Meetings: Healthy Eating/Active Living (HEAL). This meeting will not include a Statewide ITV portion because we are taking this opportunity to discuss the launch of the Minnesota Food Charter. We will also host a “Year in Review” for the first hour of the Active Living portion, which will give us an opportunity to identify what has worked well and what could be improved as we move forward. We hope you can join us for the full day. A more detailed regional agenda will be available shortly. *Please note that the location of the meeting is likely different than in previous Making it Better Meetings.*

You can find details on times and locations here on Basecamp.

Save the Date ~ Regional Learning Meetings ~ Healthy Eating & Active Living ~ Nov 13

Please check out the agenda for the November 13 Making It Better Regional Meetings: Healthy Eating/Active Living (HEAL). This meeting will not include a Statewide ITV portion because we are taking this opportunity to discuss the launch of the Minnesota Food Charter. We will also host a “Year in Review” for the first hour of the Active Living portion, which will give us an opportunity to identify what has worked well and what could be improved as we move forward. We hope you can join us for the full day. A more detailed regional agenda will be available shortly. *Please note that the location of the meeting is likely different than in previous Making it Better Meetings.*

You can find details on times and locations here on Basecamp.

No announcements