Making it Better: Minnesota's Health Improvement Log | 4-23-2015

Making it Better, Your Minnesota's Health Improvement Log

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MDH Making It Better

April 23, 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

 
 
General Information

Don't forget!

Gems

Brandondale Manufactured Home Community and Riverview Terrace Manufactured Home Community, each in Chaska, partnered with Carver County Public Health to pass tobacco free playground area policies. Riverview Terrace has also included their community gardens in the policy. Both policies have a May 1, 2015 implementation date. The landowners agreed that creating areas free of secondhand smoke were beneficial to the health of residents, staff and visitors and that tobacco free playgrounds and gardens helped to establish social norms that positively influence children. Carver County will also provide each manufactured home community with signage that supports tobacco free air. 

Blue Earth County SHIP staff recently took advantage of construction plans on Monks Avenue in Mankato that is slated for summer 2015. Plans already included traffic slowly measures through new lane arrangements, complete sidewalks and on-street designated lanes for bicyclists. They were, however, concerned the need to support high volumes of college-bound pedestrians through marked mid-block crossings. They contacted the City Engineering department and offered data collection support to build a case for a mid-block crossing. They coordinated counts on six mornings during January 2015 for a total of 25.5 hours. During these mornings, they counted 1,915 pedestrians crossing Monks Avenue mid-block (not utilizing crosswalks). As a results of our data collection and SHIP funding for crosswalk materials/signage, the City Engineering department incorporated three marked crosswalks into the plans that were sent out for bid and construction/installation will begin this summer.

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:

MDH Logo

In the News ~ Minnesota Alone Trims Obesity Rates Among Upper Midwest States

Minnesota has outperformed nearby states by being the only one of its neighbors to bend the curve on obesity rates, according to a recent MDH analysis of CDC data. Minnesota’s adult obesity rates have held constant since 2008, while rates continued climbing nationally and in nearby states. The analysis includes highlights of how prevention programs like the Statewide Health Improvement Program can help Minnesota lower health care costs and improve community health by reducing risk factors that contribute to chronic disease. Read the news release. Read a fact sheet.

Call for Proposals ~ Community Healthy Conference ~ Due May 15

The Call for Proposals for the 2015 Community Health Conference is now open here

Share this notice and encourage your colleagues and public health partners to submit proposals to present concurrent sessions.

This year’s theme is Public Health:  Everyone, Every Day, Everywhere! The Community Health Conference will be held October 7-9, 2015 at Cragun's Conference Center in Brainerd, MN.

Concurrent session proposals will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 2015.

Direct questions to Becky Buhler, at becky.buhler@state.mn.us or 651-201-5795.

Conference registration, resource table sign-up, and Cragun’s reservations will open July 15.

Conference ~ 2015 MPHA Annual Conference ~ Duluth, May 28-29

Date: Thursday, May 28 beginning at 1pm - Friday, May 29 at 3pm.

Location: Duluth Entertainment Convention Center

A copy of the brochure outlining all sessions can be found on the event webpage here. 

Please visit the event webpage to register! For the first time, MPHA is offering a combination registration that allows non-MPHA members to join MPHA at the same time as registering for the conference at the reduced MPHA member rate.

Any questions relating to the conference can be directed to events@mpha.net 

 
 
Foundational Skills Resources

No resources

 
 
Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition ResourcesMDH Logo

Webinar ~ Secrets to Successful (and Failed) Food Hubs: What You Need to Know ~ April 29, 9:30am

Why are food hubs all the rage with healthy food advocates? Many communities identify food hubs as a critical strategy for increasing access to healthy food in a variety of settings—from communities to schools to healthcare. Food hubs can provide an important piece of healthy food infrastructure—aggregating and distributing healthy food grown nearby to food retailers and institutional food services. What's involved in starting a food hub? What do you need to know? What should you avoid? What kind of homework is required? Why do some food hubs work and others fail? Who are the right partners and what are the steps?  

Learn more on a webinar with the Minnesota Food Charter and the Minnesota Department of Health on April 29, 2015 from 9:30 - 10:30.

More information and login registration can be found here.

 
 
Tobacco ResourcesMDH Logo

Report ~ E-cigarette Use Triples Among Students ~ CDC

E-cigarette use triples among students in just one year, hookah use doubles.

A new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) released last week by the CDC shares data from the 2011-2014 National Youth Tobacco Surveys and finds current e-cigarette use among middle and high school students tripled from 2013 to 2014. Findings show that current e-cigarette use (use on at least 1 day in the past 30 days) among high school students increased from 4.5 percent in 2013 to 13.4 percent in 2014, rising from approximately 660,000 to 2 million students. Among middle school students, current e-cigarette use more than tripled from 1.1 percent in 2013 to 3.9 percent in 2014—an increase from approximately 120,000 to 450,000 students.

To learn more about these new findings click here

Report ~ Smokeless Tobacco in Sport and Use Among Adolescents ~ The Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education

The Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California at San Francisco published a new paper this month titled Smokeless Tobacco in Sports and Use Among Adolescents. It outlines the impact of smokeless tobacco use by professional athletes on adolescent athletes and provides an evidence summary of the role of sports in promoting smokeless tobacco use.

Recorded Webinar ~ Why Point of Sale Matters ~ Minnesota Department of Health & CounterTools

Did you miss the April 15 Point of Sale webinar? You can find a recording here

Learning Objectives: Understand how the tobacco retail location impacts tobacco prevention and control and public health 1. Industry sales and marketing tactics (e.g., product, price, promotion, place) 2. Impact on behavior for never-smokers, smoker, and those trying to quit 3. Basic evidence and concepts about retailer density, location, and proximity

Resource ~ State & Local Public Health: An Overview of Regulatory Authority ~ Public Health Law Center

State and Local Public Health:  An Overview of Regulatory Authority:  Answers to common questions about the role of state and local public health departments, and local boards of health, in public health regulation.

 
 
Community-Clinical Linkages Resources

Report ~ 2015 County Health Rankings ~ Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The new 2015 County Health Rankings report offers an easy-to-use snapshot comparing the health of nearly every county in the nation, showing that where you live matters to your health. The annual report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, makes it clear that good health includes many factors beyond medical care, such as education, jobs, smoking, access to healthy foods and parks, and more. Click here for a synopsis from The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), and click here to access the key findings report.

 
 
Related Events Around Minnesota and Beyond

Event ~ May is Asthma Awareness Month

May is Asthma Awareness Month:  Check out the following resources available for local planning and social media events for World Asthma Day (May 5th) and Month.

Minnesota Department of Health’s Asthma Program

CDC Asthma Awareness Month Toolkit here.This toolkit features information for people with asthma, schools, public health practitioners, and others grouped in one place for Asthma Awareness Month use.  There is also a link to EPA’s useful Asthma Awareness Month materials here

Asthma Day Twitter Chat, May 5, 2015 co-hosted by EPA, at 1 pm. 

Air Quality Awareness Week is April 27 - May 1, 2015.  

Check out the following resources available for local planning efforts for Air Quality Awareness Week. Learn more here.

 
 
Ship Grantee AnnouncementsMDH Logo

Reminder ~ Submit Tobacco Policies

If you have assisted with updating existing policies or have assisted with newly adopted and implemented policies, please remember to submit this information to the correct TA provider. If you have questions about what specific information the TA provider may need, please contact the TA provider associated with the policy collection area. The TA providers and their policy collection areas are as follow:

Scott Kelly (PHLC)

  • POS
  • ENDS sales, product, use regulations

Erin Simmons (ALA)

  • College campuses
  • Foster care
  • Child care
  • Environment or systems changes such as mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities

Chris Farmer-Lies (ANSR)

  • Housing
  • Worksites
  • County grounds
  • Outdoors separated by parks/rec/fairgrounds, community events and sponsorships, churches, and other

 
 
Tobacco-Free Communities Grantee AnnounecementsMDH Logo

Webinar ~ TFC Monthly Progress Report and PSE Tracker Revisions ~ April 30, 11am

This is a reminder that the TFC Monthly Progress Report and PSE Tracker Revisions webinar is on Thursday, April 30 at 11am. All TFC grantees are required to attend this webinar. If you are not able to, please contact Pa Khang to let her know as soon as possible. The webinar link and login information will be sent out via email. Look for an email in your inbox soon. 

MDH Logo

Reminder ~ Submit Tobacco Policies

If you have assisted with updating existing policies or have assisted with newly adopted and implemented policies, please remember to submit this information to the correct TA provider. If you have questions about what specific information the TA provider may need, please contact the TA provider associated with the policy collection area. The TA providers and their policy collection areas are as follow:

Scott Kelly (PHLC)

  • POS
  • ENDS sales, product, use regulations

Erin Simmons (ALA)

  • College campuses
  • Foster care
  • Child care
  • Environment or systems changes such as mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities

Chris Farmer-Lies (ANSR)

  • Housing
  • Worksites
  • County grounds
  • Outdoors separated by parks/rec/fairgrounds, community events and sponsorships, churches, and other