June 2015

June is Men’s Health Month.

In this issue:

• National Caribbean American Heritage Month: Considering Culture in Health and Health Care
• Advancing Health Equity for Boys and Men of Color - Men’s Health Month
• The Heckler Report: Reflecting on its Beginnings and 30 Years of Progress
• New Data Brief: Health Status of a Diverse Group of Adult Hispanic/Latino Males
• Healthy Eating in 19 Languages! USDA ChooseMyPlate Available in Chinese, Korean and More
• HHS Awards $112 Million to Help 5,000 Primary Care Professionals Advance Heart Health
• What's New in the Knowledge Center

National Caribbean American Heritage Month: Considering Culture in Health and Health Care

As a first-generation Caribbean American, I often draw inspiration from my greatest role models — my parents. Their courage to leave our family’s native country of Haiti in order to create an even better life for our family is forever imprinted in my mind. They were not fleeing the country, in fact, my mother was an elementary school teacher and my father was a school principal. America represented for them what it represents for many immigrants, a nation of opportunity. Read the full post.

Advancing Health Equity for Boys and Men of Color - Men’s Health Month

During Men’s Health Month, we are raising awareness about health disparities that affect boys and men of color, and raising the dialogue on efforts to ensure that all men achieve better health outcomes.

Learn more about Men’s Health Month.

Find publications and resources on men’s health.

Mark Your Calendar: 

• June 15-21: Men’s Health Week. Here’s what you can do to make health a priority.
• June 19: Show your support and Wear BLUE for men’s health.

The Heckler Report: Reflecting on its Beginnings and 30 Years of Progress

By Louis W. Sullivan, MD, Former HHS Secretary

I recently had the opportunity to participate in HHS’ celebration recognizing the 30th anniversary of the release of what’s now referred to as the Heckler Report. The report was developed thanks to Secretary Margaret Heckler who recognized the “sad and significant fact… [that] there was a continuing disparity in the burden of death and illness experienced by Blacks and other minority Americans as compared with our nation’s population as a whole.” Secretary Heckler created the national platform that made the issue of minority health disparities a national issue – but I’d like to share a little of the history that led her to create the Heckler Report which has shaped minority health policy for the last 30 years. Read more on the Blog for Health Equity.

At left: Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, Dr. Louis Sullivan, OMH Director Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, Former Director of the Office of Research on Women's Health at NIH Dr. Vivian Pinn and Former U.S. Rep. Louis Stokes at the 2015 National Health Equity Summit. Watch the webcast replay, which will be available until July 27.

New Data Brief: Health Status of a Diverse Group of Adult Hispanic/Latino Males

Hispanics/Latinos represent the largest minority group in the nation, yet their health needs remain poorly understood. This is in part because traditional methods of data collection aggregate all Hispanics/Latinos into a single category. This data brief from the Office of Minority Health focuses on a key provision of the Affordable Care Act to strengthen data collection standards, better understand diversity within Hispanic/Latino and other minority communities, and improve public health strategies and practices. Download the data brief in English and Spanish. 

Healthy Eating in 19 Languages! USDA ChooseMyPlate Available in Chinese, Korean and More

USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) announces the translation from English into 18 additional languages of the popular guide ChooseMyPlate 10 Tips and the MyPlate icon. The Office of Minority Health and CNPP co-branded the translated tip sheet and are working together to promote them to ensure that individuals, nutrition and health professionals, and other community leaders have access to these helpful resources. Learn more.

HHS Awards $112 Million to Help 5,000 Primary Care Professionals Advance Heart Health

The awards will benefit over 8 million patients and help primary care practices in both urban and rural communities use the latest evidence to encourage Better Care, Smarter Spending and Healthier People. The awards are aligned with the Million Hearts® national initiative – of which the HHS Office of Minority Health is a partner – to prevent heart attacks and stroke. Read the press release.

What's New in the Knowledge Center

Looking for publications on men’s health, fatherhood and related topics during June? Try our one-click search and access these resources in the Knowledge Center online catalog.  See the Knowledge Center’s latest acquisitions.