June 2014

It's Men's Health Week! This week – and throughout June (Men’s Health Month), we call upon providers, policymakers, the media and others to promote good health, disease prevention and routine screenings. Working together we can help men get the resources they need to stay healthy.

Learn more about OMH's activities in this edition and find out more about HHS Departmental activities during Men’s Health Week and Men’s Health Month, and what you can to do support men’s health.

In this issue:

• Application Deadlines Near for OMH Grants
• Need Insurance? There's Still A Chance To Get Covered.
• Healthy People 2020: A Report Card on the Health of the Nation
• June is Men's Health Month
• June Conferences
• What's New in the Knowledge Center

Application Deadlines Near for OMH Grants

Learn more about these new Office of Minority Health grants to improve minority health and reduce health disparities. The deadlines are fast approaching. Please take a moment and explore these opportunities.

Announcement Number: MP-CPI-14-003
Opportunity Title: Partnerships to Increase Coverage in Communities Initiative
Due Date for Applications: June 16, 2014

Announcement Number: MP-YEP-14-001
Opportunity Title:  Minority Youth Violence Prevention:  Integrating Public Health and Community Policing Approaches  
Due Date for Applications: June 13, 2014

Announcement Number: MP-YEP-14-005
Opportunity Title: Youth Empowerment Program II (YEP II) 
Due Date for Applications: June 13, 2014

View the announcements and get application information.  

Need Insurance? There's Still A Chance To Get Covered.

Though the first Open Enrollment period for the Health Insurance Marketplace ended in March, you may not have to wait until November to get covered. Certain qualifying life events, such as turning 26, getting married or having a baby, may allow you to participate in a Special Enrollment Period. This video explains more about Special Enrollment.

You and members of your family might also qualify for health coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which has open enrollment throughout the year.

Register for the Special Enrollment Periods and Resources for the Uninsured webinar on June 19 at 2 pm EDT.er text.

Healthy People 2020: A Report Card on the Health of the Nation

In the May 28 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Howard K. Koh, MD, MPH, reviewed the state of public health in the U.S. and how the Affordable Care Act can help reduce health disparities. Download the article.

June is Men's Health Month

On average, American men live sicker and die younger than American women. Men are less likely to have health insurance and make recommended visits to the doctor. Preventable illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes take a significant toll, especially in minority communities.

Throughout June, we are focusing on the Power of Prevention to raise awareness among providers, policy makers, the media, and men and their loved ones about preventable health problems and early detection and treatment of disease.

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Wear blue and show your support for men’s health. Encourage your family, friends and co-workers to wear blue. Take a picture and post it to any of your social media platforms to help bring attention to the campaign. Also be sure to join Men’s Health Network’s Twibbon campaign.

• On Father’s Day, take the pledge. No job is more important than being a father. Join the President’s Fatherhood Initiative by signing up at www.fatherhood.gov and view great suggestions for activities on Father’s Day and every day.

• Talk to your partner, friends and family about health. It starts with a conversation. The Brother2Brother project makes the conversation easier by asking three questions: When was your most recent doctor's visit? What is the best reason you have to care about your health and to be healthy? What can you do today to start living a healthier life? Join the HHS Partnership Center on June 13 at 2 pm for a webinar on Brother2Brother.

• Become a mentor to boys and young men of color. President Obama launched the My Brother's Keeper initiative to help boys and young men of color reach their full potential. This initiative will encourage the nation to establish a solid foundation for young people to receive mentoring, support networks and the skills they need to find a good job or go to college. 

• Save the Date for our Twitter chat on men’s health June 23. Follow OMH and tweet with us at 2 pm using #ManUpChat.

June Conferences

Catch up with us at:

ACF Native American Grantee Conference
June 17-19, Crystal City, VA

American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition
June 27-30, Las Vegas, NV
Booth #1528

What's New in the Knowledge Center

• New online library catalog launched. Explore the new version and access the latest reports on minority health and health disparities, along with newer, more detailed search and delivery options. Search the catalog today and contact the Knowledge Center team if you have any resource suggestions or questions.
  
• Knowledge Center featured in the Journal of Hospital Librarianship. Faye Williams, Knowledge Center Manager at the Office of Minority Health Resource Center (OMHRC), explains OMHRC's digital conversion and how it benefited hospital librarians and made data retrieval more efficient. 
• Latest Knowledge Center acquisitions list released.