- Worksite Strategy Evaluation
If you are working on the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP)
worksite strategy, we want your opinion! We are looking at the
collaborative model of working with worksite partners and want to compile a
“best practices” guideline from your experience. We also want your thoughts
about future worksite training topics.
Please take 10 minutes or so to respond to less than 40
questions about your experience.
Please submit your responses by Sept. 22. The
link is https://survey.vovici.com/se.ashx?s=56206EE34CB72F75.
Thanks
for your input. It will help strengthen this strategy!
-
Community Leadership Team Call | Sept. 26
Time: 3-4 p.m.
Date: Sept. 26
To join this call:
Phone: 1-888-742-5095
Conference Code: 9821141691
-
Physical Activity | Planning for Population Health
Training | Sept. 28
Time: 8 a.m. - Noon
Date: Sept. 28
Location: St. Cloud
The Healthy Eating and Active
Living MDH staff, in collaboration with GTS educational events, is
offering this dynamic learning opportunity that was created just for local
public health professionals, community partners and their colleagues in
the planning profession. The session will focus on land use, city
planning and the potential for integrating active living and healthy
eating into the planning process for a larger population health
impact. Come learn from others about their work. Discounted registration
of $25 is available for public health professionals and partners. We look
forward to seeing you Sept. 28 as part of a pre-session for the APA MN
State Planners Conference (http://www.plannersconference.com/).
Details/
Registration: http://www.mngts.org/LandUse/land-use-planning-for-population-health.php
 Scott County SHIP Kick Off HEDA
Scott County SHIP kicked off their Health Equity Data
Analysis (HEDA) Pilot with a focus group and pop up engagement effort in early
September at Project Community Connect (PCC) at Esperanza. Scott County is
looking at chronic disease in low income populations for the focus of their
HEDA. They have been working with established community groups to solicit
feedback around barriers and opportunities related to healthy eating and active
living.
|
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:
|
Branded Food Products Database Launched with Nutrition Details on
Over 80,000 Brand Names
NEW YORK, Sept. 16 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack officially launched the USDA Branded Food Products Database, a free online resource for
families, the food industry and researchers that contains nutrition details
on more than 80,000 name brand prepared and packaged foods that are available at
restaurants and grocery stores. The announcement was made at the Global Open Data for Agriculture
and Nutrition (GODAN) summit.
"There is so much data from the public and private sectors
that can improve the health and quality of life for millions of people, if it can be made more
readily available," said Vilsack. "The partnership that produced the database is more proof
that governments, nonprofits, businesses and researchers are capable fostering scientific
innovation by making life-changing data open and available to parents, healthcare professionals,
scientists, businesses and everyone interested. I look forward to being surprised by
innovations we have not even thought of yet as a result of so much information becoming so
reliable and accessible."
The USDA Agricultural Research Service partnered with the
International Life Sciences Institute North America (ILSI North America), GS1 US, 1WorldSync
and Label Insight to develop the new database and a user-friendly interface that make
it easier for private food companies to add and update their data. The database provides an accessible,
clear source of
information that can assist health professionals identifying foods and portion
size for people with
food allergies, diabetes, kidney disease and other conditions. Common consumer
health and nutrition apps may also use the data as a resource to bring
information to consumers on a mobile device in real time while shopping or dining out.
The Branded Food Products
Database greatly expands and enhances the USDA National Nutrient Database, which contained basic
information on about 8,800 branded foods and has served as a main source of food composition
data for government, researchers and the food industry. As information is added in the
coming months, the new database will include up to 500,000 products with an expanded
level of detail that will include serving size, servings per package and nutrients shown on the Nutrition
Facts Panel or the Expanded Nutrition Facts Panel, plus weights and measures, ingredient list and
sub-list, and a date stamp associated with current formulation of the product.
At the open data summit, Vilsack
also announced the release of an update to the Global Agricultural Concept Scheme (GACS), a unifying
thesaurus of over 350,000 terms in 28 languages that establishes common terminology for data users
across the agriculture and nutrition fields worldwide. GACS is a collaboration between USDA, the
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Centre for Agriculture and
Bioscience International (CABI) to make it easier for researchers and policymakers to work together using the
same technical language.
Get recognition for
your local government!
The Humphrey School of Public Affairs is seeking
applications for its Local Government Innovation Awards. The mission of the
Award program — to recognize excellence that drives continuing improvements in
local government programs and services — considers how submissions create
greater accountability; use incentives, charges, and targeting to meet those in
need; orchestrate competitive contracting; fund consumers; manage collaboration
or consolidation; deploy prevention strategies that eliminate the need for a
service or divest current services to the community.
No other program in Minnesota allows local
government entities to submit projects for a juried review of their work at
this level. The jury, selected from Humphrey School's Public and Nonprofit
Leadership Center, the League of Minnesota Cities, the Minnesota Association of
Townships, the Association of Minnesota Counties and the Minnesota School Board
Association; understands the project context and seeks to review based on
criteria that aligns closely with the program’s overall mission.
Learn more about the awards
by visiting the website http://lgia.umn.edu/.
Award entries will be accepted beginning Sept.
19 and the submissions must be in by at 4 p.m. Oct.12. A panel of judges
will select winning entries.
An awards ceremony will be held Dec. 8 at the
Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
|
New Tool from MnDOT and BikeMN Provides Guidance for Acquiring and
Managing a Bicycle Fleet
As more and more children and adults are choosing bicycling for
transportation in Minnesota, communities and schools are working to that ensure
everyone has access to a bike. In some cases, organizations are creating a
"bike fleet" that can be used for education in classrooms and at
community events. Because creating and managing a bike fleet can be
challenging, Bike MN created a tool to help! Read more.
|
Just in time for the 2016-2017 school year, new activities have
been added to the Health
Powered Kids™ (HPK) website!
Check out new content and features that can help kids form better
habits:
-
New two, five and 10 minute Power Charger activities that are suitable for kids regardless
of their strength and physical abilities. Options have been modification
that make it easy for kids of all ages to participate in class or at home.
-
HPK’s newest lessons include Tobacco and E-cigarettes and Picky Eating.
-
Watch for additional lessons coming
this fall on online user safety, puberty and more!
When you have a few minutes, head to the site and click around. It’s a great resource for you and the kids in
your life.
National Walk Summit Call for Proposals
Date: Sept.13-15, 2017
Location: St. Paul
America Walks and the Every Body Walk! Collaborative are calling
for proposals for its 2017 National Walking Summit.
The theme of the 2017
summit is "Vital and Vibrant Communities: The Power of Walkability."
The conference will explore how walking and walkability create engaged,
thriving and inclusive communities for all members. Walkability is at the
cornerstone of creating neighborhoods that are vital and vibrant, allowing all
members of a community to enjoy health, social and economic benefits in a
variety of forms.
We want to be sure to highlight the great
projects, programs and resources that are being developed in St. Paul and throughout
Minnesota. Sessions will focus on local examples of walkability. To learn more and submit
a proposal, click here.
Submissions are due Dec. 15.
Get ready for National Farm to School Month in
October – it’s a great time to celebrate the connections that are happening all
over the country between schools and local food! Plan a new Farm to School
activity, organize a special celebration of your current efforts or initiate a
new partnership.
Here are some ways to get involved:
-
Join schools across the state in kicking off Minnesota
Thursdays on Oct. 6 with a special Midwest Menu: serve a local chicken and
apple, along with a veggie and whole grain of your choice. Get details.
-
Participate in the third annual Great Lakes Great
Apple Crunch at noon on Oct. 13. Sign up to receive free stickers and a
copy of the 2016 Crunch Guide to help you plan, carry out and share your
celebratory crunch. Learn more.
- Sign up for a webinar.
Minnesota Thursdays and Farm to School, 2 p.m., Nov. 1: Serve fresh, local lunch for
great, local students! Minnesota Thursdays is a way to highlight your farm to
school program, support the local food economy and offer students fresh,
seasonal options. Learn how your school can implement Minnesota Thursdays by
locally sourcing a meal on the first Thursday of every month. Register here.
- Learn more about Minnesota’s Farm to School grant
program.
The AGRI Farm to School Grant Program supports Minnesota school
districts and child care providers in the processing of Minnesota agricultural
products. Grants are intended to create plans that identify specific equipment,
tools, training or policies needed by school districts and child care
providers; and purchase equipment to allow schools and child care
providers to purchase, prepare and serve more Minnesota grown and raised food.
Applications are due Nov. 2. Learn more.
For more information, visit
the University of Minnesota Extension’s Farm to School website.
|
Supporting Healthy Eating in Greater Minnesota — Understanding
and Improving the Grocery and Small Store Landscape
Time: 11:30
a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Date: Oct. 14
Most of the foods and
beverages people consume come from grocery stores. If you’d like to learn what
you can do to ensure your community has access to healthier choices, this
webinar can provide the answers.
Presenters include: Karen Lanthier, Assistant Program Director, Sustainable
Agriculture and Food Systems, Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships;
and Julie Ralston Aoki, Staff Attorney, Public Health Law Center.
Event Details
Time: 2-4
p.m.
Date: Oct. 7
Location: Wells Fargo, 550 S. 4th St., Minneapolis 55415
Join BikeMN and Wells Fargo for the final Corporate Bike Forum
of 2016.
The Corporate Bike Forum focuses on connecting bicycle advocates at businesses
with each other for information and best-practices sharing. It meets twice a
year and gives participants a chance to network as well as the chance to learn
from business bicycle advocates from across Minnesota.
If you are unable to attend in person, please join via teleconference. Dial-in
information will be available for anyone who cannot attend in
person. Please RSVP to ensure this information is sent to you.
More info and registration:
http://www.bikemn.org/events/event/339
The Walk! Bike! Fun! Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Curriculum
was developed by the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota through a contract with the
Minnesota Department of Transportation in collaboration with Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Minnesota.
The Walk! Bike! Fun! curriculum helps schools
teach children lifelong skills to safely walk and bike in their community.
Preview the curriculum at www.walkbikefun.org.
Many children are injured each year through unsafe walking and
bicycling activities. The program, which is designed to help reduce injuries,
will teach children how to be safe on sidewalks and roads. The curriculum
includes lessons to teach:
- How to safely cross the road
- Traffic laws and responsible riding
- Parts of a bike and proper attire
including wearing a bike helmet
- Communicating with pedestrians and
vehicle drivers
- Scanning, stopping and proper
positioning on the road
The curriculum is developed for the younger elementary grades (K-3), learning
safe walking skills and then advancing to safe bicycling skills in the upper
elementary and middle school grades (4-8). The FREE training includes: “on the
bike” and classroom activities and a bike ride around the neighborhood.
Those who attend will receive a three-ring binder with a copy of the curriculum.
Teachers can also earn seven Continuing Education Units and may apply for a
scholarship for substitute teachers pay. The program will last about eight
hours and attendees should plan for a full day of curriculum and skills
training.
Fall 2016 training locations:
- Brainerd, Sept. 27
- Willmar, Oct. 5
- Lake Crystal, Oct. 11
- St. Paul, Oct. 14
- St. Cloud, Oct. 28
For additional information on safe walking and biking
education, contact Michelle Breidenbach, SRTS Education Coordinator, 507-430-2280;
or michelle@bikemn.org.
BikeMN’s
mission is to unite and strengthen bicycle advocacy, provide education and work
for a more bicycle friendly Minnesota. BikeMN is teaching bicyclists of all
ages to safely ride and share the streets, roadways and trails with other
drivers and pedestrians.
|
|
Resources
Upcoming Webinar
U.S. v. Philip
Morris: The Big Win Against Big Tobacco
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Date: Oct. 18
This Consortium
webinar will provide a 10-year retrospective on the landmark U.S. v. Philip Morris ruling that the tobacco industry engaged in a 50-year
conspiracy to defraud America and the world about the health risks of tobacco
products. The webinar will discuss: the case; the role of public health groups
who intervened and became parties to the litigation; the case’s impact on
tobacco control advocacy and civil litigation; and the case’s broader impact on
public health.
Presenters:
Mary Rouvelas, Senior Counsel, American Cancer Society Cancer Action
Network;
Kathy Meyer, Partner, Meyer Glitzenstein & Eubanks;
Mark Gottlieb, Executive Director, Public Health Advocacy Institute;
Cynthia Hallett, President/CEO, Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights.
Moderator: Desmond Jenson, Staff Attorney, Tobacco Control Legal
Consortium.
Register here.
Archived Recording
& Slides of Recent Webinar
The 2016 TCN Policy Recommendations are available!
The Tobacco Control Network (TCN) recently released the 2016 TCN Policy Recommendations document. The document reflects the Network’s
priorities – it declares a vision and direction for policy and system changes,
which TCN members believe are important in reducing and eliminating health
issues caused by tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure. The TCN is made up of
the tobacco control program managers, staff from each U.S. state and
territorial health agency and the District of Columbia.
Building on the previous policy document, the 2016 TCN Policy
Recommendations aim to prepare membership to meet the evolving demands of the
tobacco control landscape and to help shape effective tobacco control programs.
State and territorial tobacco control programs found the 2012 version helpful
in providing program direction, completing readiness assessments, developing
their five-year National State-Based Tobacco Control work plans, and educating
their state’s leadership about evidence-based tobacco control work.
Inspiring Bold Action: The Minnesota Tobacco Control Conference
Date: Jan. 24-26, 2017
Location: RiverCentre, 175 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul, MN 55102
Cost: $100
The conference will focus on three primary areas:
- Eliminating tobacco inequities: Disparities in
commercial tobacco use are very clear and use remains persistently high in
groups such as communities of color; indigenous communities; LGBT; urban
and rural populations; certain occupations; those with mental health or
substance use disorders; the homeless; and those with lower levels of
income or educational attainment.
- Taking bold steps through policy change that can help
to eliminate these inequities.
- Fulfilling the need for sustainable resources to
support the elimination of inequities. This includes engaging
community members, building community capacity, and developing community
leadership. It also is designed to secure funding sources that are
targeted toward the implementation of community driven solutions.
Watch for more information and registration details this fall.
Rally Around Health Systems Change for Treating Tobacco
Dependence
Time: 10
a.m.–Noon
Date: Nov. 15
Location: Maple Grove Community Center
This is a multi-stakeholder, action-oriented event. Participants
will learn from national expert Dr. Michael Fiore from the University of
Wisconsin, a panel of providers, and hear about how a variety of health systems
have implemented changes to improve how they address tobacco use with their
patients.
Register here.
MDH and Counter Tools are having a Minnesota
tobacco point-of-sale photo contest!
Do you have a photo of
tobacco industry tactics at the point of sale? Are you planning to take photos
while conducting audits this summer? Send in the photos you capture of the
retail environment!
What kind of photos? Send us photos showcasing tobacco industry
marketing tactics and promotional strategies at the point of sale.
Who do I send them to? Jennifer@countertools.org
What is the deadline? Please send by Sept. 30 to be
considered for the 1st and 2nd place prizes.
|
|
Opportunity: Advancing LGBTQ Health Conference
Date: Feb. 27-28, 2017
Location: University of MN Continuing Education Event Center, St.
Paul
A Conference for Policy
Makers and Practitioners
Online registration will begin in early fall 2016.
Conference website: http://opportunityconference.org/
For questions, email LGBTQconference@rainbowhealth.org
|
|
Time: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Dates | Locations:
-
Oct. 11 | Southwest | Southwest Service Cooperative (SWSC), 1420 E. College Dr., Marshall
-
Oct. 13 | Southeast | MDH District Office, 18 Wood Lake Drive S.E., Rochester
-
Oct. 20 | Northwest | Bemidji Public Library, 509 American Ave. N.W., Bemidji
-
Oct. 25 | Northeast | Duluth Public Safety Building, 2030 N. Arlington Ave., Duluth
-
Oct. 27 | Metro | Northern Service Center (Dakota County), One Mendota Road W., West St. Paul
Learning Objectives
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Use new tools, create a customized communications and
engagement plan.
- Identify ways to incorporate cessation promotion in
worksite wellness partner sites.
- Articulate local public health’s role in the statewide
implementation of HUD smoke-free rule.
- Describe new tobacco use and exposure data and learn
about new resources and tools.
Agenda
9 – 9:30 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
9:30 – 10 a.m. SHIP Community Specialist Updates
10 – 10:30 a.m. New Tobacco Tools and Resources
10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Break
10:45 - 12:15 p.m. Communications Workshop
12:15 - 1 p.m. Lunch: Tobacco Updates and Networking
1 - 1:30 p.m. Office Hours and Coffee and Conversation
1:30 – 2 p.m. Tobacco Free Grounds Policy and Cessation Support – Tips and
Tools
2 – 2:15 p.m. Break: Photo Contest Voting
2:15 - 3 p.m. HUD Smoke-Free Rule Implementation Plan
Register here.
|
|
Date: Sept. 26-27
Location: Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Prior Lake, Minnesota
The First Annual Conference on Native American Nutrition presents a
first-of-its-kind opportunity to share and advance knowledge related to
the dietary health of Native communities.
The major purposes of this conference are to showcase innovative work
being done in Indian country to improve Native American nutrition; to
bring together Native American leaders, academics, and public health
workers in order to build new partnerships; and to candidly explore ways
to overcome the existing obstacles to greater understanding between
Indigenous and academic scientific knowledge. We hope to map out what’s
being done, and what still needs to be done, and to energize attendees
to build momentum to improve Native American nutrition.
For more information.
|
 No announcements this week.
|
|
