National Asthma Guidelines Updated

Press release issued August 29, 2007 from the NHLBI regarding the new guidelines. Please go to http://public.nhlbi.nih.gov/newsroom/home/GetPressRelease.aspx?id=2442 for story.

Come Learn About Health Literacy and Access Partnership

Bon Secours Hampton Roads Faith Community Health Ministry Network presents a health literacy workshop by Candice Driskell, M.S., R.N., C.C.M., Executive Director, Access Partnership on Saturday, September 15, 2007, from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon at Mary Immaculate Hospital, Community Health and Education Resource Center, 2 Bernardine Drive, Newport News, VA 23602. FREE and open to the community! Nursing contact hours apply.

Health Literacy refers to the set of skills needed to read, understand, and act on basic health care information. According to the Center for Health Care Strategies, and National Academy on Aging Society, over 90 million adults with low health literacy skills have limited ability to read and understand the instructions contained on prescriptions or medicine bottles, appointment slips, informed consent documents, insurance forms, and health education materials.

To register: call Sharon Jones at (757) 886-6944 or email at SharonF_Jones@bshsi.com RSVP by September 7, 2007. Light refreshments served.

Issue Brief Identifies Practical Strategies to Reduce Health Care Disparities

From Policy to Action: Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities at the Ground LevelWhile health care disparities are well-documented, strategies to address these gaps in care are still evolving. A new issue brief from the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) outlines practical strategies that states and managed care organizations are implementing to reduce health care disparities and improve quality.
The brief highlights the need for standardized collection of race, ethnicity and language data, culturally competent approaches, as well as the involvement and commitment of multiple stakeholders to advance the quality and value of health care services.
Download the issue brief.

CDC Launches Pre-Teen Vaccine Campaign

CDC Launches Pre-Teen Vaccine Campaign: The CDC′s Pre-teen Vaccine Campaign is designed to inform parents, caregivers, family physicians and pediatricians about CDC′s new vaccination recommendations for 11- and 12-year-olds. The three pre-teen vaccines include MCV4, which protects against meningitis and its complications; Tdap, which is a booster against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis or "whooping cough," and for girls, the HPV vaccine, which protects against the types of HPV that most commonly cause cervical cancer.

Research shows that pre-teens generally do not get preventive healthcare, visiting the doctor only when they are sick. One goal of this campaign is to encourage parents to take their pre-teens in for the recommended 11 or 12 year old check-up, which is endorsed by the American Academy for Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), in addition to CDC.

The campaign also seeks to provide caregivers and their health care providers with the latest information about pre-teen vaccines and the pre-teen check-up in the form of fact sheets and posters. It also includes outreach to mainstream and ethnic media, as well as the creation of partnerships with national and state organizations who reach parents and healthcare providers.

The campaign’s August 1st launch coincided with National Immunization Awareness Month in August, and included media events in New York City and Los Angeles. From August 1st though 3rd, Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) participated in media roundtables and desk side briefings about pre-teen immunization and the pre-teen medical check-up. Joining Dr. Schuchat in New York City was AAP’s President-Elect, Dr. Renee Jenkins. In Los Angeles, Dr. Schuchat was joined by Dr. Charles Wibbelsman, from AAP’s Committee on Adolescence. Together, they met or spoke with more than 40 members of the mainstream media including reporters from Family Circle Magazine, Parenting Magazine, CNN radio and Reuters. More than 20 reporters from the country's largest ethnic media outlets attended the minority media roundtables, providing coverage in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, and in the African American, Middle Eastern and Caribbean communities. Also, Dr. Schuchat and Ms. Ana Rivera, from CDC's Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, were interviewed by more than 30 Spanish and English radio stations around the country.

The campaign’s Web site, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/preteens-adol/07gallery/default.htm, provides easy-to-understand, downloadable educational materials in English and Spanish for parents and healthcare providers about the vaccines and the diseases they prevent.

CDC Launches Pre-Teen Vaccine Campaign

CDC Launches Pre-Teen Vaccine Campaign: The CDC′s Pre-teen Vaccine Campaign is designed to inform parents, caregivers, family physicians and pediatricians about CDC′s new vaccination recommendations for 11- and 12-year-olds. The three pre-teen vaccines include MCV4, which protects against meningitis and its complications; Tdap, which is a booster against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis or "whooping cough," and for girls, the HPV vaccine, which protects against the types of HPV that most commonly cause cervical cancer.

Research shows that pre-teens generally do not get preventive healthcare, visiting the doctor only when they are sick. One goal of this campaign is to encourage parents to take their pre-teens in for the recommended 11 or 12 year old check-up, which is endorsed by the American Academy for Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), in addition to CDC.

The campaign also seeks to provide caregivers and their health care providers with the latest information about pre-teen vaccines and the pre-teen check-up in the form of fact sheets and posters. It also includes outreach to mainstream and ethnic media, as well as the creation of partnerships with national and state organizations who reach parents and healthcare providers.

The campaign’s August 1st launch coincided with National Immunization Awareness Month in August, and included media events in New York City and Los Angeles. From August 1st though 3rd, Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) participated in media roundtables and desk side briefings about pre-teen immunization and the pre-teen medical check-up. Joining Dr. Schuchat in New York City was AAP’s President-Elect, Dr. Renee Jenkins. In Los Angeles, Dr. Schuchat was joined by Dr. Charles Wibbelsman, from AAP’s Committee on Adolescence. Together, they met or spoke with more than 40 members of the mainstream media including reporters from Family Circle Magazine, Parenting Magazine, CNN radio and Reuters. More than 20 reporters from the country's largest ethnic media outlets attended the minority media roundtables, providing coverage in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, and in the African American, Middle Eastern and Caribbean communities. Also, Dr. Schuchat and Ms. Ana Rivera, from CDC's Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, were interviewed by more than 30 Spanish and English radio stations around the country.

The campaign’s Web site, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/preteens-adol/07gallery/default.htm, provides easy-to-understand, downloadable educational materials in English and Spanish for parents and healthcare providers about the vaccines and the diseases they prevent.

Immunization Education & Training

Upcoming Broadcasts, Webcasts and Netconferences: Please mark your calendars for upcoming broadcasts and webcasts from CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD):

September 13, 2007, 12 Noon – 1:00 PM EST, New Influenza Vaccine Recommendations (Netconference)
October 11, 2007, 12 Noon – 1:00 PM EST, Travel Health Issues Including Malaria (Netconference)
December 13, 2007, Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (Satellite Broadcast)

More information about these and other training opportunities can be found at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/ed/default.htm.

Please email CINCH for information on which LOCAL health departments may be hosting a satellite link. CINCH@evms.edu

New CINCH Staff: Penny Smith, Child Health Insurance Outreach Coordinator

Please welcome Penny Smith, who starts today as the new Child Health Insurance (Project Connect) Program Outreach Coordinator. Penny brings to our team experience as a county youth outreach and program coordinator with Washing ton State University, Michigan State University and the University of Idaho. She has earned her Practical nursing license in 2006 in Virginia and has been working as an LPN in Norfolk. As a former classroom teacher and Teacher's Trainer with the U. S. Peace Corps, Penny has long recognized the need for comprehensive health care as the essential element in both physical and emotional development of our children. Penny has extensive experience developing, implementing, and evaluating community programming that will be an asset to CINCH’s Project Connect.

We are very excited to have Penny join our team and Project Connect Program. I’m sure that all of our partners will enjoy her easy manner and passion for children’s health. Please take a moment to welcome Penny to CINCH. You can contact Penny at SmithPE@evms.edu or 668-6447.

Access Partnership - Annual membership Meeting.

Save the Date - Access Partnership will hold an annual membership meeting on Friday, November 9, 2007 from 9:00 am to 11:30 am at the Chesapeake Lifestyle Center (N. Battlefield Blvd.). For more info contact: c.driskell@accesspartners.org

Free Websites for Non-Profits

From Access Partnership E-News Flash:

Ron Peterson @ Designers Pro would like to offer free websites to non-profit organizations. The websites will be custom made up to 3 pages. It will Include a Homepage, About Us, and Contact Us page. The sites will be very professional in look and feel and is perfect for organizations that are just starting or have no funds for a website. The name of your would be as follows Ex.designerspro.com/yoursite "yoursite" will be replaced with the name of your organization. There will never be a charge or fee of any kind and we will not try and get you to buy anything. You can upgrade but that is not the purpose of this offer. This is a great way to get a very professional looking starter site at no cost. Thank you and God Bless, Ron Peterson, CEO www.designerspro.com (804)837-2238

(Please note that CINCH posts this only as a resource. We do not endorse this company or their work and really don't know anything about them. Please let us know if you use them and like it!)

Free Skills Building Course: Program Infrastructure and Management for Community Health Promotion and Education

News Flash - From Access Partnership
Free Skills Building Course: Program Infrastructure and Management for Community Health Promotion and Education

My Brother's Keeper, funded through The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Minority Health, would like to extend an invitation to a FREE skills building course Program Infrastructure and Management for Community Health Promotion and Education, scheduled for Wednesday AND Thursday, September 26-27, in Norfolk, VA. This two-day course provides tools for designing, implementing, and evaluating a prevention program geared toward the African-American community. A formal invitation letter, a skills building course application, and course description have been attached for your review. If you are interested in attending this course please contact AngelaJohnson for a course application by email to ajohnson@mbk-inc.org. Applications must be received by Friday, August 31, 2007. Once the completed application is received and reviewed, participants will be contacted with confirmation of registration. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Angela Johnson, Program Coordinator, at 601-957-3625, ext. 108. Please feel free to distribute this invitation to collaborators and partners in your area who may also benefit from this course. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
Natille E. Duncan, MSEd, MIT Specialist, CBA 2
Project My Brother's Keeper, Inc.
Phone: (601) 957-3625, Ext. 109 Fax: (601) 957-3640
nduncan@mbk-inc.org
www.mbk-inc.org




















Community Events on the Peninsula




















Free Website Information
Dedicated to bringing health care to all residents of Greater Hampton Roads so that anyone in need of care will not have to go without.

Impact of Medicaid Citizenship and Identity Requirements

We thought our members might be interested in the follow information and links to reports:

SUBJECT: Impact of Medicaid Citizenship and Identity Requirements

The following acronyms are used in this broadcast:
DMAS –Department of Medical Assistance Services
LDSS – Local Departments of Social Services

One year after the implementation of the federal Medicaid rule requiring documentation of United States citizenship and identification as a requirement for Medicaid eligibility, it appears that the rule has had the unintended consequence of creating barriers to Medicaid enrollment for eligible United States citizens. Proponents of the citizenship and identity requirement had originally believed that these requirements would prevent or limit non-citizens of the United States from accessing public financial assistance for medical services.

Reports from the states as well as the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicate that Medicaid enrollment has declined dramatically nationwide due to the requirement, as apparently eligible individuals continue to experience difficulties securing needed documentation. In addition, many states that had initiated simplified Medicaid enrollment processes, such as encouraging the use of mail-in applications, find that these simplification procedures are no longer as effective. The requirement to provide original documentation of citizenship and identity has led to a significant increase in the numbers of individuals making apersonal visit to their local departments of social services.

The Department of Medical Assistance Services recently attributed a decrease in the enrollment of children in Virginia’s FAMIS PLUS and SCHIP Medicaid Expansion to the citizenship and identity requirements. Between July 1, 2006 (the implementation date of the new documentation requirements) and June 30, 2007, the program experienced a net reduction of 9,527 children. Enrollment of children in FAMIS, which is not currently impacted by the citizenship and identity requirements, is reported to have increased by 3,818 children during that same time period.

The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) has published a report on the impact of these new requirements entitled, “Unintended Consequences: The Impact of New Medicaid Citizenship Documentation Requirements on Virginia’s Children.” Parents surveyed for the report cited an approximate four month delay in obtaining Medicaid benefits for their children due to the barriers created by the citizenship and identity requirements. Parents also reported increased use of hospital emergency rooms for their children’s health care during that time. A survey taken by VHCF of parents who had applied for Medicaid for their children reported that 65% of noninsured children with a pending Medicaid application had some type of health care need that required medical attention while waiting to be enrolled in Medicaid.

The VHCF Report and the GAO Report can be found at the following websites:
http://www.vhcf.org/ and http://www.gao.gov/, respectively.

You can help by relaying the impact of the citizenship and identity requirements and can be an important resource to their local governing bodies and public officials as dialogue continues within Virginia communities regarding individuals’ access to government services. We encourage you to share this information with your local government officials.

Opinion Poll: Nine in 10 Voters Want SCHIP Reauthorized

Opinion Poll: Nine in 10 Voters Want SCHIP Reauthorized

Poll Measures Public Perceptions of the State Children's Health Insurance ProgramA new poll released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that Americans overwhelmingly support the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides states with federal funds to design health insurance programs for vulnerable children.
In this national survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, nearly nine in 10 voters say they support reauthorizing SCHIP. In addition, a clear majority of survey participants support expanding the program's budget by an additional $35 billion over five years.
Read the news release.
View the full report.
From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation email alert on: Health Insurance Coverage.

CINCH ADVOCACY ACTION ALERT: SCHIP Reauthorization

Say YES to children!
Key recess messages
(1) As our children head back to school, Congress must help
make sure that young people have the health coverage they need
to succeed. Congress can do this by passing a strong $50 billion
SCHIP reauthorization. Six million children rely on SCHIP and
another five million uninsured low-income children would be
covered by new funding. These are God’s children – they need
our support.
(2) As people of faith, we will not tolerate politicians playing
politics with our children. We are all judged by how we treat the
least among us, especially innocent children. SCHIP has been a
great success with strong bi-partisan support since it began. The
faith community expects Congress and the President to say YES
to covering our children before SCHIP ends on September 30.

Responses to false and misleading claims
They say: The House bill cuts Medicare benefits for seniors to fund children’s health
􀃖We say: The House bill strengthens Medicare by reducing overpayments to insurance
companies, which is why it is supported by the AARP, the nation’s leading advocate for
seniors, and many other seniors’ organizations throughout the country. The House bill
eliminates windfalls to insurance companies while significantly improving the program
for all participants, a win-win for America’s children and seniors.
They say: The House bill expands health coverage to children in families earning $80,000.
􀃖We say: The bill sends needed funds to states to cover 5 million low-income children.
As private insurance has gotten more expensive, one state with high costs (New York)
offers subsidized coverage to uninsured children in higher income families. The
real story is that more than 9 of 10 children in SCHIP are in low-income families
earning less than $41,000, for a family of four.
They say: The bill allows illegal aliens to get government-funded health care.
􀃖We say: This is quite simply a false and misleading claim. Undocumented immigrants
are not eligible for insurance benefits under SCHIP or Medicaid. Neither the House nor
Senate bill changes this policy.
The House bill gives states the option to provide coverage to legally documented
immigrant children, a change that is widely supported by local and state officials
from both parties. The House and Senate bills give states more flexibility in how
they determine citizenship. This fixes a problem that has kept tens of thousands
of U.S. citizens from obtaining coverage. This change removes a barrier to
eligible children, but does not open SCHIP or Medicaid to undocumented children.
They say: This is a vast expansion of government health care, paving the way to
socialized medicine.
􀃖We say: This is about living up to our commitment to this nation’s children and
reducing the number of uninsured children from 9 million to 4 million – something
we can all be proud of. Families understand that it is getting harder to obtain
affordable coverage for their children. SCHIP has worked successfully
over the past ten years to reduce the number of uninsured children by
one-third without disrupting the health care system. SCHIP covers
children who would otherwise be uninsured and it is administered
through private insurance contractors, not government agencies. It
has had bi-partisan support since it was created.
They say: An increase in the federal tobacco tax hurts low-income people
􀃖We say: Tobacco taxes are a proven deterrent to youth smoking.
Raising the federal tobacco tax will save the lives of tens of thousands
of people, while saving all of us billions of dollars in unneeded medical
costs. Congress relied on tobacco tax revenue to create SCHIP in
1997 and should use it again to strengthen the program.
For more information visit www.coverallchildren.org

Heart Disease and Stroke. You're the Cure.

Take Action Now!

Support FIT Kids Today for a Healthier Tomorrow
Congress took an important step in the efforts to ensure a healthier generation of school kids by introducing the Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act (FIT Kids Act). The bill, introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Kind (D-WI), Wamp (R-TN), and Inslee (D-WA), amends the No Child Left Behind Act to support quality physical education for all public school children. In 2004, more than nine million children and adolescents, ages 6 to 19, were considered overweight and an estimated 20 percent of American children are expected to be obese by 2010. Experts agree that a critical component to overcoming this epidemic is to get kids moving more and to teach them how to live healthy lifestyles. Yet, physical education is being cut back on in schools all across the country. The FIT Kids Act will address this decline, as well as ensure that children receive important health and nutritional information. Send your message asking for your representative's support today!

The following communication will be sent to the federal or state legislators that are matched to your home address:
As your constituent and an American Heart Association You’re the Cure Advocate, I wish to thank you for introducing the Fitness Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act of 2007 (H.R. 3257). As you know, we need to amend No Child Left Behind Act to encourage public schools to provide regular and quality physical education and activity for all students through the twelfth grade, and to hold them accountable for meeting national standards. The FIT Kids Act does just that.

Please enter your personal story here:
I am most concerned that we are facing a childhood obesity epidemic in this country. The Department of Health and Human Services’ forecasts that, three years from now, one out of five children and youth in the United States will be obese. Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight adults, putting these young people increased risk for heart disease, stroke and other diseases later in life. Yet, as you know, schools are cutting back on physical education: from 1991 to 2003, enrollment of high school students in daily PE classes fell from 41.6 percent to 28.4 percent. I worry that this means that fewer children are learning about healthy lifestyles, and fewer are physically active during the school day.The FIT Kids Act will help ensure that schools work towards national standards for PE. It will make sure that parents know about the quality and quantity of physical education in their children’s schools. It will further ensure appropriate professional development for health and physical education teachers. And it will fund research and a pilot program to support effective ways to combat childhood obesity and improve healthy living and physical activity for all children. Through these measures, the FIT Kids Act is a comprehensive package for addressing childhood obesity.The FIT Kids Act is a critical step in arresting the childhood obesity epidemic. I am delighted that my member of Congress in the House of Representatives is a leader on this issue. Thank you again.

As your constituent and an American Heart Association You’re the Cure advocate, I urge you to cosponsor the Fitness Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act of 2007 (H.R. 3257), sponsored by Rep. Kind and Rep. Wamp. This bill amends the No Child Left Behind Act to encourage public schools to provide regular and quality physical education and activity for all students through the twelfth grade and hold them accountable for meeting national standards.

Covering Kids and Families: Communications Action Center

Covering Kids and Families: Communications Action Center

Covering Kids and Families, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is a national health access initiative for low-income, eligible, uninsured children and adults. The Communications Action Center is a comprehensive training center with information on planning communication and outreach efforts to enroll eligible uninsured children in Medicaid or SCHIP. A number of useful resources such as: educational tool kits, how to place public service announcements, how to engage the business community, and fundraising tutorials are available on their Web site. These resources can be helpful in planning campaigns while focusing on communication and outreach education. You can access this information online at: http://coveringkidsandfamilies.org/actioncenter.

Rally for Children’s Health

Don’t let Virginia’s kids lose FAMIS coverage!!
We need you to get fired up about SCHIP Reauthorization!

SCHIP (FAMIS in Virginia) must be reauthorized by Congress in less than 60 days or 82,000 kids could lose their FAMIS coverage!

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has selected 10 states in which to sponsor major press events to highlight the benefits of SCHIP. Virginia is one of the 10!! The Virginia Health Care Foundation, in partnership with DMAS, is coordinating this event and WE WANT YOU THERE!!!

WHAT: Rally for Children’s Health

WHEN: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Children’s Hospital, 2924 Brook Road, Richmond, VA 23220

WHO: Speakers include: Secretary of Health and Human Resources Marilyn Tavenner; Delegate Phil Hamilton; Thomas R. Byrd, President, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia; Princess Moss, President, Virginia Education Association and a FAMIS family.

You have worked so hard with us to make FAMIS work for Virginia’s kids. Join us to ensure it keeps working!

Mark your calendar. Tell your friends. Be There!

Call us if you have questions, and please RSVP to me if you plan to attend. We look forward to seeing you there.

Thanks,
Jen

Jen Johnson, Child Health Program Manager & Trainer, Virginia Health Care Foundation
707 East Main Street, Suite 1350, Richmond, VA 23219,
Ph: 804-828-5804 Fax: 804-828-4370, Jen@vhcf.org, www.vhcf.org

Cold Medicines Dangerous for Infants

Cold Medicines Dangerous for Infants

Dosing mistakes killed three, sent 1,500 to ER, CDC report finds.

For more information:

http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docID=600924

For information on treating colds in infants:
http://www.aap.org/patiented/coldsandyoungchild.htm

Human Trafficking - Information

From Mary Wilt, CINCH member & Chairperson of the Children with Special Health Care Needs Work Group:

I thought some of you might find this useful information--please feel free to pass it along. Please accept my apologies if you already have this resource. I saw a presentation at a recent conference from the National Human Trafficking Office and learned a lot from the Health Providers Checklist (and other materials). I am sadly afraid that I may have interviewed a victim of human trafficking at some time in my career and missed the telltale signs.

The Health Provider information is here:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/campaign_kits/index.html

But there is a lot of other good information available at the website as well:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/index.html

mary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary Wilt, BSN, RN, CCM
Care Coordinator, Loving Steps Program, EVMS
757-446-6109 (ph)
WiltMK@evms.edu

PATH Vaccine Resources Library

PATH Vaccine Resources Library

PATH’s Vaccine Resources Library provides scientifically accurate information on vaccines, vaccine-preventable diseases, and topics in immunization for parents, practitioners, and public health officials. The Vaccine Resources Library can be accessed by visiting http://www.path.org/vaccineresources/.

Newly Redesigned Nonprofit Good Practice Guide

Newly Redesigned Nonprofit Good Practice Guide

The Nonprofit Good Practice Guide offers an abundance of resources on evaluation, financial management, fundraising, marketing, organizational management and more. The Nonprofit Good Practice Guide can be accessed at http://www.npgoodpractice.org/.

CDC Launches Pre-teen Vaccine Campaign

CDC Launches Pre-teen Vaccine Campaign, August 1.

CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases launches a Pre-teen Vaccine Campaign aimed at promoting vaccination of pre-teens (11-12 year olds) to protect against serious, sometimes life-threatening diseases such as pertussis (whooping cough), meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria, and cervical cancer. The campaign also promotes the 11 to 12 year old medical check-up. Target audiences include African-American, Caucasian and Hispanic parents of 11 and 12 year olds and healthcare providers (pediatricians, family physicians, and nurses) who regularly see pre-teens. Campaign materials include flyers, posters, banner ads, and web content about pre-teen vaccines and the pre-teen medical check-up. For more information about the campaign or to view educational materials, visithttp://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/preteens-adol.htm.

8th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions (NCIHC)

Dear CINCH members - we highly recommend attendance at this conference. This conference presents coalition specific training, speakers, and presentations.

The 8th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions (NCIHC) will be held in San Francisco, CA from May 21-23, 2008!

This interactive and energizing conference brings together doctors, nurses, volunteers, public health, academic, business and nonprofit professionals, policy makers, community advocates, students, health educators, and other members and leaders of immunization and health coalitions nationally and internationally. The objectives of the conference are to teach participants practical ways to help coalitions thrive and to facilitate interaction with leaders of successful coalitions working to improve health in their respective communities. The program will educate and motivate participants on proven techniques and skills to build sustainable Coalitions and public/private partnerships across health issues in order to achieve collective goals. The conference will emphasize collaboration as a way to improve immunization protection, prevent disease, increase health access, reduce health disparities, educate new populations, build community health infrastructure, and improve important health outcomes across the lifespan.
To see and distribute the conference Save the Date, please click here http://izta.org/coalitionresources/save%20the%20date%202%20NCIHC.pdf.