Even supposedly 'mild' asthma can steal your child

When he was 5 years old, Javier Enrique Alcaine started seeing angels.
May 29, 2008 issue of the Daily Press story.
http://www.dailypress.com/dp-local_tamara_0525may25,0,2837419.column

Getting Connected for Kids: Tips on Finding Data and Research to Improve Policy and Practice

This DC Action for Children guide has practical, easy-to-use advice on the policymaking process and how to influence it, as well as a round-up of the best sites, blogs and research tools for your work!
http://www.dckids.org/documents/downloads/DC%20Action%20Getting%20Connected%20for%20Kids.pdf

Ten Years and Counting: What Have We Learned About Enrolling Kids in SCHIP and Medicaid?

This panel covered the findings of a forthcoming National Academy for State Health Policy paper -- speakers used a decade's worth of data to try to answer the question, "how we can become more effective in enrolling the kids who are eligible for public programs?" Three states also shared their experiences in improving health and health care for children.
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=2807

Free Resources for Coalitions

This Web site from coalition consultant Tom Wolfe offers free tip sheets on coalition building, a coalition member assessment tool, and more. To assess these and other free resources, please visit http://www.tomwolff.com/healthy-communities-tools-and-resources.html#free

Volunteer Management Guide

The Volunteer Management Guide from the Nonprofit Good Practice Guide offers resources on effectively managing, training, recruiting, recognizing, and rewarding volunteers. You can access the guide at http://www.npgoodpractice.org/Topics/Volunteer/Default.aspx

New Jersey Hospital-Based Language Services Lag, Study Finds

A study in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved suggests that New Jersey hospitals are not doing enough to meet the needs of patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), Health Behavior News Service reports.
http://www.rwjf.org/programareas/features/digest.jsp?c=EMC-ND142&pid=1142&id=7804

Telemedicine May Offer Cost-Effective Alternative to ED Care, Study Says

A study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, suggests that telemedicine is a cost-effective alternative to more than one-fourth of all pediatric emergency department (ED) visits, HealthDay reports.
http://www.rwjf.org/programareas/features/digest.jsp?c=EMC-ND142&pid=1142&id=7789

Report Analyzes Strategies to Redirect Non-Urgent ED Patients

A report released by the Center for Studying Health System Change suggests that increasing access to outpatient clinics, community health centers and private physician practices is the most effective method of reducing the use of emergency departments (EDs) for non-urgent care, CQ HealthBeat reports.

http://www.rwjf.org/programareas/features/digest.jsp?c=EMC-ND142&pid=1142&id=7777

Nurse Asthma Care and Education Workshop (NACE)

Focusing on the nurse's role in the delivery of quality asthma care. This program includes clinical skills, patient communication, educational messages, interaction with asthma health care providers, and cultural competency. This workshop is going to be conducted by certified trainers from the National Respiratory Training Center (NRTC) and participants can earn 6 contact hours.
There are 2 training sessions available:
June 20, 2008 at the Peninsula Health Department from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.
July 18, 2008 at EV Williams Hall in Norfolk from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.

For more information contact Jude Taylor-Fishwick 668-6455
or Cynthia Collins-Odoms 483-4130. Fax registration forms to 483-4261

"Hot Topic"

Fast Food & Childhood Obesity
What are your thoughts?

Please click on the comment link below to post your comments.

If you have any ideas for more "Hot Topics" please submit them to: mailto:mcmanala@evms.edu

Water Safety Palooza

The Virginia Water Safety Coalition is hosting their second Water Safety Palooza event on May 17, 2008, from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. The Water Safety Palooza trains lifeguards and other aquatics professionals to be water safety educators. Training topics include: Statement of the Problem - Drowning,Surveillance and Scanning,
Patron Education: Enforcement and Communication Tactics, Water Safety Ambassador: Promoting Water Safety.
Registration is still open for this FREE training. For additional information or to register, please refer to the attached flyer or visit the Virginia Water Safety Coalition’s Web site at www.watersafety.org.

More Than 20 Percent of Teens Frequently Eat Fast Food

The high-fat, high-sugar, high-sodium food served at fast-food restaurants can have dire consequences on teenagers' immediate and long-term health -- but an alarming new study has found that more than 1 in 5 teens eat fast food more than 3 times a week, and that for young men, the statistic grows to 1 in 3. The University of Minnesota School of Public Health study also found differences among teens' fast-food consumption based on a variety of factors, including income, hours of weekly employment, and friends' attitudes toward nutrition.
Read the full article at: http://www.sph.umn.edu/about/news/releases/fastfood031908.html

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Medical and Dental Health, Access to Care, and Use of Services in US Children

This study analyzed racial and ethnic disparities in medical and oral health, access to care, and use of services in children (from birth through age 17) using a large, nationally representative database that provided the opportunity to examine child health disparities for all five of the major U.S. racial and ethnic groups.
Flores G, Tomany-Korman SC. 2008. Pediatrics 121(2):e286-e298. Abstract /Full Text available at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2007-1243v1

Car seat safety check

Riverside Regional Medical Center will have a free child safety
seat check the third Thursday of each month from 10am-2pm and
4pm-8pm located in the first floor of the parking garage. For more information call 875-7880

"How to develop a successful team"

This program is sponsored by Bon Secours Hampton Roads and the guest speaker is Gregory M. Richardson, SPHR, MA-HRD, Senior Partner, Goodman & Company. This is Free and open to the community. This workshop will include some of these topics: characteristics of a successful team, strategies for shaping and assessing team performances, obstacles and barriers that can destroy a team, and more!
Date: May 31
Time: 8:30 am to 12:00 pm
Location: Mary Immaculate Hospital Health and Education Resource Center
Reservations: by May 21, 2008 (757) 886-6700 Seating is Limited

Community Dialogues - Health Disparities Work Group Resources

Here are links to the Unnatural Causes Website and Dialogue website which will be adapted for CINCH's New Health Disparities Work Group project.

http://www.unnaturalcauses.org/
The Action Center has an option to download the action kit.

http://ourhealthcarefuture.org/home.php
Look for the links to download host and dialogue materials.

There are a variety of other materials also available if you peruse both the sites.

Let us know what you think! Reply with a message.

Healthy You classes

CHKD Healthy You weight management classes:

June 2 - Aug 4th Chesapeake teens 12 and up
June 16 - Aug 18th Williamsburg teens 12 and up
June 17 - Aug 19th Norfolk 8-11 year olds

For registration and scholarship information contact Babs Benson at 668-7035

New Report on State Secrecy and Child Deaths

On April 29, First Star and Children's Advocacy Institute (CAI) held a briefing on Capitol Hill to announce the release of their new report, State Secrecy and Child Deaths in the U.S. The report surveys all 50 states and the District of Columbia to determine if each state has a policy for public disclosure of child deaths, if the state's policy is codified in statute, if there's ease of access to the information, the scope of information, and whether the state has open verses closed abuse/neglect proceedings. The report uses letter grades for each state from A to F based on these factors. Ten states received an F, 28 received a C+ or lower, and 6 states received an A or A-. For more information, visit www.firststar.org.

Free Grants On Track Basic Grant Administration Workshop and Federal Grants “Supermarket.”

Presented by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and hosted by Congresswoman Thelma Drake will be held at Webb Center, Old Dominion University, 49th Street in Norfolk on June 9th and 10th from 8:30 am to 4:40 pm. Experienced grantees and local government organizations will have the opportunity to learn about: Program & Budget Management Techniques,Program & Financial Monitoring – What to Expect, How to Prepare,Other Monitoring Concerns,Tracking Compliance of Different Funding Streams ,Assurances & Ethics,Risk Financing - Insurance Considerations,Contracting & Procurement Guidance
To Register: Contact Anne Davis at 1-800-842-2610, ext. 4802 or email anne_davis@hud.gov

Continuum of Care Coordinator

A new employment position with the Planning Council. If someone is interested in the position, he/she should contact Cynthia Powell, Director of HR at the Planning Council, at 622.9268, X 3007, or via email at cpowell@theplanningcouncil.org. If anyone wants to learn more about The Planning Council, the website is www.theplanningcouncil.org.

Low Physical Activity Puts Children at Risk for Early Metabolic Syndrome

Physical inactivity can put people at increased risk for heart disease -- even young children. A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found that 7- to 10-year-olds with low aerobic fitness levels are five to six times more likely to show the signs of metabolic syndrome as teenagers.Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of disorders including hypertension, glucose intolerance, and high cholesterol, is more commonly found in adults and puts people at increased risk for conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
Read the full article at:http://uncnews.unc.edu/news/health-and-medicine/inactive-kids-face-six-fold-risk-of-heart-disease-by-teen-years-study-finds.html

National Respiratory Training Center

The NRTC is offering its evidence-based and accredited distance-learning Asthma Assessment and Management Course in Virginia. The course covers (1) Asthma facts (2) What is Asthma and who gets it (3) Physiology of the respiratory tract (4) The mechanisms of Asthma (5) Initial assessment and diagnosis of Asthma and classification of severity (6) Controlling the things that make Asthma worse (7) Asthma medications and devices (8) Managing Asthma over time (9) Management of special populations and special situations (10) Patient education to promote self-management and (11) Spirometry. The course would usually cost $595, but for the first 20 that register, we are providing scholarships and the cost will be $100.
The course is a 12 week distance-learning program with two mid-course days at the VCU School of Nursing, Richmond, VA. The course begins on May 17, 2008 and ends August 9, 2008 with the mid course days on June 27-28, 2008.
If you would like more details and/or would like to register, the registration form and information can be found at http://www.nrtc-usa.org/upcomingtrainingprograms.htm.