NEWS

Looming large for public health is the emergence of universal health insurance as, perhaps, the most prominent single issue in this year’s elections and next year’s session of the Connecticut General Assembly. Much credit goes to the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut in raising public awareness of the issues surrounding the large number of un- and under-insured people in our state and for kick-starting the debate about potential solutions. Whether sufficient political support to pass a bill can be mustered remains to be seen, but a number of political candidates have made universal coverage their top issue, and the President Pro Tempore of the State Senate has declared publicly that universal coverage will be the top issue during the coming legislative session.

While universal coverage is mostly about ensuring access to medical care, its implications for public health are significant for two major reasons. First and most obvious, no system of universal health insurance coverage will be affordable without emphasizing access to evidence-based preventive and public health services. Any proposal for universal coverage will quickly succumb to the weight of its cost if it does not provide free access to a full range of primary, secondary, and tertiary preventive services. Essential preventive services include everything from community-based primary prevention efforts directed at cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, HIV, violence, accidents, and other maladies to the secondary and tertiary preventive services of various disease management programs. The long-run savings achieved through universal access to preventive services can be used to finance the coverage of those currently without health insurance.

Given the primacy of preventive services in achieving universal coverage, the failure to develop these services under current circumstances defies logic, except for one over-riding reason, and that reason is the second major implication for public health. The fragmentation of the current health care delivery system into a hodgepodge of private and public programs constitutes a non-system in which the savings achieved in one area are either lost or accrue only to one sector of the system. The system, or non-system, cannot take advantage of savings in one area in order to apply them to another. Those inclined to invest in preventive services are dissuaded by the inability to capture the resulting savings and use them for other worthwhile purposes. Under a single health care system, and only under a single health care system, can the savings achieved through prevention be captured and used to offset the cost of improved access and quality. Hence, universal coverage; i.e., the creation of an actual health care system, may well provide the rationale to invest in public health in a way that those of us in public health have heretofore been unable to communicate to policy makers.

The public health system in Connecticut has been both under-funded and understaffed for decades, and it is certainly not prepared to meet the demands for preventive services that would occur under universal health insurance. The inadequacies of the public health system have never by themselves provided sufficient motivation to increase public health funding. The advent of universal health insurance coverage may just be the backdoor to addressing this egregious shortcoming in Connecticut ’s pubic policy.

The Connecticut Public Health Association (CPHA) annual conference will feature Shelley Hearne, DrPH as keynote speaker on the "Broad Reach of Public Health". The conference will be held on Friday, October 27, 2006 at the Rocky Hill Marriott. CPHA is the Connecticut affiliate of the American Public Health Association.

Dr. Hearne is the founding Executive Director of the Trust for America 's Health (http://healthyamericans.org <http://healthyamericans.org/>), a national non-profit group dedicated to raising the importance of prevention in the U.S. , and of improving the basic public health infrastructure. Dr. Hearne will be giving the big picture of the health challenges facing Connecticut within the US landscape, and how we need public health more than ever for this unique time. She plans on challenging everyone in the room to be a vocal and engaged champion for public health with their policymakers, from local to national.

A panel of state experts and high-ranking officials will be responding to Dr. Hearne's keynote, including:
* Robert Genuario, the Secretary of the Connecticut Office of Policy & Management

* Tina Clarke, the Campaign Director for the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut

* Wayne Sandford, the Deputy Commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management & Homeland
Security

In addition, there will be workshops that clearly show the wide scope of public health including:
    The Media & Us: Getting the Message Out
    Public Health Professions
    Pandemic Influenza Preparation
    Organizing the Community for Legislative Change
    Obesity Prevention
    The Connecticut Cancer Plan
    Genomics & Public Health
    The Built Environment

Capacity is limited, and last year's meeting sold out, so register today. More information and registration forms are available at http://www.cpha.info/annual_meeting.htm or by calling CPHA at (203) 392-6952 or by e-mail at cpha@cpha.info. Discounted early registration of $80 for members ($120 for non-members) is available until September 29.

Jennifer Dodge Johnson, a CPHA member since 2000, passed away on March 10, 2006. Jennifer was the Director of Family Health at the Greenwich Health Department. Lynn Abrahamson, who worked with Jennifer through the Connecticut Association of Public Health Nurses (CAPHN), writes, [she] “was a truly dedicated professional who spent many years working as a public health nurse. She was one of the founding members of CAPHN and served on the board as Treasurer. She is sorely missed for her commitment to the field, her kindness, and her sense of humor.” Our sincere condolences go to the Johnson family and to her colleagues in public health.

Tracey Scraba and Marty Mancuso, CPHA Advocacy Co-Chairs, have announced that the Committee will begin meeting in December 2006 to plan for the 2007 Legislative Session, which opens on January 3. Meetings are on Wednesday evenings, 6:15 PM in Hartford at the offices of Robinson & Cole unless there is an event at the Hartford Civic Center at that time. In those cases, the meeting will be moved to UConn Health Center and a notice will be sent out about the location change. The tentative schedule is as follows: December 6, 2006 January 10, 2007 February 7, 2007 March 14, 2007 April 11, 2007 May 9, 2007 June 13, 2007

For directions to Robinson and Cole and further information on the Advocacy Committee visit www.cpha.info and go to the Advocacy section.

The Connecticut Public Health Association (CPHA) is looking for a student intern for the 2007 legislative session. The student should have an interest in health care policy and the legislative process. The internship provides an opportunity for a student to become acquainted with CPHA, public health advocacy and the legislative process. Duties include, but are not limited to, tracking bill activity, researching upcoming legislative initiatives, writing CPHA Advocacy Committee communications, preparing and updating legislative fact sheets, drafting letters to legislators, submitting written and/or oral testimony, attending public hearings, attending monthly CPHA Advocacy Committee meetings and other external meetings as a representative of CPHA, working closely with CPHA’s lobbyist, and reviewing and updating the Grassroots Advocacy Initiatives Network (“GAIN”) membership and key legislators. Interested students should contact one of the Advocacy Committee Co-chairs: Tracey Scraba at (860) 275-8302 or tracey.scraba@cpha.info, or Marty Mancuso at (860) 496-6488 or Marty.Mancuso@cpha.info.

The Education Committee’s last meeting on September 13 had as its program a “Mock Press Conference: A Pan Flu Scenario” presented by Linda Bergonzi King, Yale University Center for Health Preparedness. The presentation was designed to enable participants to assess a pan flu scenario for media-ready questions; know how to respond to questions from the media regarding a preparedness issue; and understand the impact of a press conference in an emergency situation.
In the presentation, Ms. King described the three key points to having a Press Conference:
1)       Be first     2)       Be right     3)       Be credible
Some of the highlights from her presentation included:
Have a press kit ready.   A press kit should include back up information as well as a contact person and phone number.
Make sure you have contact information visible, clear and accurate.
Know your audience and tailor the information as needed.
Make sure the media gets the right story.

Announcements made at the meeting include:
· Tracy Vanoss, a professor at Quinnipiac University , reported that the Occupational Therapy students need to do community service projects. If you are interested please contact Tracy at tvanoss2000@yahoo.com.

· On September 29, 2006 the American Lung Association will be a satellite site for the Pandemic Flu program presented by the CDC.

· On October 18, 2006 the American Lung Association will be sponsoring the “Women’s Health Conference and Luncheon” at the CT Convention Center.

· The 2006 Asthma Educator Institute will be held November 8^th and 9^th at the Hospital for Special Care Research and Education Center in New Britain . Contact the American Lung Association for more information.

· The Norwalk Health Department has an opening for a Health Marketing Specialist. For more information contact Rhonda Collins at rcollins@norwlkct.org.

· The Health Education Committee will highlight “What is Health Education?” at the CPHA Annual Conference.

· People who attend the Health Education Committee meetings should be current CPHA members.

The next meeting of the Health Education Committee will take place on November 8, 10:00am – 12:00pm at the American Heart Association in Wallingford . Jackie Buster, Director of Marketing and Community Relations for Community Health Network of CT, Inc. will present on “Social Health Marketing”.

LANE ADAMS QUALITY OF LIFE AWARD

The American Cancer Society has announced the 2007 Lane Adams Quality of Life Award recognizing someone in a community or organization that provides exemplary cancer care. Eligible nominees include not only those in the healthcare system, but also anyone who provides direct care, counsel, and/or service to cancer patients and their families. The award recognizes individuals who have made a difference through innovation, leadership, and consistent excellence in providing compassionate, skilled care and counsel to patients and their families. Nominations will be accepted through November 1, 2006. Submit online at www.cancer.org/laneadams.

The Connecticut Public Health Association (CPHA) seeks a part-time organizer to lead its participation in the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut. The focus of this effort is to reform public policy related to toxic hazards. The ideal applicant will have a background in public health, the environment, and policy initiatives and be capable of working with CPHA members and a leadership team to do outreach and build a campaign directed at the Connecticut legislature, municipalities and state agencies. In its early states, the Coalition has the potential to bring together citizens, scientists, health professionals, workers and educators seeking preventive action on toxic hazards. The goal is to correct fundamental flaws in government policy that allow harm to our health and environment, and to substitute safer chemicals following the Precautionary Principle. For more information on a sister coalition in Massachusetts go to the following URL: www.healthytomorrow.org.

The responsibilities of the campaign organizer will include: providing outreach and building the CPHA advocacy network, mobilizing public health professionals to participate in advocacy and public education campaigns, making public presentations to groups, preparing materials and trainings, participating in team-based strategic planning and policy development, and related projects. This is an excellent opportunity for an MPH student who would like to become integrated into the public health network while making a positive impact on public health in Connecticut .

Candidates should have a mix of the following qualifications:
·         Successful professional experience in public policy, particularly on environmental or health issues.
·         Strong oral and written communication skills, including experience in delivering public presentations, and an ability to articulate campaign messages to the media
·         Demonstrated interpersonal skills including the ability to work creatively and effectively with diverse groups
·         Ability to design a work plan and meet goals
·         Computer skills
·         Well-organized and self-motivated
·         Willingness to drive throughout Connecticut and work some weekday evenings and weekends
Salary commensurate with experience is $18-20/hour, 15-20 hours per week, plus mileage reimbursement. For more information on CPHA, see http://www.cpha.info/. Please send a resume to Tim Morse, PhD, tmorse@uchc.edu, Occupational and Environmental Health Center , UConn Health Center , Farmington , CT 06030 -6210. For more information, contact Tim at (860) 679-4720.   CPHA is an equal opportunity employer.

MPH STUDENTS TO PRESENT LEGISLATIVE FORUM ON IMPROVING HEALTH LITERACY IN CT

Students of the University of Connecticut Graduate Program in Public Health will summarize their work, Improving Health Literacy in Connecticut: A Prescription for Healthy Lives and Communities, at a legislative forum on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 from 9:00 to 10:30 AM on in Room 2D of the State Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Ave. in Hartford.

During the Spring 2006 semester, 17 students, working alongside and in partnership with more than 130 community-based stakeholders across Connecticut, completed about 1800 hours of service-learning in pursuit of 3 questions:

1.       Can the present and future burden of health literacy be estimated for Connecticut ?
2.       What is the current capacity of Connecticut ’s health and social service system to halt the crisis we confront today?
3.       Can new policy and regulatory strategies be put forth to reduce the severity and scope of the problem?

This occasion marks the project’s completion and acknowledges the many contributions made to the success of this educational experience. Through those combined efforts, students gained experience and skills addressing one of the most significant public health issues of our time, gained insight into the breadth and capacity of our public health and social services systems, and established invaluable relationships with public health practitioners, agencies and institutions around the state. Their report documents a rich campus-community partnership working to advance an important public health goal.

The agenda is as follows:
8:30 AM        Light refreshments in Room 2600 (on the 2^nd floor)
9:00 AM        Welcome and Project Overview
                    David Gregorio, PhD, MS, Director, UCONN Graduate Program in Public Health
                    Senator Toni Harp, Deputy President Pro Tempore, CT General Assembly
9:20 AM        Video clip from the American Medical Association’s Health Literacy Toolkit
9:25 AM        Improving Health Literacy in Connecticut : A Prescription for Healthy Lives and Communities, Report Summary
                    The Problem’s Scope: Christine Torres
                    Connecticut ’s Capacity for Action: Kimberly Lewendon
                    Health Professions’ Education: John Shanley, MD
                    Mental Health Literacy: Sean Cronin
10:20 AM      Next Steps – Call for Action: Annamarie Beaulieu

Contact Laurie DeChello, MPH at (860) 679-5467 or DeChello@nso.uchc.edu for more information.

Registration is open for the next Public Health Grand Rounds: "Pandemic Flu Preparedness: What Every Community Should Know", to be presented on September 29, 2006 from 2:00 to 3:00 PM E.T. The focus will be on California 's Santa Clara County , where the community is preparing for a pandemic that will challenge their public health system and affect every aspect of their daily life. This program may be viewed at a satellite downlink site near you or as a web cast. Online registration, program information, and a list of currently available sites are located at http://publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu. Current downlink sites in Connecticut include the Killingly Public Library in Danielson, the American Lung Association of Connecticut in East Hartford, the Norwalk Health Department, and the Windsor Town Hall . Only the Windsor site is restricted to local and state regulatory personnel; the other three sites are open to the public.

The Homeland Defense Journal will hold two Training Conferences on Pandemic Influenza in October at the Sheraton National in Arlington , Virginia :
Preparing for Pandemic Influenza: October 11-12, 2006

Pandemic Influenza: Principles & Techniques for Communicating Effectively in High Stress & High Concern Situations: October 10, 2006

The Preparing for Pandemic Influenza conference will bring together an influential gathering of medial and public health leaders to review and discuss the National Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Plan and our nation’s preparedness and response efforts and goals. Medical, clinical and epidemiological experts will present the most current information related to surveillance, specific contingency plans, vaccine and drug production and stockpiling, risk communication, and the role of federal, state and local governments in responding to a new influenza pandemic. For more details and to register go to: www.homelanddefensejournal.com. There is a $100 discount if you register for both conferences.

The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) will be offering a satellite broadcast entitled "Advanced Topics on Medical Defense Against Biological Agents: Botulinum Toxin" at 1:00 - 3:00 PM ET on September 20, 2006. This program is targeted for military and civilian medical care providers, epidemiologists, laboratory personnel, pharmacists, first-responders and others who would assist in recognizing and managing casualties from a biological agent attack. Military and civilian medical and public health professionals must become proficient in the recognition and management of casualties from botulism intoxication occurring in the natural setting and from its potential use as a terrorist weapon. This two-hour satellite broadcast will inform and educate health professionals with detailed information on botulinum toxin. World-renowned experts from USAMRIID and medical toxicologists with clinical experience treating cases of botulism from a variety of other organizations will present this program for no charge to the viewer. The broadcast can be viewed (via C & Ku-band satellite, VTC and web) in the continental United States , Hawaii and Alaska , and southern

Canada

. The program plans to offer continuing education credits. Interested viewers may register to view and obtain further information about this program at www.swankhealth.com or call 1-800-950-4248.

On August 28 the Connecticut Climate Coalition and partners in each New England state and Eastern Canadian province released an annual global warming report card. August 28th is the 5th anniversary to the day of the 2001 New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers agreement to reduce global warming pollution from the region.

At the half-way point to the 2010 goal, Connecticut is not on track, as emissions continue to rise in every sector. While Connecticut made a flurry of progress in 2004 and 2005, with the passage of the 2004 global warming law, the release of the CT Climate Change Action Plan 2005, and the adoption of some items in the plan, including the California Clean Cars standards, progress since 2005 has been slow. Connecticut earned a C+ and slipped from the leading state with Maine earning the highest grade of B in 2006.

To reach its climate goals, Connecticut needs to make the following improvements:

HIPAA Decision Tool for Emergencies. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released a tool for emergency planners to use in determining how the HIPAA privacy rule applies to the disclosure of protected information during emergencies. For more information, visit http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/decisiontool/.

Pandemic Primer. The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices has released “Preparing for a Pandemic Influenza: A Primer for Governors and Senior State Officials.” The primer stresses the need to develop strategies to ensure that essential government and private sector services remain available during pandemics. It also calls for comprehensive planning involving government agencies, businesses, and individuals. To read the document, visit http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0607PANDEMICPRIMER.PDF.

CDC 2006-2007 Flu Gallery. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created the Flu Gallery, an online resource containing educational materials for use during the upcoming influenza immunization season. These materials reflect CDC's vaccination recommendations and highlight the benefits of influenza vaccination and include flyers, posters and brochures, in color and black and white, English and Spanish. The Web site will be updated regularly to address expanding audiences and provide new recommendations. The Flu Gallery can be found at www.cdc.gov/flu/gallery.

Centers for Public Health Preparedness Web Site. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Preparedness (CDC), the Centers for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) are a network of academic institutions working in collaboration with state and local public health departments and other community partners to provide life-long learning opportunities to the public health workforce in order to handle the next public health crisis. The Web site can be found at http://www.asph.org/cphp/cphp_home.cfm. New features include profiles of the various Centers, preparedness links and a network services portal, where a user can access the resource center, referral service, CPHP education resource guides and an education calendar.

Urban Institute Katrina Paper. During and after Hurricane Katrina, all income groups and races suffered, but the storm particularly revealed the vulnerability of the poor and the strong racial dimension in the flooded areas. In After Katrina, a new publication series that debuted in January 2006, Urban Institute scholars examine the many policy dimensions of the devastation and propose practical solutions for restoring greater New Orleans .

After Katrina addresses education, housing, health care, employment, arts and culture, the social safety net, and the well-being of children. Other briefs tackle the needs of nonprofit organizations serving the city, the
care provided by New Orleans 's hospitals after the storm, flood insurance, the city's information requirements as it rebuilds, and the most effective ways for government at all levels to respond to disaster. The papers, along with fact sheets, commentaries, and other presentations, can be found at http://www.urban.org/afterkatrina/. (Source: Partnership Matters. Member Newsletter of Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, September 1, 2006.)

Impact of Katrina Report Issued by NACHC. The National Association of Community Health Centers has released a report, Legacy of a Disaster: Health Centers and Hurricane Katrina, One Year Later. The report documents how health centers were both victims and responders during and after the natural disaster, and the challenges they face in delivering needed care. It also reveals the evolving role for health centers as responders to complex and immediate needs of communities in the wake of a multi-state disaster, and highlights how health centers stand ready to be the foundation of a redesigned health care infrastructure in the Gulf Region. The report is available online at http://www.nachc.com/press/files/katrinareport.pdf.

Hospitals in Hurricane Katrina Report. The Urban Institute has published a report entitled, “Hospitals in Hurricane Katrina: Challenges Facing Custodial Institutions in a Disaster.” The report explores what happened in the affected area’s hospitals, and why they had varied experiences. To read the report, visit http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411348_katrinahospitals.pdf.

Quick Health Data Online is a free, comprehensive, easy-to-search database containing extensive health and related data. Provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health, the database includes comprehensive data, for both women and men, from 1998-2004 on a variety of health-related topics. You can create tables, graphs, and maps from the data on:

County, state, regional and national data can be accessed by gender, race/ethnicity, and age, concurrently. Single year and 3-year averages are included as are age-adjusted values for many of the indicators. Data are available for the 50 states, DC and US territories. The database can be accessed at www.womenshealth.gov/quickhealthdata. If you need any other information about Quick Health Data Online, please contact Laurie Konsella, MPA , US Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health, (303) 844-7854, laurie.konsella@hhs.gov.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE IN NEW ENGLAND

The Universal Health Care Foundation of CT is holding an evening program to explore how Massachusetts , Maine and Vermont have reformed health care in their states. Speakers include Sen. James Leddy (VT), Susan Sherry (MA), and Joseph Ditre (ME). Stan Simpson of the Hartford Courant will moderate. The event will be on Wednesday, October 18, 6:00 PM at the Sheraton Four Points in Meriden . For more information, go to http://www.universalhealthct.org/news-events.php?eventID=17.

Congratulations to Michelle Mann and her husband on the birth of a healthy baby boy - Craig Michael Mann - at 2:43 PM on September 27.