Wellness and Prevention, Health Reform Digest, July 16, 2015 | Health Reform

Wellness and Prevention

Health Reform Digest

Today’s News (7/16/15)

The eighth in the series of dear colleagues on the Prevention Fund was distributed last week. This one, led by Senators Brian Schatz D-HI) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) focused on the burden of health disparities and highlighted the importance of the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Prevention (REACH) program, zeroed out in the Senate appropriations measure. For a full set of the letters.

Take Action

NDD United is encouraging national, state and local organizations to sign onto a letter urging Congress to build on the Bipartisan Budget Act and stop sequestration. “The current budget framework under which the House and Senate are writing their appropriations bills abides by the sequestered Budget Control Act (BCA) caps. The inadequacy of these levels has been proven time and time again through appropriations bills that fail to make the necessary nondefense discretionary (NDD) investments that protect all Americans and promote a strong economy. Congress must work with the President to replace sequestration with a balanced approach to deficit reduction.” To sign on (by August 21st).
Reminder - The National WIC Association (NWA) is circulating an organizational sign-on letter in support of a series of recommendations for WIC reauthorization. To sign on (by close of business, Friday)
Final reminder - The American College of Preventive Medicine is circulating an organizational sign-on letter to the American Medical Association lauding its opposition to House-approved legislation that would cut the Prevention Fund by $8.85 billion to finance the cost of repealing the Independent Payment Advisory Board. To sign-on (deadline extended to Tuesday, July 21st)
Reminder - The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to consider Agriculture Appropriations legislation and Center for Science in the Public Interest urges you to contact your Senators “urging them to drop the bill’s anti-science riders that would undermine the 2015 Dietary Guidelines.” The riders “would require any new recommendations to be subjected to a stringent test - inconsistent with both past Guidelines and common scientific practice - and would limit revisions to ‘matters of diet and nutrient intake.'” To take action.

Grant Opportunities and Funding Announcements

The American Hospital Association has announced the winners of the its annual NOVA Award. Winners of the NOVA Award (“bright stars of the health care field”) “are recognized for improving community health and looking beyond patients’ physical ailments, rooting out the economic and social barriers to care and collaborating with other community stakeholders.” Among the winners is the Blood Pressure Advocate Program at the University of Rochester Medical Center (Rochester, NY) which “helps patients struggling with blood pressure to improve their health using community health advocates who help them with goal setting, navigating barriers and prioritizing their health.

Reports and Supporting Materials

The Natural Resources Defense Council has released a Clean Power Plan Resource Book. “The Environmental Protection Agency soon will issue final standards to limit dangerous carbon pollution form America’s power plants. To help sort out the debate over the Clean Power Plan we have prepared this well-referenced resource book to help separate fact from fiction.”
You might be interested in this humorous take on the dietary guidelines debate from the American Heart Association.
From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Leadership Network, an interactive map on state level public health preemption legislation. “Since the 1980s, preemption has been used to hinder grassroots movements across public health issues, including tobacco, food, alcohol and gun violence.”
ChangeLab Solutions has released its Complete Parks Playbook, “which provides an overview of the seven elements of a complete parks system. Each section focuses on an element, and includes both a successful community example of that element and a list of valuable resources. The companion white paper, Local Agency Strategies for Funding the Development and Maintenance of Parks and Recreation Facilities in California, provides details on the most promising mechanisms and tools for funding a complete parks system.”

Upcoming Events

The American Public Health Association is hosting a webinar series on the Impact of Racism on the Health and Well-Being of the Nation. The first, Naming and Addressing Racism: A Primer, is scheduled for Tuesday, July 21st, 2:00 p.m. (EDT). For a full list of webinars.

Opportunities/Deadlines

The Opportunities/Deadlines categories are live links you can click on for further information.

Sign On Documents and Opportunities for Input

The American Heart Association has launched a petition that urges lawmakers to protect strong school nutrition standards. “With 95% of schools already meeting the new standards and 72% of parents supporting them, the gains made by the Healthy, Hunger Free-Kids Act must be protected by Members of Congress.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is circulating a petition to stop Marlboro from marketing to kids around the world via a series of video ads. Go to StopMarlboro.org to see some of the ads, watch the Campaign’s video showing how Marlboro appeals to teens, and take action to stop it.
Prevention Partners is “asking organizations with school obesity prevention programs to map their location and promote themselves as a resource to schools on the newly launched School Health Hub. There’s no cost to participate-the goal is to get programs on the map so we all know where we are and to then promote the Hub to schools so they can take better advantage of these programs.” To submit your program.
The recently launched Collaborative for Effective Prescription Opioid Policies (CEPOP) engages diverse stakeholders behind a comprehensive and balanced public policy strategy to reduce prescription opioid abuse and promote treatment options, both for those living with chronic pain and confronting addiction. For more information and/or to join the Collaborative.

The National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA) is asking organizations to sign a pledge to have healthy meetings, conferences, and events. To assist organizations, NANA has developed a Healthy Meeting Toolkit. (no deadline)

The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA) is circulating a CEO Pledge, encouraging every CEO in the United States to recognize physical activity as an important driver of employee health and business performance. (no deadline)

Regulatory Comments/Federal Postings

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking comments, data, research, and/or other information “related to nicotine exposure warnings and child-resistant packaging for liquid nicotine, nicotine-containing e-liquid(s), and potentially for other tobacco products including, but not limited to novel tobacco products such as dissolvables, lotions, gels, and drinks.” (deadline, August 31st).

The White House Office of Management and Budget has released a Spring 2015 update of the status of regulations at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Food, Nutrition & Policy Consultants has updated its document on upcoming regulations that provides a summary of upcoming key regulations regarding nutrition, obesity prevention, nutrition facts labels, tobacco, early care and education, and other public health topics based on a scan of the most recent Semiannual Regulatory Agenda publication released in Spring 2015 (updated June 2015 - multiple deadlines).

Funding Opportunities and Awards

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced a call for proposals for Evidence for Action: Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health, a program supporting “investigator-initiated research to develop the evidence base needed to build a national Culture of Health - in which everyone has the opportunity to live their healthiest life possible.” Between five and 12 grants will be awarded each year, totaling approximately $2.2 million. (Letters of intent are being accepted on a rolling basis)
The Notah Begay III Foundation’s national program, Native Strong: Healthy Kids, Health Futures, has announced its 2015 Seeds of Native Health Promising Program Grant Request For Proposals (RFP). The Foundation “will provide needed investment to tribes and native organizations working to improve nutrition andaccess to healthy foods for their children and communities.” Grants of up to $40,000 each will be awarded, with preference given to applicants located in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Dakota. (deadline, July 20th)
The de Beaumont Foundation has partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Health Data Consortium to sponsor the Health Datapalooza challenge, a joint U.S. - England initiative to tackle the epidemic of adult obesity. A multi-tiered award of $40,000 will be divided among five winners. For information on the U.S. challenge. (deadline July 31st)
The New York State Department of Health, Alzheimer’s Disease Program has announced the availability of funding for the Alzheimer’s Disease Caregiver Support Initiative. A total amount of $15 million per year will be disbursed among either one statewide or ten regional entities across New York State over a five year period. The RFA is #1504231000, and can be accessed through the Grants Gateway website or the Department of Health. (deadline, August 4th)
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is accepting applications for the Million Hearts® Cardiovascular Risk Reduction model. “Health care providers who participate in the model will work with Medicare beneficiaries to determine their individual risk for a heart attack or stroke in the next ten years (for example, 25 percent). Then, providers will work with patients to identify the best approach to reduce their individual risk - for example, stopping smoking, reducing blood pressure, or taking cholesterol-lowering drugs or aspirin-and show them the benefits of each approach.” (deadline, September 4th)
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is offering a scholarship to honorably discharged veterans to provide them with everything they need to start new careers as personal trainers when their service ends.

Upcoming Events

today’s additions in red

Bending the Health Care Cost Curve: The Role of Investments in Prevention

Sponsored by the National Coalition on Health Care

Thursday, July 16th, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m.

2226 Rayburn House Office Building

To RSVP

A Wellness Strategy for America’s Healthiest Campus (Oklahoma State University)

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