Wellness and Prevention Health Reform Digest, July 7, 2015 | Health Reform

Wellness and Prevention

Health Reform Digest

Today’s News (7/7/15)

The seventh in the series of Senate “dear colleague” letters in support of the Prevention Fund was delivered yesterday. This week’s version focused on identifying and preventing public health threats through disease surveillance.

Sign-on Letters

Reminder - Several organizations, including Trust for America’s Health, are circulating an organizational sign-on letter in support of continuing funding for the Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH) program, which faces the elimination of funding in the House and Senate appropriations measures. The program, through multi-sector coalitions, uses evidence and practice-based strategies to create or strengthen healthy environments that make it easier for people to make healthy choices and take charge of their health. To sign-on (by close of business, Thursday, July 9th)

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. This action follows approval of an earlier resolution by the AMA House of Delegates to actively oppose policies that aim to cut, divert, or use as an offset, dollars from the Prevention and Public Health Fund. To sign-on (by close of business, Friday, July 10th)

Funding Opportunities and Announcements

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).

The U.S. Department of Health and Services’ Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) announced more than $86 million in teen pregnancy prevention grants to non-profit organizations, school districts, universities, and others. The grants, “support replication of evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs in communities with the greatest need; increase capacity in communities to serve vulnerable youth, including homeless youth, parenting youth and those in juvenile detention and foster care; fill gaps in the knowledge of what works to prevent teen pregnancy; and test new, innovative approaches to combating teen pregnancy.

Upcoming Events

Reminder - The next meeting of the Prevention and Public Health Fund Strategy Group is scheduled for this Friday, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m., and will be hosted by the American Public Health Association (APHA), located at 800 I Street NW. Lisa Bernhardt, Professional Staff Member, Subcommittee on Labor, HHS & Education, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Minority Staff; and Andi Fristedt, Health Policy Advisor, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Minority Staff, are scheduled to speak. To RSVP.

Physicians for Social Responsibility, George Mason University, Health Care Without Harm, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Psychological Association, Trust for America’s Health, American Public Health Association, Center for Climate Change and Health, National Network of Public Health Institutes and Allergy & Asthma Network are organizing a September 20th Climate Health Summit for health professionals on the health risks of climate change and the health benefits of climate solutions. A Legislator Education Day will follow on September 21st. For more information and to register.

The National Coalition on Health Care is hosting a Congressional Briefing, Bending the Health Care Cost Curve: The Role of Investments in Prevention, on Thursday, July 16th, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m., 2226 Rayburn House Office Building. To RSVP.

{Hold the Date} The National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention’s 2015 Annual Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, at the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Barbara Jordan Conference Center in DC.

Registration is now open for the 9th Annual Southern Obesity Summit, hosted by the Texas Health Institute and The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi. The event is scheduled for November 15th - 17th, Jackson Marriott Downtown, Jackson, MS. To register.

NDD United is hosting an NDD Town Hall, What’s the Deal with the Deal?, on Tuesday, July 21st, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m., 2359 Raybyrn House Office building. The event will feature Representatives Chris Van Hollen and Nita Lowey.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is hosting an informational webinar for AAP chapters on the Preventive Services Implementation State Spread Project (PreSIPS2), scheduled for Monday, July 13th, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. (EDT). To register.

Happy 21st birthday, Daniel!!

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 memo on upcoming regulations regarding nutrition, obesity prevention, menu labeling and nutrition facts based on the recently released OMB Unified Regulatory Agenda. (recently updated — 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

Maternity Care Matters: Who Will Deliver America’s Babies?

Sponsored by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Nurse-Midwives

Wednesday, July 8th, Noon - 1:00 p.m.

385 Russell Senate Office Building

To RSVP

The Y’s Hop the Gap: Building a Summer of Success for Our Kids and Teens

Sponsored by the YMCA of the USA and co-hosted by Let’s Move Faith and Communities

Thursday, July 9th, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. (EDT) - webinar

To register

13th Annual Unity Conference: Comm
unity Health Workers - Transforming Communities through Trust, Compassion, and Commitment

Sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Health Outreach (CSHO) at The University of Southern Mississippi

July 12th - 15th

Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel, Memphis, Tennessee

To register and for more information

Youth Sports Demo and S.T.R.I.V.E. Award Ceremony

Sponsored by the Congressional Caucus on Youth Sports and the National Council of Youth Sports, in recognition of National Youth Sports Week

Tuesday, July 14th, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

345 Cannon House Office Building (Cannon Caucus Room)

For more information

Connecting Public Health and Food Service Operators: Reducing Sodium in Hospitals and Healthcare Settings

Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, and the National Network of Public Health Institutes, in collaboration with the Culinary Institute of America

Tuesday, July 14th, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. (EDT)

To register

Go4Life: Promoting Exercise and Physical Activity for Older Adults

Sponsored by Let’s Move Faith and Communities

Thursday, July 16th, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. (EDT) - webinar

To register

Preventing Violence: Evidence-Based Programs and Policies to Promote Positive Youth Development

Sponsored by the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives

Wednesday, July 22nd, 1:00 - 3:30 p.m.

2237 Rayburn House Office Building

For more information

Who’s Leading the Leading Health Indicators?: Social Determinants