Wellness and Prevention Health Reform Digest, July 9, 2015 | Health Reform

Wellness and Prevention

Health Reform Digest

Sign-on Letters

Final 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 (deadline extended to Tuesday, July 14th)

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. 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 (deadline extended to Tuesday, July 14th)

Funding Opportunities and Announcements

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the award of more than $840 million in cooperative agreements “to improve and sustain emergency preparedness of state and local public health and health care systems. The cooperative agreement funds are distributed through two federal preparedness programs: the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) programs. Nationwide, HHS awarded a total of $228.5 million for HPP and $611 million for PHEP in fiscal year 2015.”

Reports and Supporting Materials

As part of the First 5 LA funded Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Initiative (ECOPI), the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) in partnership with ChangeLab Solutions “has released a comprehensive toolkit called Marketing Matters: A White Paper on Strategies to Reduce Unhealthy Food and Beverage Marketing to Young Children. The toolkit highlights strategies for local communities to reduce the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children. “

According to a report in Vital Signs, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Heroin use has increased across the United States among men and women {more than doubling between 2011 and 2013}, most age groups, and all income levels.” The report also finds that, “the strongest risk factor for a heroin use disorder is a prescription opioid use disorder.”

On a related topic, a bi-partisan group of leaders from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has hosted a series of recent hearings on the prescription drug and heroin abuse, sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration Acting Commissioner Dr. Stephen Ostroff “regarding the labeling of certain opioids, particularly the discrepancy between Extended Release and Long-Acting (ER/LA) opioid analgesics and Immediate Release (IR) opioid analgesics.”

Upcoming Events

The American College of Preventive Medicine and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine are hosting a Lifestyle Medicine Curriculum Symposium, August 23rd - 24th in Baltimore, MD. The symposium, “cover the 15 physician lifestyle medicine competencies identified by a national blue ribbon panel and published in JAMA, as well as key modules in nutrition and weight management. For more information and to register.

Reminder - The next meeting of the Prevention and Public Health Fund Strategy Group is scheduled for tomorrow, 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.

Reminder - 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.

Reminder - 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.

Lots of new events (in red) also listed below. Have a great weekend!

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

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

Informational Webinar for AAP Chapters on the Preventive Services Implementation State Spread Project (PreSIPS2)

Sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics

July 13th, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. (EDT) - webinar

To register

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

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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