Issue #25 December 10, 2007

This periodical newsletter is sent via E-mail to all members and friends of the California Public Health Association-North. It is designed to provide updates and encourage networking and information exchanges. If you do not wish to receive it, please send a note to: office@cphan.org

Dear Members and Friends of CPHA-N,

Last month I participated in the work of the Governing Council of APHA. At the end of this issue is a report on some of the various measures approved at that meeting. This was an annual business session held in concert with the 135th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Nov. 3–7, 2007. It was a lot of hard work and discussion and as you'll see, covers a lot of ground.

One of the important roles of the affiliates is to maintain liaison and representation with APHA. We've been working hard to make sure that Northern California's public health community has a strong voice within our national organization. We are seeing some fruits of these labors and are excited about what this will mean for CPHA-N.

As recently announced, along with SCPHA, we are the recipients of a Capacity Development Grant. Over the next three years we are hoping to leverage this grant as we focus on creating a capacity to address statewide health issues.

Another major cooperative venture between CPHA-N and APHA is a Joint Membership Pilot Project that will open new membership opportunities for some California members of APHA, as well as our own membership. The planning for this project will be taking place in 2008 and will become operational during the 2009 membership campaign.

I also want to encourage you all to note the date, place, and topic for our Annual Meeting that was announced in the last issue. (There is a reminder in this issue as well.) We'd like to see all of you in Davis, California, on March 13th and 14th, 2008.

Wishing you all a wonderful Holiday Season,

Giorgio Piccagli, PhD, President
CPHA-N

MEMBERSHIP ALERT!
Keep up to-date with your profession
JOIN CPHA-N!

If you are not currently a member of CPHA-N, please join! Just go to http://www.cphan.org and the Membership menu will guide you through the member categories and options ... OR ... use the copy of our membership application
form that you can print out, complete, and send in with your check to the CPHA-N Office. You can download the application from the Membership page.

Also, for our current members: This is the time of the year that the CPHA-N office sends out acknowledgements and appreciation to all members along with their annual membership renewal invoice. Members will also be receiving a ballot for the election of the 2008 CPHA-N Leadership.

If you are a student member - and have been receiving this E-MAILER Newsletter - your free membership continues as long as you are enrolled in a public health related academic program - and also for your first year after graduation. After that, and in your first employment, we encourage you to become 'New Health Professional' member - this is at reduced rate for the first year. Please let us know of any e-mail address changes.

GET YOUR FREE PERSONAL EATING PLAN RIGHT NOW

If you have not seen this, it is well worth the exploration, especially for Public Health Professionals, since it may be something you'd like to recommend to others. The USDA has developed a do-it-yourself guide to your personal eating and health. Get a quick estimate of what and how much you need to eat. Enter your age, sex, height, weight, and level of physical activity to get a personal eating plan. Go now to this interesting source of nutrition information: http://www.mypyramid.gov

REMINDER: HOLD THE DATE AND PLAN TO ATTEND

The California Public Health Association-North is holding its annual conference on March 13-14, 2008 at University of California-Davis, in Davis California.

"Health at the Nexus: Climate Change, Land Use, Sustainability, and Public Health." Watch for additional information.

Federal Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality launches a new on-line health advice column

We often reference scientific studies reported by the AHRQ in the CPHA-N E-MAILER. Now, Carolyn Clancy, MD, the Director of the Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality has prepared brief, easy-to-understand advice columns for consumers to help navigate the health care system. Important issues such as how to recognize high-quality health care, how to be an informed health care consumer, and how to choose a hospital, doctor, and health plan are featured. Dr. Clancy, a general internist and researcher, is an expert in engaging consumers in their health care. http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/cc.htm

Planning for 2008

Please send us info on your conferences and events that you wish to share. We will issue our 2008 calendar for public health in January and we would like to include programs and events that you'd like to see promoted.

The Future:
Consumer Health Information Technologies:
A live telecast (Just posted)

View event: You will be able to view the event at http://videocast.nih.gov when the event is live.

Air date: Monday, December 10, 2007, 9:30 AM

"Using Behavioral Research and Innovative Technologies to Create new Evidence-Based Health Solutions" featuring BERN SHEN, Intel Digital Health, Chief Healthcare Strategist ; ADAM BOSWORTH, Google Health, Former Director ; BILL CROUNSE Microsoft, Director of Worldwide Health Runtime: 180 minutes CIT File ID: None CIT Live ID: 6327

NOTE: If you are interested in this program, but this arrived too late for you...The National Institutes of Health maintains a file of past programs via their Website. You can get these at http://videocast.nih.gov/FutureEvents.asp This also includes a vast array of scientific lectures and programs that are scheduled through September of 2008.

Health Policy Communications - Tutorial

In this narrated slide tutorial, Jackie Judd, vice president and senior advisor for communications at the Kaiser Family Foundation, provides information and guidance on how to effectively communicate with the media. She also provides suggestions for how to frame key messages for print, broadcast and radio interview settings as well as other policy audiences. http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/media/player.html

5th Annual World Health Care Congress at the Marriot Wardman Hotel in Washington, DC April 21-23, 2008

The 5th Annual World Health Care Congress will convene over more than 2,000 CEOs, senior executives and government officials from the nation's largest employers, hospitals, health systems, health plans, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and leading government agencies. For information on this conference please visit their Website.

http://www.worldcongress.com/events/HR08000/index.cfm?confCode=HR08000

http://www.worldcongress.com/email/HR08000/HR08000-9-11-07Online.htm

Position Openings

The Berkeley Media Studies Group (http://www.bmsg.org) has several position openings for its training and strategic consultation team.The Berkeley Media Studies Group is committed to helping public health professionals and community advocates engage the news media strategically to advance healthy public policies. BMSG is dedicated to social justice goals and work with advocates on a wide range of health issues. The full job descriptions and application procedures are also posted on the Public Health Institute website. http://www.phi.org

Program Assistant (Health Educator I)
http://www.phi.org/about-employment-details.cfm?id=1099

Media Advocacy Training Specialist (Health Educator III)
http://www.phi.org/about-employment-details.cfm?id=1098

Strategic Communications Specialist (Technical Assistance Specialist IV) http://www.phi.org/about-employment-details.cfm?id=1097

Program Manager Position
The Prevention Institute in Oakland, CA

The Prevention Institute in Oakland, CA is seeking a Program Manager who is committed to improving health and safety and reducing disparities through a focus on prevention. This position will include responsibility for: leadership, oversight, supervision, and implementation of projects; advancing practice and policy; and responsibilities within the organization. The Institute’s approach is interdisciplinary in nature, addressing health and social issues such as violence prevention, injury prevention, traffic safety, and nutrition and physical activity promotion. The Institute is particularly committed to reducing disparities in health and safety. This position will have a focus on preventing violence though may include work on other topics. The Institute works nationally on preventing intimate partner violence, sexual assault and violence affecting youth and communities. *We strongly encourage applicants of color and bilingual candidates to apply** For information please visit the Website http://preventioninstitute.org/ or email: hiring@preventioninstitute.org.

Positions in San Mateo County

The Health Department of San Mateo County is seeking candidates for the follow positions: (1) A Health Disparities Initiative Manager and (2) A Health Disparities Initiative Program Specialist. For more information on these positions please visit their Website: http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us

Announcement for Open Testing - Communicable Disease Specialist I and Communicable Disease Manager I for the California Department of Public Health

The Communicable Disease Specialist I (CDS I) examination will be offered as a series with the Communicable Disease Manager I examination. For information and to reference the PDF files, please contact Dierdre Gaines at Dierdre.Gaines@cdph.ca.gov.

NOTICE OF CORRECTION:
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
1501 CAPITOL AVENUE, SUITE 71.1501
SACRAMENTO, CA 95814
(916) 552-8343
EXAM TITLE:
COMMUNICABLE DISEASE SPECIALIST I CLASS CODE: 8404

This is to announce a correction for the above examination. The final filing date has been extended to DECEMBER 24, 2007, so that the Communicable DiseaseSpecialist I and the Communicable Disease Manager I can be run as a series examination.

If you have already filed your application for the Communicable Disease Specialist I examination, and would like to apply for the Communicable Disease Manager I, you will need to submit another application for the CDM I classification. It is not necessary to re-file if you are only interested in the CDS I classification and have already submitted your application.

HOW TO APPLY: To learn more about the job and testing arrangements, contact the testing office shown below.

Applications are available at http://www.spb.ca.gov/jobs/stateapp.htm.

Applications may be filed in person or by mail with:
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(916) 552-8343 SELECTION UNIT
In Person: 1501 Capitol Avenue, Suite 1501
By Mail: MS 1701-1702 P.O. BOX 997378
Sacramento, CA 95899-7378

APHA Governing Council Meeting Report

The following are descriptions of some of the various measures approved by APHA's Governing Council during its 135th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Nov. 3–7. Full policies will be available online in January 2008. http://www.apha.org

Address the urgent threats of global climate change. APHA strongly urges policy-makers to immediately take the necessary steps to reduce U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, to protect the health of the nation and world. Also, policies related to foreign assistance and global health should reflect the importance of global climate change and include mitigation and adaptation strategies to reduce impacts on individuals, communities and ecosystems in the developing world. The Association also calls for increased education about the impacts of climate change for the public health work force and adequate resources for health agencies to support activities related to climate change.

“Global climate change will undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on human health and the environment,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (Emeritus), executive director of APHA. “The public health community plays a critical role, both in advocating for mitigation and avoidance of climate change, and in assisting with adaptation to the health effects caused by climate change that cannot be prevented.”

Develop public health interventions for the prevention and control of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). APHA encourages all health care facilities to enforce rigorous prevention and control practices with a focus on implementing clinically proven methodologies, including hand hygiene, active surveillance and diagnostic testing and environmental cleaning and disinfection. APHA also calls for increased funding for research into the impact of occupational MDRO exposure among health care workers and the development of a safety and health bulletin, supporting publications and enforcement guidance for the protection of health care workers with occupational exposure to MDROs.

“The fact that people seeking care for other health ailments are becoming infected with highly resistant bacteria is very disturbing,” said Benjamin. “We must enforce rigorous infection and control practices in health care settings to reduce the number of these potentially life-threatening infections.”

Call for global ban on lead use. Lead in paint and other consumer products has been scientifically linked to impaired intellectual and physical growth in children and continues to be used in dangerously high levels in some countries. APHA urges a worldwide ban on the continued use of lead in residential and outdoor paints, children’s products and all non-essential uses in consumer products to avoid future public health problems. APHA calls on the federal government to enforce a ban on the manufacturing, import, distribution and sale of products containing non-essential lead and urges that such agencies be provided with the adequate resources to carry out this mandate. The Association also recommends that this ban be carried out through all trade agreements between U.S. and overseas corporations and all trade agreements completed by the World Trade Organization.

Address obesity and health disparities through federal nutrition and agriculture policies. APHA has historically been active on food system issues and has advocated for national policies that address obesity and health disparities. The Association furthers its efforts by advocating for access to healthier foods and a more sustainable food system by tackling longstanding challenges and addressing new and evolving demands in agricultural policy.

APHA calls on Congress to improve access to fresh produce and other healthy foods provided through school lunches and food assistance programs, shift federal subsidies support to products low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar and urges the federal government to change laws, specifically those governing the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that promote agricultural interests over the interests of nutrition and health. The Association also urges Congress to include public health goals agriculture and nutrition legislation in order to support food security, nutrition education and access to healthy foods in schools and communities.

“APHA has long advocated for national policies that address obesity prevention and the elimination of health disparities,” said Benjamin. “Including public health goals in agricultural policies is the next step in moving toward a sustainable food system, which will make nutritious food accessible and affordable to all while maintaining a healthy environment.”

Oppose feminine hygiene douching practices. Research has shown a relationship between vaginal douching and several adverse health outcomes, including pelvic inflammatory disease, bacterial vaginosis, cervical cancer, HIV transmission and infertility. APHA therefore urges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review its regulations on feminine hygiene douching products and require research on the safety of douching. In addition, the Association recommends that the public health community increase its efforts to provide culturally competent information to women about the risks associated with douching.

Recommend breastfeeding for first six months and one or two years thereafter. APHA joins all major other health officials in recommending that infants receive no other food or drink besides breast milk for the first six months of life, with continued breastfeeding for at least one to two years thereafter, with rare exceptions. APHA encourages policy-makers to provide adequate funding for breastfeeding support in U.S. foreign aid and support legislation that enable women in the United States to succeed in breastfeeding, including protection for breastfeeding in the public, paid maternity leave and worksite lactation protection.

Support school information sharing for public health purposes. Current legislation under the 1974 Family Education Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) prevents the collection of essential public health data. FERPA does not allow information sharing for public health purposes without the prior written authorization from students over 18 or parent/guardians of minor students. APHA recommends that federal and state governments establish common standards for the protection and confidentiality of personal health information, while allowing for the necessary sharing of information for treatment and payment, and public health purposes. The Association also recommends that schools be able to share personally identifiable health information with public health authorities, without prior client authorization, for data collection activities essential for carrying out the public health mission. (Thanks to SOPHE's Newsletter for this summary).

The Mailing Address for The California Public Health Association - North is 555 12th Street, 10th Floor Oakland, CA 94607. Copies of this and all of the issues of the CPHA-N E-MAILER are posted on our Website for your easy reference: http://www.cphan.org

Season's Best Wishes from your Public Health Association.

Please consider a donation to CPHA-N. It is easy, safe and a tax deduction. Just visit http://www.cphan.org and click on Donations.

Please let us know of any e-mail address changes.

Posted 12/14/07

Issue #24 November 22, 2007

This periodical newsletter is sent via E-mail to all members and friends of the California Public Health Association-North. It is designed to provide updates and encourage networking and information exchanges. If you do not wish to receive it, please send a note to: office@cphan.org

DON'T MISS THIS ONE!
SAVE THE DATE AND PLAN TO ATTEND!

The California Public Health Association-North is holding its annual conference on March 13-14, 2008 at University of California-Davis, in Davis California.

Health at the Nexus:
Climate Change, Land Use,
Sustainability & Public Health

California Public Health Association-North is holding its annual conference on March 13-14, 2008 at University of California-Davis, in Davis California, co-sponsored and hosted by the new Masters in Public Health Program.

The first day, March 13 will offer several training sessions (with continuing education credits) on land use planning and community design for public health professionals who desire an introductory level course, as well as those public health staff who are already engaged in working with local planning agencies and processes.

On Friday, March 14, led by keynote presentations from a national leader, Howard Frumkin, MD, MPH, DrPH, Director, National Center for Environmental Health, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry who will discuss the global scale of climate change and its cross cutting impact on public health ranging from infectious disease to chronic disease and injury. One track will continue with in-depth sessions on climate change impact on human health. A second track will look in-depth at sustainable practices that can promote health now and in the future, such as preserving farm lands and open spaces, safe food production, and green chemistry. The third track will include updates on health care reform and other "hot" topics.

Information on attendance & registration will be posted and available on the CPHA-N Website: http://www.cphan.org in a few weeks.

For further information or if you are interested in getting involved in helping with this conference, please contact Adele Amodeo (mailto:aamodeo@phi.org) or Jacquolyn Duerr (mailto:jacquolyn.duerr@cdph.ca.gov).

"Climate change is global in scale. It is vast in its potential impact and it cuts across almost every field in public health, from infectious disease to chronic disease to injuries. And in many senses it's unpredictable, which means we have that much more to prepare for. This is really a problem that is unprecedented in its scope." Howard Frumkin, 2007

US life expectancy up to almost 78 yrs

While a child born in 2005 can expect to live to 77.9 yrs - a new high for the US, the number of deaths rose in 2005. This was disappointing after a drop in 2004. Preliminary data from Nat’l Center for Health Stats, US life expectancy reached an all time high in 2005 up from 75.8 yrs in 1995 and 69.6 in 1965, The death rate from the 3 major diseases declined (heart, cancer & stroke) compared to 2004, the age adjusted death rates from Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s disease both increased about 5%. The total number of deaths in 2005 was 2.45 million, up from 2.4 million in 2004. For further information on this, go to : http://www.cdc.gov/nchss

Is Our Pharmacy Meeting Patients' Needs?
A Pharmacy Health Literacy Assessment Tool

" Is Our Pharmacy Meeting Patients' Needs? A Pharmacy Health Literacy Assessment Tool" User's Guide can be found online at
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/pharmlit/.

Printed copies may be obtained by calling the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse at (800) 358-9295 or sending an e-mail to ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov Strategies to Improve Communication between Pharmacy Staff and Patients: A Training Program for Pharmacy Staff can be found: http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/pharmlit/pharmtrain.htm.

Important evaluation program available at a CDC website

The CDC has available on line, an excellent document on program evaluation. It was developed about 8 years ago, and is very much in line with current systems and certainly is appropriate for use on projects and programs funded from federal sources.

"A Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health" is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr4811.pdf

Correction on APHA date

The 136th Annual Meeting and EXPO of the American Public Health Association (APHA) - "PUBLIC HEALTH WITHOUT BORDERS" will be held in San Diego, California OCTOBER 23-27, 2008. A 'local' host committee will be developing plans for special supporting programs and activities. We will provide updates and continuing information for this major national public health conference.

Position Announcement
Tobacco Prevention Project Policy Coordinator

The Public Health Division of Contra Costa Health Services, Tobacco Prevention Project seeks a Policy Coordinator to work as lead person on policy-related functions, including campaigns to prevent tobacco use and enforcement for compliance with existing tobacco policies. This is a full time position; may be negotiated to .80 full time equivalent; Salary range $4827-$5867 per month (for full time status), plus benefits. To apply, please submit a letter of interest and resume to the Tobacco Prevention Project Manager, Denice A. Dennis, MPH, c/o Chandra Gottschall at cgottsch@hsd.cccounty.us. Position open until filled.

Informative reading

Eating Made Simple: How do you cope with a mountain of conflicting diet advice? by Marion Nestle

You'll find this excellent article In the September Issue of Scientific American Magazine. This is a special issue on Diet, Health and the Food Supply. The article written by Marion Nestle, PhD does an excellent job of exploring the complexities we see almost daily concerning nutrition and health. Dr. Nestle is very well known to CPHA-N members. She was a key speaker at our annual meeting several years ago. She is one of our nation's most able scientific authorities on public health and nutrition.

The magazine's website allows viewers to browse past issues and the article can be found at: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=eating-made-simple&page=1

MEMBERSHIP ALERT!
PLEASE BE WATCHING FOR THESE SPECIAL MATERIALS

This is the time of the year that the CPHA-N office sends out acknowledgements and appreciation to all members along with their annual membership renewal invoice. At the same time, members will receive a ballot for the election of the 2008 CPHA-N Leadership.

If you are not currently a member of CPHA-N, please join! Just go to http://www.cphan.org and the membership menu will guide you through all of the member categories and options.

Nov. 29 Public Health Grand Rounds program:
"Cutting-Edge Legal Preparedness
for Chronic Disease Prevention"

The Public Health Grand Rounds satellite broadcast and webcast, "Cutting-Edge Legal Preparedness for Chronic Disease Prevention," will be available on November 29th. This 75-minute program will feature New York City's innovative legal tools to:

-Phase out artificial trans fats in restaurants
-Require certain restaurants to post calorie information
-Require that the results of diabetes blood-sugar tests be reported to the health department
-Prohibit smoking in virtually all workplaces.

The faculty will include New York City health leaders -- Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden, Board of Health member, Dr. Lynne Richardson, and health department legal counsel Thomas Merrill -- as well as national panelists Dr. George Mensah of CDC, Dr. Patrick Remington of the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute, and Marice Ashe, JD, MPH, of the Public Health Institute.

To access the free registration website, visit http://www.publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu

CDPH Testing

The bulletin announcing open testing for the Health Education Consultant III (Specialist) with the CDPH has been released. You may use the link provided in this announcement to view the bulletin.

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/services/jobs/Documents/HEC%20III%20(Spec)%20-%207H11101.pdf

The bulletin announcing open testing for the Health Education Consultant III (Supervisor) with the CDPH has been released. You may use the link provided in this announcement to view the bulletin.

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/services/jobs/Documents/HEC%20III%20(Sup)%20-%207H11102.pdf

Posted 11/29/07

Issue #23 November 12, 2007

This periodical newsletter is sent via E-mail to all members and friends of the California Public Health Association-North. It is designed to provide updates and encourage networking and information exchanges. If you do not wish to receive it, please send a note to: office@cphan.org

Rural Health Association Conference

California State Rural Health Association's 7th Annual Rural Health Conference "Rising to the Challenge: A Unified Safety Net" will be held December 3-5, 2007 at the Doubletree Hotel in Sacramento.

The annual CSRHA conference is a venue for healthcare providers, administrators, advocates, and policy makers to come together to develop partnerships and explore solutions to ensure adequate and accessible healthcare for people who live and work in California’s rural communities. This year's conference emphasizes the importance of collaboration of members of the Safety Net to foster and promote a more integrated approach to sustaining rural healthcare and enhancing health and wellness within and across California’s rural communities during a time of health care reform. The Doubletree Hotel is offering conference participants a limited number of rooms at a special reduced rate: Single rooms are only $84 and $104 for double rooms!

For information go to their Website www.csrha.org or phone (916) 453-0780

Voices for a Healthy Future

Latest issue of the PHI biannual newsletter Voices for a Healthy Future is now available. The newest edition of Voices for a Healthy Future is posted on the Public Health Institute Web site as a pdf file. To view or print a copy, visit http://www.phi.org/news-newsletter.html. To sign up to receive future editions of the newsletter, click on http://www.phi.org/news-newsletter-signup.html. To request bulk copies of the newsletter for use in your program office, please contact PHI’s communications department at (510) 285-5583 or mailto:communications@phi.org

Featured in this issue are two PHI leaders who have made significant contributions to the field of public health: Joseph Hafey, who has led PHI and its predecessor organizations for more than 30 years, and Robert Minnis, who retired from his post as program director of International Health Programs (IHP) at PHI after 35 years of service to IHP.

Subject: Announcement of Open Continuous Testing for the Food and Drug Investigator with the CDPH

The bulletin announcing open continuous testing for the Food and Drug Investigator has been released. You may use the link provided in this announcement to view the bulletin about this testing program for the position of Food and Drug Investigator for the California Department of Public Health.

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/services/jobs/Documents/FDI-7H1CH.pdf

Position Available:
Health Programs Coordinator
Alameda Alliance for Health
Posted Date: 10-26-07

Under the general direction of the Manager, Health Programs, this position is responsible for helping to plan, organize, and implement Alliance Health Education and Cultural and Linguistic programs. For more information about this position opportunity please go to:
http://jobs-alamedaalliance.icims.com/alamedaalliance_
jobs/jobs/candidate/job.jsp?jobid=1033&mode=view

US life expectancy up to almost 78 yrs

While a child born in 2005 can expect to live to 77.9 yrs - a new high for the US, the number of deaths rose in 2005. This was disappointing after a drop in the prior year.

According to preliminary data from Nat’l Center for Health Statistics, US life expectancy reached an all time high in 2005 up from 75.8 years in 1995 and 69.6 years in 1965. The death rate from the 3 major diseases (heart, cancer & stroke) declined compared to 2004. The age adjusted death rates from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease both increased about 5%. The total number of deaths in 2005 was 2.45 million, up from 2.4 million in 2004. See more: www.cdc.gov/nchs

Many Americans misinformed about cancer risks

A number of Americans believe scientifically unsubstantiated claims about cancer and the populations suffering the highest cancer burdens are the most likely to be misinformed, according to a new study from the American Cancer Society. Some findings:

Almost 40 % of those surveyed believed living in a polluted city is a greater risk for lung cancer than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. The study published in the September issue of CANCER, found that those with lower levels of education were more likely to believe false statements about cancer risk. The misconceptions need to be overcome by increased and targeted public education programs and interventions.

Low income smokers not deterred by price!

When cigarette taxes go up, low income smokers are less likely to kick the habit than smokers in higher income brackets. This data was derived from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a large nationally representative telephone survey that includes data on smoking participation among adults, and an annual compendium that includes cigarette tax and price data. The analysis included data collected for 14 years before and 6 years after the 1998 multi-state tobacco settlement. The proportion of low income smokers before the settlement was 27.7%, increasing to 28.6% after the agreement. Smoking among higher income people declined from 23.9% to 21.6%. Source: American Journal of Public Health, October 2007

Research Needs

Special Report: "Advancing the Nation's Health: A guide to Public Health Research Needs 2006-2015" is available for reference on a disk and on line. This 137 page document is a rich resource for public health planning and can be found at www.cdc.gov/od/science/PHResearch/cdcra or go to the CDC Website and type in: A guide to public health research needs. The latest version is available in PDF format for easy reading/reference.

Alert:
Position announcements from the
California Department of Public Health

Subject: Announcement for open testing - Communicable Disease Representative - Final Filing Date: Nov. 30, 2007
Reference: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/services/jobs/Documents/CDR%20-%207H11001.pdf

Subject: Announcement for open testing - Consulting Communicable Disease Representative - Final Filing Date: Nov. 30, 2007
Reference: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/services/jobs/Documents/CCDR%20-%207H11002.pdf

Subject: Announcement for open testing - Environmental Program Manager II - Final Filing Date: Dec. 7, 2007
Reference: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/services/jobs/Documents/EPM%20II%20-%207H118.pdf

For general info go to: www.spb.ca.gov/jobs/stateapp.htm

Posted 11/14/07

Issue #22 October 27, 2007

This periodical newsletter is sent via E-mail to all members and friends of the California Public Health Association-North. It is designed to provide updates and encourage networking and information exchanges. If you do not wish to receive it, please send a note to: office@cphan.org

Latino Coalition for a Healthy California

Latino Coalition for a Healthy California's 2007 Statewide Conference: "Inspirando Cambio: Leading the Way to Healthy Communities;" November 9, 2007; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., at The California Endowment's Center for Healthy Communities, 1000 N. Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA. Guest Speakers: Assemblymember Ed Hernandez (D-Baldwin Park); America Bracho, Latino Health Access; Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (invited); Larry Adelman, Director of "Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?" and community officials from across the state, legislators, and more. For information: Linda Nguy, Policy Associate; Latino Coalition for a Healthy California; 1225 8th Street, Suite 500; Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 448-3234 www.lchc.org

Decision Making

A special issue of Medical Decision Making published by SAGE available free-of-charge. "Medical Decision Making: How do patients choose the best treatment for their disease" is available free through late November at http://www.sagepublications.com/promos/Sep_Oct_Announcement.pdf
to access the articles.

Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's State Snapshots

The release of this year's State Snapshots is complemented by the launch of NHQRnet and NHDRnet, a pair of new, interactive Web-based tools for searching AHRQ's storehouse of national health care data. These online search engines allow users to create spreadsheets and customize searches of information in the 2006 National Healthcare Quality Report and the 2006 National Healthcare Disparities Report. They allow each State to find out how it compares at the regional or national level for a type of care (preventive, acute, chronic), health care setting (ambulatory, hospital, nursing home, home health), or in a specific clinical area (cancer, diabetes, heart, maternal and child health, respiratory). The Agency is also poised to release a new online resource that will make national health care, quality and disparities data even more accessible.

To access AHRQ's new NHQRnet, go to http://nhqrnet.ahrq.gov. For NHDRnet, go to http://nhdrnet.ahrq.gov.

Job Opportunity: Health Care Policy / Finance - Analyst IV

The purpose of this position is to:
a) Conduct interviews of policy-makers, managers, and financial analysts on initiatives to reduce barriers to financing CIS
b) Report on financial and other data from California health care organizations
c) Help process, analyze, and write-up that information for a report to HITFAC
Interested candidates should send their resume to Katherine D'Amato at katherine.damato@ucsf.edu. No full cover letters at this point. Please include a few sentences in your email describing your interest in the position.

Research Opportunities:
RFP from the California Program on Access to Care

ABOUT CPAC: The California Program on Access to Care is an applied policy research program established by the University of California at the request of the state legislature to address issues related to access to health care for low-income populations.

CPAC-supported research focuses on health services for the state’s working-poor population, with special attention to immigrant workers and their families and low-income households in agricultural and rural areas. CPAC provides technical assistance to policy-makers, commissions policy research on statewide issues, and disseminates research findings and recommendations through publications and special briefings. Researchers are encouraged to contact CPAC staff to discuss the suitability of their proposed research to CPAC priorities. Although CPAC continues its long association with the UC Office of the President, the formal affiliation has recently transferred to the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. CPAC’s commitment to fund researchers from all eligible institutions remains the same.

RFP OVERVIEW: This RFP focuses on issues with special significance for health care reform. Faculty and researchers from California academic institutions and nonprofit research organizations are invited to submit proposals to analyze significant health care policy issues facing California’s low-income populations in an anticipated health care reform environment. Investigators who receive grants will report their findings to state government officials and others interested in California health policy through written reports and public briefings. CPAC welcomes proposals in the priority areas listed in the adjacent box, and is particularly interested in proposals that include the study of low-income populations such as those eligible for/or enrolled in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families (S-CHIP). CPAC will also consider proposals in areas other than those listed in this RFP, provided they are consistent with the program’s overall charge. The deadline for this RFP has been extended to Friday November 2, 2008. For information contact Gilbert Ojeda at 510 643-3140

Contact CPAC at its current website: http://www.ucop.edu/cpac

Conference: "Cancer, Culture & Literacy"

May 15-17, 2008 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, Clearwater Beach, Florida
The conference will explore methodologies and best practices for addressing health disparities. For information, contact Cindy Burcham at cindy.burcham@moffitt.org

New Free Booklet: Living with a Diagnosis of Lung Cancer

Living with a Diagnosis of Lung Cancer is available at no charge. It explains the disease, standard treatments and their side effects, as well as clinical trials. To order a free, printed 40-page booklet, please send an e-mail to info@NationalLungCancerPartnership.org with your contact information and mailing address, as well as the quantity requested. This free resource can also be viewed at: www.nationallungcancerpartnership.org.

Eli Lilly and Company, Genentech BioOncology, Novartis Oncology, and Abbott Oncology supported the production of this booklet.

Immediate Opening:
Senior Program Specialist
Alameda County Office of Dental Health
Public Health Department

Alameda County seeks a Senior Program Specialist for the Office of Dental Health to provide program planning and oversight of a seamless, community-based integrated oral health services delivery system for children from birth to 11 years.

Work with creative professional and paraprofessional staff to address the progressive yet preventable nature of dental disease by emphasizing primary prevention and early intervention, overcoming barriers through outreach, counseling, care coordination and case management and assuring access to continuous dental diagnostic, preventive and treatment services while maximizing strategic partnerships in the community to achieve the best oral health outcomes.

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in business or health care administration, public health, social welfare or related field, plus two years professional experience in program planning, management, and evaluation of direct delivery health care services to clients. Dental Public Health experience desirable. Master’s degree preferred. (A master’s degree may be substituted for one year of experience.) Bi-lingual/bi-cultural and minority candidates encouraged to apply. To apply, contact Dr. Jared I. Fine, Dental Health Administrator at 510-208-5911. Send resume to Jared.Fine@acgov.org or Fax to 510-208-5933. Full time, Excellent Benefits, Annual Salary: $63,984 - $85,748

Dr. Richard Jackson Moving to Michigan

Former California Health Officer and UC School of Public Health Professor, Richard Joseph Jackson, MD, MPH, will be leaving the state.

Dr. Jackson has accepted an offer from the University of Michigan to lead the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute. He will spearhead its effort to move the University into visible leadership in highly functional sustainability. According to Dr. Jackson, this means "upgrading our physical environments, industrial processes, and life styles in ways that not only reduce resource use and greenhouse gas emissions, but also improve the quality of life, health, and the economy." He also believes "these to be the most critical public health issues of the 21st century; they will impact human life in every way."

Dr. Jackson has been very supportive of CPHA-N and we wish him the best of luck on this new venture and express our appreciation for his many contributions to public health in California.

Posted 10/31/07

Issue #21 October 12, 2007

This periodical newsletter is sent via E-mail to all members and friends of the California Public Health Association-North. It is designed to provide updates and encourage networking and information exchanges. If you do not wish to receive it, please send a note to: office@cphan.org

ALERT: APHA approves capacity building grant for CPHA-N and SCPHA

The American Public Health Association has just announced the approval of an Affiliate Capacity-Building Initiative Grant to CPHA-N and SCPHA. This is excellent news for all the members and friends of our two APHA affiliates. We will provide more detailed information on the grant and an outline of the proposal in future issues of the E-MAILER newsletter.

Worthy of a read:

"Do We Really Know What Makes Us Healthy?" by Gary Taubes.
The article is featured in the September16th issue of the New York Times Magazine. This is an outstanding article on public health and epidemiology and most worthy of a read. Reference:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/magazine/16epidemiology
t.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1190319992
uDDokOjKx0RbHYCp/HSfug

Opinion piece on California's health insurance issues

An opinion piece on California's health insurance issues written by UC Berkeley, School of Public Health Dean, Stephen M. Shortell was published in the Sacramento Bee on Wednesday August 22nd. This thoughtful statement can be read at: http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/337562.html

State Officials Select UC Berkeley SPH Experts to Guide Biomonitoring Program

With four environmental health experts recently appointed to a nine-person Scientific Guidance Panel, the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health is poised to make a strong contribution to the California Environmental Contaminant Biomonitoring Program. The program monitors the presence and concentration of designated chemicals in Californians. Drs. Thomas McKone, Asa Bradman, Michael Wilson and Richard Jackson were all recently appointed to the panel.The Scientific Guidance Panel assists the Department of Health Services and California Environmental Protections Agency by providing scientific peer reviews and making recommendations regarding the design and implementation of the biomonitoring program. The program will provide data to help scientists, researchers, public health personnel, and community members explore linkages between chemical exposures and health. The recently created California program is the first of its kind in the nation.

Practice what we preach!

Healthy eating at meetings stressed by the AMAThe current president of the American Medical Association, Ron Davis, a public health physician, recommends that meetings serve healthy foods. The AMA is now serving healthy food at its meetings (a dramatic change). He suggests using guides produced by the University of Minnesota or the University of North Carolina. See www.aph.umn.edu/mg/assets/9103/nutrition_guide.pdf
or
http://www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/programs
_tools/worksites/healthy_meeting_guide.html

Communicable Disease Controllers to meet October 25-26th in Santa Ana The California Association of Communicable Disease Controllers annual conference is October 25-26 in Santa Ana. The conference title is "Emerging and Re-emerging microbial Threats: Challenges for the 21st Century."

For brochure and registration materials see: www.idready.org/2007CACDC.htm

A real boost for Prevention proposed:
NYC Mayor Proposes Prevention-Oriented Electronic Health Records

New York City Mayor, Bloomberg called for a new national goal: five years from today, every doctor's office, clinic, and hospital in America that accepts Medicaid and Medicare must be using prevention-oriented Electronic Health Records. Why not in California first? It's a great idea.

National Public Health Coalition releases a new edition of its e-newsletter.

Visit: http://www.nphic.org/newsletters/2007newsletters/nphic09-07.pdf for public health communication news from members across the country.

In this month’s issue you’ll find information about:

• National Health Literacy Month
• Update from the Inaugural Health Communication, Marketing and Media Conference
• Free publications from the Immunization Action Coalition
• Board game helping public health professionals learn about avian influenza

California Department of Public Health

For an update on the newly reorganized state department of public health visit the website. You can also view the current organizational chart via this informative site.
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Documents/CDPHOrgChart9aug07.pdf

5th Annual World Health Care Congress
Marriott Wardman Hotel - Washington, DC - April 21-23, 2008