Public Health Alliance of CO Media Resources

APHA Annual Meeting Early Registration Deadline

Early-Bird Registration Deadline is Approaching!

The APHA 139th Annual Meeting takes place October 29 - November 2 in Washington, DC.  The early-bird discount for the meeting is offered for registrations received by August 19, 2011! Register today before the savings end! View our Registration Fees to discover how much you will save by registering early. Complete your registration online and a link to housing will take you to a pre-populated housing form. Hotel reservations can also be made separately by going to Online Housing.

Click here to register.

Full registration fees become effective between August 19 and September 23. After September 23, Annual Meeting attendees will be charged the onsite registration fees.

The Influence of Social Involvement, Neighborhood Aesthetics, and Community Garden Participation on Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Published in the American Journal of Public Health, August 2011

Jill S. Litt, PhD, Mah-J. Soobader, PhD, MPH, Mark S. Turbin, MS, James W. Hale, MSS, Michael Buchenau, MLA and Julie A. Marshall, PhD, MPH

Fruit and vegetable consumption is an essential component of a healthy diet and one of the most modifiable risk factors for chronic disease, but only a small percentage of the world's population consumes the recommended amount. Reasons for shifting dietary patterns and concomitant health risks are complex, involving an array of factors that span individual lifestyle, cultural, social, ecological, and economic conditions as well as the range of structures, services, and amenities within our communities. Undermining the US diet and healthy food choices and practices is the growing physical divide between people and the places where food is grown. This division has resulted in a loss of experience with fundamental processes associated with growing food; limited access to alternative, viable, and affordable food sources (farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture, small-scale grocery venues, food cooperatives); and changes in food choices.

Read the full article here...

New Directions for ED of Alliance Associate Member Organization

Special Announcement from CCIC Executive Director Lydia McCoy

Dear friends,

As Executive Director, it has been my great pleasure working with this Coalition; every day has involved learning from and connecting with such passionate people dedicated to children's health. As I began to consider new opportunities over the past months, the Board of Directors and I looked strategically at planning for the continued success of CCIC, and we are now ready to announce transition plans on the horizon.

After much preparation and discussion, the CCIC Board voted last week to hire Erin Suelmann, our current Deputy Director, as Acting Executive Director starting August 1st. I couldn't be more thrilled with the Board's decision and am excited to continue to be a part of this transition until the end of 2011. I feel so fortunate to have a Board who has thoughtfully and thoroughly considered how best to approach this transition, and to have an internal candidate with the vision and expertise necessary to lead our Coalition.

Beginning August 1st I will remain a part of CCIC as a part-time contractor engaged on specific projects and as a support to Erin as she takes on the Executive Director role. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have at lydia.mccoy@childrenscolorado.org and you may also send your congratulations to Erin at erin.suelmann@childrenscolorado.org. Erin is honored and delighted for the opportunity to lead CCIC and continue working with all of you to keep Colorado kids healthy.

 I look forward to continuing to be a part of this organization's thriving community in the coming months. You are a tribute to the strength of this coalition, and I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together.

 All my best!    

 

Lydia McCoy
Executive Director
Colorado Children's Immunization Coalition

Public health groups sound warning about preparedness cuts

May 19, 2011
by Lisa Schnirring
CIDRAP

Two public health advocacy groups this week warned that recent cuts in US preparedness funding could hamstring the nation's response to a health emergency such as a bioterrorism attack, flu pandemic, or natural disaster.

View the full story here.

Douglas County makes history with new study

From Colorado School of Public Health @theForefront
March 8, 2011

National Children's Study field office opens in Douglas Co.

Douglas County, Colo. is making history and it’s doing so under the direction of researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health and University of Colorado School of Medicine.

On March 2, 2011 representatives from the two schools, along with clinical partners at Battelle Memorial Institute, opened the National Children’s Study Douglas County field office in Lone Tree, Colo. – the site of a 25-year study marked as the nation’s largest, long-term study devoted to researching and understanding childhood health.

The opening of the field office signaled the start of a public recruitment campaign to enroll up to 1,000 Douglas County families in the study. Marketing and outreach efforts are visible throughout the community and focus on the message of improving health for generations to come.

“By participating they contribute to the health of not only this generation but future generations of children,” said principal investigator Dana Dabelea, MD, PhD.

Dr. Dabelea leads a team of epidemiologists, environmental health scientists, pediatricians and other medical professionals who will spend the next 25 years working with Douglas County participants to follow children from pre-birth to the age of 21. Researchers will gather information about environments where children live, learn and play and the relationship those environments have with a child’s genetics.  They will examine neighborhoods and schools, chemical exposures, food and water, cultural differences, geographic locations, behavior, and other factors that contribute to childhood health. Researchers will analyze the information in order to improve human health and well-being, and possibly understand the causes of diseases such as autism, diabetes and obesity.  Continue reading online

Smoking widespread among youth with diabetes, raising heart disease risk

Less than half report being counseled not to smoke

December 3, 2010 (PASADENA, Calif.) – Cigarette smoking is widespread among children and young adults with diabetes yet few health care providers are counseling children and young adults with diabetes to not smoke or stop smoking, according to a new report from the SEARCH Study Group, published online in the Journal of Pediatrics.  Read more...

It Takes Many Villages to Create a Public Health Improvement Plan

Public health has gained attention in Colorado over the last four years as a result of a partnership that includes health foundations, the Colorado School of Public Health, the state legislature, and state and local health agencies. The first important accomplishment occurred in 2008 as the nation’s newest School of Public Health, which resulted from collaboration among three state universities (University of Colorado, University of Northern Colorado, and Colorado State University), received its inaugural class. Meanwhile, momentum was building through an effort to rethink the state’s public health goals and strengthen the infrastructure for public health in Colorado. Many interests aligned and led to legislative action (Senate Bill (SB) 194 or the Public Health Improvement Act) mandating the development and adoption of the state’s first Public Health Improvement Plan and also, for the first time, a requirement for the formal designation of a public health agency in each county. Read more from Chris Wiant...

Colorado School of Public Health wins $3.2 million grant to train public health workers

AURORA, Colo. (Sept. 14, 2010) – As health care and disease prevention play an increasingly prominent role on the national stage, the Colorado School of Public Health won a major federal grant Monday to establish its own comprehensive center to train public health workers.

The grant of nearly $650,000 a year for five years – a total of about $3.2 million - will fund the new Colorado Public Health Training Center which will be part of the school’s Center for Public Health Practice, directed by Tim Byers, MD.  Read more...

Campuses commit National Public Health Week to building a healthier Colorado

Each year the American Public Health Association spends the first full week of April celebrating National Public Health Week and the professionals who commit to improving and protecting our nation’s health.  This year’s theme “Creating a Healthier America: One community at a time,”  promoted the message that individual efforts  make a collective difference in building a healthier nation.  In Colorado the school committed to this message one campus at a time, as each collaborating institution did its part to understand and address the health issues facing Colorado....

Although National Public Health Week is over, the school will remain active in advancing the health of our local communities and campuses.  To learn more about the school’s commitment to building a healthier Colorado and National Public Health Week participation, please visit the school’s website.  You can also view and download photos from “Creating a healthier Colorado” campaign at http://www.flickr.com/photos/coloradosph.  The 2011 National Public Health Week theme will be announced at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in Denver this November.  Read more...

Tasting Soups, Celebrating and Keeping Colorado's Kids Healthy

SOUP! - Shots Offer Unrivaled Protections

Denver's premier restaurants will serve up gourmet soup creations for guests to sample, perfectly paired with Denver's finest wine, beverages and desserts. For over a decade, the Colorado Children's Immunization Coalition (CCIC) has worked to increase childhood immunizations through coalition building, provider education, community outreach and legislative advocacy. As a way of thanking our partners and supporters in a fun and creative way, we are hosting the third annual SOUP! event.

The soup-tasting event will raise funds and awareness for  childhood immunizations and honor the Big Shot of the Year, Lieutenant Governor Barbara O'Brien. In addition to networking and celebrating, guests will sample a variety of soups from Denver's premier restaurants and vote for the Best Soup and Most Creative Soup of the Year. 

Thursday, April 27
6 to 9 p.m. at the Cable Center on the University of Denver campus
Get all the details on the SOUP! website