Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Affordable Care Act and October 2013 – Are you ready?

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been in effect since March 2010 — but the real impact of the law doesn’t start impacting the majority of us until October 2013. Are you ready?

Employers -  Are you ready? Individuals – Are you ready? Most would say NO I am not ready.

Finding unbiased information that a person can understand is difficult. A glossary that lists all the acronyms of the law is a necessity for most. Words like “marketplace” and payment ‘bundling’ are just a few of the words consumers are hearing related to the ACA.

Employers and individuals are going to have to seek out information. Only after obtaining information from a diversity of sources will a person come to understand the law and how it impacts them as an employer or individual.

The following are just a few of the resources available. Contact your local Medicare office to determine if there is an agency,ie. Navigator, in your state that is coordinating an educational effort for more state specific information.

Healthcare.gov - as the ACA’s government website  it has lots of good information – but you will have to spend some time going through all the various areas – from the blog to videos.

http://www.hhs.gov/partnerships/aca_act_and_community/index.html  – Health and Human Services Community Page related to the ACA has webinars and links to other sites including the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight  http://cciio.cms.gov/

There are many foundations that are looking at the ACA and the impact on Americans. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation http://healthreform.kff.org/health-reform-glossary.aspx?source=QL is just one example. The link provided is to their Health Reform Glossary.

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Impacts Everyone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ask Health Lit is an ASK THE EXPERT group with eXtension https://ask.extension.org/groups/1790 They even have a youtube video – check it out -  Ask Health Literacy your ACA Questions

eXtension members are among the group of interested individuals attending a pre-conference prior to the Priester Conference in Corvallis, OR that will be looking at the educational aspect of ACA. It is hoped they will return to their respective states with information that will help them help others walk through this new frontier of ACA.

Mobilizing Extension to Respond to Health Care Reform Preconference Monday, April 15, 2013, 1-5:00 PM

Wednesday, February 13th, 2013

Where: Priester National Health Conference Host Site, Corvallis, Oregon

Are you curious about the coming changes in health insurance?

Are you currently doing or considering programming on the topic?

Are you less than totally confident you have what’s needed to do the programming?

If so, this pre-conference is for you.

A multi-state Extension team is currently working together to fill a demand for understanding, learning, and establishing a body of knowledge and educational programming related to health reform and specifically health insurance literacy. Efforts are underway to explain the law and develop health insurance educational materials and programs. Not only will our programming people respond knowledgeably, but also it will position Extension and the land-grant system as a leader in addressing this compelling public policy issue.

This interactive session will provide time for you to learn about how Extension is responding to the Affordable Care Act, explore multiple ways to conduct state-specific programming and consider joining the multi-state task forces to plan for, test and conduct programming in preparation for the health insurance open enrollment season of fall, 2013.

We know that for Extension educators to tackle this new programming area, all of us need the confidence and the knowledge that will reduce our fear of not knowing what we’re doing. We also know that even for those who want to do the educational programming, we want to learn from others about the what, why, when, where, how and impact of the education. And we know that we all have states with different responses to health reform and health insurance markets.

Bottom line is that consumers will be making health insurance purchase decisions this year with or without us. Most are confused; many lack necessary knowledge and skills to make wise decisions.

Don’t you agree that improving decision-making is a key function for Extension Education?

Register today for $40 and attend! At the very least, you’ll leave with an emerging tool for making wise health insurance purchase decisions for you and your family!

For more information, contact Bonnie Braun, PhD, University of Maryland Extension: bbraun@umd.edu or Michelle Rodgers, University of Deleware Extension: mrodgers@udel.edu

Priester National Health Extension Conference now on Lanyrd

Friday, February 8th, 2013

Priester National Health Extension Conference in Corvallis, OR is gearing up for the meeting in April. They now have a new Lanyrd site up for the Priester Conference (http://lanyrd.com/2013/priesterhealth/ ! :)

 

Be sure and add your name to the list of attendees to the Lanyrd site. Share the information via your social media outlets — from Twitter, LinkIn, Facebook, and  Google+  – You can even follow some attendees.

 

 

priester health conference 2013

Visit the Priester Conference web page for more information as it comes available @ http://www.priesterconference.org/or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PriesterHealth

 

 

Priester Facebook Image

 

 

 

 

Follow all the information as it flows on our Twitter feed @CreateHealthCoP, or our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/CreatingHealthyCommunities?ref=hl

Creating Healthy Communities CoP facebook

Use the hashtag #priesterhealth to follow all the activities of the conference.

Look forward to seeing you there — April 16-17, 2013!

 

 

Priester Conference Proposals – Deadline December 17, 2012

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

The 2013 Priester Confererence at the Oregon State campus in Corvallis promises to the best yet.

 

 

Boardwalk Corvallis Wildlife Area


The theme “Supporting Community Change through Health Extension” will bring together individuals, teams, and organizations to discuss health issues.

Proposals are being accepted in five areas:

  • Addressing Health Disparities
  • Influencing Community Context
  • Community-Engaged Research
  • Enhancing Curricular Engagement and Student Learning
  • Health Extension

The deadline is December 17, 2012 so don’t let time slip away from you – submit ASAP.

Visit www.priesterconference.org for detailed information about submitting a proposal. Or contact Roger Rennekamp via e-mail at Roger.Rennekamp@oregonstate.edu

Just be sure to put the dates April 16 – 17, 2013 on your calendar and be there to experience a Priester Conference on the West Coast – the first of many.

 

Will the HBO series “The Weight of the Nation” be a catalyst for community change?

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

When Rachel Carson wrote “Silent Spring” did she realize it would be the catalyst for environmental awareness of a generation?

The health-related groups that are involved in the HBO series “The Weight of the Nation” are too numerous to mention. We count ourselves, the Creating Healthy Communities Community of Practice (CHC CoP), as a group that wants the series to succeed in galvanizing people to become involved in the obesity issue.

Weight of the Nation Sesries logo - filmstrip with words and USA map

Weight of the Nation Series Logo

 

The Weight of the Nation Discussion guide breaks the series into 3 parts:

 

 

 

-Consequences

-Choices

-Children in Crisis

 

The Children in Crisis segment addresses many of the issues the CHC CoP addresses in our work online, in webinars and twitter chats. We focus on the role of the community in public policy and education of the community much as this series does.

Join us as we watch the series May 14 and 15th. Organize a group to discuss the series and gear up to make some changes in your life and/or the life of you community. Who knows it could be the catalyst for change — be it just YOU or YOUR community.

Discuss the series on Twitter and use the hashtag #weightofthenation and #PriesterHealth.

Visit the HBO series page http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/

Visit the NIH info page at http://www.nih.gov/health/NIHandweightofthenation/

 

 

 

Gearing up for Priester Conference! Webinars March 26 & April 2, 2012

Friday, March 16th, 2012

As the Creating Healthy Communities membership GEAR UP for the Priester Conference April 10 – 12 in Washington, DC, we are also preparing attendees and potential attendees for the types of speakers and interactions, they can expect to be exposed to when they attend the Conference in person.

Public policy, funding, and community action are necessary components of community development — the two webinars will be discussing these important issues. Enhancing the Impact of Public Policy on the Health of Vulnerable Populations and Connecting Federal Priorities with Local Community Action are the titles of the two webinars.

Title: Enhancing the Impact of Public Policy on the Health of Vulnerable Populations

Presenter: Roberta Riportella, Ph.D.,  Professor, Health Policy Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Date & Time: Monday, March 26 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. (EDT)

Link to http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/communities a few minutes before 3:00 p.m. (EDT). Participants will use computer speakers for audio and interact through the chat box.

Title: Connecting Federal Priorities with Local Community Action

Presenter: Sharon Hoelscher Day, CFCS Emeritus, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension

Date & Time: Monday, April 2 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. (EDT)

Link to http://learn.extension.org/events/478 a few minutes before 1:00 p.m. (EDT). Participants will use computer speakers for audio and interact through the chat box.

For more information about the speakers connect with the Priester Conference website at http://blogs.extension.org/priesterconference/ and click on the preconference webinar tab AFTER you check out the schedule of events for the April 10 – 12 Priester Conference.

We look forward to seeing your name on the list of webinar attendees and at the Priester Conference.



Journal of Health Communication Celebrates 100th Issue!

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

The Journal’s mission of “‘presenting timely research into and evaluations of the use of communication to prevent disease and promote good health’’ is also part of the Creating Healthy Communities mission. We, like the Journal, want to “nurture supportive personal, family, work, and community environments’’. (Ratzan 1996).

Celebrate the 100th issue of the Journal of Health Communication

Celebrate the 100th issue of the Journal of Health Communication

In celebration — the Journal of Health Communication — has open access to all the 100th issues articles. IT IS FREE!

Visit the site at http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/uhcm20/current

Articles include:

•Health Communication Grows in Significance—The 100th Issue

•A Look Back: The Journal of Health Communication Celebrates 100 Issues

•Critiquing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Health Communication Campaigns Targeted to American Indians

•The Picture of Mental Health/Illness in the Printed Media in Three Central European Countries

•Build It, and Will They Come? Unexpected Findings From a Study on a Web-Based Intervention to Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening

•The Role of Endorsers, Framing, and Rewards on the Effectiveness of Dietary Supplement Advertisements

•When Movies Matter: Exposure to Smoking in Movies and Changes in Smoking Behavior

•Using Theory to Identify Beliefs Associated With Support for Policies to Raise the Price of High-Fat and High-Sugar Foods

•Communicating Immunization Science: The Genesis and Evolution of the National Network for Immunization Information

- Remember to visit the site online at http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/uhcm20/current

And YES — we could have linked individually to each  article — but we wanted you to see the breath of work that encompasses health communication before clicking out into hyperspace.

Sit back and read the 100th issue cover to cover

Sit back and read the 100th issue cover to cover - be it a print copy, tablet PC or iPad

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Ratzan , S. ( 1996 ). The status and scope of health communication . Journal of Health Communication http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10810730.2012.646910#tabModule

 

Priester Conference – Call for Abstracts/Presentations January 30 deadline

Friday, January 6th, 2012

The call for Abstracts /Presentations has been made for the April 10-12 Priester Conference in Washington DC — summit your abstracts TODAY! Deadline is January 30th at 5:00 pm EST

2012 PRIESTER NATIONAL EXTENSION HEALTH CONFERENCE

Learn more at:  http://priesterconference.org – links to HOW TO information  and a SUBMISSION PAGE to fill online or print out and send in!

We will be celebrating our 15th Annual Conference – Leveraging Partnerships to Improve the Health of the Nation

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS/PRESENTATIONS!

CONFERENCE DATES  — April 10-12, 2012

LOCATION :  Marriott Renaissance

999 Ninth Street NW

Washington, District Of Columbia 20001 USA

Learn more at:  http://priesterconference.org

REMEMBER — Deadline for Submission of Proposals: January 30, 2012@ 5pm EST

The eXtension Creating Healthy Communities Community of Practice (CoP) is looking forward to the Conference and we hope you are too! Remember to use the #priesterhealth hashtag when you TWEET or post on FACEBOOK.

2012 Jeanne M. Priester Award Nominations Open – February 10, 2012 Deadline

Monday, November 28th, 2011

2012 Jeanne M. Priester Award

Sponsored by the National Priester Extension Health Conference

Nomination Due Date: February 10, 2012

Purpose:

The Jeanne M. Priester Award honors the accomplishments and contributions of Jeanne M. Priester to the Cooperative Extension System. Ms. Priester was a leader in advancing health education within the CES during her tenure at the United States Department of Agriculture. The purpose of the award is to honor Extension programs that are positively impacting the health of people across the United States, and that are providing the leadership to expand Extension’s capacity to effectively implement health programs. The Priester Award will recognize sound and innovative health education programs on the county, state and national level.

Award Categories

Two awards will be given. A nomination can be for either a Statewide/Multi-state Program or County/Multi-county Program.

Award

A plaque will be presented to the winning individual or team in each category. In the case of a team award each team member will also receive a certificate. These awards will be presented at the 2012 National Priester Extension Health Conference to be held April 10-12, 2012 in Washington, DC. Award winners will be notified prior to the conference. It is expected that award winners will be present to receive their award.

Nominations and Eligibility

Any Extension employee may make nominations. Self-nominations are acceptable. Project Leaders must have an Extension appointment and programs must be ongoing to be nominated.

Criteria and Award Eligibility

Proposals will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

1. The program must be a planned ongoing educational program with consistent interventions and a series of activities that focus on a specific health issue. (30 Points)

2. The program targets an at-risk population. (10 Points)

3. The program must show both local and statewide support. (10 Points)

4. The program must demonstrate an evaluation process. (30 Points)

5. There is evidence of a reviewed curriculum or products developed as part of the program. (10 Points)

6. The program must be replicable. (10 Points)

Project Description

Limit project description to 4 pages and attach to the nomination form which follows. Use 12-point font, one-inch margins, and single-spacing. Do not attach supplemental documents, such as publications or brochures.

1. Program Description – This section should provide details on the program such as a description of the following:

a) The need for the program and program objectives;

b) The primary target audience (number of participants, type of audience the program served (demographics); the potential audience that could have been served): and

c) The program delivery methods (type of methods used, number of lessons, training hours, etc).

2. Local and statewide support – This section should briefly describe the extent that the program is accepted at the multi-state, state, and local levels. Include a list of collaborating partners who played a significant role in the program as well as the involvement of stakeholders.

3. Program Evaluation – This section should describe the evaluation process (type of evaluation performed, measurable outcomes validated and changes made to the program, if any, as a result of evaluation.)

4. Products Developed – List any reviewed curriculum, CDs, videos, publications, journal articles, web based resources, etc. developed for the program, note whether products are peer-reviewed, sold to other states or used by other states, etc. When applicable and appropriate, provide a URL where the materials can be viewed.

5. Replicability – This section should include a description of any Extension Services, agencies or organizations who have replicated the program or its potential to be replicated. Include how program was adapted for other communities or target populations.

Review and Selection Process

1. The Priester Conference Planning Committee will coordinate the review and selection process.

2. The review team will consist of both members of the Priester Conference Planning Committee and external individuals.

3. The review team may choose not to give an award if no submitted proposals adequately meet the identified criteria.

4. Proposals will be reviewed based on stated Criteria, Award Eligibility, and Proposal Format requirements

Due Date

The nomination form and project proposal must be received by February 10, 2012. All information must be received under one cover. No late proposals will be reviewed. Send the nomination packet by e-mail to: Anna Mae Kobbe at amkobbe@aol.com. Please use “Priester Award” as the subject header.

Conference Information

Additional information regarding the 2012 National Priester Extension Health Conference including registration information can be found on the web at http://www.priesterconference.org/

Priester Theme Announced! Leveraging Partnerships to Improve the Health of the Nation

Friday, November 4th, 2011

The theme, location and date  have been announced for the Priester National Extension Health Conference.

THEME: Leveraging Partnerships to Improve the Health of the Nation

LOCATION: Marriott Renaissance – 999 Ninth Street NW – Washington, District Of Columbia 20001 USA

DATE: April 10-12, 2012!

Looking forward to hearing updates on a diversity of health issues from health literacy to community greenscapes. It is the Conference’s 15th year of existence and everyone is looking forward to seeing fellow health professionals from throughout the US there.

A call for proposals to be announced shortly.