KPHA Fall Conference Information Alert—time is running out!

The Kansas Public Health Association, with the support from the Kansas Health Foundation, and the Kansas University School of Medicine, and Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition will sponsor the 65th KPHA Fall Conference and Annual Meeting, “Small Steps toward Great Change” on September 17 and 18, 2008 at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Topeka. Make sure you are part of this annual event of over 315 individuals! Attendees include public health professionals, physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, local and state health department employees and other health care professionals throughout Kansas from public health as well as private practice. If you haven’t already registered, this is your personal invitation to attend this year’s conference, both as a conference attendee (for one or both days) of the conference, and, also as an Exhibitor—to share your efforts in our field of “working for a healthier Kansas”. (If you haven’t registered time is running out for the early bird fees and booking a room at the Conference rate!)

There are several exciting opportunities for you, your agency, and/or your employer to demonstrate your support for health promotion in Kansas and to network with others with the same mission. Exhibit space is available to display your product, project, program, or public health purpose—the KPHA Fall Conference is the perfect place to get the word out. Space is limited, so please reserve your spot as soon as possible. This year we have reduced exhibitor’s fees! To register as an Exhibitor and for the rest of the Conference you will need to visit www.kpha.us. We also need a sponsor for the box suppers for Wednesday evening, as we are planning a “Steps Challenge”. We already have Cleveland Chiropractic College sponsoring water bottles for this event. If you have questions, or need additional information, please call (785) 233-3103. We hope to see you in Topeka, September 17-18!

Thanks for your support! Please let everyone you know who works for a Healthier Kansas!

Scholarships available to attend Fall Conference!

KPHA has funds from a grant from the Kansas Health Foundation to provide scholarships to attend the annual public health fall conference. Scholarships will cover the cost of conference registration. Applicants must either be currently enrolled in a Kansas Master of Public Health program, be a recent Kansas MPH program graduate (within 4 months of conference date), or be a current student in another health-related program (e.g., Medicine, Nursing, Social Work, Health Education) to be eligible. All Applicants must be a Student Member of KPHA. Visit www.kpha.us for the Scholarship Form.

Nominate a deserving colleague for an Award!

Each year at the statewide public health conference, KPHA honors individuals and organizations for meritorious service in the field of public health and environment. Any member may submit nominations for these awards. Unless specifically stated, awards are restricted to KPHA members. Members can send in their nominations to the KPHA Awards Committee. That group reviews nominations and presents its recommendations to the board of directors for its approval. KPHA’s awards are as follows:

Samuel J. Crumbine Medal, So special, it is even registered with the Library of Congress. The “Crumbine” is given for meritorious service related to the improvement of the health of Kansans and/or the environment of the state. Recipients of other KPHA awards may also receive this one. A $2000 scholarship is given!

Special Service Awards, for an individual who has rendered outstanding service to Kansas in the interest of public health and/or environmental improvement. May be presented to a non-member of KPHA.

Dorothy Woodin Award, for outstanding public health nursing service.

Jane Addams Award, for the social worker who exemplifies the qualities of Jane Addams, including a pioneering spirit, trailblazer, and striving to improve the health of the poor and the sanitary conditions of communities.

Virginia Lockhart Health Education Award, recognizes excellence in public health promotion of health and/or environmental issues.

Corporate Public Health Service Award, given to a business or organization which, through public policy activities, makes a significant contribution to the mission of public health and/or environmental improvement in Kansas.

Members wishing to submit nominations in any category should complete the form http://www.kpha.us/documents/awards_form.rtf and email it to director@kpha.us. The deadline has been extended to August 25th!

Thanks to Dr. Ruth Wetta Hall we will have voting devices at Annual Meeting!

Ruth has arranged for KPHA members to vote on specific questions, such as Legislative Priorities and ways to improve our association at the meeting by using the most up to date technology provided by the Kansas University School of Medicine! Plan to come to the meeting and vote. “Every Vote Counts!” The Nominating Committee is working on the slate of officers for 2009 and ballots will be made available to every registrant member at the Conference and will be emailed to those members not attending the conference for their votes. Watch for upcoming information on the candidates! It is Election Year!!

Thanks to KPHA member, Linda Frazier, we will have some great door prizes!

Many of the mementos you take home from Conference this year will be the result of Linda Frazier, KDHE’s hard work in rounding up door prizes! And, there are some very special ones. Thanks to Sonja Armbruster, Sedgwick County Health Department, we will have pedometers and we are also ordering measuring cups, and putting together a “Steps Challenge” with a “Start your Steps”.

KPHA President Elect Sonja Armbruster attends 2008 APHA Affiliate Presidents-Elect Meeting

Annually, APHA covers the cost of travel to bring each president-elect to their headquarters in Washington, DC for a meeting.

Attendees: In addition to about a dozen APHA staff who supported various presentations, there was one representative (usually the president-elect) from about 35 affiliates. Below is Sonja’s report:

Purpose
• Understand the staffing and governance of the American Public Health Association
• Understand the affiliate role in APHA
• Set expectations for member and affiliate roles in advocating for the public’s health
• Receive a legislative update, receive training for “Hill Visits” and then meet with legislators
• Learn from peers

Key Experiences
• We had two extended opportunities to meet with peers from other states, where I learned a great deal about:

1) how others charge for and recruit membership and

2) about how others advocate for health policy change in their states.

• The associate director of the Pubic Health Accreditation Board shared the latest update from PHAB. Draft standards for accreditation (for local and state health departments) will be available for review in August. There will be an opportunity to comment at a town-forum-discussion at APHA’s annual meeting, which I’ll be attending.

• The National Public Health Performance Standards Program presented the tools they have available for assessment of communities. NPHPSP is a collaborative effort or seven public health organizations including APHA.

• I learned about several national health priorities and have fact sheets I could share. APHA supports a CDC Coalition which is asking for a budget allocation that is $1.5 billion more than is in the president’s budget. APHA supports Friends of HRSA to advocate for a budget for them that is $2 billion more than in the president’s budget. APHA supports FDA regulation of tobacco and investment in public health infrastructure to impact climate change. The most exciting health policy news was the fact that a compromise for mental health parity had been reached between the house and senate versions.

• I met with health policy staff for Tiahrt and Roberts to learn about their positions on these issues and learn what is most pressing to them. Of course, they were returning to Kansas to celebrate the Government Accountability Office finding that the Air Force had made a number of significant errors that could have affected the outcome the competition between Boeing and Northrop Grumman. Tiahrt had a large sign on his office door: “Vindicated”.

This was an excellent professional development opportunity for me.

News on a Conference from Past President Dr. Kim Richter

Tim Grollmes is a Tobacco Treatment Specialist at Creighton Cardiac Center and has been involved in very exciting smoking cessation research in cardiac care. He is helping put together the National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) tobacco summit in KC. The summit website for your viewing is located at: http://lgbttobacco.googlepages.com/2008.

“Over five years now LGBTQ tobacco advocates from across the country have been gathering to plan for how to turn the tide on LGBTQ tobacco use. Unfortunately LGBTQs are winning the wrong types of awards with our dramatically high smoking rates,” says Dr. Scout, the Director of the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network.

These annual Tobacco Summits have been a key resource for people working on tobacco disparities, showcasing best practices and providing lots of networking time. Thanks to generous lead funding from the Missouri Foundation for Health, this year’s summit will be independent of the National Conference on Tobacco or Health and even expand to encompass a day and a half of trainings and workshops. So, if you’re interested in eliminating tobacco disparities, come join us in Kansas City for our Summit, it’s a don’t miss event!”

Kansas Public Health Grand Rounds Fall 2008 Series

The Kansas Association for Local Health Departments, Kansas Department of Health and Environment and KU Medical Center’s Department of Preventive Medicine and Area Health Education Centers are once again collaborating to make available the Kansas Public Health Grand Rounds series. The Fall 2008 series will occur live on Wednesdays from 12:00 – 1:00 between late August and mid-December via the internet utilizing the Elluminate web conferencing system.

Based upon feedback from participants in the Spring 2008 series, as well as current issues in public health, topics identified for the Fall 2008 series include: Worksite wellness; Newborn screening update; Injury prevention; Special needs populations and emergency preparedness; Oral Health update; Certification exams for public health graduates; community health assessments; community environmental assessments; Preventing food borne outbreaks; Lessons learned from the Iowa flooding; and Built environment and local policies.

Enrollment for the Fall 2008 has begun. Your organization may enroll by emailing our office at ksphgr@kumc.edu or calling us at 620-235-4040. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us.

KPHA Sponsor for Kansas Reads to Preschoolers

The State Library of Kansas & the Kansas Center for the Book are once again proud to promote the importance of reading to Kansas preschoolers & other youth. In our fourth year of sponsorship, this year's book written by Karma Wilson, is Bear Feels Sick.

November 16 - 22, 2008
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/orgs/kcfb/bear.htm

Learn more about our Sponsors & Partners

Sponsors:

KPIRC
Kansas Parent Information & Resource
www.kpirc.org

KPHA
Kansas Public Health Association
www.kpha.us

Partners:

KACCRRA
Kansas Assoc. Child Care Resource Referral Agencies
www.kaccrra.org

KLCY
Kansas Library Children Youth Consultants

KHO
Kansas Health Online
http://kansashealthonline.org

Contact Information
Janie Rutherford
Communications Specialist
janier@kslib.info

800-432-3919
785-291-3230

Office Address:
State Library of Kansas, Rm. 343N
Topeka, KS 66612-1593

What can YOU do to help a child find joy in reading while learning about Health?
We will have these books available at the Conference!!