New Template for = MPHA

July Update

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Save the Date! MPHA=92s Annual=20 = Meeting

MPHA's=20 annual meeting will be on Thursday, October 5 at = the=20 Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center in = Marlborough. Our=20 keynote speaker is Dr. Alfred Crosby, author of=20 America's Forgotten Pandemic: The Influenza = of=20 1918. The event will feature an expo and = poster=20 session, luncheon and awards ceremony, business = meeting,=20 update on our very productive year, and conclude = with a=20 wine and cheese reception. For more information, = please=20 contact Roberta Friedman: rfriedman@mphaweb.org,=20 or 617-524-6696, ext. = 103.

Preserve Our=20 Budget Victories!

On June 30, the House and = Senate=20 Conference Committee concluded its FY07 budget=20 negotiations. We=92re pleased to report that the = $473.4=20 million budget for the Department of Public = Health (DPH)=20 is an increase of $42.6 million over = FY06.

We should be proud of our=20 accomplishments. However, there is one more = important=20 step: urging the legislature to over-ride = Governor=20 Romney=92s public health vetoes, announced on = July 8,=20 totaling over $6 million. Details will be = provided in a=20 forthcoming alert.

Click here for a link to our = spreadsheet=20 analysis of the entire DPH budget. = For more=20 information, please contact Eric Weltman: = 617-524-6696,=20 ext. 111,or = eweltman@mphaweb.org.

New Report Assesses = Local Health=20 Departments

In light=20 of emerging public health threats, such as = pandemic flu,=20 natural disasters, and terrorism, MPHA joined = its=20 colleagues in the Coalition for Local Public = Health in=20 producing an analysis of the workforce capacity = of the=20 Commonwealth's local health departments. Among = our=20 study's conclusions: over 70 percent of local = health=20 officials report that they do not have enough = staff to=20 fulfill their = responsibilities.

At a State House media event on June = 28, the=20 coalition was joined by Senator Richard Moore = and=20 Representative Patricia Walrath, co-chairs of = the Health=20 Care Financing Committee, and Senator Susan = Fargo,=20 co-chair of the Public Health Committee, in = calling=20 attention to the need to strengthen local health = departments.=20

Click here to = download the=20 report.

Legislation=20 Update

As the legislative session begins = to wind=20 down, MPHA and its allies are working hard and = making=20 progress on important public health bills,=20 including:

Pharmacy Access=20 Bill
On June 30, Governor = Romney vetoed=20 legislation to prevent AIDS and hepatitis C by=20 legalizing the over-the-counter sale of clean = needles=20 without a prescription. The legislature is = expected to=20 over-ride the = veto.

Mercury Products=20 Bill
A conference committee=20 successfully ironed out minor differences in the = House=20 and Senate bills, and the House and Senate have = both=20 enacted the bill. Next stop: Governor Romney=92s = desk.=20 It's expected that Romney may amend the bill so = please=20 stay tuned.

School Nutrition=20 Bill
H. = 4452 is in=20 the House Ways and Means Committee, awaiting a = vote on=20 the House floor. We=92re continuing to generate = support,=20 publishing op-ed pieces in local newspapers, = obtaining=20 new endorsements, and sending =93got lunch?=94 = postcards to=20 legislators.

For more=20 information, please contact Eric Weltman: = 617-524-6696,=20 ext. 111, or eweltman@mphaweb.org.

Central = Massachusetts=20 = Report

Two new regional committee members = and an=20 intern are working with MPHA Organizer Sara = Kanevsky in=20 central Massachusetts. Committee member Dr. = Robin Toft=20 Klar is an assistant professor at the Graduate = School of=20 Nursing at the UMass Medical School, and also = serves as=20 co-chair of MPHA=92s Public Health Nursing = section.=20 Committee member Keesha LaTulippe works at the = Willis=20 Center in Worcester, has worked with the = Worcester Youth=20 Center, and recently spoke at a Community Forum = on=20 Multi-Cultural Mental Health Care at Clark = University.=20 Piper Lillard, a third year resident at Barre = Family=20 Health Center, will start a practicum this = summer with=20 the Central Massachusetts Committee.=20

The=20 Central Massachusetts Committee has launched a = Model=20 Healthy Schools Campaign in Greater Worcester to = preserve and expand funding for community = schools and=20 school-based health centers. The committee is = starting=20 with a pilot project at the Elm Park Community = School to=20 design and fund a school health center that will = be open=20 to the community throughout the school day and = after=20 school hours.

For more=20 information, please contact Sara Kanevsky: = 508-414-0976,=20 or sara.kanevsky@gmail.com.

Western = Massachusetts=20 Report

Community organizer AJ Juarez = helped=20 coordinate a community and legislative breakfast = on the=20 new health care access law. The speakers were = Ann=20 Eldridge-Malone, from the Alliance to Defend = Health=20 Care, and Brian Rosman, of Health Care for All. = Over 40=20 people attended, including staff from the = offices of=20 State Representatives Coakley-Rivera, Keenan, = and Welch,=20 and the event was featured on local television = news. The=20 breakfast, held quarterly, is a partnership = between=20 MPHA, the Pioneer Valley Area Health Education = Center,=20 the Community Outreach Workers Network and = Training=20 Coalition (COWNT), the Springfield Health = Department,=20 and Partners for a Healthier Community Inc. (a = program=20 of Baystate Hospital).

The=20 Community Health Network Area #4 (Springfield), = chaired=20 by Francis Hubbard, has formed a public policy=20 subcommittee. Areas of interest for the CHNA, = which=20 includes many MPHA members, are youth violence, = the=20 community benefits programs, and community = health worker=20 initiatives. CHNA #4 recently joined MPHA as a = two-year=20 organizational member.

For more=20 information, please contact AJ Juarez: = 413-750-2060, or=20 ellis6065@charter.net.

Successful Global Warming=20 Forum

On June 21, MPHA=92s Environmental and = Occupational=20 Health 3D""

Section held a = successful forum on=20 global warming. Dr. Paul Epstein, of the Harvard = Medical=20 School, gave a compelling assessment of public = health=20 concerns, while Lori Segall, of the = Massachusetts=20 Climate Action Network, followed up with a = discussion of=20 how to get involved at the local level. If you = are=20 interested in future section meetings, please = contact=20 Roberta Friedman: rfriedman@mphaweb.org=20 or 617-524-6696, ext. 103.

Obesity = Prevention in=20 Framingham

MPHA is=20 pleased to announce that we were awarded a grant = by the=20 MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation to = work with=20 the Framingham Public Schools on overweight and = obesity=20 prevention. We will work to involve the = community in=20 order to successfully implement the school = nutrition and=20 physical activity wellness policy. We will begin = by=20 hiring a part-time community organizer. If would = like to=20 learn more about the position, please contact = Roberta=20 Friedman: rfriedman@mphaweb.org,=20 or 617-524-6696, ext. 103.

MASS=20 211

MPHA board=20 member and Medical Foundation President Ray = Considine=20 announced that the Medical Foundation was = awarded a=20 contract to implement Mass 211, the emergency = line for=20 health and human services assistance. = Thirty-eight=20 states have already gone on line and = Masschusetts' will=20 be running by the 2^nd week of August. = For=20 more information, please contact Gary Lever at = the=20 Medical Foundation: 617-451-0049, ext.=20 302.