MPHA Launches Campaign
for a Healthy
Massachusetts
Protecting
the health and safety of the people of Massachusetts
must be high on the agenda of the next
governor. Our voices, in addition to our votes,
are necessary to make this happen. MPHA has
launched the Campaign for a Healthy Massachusetts to
inject public health issues into the race for
governor.
Visit
our web site, www.mphaweb.org, for
opportunities to take action, including:
-
How to
contact the candidates
-
Sample
letter to the editor
-
Questions
to ask candidates at events and
forums
Please
send us any copies of letters published or responses
from candidates. For more information, contact
Eric Weltman: 617-524-6696, ext. 111; eweltman@mphaweb.org.
What are your public health
priorities for the next
governor?
MPHA
will offer the next governor information and advice on
key public health priorities. We want to know
what you think we should tell him or her. What
are the most critical public health concerns facing
Massachusetts? What policy and programmatic
suggestions should we make? What resources
should we provide? Please
respond to Eric Weltman: eweltman@mphweb.org.
Vote on November 7!
On
November 7, Massachusetts voters will choose our next
governor. Voting is one of the most important
ways we can express our values and priorities.
Please make sure your voice is heard on Election
Day. And if you’re attending the APHA meeting,
cast an absentee ballot if you’ll be too busy to vote
that Tuesday.
October 18
is the last day to register to vote for this election.
To determine where you vote, visit www.WhereDoIVoteMA.com. The
polls are open on Election Day from 7:00 am until 8:00
pm. More
information, including details about voting absentee
and the ballot questions, is available at
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/IFV_2006.pdf.
MPHA Annual Meeting Great
Success!
MPHA’s
annual meeting on October 5 engaged, informed, and
energized over 250 people from across the
Commonwealth. A provocative discussion on pandemic
flu planning was kicked off by keynote speaker Dr.
Alfred Crosby, followed by a response panel that
included DPH Commissioner Paul Cote, Representative
Peter Koutoujian, Newton Mayor David Cohen, Stacey
DeBoise Luster, Human Resources Manager for the
Worcester Public Schools, and Dan Murphy, Vice President
of Mass Mutual Life Insurance. MPHA’s Past
President, Judith Kurland, facilitated a lively “Q and
A”, with members urging the public officials to pay more
attention to vulnerable populations and provide more
resources for local public health. Chair of the
Nominating Committee, Bettye Anderson Frederic,
con ducted the
board election, in which John Auerbach, Executive
Director of the Boston Public Health Commission,
was named president. John presented MPHA’s
“Front Line” award to the Massachusetts Association of
Community Health Workers (MACHW) for their work to
increase access to health care, reduce health
disparities, and promote professional development for
community health workers.
APHA is Coming to
Boston!
The American
Public Health Association’s 134th Annual
Meeting and Exposition will be held in Boston November
4th through the 8th at the Boston Convention and
Exhibition Center. MPHA is holding a free
reception on Sunday evening, November 5, 6:00pm -
7:30pm at the Seaport Hotel’s Plaza B Ballroom for
Massachusetts APHA and MPHA members. It will be an
excellent opportunity to network with colleagues around
the state.
MPHA will
also have a booth at the exposition. Please stop
by and say hello! For more information, contact
Roberta Friedman: 617-524-6696, ext. 103; rfriedman@mphaweb.org.
MPHA’s Budget
Spreadsheet
MPHA has
already started advocacy for the Fiscal Year 2008 public
health budget. For details of this year’s budget
and comparisons to past years, click
here.
Book Reading: “Appetite for
Profit”
On
Wednesday, November 1 from
7:00pm-9:00pm, MPHA’s Food and Nutrition Section is
sponsoring a book reading by Michele Simon, author of
“Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines
Our Health and How to Fight Back.” Simon is the
founder and director of the Center for Informed Food
Choices in Oakland, CA and a public health lawyer who
has been working as a nutrition advocate since
1996. The location of the reading is to be
determined. For more information, contact Roberta
Friedman: 617-524-6696, ext. 103; rfriedman@mphweb.org.
Emergency Preparedness for
Vulnerable Populations
Threats of
natural disaster, pandemic flu, and acts of terrorism
are tragic realities in our world. Everyone is at
risk, but there are populations, including the elderly,
children, the disabled, immigrants, and the homeless,
that face greater challenges if disaster
strikes.
With the
support of the Department of Public Health and the
Harvard School of Public Health, MPHA is organizing
three forums on emergency preparedness for vulnerable
populations. The forums are free, but advance
registration is required.
Thursday,
October 19, 8:30 am – 1:00 pm
Somerville
Holiday Inn, 30 Washington Street,
Somerville
Light
refreshments will be provided.
To
register, or for more information, download the
flier, or contact
Eric Weltman: 617-524-6696, ext. 111; eweltman@mphaweb.org
Wednesday,
October 25, 9:00 am
-- 12:00 pm
Worcester
YWCA,
1
Salem Square,
Worcester
Light
refreshments will be provided.
To
register, or for more information, download
the flier,
or contact Sara Kanevsky: 508-414-0976; sara.kanevsky@gmail.com.
Thursday,
October 26, 9:00 am -- 3:00 pm
M.
Kasparian Professional Development Center, 60
Alton Street, Springfield
Lunch
will be provided
To
register, or for more information,
download the
flier, or contact AJ Juarez:
413-750-2060;
ajjuarez@verizon.com
Environmental and
Occupational Health Section
Update
MPHA’s
Environmental and Occupational Health Section is
developing a new framework for engaging members,
connecting with other health groups, and reaching out to
the public. At a September 28 meeting, section
co-chairs Polly Hoppin and Sam Lipson discussed working
in three areas: assisting with MPHA’s legislative
advocacy; supporting local health officials and
concerned residents with technical advice and
assistance, and sponsoring educational forums and
networking events. The co-chairs are seeking the
input and involvement of other MPHA members, whether or
not you’re in the section. Please contact Eric
Weltman: 617-524-6696, ext. 111; eweltman@mphweb.org.
MPHA Helps Launch
Massachusetts Partnership for Healthy
Weight
On September
27, over 200 people attended “Healthy Weight in
Massachusetts: Coming Together for Effective
Action.” The conference, mc’ed by MPHA’s Director
of Education, Roberta Friedman, was the kick-off event
for the Massachusetts Partnership for Healthy
Weight. The coalition will promote a statewide
plan for the prevention and control of overweight, and
provide resources and information to interested
organizations and individuals. For more
information, contact Roberta Friedman: 617-524-6696,
ext. 103; rfriedman@mphaweb.org.
Top Preventive Health
Measures
A 2006 study
by the Partnership for Prevention ranks aspirin therapy,
childhood immunizations, and tobacco use screening and
intervention as the nation’s top preventive health
measures. The study, published in the July
issue of American Journal of Preventive
Medicine, ranks 25 preventive health services
according to their health benefits and cost
values. The study revealed that the preventive
health services that can bring the greatest return on
investment have delivery rates of 50 percent or lower
for the general population. “For the poor and
racial and ethnic and racial minorities, the delivery of
preventive services is even worse,” according to Dr.
Michael Maciosek, one of the study’s co-authors.
For more information, visit www.prevent.org or call
(202) 955-6222, ext. 2553. [Excerpted from the American
Public Health Association news journal, Our Nation’s
Health, August, 2006]
Public Hearing on Single
Payer Health
The Western
Massachusetts Single Payer Network and 30 local
organizations, including the Massachusetts Public Health
Association, are sponsoring a public hearing on HR 676,
the National Single Payer Health Care Bill. The
forum is on Saturday, October 21, from 1:00 – 4:00 pm,
at the Forum Auditorium at Holyoke Community
College. Congressman John Olver will chair
the hearing, and Mary Ford, former mayor of Northampton,
will be the moderator. For more information,
contact AJ Juarez: 413-750-2060; ajjuarez@verizon.com.
Nutrition Workforce
Survey
The 2006 Public Health
Nutrition Workforce Survey, sponsored by the Association
of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition
Directors (ASTPHND), has been launched. The survey
documents the workforce capacity, as well as the
credentialing and training needs of public health and
community nutritionists. If you are a public health
nutritionist working in Massachusetts who receives
funding from state or government sources, private
foundations, corporate grants, or third party
reimbursements, please contact Julie Schaeffer at julie.schaeffer@state.ma.us
to be included in this survey.
Brain Injury Awareness
Walk
The 4th
annual "Heads Held High" Brain Injury Awareness Walk
will be held on Saturday, October 14, 2006 from
10am-2pm; Jamaica Pond, Jamaica Plain. Honorary
Chairperson Trisha Meili, brain injury survivor and
author of I Am the Central Park Jogger, will
address the walkers at 11 AM and sign copies of her
book following the 1.5 mile walk. Event will feature a
raffle, entertainment and music, food, and educational
exhibits. Proceeds benefit the Boston Acquired Brain
Injury Support Group (BABIS) and Brain Injury
Association of Massachusetts. For information, call
Sally Johnson, LICSW at 617-573-2539, or visit www.BABIS.info.
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