Minnesota can continue forward on effort to improve care for Medicaid enrollees while saving taxpayer dollars.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) in August announced federal approval to implement changes to the way it pays health care providers under the state’s Medicaid program.

More info:
http://healthreform.health.state.mn.us/2012/08/state-gets-federal-approval-for.html

MPHA August 2012 Newsletter

Staff members of APHA sang, danced and practiced readiness in their homage to Billboard chart-topper, “Call Me Maybe.” The YouTube video got over 2,500 hits in its first two weeks of release. Help promote disaster readiness and groundbreaking choreography by viewing and sharing the video with friends, family and colleagues. Disasters happen, so let’s get ready!

The American Lung Association in Minnesota is seeking a full-time manager of respiratory services.  This manager will assist Director of Respiratory Health with development and implementation of lung disease education programs for patients, caregivers, and professionals.  Essential functions include:  partnering with clinics and hospitals on quality improvement projects; gathering and reporting disease-specific morbidity and mortality data to describe the scope of lung disease in Minnesota; and building disease-specific coalitions and workgroups.  A four-year degree and 4 years equivalent of education/experience in Public Health, Community Health Education, or related field.  Masters preferred.  For more information, go to: http://bit.ly/Mv4XgG

Letter of Intent must be received (electronically) by 5:00PM on Friday, July 20, 2012

The Minnesota Food and Nutrition Network (MFNN) is a member-based organization that fosters coalitions to build and strengthen alliances focused on nutrition and physical activity for low-income persons.

More info and to apply:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/health/network.html

the Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, announced a call for proposals for grants to conduct health impact assessments (HIAs). HIAs identify and address the health impacts of decisions in other sectors, such as planning roads, passing agriculture legislation, or siting schools.

“Public health professionals, policy makers and communities are increasingly finding health impact assessments a valuable tool to bring health into decisions in other sectors in order to address problems like diabetes, asthma, and injury,” said Aaron Wernham, M.D., director of the Health Impact Project. “The field is growing quickly. We will continue to support organizations and regions that are new to using health impact assessments, while, for the first time, helping experienced practitioners find ways to make HIA a routine, sustainable part of decision making.” 

The call for proposals will support two kinds of awards: demonstration project grants, which will each fund a single HIA to inform a specific upcoming decision on a proposed policy, program, plan, or project; and HIA program grants, which will allow organizations with prior experience to develop stable HIA programs that endure beyond the conclusion of the grant period. Grants will support government agencies, educational organizations, or non-profits.

Up to eight demonstration project grants will be awarded, each for up to $75,000. Applicants need not have prior experience conducting an HIA. Applicants proposing innovative topics for an HIA, those with strong plans for engaging stakeholders (including community members, policymakers, and industry), and those seeking to work in states or regions that have seen relatively little HIA activity to date will receive preference. (For more information about current locations and the decisions the HIAs are informing, please see the map of HIA activity in the United States.) The Health Impact Project will provide training and technical assistance to all grantees throughout each grant. Three of the grants will be Minnesota, funded through support from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation.

The Health Impact Project will also fund up to three HIA program awards, each for up to $250,000. These grants will allow organizations with prior experience to conduct at least two new HIAs and to implement a plan that establishes the relationships, systems, and funding mechanisms needed to maintain a stable HIA program that endures beyond the conclusion of the grant period.

Applications are due September 14. The Health Impact Project will also host three webinars for potential applicants:

• August 1, 2012 – General information for all interested applicants.
• August 7, 2012 – Information on the “Screening” stage of HIA. This call will help demonstration grant applicants define an appropriate decision-making target for the HIA.
• August 15, 2012 – General information web conference call for interested HIA program applicants.

Registration is required for all webinar attendees. Early response is encouraged, as participation will be limited.

During the previous call for proposals, additional resources from other funders expanded the number of grants available. In the event that the number of grants available for this call for proposals increases, that information, including details such as the topics or geographic regions, will be communicated via the Health Impact Project funding opportunity page and e-newsletter.

This morning, in 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act. The majority opinion was authored by Chief Justice John Roberts and was joined by Justices Elena Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor. The ruling represents a major victory for public health advocates who worked tirelessly over the past two years in support of the law.

“Today’s historic ruling by the nation’s highest court marks a significant milestone in our national efforts to improve the delivery and financing of health services in the U.S. and to promote health and wellness rather than disease treatment,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), executive director of APHA in a statement released by the Association following the court’s decision.

For additional information about the court’s decision, visit the Supreme Court’s website or SCOTUSblog.

On Thursday, July 5, at 3 p.m. ET, APHA and other health partners will sponsor a webinar with leading health legal experts to discuss the implications of the court’s decision.

For background on key provisions in the ACA, including the Prevention and Public Health Fund, visit APHA’s health reform website. For an overview of the law as well as state-specific fact sheets on how your state is benefiting from the ACA, visit the Healthcare.gov website.

APHA releases prevention fund brief

In June, APHA’s Center for Public Health Policy released a new issue brief: The Prevention and Public Health Fund: A Critical Investment in our Nation’s Physical and Fiscal Health.

Created by the ACA, the Prevention and Public Health Fund is an investment in activities that can help communities improve health outcomes and help the U.S. decrease health care costs. The issue brief summarizes the need for and impact of prevention and public health funding, reviews the design and intentions of the Fund, and provides an update on how the Fund has been implemented and allocated to date.

 

The School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota invites you and members of your organization to enroll in a newly designed Public Health Certificate in Performance Improvement (PI).

Launched in fall of 2011, the inaugural class consisted of 24 leaders and key decision-makers from local and state public health departments across the country. Taught by nationally-recognized faculty and public health experts, the Certificate in Performance Improvement is designed specifically to teach public health professionals the methods and techniques for successfully implementing Performance Improvement projects in public health departments.    

For more info:
http://www.sph.umn.edu/programs/certificate/piph/

Nominations must be submitted no later than July 31, 2012

Organizers of the Fourth Annual Minnesota Childhood Injury Summit are requesting nominations for the Champion of Child Safety Award. The award honors an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the prevention of unintentional injuries to children in Minnesota. The recipient will be recognized at the summit on September 20, 2012, in St. Paul.

For more info: http://bit.ly/O4sGon

MPHA is one of 18 organizations and 21 legislators to sign a letter to the people of Minnesota in support of many principles of health care reform.  It was sent to media outlets on June 21.

 

MPHA Open letter on health reform.pdf