KPHA Statutes and Regulations Book now available
The updated 2011 KPHA Public Health Statutes and Regulations Book is now availavble on the Members Only site at www.kpha.us!  KUMC Student, Charles Coffee once again helped KPHA in getting last year's Session Laws that were not available until this past January updated into the book. We have a another KUMC Student, Heidi Wells, who is making the book into a friendly web format! So, watch for this and the trainig on how to use it. If you received this email, you are an active member of KPHA and can get on the Members Only part of the KPHA website to see the book.If you want to save a copy of the Statutes and Regs book, just go to www.kpha.us and click on the Members Only at the top.  You will be asked to enter your email address and password.  If you have not ever been on the site, click on the Forgot Password, and it will be emailed to you.

KPHLI Applications
KPHLI provides an opportunity for participants to develop their leadership knowledge, skills, and competencies in order to strengthen organizational effectiveness and positively impact the public health system in Kansas. The vision of the KPHLI is to improve leadership competencies of the public health workforce in order to improve the public health infrastructure and reduce health disparities in Kansas in the 21st century. To learn more about KPHLI and apply for Cycle IX click on: http://www.waldcenter.org/kphli/ 
Region VII APHA Affiliates Meeting

The Region VII meeting on April 14th and 15th in Kansas City was well attended by the KPHA Board and Staff.  Captain Jose Belardo came and talked to the group of Board Members and Staff of Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa.  We had wonderful networking at the meals and during the meetings.
It was decided to make it an annual even following National Public Health Week every April. Watch for more information in the quarterly newsletter.
Here is a list of the attendees at the meeting, and as you can see KPHA had the most:
Iowa
Kevin Grieme
Louise Lex
Bonnie Rubin
Mary Weaver
Kansas:
Ryan Heiman
Arrie Morris
Ellen Averett
Ruth Wetta-Hall
David Cook
Tanya Honderick
Eldonna Chestnut
Michelle Peterson
Heather Henke
Elaine Schwartz
Shirley Orr
Jamie Katz
Lyndi Munro
Missouri
Pat Parker
Denise Strehlow-labardi
Bert Malone
Rex Archer, MD
Mr. Pat Morgester
Dalen Duitsman, PhD
Ms. Jodee Frederick
Freddie Nichols
Cindy Horne
Nebraska:
Rita Parris
David Corbin
Alice Schumaker
Christopher Fisher
Terry Krohn
Kate Nickel
Deb Scholten
Ed Schneider

National Public Health Week
Thanks so many who participated in National Public Health Week.  KPHA has received pictures and articles from KUMC Students, Shawnee County Health Agency, and the Lawrence Douglas Health Agency that will be included in the next quarterly newsletter.  If you have pictures or articles to send, email them to director@kpha.us. 

APHA Mid year Meeting
The Affordable Care Act has profound implications for public health. While several important provisions have taken effect, full implementation is still to come. And dramatic spending cuts proposed at the federal, state and local levels threaten to undermine both health reform and existing public health programs. These challenges present both obstacles to and opportunities for transforming our nation’s health system. Join APHA and our partners in Chicago, June 23-25, for the APHA Midyear Meeting: Implementing Health Reform — A Public Health Approach, a pivotal conference to chart the next steps for transforming our nation’s health system, advancing prevention and wellness, and improving the health of our communities. Special registration discounts are also available for APHA members as well as members of the Midyear Meeting partner organizations. Special discounted hotel rates are also available. Jennifer Granholm, former governor of Michigan, leading pollster and political strategist Celinda Lake, and veteran journalist and Health Affairs Editor Susan Dentzer are among the influential speakers confirmed for the Midyear Meeting. A full list of speakers, including top federal, state and local health officials and other leading public health experts, is available by browsing the Midyear Meeting schedule or the alphabetical list of speakers. The meeting will feature several dynamic plenary sessions and offer learning through interactive breakout sessions on topics such as prevention, advocacy, protecting public health programs and more. Continuing education credits are available for Midyear Meeting attendees in CME, CHES, CNE and CPH. Earn up to 13 credit hours by adding continuing education during the registration process for only $25. Come join KPHA members at this first mid-year meeting of our Parent organization.  If it is anything like the annual meeting, attendees will come away loaded with new and invigorating ideas.  The networking is always wonderful as well. Register today to hear from top industry insiders, health officials and experts. For the most up-to-date information, visit www.apha.org/midyear.
Submitted by Eldonna Chesnut, RN, BSN, MSN, Immediate Past President of KPHA, APHA Affiliate Representative to Governing Council
  
Job opening in Lawrence
rence-Douglas County Health Department is currently seeking a Child Care Licensing Surveyor to join its well-trained, motivated work force.
The Child Care Licensing Surveyor plays an important role in the community by helping to assure safe and healthy environments for children in out-of-home care. This position works throughout Douglas County to evaluate child care centers and home child care facilities for
compliance with state licensing regulations. A minimum of an associate’s degree in early childhood education or related field and one year of work experience with children and families is required. Individuals who excel in time management and independent judgment and have an ability to consistently enforce regulations are encouraged to apply.
If you have a desire to work with our team of motivated and passionate public health professionals, apply today. At the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, you will be given the opportunity to make a difference and help improve the health of our community. We provide excellent benefits including health insurance, vacation and enrollment in the state’s defined benefits retirement plan.
Submit resume to Karen Flanders, Child Care Licensing Coordinator, at:jobs@ldchealth.org
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World Malaria Day

April 25, 2011

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Statement of B.F. (Lee) Hall, M.D., Ph.D., and Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
National Institutes of Health

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In commemorating World Malaria Day and reflecting on this year’s theme, “Achieving Progress and Impact,” we celebrate the important strides made in many regions of the world to control malaria, while acknowledging the enormous challenges that remain.

In 2000, an estimated 350 million to 500 million clinical cases of malaria occurred worldwide and more than 1 million people died from the disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). By 2009, there were about 225 million cases of clinical malaria and 781,000 deaths. Decreases in cases of malaria occurred in all affected regions, with the greatest decline in the number of malaria deaths occurring in Africa. Furthermore, in 2010, WHO certified that two countries, Morocco and Turkmenistan, had eliminated malaria—that is, reduced the incidence of infections in their countries to zero. Although these numbers reflect significant improvements, the global burden of malaria remains far too high and will require sustained and coordinated efforts from the international community to reduce it further.

Today we enter the third year of the Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP), developed by the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership. The GMAP, an international framework for coordinated action against malaria, sets ambitious goals to control, eliminate and eradicate malaria. The National Institutes of Health is committed to supporting the GMAP. To make continued progress and achieve long-term GMAP goals, we must build a sustainable pipeline of new products, novel interventions and innovative strategies to diagnose, treat and prevent malaria as well as interrupt its transmission. Below we describe examples of significant advances made in these areas during the past year.

To read the rest of this article, please visit: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2011/Pages/2011WorldMalariaDay.aspx

New Book and Form posted!

The new 2011-2012 KPHA Public Health Statutes and Regulations are posted under the Members Only section. 

APHA Affiliates Student Reciprocity Form has also been posted under the Member Application> Additional Applications section.

Alzheimer's diagnostic guidelines updated for first time in decades

NIH-supported revision also proposes staging of disease, potential use of biomarkers

For the first time in 27 years, clinical diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease dementia have been revised, and research guidelines for earlier stages of the disease have been characterized to reflect a deeper understanding of the disorder. The National Institute on Aging/Alzheimer's Association Diagnostic Guidelines for Alzheimer's Disease outline some new approaches for clinicians and provides scientists with more advanced guidelines for moving forward with research on diagnosis and treatments. They mark a major change in how experts think about and study Alzheimer's disease. Development of the new guidelines was led by the National Institutes of Health and the Alzheimer’s Association.

The original criteria were the first to address the disease and described only later stages, when symptoms of dementia are already evident. The updated guidelines announced today cover the full spectrum of the disease as it gradually changes over many years. They describe the earliest preclinical stages of the disease, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia due to Alzheimer's pathology. Importantly, the guidelines now address the use of imaging and biomarkers in blood and spinal fluid that may help determine whether changes in the brain and those in body fluids are due to Alzheimer's disease. Biomarkers are increasingly employed in the research setting to detect onset of the disease and to track progression, but cannot yet be used routinely in clinical diagnosis without further testing and validation.

For more on this article please go to: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2011/nia-19.htm

The first meeting of MINK (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas) Public Health association is occuring in Kansas City Mo.  Today's sessions consisted of idea sharing and updates of affilitiate issues/challenges, presentations from Capt. Jose Belardo - Region VII HHS, and from the current NALBO President. Second day sessions will include presentations from the Great Lakes affilitates regarding the coalition they have formed and its successes.  Attenees are board members of the four states and APHA section leadership from the the states.    There is hope to make this an annual event and to grow the attenees in the future.  Watch for pictures and furhter information.   

As a KPHA member I want to ask you a very special request.  As National Public Health Week winds down, please email your pictures and articles about any events you participated in or sponsored to me at director@kpha.us.  We will post them on our website and send them to APHA for the Nation's Health publication. 

Dr. Sharon Homan with the Kansas Health Insitute asked me to give her interns a tour of the Capitol and discuss our advocacy efforts.  Check out the new pictures on the Photo Gallery on the website www,kpha.us. They show that we had a great time!  NPHW focused also on students, and, with the Capitol under construction, we had to be careful and make sure we left injury free.

Thanks to Lori Haskett and Cherie Sage (KDHE), KPHA was able to once again boast a Governor's Proclamation for NPHW in Kansas.

NPHW Proclamation.pdf

On a final note, don't forget that the Exhibitor Form and the Speaker/Presenter forms are on our website and KPHA needs Exhibitors/Sponsors and Presenters for the KPHA Fall Conference. 

Hope you are having a great NPHW week!

Sincerely,

Elaine Schwartz, Executive Director

Delta Dental Professional Association Facebook Causes campaign has begun.  100,000 cause supporters are needed for Delta Dental to donate $100,000 to America’s Mission of Mercy.  Please follow this link and then send invitations to your friends to join as well.  It’s quick and simple.    This does not cost you to join, simply click to join the campaign and help raise  $100,000 for  America’s Mission of Mercy.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/592898/163855242

KPHA Public Health Day at the Capitol was a Success!!

View the photo gallery for the event!

Here is an update from KPHA Environmental Health Section Chair, Shauna Nelson:

 

Good Afternoon,

Here is the lastest information recieved on the LEPP funding.  Let's continue to get the word out. 

Thanks,

~Shauna Nelson

KPHA-ENV Chair

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I just spoke to a staff member at the Kansas Hot Line (1-800-432-3924) in Topeka.  The staff there was very helpful and able to give me the following information.

 

HB 2014 is the Governor's Rescission Bill.  The House and Senate have not been able to come to agreement on the budget primarily due to funding for special education.  The bill has now gone to Conference Committee.  Three members of the House and three members of the Senate sit on this committee.

 

They will meet until they come up with an agreement on the budget.  Then the bill will go back to both sides for a vote.  No changes can be made when it goes back for a vote.  However,  it is not too late to contact the members of this committee.

 

House of Representatives

• Marc Rhoades   Phone: 785-296-7682   Email: marc.rhoades@house.ks.gov
• Bill Feuerborn    Phone: 785-296-7688   Email: bill.feuerborn@house.ks.gov
• Kasha Kelley      Phone: 785-296-7671   Email: kasha.kelley@house.ks.gov

Kansas Senate

• Carolyn McGinn   Phone: 785-296-7377    Email: Carolyn.McGinn@senate.ks.gov
• John Vratil  Phone: 785-296-7361  Email: John.Vratil@senate.ks.gov
• Laura Kelley   Phone: 785-296-7365   Email: Laura.Kelly@senate.ks.gov

At this point no money has been added to the portion of the budget containing the LEPP dollars.  It won't take much time.  I suggest we send the same message we sent to the governor (See Below).  If you are willing to do so follow your email up with a call to the legislator's office.  This will probably be our last chance to effect a change.  We've gone this far let's take it one more step!

 

I strongly encourage you to restore funding for the Local Environmental Protection Program (LEPP).  This program directly serves Kansans throughout the state by helping citizens resolve environmental concerns by regulating private water supplies and wastewater treatment.  There is no other qualified resource available to those in rural counties.  K.S.A. 75-5657 was established to provide funding to local government for implementing environmental protection.

 

The LEPP funds were removed from the 2012 water budget.  Eliminating LEPP will violate the objectives of the Kansas Water Plan, thus reducing Kansas' response to lowering pollutants in Kansas water, the inspection of the county residential septic systems, inspection of private wells, solid waste management, non-point source pollution management and protection of public drinking water supplies.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration with this critical issue.

 

Respectfully,

 

We're all in this together.  Thanks for your help!

 

Ann Mayo

Director, Environmental Health

Lyon County Health Department

420 West 15th Avenue

Emporia, Kansas   66801

 

Phone:  620-342-4864 Ext 5

Fax:      620-343-3284