The American Medical Association has developed measures of cultural competency and identified steps that health care providers can take to improve the situation: http://bit.ly/QjPWeK

The National Quality Forum (NQF) has endorsed a dozen new quality measures on the issues of health disparities and cultural competency. Seven of those measures approved by the Washington-based standards-setting organization came from the American Medical Association.

The official NQF seal of approval for these measures, which comes only after a rigorous review by national quality experts, opens the door for them to be used to evaluate efforts to eliminate disparities.

HealthyReads.com, the “Public Health Water Cooler” for Daily News and Discussion, Launches into Beta

Healthy Reads is a community for people who are passionate about public health issues to share, rank and talk about health news. The lack of active online spaces for conversation and knowledge sharing in the public health sector is a problem. Healthy Reads is a solution. By supporting community-driven conversation, Healthy Reads captures what is top of mind when it comes to public health on a day-to-day basis.

Healthy Reads launched its Beta site on September 4th, 2012 with leading Public Health institutions in Canada and the US including the University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine and University of Nebraska College of Public Health. We are also proudly members of TheC100.org and the Canadian Technology Accelerator in Silicon Valley.

Sign up at HealthyReads.com www.healthyreads.com

Watch their Launch Video https://vimeo.com/47949453

Twitter: @healthy_reads http://www.twitter.com/healthy_reads

National Institutes of Health – This website provides health education materials to improve the health of ethnically diverse communities.  The website has sections for African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American/Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and Latino/Hispanic.  They also have topic specific information like free brochures on heart health, keeping a health weight as well as heart healthy recipes in English and Spanish.

Check out the website here: http://1.usa.gov/P8GZp3

Publications.USA.gov is a Federal Citizen Information Center site which offers important consumer information and publications on a variety of topics to “help you make important life decisions”. Formerly Pueblo.GSA.gov, the site offeres free online information and free and low-cost government publications on categories including: animals, cars, consumer protection, and health. For example, the Wiser Women Action Kit ( http://1.usa.gov/POWzFt ) includes 18 publications which provide practical health tips. The publications may be downloaded or ordered as print versions. [USA.gov]

Team Up. Pressure Down. (http://1.usa.gov/P1TK4R) is a nationwide program to lower blood pressure and prevent hypertension through patient-pharmacist engagement. Part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Million Hearts initiative, Team Up. Pressure Down. provides videos and resources for the public to better understand high blood pressure (also called hypertension) and the steps to prevent or treat it.

In September, observe Infant Mortality Awareness Month.  American Indian/Alaska Native infants have disproportionately high rates of mortality.  For AI/AN communities, connecting to healthcare and resources grounded in Native culture and traditions can help families break unhealthy patterns that may contribute to the high incidence of infant mortality.

The National Healthy Start Association provides a variety of resources that help raise infant mortality awareness: http://bit.ly/OV9BlZ .

The March of Dimes American Indian/Alaska Native Women’s Committee also provides resources for AI/AN families through their Coming of the Blessing Initiative: http://bit.ly/O8Z2Pg

CMS on Stage 2 Meaningful Use of Electronic Health Records

Sponsored by American Hospital Association

Wednesday September 5     1:30 pm  - 3:00 pm CST

For more information and to register: http://bit.ly/NZgPs2

Going Blind and Going Forward

Sponsored by The National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP):

Wednesday September 5     1:00 pm  - 2:00 pm CST

For more information and to register: http://bit.ly/TAaBf3

CMS Chicago Health Insurance Marketplace and Expanded Insurance Options Stakeholder Engagement Call

Sponsored by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Thursday September 6     noon – 2:00 pm CST

For more information and to register: http://bit.ly/PuErQR

Regional Stakeholder Engagement Teleconference with CMS on Health Insurance Marketplace & Expanded Insurance Options

Sponsored by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Starting on Thursday September 6 Noon – 2:00 pm CST

Ongoing webinars offered other days

For more information and to register: http://go.cms.gov/QEsTPw

Stand Down Grant Award

Veterans Employment and Training Service  – Funding for events that assist homeless veterans.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis

For more information: http://bit.ly/QY7Emn

NIH Health Disparities Research Loan Repayment Program

National Institutes of Health  – A loan repayment program for health professionals who commit to do research related to health disparities.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: November 15, 2012

For more information: http://bit.ly/NzpFg9

NCHS/AcademyHealth Health Policy Fellowship

AcademyHealth  – Brings visiting scholars in health services research-related disciplines to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to collaborate on studies of interest to policymakers and the health services research community using NCHS data systems.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: January 7, 2013

For more information: http://bit.ly/PACwci

Office on Violence Against Women Consolidated Youth Services

Office on Violence Against Women – Funding for comprehensive child- and youth-centered prevention and intervention programs that address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: Letter of Intent (optional): October 3, 2012

Application: October 24, 2012

For more information: http://bit.ly/PAuNRo

Health IT Workforce Revolving Loan Fund

Delta Regional Authority  – Loans for health care providers in underserved communities to successfully adopt and utilize a Health IT system.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline:  Applications accepted on an ongoing basis

For more information: http://bit.ly/SYrClz

Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program

Maternal and Child Health  – Grants to support community-based child health projects that improve the health status of mothers, infants, children, and adolescents by increasing their access to health services.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: September 21, 2012

For more information: http://bit.ly/QEncky

Health care disparities are the difference or gaps in care experience by one population compared to another.  Disparities have been noted in health outcomes, including clinical outcomes such as mortality, process measures in the health care system, and disease prevalence.  By definition, a disparity in health care quality or health outcomes is not due to difference in the health care needs or preferences of the patient but to other factors.  Such differences in health outcomes and their determinants are associated with certain social conditions and demographic attributes.  Despite what is known about disparities, it is not clear what strategies have the potential to improve the quality of care effectively and to reduce inequities for segments of the population.

Quality Improvement (QI) is a multidisciplinary, systems-focused, data-driven method of understanding and improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and reliability of health processes and outcomes of care.  For this report, the Effective Health Care Program defined a QI intervention as a change process in health care systems, services, or suppliers for the purpose of increasing the likelihood of optimal clinical quality of care, measured by positive health outcomes for individuals and populations.  An intervention could also be described as a strategy aimed at reducing the quality gap (the difference between health care processes or outcomes observed in practice and those potentially obtainable based on current evidence-based knowledge) for a group of patients representative of those encountered in routine practice.

This review evaluates the effectiveness of QI interventions in reducing disparities in health and health care.  Two key questions are addressed:

1. What evidence is available about the effectiveness of quality improvement strategies to reduce differences in health outcomes associated with selected disparities in patients with key conditions?
2. What evidence is available about the harms related to quality improvement strategies to reduce difference in health outcomes associated with selected disparities in patients with key conditions?

To view the full report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)’s Effective Health Care Program, visit this site: http://1.usa.gov/PYMxUg

This year’s West Nile virus outbreak is on track to be the biggest ever since the virus first appeared in the United States in 1999, U.S. health officials reported last week. As of the third week of August, there have been a total of 1,118 cases of West Nile virus in people in 38 states, including 41 deaths.

In Texas, which has been hardest hit by the epidemic, 586 cases have been reported with 21 deaths. Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma have also been hit hard by West Nile virus this summer.

Experts do not know why this year’s outbreak is so much worse than previous years, but suspect it could be a confluence of factors, most notably hot weather. [HealthDay News, August 22, 2012]

More information at: http://1.usa.gov/NqMToE .

See also MedlinePlus Health Topic page on West Nile Virus:http://1.usa.gov/QmnWus  and CDC on West Nile Virus and Protecting Mosquito Bites: http://1.usa.gov/NRfAv0 .