COCA Email Updates: January 31 - February 14, 2011

COCA News and Announcements

COCA Conference Call(s) Resources
Archived COCA Conference Calls are available on the COCA website. You can get FREE CE credit/contact hours (CME, CNE, ACPE, CEU, and CECH) for most COCA calls! Simply download the PowerPoint and follow along with the audio file, both of which are posted on the COCA website after a call. Our most recent calls include:

Engaging Youth in Public Health Preparedness and Response (01/27/11)

Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records Incentive Program: Promoting the Adoption of Electronic Health Information Technology (01/25/11)

COCA and Epi-X Exhibit
Date: February 22 – 25, 2011
Location: 2011 Public Health Preparedness Summit (Booth # 1608)
The Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) and the Epidemic Information Exchange (Epi-X) will be sharing a booth at the 2011 Public Health Preparedness Summit. Join COCA and Epi-X as they demonstrate support for our nation’s local, state, and federal public health preparedness professionals. Representatives from both teams will be available at booth #1608 to provide information, answer questions, and enroll participants.

Communications Outreach to Vulnerable Populations during the H1N1 Pandemic (#B-10)
Date: February 23, 2011 Wednesday
Time: 1:30pm– 3:00 pm (ET)
Location: 2011 Public Health Preparedness Summit (Room: International 10)
During the H1N1 pandemic, CDC made special efforts to reach organizations that serve vulnerable populations and provide specific messaging to those who were at higher risk. CDC, in cooperation with the HHS working group, “Hard to Reach Populations Outreach,” met to coordinate and intensify outreach and communications to a wide audience that included those with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, non-English speakers, homeless persons, and people with low literacy. Participate in this interactive session at the 2011 Public Health Preparedness Summit and learn more about the outreach efforts of CDC’s Health Partners Outreach Team, presented by members of the Community Health Outreach and Education Section.

Current CDC Emergency Response

Cholera Information for Healthcare Professionals
Cholera resources for healthcare professionals addressing diagnosis, testing, treatment, patient care, and prevention.

Additional information and Cholera resources

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data in the weekly MMWR are provisional, based on weekly reports to CDC by state health departments. The following emergency preparedness and response related articles of interest were recently published:

February 11, 2011 / Vol. 60 / No. 5 Download .pdf document of this issue

To electronically subscribe to the MMWR, go to MMWR Subscriptions and enter your email address in the box entitled Get email updates.

MMWR is extending its FREE Continuing Education (CE) offering to reports published in the Weekly Series. To obtain credit, participants must register, log-in and select the relevant activity and type of credit/contract hours. Questions and comments should be submitted to theMMWR CE mailbox.

Infectious Diseases

Public Health Matters Blog – Battling Disease Outbreaks in the Big Apple – CDC (Feb 11)
More than one-third of New York City (NYC) residents are from outside the United States, so in addition to preparing for and responding to numerous indigenous infectious diseases, we also encounter many imported cases, some of which end up causing outbreaks.

Summary of Weekly Flu View – CDC (Feb 11)
Influenza activity in the United States increased for the week ending February 5 from the previous week, according to the FluView report. CDC tracks certain key flu indicators over the season. Most key flu indicators increased this week, including the number of people visiting doctors for influenza-like illness (ILI), the number of states reporting widespread influenza activity and the number of influenza-associated pediatric deaths. Although influenza activity can rise and fall during an influenza season, activity in the United States generally peaks in January or later in most years.

Seasonal Flu: International Situation Update – CDC (Feb 10)
This report is a summary of key influenza-related updates created from regional World Health Organization (WHO) reports, country reports, CDC field staff updates, and other sources. Updates are listed by region.

Travelers’ Health

Carnival and Mardi Gras 2011! – CDC (Feb 14)
The point of Carnival and Mardi Gras is to have fun, but these festivities are also associated with certain health risks, primarily from crime, unsafe food, excessive drinking, risky sex, and heat-related illness. Malaria and other tropical diseases may also be common, depending on the country. If you plan to travel to celebrate Carnival, you can take some simple precautions to help you stay safe and healthy.

Noncommunicable Diseases, Injury & Environmental Health

ATSDR Releases Peck Iron and Metal Superfund Site Health Assessment – ATSDR (Feb 2)
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has released the public comment version of a public health assessment for the Peck Iron and Metal Superfund site in Portsmouth, VA. The purpose of the assessment was to determine if exposure to chemicals from the site is a public health hazard for people who live and work in the area.

Public Health Preparedness & Response

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning Prevention – CDC (Feb 7)
Every year, more than 400 people die in the U. S. from accidental CO poisoning. When power outages occur during emergencies (hurricanes or winter storms), using alternative sources of power can cause CO to build up in a home and poison the people and animals inside.

Cool Tip of the Week – CDC (Feb 4)
Wind can lower the ambient temperature significantly. As the speed of wind increases, it can carry heat away from your body very quickly. When there are high winds, serious weather-related health problems are more likely, even when temperatures are only cool.

Occupational Safety and Health

Notice of Draft Publication Available for Public Comment – CDC (Feb 4)
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) requests comments on the draft guidance document, Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance, NIOSH Docket Number: NIOSH 223.

Food & Drug Safety

Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alert – FDA (Feb 10)
Information on recent FDA recalls, market recalls, and safety alerts.

The CDC and HHS logos are the exclusive property of the Department of Health and Human Services and may not be used for any purpose without prior express written permission. Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organizations.

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