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Sickle Cell Awareness Month September 2010
September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, highlighting the effects of sickle cell disease on minorities across the nation and the facts worth knowing to improve your and your loved one’s life.

Attend Building Healthy Communities: Improving Educational, Health, Social, and Economic Outcomes for Young Men and Boys of Color
The symposium will feature new and updated research studies, workshops and discussion groups focused on social policy interventions to improve the well-being of young men and boys of color. Dates: Sept. 28-29, 2010
Visit conference site

Salud es Vida Addresses Childhood Obesity
Salud es Vida, a program of Tulare County in Fresno, California, educates Latino families in the adoption of a healthy lifestyle to prevent and reduce childhood obesity. It is featured by the PBS station Valley Public Television. Watch it now

September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month
Watch: Crisis in the Crib: The Role of Men.
This year theme is A Healthy Baby Begins with Two! Minority Fathers Fight Infant Mortality.

National Healthy Start Releases Toolkit [PDF | 1MB]
For September, National Healthy Start Association is launching their new National Infant Mortality Awareness Campaign, Celebrate Day 366... Every Baby Deserves a Chance. The campaign includes a toolkit developed to increase national awareness about the factors contributing to infant mortality.

NASOMH Announces New Executive Director

The National Association of State Offices of Minority Health welcomes Norman A. Meyer as Executive Director, with an agenda of building the capacity of the members to transform the health of racial and ethnic minorities.

OMH Cultural Competency Site Changes Address
It is time to update your bookmarks. The Think Cultural Health site has moved to a new address, but will still offer the same resources, tutorials and insights at its new location.

BP to Contribute $52 Million to Gulf Mental Health Needs
The money will help address the immense substance abuse and mental health needs of Gulf Coast area residents and workers struggling to recover their livelihood in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

New NNAAPC Regional Training Funding Opportunities
The National Native American AIDS Prevention Center announces the availability of up to three regional training awards of $2,500 to increase your agency's outreach using the latest social marketing and new media strategies. Applications are due September 17, 2010.

Research Collaboration Web Page Launches
Check out the new web page for the Federal Collaboration on Health Disparities Research! The goal: promote collaboration and access to tools, resources, and information for research aimed at health disparities elimination.

NIH Grant to Fund Study of American Indian Disparities
The National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities grant awarded a five-year, $7.5 million grant to the University of Kansas Medical Center. The university will create a new Center for American Indian Community Health to study and address health disparities facing American Indians.

Openings on Advisory Committee on Minority Health
The HHS Advisory Committee on Minority Health is accepting nominations for new committee members for vacant positions and impending openings. The selected nominees will obtain a voting-member position.
Correction: Please note the correct contact information
Nomination Deadline: October 20, 2010, 5 p.m. (ET)

First Lady's child obesity recommendations
One in three children is overweight and at risk of developing illnesses. The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report to the President has goals, benchmarks and measurable outcomes for efforts to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic. Let's Move!

HHS Releases Guidance on Syringe Services Programs
HHS released guidance for programs using FY 2010 dollars to implement syringe services programs for injection drug users as part of comprehensive medical and substance abuse treatment and prevention services. Download the SSP Guidance [PDF | 42KB]

Health Equity Commission Recommended [PDF | 261KB]
The HHS Advisory Committee on Minority Health has released their suggestions for improving public health, which centers on establishing a federal health equity commission.

HIV Screening as Standard Care
CDC launches the "HIV Screening. Standard Care (HSSC)" program to assist physicians in making HIV testing a standard part of medical care. HSSC gives primary care providers new tools to help ensure all patients are tested for HIV at least once in their life. About the program.

CDC's Health Literacy Training
The health literacy section of the CDC Web site offers links, resources and training materials for health professionals to learn more about the topic and earn CE credits.

OMH at APHA!
Minority health and social justice go hand in hand. Mark your APHA schedule with the presentations by OMH experts. See the topics. Know the speakers. See you in Denver!

HHS Secretary's Priorities
Read or view the priorities HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has set for our agency and the country's health. Highlights? Promote Early Childhood Health and Development, Reduce Teen and Unintended Pregnancy, and Support the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. See them all.

Latino Behavioral Health Workforce Development
[PDF | 757KB]
"Movilizandonos Por Nuestro Futuro: Strategic Development of a Mental Health Workforce for Latinos" contains consensus statements and action items on developing the mental health workforce for Latinos.

HIV/AIDS Prevention Bilingual Glossary
Find Spanish equivalents for English words and vice versa. Rate the translations provided. Use the tag cloud to find commonly searched terms.
Make it better: Comment! Check it out!

The Number to Call: 1-800-444-6472

For health-related concerns, help is just a phone call away. OMHRC is your guide to better health. So what are you waiting for? All you have to do is call: 1-800-444-6472.
Hablamos español.

Other Spotlight Items

Native Coalition Addresses HIV/AIDS in Federal Inter-Agency Meeting

White House Meeting on Black Men and HIV/AIDS

2009 National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Reports

OMH Performance Data System

HHS Oral Health Initiative 2010

Indian Health Service Offers New Search Tool

Commission on the Impact of Trauma and Violence on the Health of African American Men

NAHI Summit Report Available [PDF | 1.86MB]

Guam Office of Minority Health Launched

Check Out Tom Joyner Receiving the H1N1 vaccine!

Steps to Reduce Hepatitis B and C, and Their Toll on Minorities

American Indian and Alaska Native Health Research Advisory Council (HRAC)

Health Resources for Those in Haiti

Employers: How Can Health Disparities Affect Your Bottom Line?