While you are enjoying the Super Bowl this weekend, many people are working behind the scenes to prevent and/or respond to a Mass Casualty incident. (Area Hospitals Prepare For Super Bowl Surge, RTV6: http://bit.ly/rUeBEY). The National Library of Medicine Disaster Information Management Research Center web site includes the page Public Health Preparedness for Mass Gatherings http://1.usa.gov/AwUGDc. The next time your community has a “super” event, don’t forget to check out this page for resources to share with those preparing for the accompanying surge in population. [DIMRC]

Whether you are having or going to a party, these tips provide a Healthy Game Plan for Super Bowl Sunday. As you plan Super Bowl festivities make sure to keep health and safety in mind during your celebrations. Eat healthy and more! http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HealthySuperbowl/ [CDC Features]

February is American Heart Month; a month to spread awareness about the importance of heart health. Each year, countless American families are impacted by heart disease and stroke.

The Department of Health and Human Services is working with both public and private partners to raise awareness of heart disease through vital research investments and public health programs. The Million Hearts Initiative takes aim at this disease, with a goal of preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next 5 years. Other efforts, like the HeartTruth, which addresses women’s heart health, and the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, which confronts childhood obesity by helping children choose healthy foods and stay active, work to provide people with resources and ways to make heart healthy changes in their everyday lives .

For more information on American Heart Month, please visit:  http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/index.html

For more information on women and heart disease, please visit: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/ or http://womenshealth.gov/heartattack/  .  

To learn more about the First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign, please visit: http://www.letsmove.gov/ .

For more information on various heart-related topics, visit: http://medlineplus.gov/ and search Health Topics.

[HHS News Room, February 1, 2012]

New resource guides are now available on the Urban Indian Health Institute’s Health Equity Project website.  These user-friendly resource guides include:

• Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Best Practices – Provides an overview of the principles of best practices for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and management.  These principles were developed based on findings from a survey of Urban Indian Health Organizations and an extensive literature review of CVD practices in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities.  the information in this overview provides a foundation for improving the delivery of  health care for urban AI/AN patients weih CVD
• Developing Data Use Agreements (DUA) – A resource that provides an introduction to data sharing or data use agreements.  The guide includes: the development process, key components and questions for consideration when developing a DUA.
• Data Use Agreement Template – An example DUA providing key elements for establishing rights, responsibilites and processes when engaging in research projects or other projects where patient or agency data is shared.
• Links to Other Resources – A list of links to several websites and documents that provide guidelines, sample data use agreements, and other information that may assist you when considering data sharing partnerships for research or other purposes.

Please email Julie Loughran to share tools, resource or templates to add to the website. [Urban Indian Health Institute]

Each year the American Psychiatric Foundation funds awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health.  the awards recognize psychiatrists, other health professionals, mental health programs and other organizations that have undertaken innovative and supportive efforts to:

• Raise awareness of mental illness in underserved minority communities, the need for early recognition, the availability of treatment and how to access it, and the cultural barriers to treatment.
• Increase access to quality mental health services for underserved minorities.
• Improve the quality of care for underserved minorities, particularly those in the public health system or with severe mental illness.

Awards in the amount of $5000 are given each year.  Application deadline is February 3, 2012.

For more information on applying for these awards please visit the American Psychiatric Foundation website: http://www.psychfoundation.org/GrantAndAwards/AwardsandFellowsh/AAMMH.aspx

[Urban Indian Health Institute]

The Alabama Public Health Training Center (ALPHTC) invites all to participate in the upcoming satellite broadcast: “Inequities in Food Security Across the Lifespan: Cultural and Geographic Issues” on Wednesday, February 1, 2012, 12:00-1:30 PM (CST)

Presenter: Joseph R. Sharkey, PhD, MPH, RD, Director of the Texas Healthy Aging Research Network, Texas A&M Health Science Center, School of Rural Public Health.

For more information and registration: http://ow.ly/8MKKC [Alabama Dept. of Public Health]

 In a new report, Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2012 Benchmarking Report, the Alliance for Biking & Walking ranks all 50 states and the 51 largest U.S. cities on bicycling and walking levels, safety, funding, and other factors.

To access highlights and the full report, go to: http://ow.ly/8L4q1 [PHPartners.org]

Have you been thinking about how to participate in drills and exercises, but aren’t sure where to begin? The Central U.S. ShakeOut Drill is scheduled for 10:15 AM on February 7, 2012. The main goal of the ShakeOut is to get everyone prepared for major earthquakes. This is an easy drill to practice in your workplace. Register online and find resources such as posters, flyers, web banners, and other promotional items you can print or use. You will even find articles you may reprint in your newsletter or website. Take advantage of this opportunity to carry out a drill for your library, public health or emergency organization!

More information may be found at: http://ow.ly/8L3JP .

This past week,  First Lady Michelle Obama and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new and improved nutrition standards for school lunches, marking the first major changes in 15 years. In accordance with last year’s Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, “The new standards make the same kinds of changes that many parents are already encouraging at home, including ensuring kids are offered fruits and vegetables every day of the week, substantially increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods, offering only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties and making sure kids are getting proper portion sizes.”

More information, including the press release and a sample menu: http://ow.ly/8J2ZM .

The National Library of Medicine Training Center (NTC) will be creating web based self-paced tutorials related to PubMed®, TOXNET®, and NCBI databases.

We need your input in order to inform topics, length, and format of the tutorials we will develop. Please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ntctutorial to complete a short questionaire.  The questionnaire should take 10-15 minutes to complete.

Please complete the questionnaire by close of business on Friday, February 17, 2012.

Questions may be directed to Sharon Dennis, Assistant Director of the NTC, at sharon.dennis@utah.edu .