Bringing together the nation’s leading research institutions, The Weight of the Nation is a presentation of HBO and the Institute of Medicine (IOM), in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente.

The centerpiece of The Weight of the Nation campaign is the four-part documentary series, each featuring case studies, interviews with our nation’s leading experts, and individuals and their families struggling with obesity. Parts 1 and 2 of the Documentary air on HBO today, May 14. Parts 3 & 4 air on May 15, 2012.

For more information and to watch the trailer:  http://bit.ly/J3ZlYs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced a series of prevention-based policy measures that will better protect consumers from foodborne illness in meat and poultry products. These measures will significantly improve the ability of both plants and USDA to trace contaminated food materials in the supply chain, to act against contaminated products sooner, and to establish the effectiveness of food safety systems.

More information:  http://1.usa.gov/KlfQxV  [USDA News Release, May 2, 2012]

Public Health Reports has published a special supplementary issue: Innovations in Oral Health Care for People Living with HIV/AIDS.  The issue presents research from the Special Projects of National Significance Innovations in Oral Health Care Initiative, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s HIV/AIDS Bureau.

Access the entire issue for no-cost at: http://www.publichealthreports.org/issuecontents.cfm?Volume=127&Issue=8

A no-cost webinar discussing innovative approaches to oral health care for those with HIV/AIDS will be held on May 22 at 1pm EST.  Registration required: http://bit.ly/JBd87k

Prevent Blindness is hosting a summit on eye health on June 22, 2012 in Washington, DC.

Topics covered at the Summit include:

• Integrating Vision into Public Health Programs
• Economic Impact of Vision Problems
• National Plan for Eye and Vision Research

Registration is no-cost but limited: http://bit.ly/KOoZfg

Wal-Mart Foundation - Funding to local nonprofit organizations in four main areas of focus: Education, Workforce Development / Economic Opportunity, Health & Wellness and Environmental Sustainability.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: None. Applications accepted on an ongoing basis

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

American Dental Association - The ADA Foundation funds scholarships for dental students, minority dental students and allied dental students including dental hygiene, dental assisting and dental laboratory technology.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: None. Applications accepted on an ongoing basis

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

Saucony - Funding to encourage active and healthy lifestyles in children.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: June 13, 2012

For more information: http://bit.ly/IZDT7T

Office of Minority Health – Peer-to-Peer Outreach Model to Curb HIV/AIDS Transmission Among High Risk Minority Youth and Adolescents

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: June 8, 2012

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

Spirit of EAGLES Community Project -  Strengthen existing partnerships with national organizations both Native and non-Native that serve American Indian/Alaskan Native urban and rural communities, health care providers, and other systems of care to increase access to beneficial biomedical procedures, clinical trials research, and uptake in behavioral change that will reduce the burden of cancer and other comorbid conditions.

Geographic coverage: Nationwide

Deadline: August 15, 2012

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

This is National Nurses Week.

This year’s theme is Nurses Answer the Call: Expand Access to Care.  This week provides an opportunity to recognize the multitude of ways the nursing profession contributes to the health of the nation.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has made available a document titled “National Nurses Week: A Discussion” and an archived chat of The White House Office Hours: National Nurses Week as well as a video featuring  HRSA Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, PhD, RN

To learn more, hear the chat, or watch the video go to http://1.usa.gov/LkqUdI

The HHS Strategic Plan for Viral Hepatitis declared May 19th a the first ever national Hepatitis Testing Day.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Division of Viral Hepatitis is developing resources to support testing for chronic viral hepatitis, including the creation of a Hepatitis Testing Event page: http://bit.ly/INVVHU.  In addition, you can visit the Urban Indian Health Institute’s Viral Hepatitis and STI Prevention Project materials page where you can access new health promotion materials addressing HIV, sexually transmitted infections and viral hepatitis prevention: http://bit.ly/IZYw0D.

National Women’s Health Week is a week-long health observance that brings together communities, businesses, government, health organizations, and other groups in an effort to promote women’s health.  The theme for 2012 National Women’s Health Week is “It’s Your Time.”  National Women’s Health Week empowers women to make their health a top priority.  It also encourages women to take the following steps to improve their physical and mental health and lower their risks of certain diseases:

• Visit a health care professional to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings
• Get active
• Eat healthy
• Pay attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress
• Avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet

Fact sheets and related resources are available online: http://1.usa.gov/ISgP9A

Water is the foundation for life.  May 6–12, 2012 is Drinking Water Week. This observance is sponsored each year by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and a number of other organizations and agencies. Following the theme “Water: Celebrate the Essential,” Drinking Water Week provides an opportunity for the public to recognize the vital role that safe water plays in our daily lives.

Learn more about the vital role safe water plays in our lives and what CDC is doing to address challenges to our water supply: http://1.usa.gov/KeQnWb [CDC Current Features]

Over the last decade, the National Academies have been actively engaged in questions related to biosecurity, biodefense, relevant aspects of public health, and broader discussions of the relationship between science and security. This website pulls together information about National Academies’ reports, ongoing projects, and activities and links to some of the growing number of biosecurity websites in the United States and overseas.

To visit the site: http://bit.ly/JPdB5R