National MRC Newsletter October 2010

Edition 27—October 2010

Featured Article

MRC Units Participate in National Preparedness Month

During the month of September, MRC units nationwide participated in various public health activities in honor of National Preparedness Month.

Central Nebraska MRC

The Central Nebraska MRC unit participated in the national campaign event, "9/11 Drill Down for Safety—Text First, Talk Second." This campaign was created by the Safe America Foundation to raise public awareness of the importance in using text messaging for non-emergency communications during a disaster.

During disasters, voice networks can get jammed with people calling one another for non-vital communications, resulting in people being unable to contact emergency services or loved ones when they are in desperate need of help.

Unit coordinator, Shelly Boden wanted to convey the importance of texting and not calling during a disaster. Phone systems can become overwhelmed as families and friends attempt to confirm their loved ones, while text messages will still go through.

The Central Nebraska MRC e-mailed 72 volunteers and used Facebook to promote this message to the public. For more information on how you can join hundreds of thousands in this preparedness activity, please visit

http://www.safeamericaprepared.org/index.php.

Alleghany Cattaraugus Chautauqua County MRC

The Alleghany Cattaraugus Chautauqua County MRC worked in partnership with the local CERT team to distribute information and provide blood glucose testing at a "Remember 9/11 Blood Drive and First Responders Day" event, coordinated by the American Red Cross.

Approximately 500 people attended the event, where information was distributed about lyme disease and ticks, diabetes, and emergency preparedness.

Other activities during the event included the American Red Cross blood drive, a heavy rescue show that included a vehicle extrication and demonstration with local fire departments, EMS Personnel, and others.

MRC/NACCHO Connections

Updates to Tobacco Program Guidelines

The National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have issued an update to the Program and Funding Guidelines for Comprehensive Local Tobacco Control Programs. The document was originally published in 2001, and it was based on the 1999 and 2007 CDC Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs. The 2010 update contains the latest tobacco control evidence and data on the effects of inflation on program funding estimates.

These new guidelines will help local health department decision-makers and health planners select and fund evidence-based interventions to reduce and prevent tobacco use, identify and eliminate health disparities related to tobacco use, and protect people from secondhand smoke.

For more information, visit this link:http://www.naccho.org/toolbox/tool.cfm?id=1994.

If you are interested in receiving the tobacco newsletter please click here: http://www.naccho.org/topics/HPDP/tobacco/distributionlist.cfm.

Announcements

2011 Integrated Training Summit Abstract and Poster Submissions

The 2011 Integrated Training Summit Planning Committee is currently accepting abstracts and poster presentations to be considered for the 2011 Integrated Training Summit that will be held in Grapevine, Texas from May 1-5, 2011. Deadline to submit abstracts for session consideration is October 29, 2010. The deadline to submit abstracts for poster presentations is February 1, 2011.

For more information, please visit the abstract submission page athttp://teams.hhs.gov/conference/.

Register Today for the 2011 Public Health Preparedness Summit

The 2011 Public Health Preparedness Summit will be held in Atlanta February 22-25, 2011. Register early to save money for the 2011 Public Health Preparedness Summit athttp://www.phprep.org/2011/register/.

To learn more about why you should attend the 2011 Summit, visithttp://www.phprep.org.

MRC Units Needed to Test Toolkit and Website

We are seeking MRC units throughout the country to participate in the testing of a toolkit and web site for MRC units. The purpose of the toolkit is to assess the effectiveness of engaging volunteers in flu clinics this fall. It will identify the strengths of engaging volunteers in public health activities, specifically flu clinics, and the barriers experienced by volunteers. The project is the result of a partnership between the Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (OCVMRC), NACCHO, the Harvard School of Public Health, and the Georgetown University.

The toolkit can be found on the Harvard School of Public Health’s Center for Public Health Preparedness web site athttp://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hcphp/mrc-toolkit/.

For additional information on how you can become involved, please review the announcement athttp://www.naccho.org/topics/emergency/MRC/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=161431.

MRC Lessons Learned and Experience Sharing

"MRC lessons learned and experience sharing" is a way for MRC units to share their practices, examples, and success stories. It is designed to highlight the challenges and successes of MRC units' involvement with emergency preparedness, response, and public health activities; therefore, MRC units and their leaders can learn from one another.

http://www.naccho.org/topics/emergency/MRC/resources/mrcshare.cfm

Award Given to Increase MRC Participation in Health Department Activities

Jefferson School of Population Health announces a $10,000 faculty development award from the University of Kentucky Center for Public Health Systems and Services Research funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Tamar Klaiman, PhD, MPH to create and evaluate messages to increase Medical Reserve Corps participation in local health department activities.

http://www.naccho.org/topics/emergency/MRC/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=162284