WSPHA Public Health Times Spring 2011

Letter from the President

You are the leader.

I have had the opportunity to reflect on leadership over the past several weeks through my involvement in a group that is trying to help us all to become better public health leaders. When you hear the word leader you often think about others who you see as a leader. Over the years, you have heard the question "Are you a leader or a follower?" I have come to believe that everyone of us is a leader, either by choice or by default. In public health we lead teams, community coalitions, workgroups; we are both informal and formal leaders. Even though you may not be a manager, you still have the leadership ability to move a group of people by your influence or experience. I have come to learn there is a difference between being a manager and being a leader.

The public health community has been challenged with many difficult situations over the past several years. We have seen the loss of public health programs that have had a direct impact on the health of our communities. As programs and services are dramatically reduced, we are seeing an increase in anxiety, frustration and fatigue within the public health workforce. Gene Matthews, Director of the Southeastern Regional Center of the Public Health Law Network, said, "With the reduction of government funding, programs and services are at war for their share of the limited resources. Where is public health? We are in the foxhole-bunkered down and hoping this is going to pass quickly." This is the time for each of us to be a leader, to get-up and get out of the foxhole. As public health practitioners we lead change in our everyday work. We are leading communities to find effective ways to prevent the transmission of communicable diseases. We are providing leadership in how to prepare and respond to emergency situations. We are providing leadership through coaching as we work with some of our most vulnerable populations as they become new moms. The very nature of who we are and what we do is leadership in practice.

Get up and get out of your foxhole! Take the challenges that we face and use your public health leadership skills to replace anxiety with purpose, frustration with action, and fatigue with renewed momentum. We are committed, as your Association, to be a leader with you in this change. We are working to provide you with the professional development that is needed to support you in your work roles. We want to collaborate with you as a leader in becoming the most effective public health advocacy organization in the State of Washington. It has been said that unless things change, they are likely to remain the same. Now is the time for change-we hope that you will join us in this challenge.
Submitted by Dennis Worsham, WSPHA Board President

Legislative/Policy Update

The state legislative session officially ended on Friday, April 22nd, without a final 2011-13 budget. Prior to the regular session's conclusion, the House and Senate each released and voted on their budgets. One of the main differences in the two proposals is the $300 million in revenue from privatizing the state liquor distribution center included in the House budget. Without that additional revenue, health cuts in the Senate budget are deeper.

WSPHA and its partners, the Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials (WSALPHO) and the Public Health Roundtable, are continuing to provide a strong and unified voice for public health in Olympia. This week they submitted a joint letter to legislative leadership and budget chairs requesting that the legislature hold Blue Ribbon Public Health Funding (aka 5930) at the $12.5 million funding level proposed in the House budget. (The Senate budget cut that fund by 60% leaving just $8 million for the next two years.) This fund allows local health departments to respond to local issues with local solutions, and helps maintain a basic level of service in chronic disease, communicable disease and immunization. A reduction in these funds will continue to compromise our state public health system's ability to respond to local needs and priorities.

We also continue to be concerned about other cuts that will impact the health of the public, such as those to Maternity Support Services, Federally Qualified Health Centers, the Basic Health Plan, Apple Health for Kids, and more.

In addition to the budget news, a piece of good policy news helped mark the end of the regular session. Public health and other health and children's organizations strongly advocated to change the law surrounding a personal or philosophical exemption to childhood immunizations-parents must now have a signature from a health care provider saying they have been told of the benefits and risks of immunizations prior to signing for this exemption. On the second to last day of session, the Senate concurred with the House amendments. The bill passed the Legislature and was sent to the Governor's desk.

While the regular session is over, since the legislature has not yet reached a final budget agreement that will close the $5.1 billion shortfall for the next two years, the Governor called the legislature back into special session on Tuesday, April 26th-giving the legislature another 30 days to complete a budget.
Submitted by Jennifer Muhm, Committee Chair

National Public Health Week - 2011 Health Champions

To celebrate National Public Health Week, WSPHA recognized public health professionals, nominated by their peers, for their outstanding work to improve public health. This year awards were given in the APHA theme, individual, school, business, community and statewide categories. The APHA theme "Safety is No Accident-Live Injury Free," aimed to highlight injury prevention and safety measures. Please congratulate the 2011 Health Champions:

APHA Theme: Elizabeth"Tizzy" Bennett and Dr. Linda Quan of Seattle Children's Hospital for their collaborative work in drowning prevention and water safety and the impact of their work on state, national and international levels.
School: Freya Jamison, high school student, for her efforts to educate her peers on the dangers of texting and driving.
Individual: Aileen Gagney of the American Lung Association for her work to reduce indoor air pollution and promote healthy home environments.
Business: Franciscan Health System for its adoption of a tobacco free hiring policy.
Community: Healthy People Alliance (Klickitat County) for its comprehensive approach to addressing chronic disease in its community.
Statewide: Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center for its leadership in education and policy development related to injury prevention and the far reaching impact of the Center's programs.

To learn more about the remarkable work of our Health Champions and other individuals and organizations recognized for their accomplishments in public health, please follow this link .

Profile: Aileen Gagney-2011 Health Champion

Aileen Gagney of the American Lung Association earned the distinction of 2011 Individual Health Champion for her extensive work to reduce indoor air pollution and to promote healthy home environments.

How did you become involved in your current work?
I was an architect and general contractor by trade, but I became ill from polyurethane and other chemical exposure, resulting in multi-chemical sensitivity and asthma. I took the Master Home Environmental (MHE) training course as a volunteer in 1998, and I have been involved with this program ever since.
You are the only MHE Master Trainer in the country. How did you come into this role?
The MHE program started in Seattle in the early 1990’s. The expansion of the program has really occurred over the past 8 years. I travel all over the country training various agencies, mostly health departments and American Lung Association affiliates, and speaking at national conferences about how to implement effective approaches to improving the home environment and decreasing illness among residents. In the health departments, public health nurses piggyback this work with their home visits.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I am a teacher at heart. My job is to educate people on what they can do in their homes to make them safer, especially for children as they are our future and are far more affected by negative exposures than adults. I get people to think about what they are really using and experiencing in their home. My favorite part is really working with people and then seeing the “aha” moments. They say, “I can do that; that is easy.” In 87% of the homes that are visited, people make at least one behavior change to improve their home environment. These changes make a significant impact on their health. There isn’t anything I would rather be doing.
What was one of the most memorable experiences during your career?
I remember walking into one apartment, and my glasses immediately fogged up due to the mold growth. There was no ventilation and no fans in the home; the windows were moist. I worked with the rental owner to improve the environment, but ultimately, I was able to help the tenants get out of their lease and they moved to a new location. Sometimes my job is to just advocate for the tenant and to mediate between the tenant and the landlord.
How has your field of work changed during the past 10 to 15 years, and what kind of changes do you foresee in the future?
The expansion of the MHE trainings across the country is a big change over the past 8 years. During the past four years, the City of Seattle has paid for the visits done by the asthma outreach program and its AmeriCorps volunteers. In the past two years, the landlord/tenant outreach program has been implemented which is hugely needed as code enforcement or other regulatory bodies cannot fill the gaps. I hope to see this program become more embedded in the system in future years.
What else should we know about your work?
Since the 1960’s, over 80,000 new chemicals have been developed. Only 2% of these have been tested for their effects on humans. The earth is a closed system, and whatever we put into it stays here. I do my work to protect people from getting sick. In the field of public health, there are so many people that are so deserving of recognition. Keep up the good work!
What are your interests outside of work?
I enjoy community gardening, reading, nature, birding, walking, and my rescued pets.
Submitted by Beth Lipton, Board Member

Joint Conference on Health Update

The 18th Annual Joint Conference on Health will take place October 17 & 18th in Vancouver, WA. The theme of this year's conference is "Building Community Together-Creating Opportunities for Better Health."

Vancouver Convention Center and Hilton

While planning is still underway, the preliminary plenary program includes Jeff Selberg, Chief Operating Officer of the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, and a Legislative Panel. Discounts are available for early registration-don't miss out! More details will soon be available-check the website to stay up to date.

JCH 2010 in Yakima

Interested in participating in JCH behind the scenes? Volunteers are integral to JCH preparations. Opportunities include abstract review, marketing, education and planning a fundraiser. For more information or to sign up, click here .

Board Members Melody Madlem and Nancy Goodloe at JCH 2010

Professional Development

Upcoming Webinar*- Mark your calendar! Watch for the email invitation!

"Setting Local Public Health Priorities in Challenging Times-Where do we go from here?"

Description:
What are the most important priorities for local public health? Continued reductions in funding for public health and community health services, increased focus on policy and systems change, and increased accountability with public health standards are some of the factors creating new challenges for setting priorities. Please join us as WSPHA President Dennis Worsham moderates a discussion among four of our state’s local public health leaders as they share their perspectives and plans.

Speakers:
Elaine Conley, Chair, Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials
Scott Lindquist, Director and Health Officer, Kitsap County Health District
Barry Kling, Health District Administrator, Chelan-Douglas Health District
John Wiesman, Director, Clark County Public Health
[Note: Webinars are free to WSPHA members and cost $20 for non-members]

Local Professional Development Resources
Accessing training and professional development opportunities can be challenging, especially when travel funds are scarce. If you have not already done so, bookmark these sites where you can learn about and access training, conferences and other opportunities.

Health Education Resource Exchange (H.E.R.E.)
An online clearinghouse of public health education and health promotion materials, projects, people, events, and resources in the State of Washington. H.E.R.E. is designed for people who perform population-based health promotion activities in a variety of settings, primarily state and local health departments, community organizations, clinics, hospitals, and schools. Developed and maintained by the Washington State Department of Health Office of Health Promotion. http://here.doh.wa.gov/

Northwest Center for Public Health Practice
The Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (NWCPHP) promotes excellence in public health practice by linking academia and the practice community. As part of the University of Washington School of Public Health, the NWCPHP provides training, research and evaluation for state, local, and tribal public health in six Pacific Northwest states (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming). http://www.nwcphp.org/

SmartPH Learning Management System
SmartPH is a web-based service that provides a way for Washington’s public health system to administer, deliver, and track training and education. Using SmartPH saves time over traditional training programs. It allows public health workers to take courses, manage their training records and target individual career plans. The system also allows for additional services such as handling of registrations, tracking of records and feedback collection. https://fortress.wa.gov/dop/smartph/Login.aspx

Submitted by John Britt, RN, MPH, Committee Chair
*The majority of WSPHA webinars are educational, but some do carry an explicitly political message. WSPHA makes every effort to avoid sending unwanted e-mails to the workplace of government employees. You can help by making sure we have a non-work e-mail contact for you so you can comfortably review and act upon all Association communications.

Special Contributor: WSALPHO

The Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials (WSALPHO) is the collective voice for local public health in Washington State. The organization is made up of the leadership of the 35 local health jurisdictions which consists of Health Officers, Administrators, Personal Health Directors and Environmental Public Health Directors. WSALPHO’s mission is to create and maintain a strong, effective and efficient local governmental public health system throughout Washington State. In order to accomplish this WSALPHO strives to create a constructive and collegial environment that is needed to advance the broad interests of public health by working collaboratively with its partners including WSPHA, DOH and many others.

In order to accomplish its mission WSALPHO has developed a strategic plan that we believe will guide us during these very tumultuous times. The five goals identified in the plan are:

Be an active partner in reshaping public health in Washington State.
Develop sustainable public health business models.
Strengthen WSALPHO’s voice and influence.
Ensure an adaptable and competent public health workforce.
Identify opportunities to advance policy and systems change in local health jurisdictions.

Some members of WSALPHO have questioned if this is the appropriate time to develop and implement a strategic plan when the public health system is being bombarded by major changes and challenges, but if not now – when? As so eloquently stated in the An Agenda for Change document published in October 2010, “public health is at a crossroads; we must create and implement a new vision for the future.” The need for a new vision is being driven by multiple factors but one of the most significant is the erosion of local and state funding. This situation has resulted in the loss of 634 FTE local public health jobs in Washington since 2008. To put this in perspective this represents a 20% decrease in FTE and many of our programmatic funding streams have either been eliminated or significantly cut. At the same time we are losing resources we are being confronted with new challenges. Chronic disease rates are escalating; obesity is at epidemic proportions in many parts of the State and health inequities are increasing.

To meet these challenges we must have a very adaptive and accountable public health system. We must be willing to rethink our programmatic silos and shift our focus from individual patient or point of service delivery to the population at large, and we must be more involved in policy setting and program development. Local public health jurisdictions cannot accomplish this in isolation. We must do this through collaboration and partnership. We must give up our old paradigms and create new ones that will stretch our organizations, but will position local public health agencies to better anticipate and adapt to the turbulent, changing environment.

We must have hope for our future and WSALPHO believes in our strategic plan and the Agenda for Change document lays the foundation for this hope and will create a stronger, more flexible and accountable public health system.
Submitted by Elaine Conley, WSALPHO Chair

Washington State Journal of Public Health Practice

Did you miss the April deadline for submission to the June issue of the Washington State Journal of Public Health Practice? It's never too late to submit your work; the next published issue will be in December. A new electronic submission process is now in place to make submitting a manuscript easier than ever. Submissions can include research articles, promising practice write-ups, book reviews, poster presentations, PowerPoint presentations and commentaries. Assistance is available to help you get your submission ready to be published. For more information or if you have questions, go to WSPHA Journal or contact Melody Madlem at madlemm@cwu.edu. Don’t miss your opportunity to share your good work with a broad public health community!