Category: Events and Webinars

Local Food System Stakeholders Focus on Innovations and Policy Opportunities in Farming, Nutrition Education, and Affordable Healthy Food Retail at Prince George’s First-Ever “Food Equity Forum”

Over 80 food and public health experts and advocates participated in a first-ever “Food Equity Forum,” hosted by the Prince George’s County Food Equity Council (FEC), to discuss strategies to improve the health of county residents and increase access to healthy food for all socio-economic groups.

The Forum featured an expert panel and breakout sessions that engaged stakeholders from a variety of sectors of the county’s food system-including farmers, professors, food access focused non-profits, food banks, elected officials, government agencies, renewable energy companies, and residents.

Innovations in local food system work and opportunities for systems-level change through policy-based approaches were central to forum discussions. Healthy mobile food vending, nontraditional agricultural ventures, strategies to increase community level access to affordable foods, and promising practices to fight hunger and expand nutrition education programming were popular topics among participants. Stakeholders acknowledged the need for collaboration to address the county’s high levels of chronic disease and obesity and were urged to continue their conversations, and the spirit of collaboration, by joining the Food Equity Council and its work groups.

New tools to combat hepatitis C (HCV) have the potential to dramatically reduce the health burden of this silent epidemic. Recent changes to screening guidelines for hepatitis C, combined with new options for treatment of the disease and the expansion of access to prevention and care offered through the Affordable Care Act are changing the dynamic for how we view and address HCV. The changing HCV landscape is reflected in the recommendations contained within the updated Action Plan for the Prevention, Care & Treatment of Viral Hepatitis, released in April 2014 for 2014-2016.

Community partners are essential to the implementation of the updated Action Plan. The purpose of this event is for HIV service providers to increase their knowledge of HCV and discuss how they can utilize their existing structure to impact prevention, care and treatment of this silent epidemic. This event will identify the roles both medical and non-medical HIV providers can play along the continuum of HCV services.

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This event is part of the Capacity for Change series coordinated by Institute for Public Health Innovation and Washington AIDS Partnership. This series is designed to give HIV/AIDS service providers a forum to discuss key changes in the policy environment, and develop the capacity to navigate both health reform implementation and the shifts in HIV prevention and treatment strategies. 

WHAT

The Prince George’s Food Equity Council is hosting its first ever “Food Equity Forum” to discuss critical strategies to improve the health of county residents and increase access to healthy food to all socio-economic groups. Among the topics is the county’s abundance of “food deserts,” low-income areas with too few supermarkets, and “food swamps,” areas with lots of fast food. The forum features experts and breakout sessions to engage stakeholders from diverse sectors of the county’s food system-including farmers, University of Maryland extension representatives, non-profits, grocery stores, elected officials, government agencies, renewable energy companies, and healthcare executives-to mitigate public health challenges posed by food inequity.

SPEAKERS & FACILITATORS

• Sydney Daigle, Food Equity Council Coordinator
• Margaret Morgan Hubbard, CEO, ECO City Farms & Food Equity CouncilCo-Chair
• Nicete Moodie, Nutrition Outreach Coordinator, Share Our Strength
• Denise Ann Benoit-Moctezuma, Program Supervisor, Prince George’s Expanded Food & Nutrition Program, University of Maryland Extension
• Pete Charlerie, Farmer and Owner, SunSplash Farm
• Shelby Watson Hampton, Farmer, Robin Hill Farm and Vineyard
• Christie Balch, Executive Director, Crossroads Community Food Network
• Susan Thweatt, Program Chief, Prince George’s County Health Department
• Michael J. Wilson, Executive Director, Maryland Hunger Solutions
• Allison Lilly, Sustainability & Wellness Coordinator, University of Maryland Dining Services
• Evelyn Kelly, Senior Program Manager, Institute for Public Health Innovation

WHEN

Thursday, September 18, 2014, 4:00pm-7:00pm

WHERE       

Busboys and Poets

5331 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20781

WHY

The quality of life in Prince George’s County is hampered by high levels of chronic disease and obesity, especially in low-income communities.  The 22-member Prince George’s County Food Equity Council,formed in response to the Institute for Public Health Innovation’s (IPHI) efforts to  reduce chronic disease rates, works to improve public health, economic opportunity and food security for county residents by developing policies, approaches, procedures, practices and initiatives that create systemic change to the local food system. The first-ever Food Equity Forum is an important part of this effort.

For more information, contact Sydney Daigle at pgfoodcouncil@gmail.com or (240) 253-1036.

The DC Prevention and Medicaid Financing Taskforce held its third meeting on August 26^th.  Discussions focused on the progress of the two workgroups that were formed at the second Taskforce meeting: the CHW Workforce Development and the Financing Workgroups. Workgroup members addressed topics including workgroup structure and technical needs. Participants discussed recommendations for a potential credentialing model and a sustainable reimbursement model that aligns with the Medicaid State Plan Amendment and planned their next meetings. The next meeting of the DC Taskforce is expected to be in mid-October and the schedule for upcoming workgroup meetings will be announced shortly.

The Institute for Public Health Innovation and Washington AIDS Partnership, together with the D.C. Department of Health, is hosting a follow-up to the Spring 2014 roundtable conversation between senior leadership of HIV/AIDS service providers and the Senior Deputy Director of HAHSTA, D.C. Department of Health, Michael Kharfen. This is an opportunity to receive updates on current HAHSTA priorities as well as to provide the perspective of service providers working on the ground on where they are and where the District should be headed in its response to HIV/AIDS.

This event is invitation only due to limited space. If you have any questions, please contact Christine Stewart at cstewart@institutephi.org.

The next  DC Prevention and Medicaid Taskforce meeting is scheduled for August 26th, from 9:30am to 11:30am at IPHI.  All who attend will be asked to participate in one of two workgroups: the CHW Workforce Development Work Group, which is focused on formulating recommendations on community health worker scope of practice, standards, core competencies, and credentialing, or the Financing Work Group, which is charged with formulating recommendations for a Medicaid State Plan Amendment related to financing preventive health services provided by non-licensed professionals.  All are welcome! For more information contact CCHW@institutephi.org.

IPHI Recognizes 22 HEAL Cities and Towns in Maryland and Virginia

HEAL Cities & Towns have publicly recognized, through adoption of a resolution or policy that municipalities have a role to play in creating a community where residents and municipal employees can make healthy decisions about nutrition and physical activity.

To date, 22 cities and towns from across Maryland and Virginia have joined the Campaign, including:  Bel Air (MD), Bladensburg (MD), Colmar Manor (MD), College Park (MD), Cottage City (MD), Charlottesville (VA), Crewe (VA), Dumfries (VA), Edmonston (MD), Forest Heights (MD), Gaithersburg (MD), Greenbelt (MD), Haymarket (VA), Leesburg (VA), Lovettsville (VA), Middleburg (VA), Petersburg (VA), Salisbury (MD), Somerset (MD), Staunton (VA), Sykesville (MD) Williamsburg (VA). (See map of HEAL Cities & Towns below.)

These municipalities have taken advantage of resources made available to them through the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign, including: quarterly webinars, technical workshops, and staff assistance with policy development and implementation.

June was a big month for the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign. On June 10, 2014, IPHI’s Marisa Jones had the opportunity to speak before Maryland’s local elected officials to present plaques recognizing the Inaugural Class of HEAL Cities & Towns in Maryland at the Maryland Municipal League Annual Convention.

Also at the Maryland Municipal League Convention, the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign led two workshops. The first was a mobile session on walking meetings, answering: what are they? How can they promote the fiscal and physical health of municipalities? The second workshop highlighted the Economic and Health Benefits of Walkable, Bikeable Communities, and featured Maryland examples provided by Mayor Randy McClement, Frederick, MD, Councilwoman Nicole Wagoner, Cumberland, MD, and Matt Drew, Bike Salisbury. To view each presenter’s slides, please click on their name.

IPHI’s Marisa Jones had the opportunity to speak before Maryland’s local elected officials to present plaques recognizing the Inaugural Class of HEAL Cities & Towns in Maryland at the Maryland Municipal League Annual Convention. As of June, there were a total of 22 cities and towns in the regional campaign.

The Inaugural Class of HEAL Cities & Towns have publicly recognized that, through adoption of a resolution or policy, municipalities have a role to play in creating a community where residents and municipal employees can make healthy decisions about nutrition and physical activity. These municipalities have taken advantage of resources made available to them through the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign, including quarterly webinars, workshops, and one-on-one staff assistance with policy development and implementation.

Also at the Maryland Municipal League Convention, the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign led a mobile session on walking meetings: what they are and how they promote the fiscal and physical health of municipalities, as well as a workshop on the economic and health benefits of walkable, bikeable communities, featuring Mayor Randy McClement from Frederick, MD; Councilwoman Nicole Wagoner, Cumberland, MD; and Matt Drew, Bike Salisbury.

The Prevention and Medicaid Financing Task Force welcomes others who may be interested in participating as a collaborative working partner at the next Task Force meeting on July 11, 2014, 9:30-11:30am at IPHI.  The DC Primary Care Association (DCPCA) and IPHI led the formation of the Task Force to help lay groundwork to facilitate future Medicaid financing of preventive health services offered by non-licensed providers.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created a new rule, which took effect January 1, 2014, that allows state Medicaid agencies to finance preventive health services provided by professionals that may fall outside of a state’s clinical licensure system, as long as a licensed practitioner, such as a physician, nurse or social worker, recommends such services.  With this new rule, the DC Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) has the option to cover more community-based preventive services, including but not limited to, those provided by community health workers (CHWs).  The rule defines preventive services as those which: prevent disease, disability, and other health conditions or their progression; prolong life; and promote physical and mental health and efficiency.

Before DHCF can expand the financing of preventive health services in the District of Columbia, significant work will need to be done to determine eligible providers; ensure definition of scope(s) of practice, qualifications and standards; institute processes for ensuring those qualifications and standards are met; and structure payment mechanisms.  This Task Force will organize community stakeholders so some of that work can be done in preparation for a possible State Plan Amendment.

If you are interested in participating in the Task Force, email CCHW@institutephi.org  and identify in the email the organization you work for and how you would like to contribute to be involved.

On June 4, 2014, IPHI and Washington AIDS Partnership convened Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and HIV service providers serving the District of Columbia. Key objectives of the session were:

• to give HIV organizations an opportunity to learn what it takes to contract with an MCO and corresponding expectations;
• for MCOs to learn more about the system of HIV providers in DC and the opportunities they see; and
• to provide an opportunity for HIV organizations and MCOs to build direct relationships and explore different ways of working together.

The meeting was a productive first step, and participants unanimously agreed that a follow-up meeting should be planned to continue networking and exploring partnership opportunities. The second session will be scheduled for September 2014. Participating MCOs included AmeriHealth DC, MedStar Family Choice, and Trusted Health Plan, joined by over a dozen HIV service providers.  The meeting was part of the Capacity for Change series of forums and trainings, designed to help HIV service providers navigate changes in the health care system and position themselves for more effective and sustainable services. Capacity for Change is coordinated by IPHI, in collaboration with Washington AIDS Partnership and with support from the DC Department of Health and MAC AIDS Fund. For more information about the Capacity for Change series or the second meeting for MCOs and HIV service providers to take place in September, contact Christine Stewart, cstewart@institutephi.org.