On February 23, 2017 Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed a set of bills that aim to stem Virginia’s growing opioid epidemic. One of the bills signed into law, HB2317, allows local departments of health to administer harm reduction and syringe access programs in parts of the state with very high rates of HIV and Hepatitis  C.

IPHI advocated for syringe access programs and played a role by convening advocates, keeping everyone up to date, and pushing for involvement at key times.

To read more about Virginia’s set of harm reduction bills read Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s press release here.

Positive Pathways Recognized for its Effectiveness Addressing HIV/AIDS

“Washington, D.C., had, at the end of 2006, the highest incidence of HIV and AIDS in the country. In June 2015, NBC reported that the city’s rate of infection was down for the sixth year running. This because of HIV and AIDS programs like Positive Pathways, a collaborative initiative between the Washington AIDS Partnership and the Institute for Public Health Innovation. Positive Pathways is a peer-driven program in high-need communities, providing access to treatment and support for HIV-positive African-American people, focusing on women and their partners.”  See this article for a reference to IPHI and Positive Pathways in a look at effective HIV/AIDS programs in eight U.S. cities.

Evelyn Kelly, IPHI Senior Program Manager, was selected as one of The Daily Record’s 2015 Leading Women. The Leading Women awards honor 50 local women who are 40 years of age or younger for the accomplishments they have made so far in their careers. A panel of business and legal professionals and a representative of The Daily Record selected the honorees based on their professional experience, community involvement and commitment to inspiring change. The Daily Record launched the Leading Women awards in 2010 to recognize the next generation of Maryland’s women leaders.

The 2015 Leading Women awards will be presented December 7 at a reception and dinner in Annapolis. Winners will be profiled in a special magazine that will be inserted into the December 8 issue of The Daily Record and available online at www.TheDailyRecord.com.

August 5, 2015 — Evelyn Kelly, IPHI Senior Program Manager was selected as a “50 under 50 Food Hero” by Elevation DC, an online magazine focused on what’s next for the city. The magazine highlights the work being done by IPHI to engage local food policy councils around the State of Maryland to identify shared policy priorities that can be addressed at the State level in order to create a just and sustainable food system.  Policy recommendations will be outlined in the State’s first Maryland Food Charter.

 

As the Healthy Eating Active Living Cities, Towns, and Counties Campaign for the Mid-Atlantic takes hold in Virginia, more and more local elected leaders are recognizing the importance of and intersection of local planning and health.

As of April 2015, 14 Virginia cities and towns and one county have joined the HEAL Campaign. The Campaign’s primary partner in the Commonwealth, the Virginia Municipal League, featured the initiative in its most recent edition of its Virginia Town & City Magazine. This eight-page cover story reveals that while Virginia is not immune from the national obesity epidemic, local elected officials, not just health care providers, play an important role in combating obesity and related chronic disease. By shaping the environments in which community members and employees live, work, and play, policymakers help create spaces where eating healthy and being more physically active are routine elements of residents and employee’s lifestyles. Communities with healthy workers and residents lead not only to cost-savings from health care expenses, but to population growth and thriving economies.

The City of Charlottesville understands the positive role that healthy eating and active living play in being a sustainable community. “Its helped show how how every decision we make has some impact on the physical well-being of our residents, and to make those decisions consciously in an effort to make Charlottesville a healthier place for everyone,” noted City Councilwoman Kristen Szakos upon adopting its HEAL Resolution.

To learn more about the HEAL Campaign and the benefits of becoming a member, as well as more stories from across the Commonwealth, read the article, visit the HEAL website, and contact Marisa Jones at mjones@institutephi.org to join today.

Inspired by a presentation given by IPHI’s Marisa Jones, the Town is gearing up to become the next Healthy Eating Active Living community in the HEAL Campaign, representing Caroline County.

Mayor Bill Beall said joining the campaign would be a smart move for the town, and would dovetail with other initiatives, like a new business enterprise zone and historic district, both of which are in the works. “This would be a cherry on top,” Beall said. “There’s no downside.”  Read the full story.

IPHI’s Mike Royster was interviewed by Terrance Afer-Anderson of HealthWatch. The interview focused on health inequities in Virginia, strategies to address them, and some of IPHI’s work in Virginia to promote health equity.

We have provided a wealth of information on our website, but if you’d like a quick overview of our organization and would like to share information with a colleague, we welcome you to download our brochure.

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