This has been a busy fall for me with travel to several conferences. While I try to keep up with the blog while traveling, postings can be sporadic. I am heading to Cody Wyoming tomorrow for the Midcontinental Chapter of the Medical Library Association’s annual meeting. I will be on the road til next Wednesday. Just letting you know that things may be quiet - It all depends on Internet access and time. thanks for your understanding.

Dental Health and Access to Care among Rural Children: A National and State Portrait
http://rhr.sph.sc.edu/report_by_topic.html#9-08
Although children’s dental health in the U.S. has improved over recent decades, a subset of children continues to suffer dental disease severe enough to constitute a public health problem. This Chartbook examines dental health status, use of preventive services, and dental insurance among rural and urban children. The Chartbook provides information specific to rural children, and in particular rural minority children, not available in similar detail from other sources. This information can be used at the state level for program planning and assessment. A copy of the full report is available through the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center’s Online Report Request System at: http://rhr.sph.sc.edu/request.htm [ posted on Rural Health Information Service (KRHIS)]

PAHO/WHO 48th DIRECTING COUNCIL/ 60th SESSION OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE ”

Wednesday October 1st, 2008 from 8:30 am – 10:00 am Washington DC Time

To check local time in Washington DC  against your time zone, see the World Clock at: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html )

ENGLISH - Webcast Directing Council
http://www.paho.org/english/DD/PIN/Webcast.htm

MONTEREY, CA – (September 30, 2008) – In celebration of International Translators day (9/30/2008), Language Line® University today announced the development of an online “International Registry of Certified Medical Interpreters.” The first industry resource of its kind, once launched the registry will give hospitals, healthcare organizations, interpreters and researchers access to a free online resource for identifying professional medical interpreters and reviewing their language skills and credentials. It will also serve as a professional development tool for the growing medical interpreting industry and a vehicle for raising awareness of the importance of the interpreting profession. See the complete press release at http://www.languageline.com/page/news/106/

International Walk to School Day, October 8, 2008
This event strives to bring together schools, parents, communities, and area leaders to support a campaign to get more children physically active by biking or walking to school. To learn more about this event  http://www.walktoschool.org/ and http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk/resources.htm

Cornerstones of a Healthy Lifestyle Blueprint for Nutrition & Physical Activity
The Blueprint outlines practical, consumer-focused, state and local strategies for improving eating and physical activity that will lead to healthier lives for children, adults, and families. The Blueprint provides communities, consumers, organizations, agencies, and programs with strategies and potential actions to address priority nutrition and physical activity issues in the context of their own community resources and needs. This document is based on strategies and action from Healthy People 2010 objectives and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To view the Blueprint, visit: http://www.astphnd.org/resource_read.php3?resource_id=42&sid=1eb899

Moving to the Future: Tool for Planning Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs
This web-based resource is sponsored by the Association of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors (ASTPHND). The website provides step-by-step instructions for conducting community assessment, writing objectives, developing a plan, or evaluating your program. Also, forms, surveys, and worksheets are provided for your own needs. There are discussion forums for networking opportunities. To view this website, visit: http://www.movingtothefuture.org/

[posted on Nutrition & Activity for Health (NAFH) NAFH E-News Alert #8]

More than half a million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that leads to tremor and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination. Although not a normal part of aging, Parkinson’s occurs most often among people 60 and older, and the risk increases with age. Older adults now can visit the NIHSeniorHealth Web site to learn more about Parkinson’s disease at http://www.nihseniorhealth.gov/parkinsonsdisease/toc.html The Web site from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is geared toward older adults and features clear language.

2008 Medical Library Association Scholarship Applications Due December 1
Applications are now being accepted for the 2008 MLA Scholarship, which provides up to $5000.00 to a library school student interested in a career in health science libraries. Applications available online at http://mlanet.org/pdf/grants/schol_app_20050712.pdf
E-mail Shandra Protzko, Jury Chair, at protzkos@njc.org with questions.

NLM Individual Fellowship for Informationist Training http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=true&oppId=10530
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) awards informationist fellowships to those wish to become informationists. Informationists are information specialists who work in domain settings of healthcare, public health and biomedical research as peers, in teams with scientists and health professionals. The phrase in-context information specialist is also used to describe this role. These fellowships are intended for health sciences librarians, scientists, health professionals and others who wish to broaden their existing scientific background by acquiring the additional disciplinary knowledge and experience to function as an informationist.

Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging: Training and Demonstration Projects
The EPA Aging Initiative, located in the Office of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education, is seeking proposals for a new grant opportunity for Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging: Training and Demonstration Projects.Proposals must include their strategy for accomplishing one of the following two goals: (1) Training older adults, to be environmental leaders on local planning decisions that affect their community’s built environment; (2) Demonstrating how greenways and sustainable streets can improve the quality of life for persons of all ages while improving environmental quality. The EPA Aging Initiative, located in the Office of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education, is seeking proposals for a new grant opportunity for Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging: Training and Demonstration Projects.Proposals must include their strategy for accomplishing one of the following two goals: (1) Training older adults, to be environmental leaders on local planning decisions that affect their community’s built environment; (2) Demonstrating how greenways and sustainable streets can improve the quality of life for persons of all ages while improving environmental quality. http://www.epa.gov/aging/grants/grant-list/2008_11_21_rfp-epa-ao-ochp-08-01-fnl-rev-9-24.pdf

Counties With Minorities in the Majority Grow in Rural America
http://www.dailyyonder.com/counties-minorities-majority-grow-rural-america
Sep 17, 2008 — Daily Yonder article tells how the number of counties where minority groups form a majority of the local population continues to expand in rural America.

Racial and Ethnic Composition of the Population
http://www.rupri.org/Forms/race_ethnicity.pdf
Summarizes the data on county racial and ethnic composition. Shows the population change in the nonhispanic white population and the total minority population in each nonmetro county from 2000 to 2007.
Organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Date: 08 / 2008

Rural Broadband Access Key Component in Community Success
http://www.cfra.org/weeklycolumn/2008/09/09/rural-broadband-access-key-component-community-success
Sep 10, 2008 — Editorial by Brian Depew from the Center for Rural Affairs discusses how access to high-speed internet in the 21st century is a public necessity similar to access to electricity in the 20th century.

[posted on Rural Assistance Center Human Services Update]

Charbonneau, Deborah H. (Ed.). (2008). Global information inequalities: Bridging the information gap. Oxford: Chandos Publishing (Oxford) Limited.

The disparity in access to information is a worldwide phenomenon. Global Information Inequalities offers a captivating look into problems of information access across the world today. One of the unique strengths of the book is the use of examples of library initiatives from around the world to illustrate the range of possibilities for equitable access and library service delivery in a global context. It contains numerous examples of a wide variety of information problems and solutions ranging from developing literacy programs in rural communities in Tanzania, building school libraries in China, making government-related information more transparent in Chile, to exploring how digital technologies have the potential to revolutionize the lives of people with sensory-disabilities. The contributions in Global Information Inequalities address a number of core professional issues, including access to information, library services, collection development, global collaboration, intellectual property, and digital information. Additional information is available from the publisher’s web site: http://snipurl.com/3tfss
Find more information on Amazon.com: http://snipurl.com/3r37w

From Grants.gov Opportunities Posting Update:

Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Competitive Grants Program Grant
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=true&oppId=18408
The Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Competitive Grants Program (OASDFR) provides funds to organizations to conduct outreach and technical assistance to encourage and assist socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to own and operate farms and ranches and to participate in agricultural programs. The OASDFR will support a wide range of outreach and assistance activities in farm management, financial management, marketing, application and bidding procedures, and other areas. The primary purpose of the OASDFR is to deliver outreach and technical assistance, to assure opportunities for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to successfully acquire, own, operate, and retain farms and ranches; and assure equitable participation in the full range of USDA programs.

Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program Grant
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=true&oppId=18411
The purpose of the Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge (SPECA) Grants Program is to: enhance curricula in agricultural education; increase faculty teaching competencies; interest young people in pursuing higher education in order to prepare for scientific and professional careers in the food and agricultural sciences; promote the incorporation of agriscience and agribusiness subject matter into other instructional programs, particularly classes in science, business, and consumer education; facilitate joint initiatives by the grant recipient with other secondary schools, institutions of higher education that award an associate’s degree, institutions of higher education that award a bachelor’s degree, and nonprofit organizations supporting agriscience and agribusiness education, to maximize the development and use of resources, such as faculty, facilities, and equipment, to improve agriscience and agribusiness education; support other initiatives designed to meet local, State, regional, or national needs related to promoting excellence in agriscience and agribusiness education; and support current Agriculture in the Classroom programs for grades K-12.

From CHHCS Grant Alerts — September 25, 2008:

U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration — Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children:
The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children (HTPC) was created to stimulate innovative, community-based programs that employ prevention strategies to promote access to health care for children and their families nationwide. HTPC funding supports direct service projects.
http://www.healthinschools.org/News-Room/Grant-Alerts/Healthy-Tomorrows-Partnership-for-Children.aspx

National Football League Youth Football Fund — Grassroots Program:
The goal of the National Football League Youth Football Fund’s Grassroots Program is designed to provide non-profit, neighborhood-based organizations with financial and technical assistance to improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of local football fields.
http://www.healthinschools.org/News-Room/Grant-Alerts/Grassroots-Program.aspx

Do Something — Plum Youth Grants:
Do Something’s Plum Youth Grants are available to provide funding to sustain and further the growth of a recently created project, program, or organization. Plum Youth Grants are given out weekly. http://www.healthinschools.org/News-Room/Grant-Alerts/Plum-Youth-Grants.aspx