Medicare Should Take Leading Role in Reducing Health Disparities, Expert Panel Says
The federal Medicare program should take a much more active role in reducing disparities in health care for racial and ethnic minorities, according to a new report released by an independent panel of the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI). The panel finds that these disparities pose a pressing national problem. [RWJF News Release, 12-15-06] http://www.rwjf.org/newsroom/newsreleasesdetail.jsp?id=10453&c=EMC-CA142

Better Health through Stronger Communities: Public Policy Reform to Expand Life Paths of Young Men of Color
During the past twenty-five years, a series of public policies have had a negative impact upon young men from communities of color. These policies include the abandonment of rehabilitation and treatment for drug users in favor of interdiction and criminal sanctions in the 1980s, state policies to divert youthful offenders to adult criminal systems, and the imposition of zero-tolerance policies to exclude youth with problems from public schools in the 1990s…With a novel focus on the social determinants of health for young men of color, the Dellums…Commission’s final report offers a…policy agenda that [addresses]…health, education, family support and child welfare, workforce and economic development, juvenile and criminal justice, and the media. [the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies]! http://www.jointcenter.org/healthpolicy/Dellums.php

Fact Sheet: Implementation of the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza: Six-Month Status Report
Today, Frances Fragos Townsend, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, summarized progress the U.S. government has made implementing the actions in the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan. In order to track implementation of the Strategy, each of its more than 300 actions includes a measure of performance and a timeline for completion. This report summarizes the state of progress on each action (”completed” or “in progress”), and provides a description of efforts that have been undertaken by the responsible Departments and Agencies. [U.S. Office of the Press Secretary, 12-18-06] http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/12/print/20061218.html

NIH: Social and Cultural Dimensions of Health
Application deadline: variable
The ultimate goal of this program announcement is to encourage the development of health research that integrates knowledge from the biomedical and social sciences. This announcement invites applications to (a) elucidate basic social and cultural constructs and processes used in health research, (b) clarify social and cultural factors in the etiology and consequences of health and illness, (c) link basic research to practice for improving prevention, treatment, health services, and dissemination, and (d) explore ethical issues in social and cultural research related to health. Details: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm

Community Access to Child Health Implementation Funds Program
Application deadline: January 31, 2007
The American Academy of Pediatrics has released a 2007 Call for Proposals for the Community Access to Child Health Implementation Funds program, providing grants to support pediatricians in the planning or pilot stages of community-based child health initiatives. Grants should lead to the implementation projects that increase access to medical homes and other needed services. A pediatrician must lead the project and be significantly involved in proposal development and project activities. Priority will be given to projects serving communities with the greatest demonstrated healthcare access needs and health disparities. Details: http://www.aap.org/catch/implementgrants.htm

Healthy Eating Research: Building Evidence to Prevent Childhood Obesity - Round 2
Application deadline: February 13, 2007
Healthy Eating Research is a national program that supports research on environmental and policy strategies to promote healthy eating among children to prevent childhood obesity, especially among low-income and racial/ethnic populations at highest risk for obesity. This second round of funding focuses on children’s food environments and policies in selected community settings: preschool, child-care, school and after-school environments, as well as nearby food outlets. [Robert Wood Johnson Foundation] Details: http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=19770&c=EMC-FA138
[posted on ACHI Community Health News, 12-21-06]

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