What better way to learn than from following a good example? That is the intent of the Healthy Communities Tool Kit, now available free of charge from the Washington State Department of Health.
The Health Communities Tool Kit shares the journey of two Washington cities striving to improve the health of their communities. The Mount Vernon and Moses Lake Healthy Communities Projects are two community mobilization efforts aimed at increasing physical activity and healthy eating. These two cities spent 6-12 months developing an action plan to implement environmental and policy changes addressing health problems in their communities. The Healthy Communities Tool Kit contains the stories, lessons, advice and resources gleaned from this groundbreaking effort which was supported by funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention administered through the Washington State Department of Health.
To download a copy of the Healthy Communities Tool kit, visit: http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/NutritionPA/healthy_communities_tool_kit.htm. You may also order one free copy from the Washington State Department of Health warehouse by calling: 360-586-9046 and asking for DOH Publication Number 130-049.
The Harvard Center for Cancer
Prevention at the Harvard School of Public Health recently announced the launch
of a Spanish-language version of its popular risk assessment website, Your
Disease Risk. The new site, Cuidar de su Salud (Take Care of Your Health),
provides tailored prevention messages and health information for Hispanic/Latino
Americans, as well as Spanish speakers worldwide.
The site offers a personalized risk assessment for 12 different cancers, along
with heart disease, stroke, diabetes and osteoporosis. Users answer a brief
series of questions and receive an estimate of their risk in the form of a
7-level bar graph comparing them to average men and women their age. Users can
then click on the personalized prevention strategies and watch their future risk
drop.
The Center worked with ARGUS
Communications, the only Latino-owned advertising and marketing agency in
Boston, to ensure that the site was both culturally and linguistically
appropriate. Focus groups and other formative research were used to ensure the
accuracy of the Spanish translation and the overall appropriateness of the
content for Hispanics/Latinos of diverse countries of origin.
You can access Cuidar de su Salud at
http://www.cuidardesusalud.harvard.edu and Your Disease Risk at
http://www.yourdiseaserisk.harvard.edu. You can also find these websites on
H.E.R.E. under
Web Sites.
Mark your calendars! The 12th Annual Washington State Joint Conference on Health takes place October 10-12, 2005 in Yakima, Washington at the Yakima Convention Center. The theme of this year's conference is "Partnering for a Healthier Tomorrow" and it is brought to you by the Washington State Public Health Association and the March of Dimes in cooperation with the Washington State Department of Health and the Yakima Health District.
Looking for a great networking opportunity? Join us for the Health Educator's Luncheon on Monday October, 10th from 12:15 to 1:30. Contact Daisye Orr at (360) 236-3709 or daisye.orr@doh.wa.gov for more information.
The conference agenda and registration information is now online at: http://www.wspha.org/JCH1.html. The deadline for early registration is September 23, 2005. Questions about registration? Contact Kathy Kimsey at (425) 337-5717. We hope to see you there!
“Listen."
Sara Eve Sarliker admits that
this is the advice she wished she would have received as a new public health
professional. "I think that first year I wanted to prove myself, so I sometimes
talked when it would have been better to listen. People often tell you exactly
what you need to know in order to help," she says.
These days, listening is an
important component of Sara Eve's position as a health promotion specialist in
the Diabetes Prevention and Control Program for the Washington State Department
of Health. She works closely with community groups to promote diabetes
awareness, plan media campaigns and develop messages to prevent and control
diabetes. With a family history of type 2 diabetes, Sara Eve has a lot of
empathy for the communities she serves. "Having a chronic disease can be
isolating," she says, "but when you realize that what you need to do isn't so
different than what everyone else needs to do to be healthy, you don't feel so
alone."
Sara Eve received her B.A.
in Women's Studies from the University of California in Santa Cruz and her
Masters of Public Health from California State University in Northridge. She is
also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). Sara Eve has extensive
professional experience working with the media, especially in the areas of
newspaper and website production. She has also worked for the California
Diabetes Program doing evaluation and giving educational presentations to
clients with type 2 diabetes about how to take charge of their health.
Don't be surprised if you spot Sara Eve enjoying her weekends at the Olympia
Farmer's Market or walking in Priest Point Park with her seven month old
daughter, husband, and dog Lucy. If you are interested in chatting with Sara Eve
about her experience working with the media, community-based planning, or
promotion of diabetes prevention or control you may email her at:
sara.sarliker@doh.wa.gov. Please note that summer is usually the best time
to reach her.
If you notice that any information you have posted on
H.E.R.E.
is out of date, please let us know. Or if you would like to submit new projects,
materials or rolodex entries, we encourage you to do so. There are three ways to
contact us:
1. Fill out a form online at http://www3.doh.wa.gov/here (forms available under
Projects,
Materials or
Connections)
2. Send an email to here@doh.wa.gov
3. Send a fax to (360) 664-4500
| ● |
Community
Project Submission Form Are you involved in a unique program or project that other professionals would benefit from knowing about? |
| ● |
Health Education
Material Submission Form Have you developed materials that others could use as a resource or inspiration? |
| ● |
Rolodex
Submission Form Would you like to be in contact with other health educators in Washington and receive the H.E.R.E. newsletter? |
H.E.R.E. in Washington newsletter is distributed periodically by the:
Office of Health Promotion
Washington State Department of Health
PO Box 47833
Olympia, WA 98504-7833
Phone:
(360) 236-3736
Fax: (360) 664-4500
Email: here@doh.wa.gov
Web: http://www3.doh.wa.gov/here
