An interesting brief from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation discussing the new childhood obesity rates in the United States. Click HERE for the origianl report.

In recent years, the national childhood obesity rate has leveled off. However, some cities and states have reported modest declines in their rates, following peaks in the early 2000s.

• Several cities and states throughout the country have recently reported declines in their childhood obesity rates.
• The places that are reporting declines are those that are taking comprehensive action to address the childhood obesity epidemic.
• Despite signs of progress, socioeconomic, geographic, and racial and ethnic disparities in obesity rates are persisting in many places.

Hello readers!

I wanted to take the time to update everyone on some interesting discussions, research findings, and policies in the U.S. health care system.

1) Fixing America’s Health Care Reimbursement System (source: The Health Care Blog)

A tempest is brewing in physician circles over how doctors are paid. But calming it will require more than just the action of physicians. It will demand the attention and influence of businesses and patient advocates who, outside the health industrial complex, bear the brunt of the nation’s skyrocketing health care costs.

Much responsibility for America’s inequitable health care payment system and its cost crisis is embedded in the informal but symbiotic relationship between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the American Medical Association’s Relative Value System Update Committee — also known as the RUC.

2) Six slides outlining “childhood obesity by the numbers” (source: Slate Hive, referred by Simoleon Sense)

You may need to scroll down to click on the directional arrows to see all 6 slides.

3) Town Hall Forum: GHI Executive Director Lois Quam on the Future of the Global Health Initiative (video and transcript source: Kaiser Family Foundation)

On March 1, 2011, the Kaiser Family Foundation hosted a town hall-style forum with Lois Quam, the newly appointed Executive Director of the Global Health Initiative (GHI), to listen to global health community perspectives on the progress of the initiative to date and discuss what the future of the U.S. global health policy might look like. The hour-long session was moderated by Jen Kates, Vice President and Director, Global Health & HIV Policy, Kaiser Family Foundation. During the town hall session, Director Quam took questions from the audience.

The Global Health Initiative (GHI), launched by the Obama Administration in May 2009, is an effort by the United States government to coordinate most of its global health activities under one umbrella. The GHI builds upon existing U.S. programs and expands work in other areas, focusing on improving health outcomes in the areas of HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, maternal health, child health, nutrition, and family planning and reproductive health, as well as strengthening underlying health systems

Recently, I was contacted by Barbara Dunn from Kimberly-Clark Worldwide to inform the readers of the Public Health Bugle about the organization’s campaign to prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections.

The Department of Health & Human Services recently released its annual report on the quality of health care Americans receive. While there have been some improvements, hospitals still have work to do to put an end to the ongoing – but solvable – problem of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs).

To help achieve this goal, Kimberly-Clark Health Care launched “Not on My Watch” (www.haiwatch.com), a website that provides tools and information to help facilities eliminate HAIs.

Check it out!

Thanks Barbara

Thanks Miguel Barbosa from Simonlon Sense for suggesting an interesting link from the United Health Foundation:

For over 20 years, America’s Health Rankings® has been tracking the state of our nation’s health. This analysis provides a comprehensive perspective on our national health issues, state by state. The 2010 Rankings features an interactive map where you can explore these statistics, compare states side-by-side, and learn what we can do to improve our health in the future.

America’s Health Ranking – An interactive link!

Here is another reason to develop interventions for 18-24 year olds…

Original Article

(source: National Institute of Health)

Overweight girls who lose weight before they reach adulthood greatly reduced their risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according to researchers from the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University, who analyzed 16 years of data on nearly 110,000 women.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease. It is marked by high blood sugar levels and difficulties in the body’s production or use of insulin. Being overweight, exercising infrequently and having a family history of diabetes are known to contribute to the risk of developing the disease.