Job Opportunity: IP Coordinator

The Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital in Sonoma County is seeking a full time Injury Prevention Coordinator.

For more details, please go to the CCLDHE website under Employment News or click here.

DCYF: State of the City's Children Summit

The San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is hosting the State of the City's Children Summit om April 19, 2007 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at Moscone Center South in San Francisco, California. This summit will bring service providers, city officials, community members and youth leaders together to share, learn, and strengthen our resolve in providing the necessary support and opportunities for our youth and families. The event is FREE but Registration is required.

To view the agenda and register: click here.

Grant Opportunity- Safe Routes to School Mini-Grant

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has funded the State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association (STIPDA) to administer a mini-grant program to assist public health professionals to develop a model of how public health professionals can utilize Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) training to strengthen local partnerships and bring together the various organizational entities needed to create successful SRTS programs that are institutionalized within the school system.

Eligible applicants include state and local health department injury prevention programs. State applicants will work with a local community to carry out the mini-grant activities. Depending on the funds available, three to six applicants will be awarded approximately $12,500 each. A subset of the awardees will be randomly selected to each receive approximately $3,000 in additional funds for tools, trainings, and expertise to enhance collaboration while developing their SRTS programs. This latter group of awardees will be assigned a mentor who has extensive experience in SRTS and will be trained to focus more extensively on collaboration and partnerships to ensure long-term coalition/collaborative sustainability.

The mini-grant project period will be one year beginning in June 2007. Letters of intent are due on March 15, 2007, and the Request for Proposals (RFP) deadline is April 10, 2007. The RFP can be downloaded from STIPDA's Web site at http://www.stipda.org/. Should you have any questions, please contact Michelle Wynn at (770) 690-9000 or michelle.wynn@stipda.org

CIPN Interactive On-line Teleconference Materials Up

If you did not get a chance to participate in the CIPN Interactive On-line Teleconference Training on state and local policy, you can obtain the speakers' slides either by e-mailing the CIPN project assistant, Vanessa Jew, at vanessa.jew@sfdph.org and requesting the slides or download them at http://www.sfdph.org/CHPP/injury.htm. (Slides are on the left hand side in the gray box)

California Office of Traffic Safety: Summit 2007

The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is proud to present the 17th Traffic Safety Summit on April 9-11, 2007 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, California. The Summit provides traffic safety professionals and advocates with innovative, results-oriented solutions to help save lives and reduce injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. It is a forum to discuss traffic safety trends and developing issues; explore new programs and campaigns; highlight new products and technologies; and network with traffic safety professionals in the field.

For general and registration information, click here.

2007 Senior Injury Prevention Conference

The 7th Annual Senior Injury Prevention Conference is coming up!

Save the Date-May 10, 2007 from 7:30-4:00pm

Samuel Merritt College Health Education Center

Oakland, California.

This year, the focus of the conference will be on the role of medications in injury. The conference will also explore Injury Prevention Evaluation techniques and Advocacy.

To learn more and to register, click here.

Upcoming Training and Conferences (Child Violence)

The following trainings and conferences were provided by Safe From the Start (SFTS). SFTS's goal is to reduce children’s' exposure to violence by educating communities of the impact of violence on children and how we can work together to intervene and prevent our children. To sign up for their free mailing list, click here

An Integrated Approach to Childhood Exposure to Violence: Implications for Brain Development
February 23, 2007
Location: Napa
For more information, contact Annie (707) 284-9528 or annalyse.baziuk@sonoma.edu To register, go to http://www.cattacenter.org/ and click on Other Events of Interest.

Kids in Crisis and Communities That Care
April 19, 2007, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Location: Santa Ynez Valley Marriott Hotel, Buellton
Contact: First 5 Santa Barbara County (805) 739-8742

6th Annual Children's System of Care Conference
May 30, 2007
Location: Bahia Resort Hotel, San Diego
Annual conference addresses community awareness and understanding of prevention and early intervention regarding the effects of trauma on children, youth, and young adults. Target audience is mental health professionals, social workers, probation officers, community members and youth.
Contact: Jamie Beam@sdcounty.ca.gov or (858) 514-4770

26th Annual UC Davis Child Abuse & Neglect Conference
September 17-19, 2007
Location: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Sacramento
Contact: Christine Feenstra-Gray Christine.feenstra@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu or register@canconference.com

Intimate Partner Violence In the United States

The US DOJ Bureau of Justice Statistics has released a new study on intimate partner violence. The study shows that children are residents of households experiencing intimate partner violence in 43% of incidents involving female victims. They found however that the rate of intimate partner violence has declined since 1993. To read the study as well as look at various characteristics of the victims and offenders, click here.

Job Opening: Spanish Project Coordinator: Injury Prevention

Click on the document for a larger view of the Job Description and Contact Information.

SJSU MPH Distance Learning Program

Two informational meetings have been scheduled for potential candidates to learn more about the San Jose State University MPH Distance Learning Program. This program was specifically designed for our Health Education practitioners in remote California areas who are unable to participate in campus based MPH programs. For more information about the MPH Distance Learning Program, click here.

Flyers are attached for the following meetings (Click on document to see larger version):

Saturday, February 24, 2007 in Sacramento:

Saturday, March 10, 2007 in Chico:

Better Roadway Designs For Safer Driving

An study done by the University of Florida determined that certain changes in intersection and roadway design can keep older drivers driving for longer and safer. These changes include wider road shoulders, right turn lanes that allow drivers to merge into traffic without stopping, and angle intersections no sharper than 90 degrees. However, these changes were not only beneficial to drivers 65+ but also to younger drivers including those in the age range of 35-54 (the safest group of drivers).

This is important because in 2003 nearly 1 in 7 licnensed drivers were 65+. By 2029, it is estimated that that porportion will rise to 1 in 4. Although older drivers have lower crash rates, they are the most vulnerable to injury or death becuase of increased fragility. This information is important for city planners looking to improve intersections and roadways.

To read the article, click here

Suggestions for Fellow IP Professional

Lucille Villalobos, a Health Educator working in the Child Passenger Safety Seat Program in Yolo County, just recently received a grant from OTS to conduct Injury prevention education classes and trainings related to child passenger safety education. She is looking for ideas related to training medical clinics, physician groups, schools, law enforcement and community based organizations. Does any one have some ideas or outreach plans that have successfully been implemented in their community? Please briefly describe your success outcome results and tips as to what action items did not work. Thank you.

To contact Lucille Villalobos, please e-mail her at lucille.villalobos@yolocounty.org

MMWR: Unintentional Poisoning Deaths

On February 9th, 2007, the CDC released a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on Unintentional Poisoning Deaths in the United States from 1999-2004. In this 5 year span, the study analyzed and tracked data collected from the National Vital Statistics System. The report determined that from 1999-2004, the mortality poisoning rate increased by 62.5%. The largest increase was seen among females (103%), whites (75.8%), persons living in the southern United States (113.6%) and persons aged 15-24 (113.3%)

The data indicated that the primary increase in the number of deaths were associated with prescription opiod analgesics (oxycodone) and secondly to overdoses in cocaine and prescription psychotherapeutic drugs (sedatives).

The report urges strengthening regulatory measures to reduce unsafe use of drugs, and for state and federal agencies to set up prescription-monitoring programs to identify and stop prescription drug abuse.

To read the MMWR article, click here.

National Child Passenger Safety Week

National Child Passenger Safety Week, February 11--17, 2007
During 2005, a total of 1,143 motor-vehicle occupants aged <12 years died in motor-vehicle crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and CDC recommend that children aged <13 years sit in the back seat of motor vehicles and use age-appropriate restraints. February 11--17 is National Child Passenger Safety Week, when activities are scheduled to stress the importance of age-appropriate seating for children in motor vehicles.

For more information on National Child Passenger Safety Week from NHTSA, click here.

CIPN Interactive On-line Teleconference

REGISTRATION IS STILL AVAILABLE!!!
CIPN Interactive On-line Teleconference Training
-February 15, 2007
-1:00-4:00 pm

-The Teleconference Will Include:

1) Why policy is important to your work and how best to communicate with policy makers

2) How to take the next steps to building an advocacy campaign for injury prevention at the local and/or state level

3) Local success stories and model programs

**Free Registration for CIPN members and other interested parties**
***REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED***
Click here for more information.

AJPH: Agricultural Child Labor Laws-Injury Impact

The study, "Changing the Child Labor Laws for Agriculture: Impact on Injury," published in the February American Journal of Public Health, found that 76% of fatally injured agricultural workers younger than 16 years were working in a family business that was exempt from child labor laws. Every year, more children are fatally injured in agricultural jobs than in any other work environment. Child labor laws designed to protect young children from unsafe and unhealthy work environments are ineffective due to exemptions on family owned farms.

Below are some of the findings of the study:

-86% of injured children were younger than 16 years
-3% of children injured were designated as non-family hired workers
-leading causes of injury resulted from tractors, farm machinery, falls from structures, and livestock
-33% of children working on a family farm were engaged in jobs prohibited by the Hazardous Occupations Orders if the exemption were lifted
-Hypothetically, if the Hazardous Occupations Orders were implemented and enforced on family farms, 34% of work injuries to children could be prevented.

If changes were to be implemented and enforced, it would lead to reductions in injury rates that meet or exceed national health objectives recommended in the Healthy People 2010 initiative. The study urges policy-oriented approaches as the method for enacting change but cites opposition from agricultural organizations as a signifigant barrier.

To read the study, click here -must have subscription to the American Journal of Public Health

AJPH: Lead Exposure in the Homes of Young Children

The February issue of the American Journal of Public Health published the study "Exposure to Lead and Length of Time Needed to Make Homes Lead-Safe for Young Children," which found that children in Wisconsin with blood lead levels (BLL) of 20 (micro)g/dL or more lived in homes where the median length of time to make the home safe was 465 days or 1.3 years.

This is signifigant because children spend more than 80% of their time indoors. The longer it takes for the home to be deemed lead-safe, the greater the potential hazard to the child. Although abatement orders were sent out, enforcement proved to be very difficult which resulted in 24% of homes requiring more than 18 months before improvements were made. Only 18% of children lived in homes that were rendered lead-safe within six months. White children were more likely than African American children to live in homes that were rendered lead-safe within 6 months (25% vs. 13%) and the majority of African American children lived in urban lower-income communities in which 35% of homes contained lead-based paint hazards compared to that of 19% of upper-income families.

Community efforts made to educate families about lead hazards and incentives for housing owners to join a lead-safe registry have improved the time needed to make homes lead safe but a lot more work needs to be done to reduce delays.

Click here to read the study (subscription to AJPH required)

NY: Ban on Use of Electronic Devices while Crossing Streets

Senator Carl Kruger of New York has just proposed a new law that would fine pedestrians and bikers $100 dollars if caught using electronic devices such as iPods, cell phones, video games, etc. while crossing the street. Recent deaths of pedestrians being run over by buses and cars while listening to their iPod spurred this bill. The rationale behind the bill is that if you are absorbed in your electronic device while crosssing a street, you are not aware of your surroundings, and injuries may result.

To read about the article in the SF Chronicle, click here

Increase in Girl Soccer Injuries

In a 14 year study done by the American Journal of Sports Medicine, girls are getting hurt in the sport more than ever before but boys are more likely hospitalized. This increase in injuries sustained by girls are attributed to increase participation in the sport. The injury rate for girls rose from 1.14 per 100,000 to 1.63 per 100,000 over the 14 year span. The injury rates for boys dropped from 2.04 to 1.8 per 100,000. The study shows that overall, girls sustained more ankle and knee injuries and were more likely to have sprains and strains while boys were more likely to sustain injuries to the face, head and neck resulting in hospitalization. The reason for the rise in injuries is not known but researchers speculate that it is because of the improvements in equipment, rules and training of coaches/referees and their ability to recognize and report injuries.

To read the study, click here (Requires subscription to American Journal of Sports Medicine)

Consumer Reports: Car Seats Op-Ed

On January 28, 2007, the NY Times published a great Op-ed piece about the Consumer Reports car seat safety mistake. It highlights the problems within Consumer Reports and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that has led us to this predicament. The article also offers insight about what both groups can do to better serve consumers. The author, Joan Claybrook, was once the administrator of the NHTSA from 1977-1981. She also served on the board of Consumer Union, which publishes Consumer Reports.

To read this Op-Ed piece, click here.