| Public Health Initiatives |
| Home Page for Public Health Projects & Programs |
The Public Health Initiatives department provides family medicine representation in statewide public health efforts and provides members with even more high-quality (and in many cases free) CME through the PAFP Foundation.
NEWS
- PA's FAILING TOBACCO CONTROL REPORT CARD
- H1N1 OUTREACH
- ADULT IMMUNIZATION CME PROGRAM
- CDC: UNINTENTIONAL OVERDOSE DEATHS INCREASE
TOBACCO CONTROL
PA’s 2009 Tobacco Control Report Card: 3 Cs and an F
The American Lung Association, in its annual State of Tobacco Control report, smacked Pennsylvania with an F and a thumbs down for state tobacco prevention and control spending. Cs were awarded for performance in smokefree air, cigarette tax and cessation coverage. The one bright spot: a thumbs up for Medicaid coverage of all recommended tobacco cessation medications and forms of counseling. Check out our report card.
IMMUNIZATION
H1N1 Immunization Outreach
If you have H1N1 vaccine to give, the CDC and National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities encourage you to continue outreach to individuals who are traditionally harder to reach with health messages, including those who do not have access to the internet or have trouble reading. Download fliers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at http://ncmhd.nih.gov/h1n1.html.
Adult Immunization CME Program
 Adult vaccination is challenging. There are no universal immunization schedules for adults, and office systems are often inadequate. But a new PAFP Foundation quality improvement program focused on adult immunization can help you and your practice.
The PAFP Foundation program is free and is designed to improve practice systems and, as a result, improve and sustain adult immunization rates. You’ll learn how to use a team-based, quality improvement model – while you earn 30 patient safety CME credits. It’s a year-long program to benefit your entire practice. Visit www.pafp.com/vaccines for more information and to register.
> Be sure to attend the “Real Value: the Upshot of Vaccines” lecture during the Valley Forge Breakaway CME conference March 5-7 at the Crown Plaza, Valley Forge. Check out the agenda and register.
OVERDOSE AND OPIOIDS
CDC: Unintentional Overdose Deaths Increase
The CDC’s most recent data indicate an increase in deaths due to unintentional poisoning incidents. Approximately 75 deaths per day are caused by unintentional poisonings, which are the No. 1 cause of unintentional death among those ages 35 to 54. It’s the 2nd leading cause of unintentional injury death among those ages 25 to 34 and ranked 3rd among the 15 to 24 and 55 to 64 age groups. Additionally, unintentional poisoning ranked in the top 10 causes of death among children 10 to 14 and seniors 65 and older. (Access the data through the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.)
A 2004 report showed that 95 percent of unintentional poisoning deaths were caused by drugs, and more than half were a direct result of the misuse or abuse of prescription drugs such as opioid pain medications.
Related CME: The PAFP Foundation has two free CME webcasts related to this topic. Check them out at www.pafp.com/MME.
>> CLICK HERE TO READ MORE PUBLIC HEALTH NEWS...
|
|