Minnesota Advocacy Beat

Creating the Next Generation of Lifesavers in Minnesota

2012-01-30T17:20:00.003-06:00

Jamie LaLonde is lucky to be alive today. When she had her Sudden Cardiac Arrest at 18 years old while working at the Mall of America, she was surrounded by friends who had just graduated high school and no one knew what to do. Luckily there was a police officer around the corner who knew CPR and how to use an AED and saved Jamie’s life.

Today, Jamie met with her State Senator, Dan Hall of Burnsville, who is authoring a bill for the American Heart Association that would require all students to receive CPR training before they graduate from high school. What most people don’t realize is that in about the same amount of time it takes to watch the average TV sitcom, students can get trained in CPR. If we assure all students get this training before they graduate, we’ll be training the next generation of lifesavers in Minnesota.

Join Jamie and other advocates for our Heart on the Hill on March 7 in St. Paul. Advocates from across the state will speak with Minnesota legislators in a strong, unified voice about the importance of fighting heart disease and stroke and creating thousands of life savers by requiring all Minnesota high schools students to learn CPR.

The day starts with workshops and training and then you’ll put your skills to the test when you meet with your state legislators. Breakfast and lunch included. Students are also encouraged to attend this daylong event. There's no cost to attend but advance registration is required. Register today at: Heart on the Hill 2012. For questions, contact Ngia Mua at ngia.mua@heart.org or 952-278-7934.

You're Invited! 2nd Annual State of Women's Heart Health Webinar

2012-01-27T08:59:00.000-06:00

Did you know that more women die of heart disease than all forms of cancer combined? Heart disease is often silent, hidden and misunderstood- but we can each do our part to learn about our risk factors, make changes, and share the truth with others.

So, kick of American Heart Month by joining us for a national discussion on the State of Women’s Heart Health! You’ll hear from some of our nation’s leading health experts about the latest heart disease and stroke research and prevention efforts. _________________________________________________

WHO: You!

WHAT: A national webinar with Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, cardiologist Dr. Nanette Kass Wenger, and fellow survivor-advocates to learn about the new Million Hearts initiative and some of the latest advances in women’s heart research.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 5:30-6:30 pm EST (4:30-5:30 pm CST)

WHERE: Your computer

HOW: Register today! You will receive a confirmation email with log-in details. __________________________________________________

The experts will take some of your questions at the end of the call, so come prepared to participate in the discussion!

We are looking forward to having you join us for this exciting American Heart Month event!

Clarissa Garcia
American Heart Association

New federal guidelines for school lunches

2012-01-26T09:19:00.002-06:00

Written byJay Olstad, KARE 11- Jan 26, 2012

CHANHASSEN, Minn. - Over the years, the school lunch line has been almost a rite of passage for kids, but unfortunately not always the healthiest.

But new guidelines passed by the U.S. Congress hope to change that. It's the first major nutritional overhaul of school lunches in 15 years.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled new school lunch guidelines Wednesday in an effort to fight childhood obesity.

It will force schools to provide children with twice the amount of fruits and vegetables, as well as more whole grains, and less sodium and Trans fat.

"They're encouraging increase of fruits and veggies, which we know are whole foods and that's the foundation of our diets," said Anika DeCostera, a registered dietician with Lifetime Fitness.

The new rules could take effect as early as next school year.

The federal government would help schools pay for it, which will cost roughly $3.2 billion to implement over the next five years.

"If we're going to provide lunch we should provide the best lunch we can," said Principal Bryan McGinley with Deephaven Elementary School.

McGinley knows what it takes to make this type of transformation. Since September, his school has been part of a pilot program with Lifetime Fitness.

"It's been a success so far," said DeCostera.

DeCostera has helped lead the charge, retraining Deephaven's school cooks on how to make, for the most part, meals from scratch. And it appears the kids actually like eating healthy.

"From what the cooks have been telling me it's been the most salads they've ever sold in a lunch period," she said.

The cost to Deephaven is picked up by Lifetime Fitness.

Some critics argue the rules amount to a government overreach and the new guidelines maybe too expensive for school districts.

But, with obesity becoming a growing problem, proponents wonder if we can afford not to make the changes.

"It's hard to argue providing healthier food for children," said McGinley.

KARE 11: http://www.kare11.com/news/article/958624/391/New-federal-guidelines-for-school-lunches

Minnesota Heart on the Hill Lobby Day

2012-01-20T10:52:00.002-06:00

Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Register NOW

Join other advocates to speak with Minnesota legislators in a strong, unified voice about the importance of fighting heart disease and stroke. Attend workshops and training and then put your skills to the test when you meet with your state legislators about:

Creating thousands of life savers by requiring all Minnesota high schools students to learn CPR

Educating legislators about the gaps in stroke care in Minnesota and ensuring the best available care no matter where you live in the state

Supporting a $3 million initiative for a state Safe Routes to School program to

Breakfast and lunch included. Students are also encouraged to attend this daylong event. There's no cost to attend but advance registration is required.

Secondhand Smoke in Our Communities

2012-01-19T12:58:00.002-06:00

You probably know that smoking is bad for you. Every year, thousands of people die from diseases related to smoking, like lung cancer and heart disease. But did you know that being exposed to the smoke from other people’s cigarette smoking is also very dangerous? Smoke from cigarettes contains many poisons that can cause cancer.

To learn more about this topic, watch “Secondhand Smoke in Our Communities.” This program will broadcast in eight languages on tpt’s Minnesota Channel (tptMN) – Comcast Channel 243:

Sunday, January 15:
English - 7 p.m.
Spanish - 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 22:
Hmong - 7 p.m.
Somali - 7:20 p.m.
Karen - 7:40 p.m.

Sunday, January 29:
Vietnamese: 7 p.m.
Lao - 7:20 p.m.
Khmer: 7:40 p.m.

Echo: http://www.echominnesota.org/library/secondhand-smoke-our-communities

US obesity epidemic shows no signs of reversing course, reports on kids and adults show

2012-01-18T10:48:00.002-06:00

Article by: LINDSEY TANNER , Associated Press: January 17, 2012

CHICAGO - America's obesity epidemic is proving to be as stubborn as those maddening love handles, and shows no sign of reversing course. More than one-third of adults and almost 17 percent of children were obese in 2009-2010, echoing results since 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday.

"It's good that we didn't see increases. On the other hand, we didn't see any decreases in any group," said CDC researcher Cynthia Ogden.

Early in the decade, slight increases were seen among white, black and Hispanic men, and among Hispanic and black women. These changes may be leveling off, but the authors said they "found no indication that the prevalence of obesity is declining in any group."

In 2009-2010, more than 78 million adults and almost 13 million children aged 2-19 were obese, the CDC researchers reported.

Those numbers are staggering, and while they haven't increased in recent years, "we're plateauing at an unacceptably high prevalence rate," said Dr. David Ludwig, director of an obesity prevention center at Children's Hospital Boston. He was not involved in the reports.

The CDC reports summarize results of national health surveys in children and adults, which are conducted every two years. The nationally representative surveys include in-person weight and height measurements. The 2009-2010 reports involved nearly 6,000 adults and about 4,000 children, from infancy through age 19.

The results were released online in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Dr. Elbert Huang, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago who studies health care policy issues, said his research shows that even if obesity rates continue to remain stable, there will be dramatic increases down the road in diabetes and in costs linked with that disease. That's because Type 2 diabetes, among many diseases linked with obesity, becomes more prevalent as people age.

The latest reports — one on children and the other on adults — focused on obesity, meaning a body-mass index of at least 30. But the numbers of adults and children who were overweight, with a BMI of between 25 and 29, also remained high.

Overall, 33 percent of adults were overweight but not obese, versus about 15 percent of children and teens.

Rates of overweight or obese adults and children were generally higher in blacks and Hispanics than in whites.

The government says a healthy weight is a BMI of between 18 and 25. The index is a ratio of height to weight.
___

StarTribune: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/wellness/137490063.html
JAMA: http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/early/2012/01/11/jama.2012.40.full
CDC: http://www.cdc.gov

Farmington’s Active Student Programs Featured at State School Board Conference

2012-01-17T14:46:00.003-06:00

Meadowview Physical Education Teacher Joe McCarthy, Board Member Melissa Sauser and North Trail Physical Education Teacher and American Heart Association State Advocacy Committee member Jack Olwell.

What role does the Century Club, Jammin Minute, Run Across America and other programs held in Farmington’s elementary schools have in improving academic performance in the classroom?

School Board members from across the state got answers to those questions and a whole lot more as Farmington Area Public School was invited to present at the Minnesota School Boards Association Annual Leadership Conference held Thursday, January 12 and 13 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

In a 90 minute presentation titled “Body and Mind Working Together”, district Physical Education teachers Joe McCarthy, Meadowview Elementary and Jack Olwell, North Trail Elementary joined School Board Clerk Melissa Sauser in providing a comprehensive report on Farmington’s efforts. Highlights of the presentation included:

Jammin Minute- A daily activity program held in the classroom and coordinated by a group of fifth-grade student leaders in every classroom at the school.

Century Club- A program at Meadowview to track activity outside the classroom in order to reinforce life skills. Students are rewarded for increasing activity with the goal of traveling “100 miles” on their scale. Students integrate art with the program as they design a poster shaped like a shoe to travel along the timeline.

Literacy PE/Math PE Integrating and embedding reading and math with vigorous physical activity in small group sections.

The presentation cited multiple research studies from around the nation and the world linking increased cardiovascular activity with increased brain activity and corresponding student achievement. The seminar was attended by approximately 30 school board members and superintendents from throughout Minnesota.

Farmington Area Public Schools:

http://www.rschooltoday.com/se3bin/clientgenie.cgi?schoolname=school589&statusFlag=goGenie&geniesite=32&myButton=g5plugin&db=g32_b637&articleID=9584&G5button=637

New Study Predicts Nationwide Tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Would Prevent Thousands of Heart Attacks, Strokes and Cases of Diabetes

2012-01-11T10:03:00.001-06:00

January 9, 2012

Study adds to the collection of RWJF-funded research briefs, journal articles and other resources related to sugar-sweetened beverage taxes.

A nationwide, penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would prevent thousands of heart attacks, strokes, cases of diabetes and premature deaths, helping avoid billions of dollars in medical costs over 10 years, according to a study published in Health Affairs. This is the first major study to predict how specific health problems and financial costs could be directly affected by such a tax.

Researchers at Columbia University and the University of California, San Francisco, calculated that a penny-per-ounce tax would reduce overall consumption of sugary drinks by 15 percent among adults ages 25 to 64. They also estimated that, between 2010 and 2020, it would prevent 2.4 million diabetes person-years (a measure that combines how many people have diabetes with how long each of those people lives with the disease), 95,000 cases of coronary heart disease, 8,000 strokes and 26,000 premature deaths. Their calculations indicate the change would help the nation avoid more than $17 billion in medical costs during those 10 years.
A penny-per-ounce tax would mean an extra 12 cents per can or 20 cents per bottle, a price increase of about 15 percent to 25 percent.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

http://www.rwjf.org/childhoodobesity/product.jsp?id=73809&cid=XEM_573955

Bill Could Require Students to Take CPR

2012-01-09T10:31:00.001-06:00

Posted at: 01/04/2012 10:12 PM - By: Paige Calhoun

Math, science, and english are all required subjects needed to receive a high school diploma, but now some health officials are calling for CPR to be added to that list.

CPR can double or triple survival from cardiac arrest, and now the American Heart Association has drafted a bill that would make CPR training for high school students law. Dr. Mary Boylan is a cardiothoracic surgeon at St. Luke's Hospital. She also sits on the American Heart Association Midwest Affiliate Board of Directors and said students are the perfect age to learn.

"We have a whole student body. They're young, they're able, they have a lifetime that they can use the education about CPR to save lives. We're all going to be touched by heart disease," Boylan said.

Under the proposal, Minnesota high schoolers would have to take a 30 minute CPR course before they could graduate. They would learn basic hands-only CPR and how to use a defibrillator. Local providers in the community would foot the bill.

The goal is to get citizens to act before medics arrive, as survival is less than one percent with no CPR.

"People have heart attacks when they're at football games, when they're at home, anyplace. If we were all trained in CPR, then we can be the first person to actually help save a life," Boylan said.

According to Duluth School Officials, both East and Denfeld high schools talk about and teach the method in their health curriculum, which students are required to take. However, certification is not required.

The first draft of the bill will be introduced sometime in the 2012 legislative session, but it could change as it makes its way through the legislative process. States like Iowa and Alabama have signed similar bills into law, but shifted the CPR class from a requirement to simply being available to all students.

WDIO: http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S2439207.shtml?cat=10335

Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan- New Health Coverage Option for the Uninsured

2012-01-06T14:14:00.002-06:00

If you are a Minnesotan who has had difficulty finding health coverage because of a medical condition, you should know about the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP). Created in 2010 under the Health Reform Law, this program offers uninsured people with pre-existing conditions health coverage without charging them more for their coverage or denying them coverage of their pre-existing condition.

The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan is providing eligible adults and children with comprehensive benefits until 2014, when insurers will no longer be allowed to deny coverage to people with any pre-existing condition. At that time, people enrolled in PCIP will have a choice of health plans. Until then, this program is available in every state and the District of Columbia; and administered at the state level or by the Federal government. In Minnesota, the program is administered by the Federal government.

Reduced premiums and simplified eligibility could make PCIP the right option for you. In 2011, premium prices for Minnesotans enrolled in PCIP were reduced by 38.3% and remain at those levels. For more information on premiums, please visit www.pcip.gov.

In Minnesota, and in other states where PCIP is federally administered, you can fill out a PCIP application online at www.pcip.gov. Watch a short video first on the How To Apply page to get prepared to apply online. You can also call 1-866-717-5826 (TTY 1-866-561-1604). To prove that you have a pre-existing condition, simply mail in a letter from a doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner dated within the past 12 months stating that you have or, at any time in the past, had a medical condition, disability, or illness. To qualify, you must be a U.S. citizen or reside in the U.S. legally and have been without health coverage for at least six months.

When you apply, you can choose among three plan options. Each plan covers 100% of preventive care (with no deductible), which includes annual physicals, flu shots, routine mammograms and cancer screenings. For other care, you will pay a deductible before PCIP pays for your health care and prescription drugs. There is no lifetime maximum on the amount PCIP pays for care, and you can receive benefits at any qualified provider.

With PCIP, all covered benefits are available for you, beginning on your coverage effective date, even if it’s to treat a pre-existing condition - there are no waiting periods.

For more information, including eligibility, plan benefits and rates, and how to apply, visit www.pcip.gov and click on “Find Your State.” Then select Minnesota from the drop-down menu. The PCIP Call Center is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time. Call toll-free 1-866-717-5826 (TTY 1-866-561-1604).

January 2012 EVP Letter- You're The Cure; Advocacy Efforts

2012-01-05T12:41:00.003-06:00

January 2012

Dear Friend of Heart:

Thirty years ago, the American Heart Association developed a new strategy to amplify the voices and improve the lives of millions of Americans struggling with heart disease and stroke. Harnessing the passion of amazing volunteers from every corner of the country, we took to the steps of the Capitol and began advocating for legislation to improve the lives of heart and stroke patients.

Armed with American Heart Association science, these passionate volunteers used their personal stories to give faces and names to the fight against two of our nation’s leading killers. These coordinated efforts have led to major lifesaving changes, including doubling the NIH budget for biomedical research from 1998 to 2003 and the passage of statewide clean indoor air laws across the country. These kinds of victories save lives and change lives for millions of people, and would not be possible without extraordinary volunteers leading the charge.

Our volunteers have many faces, and many reasons for joining the American Heart Association’s lifesaving mission. Some of them are survivors. Some have lost loved ones to heart disease or stroke. But all of them have shown an unwavering commitment to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

One of these extraordinary individuals is Stevie Nelson, a Minnesota resident whose life changed when he suffered a stroke on April 22, 1998. One year later, Stevie began his quest to improve outcomes for stroke patients through volunteerism. He has lobbied at both the local and federal level for stroke funding and has seen first-hand how his personal testimony can effect change.

“Being a volunteer gave me a new mission, a new purpose in life,” Nelson said. “My goal is to pass my knowledge on so others can lead healthier lives. Some of the things I have fought and advocated for have come into law. Just knowing I played a part in that is a great feeling.”

Because of Stevie, and millions of others like him, we have celebrated many victories in the three decades we’ve been advocating for lifesaving public policies. But our work is not done. Heart disease is still our nation’s No. 1 killer, and stroke is No. 4. I encourage you to join our amazing corps of volunteers by signing up for our You're the Cure network at http://www.yourethecure.org/. You can learn more about our work and meet more of our volunteers by watching our 30th Anniversary celebration video, or by visiting http://www.heart.org/ and clicking on Advocate.

Being a You’re the Cure advocate gives you the opportunity to lend your voice to our legislative efforts. It’s fast, it’s simple and it’s free.

And with this one simple step, you can help the American Heart Association make the next 30 years better than the last.

Warm regards,

Kevin D. Harker
Executive Vice President, Midwest Affiliate

Bill Would Require CPR Class to Graduate High School in MN

2012-01-03T11:58:00.002-06:00

Public News Service - December 22, 2011

St. Paul, MN - All Minnesota high school students would have to take a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) class if a bill being drafted by the American Heart Association becomes law in the New Year. Supporters of the idea include Norm Okerstrom, Plymouth, whose son, Teddy, collapsed at a football practice at age 16.

Norm Okerstrom says his son survived thanks to quick action by his coach, Matt Lombardi.

"Matt at that point started CPR on Teddy, and he told me, later on, that that was the most important coaching job he's ever done in his life. He was just trying to coach Ted to stay with him and don't give up and keep fighting."

Teddy made a full recovery and is now in college. His father says his story shows just how critical it is to know how to administer CPR.

"It's very important that all people know CPR, and know that it's really the way to increase the chance of survival. My understanding is that it doubles - possibly even up to 75 percent greater - the chance of survival if you begin immediate CPR."

Okerstrom says another advance that makes learning CPR much easier than it used to be is the new, and recommended, hands-only technique.

"There is enough oxygen in the blood already that if we continue to pump that blood through the brain and the vital organs, that oxygen is sufficient enough until we can get the AED [automated external defibrillator] and the emergency medical personnel there. The main thing is to get people to do something, because without doing anything, that person's chance of survival is less than 1 percent."

The bill will be introduced in the 2012 legislative session. It would require all high-schoolers in the state to take one, 30-minute CPR class to meet graduation requirements.

More than 20 percent of all deaths in Minnesota are due to heart disease.

More information is available at www.heart.org.

John Michaelson, Public News Service - MN
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/23914-1

America’s Health Rankings

2011-12-13T11:30:00.002-06:00

Recently, the Partnership for Prevention, of which American Heart Association is an active member, and United Health Foundation released its annual report: America’s Health Rankings. The report, which includes a “one pager” on the health status of each state, calls out an alarming increase in the rate of obesity and also provides important information on tobacco use, high blood pressure prevalence, etc. Follow this link to view the report on Minnesota.

Key findings of the report include:

Obesity has increased 137 percent from 11.6 percent of the adult population in the 1990 Edition to 27.5 percent in the 2011 Edition; meaning today, more than one in four Americans are considered obese. Obesity continues to be one of the fastest growing health issues in our nation and America is spending billions in direct health care costs associated with poor diet and physical inactivity.

Smoking has been one of the biggest health battles for decades. In the past year, the prevalence of smoking decreased from 17.9 percent to 17.3 percent of the adult population, the lowest in 22 years (from a high of 29.5 percent in the 1990 Edition). But tobacco use is still estimated to be responsible for one out of five deaths annually (approximately 443,000 deaths per year).

Children living in poverty are challenged by lack of access to health care, limited availability of healthy foods, constrained choices for physical activity, limited access to appropriate educational opportunities and stressful living conditions. The number of children in poverty has increased for the last five years. A steady increase has occurred, from 17.4 percent of children reported in the 2007 Edition to 21.5 percent of children in the 2011 Edition.

Lack of health insurance coverage increased from 16.0 percent in the 2010 Edition to 16.2 percent in the 2011 Edition, and has increased more than two full percentage points since the 2001 Edition (13.9 percent to 16.2 percent).

Diabetes diagnosis is significantly higher than it was five years ago. According to the report, 8.7 percent of American adults have been told by a physician that they have diabetes. A recent report from the CDC estimates that the number of Americans with diabetes will range from 1 in 5 to 1 in 3 by 2050. This means a large number of people are either at risk for diabetes or are unaware they have the disease and are not being medically managed.

Minnesota Department of Health awards Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) grants to fight chronic disease

2011-12-09T14:12:00.003-06:00

Locally driven plans will create sustainable, systemic changes to support healthy choices

In a nation-leading effort to reduce chronic disease, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has awarded 18 grants to Minnesota communities to help lower the number of Minnesotans who use tobacco or who are obese or overweight.

The Statewide Health Improvement Program, also known as SHIP, will cover 51 counties, four cities and one tribal government over the next 18 months. Funding for the 18 grants totals approximately $11.3 million.

"The Statewide Health Improvement Program reflects our commitment to improving the health of our communities," Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Edward Ehlinger said, "and is an important part of containing the spiraling costs of health care."

SHIP is part of Minnesota's historic bi-partisan health care reform initiative first signed into law in 2008. It seeks to reduce the staggering human and financial cost of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases related to insufficient physical activity, poor nutrition and commercial tobacco use. In the first two years of SHIP funding, 41 grantees covering all 87 counties and 9 tribal governments began this important work, and resulted in successes such as helping improve nutrition at 544 child care sites serving approximately 8,564 children, assisting 255 cities create plans to increase walking and bicycling, and supporting Farm to School efforts in 350 schools and 22 school districts serving at least 69,323 students. Funding for SHIP was reduced during the 2011 legislative session; therefore, fewer grantees are receiving funding this year.

"To improve health in Minnesota, we have to think in terms of prevention, not just treatment," Ehlinger said. "In Minnesota and nationally, the two main causes of chronic disease and premature death are obesity, caused by poor nutrition and insufficient physical activity, and commercial tobacco use. We must do something to address these problems as individuals, as communities and as a state."

Nationally, tobacco use, physical inactivity and poor nutrition have been estimated to cause 35 percent of all annual deaths in the United States, or 800,000 deaths each year. These factors also drive up health care costs.

"Not only do chronic diseases reduce the quality of life and life expectancy for Minnesotans, but the costs of treating them create a substantial burden for our health care system," Ehlinger adds.

"SHIP is, at its core, a program by and for local communities," says Patricia Adams, director of the Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives. SHIP is an innovative approach to health improvement, taking proven best practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other leading public health organizations to create a menu of health improvement strategies for local communities. The grants to local communities will allow communities to choose what works best for them. "Strategies that work best in Minneapolis may or may not be the best way to go in Rice County," Adams said.

SHIP efforts focus on four areas: schools, health care, work places and the community in general. Examples include improving nutrition by working with schools to increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables, decreasing exposure to second-hand smoke by assisting owners of multi-unit housing wishing to make their buildings smoke-free, lowering insurance costs by supporting employers interested in workplace wellness programs, and increasing physical activity by helping communities make biking and walking safer.

MDH supports local public health and tribal governments by gathering together effective strategies, offering technical assistance and training and assisting in evaluation. Evaluation is one key to SHIP. "It is critical that we know we are being effective," says Adams. "The goal is health improvement and cost savings, and we will settle for nothing less."

The grantees include:

Anoka county

Beltrami, Clearwater, Lake of the Woods, Hubbard, Norman, Mahnomen and Polk counties

The cities of Bloomington, Edina and Richfield

Carlton, Cook, Lake, St. Louis, Aitkin, Itasca and Koochiching counties

Clay, Wilkin, Becker, and Otter Tail counties

Douglas, Grant, Stevens, Pope, and Traverse counties

Faribault, Martin, Watonwan, Cottonwood and Jackson counties

Hennepin county

Kanebec, Pine, Isanti and Mille Lacs counties

Leech Lake

Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Pipestone, Rock and Nobles counties

The city of Minneapolis

Meeker, McLeod and Sibley counties

Morrison, Todd, Wadena and Cass counties

Olmsted county

Rice county

St. Paul-Ramsey county

Sherburne county

More information is available online at www.health.state.mn.us/healthreform/ship.

Turn the White House Red!

2011-12-08T09:40:00.003-06:00

25,000 signatures. That's what we need in the next 30 days (ends Jan. 4, 2012) for the White House to consider our petition to illuminate the building in red to honor National Wear Red Day® and American Heart Month.

The truth is we need you, our supporters, to show the White House how important it is to remember women who died from heart disease, celebrate women who have survived, and educate everyone on our No. 1 killer of women.

Every signature makes a difference, so sign up and share with colleagues, friends and family today! There are a few steps, but with your help we can get there!

1. Visit our special petition page.
2. Create an account (we know, what a pain!)
3. Watch for a verification email.
4. Sign the petition.
5. Share with family, friends, and colleagues to encourage their support too!

Make a Difference Now.

U.S. Rep. Lois Capps Reintroduces The HEART For Women Act

2011-12-07T09:06:00.000-06:00

November 30, 2011

U.S. Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., today reintroduced vital legislation aimed at improving the cardiovascular health of millions of women nationwide.

The HEART for Women Act would require the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary to submit an annual report to Congress on the quality of and access to care for women with cardiovascular disease. It would also ensure that new and experimental drug and medical device safety and efficacy data reported to the federal government is classified by gender, race and ethnicity. Additionally, the legislation would expand eligibility for funding to all 50 states for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s WISEWOMAN screening program for low-income, underinsured and uninsured women.

“While we have made great progress in the fight against heart disease it remains the number one killer of American women, needlessly claiming the lives of far too many of our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters,” Capps said. “Unfortunately not enough people — including health professionals — recognize that heart disease poses such a serious and unique threat to women, and far too many women pay a terrible price for that lack of knowledge. My legislation addresses this critical health issue by ensuring more women have access to screening for heart disease, filling the critical knowledge gaps by ensuring that healthcare professionals are informed about the risks of cardiovascular disease in women, and supporting increased data collection to identify new treatments for women.”

American Heart Association President Gordon Tomaselli, M.D., said the measure would make a major impact. “With nearly 422,000 women’s lives lost each year from heart disease and stroke, we applaud U.S. Representative Lois Capps for introducing legislation that will help improve the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of the number one killer of women. The HEART for Women Act seeks to eliminate cardiovascular inequities and reduce death rates from this largely preventable disease,” Tomaselli said.

“Women have a greater risk of heart disease than men. It is imperative to provide access to proper cardiovascular disease care for all women through passage of the HEART for Women Act. The HEART for Women Act is vital to the health of all women and is must-pass legislation,” said Phyllis Greenberger, M.S.W., president and chief executive officer of the Society for Women’s Health Research.

“We need to know how drugs, treatments and devices affect women living with heart disease if we are going to decrease morbidity and mortality caused by heart disease, the number one killer of women. This bill will shine a light on how well the FDA reports research results stratified by sex, race and ethnicity,” said Lisa M. Tate, chief executive officer of WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

Every minute, someone’s wife, mother, daughter or sister dies from heart disease, stroke or other forms of cardiovascular disease in the U.S. More than one in three women has some form of cardiovascular disease, including nearly half of all African-American women and 34 percent of white women. More than 90 percent of primary care physicians do not know that more women die each year from these diseases than men, according to an American Heart Association survey.

The HEART for Women Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate earlier this year by Senators Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and has received strong bipartisan support. In addition to the American Heart Association, Society for Women’s Health Research and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, the bill is also supported by more than 40 other organizations. For more information, visit yourethecure.org .

# # #

Contact:Kanika M. Lewis
Communications Manager, Media Advocacy

http://newsroom.heart.org/pr/aha/u-s-rep-lois-capps-reintroduces-219935.aspx

Report shows slower progress toward reducing teen tobacco use

2011-12-05T14:26:00.002-06:00

Tobacco use by teens decreased at a slower rate between 2008 and 2011 and more than 50 percent of high-schoolers are still exposed to secondhand smoke

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) today released new information showing that after a decade of sharp declines in tobacco use among teens, progress is slowing. In addition, more than 50 percent of high school students are still exposed to secondhand smoke, despite the passage of the Freedom to Breathe Act in 2007. Equally concerning is that the use of menthol cigarettes has more than doubled among teen smokers since 2000. These findings are included in the report, Teens and Tobacco in Minnesota 2011; Results from the Minnesota Youth Tobacco and Asthma Survey.

"We've made great progress in reducing tobacco use since 2000, but the most recent findings in this new report give us little to celebrate," said Dr. Ed Ehlinger, Minnesota Commissioner of Health. "We are failing our youth when you consider that they use tobacco at higher rates than adults and are still being exposed to secondhand smoke. We are setting them up for a future of tobacco-related illness and premature death."

Ehlinger noted that tobacco use continues to be the nation's leading cause of preventable disease and death and that teens are especially vulnerable to picking up the habit. "Too many teens continue to be influenced by the tobacco industry's slick marketing tactics. It is critical that we step up our prevention efforts because 80 percent of adult smokers began when they were under 18," Ehlinger said.

Key findings from the report include:

Between 2008 and 2011, the percentage of middle school students who used any tobacco products in the past 30 days declined from 6.9 percent to 5.6 percent. At the high school level, the percentage declined slightly from 27.0 percent to 25.8 percent. Neither of these decreases is statistically significant. In comparison, 22 percent of adults use tobacco.

Progress in reducing exposure to secondhand smoke has slowed since 2008, after many years of strong declines. Exposure declined slightly between 2008 and 2011, from 55.4 to 52.5 percent for high school students and from 39.6 percent to 37.7 percent for middle school students.

Among high school students, preference for menthols has more than doubled since 2000 and is continuing to rise; 47.3 percent of high school smokers usually smoke menthols today, compared to 39.1 percent in 2008 and 19.9 percent in 2000. Menthol appears to make it easier for young people to start smoking.

One in seven high school students (14.3 percent) report that they have tried snus in their lifetime, and 4.9 percent report using snus in the last 30 days. Snus is a new smokeless tobacco product that comes in small pouches.

More than one-fourth of high school students (28.6 percent) and 6.8 percent of middle school students report that they have tried flavored cigars and little cigars at some point in their lives. (The FDA recently banned candy flavors, fruit flavors, chocolate and other sweet flavors in cigarettes, but not cigar products.)

The percentage of students who see or hear commercials about the dangers of smoking one or more times per week declined significantly between 2008 and 2011 for both middle school students (from 41.2 percent to 31.8 percent) and high school students (from 48.4 percent to 36.0 percent).

The tobacco industry is increasingly active on popular social networking and video-sharing internet sites. One in four high school students (26.3 percent) report seeing videos or clips showing smoking most or some of the time on YouTube or other video-sharing sites, and 20.2 percent report seeing "pages" or "groups" for tobacco products on Facebook.

"This report demonstrates the need to maintain long-term teen tobacco prevention strategies," Ehlinger said. "If we rest on our laurels, we will continue to see our progress slow, or even reverse itself, and we cannot stand for that."

Ehlinger noted a number of strategies that public health officials across the country have used to successfully reduce and prevent youth tobacco use, including:

Price increases on tobacco products.

Counter-advertising mass-media campaigns that include TV and radio commercials, posters, and other media messages to counter pro-tobacco marketing.

Comprehensive school-based tobacco-use prevention policies and programs, such as tobacco-free campuses.

Community interventions that reduce tobacco advertising, promotions and commercial availability of tobacco products.

Ehlinger said MDH will continue working with partners across the state to explore all strategies for reducing teen tobacco use.

The department's Tobacco Prevention and Control Program administers grants to reduce tobacco use and exposure, works together with the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) and other community-based initiatives, and collaborates with statewide partners to reduce Minnesotans' exposure to secondhand smoke and to help people who use tobacco quit. In addition to working on multiple fronts to discourage youth tobacco use, the program works with diverse communities to eliminate health disparities caused by tobacco use and exposure.

SHIP, which was included in Minnesota's landmark 2008 health reform legislation, aims to help Minnesotans live longer, healthier lives by reducing the burden of chronic diseases caused by tobacco use and obesity.

Teens and Tobacco in Minnesota 2011; Results from the Minnesota Youth Tobacco and Asthma Survey can be found at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/tobacco/youth.html.

About the survey described in the report:

The 2011 Minnesota Youth Tobacco and Asthma Survey is the latest in a series of youth tobacco surveys conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health. Previous surveys took place in 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2008. This survey provides current statewide information that can be used for education and planning by public and private sector programs aimed at reducing tobacco use. Topics covered include the extent of tobacco use, characteristics of smokers, secondhand smoke exposure, and media awareness. Public schools and classrooms across the state were selected at random for the 2011 survey, and 3,446 students in grades 6 through 12 participated.

-MDH-
Minnesota Department of Health

A MESSAGE FROM THE EVP

2011-12-02T08:42:00.001-06:00

December 2011

Dear Friend of Heart:

Our Scientific Sessions was held last month in Orlando, Fla. This international conference showcases ground-breaking research and clinical trials with 22,000 medical professionals. The news is then fed to the media where it will reach millions more. A huge undertaking, Scientific Sessions is critical to learning more about the causes of cardiovascular diseases and how to better diagnose, treat and prevent them.

The conference will lead to developments in science that will touch every community across the country and abroad. Such outcomes would not be possible without volunteers and partners who share our vision of what an investment in research, science and education can mean to everyone.
Can you imagine a world free of heart disease and stroke? Erica Chapman can. She is a survivor who works in our West Michigan office. As a congenital valve replacement patient, she had her first surgery at four days old. Now in her 30s, she’s had another operation to update her current aortic valve, and will require further surgery in the next 15-20 years. Erica knows from the research we fund today that the next surgery will probably use mainly non-invasive techniques, for which she is grateful. She is amazed at the vision researchers have for her procedures.

With your help, we can make those visions a reality. Consider making a personal gift or including the American Heart Association in your will or estate plan. You will leave a legacy that will fund research and education, benefiting patients like Erica long after you’re gone. To learn more, visit www.heart.org/plannedgiving

I also want to take a moment to reflect on how the gifts and efforts of so many have improved and saved lives in 2011. We were able to fund research that may someday save the life of someone you know. We educated hundreds of thousands of people about their health and risk factors. And we worked hard to teach millions of Midwesterners critical CPR skills, educate legislators in our 11 states on our policy priorities, and improve hospital patient care processes so that a supportive and effective system will be in place when you or your loved one is in need.

None of this vision would be possible without you and your support. In short, you are helping to save lives. At this season of giving, I want to thank you for your involvement from the bottom of my heart.

Warm regards,

Kevin Harker
Executive Vice President, Midwest Affiliate

Pediatric cardiologist receives American Heart Association award

2011-11-28T09:23:00.001-06:00

Last week at our Scientific Sessions in Orlando, the AHA presented one of our highest honors, the Eugene Braunwald Academic Mentorship Award, to pediatric cardiologist James H. Moller, M.D., of the University of Minnesota. The award lauded Moller "for his highly successful guidance of promising young physicians and academicians during a career that combined great personal achievement with intense devotion to the professional development of his many trainees."

Dr. Moller, a former President of the American Heart Association, is a widely recognized authority on congenital heart defects in children. He has also put his mark on young physicians and scientists in his home state, by working with the AHA to start a scholarship program that bears his name for Minnesota students in the health sciences.

Major League Baseball Scores on Smokeless Tobacco Agreement, Says American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown

2011-11-23T13:50:00.001-06:00

November 22, 2011

“The American Heart Association is pleased that baseball players recognize the dangers of smokeless tobacco use and will now take steps to reduce its visibility during and after games and other public events, and educate young people about its dangers.

While today’s Major League Baseball agreement on smokeless tobacco is not a grand slam, it is definitely a solid base hit. Although the players would not agree to stop using tobacco while on the field, the contract provisions are an important step forward.

Children who emulate their favorite players by using smokeless tobacco risk falling into a trap that can lead to a lifetime of nicotine addiction. Evidence shows that kids who use smokeless tobacco are more likely to become cigarette smokers.

Baseball is the nation’s pastime, and Americans cherish this great game and its time-honored traditions. But in the case of smokeless tobacco, there are clear indications that tradition leads to undesired health consequences, including oral cancer, tooth decay, gum disease, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.”

###

Retha Sherrod
retha.sherrod@heart.org

http://newsroom.heart.org/pr/aha/major-league-baseball-scores-on-219522.aspx

Celebrating 30 years of AHA advocacy success

2011-11-22T08:24:00.001-06:00

The AHA Advocacy Department celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, which makes it the perfect time to look back on our many accomplishments. Thanks to the hard work of staff, volunteers and public officials, the AHA and a dedicated network of You're the Cure advocates has brought about lasting change in local, state and federal policy.

We've accomplished great things in tobacco control, research and public health funding, childhood obesity prevention, nutrition promotion, systems of care, CPR training and AED placement, and quality healthcare access. And we're just getting started!

We invite you to watch our new video below and share it with friends, family, and colleagues and ask them to be a part of the cure! Here's to the next 30 years!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1xYwLSFS0s&feature=youtu.be

Economist predicts big impact in Minn. from health care reform law

2011-11-21T08:59:00.000-06:00

November 17, 2011
By Elizabeth Stawicki, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. -- A health care economist from MIT told members of a governor's task force Thursday that the federal health care law will reduce the health insurance racial disparities in Minnesota.

Jonathan Gruber presented his projections to the health insurance task force, which is charged with developing a health care exchange in Minnesota by early 2013. Gruber told the group that even though more people of color will likely obtain insurance, there will still be many who won't, especially if they're poor.

"One thing you have to think about is outreach. How are you going to go after those low-income people who get free insurance entitlements? They don't take it up now," said Gruber. "That's been a real problem and a real opportunity for Minnesota with its tradition of trying to serve those underserved groups, to really go after them and set a national model there."

Gruber predicts that one in five Minnesotans -- about 1 million people -- will obtain their health insurance through the insurance exchange by 2016.

He also says the federal health care law would save Minnesota households on average about $500 per year.

Gruber projects that almost 300,000 additional Minnesota residents would gain insurance coverage by 2016, and that those who currently buy health insurance on the individual market could pay 20 percent less in premiums after taxes.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/11/17/health-exchange-task-force/

State finalizes tobacco bond sale

2011-11-18T12:30:00.001-06:00

Posted at 2:00 PM on November 17, 2011 by Tom Scheck * MPR News

Minnesota Finance officials say they have sold $757 million in bonds tied to the state's future tobacco payments. Minnesota Management and Budget says it finalized the bond sale - a move that was needed to help close the state's budget gap. $640 million of the $757 million bond sale will go to fix the state's budget deficit. The remaining $117 million will go into a special account to cover the cost of issuing the bonds and creating a reserve to pay back bondholders. The bonds are backed by future payments from the state's 1998 settlement with tobacco companies. The state will eventually pay bondholders $1.2 billion over the life of the 20 year bonds.

Governor Dayton and the Republican-controlled Legislature used the tobacco bonds to help end a three week government shutdown. Critics of the sale say the one-time money doesn't address structural problems in the state's budget. They say only permanent tax increases and/or spending cuts will do that.

You can read more about the sale here.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/polinaut/archive/2011/11/state_finalizes.shtml

Strangers who helped each other on I-94 in Wisconsin reunite

2011-11-17T15:32:00.000-06:00

Article by: Associated Press
Updated: November 17, 2011 - 11:27 AM

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - A man who stopped to help a woman change a tire along a Wisconsin interstate before suffering cardiac arrest was reunited with the motorist who had a chance to quickly repay his kindness.

An emotional and grateful Victor Giesbrecht thanked and hugged Sara Berg, of Eau Claire, in his hospital room Wednesday evening. Berg says they both started crying when they were reunited.

Giesbrecht, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, helped Berg and her cousin change a tire when they became stranded on Interstate 94 in Dunn County Nov. 5. After driving away, Giesbrecht suffered a heart attack. His wife, a passenger, brought their pickup to a stop. Berg saw the truck on the side of the road and recognized it. She jumped into the pickup and began CPR.

Giesbrecht could be released from the hospital Thursday.

http://www.startribune.com/local/134026608.html

Mayo: Smoking bans cut cardiac events 45%

2011-11-15T13:46:00.001-06:00

Article by: JACKIE CROSBY , Star Tribune
Updated: November 15, 2011 - 8:17 AM

Researchers report direct link between indoor smoking bans and fewer deaths.

The incidence of heart attacks and sudden deaths has fallen nearly in half since smoking bans took effect in southeastern Minnesota, according to new research from the Mayo Clinic.

The Rochester-based organization said the data bolsters its fight to rid the nation's workplaces of second-hand smoke. It found a 45 percent decline in heart attacks and cardiac deaths.

"That's just a staggering number," said Dr. Richard Hurt, the lead investigator and director of Mayo Clinic's Nicotine Dependence Center. "This is a policy that can be implemented at any legislative level -- any city, any community, any state can do this."

Mayo researchers examined data beginning 18 months before the first smoke-free law was passed at restaurants in Olmsted County, in 2002, and concluding 18 months after the law was expanded to cover all workplaces in 2007.

Adult smoking rates also dropped 23 percent during the time period. Other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity remained stable or increased, according to the study, which was presented Monday at an American Heart Association conference in Orlando.

In the United States, 23 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have banned smoking in all public indoor facilities, according to the American Cancer Society.

Mayo has spent the past 50 years tracking patients in Olmsted County, where its flagship operations are based. Aside from smoke-free Sweden, no place else in the world has the capability to scientifically track health trends and outcomes, Hurt said.

Mayo pushed for a smoke-free ordinance in Olmsted County, the first county in Minnesota to pass a ban and among the first in the nation. Mayo also helped write statewide legislation, known as the Freedom to Breathe Act.

"Had we not done that in Olmsted County, most of us think the state would have watered down the law and made it less than it was," Hurt said.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/wellness/133853703.html

American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown Strongly Urges Justice Department to Appeal Court Decision on Tobacco Warning Labels

2011-11-09T10:32:00.001-06:00

November 7, 2011

The American Heart Association ardently disagrees with today’s ruling by a federal judge blocking the implementation of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new graphic warning labels on cigarette packs. These warning labels are a vital part of keeping children from becoming addicted and helping current smokers quit. We strongly encourage the Justice Department to appeal this ruling.

There is a clear reason why the tobacco industry is fighting these warning labels—they work. Many other countries already require graphic warning labels, and research has clearly shown that they are effective in reducing tobacco use. We know from decades of experience that the tobacco industry will fight any laws that reduce its profits from selling a deadly product. Today’s misguided court ruling could result in more deaths from tobacco addiction and more profits for the tobacco industry.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 45 million Americans smoke cigarettes, about 20 percent of the population, and one in five high school students still smoke. The new health warnings represent an aggressive and welcome approach to reducing smoking rates that have leveled off in recent years as tobacco companies continue to launch campaigns to entice new smokers and maintain current customers.

The American Heart Association believes that the graphic depictions of smoking-related diseases on cigarette packages will drive home the message that tobacco use is an equal opportunity killer, affecting smokers and nonsmokers alike. In the United States, about one-third of smoking-related deaths are linked to heart disease and stroke. Cigarette smoking causes about 443,000 premature deaths each year and about 49,000 of these deaths are due to secondhand smoke.

Undoubtedly, the new graphic health warnings, if allowed to proceed, will heighten awareness about the dangers of smoking and more importantly, encourage smokers to quit and discourage smoking initiation. We are confident that future court rulings will reverse Judge Leon’s decision and allow the FDA to move forward with these important warning labels.

http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/CigaretteWarningLabels/default.htm.

For more information, visit www.heart.org.

Fundraiser for American Heart Association at Ten Thousand Villages

2011-11-07T14:25:00.006-06:00

November 21, 2011
5:00-8:00pm

867 Grand Ave
St. Paul, MN 55105

http://www.stpaul.tenthousandvillages.com/

On November 21st, Ten Thousand Villages will feature the American Heart Association and its advocacy work in Minnesota. The AHA will be on hand sharing information on current initiatives from 5:00-9:00pm. A percentage of all goods sold that evening will go to the AHA, to support their work in Minnesota. Come and check out this super-hip shop, get some of your holiday shopping done and support the AHA’s work to make Minnesota healthier!

Ten Thousand Villages is an exceptional shop for unique handmade gifts, jewelry, home decor, art and sculpture, textiles, serve ware and personal accessories representing the diverse cultures of artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. One of the world's largest fair trade organizations and a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO); the company strive to improve the livelihood of tens of thousands of disadvantaged artisans in 38 countries. Ten Thousand Villages accomplishes this by establishing a sustainable market for handmade products in North America, and building long term buying relationships in places where skilled artisan partners lack opportunities for stable income. Product sales help pay for food, education, healthcare and housing for artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed.

For more information or if you have questions, please contact 952-278-7921.

High sodium: It's not just a food problem. It's a heart problem.

2011-11-02T12:40:00.001-05:00

High blood pressure? Isn’t that something only old people have to worry about?

Not anymore. Nowadays, high blood pressure affects people of all ages. In fact, it is estimated that 9 out of 10 Americans will develop high blood pressure during their lifetimes, beginning as early as childhood for some.

So what’s contributing to the problem? Sodium levels. While we can control the salt we put on our food, we can’t control the salt that’s already in it. When over 75 percent of the sodium in our diet comes from processed and packaged foods sold in grocery stores and served at restaurants and schools, it’s hard for even the most health-conscious among us to stay within the recommended daily sodium intake.

But you can help do something about it. From now until November 29, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is asking the public for feedback on whether it should take measures to reduce sodium levels in our food- and we need you to speak up! Share your thoughts today about the need to address excess sodium in the packaged and prepared foods that we eat.

Of course, it’s not just about healthy food. It’s about healthy hearts. Lowering the sodium we consume can have significant cardiovascular benefits, so it is critical for consumers and health advocates alike to stress the importance of sodium reduction to the FDA. Send your message today!

Thank you for your help,

Clarissa Garcia
American Heart Association

PS- Don’t forget to personalize your message! Whether you are a parent, medical professional, survivor, or someone with heart disease or stroke risk factors, your personal concern is important to share with the FDA.

Study: Sugary Drinks, Greatest Source Of Added Sugars

2011-11-02T11:35:00.001-05:00

October 31, 2011 6:56 AM

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Kids love sugary drinks, but an eye-opening new report, just released Monday morning, has some disturbing findings.

The study looked at more than 600 drinks and the way they’re marketed to kids and teenagers.

You may think it’s a better alternative than soda, but fruit drinks are loaded with sugar and often have the same amount of sugar as a soda.

The new study, which was done by researchers at Yale, shows a couple of things including how much young people are exposed to advertising for sugary drinks and how they impact the health of kids and teenagers.

According to Yale researchers, sugary drinks are the greatest source of added sugars in the American diet, and the No. 1 source of calories in teen diets.

Companies spent more money to market these types of drinks to children and teens than any other food category, including fruit, soda, sports drinks, Vitamin water and energy drinks.

There’s a lot of marketing happening online, too.

Twenty-one sugary drink brands had YouTube channels in 2010, with more than 229 million views. Coca-Cola led the way on Facebook, with more than 30 million fans.

The study shows Capri Sun and Kool-Aid are the drinks most frequently marketed to kids and teens. Those are both made by Kraft.

Coca-Cola was No. 2 on the list, followed by Pepsi-Co.

Researchers say drinking just one 8-oz. sugary drink a day increases a child’s odds of obesity by 60 percent.

The study also showed just how popular energy drinks have become, and how they are increasingly marketed to teenagers.

Researchers say beverage companies need to make drinks with less sugar and ditch artificial sweeteners.

Their advice to parents is to read labels and when it comes to juice, give them small portions.

And they’re urging parents to contact these companies and tell them to change their marketing practices.

To read the full study, click here.

To read the full article: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/10/31/study-sugary-drinks-are-greatest-source-of-added-sugars/

Worksite Wellness Symposium

2011-11-01T12:34:00.002-05:00

Worksite Wellness Symposium
Thursday, Nov. 10
7:30 - 10:30 am
HealthPartners
8170 33rd Ave South, Bloomington 55425

Please join the American Heart Association and Ergotron, our local sponsor, for a workshop on implementing wellness at your worksite. We're offering a comprehensive program to help local businesses foster heart-healthy work environments to prevent heart disease and stroke. The workshop will include real-world examples and tools on "what works in our workplace."

Featured speakers include:
Nico Pronk, PhD, FASCM,
Dr. Courtney Jordan, Allina Cardiologist,
and representatives from Ergotron, Medtronic and
the American Heart Association.

The symposium is open to Senior Management, Human Resources and Wellness Program Directors. There's no cost to attend. However, registration is required.

Please RVSP by November 7 to karie.bundridge@heart.org.

St. Minnesomeplace Parrot Heads Help Fund CPR Initiative

2011-10-26T08:51:00.003-05:00

St. Minnesomeplace, a Minnesota Based group of Jimmy Buffet fans (Parrot Heads), heard that the American Heart Association was going to hold a massive public CPR training at the state capitol to advocate for our bill to ensure that every student in Minnesota gets trained in CPR prior to graduation. AHA is not only personally inviting every State Senator and Representative to receive training, but it is also open to the public FOR FREE! The Parrot Heads wanted to help. After all, WWJD…what would Jimmy do? So as part of their annual “party with a purpose” event this spring, they raised money for various Minnesota charities. This week they stopped by to drop off a check for $2600 to buy CPR Anytime kits and other materials for the training that will take place on March 7th, 2012 as part of our Heart on the Hill Day at the MN State Capitol.

One in Six

2011-10-25T08:47:00.003-05:00

Did you know? Saturday, Oct. 29, is World Stroke Day. The American Stroke Association has joined other international organizations to urge people globally to “Act Now” to reduce the threat of stroke.

The day’s theme —One in Six: Act Now! — highlights the reality that one of every six people worldwide has a stroke. Stroke is the second-leading cause of death in the world behind heart disease. In the United States, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, and someone dies of one every three to four minutes.

Here’s how you can Act Now on World Stroke Day:

Send a message to your legislators to make sure they are supporting policies that reduce the threat of stroke.

Then take the World Stroke Organization’s six challenges to lower stroke risk:
1. Know the risk factors for stroke— high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and high blood cholesterol — and keep them in a healthy range.
2. Be physically active.
3. Eat a healthy diet.
4. Limit alcohol consumption.
5. Avoid cigarette smoke. If you smoke, seek help to stop now.
6. Learn to recognize the warning signs of a stroke and how to take action.

Explore other ways you can Act Now by using American Heart Association and American Stroke Association tools and resources:

Learn your stroke risk
Learn the warning signs of stroke and TIA

Track and control your No. 1 modifiable stroke risk factor: High Blood Pressure
Online tracker
Printable tracker
High Blood Pressure Risk Calculator

Take your medicine
Live a healthy lifestyle
Make a new life resolution
Join or start a stroke support group

Make sure you share these resources with your legislators on celebration of World Stroke Day!

Thank you for building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Disease caused a costly 4,300 amputations in Minn, study finds

2011-10-24T10:12:00.001-05:00

by Lorna Benson, Minnesota Public Radio
October 20, 2011

St. Paul, Minn. — A new study shows that Minnesota had more than 4,300 amputations caused by leg artery blockages from 2005 to 2008, resulting in $88 million in hospital costs.

The statistics were compiled by the Minnesota Department of Health and the University of Minnesota as part of a collaboration exploring the impact of peripheral artery disease.

Epidemiologist James Peacock, with the Health Department's Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Unit, said the amputation rates were higher than expected and are similar to the number of diabetes deaths in Minnesota.

"When you have 2,000 stroke deaths per year, but 1,000 people are losing a part of their lower limb, that's a lot of people," said Peacock, a co-author of the study.

Peacock said the data should inspire physicians and health systems to do more to help their patients to prevent peripheral artery disease.

Dr. Alan Hirsch, lead author of the report, works in the cardiovascular division at the University of Minnesota.

Hirsch said society needs more education about the risks of peripheral artery disease, and health systems need better prevention programs.

"Every hospital and health system and clinician in Minnesota and every other state knows what to do when chest pain occurs, and the system is very quick to bring people in for care," Hirsch said. "There is no really intact system in our state or anywhere in the country that detects and refers and treats peripheral artery disease."

The researchers found that amputations increased significantly with age, and were more common in men and in people with diabetes. The median cost of each amputation was $12,434, which reflects a fraction of the total long-term cost.

Beyond the inpatient hospitalization costs, those undergoing amputations need lifelong follow-up care and physical and rehabilitation therapy. Additionally, many individuals are unable to return to work.

Researchers also analyzed amputation rates by geographic location and found that 13 of the 17 highest ischemic amputation rates occurred in the northern half of the state, and that all but two of these counties were rural.

The study is published in the November issue of the CDC journal "Preventing Chronic Disease."

To read article: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/10/20/amputation-study/

Action Alert! Don't Let Congress Cut Research Funding

2011-10-18T08:46:00.001-05:00

Funding for medical research is critical to our fight against heart disease and stroke, yet the budget for research conducted through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) could be cut if Members of Congress don’t act soon.

We need you to help by telling lawmakers that funding for research saves lives!

So many of the prevention and treatment techniques you know today are a result of NIH-funded research. The development of cholesterol-lowering drugs that help significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke for many Americans, bypass surgery to assist those suffering from a blocked artery, the use of Aspirin to prevent blood clots that could cause a stroke… all of these were discoveries that resulted from NIH funds, and all of them are currently saving lives!

Tell your legislators that we can’t afford cuts to NIH funding, halting discoveries of new treatments for those affected by heart disease and stroke. We must continue to make progress in the fight against these devastating diseases that threaten the lives of far too many of our loved ones.

Send a message today- let lawmakers know that "Research Saves Lives"!

Heart Disease and Stroke. You’re the Cure.

Makeda Norris appointed to National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities’ Region V Health Equity Council

2011-10-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the National Stakeholder Strategy for Achieving Health Equity and the HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Together, these documents represent the federal commitment for addressing health equity and closing the health gap for racial, ethnic, and underserved communities. The National Stakeholder Strategy calls for ten Regional Health Equity Councils whose members serve as leaders and catalysts to strengthen health equity and enhance collaboration between stakeholders, align initiatives and programs, and leverage assets to more effectively accomplish health disparity reduction goals. The Councils include individuals from the public, non-profit, and private sectors who are knowledgeable about and possess expertise regarding the social determinants of health. Council members represent communities impacted by health disparities, state and local government agencies, tribes, healthcare providers and systems, health plans, businesses, academic and research institutions, foundations, and other organizations.

Makeda Norris is one of three Minnesotans appointed to the Region V Health Equity Council. The other Minnesotans include Jose Gonzales, Director of Office of Multicultural and Minority Health – MDH, and Monte Fox, Director of Health – White Earth Nation.

Ms. Norris is a Social Entrepreneur and Lead Consultant and Trainer for her business, Impetus – Let’s Get Started (www.impetuslgs.com). She uses her educational background, extensive expertise and experience in Health Equity and Social Justice, Adolescent Health Education and Youth Development, Leadership Development and Coalition Building, and Program Planning and Administration to consult and advise, train trainers and provide health education and leadership development coaching to community based health and youth serving agencies. Ms. Norris received vocational education in practical nursing from MCTC (formerly Minneapolis Technical College) and Emergency Medical Technician certification from Hennepin Technical College. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications from St. Cloud State University. She has resided in Minnesota for 40 years. Ms. Norris will serve on the Region V Health Equity Council’s governance committee.

###

Cyclist Crossing the Country Urging Kids to Get Active

2011-10-12T09:11:00.007-05:00

Public News Service-MN

October 10, 2011

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A man bicycling across the nation for the American Heart Association, is trying to get more children more active. He arrives in Minnesota today.

Chris Figureida is speaking at schools along the way. He says one simple way for kids to start is by walking or biking to school and back.

"I try to let them know that they can make a difference in the world by starting with themselves and having those healthy habits every day. The overall goal is trying to fight the epidemic of childhood obesity that we have in this country."

Figureida, a volunteer, says one problem with getting kids to walk or bike to school is that some neighborhoods have no accessible sidewalks or bike paths. A federal program that provides grants for infrastructure improvements is limited, he says, and less than one in four projects is funded.

That's why Figureida supports legislation in Minnesota that would take 3 million state dollars and move them into the Safe Routes to School program.

"That would make it so that parents don't have to drive their kids to school in the morning. Make it so that kids can use their bicycles. Studies have shown that when you do this type of grant, bicycling alone increases anywhere from 20 to 200 percent more, and overall it lowers BMI (body mass index) for everyone in that neighborhood."

At Red Pine Elementary School, Eagan, a program implemented over the past three years has led to a doubling in the number of students now walking or biking to school. Figureida will speak at Red Pine on Tuesday.

In addition to the Twin Cities, Figureida will also pedal through St. Cloud, Brainerd and Perham on his way to North Dakota. He says the scheduling worked out perfectly.

"This is a beautiful part of the country and I feel very fortunate that I get to see and meet everyone - on two wheels. I couldn't imagine a better place for riding a bike right now than in the fall in Minnesota."

Figureida began his trip in Maine in August and hopes to finish in Seattle in mid-November. His journey is reported at http://www.cycleforheart.org/.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/22615-1

For additional media coverage on Chris Figureida:

CBS MN WCCO 4: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/10/11/man-bikes-across-us-encourages-kids-to-bike-to-school/#.TpTxdmoH8Uo.facebook

KARE 11: http://www.kare11.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1213260026001&odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cfeatured

Public Health Policy Change: A Webinar Series

2011-10-10T08:43:00.002-05:00

The Public Health Law Center's series of free webinars for the public health community covers significant and timely topics in public health law and policy. Our national panel of presenters includes experts in public health law and policy in areas such as tobacco control, obesity prevention, worksite wellness, active living, and public health legislation.
The webinars take place on two Wednesdays every month, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Central Standard TIme). For a calendar of upcoming webinars, click here.

"Promoting Recreational Use of School Property After-Hours"
Oct. 19, 2011
12 - 1:30 p.m. (CST)

Obesity rates are skyrocketing, in part because of the public's lack of access to safe and appropriate places to be physically active. School facilities offer a partial solution to this problem, but many schools around the country do not allow community use of school property. One primary reason for denial of access is schools' concern over liability issues, real or perceived. Schools around the country have varying levels of liability risk when an individual or community group uses school property for recreational use outside of the school day. One way to promote community use of school property would be to better define a school's liability risk in these situations, to address misperceptions about the current level of risk and, where appropriate, to reduce that risk. The American Heart Association has developed a model School Recreational Use Statute in order to address barriers to community recreational use of school property.

This webinar will outline the importance of community use of school property, discuss the concerns behind community use of school facilities and liability, give the legal basics on liability and address the key concepts of the model School Recreational Use Statute. Sponsored by the American Heart Association, the Public Health Law Center and the University of Florida, College of Health and Human Performance.

Presenters:

Natasha Frost, Staff Attorney, Public Health Law Center

Carter Headrick, Director of State and Local Obesity Policy Initiatives, National Advocacy Department, American Heart Association

John O. Spengler, J.D, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management at the University of Florida

Moderator:

Debbie Hornor, Community Obesity Policy Manager, American Heart Association

Advocate Spotlight! Jack Olwell

2011-10-04T08:26:00.003-05:00

Jack Olwell (far left) teamed up with fellow advocates to meet with the office of Rep. John Kline (R-MN) about the FIT Kids Act during August Recess.

As an elementary physical education teacher, Jack Olwell, a You’re the Cure advocate from Minnesota, has seen the impact that poor nutrition and inactivity is having on today’s kids – and he is doing his part to reverse the trend.

“I know firsthand what these children will discover later if steps are not immediately taken to reverse this frightening trend. As I look out over a class of 50 students, I know that better than 25 of them will have heart related health problems and 15 of them will die early as a result of heart disease. I can’t let that happen to my students,” he said.

In addition to teaching his kids about lifelong healthy habits that will benefit them physically, emotionally, and academically, Jack has become a voice for his students through his advocacy work with the AHA.

“It is important that decision makers become more aware of the far reaching effects of this problem and what it is doing to our sons and daughters,” Jack stated. “For me, it was somewhat intimidating to think a common person could make an impression on those in the legislature who hold our future in their hands. I always assumed there were others who would step forward to tell their stories and take a stand. But I have learned that sometimes the small voices and unheard stories resonate loudest.”

In August, Jack teamed up with fellow advocates in his state — stroke survivor Stevie Nelson, state legislators Representative Bob Dettmer and Senator Ted Daley, and public health professional Becky Gonzalez-Campoy — to meet with the office of Rep. John Kline (R-MN) about the FIT Kids Act. As the Chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, the congressman is a key decision-maker on the bill and having this all-star team of advocates demonstrate the expertise and passion for fighting childhood obesity that exists in his district was powerful.

A big thank you to Jack and the other advocates who exercised their voices for heart-healthy kids!

To read article: http://yourethecureblog.heart.org/2011/09/30/advocate-spotlight-jack-olwell/

Governor Mark Dayton declares October Safe Routes to School Month

2011-10-03T14:10:00.001-05:00

News Release

October 3, 2011

Thousands of school kids expected to walk or bike to school

Governor Mark Dayton has declared October Safe Routes to School Month to highlight the benefits of walking and bicycling to school. Across Minnesota, thousands of kids are expected to walk and bicycle during events held at local schools.

The events are part of local, state and national Safe Routes to School efforts that support walking and bicycling to school year-round. Research shows that kids who walk or bicycle to school are healthier and arrive more focused and ready to learn. For example, a 15-minute walk or bicycle ride to and from school each day will help kids achieve half of their daily physical activity needs.

"Walking and bicycling to school is a great way to find time to get physically active," said Dr. Ed Ehlinger, Minnesota Commissioner of Health. "The whole community benefits when more kids walk and bicycle to school."
In addition to the health benefits, research shows that kids who walk or bicycle to school have fewer behavior problems and tend to have better academic achievement.

"Healthy kids are better learners," said Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius. "By encouraging children to walk and ride their bikes to school - and by modeling those activities as adults - we're helping them establish lifelong patterns of fitness that will benefit them in school and at work."

Safe Routes to School initiatives make walking and bicycling easier and safer for students. It also helps reduce congestion around the school area during drop-off and pick up-times. Educational activities teach safe walking and bicycling skills. Promotional activities such as walking school buses and bike trains create safety in numbers and help attract more people to try walking and bicycling to school. Infrastructure improvements include improving intersections, sidewalks and bicycle paths near schools.

"Walking and bicycling are important components of a complete transportation system and of Minnesota's quality of life," said Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel. "People of all ages deserve to arrive at their destinations safely, no matter what mode they choose."

Across Minnesota, Safe Routes to School is a growing movement that has more than 115 schools reaching more than 78,000 students and staff to support more active and healthier lifestyles.

Safe Routes to School Month is supported by the State Safe Routes to School Network, a coalition working to make it safe and easy for kids to walk or bicycle to school. Coalition partners include the Minnesota Departments of Health, Transportation, and Education, local public health, schools, and other interested organizations and individuals across the state, and is hosted by Blue Cross Blue Shield and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

View the governor's proclamation at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/oshii/srts/srtsproclamation.html.

-MDH-

The Big Problem of Little Heart Attacks

2011-09-30T09:10:00.002-05:00

The World Heart Federation announced last month that beginning this year, World Heart Day will be held each year on September 29.

According to the World Health Organization 17.1 million people around the globe die from cardiovascular disease every year – an estimated 1.4 million are Americans and more than 10,000 are Minnesotans. More women die of cardiovascular disease than from the next four causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer.

Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. This means women - mothers, sisters, spouses, friends - are dying at the rate of one per minute because they don't know what you know: heart disease kills.

Send a message to your legislators to make sure they are supporting policies that improve heart health. Then mark World Heart Day by forwarding this eye-opening short video Just a Little Heart Attack to at least 5 women in your life, or even posting it on Facebook. Ask your friends to become part of the Cure by joining our fight against cardiovascular diseases.

Learn the signs and don't hesitate to call 9-1-1 if you see them.

Send your legislator letter now, and feel free to customize it to share why this is so important to you!

F as in Fat

2011-09-26T14:11:00.002-05:00

Adult obesity rates increased in 16 states in the past year and did not decline in any state, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2011, a report from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released this past July. Minnesota is ranked the 38th most obese state in the nation. While Minnesota is faring better compared to most states, our increase in obesity over the last fifteen years is alarming. Our adult obesity rate increased more than 73 percent over the last 15 years from 14.6% in 1995 to 25.3% in 2010.

This year in Minnesota, the American Heart Association will continue to fight for policies that lower the prevalence of obesity in both children and adults. This past year we succeeded in getting the Legislature to preserve the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) and passing a clarification in the law to promote greater community access to schools for physical activity. We want to encourage lawmakers to continue their support for these issues and take the lead on advancing heart-health legislation.

Will you share the F as in Fat report with your state lawmakers? Click on this link to let legislators know about the obesity problem in Minnesota.

There isn’t a single idea or policy that is the “silver bullet” for reducing obesity but there are proven strategies that do work if they’re implemented. It will take all of us working together to make a difference on this issue. You’ll be hearing more from us about specific legislation in the months ahead, as well as opportunities to discuss these topics with your elected officials.

Please take a minute today to share this message with your lawmakers. Thank you for helping to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Worksite Wellness Symposium

2011-09-22T09:06:00.004-05:00

Worksite Wellness Symposium

Thursday, Nov. 10

7:30 - 10:30 am

HealthPartners

8170 33rd Ave South, Bloomington 55425

Join our community partners for a workshop on promoting wellness in your company.

Featured Speaker:

Nico Pronk, PhD, FASCM

Symposium Sponsor:

Ergotron

Details to follow. Questions now? Email karie.bundridge@heart.org.

A healthier school lunch in Robbinsdale schools

2011-09-21T10:46:00.001-05:00

Article by: KELLY SMITH , Star Tribune
Updated: September 20, 2011 - 10:59 PM

Fresh fruits and veggies are climbing up the list of favorite lunch foods for Robbinsdale school students.

Over the past year, Robbinsdale school staff have learned how to sell kids of all ages on fresh fruits and vegetables by -- to their own surprise -- revamping the classic salad.

For a few years now, schools have been trading fried foods for more fresh fruits and vegetables, but the northwest suburban school district decided to take the trend a step further last year by serving up salads as an everyday entree option at every school.

Students from first-graders to high school age have been so taken by the restaurant-inspired salads that they ate nearly 16,000 salads in the first seven months of the school year -- double the rate of salads sold the year before.

"It was a nice surprise," said Adele Lillie, Robbinsdale schools' child nutrition director. "They're trying different things and getting good nutrition."

The salad surge was spurred by a $68,000 grant from the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP), a two-year initiative to fight tobacco use, physical inactivity and poor nutrition in communities and schools across the state. The 12,000-student district used the money to fund new wellness initiatives, including revamping salads to increase the amount of vegetables and fruits students get in their school meals.

Copying restaurants

The district held taste-testing sessions with students and then launched the new salads last fall. To make the greens appeal to teens and younger kids alike, the school district took its cue from restaurants, nixing dull iceberg lettuce in favor of dark-green romaine.

This year the district's kitchens are offering seven salads, including strawberry chicken, Mandarin orange chicken and Santa Fe salads, all served with controlled portions of dressing such as reduced-fat ranch or vinaigrette.

It's an appealing way, Lillie said, to get students to eat more vegetables, fruits and beans -- all expected requirements of new federal nutrition guidelines set to be released early next year.

With those guidelines on the way, schools across the state are ramping up their use of fresh produce from local farms. Farm-to-school programs in the state have spread from 10 school districts in 2006 to 123 school districts -- or more than 800 schools -- last year. To decrease sodium and fat content, schools like Robbinsdale are making more meals from scratch and nixing processed foods.

That's also what Anoka-Hennepin Schools have done, turning to scratch cooking for meals such as chili and offering unlimited fruits and vegetables to students, Child Nutrition Director Allison Bradford said.

In nearby Hopkins Schools, cafeteria staff sported "I dig my farmer" T-shirts at lunch last week as they served homemade pasta mixed with fresh tomatoes and basil from a Delano farm. All schools in the Hopkins district aim to have locally grown food twice a week.

"Kids are just getting more and more exposure to locally grown food," said Laura Metzger, Hopkins' school nutrition and wellness coordinator. "It's pretty exciting."

The district's cooks also have cut salt content by making their own pasta sauce, and they have trimmed fat by making 70 percent of their meals from scratch. They also have banned fried food; fryers don't even exist in Hopkins' cafeterias anymore.

Competing with quesadillas

Students won't find fried food in Robbinsdale either, which has made similar changes, snatching up everything from locally produced beef hot dogs to locally grown corn on the cob. While the SHIP grant ends in December, the salads will stay, Lillie said, as long as they remain popular.

Last year, staff were astonished at the salads' success when schools like Northport Elementary sold more than 500 salads a month.

Last week, the school staff saw salads fare well against hot dogs, but they did run into one strong culinary competitor: the ever-popular cheese quesadillas. Only a few students snatched up salads the day that the quesadillas were served.

Lillie said it shows the district's dietary planners are still learning how to best make the greens appeal to students, tweaking and improving recipes each year.

"We just have to continue to offer new things," she said, and how they offer it matters.

"The presentation is huge," she said. "We eat with our eyes."

Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141

To read article http://www.startribune.com/local/west/130050098.html

August Recess Meeting A Success

2011-09-19T15:26:00.006-05:00

Thanks to all of our volunteers who helped us contact key federal legislators during the August Recess on important issues like NIH funding, FIT Kids Act, Medicaid and Medicare and Safe Routes to Schools.

Congressman Kline Meeting

AHA volunteer, Stevie Nelson, set up a meeting with Congressman Kline’s District Director, Brooke Dorobiala on Aug. 18, 2011. Congressman Kline chairs the Labor and Education Committee in the US House of Representatives so will be making decisions about whether the FIT Kids Act will be included in the final education bill that is under consideration. The “Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act” amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to increase children’s physical activity throughout the school day and ensure that they learn how to live healthy lives through exercise and diet.

We had an all-star line-up for our meeting with Ms. Dorobiala. Along with long-time AHA volunteer and stroke survivor, Stevie Nelson, we had Jack Olwell, an elementary school physical education teacher in Kline’s district, two Republican state legislators (Rep. Bob Dettmer and Sen. Ted Daley) who have taken leadership on childhood obesity and have passed legislation to improve kids health at the state level, and Becky Gonzalez-Campoy the executive director of Minnesota Center for Obesity, Metabolism & Endocrinology Foundation and an American Cancer Society volunteer. With this all-star line-up we were able to demonstrate to Congressman Kline the wealth of expertise he has in his own district and their strong passion to address these issues. Along with the children’s health/chronic disease prevention arguments, we were able to present a strong case for why this is a national security issue. Stevie Nelson, Rep. Dettmer and Sen. Ted Daley are all retired from military service and were able to speak directly to the negative impact childhood obesity has on the number of young adults who are ready and able to serve. American Heart Association is grateful for these wonderful volunteers and their passionate message for children’s health.

In photo:
Jack Olwell, Justin Bell (AHA staff), Sen. Ted Daley, Becky Gonzalez-Campoy, Brooke Dorobiala, Stevie Nelson, Rachel Callanan (AHA staff), and Matt Schafer (ACS staff)

Congressman Paulsen Meeting

On September 7th the American Heart Association attended another follow up meeting with Congressman Erik Paulsen’s office to discuss the FIT KIDS ACT. Earlier this year AHA met with Con. Paulsen’s staff to discuss FIT KIDS and were asked to check in again during August recess with the Congressman himself. In attendance was Jack Olwell (Phy Ed teacher from Farmington MN and member of the AHA State Advocacy Committee, Dr. Stephen Geis (Principal Farmington MN and National rep. from Elementary Principal’s Association), State Rep. Bob Dettmer and State Sen. Ted Daley (members of MN Childhood Obesity Working Group and author’s of AHA Joint Use bill 2010), Heather Schetka and Justin Bell (AHA staff).

We discussed the work being done in Minnesota to combat childhood obesity and asked for the Congressman’s support for the FIT KIDS ACT on the national level. We also asked Congressman Paulsen to discuss the meeting and the legislation with Congressman Kline (Ed Committee chair) and he agreed.

CDC New Website About Congenital Heart Defects

2011-09-16T11:31:00.001-05:00

This week, the CDC shared a new website to help educate the public about congenital heart defects (CHD), the most common type of birth defect. Check it out here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/heartdefects/index.html

Are you a CHD survivor, or a caregiver for a CHD survivor? Share your story with us! (link for the share your story with us text: http://www.yourethecure.org/register.aspx?Page=shareyourstory

Public health leaders receive 2011 Community Health Services Awards

2011-09-15T11:26:00.002-05:00

Minnesota Department of Health

News Release

September 15, 2011

Public health leaders receive 2011 Community Health Services Awards

Awards presented to: Lois Ahern (Freeborn County); Patricia Coldwell (Association of Minnesota Counties); Healthy Living Minneapolis – Community Resources for Everyone; Commissioner William Montague (Polk County); Susan Ross (Minnesota Department of Health); Deb Smith (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa)

Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Ed Ehlinger presented awards to several individuals and one group on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011, for significant accomplishments in public health in Minnesota. Awardees were selected by their peers and received their awards at the 2011 Community Health Conference.

A Certificate of Recognition was presented to HealthyLiving Minneapolis – Community Resources for Everyone. This network of organizations provides free and low-cost services for healthy eating, physical activity and tobacco cessation. By partnering with health care clinics to link patients to online resources, the network hopes to provide a sustainable way to connect clinics and patients to community-based resources to help patients quit smoking and maintain a healthy weight.

A Certificate of Recognition was presented to Susan Ross of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). As a clinical advisor, Ross has created and implemented a number of innovative programs to make a positive difference in the lives of Minnesotans with asthma. Among Ross' accomplishments is the first publicly available interactive asthma action plan, which allows health care professionals to quickly determine asthma severity by assessing a wide range of symptoms.

The Commissioner's Award for Distinguished Service was presented to Lois Ahern, formerly of Freeborn County. As the county's public health director for 17 years, Ahern fostered a climate of creativity and support for her staff and left a legacy of excellence and passion for public health. Ahern successfully steered Freeborn County through a number of outbreaks and major events, from SARS and AIDS to winter storms and tornadoes.

The Jack Korlath Partnership Award was presented to Patricia Coldwell of the Association of Minnesota Counties. In her role as a health and human services policy analyst, Coldwell serves as a key liaison between MDH and Minnesota counties on public health issues, creating shared learning opportunities, collaboration and partnerships. She is skilled at bridging differences between organizations and is a tireless advocate for public health.

The Award for Outstanding Dedication to Local Public Health was presented to Polk County Commissioner William Montague. Montague has served as commissioner since 2001 and served as the chair of the State Community Health Services Advisory Committee in 2004. Mr. Montague has encouraged county commissioners to increase their participation and knowledge of public health in their counties and has been a champion among elected officials for the broader appreciation of the work of public health at the county level.

The Jim Parker Leadership Award was presented to Deb Smith of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. As the Human Services Division public health nursing coordinator, Smith is instrumental in collaborating across tribes and with surrounding counties on measures to improve the health of tribe members of all ages. Smith works on multiple advisory boards and in associations and is the first American Indian nurse to serve as a reviewer for the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. Smith was joined by the family of Jim Parker while accepting the award, as 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of Parker's death.

"I am consistently impressed by the passion and dedication of Minnesota's public health professionals, elected officials and volunteers who work to promote health in Minnesota," said Ehlinger. "No matter what challenges they face, they always put the health of Minnesotans first."

For more information on the 2011 Community Health Awards, please visit: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/cfh/ophp/system/awards/.

-MDH-

MNC story: Report: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure in Rural MN

2011-09-15T09:00:00.002-05:00

Public News Service-MN

August 30, 2011

Report: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure in Rural MN

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Health-care reform should have an especially positive impact in the small towns and on farms across Minnesota and America, according to new research by the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA). Report author Jon Bailey, who is the Center's director for rural research and analysis, says that's because the Affordable Care Act succeeds in putting a greater focus on prevention.

"And it's actually creating a real health care system, one that promotes and encourages health, rather than just treating the diseases and conditions after they're already in place."

Bailey says the prevention and public health provisions of the Affordable Care Act have been seriously overlooked and so far, under-funded, and yet, he says, they are among the most important measures of the law for rural people.

Bailey says that focus on prevention, from regular check-ups to personal responsibility for healthy choices, is something that's needed everywhere, but more so in rural areas.

"Mostly because rural areas tend to be sicker. They have more of the kinds of conditions - such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes - that account for about, by some estimates, 75 percent of all health care costs."

For true health care reform, Bailey says, Americans need to become healthier, and that's why another focus of the Affordable Care Act is to provide education.

"And provide the resources to communities and health care providers to promote and encourage people to be healthier, which I think is an important part for rural communities because they do not have those resources currently."

Those resources vary widely, but could include more workout facilities, biking trails and nutrition education, to name a few. Bailey notes that rural America also has a shortage of doctors, a problem the law is also addressing.

The report is online at www.cfra.org

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/21950-2

MNC story: More Minnesota Schools are Serving Up Locally Grown Food

2011-09-14T10:11:00.002-05:00

Public News Service-MN

September 01, 2011

More Minnesota Schools are Serving Up Locally Grown Food

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Gov. Dayton has declared September "Farm to School Month" in Minnesota. The Farm to School initiative is a program of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

JoAnne Berkenkamp, AITP program director for local foods, says one goal is to link schools with farmers to get more locally grown food onto students' lunch trays - but there are others, too.

"The intention is really several-fold. One is to connect kids with healthy, minimally processed, fresh food choices. Another is to educate them about how and where their food is grown. And another is to really help build markets for our small- and mid-sized farmers."

Positive response from growers and school officials has led to major growth for the program, which had only 10 districts involved in 2006, Berkenkamp says.

"When the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy conducted our last annual survey, we found that about 123 school districts, serving more than half of the K-12 population in Minnesota, are now engaged in Farm to School."

Berkenkamp says the growth is spurred by a heightened interest in fresh foods and people wanting to know where their food is coming from.

"You also see in school environments increasing concern about child obesity, which has grown very rapidly in recent decades, and an increasing concern from parents about what their children are eating."

Berkenkamp says most school districts start out with apples and then expand from there, adding everything from carrots and corn to broccoli and bison.

More information on the program is available at www.farm2schoolmn.org.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/21997-1

New public-private sector initiative aims to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes in five years

2011-09-13T15:11:00.003-05:00

September 13, 2011

Million Hearts focuses on improving aspirin use, blood pressure, cholesterol control and tobacco prevention

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with several key initial partners, today launched Million Hearts, an initiative that aims to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. Currently, cardiovascular disease costs $444 billion every year in medical costs and lost productivity in Americans. Building on work already underway thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Million Hearts will help improve Americans’ health and increase productivity.

Million Hearts is focused on two goals:

·Empowering Americans to make healthy choices such as preventing tobacco use and reducing sodium and trans fat consumption. This can reduce the number of people who need medical treatment such as blood pressure or cholesterol medications to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

·Improving care for people who do need treatment by encouraging a targeted focus on the “ABCS” – Aspirin for people at risk, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management and Smoking cessation – which address the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and can help to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

“Heart disease causes 1 of every 3 American deaths and constitutes 17-percent of overall national health spending,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “By enlisting partners from across the health sector, Million Hearts will create a national focus on combating heart disease.”

By empowering Americans to make healthy choices and improving care, Million Hearts strives to achieve the following specific goals:

Indicator/Baseline/ 2017 goal:

Aspirin use for people at high risk- baseline 47%; 2017 goal 65%
Blood pressure control- baseline 46%; 2017 goal 65%
Effective treatment of high cholesterol (LDL-C)- baseline 33%; 2017 goal 65%
Smoking prevalence- baseline 19%; 2017 goal 17%
Sodium intake (average)- baseline 3.5g/day; 2017 goal 20% reduction
Artificial trans fat consumption (average)- baseline 1% of calories/day; 2017 goal 50% reduction

from our existing health investments,” said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “If we succeed in achieving our Million Hearts goals, 10 million more Americans with high blood pressure will have it under control, 20 million more Americans with high cholesterol will have it under control, and 4 million fewer Americans will smoke by 2017.”

“The treatment of heart disease and stroke account for about $1 of every $6 spent on health care in this country,” said Donald Berwick, M.D., M.P.P., Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). “By shifting our focus from paying for how much care is provided to how to get the best health for Americans and putting more tools into the hands of health care providers and patients, CMS can help prevent strokes, heart attacks and avoidable human suffering.”

Several partners from the private sector will work to achieve the Million Hearts goals by:

·Improving Americans’ diets, reducing tobacco use, and improving medication adherence through community innovations.

Specifically, these private sector initiatives include:

o The American Heart Association will help monitor progress of the initiative’s goals and provide consumers with access to their heart health management tools, including Heart 360, My Life Check, and the Heart Attack Risk Calculator.

o Walgreens will engage its more than 26,000 health care providers to support the Million Hearts initiative’s prevention goal by providing blood pressure testing at no charge in consultation with a Walgreens pharmacist or Take Care Clinic Nurse Practitioner.

o The Y is aiming to expand coverage of the Y’s Diabetes Prevention Program as well as the successful National Diabetes Prevention Program and CDC’s Healthy Communities Program to better address risks for diabetes, heart attacks, and stroke.

o America’s Health Insurance Plans and its members will amplify their ongoing commitment to reduce cardiovascular disease, which includes community-based collaborations to reduce the burden of obesity and other risk factors for heart disease (UnitedHealthcare), beneficiary fitness programs (WellPoint), initiatives to reduce ethnic and racial disparities in cardiovascular health (Aetna) and programs to better manage chronic disease (Cigna).

o The American Pharmacists’ Association and the American Pharmacists’ Association Foundation will encourage its more than 62,000 members to engage in the Million Hearts Campaign by raising awareness with their patients and their communities.

o The National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations and the Alliance for Patient Medication Safety will encourage state pharmacy associations and their members to engage in the Million Hearts Campaign throughout the year with many activities planned for American Pharmacists Month in October and beyond.

o The National Community Pharmacists Association will encourage all 23,000 independent community pharmacies to become involved in the Initiative and continue to raise awareness through their publications and social media outlets.

Participation and commitment from private partners are expected to grow in the coming months; major national associations like the American Medical Association and American Nurses Association have already committed their constituencies to this important work.

In addition, HHS will target more than $200 million in new and refocused investments to achieve the goals of Million Hearts:

o Today, CDC is announcing $40 million for chronic disease prevention programs to health departments across the country.

o The Food and Drug Administration and the Food Safety and Inspection Service are launching efforts to identify opportunities to reduce sodium in food in order to put more control into consumers’ hands.

o CDC is announcing a $2 million Pharmacy Outreach Project to team up with pharmacists to provide additional advice and support to patients diagnosed with high blood pressure.

o CMS is announcing $85 million in Medicaid Incentives for Prevention of Chronic Diseases grants awarded to 10 states. These awards support prevention programs for Medicaid beneficiaries of all ages.

o CDC is announcing $4.2 million in funds to seven national networks of community-based organizations to support, disseminate and amplify the reach of the Community Transformation Grant program. Later this month, CDC will announce another $100 million in grants to communities across the country focused on reducing smoking, improving nutrition, and promoting blood pressure control.

o The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will align all available resources to support improved outreach and provision of comprehensive health care to people with mental and substance use disorders.

HHS will also achieve the goals of Million Hearts by:

·Enhancing focus on cardiovascular disease prevention

o Federal agencies and private sector partners will focus and align measurement strategies which will both improve ABCS care and simplifying reporting for providers. For example, the Physician Quality Reporting System, which provides bonus payments, and in the future, payment reductions, based on the reporting of quality information by eligible professionals, CMS plans to enhance its focus on the ABCS.

o Beginning in 2012, HRSA will require all community health centers to report annually on the ABCS measures to track and improve performance, including new measures for 2012 for aspirin use and cholesterol screening. These efforts will help to improve ABCS care for more than 20 million patients.

· Focusing HIT efforts to prevent heart attacks and strokes

o Ongoing HIT improvements will increase focus on cardiovascular prevention and give providers improved tools for their delivery of lifesaving ABCS care. Regional extension centers, which reach nearly 100,000 primary care doctors, and Beacon Communities will reach more than 100 million patients within the next few years.

· Improving the delivery of ABCS care through clinical innovations, including:

o Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs). A network of 53 Medicare-funded organizations nationwide to improve healthcare quality at the community level, QIOs will work with physician offices, clinics and other providers to create Learning & Action Networks focused on achieving the elements of ABCS as part of each QIO’s tasks and goals.

o Learning from Local Innovators (Healthcare Innovations Exchange). The HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Healthcare Innovations Exchange supports efforts to identify and disseminate innovative efforts to improve health care led by local communities and leaders.

For further information on the public and private support of the Million Hearts initiative, please visit: http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/about-mh.shtml.

For more information about the Million Hearts initiative and to access cardiovascular disease risk assessment tools visit millionhearts.hhs.gov. Million Hearts is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Contact: HHS Press Office (202) 690-6343

###

American Heart Association's Heart & Stroke Heroes Announced!

2011-09-12T12:10:00.002-05:00

The American Heart Association is happy to announce our 2011 Heart & Stroke Heroes! We would also like to thank our Heart & Stroke Hero Nominating Committee for their dedication to this program and for helping us recognize these three amazing individuals!

2011 Heart & Stroke Heroes
Physician/Researcher: David Benditt, M.D.
Medical Professional: Jane Linderbaum, MD, CNP
Survivor: Herbert Stead

Thanks to our 2011 Heart & Stroke Hero Nominating Committee!
Julia Steinberger, M.D., University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital
Stephen Smalley, M.D, FACC, Regions Hospital
William Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., FACC, Regions Hospital
Adrian Almquist, M.D., Minneapolis Heart Institute
John Bass, M.D., University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital
Jay Traverse, M.D., Minneapolis Heart Institute
Thomas Kottke, M.D., Health Partners
Richard Asinger, M.D., Hennepin County Medical Center
Marnee Shepard, Fairview Southdale
Merrilyn Dawson
Patty Peterson
Candis Fancher, Fairview Southdale

Dr. Benditt, Jane and Herb will be recognized at our Patron Party on Wednesday, September 21 and at the Heart & Stroke Gala on Saturday, December 10.

For more infomration, please contact Heather Shetka 952-278-7924 or heather.shetka@heart.org.

Minnesota names to American Heart Association 2011-2012 Affiliate Board of Directors

2011-09-08T12:26:00.003-05:00

One of the greatest assets the American Heart Association has is outstanding volunteer leadership. We are pleased to announce Alex Mitchell, resident of Minnesota will serve as a new AHA affiliate board member.

Treasurer - Alex Mitchell, senior director of business risk management at UnitedHealth Group in Minneapolis. Alex is a heart disease survivor, having had emergency heart surgery to replace his aortic valve at age 25. His son also had pulmonary stenosis and a balloon valvuloplasty at birth to repair his pulmonary valve. As a result of being touched personally by heart disease, he feels passionate about our mission. Over the last five years, he has served on the Midwest Affiliate's Banking Request for Proposal and Investment subcommittees and been involved with the Twin Cities Heart Walk.

Top 10 myths about cardiovascular disease

2011-09-07T09:52:00.002-05:00

How much do you know about your heart's health? It's easy to be fooled by misconceptions. After all, heart disease only happens to your elderly neighbor or to your fried food-loving uncle, right? Or do you know the real truth - that heart disease affects people of all ages, even those who eat right? Relying on false assumptions can be dangerous to your heart. Cardiovascular disease kills more Americans each year than any other disease. So let's set the record straight on common myths.

"I'm too young to worry about heart disease." How you live now affects your risk for cardiovascular diseases later in life. As early as childhood and adolescence, plaque can start accumulating in the arteries and later lead to clogged arteries.

"I'd know if I had high blood pressure because there would be warning signs." High blood pressure is called the "silent killer" because you don't usually know you have it. You may never experience symptoms, so don't wait for your body to alert you that there's a problem. Check you numbers with a simple blood pressure test.

"I'll know when I'm having a heart attack because I'll have chest pain." Not necessarily. Although it's common to have chest pain or discomfort, a heart attack may cause subtle symptoms. These include shortness of breath, nausea, feeling lightheaded, and pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the jaw, neck or back. Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, call 9-1-1 immediately. Learn your risk of heart attack!

"Diabetes won't threaten my heart as long as I take my medication." Treating diabetes can help reduce your risk for or delay the development of cardiovascular diseases. But even when blood sugar levels are under control, you're still at increased risk for heart disease and stroke. That's because the risk factors that contribute to diabetes onset also make you more likely to develop cardiovascular disease.

"Heart disease runs in my family, so there's nothing I can do to prevent it." Although people with a family history of heart disease are at higher risk, you can take steps to dramatically reduce your risk. Create an action plan to keep your heart healthy by tackling these to-dos: get active; control cholesterol; eat better; manage blood pressure; maintain a healthy weight; control blood sugar; and stop smoking.

"I don't need to have my cholesterol checked until I'm middle-aged." You should start getting your cholesterol checked at age 20, even earlier if your family has a history of heart disease. Children in these families can have high cholesterol levels, putting them at increased risk for developing heart disease as adults.

"Heart failure means the heart stops beating." The heart suddenly stops beating during cardiac arrest, not heart failure. With heart failure, the heart keeps working, but it doesn't pump blood as well as it should. It can cause shortness of breath, swelling in the feet and ankles or persistent coughing and wheezing. During cardiac arrest, a person loses consciousness and stops normal breathing.

"This pain in my legs must be a sign of aging. I'm sure it has nothing to do with my heart." Leg pain felt in the muscles could be a sign of peripheral artery disease, which results from blocked arteries in the legs caused by plaque build-up. The risk for heart attack or stroke increases five-fold for people with PAD.

"My heart is beating really fast. I must be having a heart attack." Your heart rate speeds up during exercise or when you get excited, and slows down when you're sleeping. Most of the time, a change in your heartbeat is nothing to worry about. But sometimes, it can be a sign of arrhythmia, an abnormal or irregular heartbeat. Most arrhythmias are harmless, but some can last long enough to impact how well the heart works and require treatment.

"I should avoid exercise after having a heart attack." No! As soon as possible, get the help you need by joining a cardiac rehabilitation program or consulting your healthcare provider for advice on developing a physical activity plan for you.

'The Last Heart Attack' airs on CNN

2011-09-01T17:38:00.000-05:00

In a new CNN documentary, Sanjay Gupta investigates whether diet and the latest diagnostic tests are enough to prevent every heart attack. In this medical journey of discovery, Dr. Gupta talks to former President Clinton, cutting-edge doctors, AHA CEO Nancy Brown and additional guests. Gupta also puts his own heart under the microscope as he offers practical advice and hard science to show how heart disease and heart attacks could be prevented.

Watch The Last Heart Attack.

Obesity costs set to surge, with US in lead - Lancet studies

2011-08-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

AFP – Thu, Aug 25, 2011

One in every two American adults will be obese by 2030, adding hugely to the country's health costs, according to studies published on Friday that highlight the growing burden of the world's obesity pandemic.

On present trends, 50-51 percent of American men and 45-52 percent of American women will by 2030 have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, adding as many as 65 million to the country's population of obese adults, says one of the papers.

Twenty-four million of these 65 million will be older than 60.

The calculation extrapolates national estimates for 2007-08, the latest years for which data were available, when about 32 percent of American adults were obese.

Britain, too, will see a surge in obesity prevalence, from 26 percent to 41-48 percent in men, and in women from 26 percent to 35-43 percent.

By 2030, as many as 11 million more British adults will be obese, 3.3 million of them aged more than 60.

The study, led by Claire Wang of Columbia University in New York and Klim McPherson of Oxford University, says that medical costs will surge, given obesity's links with diabetes, cancer, heart disease and stroke.

"The combined medical costs associated with treatment of these preventable diseases are estimated to increase by $48-66 billion (33-46 billion euros) per year in the USA and by 1.9-2 billion pounds ($3-3.3 billion, 2.2-2.3 billion euros) per year in the UK by 2030," it says.
"Effective policies to promote healthier weight also have economic benefits."

Today, around 1.5 billion adults are overweight and a further 0.5 billion obese, with 170 million children classified as overweight or obese.

Tackling obesity accounts for between two and six percent of health-care costs in many countries and for some regions has even eclipsed tobacco as the biggest preventable cause of disease, according to the studies published in The Lancet.

They trace the pandemic to the 1970s and 80s, when a rise in food consumption per capita became coupled to a more sedentary lifestyle.

Health program is going on a diet

2011-08-19T13:30:00.001-05:00

Article by: Jeremy Olson , Star Tribune
Updated: August 18, 2011 - 4:32 PM

Minnesota will soon learn if its $47 million bet on statewide health improvement is making a dent against the ills of smoking and obesity.

The Minnesota Department of Health is collecting reports about how communities used the state grants over the last two years -- on everything from workplace fitness to tobacco-free campuses to fresh produce campaigns -- and what progress has been made.

While it might be too soon to see a drop in obesity, and tobacco-related health problems, state officials are hoping the effort has at least nudged Minnesotans into healthier lifestyles.

"There is some positive movement on behaviors," said Dr. Ed Ehlinger, state health commissioner. "I'm assuming those positive behavior changes will lead to reduced obesity and diabetes and cardiovascular disease."

Working or not, the approach isn't getting much of a second chance in Minnesota. Facing crushing budget deficits, lawmakers approved only $15 million for the 2012-13 budget cycle after almost scuttling the program entirely.

Ehlinger met with local officials Thursday to discuss how to proceed with less money -- perhaps to focus just on obesity -- or to steer the money to communities with the greatest need or most effective programs.

Grants have improved school lunches through partnerships with local farms and made produce accessible to low-income neighborhoods. Walk-to-school programs and bike paths and racks have increased fitness activity, Ehlinger said.

"People are moving. If you're moving, it's going to be healthier for you."

Minnesota gained national attention for the investment, but critics argued that even $47 million was inadequate.

Ehlinger remains optimistic: "$15 million is not enough to change the culture and change behavior throughout the state. But $15 million is not inconsequential, if we use it correctly."

jeremy.olson@startribune.com • 612-673-7744
To read article: http://www.startribune.com/local/128035318.html

Minnesota Receives Grant to Help Develop Health Insurance Exchange Marketplace

2011-08-17T09:59:00.001-05:00

State takes key step toward better health care and lower costs for Minnesotans

ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton announced today that the state has received a $4.2 million grant to further the planning and establishment of a Minnesota-made health insurance exchange. The funding, awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce. It will assist with exchange development, technical infrastructure, and stakeholder work groups to help design an insurance exchange marketplace.

“This funding will help us to provide better health care at lower costs for all Minnesotans. We have already made good progress in designing a health exchange that will put Minnesota in the forefront of healthcare reform,” said Governor Mark Dayton.

States have until January 1, 2013 to create the foundation for their own health insurance exchanges, to be available to consumers beginning in 2014. The concept of an exchange is to provide Minnesotans the information and ability to choose their own affordable, quality health care coverage. The exchange will include a website much like Travelocity.com or Expedia.com that will allow Minnesotans to easily compare health care coverage options based on cost, quality, and consumer satisfaction.

“Our state must move forward on an exchange built by Minnesotans, for Minnesotans – and this grant will help us achieve that,” said Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman. “In doing so, we will seek thoughtful, constructive public input from all parties. We need all hands on deck – consumers, employers, insurers, agents, navigators, and health care providers – to help design an exchange that addresses Minnesota’s unique health care system and demonstrate again why Minnesota leads the nation in health care innovation.”

Since Minnesota received an exchange planning grant last February, the Department of Commerce has been working on preliminary analytical, operational, and technical infrastructure planning for an exchange, in partnership with the Minnesota Departments of Human Services and Health. This new grant provides resources to work on the design of an exchange and to establish an Advisory Task Force to provide guidance on the creation of an exchange in Minnesota. The Department of Commerce will ask for stakeholder participation on the Advisory Task Force by the end of this month.

When complete, the exchange will provide consumers with a simple way to find, compare, choose, and purchase health care coverage. “An exchange will provide comparative information in an apples-to-apples format, encouraging market competition on value and empowering Minnesotans to make informed health care choices that fit their personal and family needs.” said Health Insurance Exchange Director, April Todd-Malmlov.

CDC-TV “Health Matters” focuses on the Obesity Epidemic

2011-08-15T12:07:00.004-05:00

August 11, 2011

JUST RELEASED!

Today, obesity is a national epidemic and a major contributor to the leading causes of death in the U.S. such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. Over 1 adult in 3 is obese, and 1 child in 6 is obese.

This video explains and illustrates the complex factors that have contributed to the obesity epidemic, and showcases several initiatives to prevent and reduce obesity in communities across the U.S. View the video.

There is no single or simple solution to the obesity epidemic - a combination of solutions at many levels is needed.

Use this video in your work prevent and reduce obesity:

Share the link with your contacts and networks.
Embed the video on your website.
Play the video at the beginning of your presentations from YouTube.

More Information
Overweight and Obesity

Childhood Overweight and Obesity

Healthy Weight - it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle

Senator Franken nominates Advocate Gene Johnson for the Campaign for Public Health Foundation's Rock in the Pond Award!

2011-08-08T09:59:00.002-05:00

Gene Johnson is a perfect example of someone who has committed his life and time to public health and education. After suffering Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) at the age of 63, Gene’s life was saved by a police officer’s automated external defibrillator (AED). Since this experience, Gene has worked tirelessly to advocate for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training and automated external defibrillator (AED) placement.

Gene is currently President of the Minnesota Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivor Network, a non-profit, grassroots organization formed in 2003, with a mission to prevent loss of life from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. As the President, Gene travels around the state to train thousands of Minnesotans each year in CPR. He also reaches out to those who have survived SCA to provide support and education. As a long-time volunteer with the American Heart Association, he never misses an opportunity to teach the public about CPR and AEDs. In recognition of Gene’s lifesaving work and contributions throughout Minnesota, Gene deserves the Campaign for Public Health Foundation’s Rock in the Pond Award.

Mixed Results in Special Session Budget Deal

2011-08-04T09:32:00.002-05:00

On July 20th, 2011 Governor Dayton signed into law the set of budget bills that ended the nearly three-week state government shut-down. The overall budget agreement relied on significant budget cuts, borrowing $700 million against future tobacco settlement dollars (tobacco bonds), and additional K-12 education funding delay of $700 million. There were mixed results for American Heart Association’s goals in the final budget agreement.

Disappointments include:

Borrowing from future tobacco settlement payments. This is an ill-advised strategy for balancing the budget and further reduces the state’s ability to rely on those resources to tackle tobacco use in the future.

American Heart Association fought until the end to include an increase to the price of tobacco as a smart way to raise new revenue AND reduce health care costs. Our proposal was not adopted in the final budget solution, even though it offered an alternative to the significant borrowing and funding shifts that were used to raise revenue. We will continue to work with legislators over the interim to keep this proposal on the table for the projected future state deficits our state will face. Thank you for all your emails and calls to legislators on this issue!

Further successes were achieved:

Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) was partially funded! Some great news that came from the final deal was that SHIP received $15 million in one-time funding for the biennium. While greatly reduced from the $40 million originally proposed by Governor Dayton, it was a significant victory for our work to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Thanks to all of you who kept up the pressure on lawmakers to make PREVENTION an ongoing commitment in the state budget. Thank lawmakers today!

Some other funding victories included in the Health and Human Services bill: NO CUTS to Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative and NO CUTS to the Tobacco Free Community Grants program.

Preserved healthcare coverage for low income Minnesotans through several creative approaches including shifting 125,000 poor, childless adults from two state programs onto Medicaid, which preserves the Governor’s early opt in for Medicaid. The legislation also establishes a new experimental program called the Healthy Minnesota Contribution Plan which gives vouchers to move about 7,200 lower-income adults from the state-subsidized MinnesotaCare program onto private health insurance.

Please thank legislators for supporting SHIP in the final budget deal!

You can find our 2011 final legislative wrap-up at this link.

Thank you for your advocacy all year round to help save lives!

Our Fight for Healthier School Meals Continues…

2011-08-03T08:47:00.001-05:00

Last Year: You’re the Cure advocates took as strong stand for healthier school meals for our kids by sending over 25,000 messages to Congress in support of the Child Nutrition Act. Our voices helped ensure the bill, which establishes the framework for the National School Lunch and National School Breakfast programs, was passed and signed into law by the President before the end of the 111th Congress.

This Year: Under the Child Nutrition Act, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed updated national school meal standards for the first time since 1994 and asked for the public to weigh in. You’re the Cure advocates sent over 30,000 comments to the USDA in April in support of the proposed standards, which ensure school meals include more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and limit the sodium and unhealthy fats served to our kids at school.

Today: As the USDA works to review all of the public comments and finalize the standards, some Members of Congress are now trying to stop USDA’s efforts to improve school meals. That’s why we need your help once again. Please send a quick message to your Representative today to ask him/her to support the USDA’s efforts to finalize strong nutrition standards for school meals. With your help, millions of kids will be enjoying nutritious school meals in 2012.

Ask Your Legislators to Consider the Harmful Effects on Minnesotans’ Health and our Children’s Future

2011-07-15T16:42:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Governor Dayton and Republican legislative leaders agreed to a “framework” for a budget agreement. The deal is built on the Republicans’ pre-shutdown proposal which included borrowing on future tobacco settlement payments ($700 million) and delaying payments to school districts ($700 million).

This is unfortunate news for all Minnesotans. While we understand and support a fast resolution to the state government shutdown and the current political stalemate, securitizing Minnesota’s tobacco settlement funds and borrowing from K-12 education is not an acceptable solution when in fact there is another option to help relieve the budget pressures. A $1.50 increase in the price of tobacco would raise $400 million over the biennium without sacrificing the incredible progress we’ve made to counter tobacco’s influence in Minnesota.

Legislators will be finalizing the budget bills over the weekend and early next week to fit within the “framework” they have agreed upon. The Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) will be part of this final negotiation. SHIP was established as part of Minnesota’s 2008 health care reform law. This forward-thinking investment promotes healthier behaviors and reduces health care costs over the long term by tackling obesity and tobacco use at the local community level. As the Legislature and Governor negotiate the final details of their deal over the weekend and early next week, we ask you to contact lawmakers and tell them:

you support increasing the price of tobacco as a partial solution to relieving the budget pressures; and

you urge them to fund the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) to save lives and reduce health care costs.

Raising the price of tobacco would not only be a part of the budget solution but it is also estimated to save 61,700 Minnesotan kids from becoming smokers. Moreover, making a small investment of state dollars, SHIP tackles the two biggest public health problems Minnesotans face – obesity and tobacco use. With projected health care savings of $1.9 billion by 2015, SHIP is clearly part of the solution. Eliminating funding for SHIP now would erase the promise of real health care cost reductions.

Tell your lawmakers and the Governor that increasing the price of tobacco is a more fiscally responsible way to address our budget problems and funding prevention is the smart strategy to reduce health care costs over the long term.

Take action today, your voice matters!

Gibbons Named Gold Heart Award Winner

2011-07-11T10:36:00.000-05:00

Raymond Gibbons, M.D.,also received the Gold Heart award. Gibbons, the Arthur M. and Gladys D. Gray Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn., was the association’s president in 2006-07, and has been an association volunteer since 1983. In 2003 and 2004, he chaired the Program Committee for the association’s Scientific Sessions, the world’s premier cardiovascular science conference.

A tireless advocate for evidence based medicine, Dr. Gibbons has provided critical advice on the association’s behalf to agencies including the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. As president, Ray made healthcare reform a priority and provided vital support for advocacy efforts.

Fantastic work, and congratulations on this award, Ray!

Latest Budget News: Governor's latest proposal includes tobacco price increase

2011-07-08T13:25:00.002-05:00

This week Governor Dayton included a $1 cigarette price increase in his latest offer to legislators. This is the first time in this government shutdown that a tobacco price increase has been included in a budget proposal. Raising the price will save Minnesotans’ lives and money, and we have been hoping to see this idea proposed as a common-sense compromise. As we’ve said before, this is a WIN – WIN – WIN!

Unfortunately, Legislative leaders rejected the proposal and the shutdown wages on. We know that increasing the price of tobacco is a popular with the public – Democrats and Republicans alike – and that it should be part of a bipartisan solution.

Make sure your lawmakers know they have your support to increase the price of tobacco and save lives in Minnesota. Contact your legislators today and let them know this is a WIN-WIN-WIN for Minnesota!

WIN: Protects Kids

* Raising the price of tobacco is one of the most effective ways to keep kids from using tobacco Estimated to save 61,700 Minnesota kids from becoming smokers. That’s about the number of kids currently enrolled in 8th grade in Minnesota!

WIN: Protects Health

* Raising the price of tobacco is one of the most effective ways to encourage tobacco users to quit. In fact a mere $1 increase will help more than 28,000 Minnesotans to quit smoking
* Avoid over 18,000 smoking-related deaths in the future

WIN: Provides Revenue

* Raises $283 million in this budget for new state revenue One of the public’s preferred methods for helping reach a budget compromise

A new public opinion poll conducted by the Raise it for Health coalition determined that nearly three out of five Minnesotans support a tobacco price increase.

You can also send a note to Governor Dayton and thank him for including the tobacco price increase as part of his budget solution and encourage him to stand strong on this issue.

Your overwhelming support is already starting to pay off as an increase in the price of tobacco has become part of the budget conversation. Please keep sharing your viewpoint and thank you for using your voice to support a WIN – WIN – WIN for Minnesota!

Thanks for your continued support on this very important issue.

MN Advocacy Team

A new weapon in the war on weight

2011-07-06T09:42:00.002-05:00

Article by: MAURA LERNER , Star Tribune Updated: June 29, 2011 - 6:01 AM

Nutrition scores hit the shelves of some Minnesota supermarkets.

In the past, Jodi Rohe says, she wouldn't have hesitated to buy a box of Total cereal when shopping for her family. Now, the number on the grocery shelf gives her pause.

Not the price. The nutrition score.

In the case of Total, only 29 out of a possible 100 points.

Since October, Coborn's supermarkets in the St. Cloud area have been rating the nutritional content of thousands of food items and posting the scores next to the prices. They use a system called NuVal, developed by a Yale doctor and a team of nutrition experts, to grade foods, snacks and drinks on a scale of 1 (least nutritious) to 100 (think spinach and blueberries).

"We're not in the business of telling [consumers] what to buy,'' said Bob Thueringer, the chief operating officer at Coborn's, who noted that the chain has not eliminated any products from its shelves.

But, he said, he realized that the grocery industry can play a role in the nation's health -- especially the fight against obesity -- by sharing more information with consumers. "Here, we have a chance to be a leader," he said.

Already, there's some evidence that NuVal is influencing customers' choices, particularly in types of pastas and yogurts, according to a Coborn's survey. If that continues, and consumers shift to more nutritious items, Thueringer said, "it will cause a ripple effect throughout the whole food chain."

Low-fat may also be low score

Some of the scores can be surprising.

A can of Health Valley fat-free broth, in the organic section, rates only a 5. Reduced-fat Jif peanut butter is a 7 -- while full-strength Jif gets a 23. (That's partly because the system subtracts points for ingredients such as sugar, salt and saturated fat.) Yogurt, meanwhile, can run from 11 to 100.

The goal of the scores is simplicity, said Rohe, who runs a community anti-obesity effort called Better Living: Exercise and Nutrition Daily (BLEND) for the CentraCare Health Foundation in St. Cloud.

Even if you study traditional product labels, she said, it can be difficult to figure out which bread or pasta sauce is the best overall, nutritionally speaking. One might have more sodium, another more sugar -- even if they're sold as health foods. NuVal ratings boil all the ingredients down to a single number, she said, making it "easier for consumers to make healthy choices."

The scores were the brainchild of Dr. David Katz of the Yale Prevention Research Center. It took him and a panel of national experts two years to perfect the formula, crunching numbers for more than 30 nutritional ingredients, according to Robert Keane, a spokesman for NuVal, which is based in Braintree, Mass.

The overall nutrition score, as Rohe puts it, "is kind of the good divided by the bad."

Since its debut two years ago, the NuVal system has appeared in 13 grocery chains with more than 1,000 stores, including Coborn's and Hy-Vee in Minnesota. They pay NuVal a fee to use the system.

Coborn's decided to adopt the ratings last fall at eight St. Cloud-area stores as part of the BLEND community project; and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota kicked in some money to help promote it.

Thueringer says the program has gone so well that the NuVal scores will be in all 28 Coborn's stores by the end of the year.

'It does the math for me'

Kelly Radi, who lives in Sartell, Minn., jokingly calls herself an unpaid "spokesmom" for the program. Her family has struggled with weight issues, she said, and "this is one way to keep it in check."

Radi admits she was stunned when she first saw the scores on some of her favorite foods. "I was always label shopping," she said. If it said "low-fat" or "fat-free," she bought it. She stopped buying reduced-fat peanut butter, though, when she saw the scores were in the single digits.

"This, to me, makes it easy," Radi said. "It does the math for me."

Not everyone, though, is so intrigued. On a recent afternoon, an informal survey of shoppers at Coborn's in Sauk Rapids found only a few who knew about or gave much thought to the NuVal scores.

"I've seen it advertised, but I don't pay attention to it," said one woman in the yogurt section.

Said another: "I've been out of work for a while, so I'm looking for the lowest prices."

But Janice Putnam of Sartell said she does notice the ratings.

"I've been glad to find that I'm already buying most of the stuff that has the highest numbers," she said. "It's just a little backup."

Use with care

Some nutritionists, though, say the ratings should be read cautiously. "The concern is people could say: 'I could eat as much of this as I want because it has a perfect score,'" said Lisa Harnack, a professor and director of the nutrition coordinating center at the University of Minnesota. "You can wind up with a really imbalanced diet."

Plus, she said, the key to obesity is to eat less.

"The score, in and of itself, isn't going to lead to that."

It also has critics in the food industry. General Mills, which makes Total, says the scores can be baffling. "It demonstrates the problem with NuVal," said company spokeswoman Kirstie Foster, when asked about Total's score of 29.

"No one knows why any particular product receives a particular rating -- and NuVal won't say because it is a for-profit rating system." Foster said it's better to read the actual label to get the full story.

But Rohe said the scoring system has credibility in part because it "wasn't pushed by any manufacturer" and is based on science.

She says the goal is not to buy only products with perfect scores but to "trade up" when possible -- for example, from one brand of pasta to another.

Sometimes, however, even fans don't want to know the score. Radi recalled a conversation in the cookie aisle when one of her daughters said: "Just don't tell me the NuVal number on this one, Mom, because I'm having it."

Rohe said she had a similar talk with her own daughter. "Do you remember when we could shop before NuVal, we could buy whatever we want?" the girl asked.

"I do," Rohe replied. "But I don't want to go back."

Maura Lerner • 612-673-7384

To read article: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/wellness/124687038.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

New Poll Says Minnesotans Support Raising Price of Cigarettes to Help Solve State Budget Crisis

2011-07-01T09:04:00.004-05:00

Raise it for Health Coalition urges state leaders to protect youth by raising tobacco’s price

ST. PAUL, Minn. (June 29, 2011) – Nearly three out of five Minnesotans support an increase in the price of cigarettes as a way to raise revenue and help solve the State’s current budget problem, according to a new public opinion poll conducted in mid-June on behalf of the Raise it for Health coalition. Majority support spread across most demographic groups, including Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Of those who supported raising the price, 70 percent said they would be in favor of increasing the price by at least $1.50 per pack of cigarettes.

After the poll was fielded, the Minnesota Department of Revenue issued its revenue projection for raising the price of tobacco, concluding that a $1.50 increase per pack would yield nearly $400 million per biennium.

Dr. Bill Morris, president of Decision Resources Ltd., the firm that administered the poll, noted that “while Minnesotans are understandably cautious about new taxes, they continue to believe increasing the tobacco tax – even by as much as $1.50 – is one of the choices that should be part of the budget solution.”

Minnesota, with the support of many of the health organizations in the coalition, has made great strides in protecting people’s health through a decade of successful tobacco policies. Smoke-free workplace laws, support services to help people who are addicted to tobacco and laws that protect youth from tobacco have resulted in a significant decline in Minnesota’s smoking rate from 22 percent in 1999 to 16 percent in 2010. But the human and economic costs of tobacco in Minnesota continue to be staggering:

625,000 Minnesota adults and 56,000 Minnesota high school students still smoke

Each year smoking costs Minnesota 5,135 lives and nearly $3 billion in excess medical costs to treat diseases caused by smoking – which equates to $554 for every man, woman and child in the state.

The tobacco industry continues to spend millions each year marketing its products to youth, women and populations that experience health disparities, and

Smokeless tobacco use has increased across all Minnesota demographics.

“Cheap tobacco products aren’t good for anyone, and higher tobacco prices are a proven and effective way to keep youth from ever starting to smoke and to make it easier for more people to quit,” said Matt Schafer, Minnesota State Government Relations Director for the American Cancer Society. “In fact, when the 2005 Health Impact Fee raised the price of cigarettes, calls to the various stop smoking support lines increased significantly.”

The Raise it for Health coalition is encouraging Minnesotans to contact their state representatives and tell them that raising the price of tobacco is a win-win solution that should be seriously considered during the budget negotiations. For more information about the Raise it for Health coalition visit raiseitforhealth.org.

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Raise it for Health is a coalition of Minnesota’s leading health and nonprofit organizations that share a common goal of reducing tobacco use. More than 5,100 Minnesotans still die from tobacco-related disease each year and tobacco continues to be a major driver of the state’s escalating health care costs. Raise it for Health supports significantly raising the price of tobacco products in Minnesota because it is a proven way to prevent children from starting to use tobacco and helping existing tobacco users quit.

Raise it for Health partners include: AARP Minnesota, Allina Hospitals & Clinics, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Association for Nonsmokers – Minnesota, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Catalyst, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, ClearWay MinnesotaSM, Courage Center, HealthPartners, LAAMPP, LifeScience Alley, Local Public Health Association, MAATEN, Mayo Clinic, Medica, Metro-MN Oncology Nursing Society, Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians, Minnesota Cancer Alliance, Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Minnesota Hospital Association, Minnesota Council of Health Plans, Minnesota Medical Association, Minnesota Public Health Association, Park Nicollet, School Nurse Organization of Minnesota, Twin Cities Medical Society and University of Minnesota Physicians Heart at Fairview.

ABOUT THE POLL METHODOLOGY:
Six hundred and twenty-five randomly selected Minnesotans completed a telephone survey administered by Decision Resources, Ltd., of Minneapolis from June 9 - 17, 2011. The results of this study are projectable to the universe of adult Minnesota residents within 4 percent in 95 out of 100 cases.

URGENT Action Requested: A Budget Solution that also Saves Lives

2011-06-30T09:57:00.002-05:00

As our lawmakers work on a solution for the state’s budget crisis and looming government shutdown, some are indicating a willingness to consider a tobacco tax as part of the final budget deal. To encourage this solution, the American Heart Association has placed an advertisement in papers around the state urging Minnesotans to send the ad to lawmakers and show their support for an increased tobacco tax. If you missed the ad, you can see it here: AHA Tobacco Tax Ad.

Follow this link to: Share the ad with your legislators

Despite much progress over the past several years, tobacco use continues to be a leading cause of preventable death and disease in Minnesota. More than 5,100 Minnesotans lose their lives to tobacco use each year and smoking costs Minnesotans nearly $3 billion a year in related health care costs.

A tobacco price increase should be part of a broader state budget solution because it:

Protects Kids:
• Raising the price of tobacco is one of the most effective ways to keep kids from using tobacco
• Estimated to save 61,700 Minnesota kids from becoming smokers. That’s about the number of kids currently enrolled in 8th grade in Minnesota!

Protects Minnesotans’ Health:
• Raising the price of tobacco is one of the most effective ways to encourage tobacco users to quit. In fact a $1.50 increase will help more than 28,000 Minnesotans to quit smoking

Generates Revenue for the state budget:
• An increase in the price of tobacco would generate $400 million for the state budget
• One of the public’s preferred methods for helping reach a budget compromise

Follow this link to: Share the ad with your legislators

Thank you for your continued support and immediate action on this very important issue.

American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown Praises New Graphic Warning Labels

2011-06-21T14:08:00.001-05:00

June 21, 2011

New cigarette warning labels unveiled today by the Food and Drug Administration will help give us the momentum needed to eradicate tobacco use in our nation. For the first time in 25 years, cigarette warning labels have been dramatically altered to graphically demonstrate the specific, serious health risks associated with smoking and these warnings will not only tell smokers how bad tobacco use is, but also direct them to smoking cessation resources that can help them quit.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 45 million Americans smoke cigarettes, about 20 percent of the population, and one in five high school students still smoke. The new health warnings represent an aggressive and welcome approach to reducing smoking rates that have leveled off in recent years as tobacco companies continue to launch campaigns to entice new smokers and maintain current customers.

The American Heart Association strongly believes that the graphic depictions of smoking-related diseases on cigarette packages will drive home the message that tobacco use is an equal opportunity killer, affecting smokers and nonsmokers alike. In the U.S., about one-third of smoking-related deaths are linked to heart disease and stroke. Cigarette smoking causes about 443, 000 premature deaths each year and about 49, 000 of these deaths are due to secondhand smoke. Undoubtedly, the new graphic health warnings will heighten awareness about the dangers of smoking and more importantly, encourage smokers to quit and discourage smoking initiation. We’re confident that the new labels will move us closer to our goal of making the nation 100 percent smoke-free.

http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/CigaretteWarningLabels/default.htm.

For more information, visit www.heart.org.

A Win-Win-Win for Minnesota!

2011-06-21T10:20:00.004-05:00

Despite much progress over the past several years, tobacco use continues to be a leading cause of preventable death and disease in Minnesota. More than 5,100 Minnesotans lose their lives to tobacco use each year and smoking costs Minnesotans nearly $3 billion a year in related health care costs. The American Heart Association recognizes this threat and promotes a $1.50 per pack tobacco price increase. It’s a win-win-win for Minnesota! A tobacco price increase should be part of a broader state budget solution because it offers new revenue, benefits Minnesotans’ health and protects our children.

Ask your legislator to protect health and our kids while helping address our state budget challenges by supporting a $1.50 per pack tobacco price increase

WIN: Protects Kids

Raising the price of tobacco is one of the most effective ways to keep kids from using tobacco
Estimated to save 61,700 Minnesota kids from becoming smokers. That’s about the number of kids currently enrolled in 8th grade in Minnesota!

WIN: Protects Health

Raising the price of tobacco is one of the most effective ways to encourage tobacco users to quit. In fact a $1.50 increase will help more than 28,000 Minnesotans to quit smoking

WIN: Provides Revenue

Raises $200 million per year in new state revenue
One of the public’s preferred methods for helping reach a budget compromise

Ask your legislator to support a win-win-win for Minnesota by supporting a $1.50 increase in the tobacco tax

Thank you for helping to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Your MN Advocacy Team,

Anne, Justin and Rachel

Get Active with Dad this Father's Day!

2011-06-17T10:21:00.001-05:00

This Sunday is Father's Day. How are you going to spend it? Get Active with Dad! There are many ways that you can help celebrate Father's Day and that are beneficial to your heart. Check out some of our favorites!

Governor Dayton Proclaims June 4-12 Minnesota Bike Walk Week!

2011-06-09T14:38:00.004-05:00

Check out the proclamation here: http://bikewalkweek.org/governors-proclamation. It mentions the Complete Streets policy American Heart Association helped pass last year.

This summer’s Bike Walk Week celebration will be June 4-12, 2011. All of the Bike Walk Week activities highlight the advantages of getting around without the use of a car. Bicycling and walking are more than just leisure activities –they promote better health and a cleaner environment, and save you money. The average family can save $5,000-$10,000 per year by reducing the number of cars they own.

A major focal point for the week is Bike Walk to Work Day, Thursday, June 9. In the Twin Cities area there are several other events throughout the week, including the American Heart Association Heart Walk, Grand Old Day, Women’s Wednesday, Yoga on the Greenway, and Bike Walk to the Twins Game on Sunday, June 12. New this year is the region’s first Cyclovia or “Open Streets” celebration, along Lyndale Avenue on Sunday, June 12. Communities around the state are also planning activities during the week. Additional events will be announced on the Bike Walk Week web site (http://www.bikewalkweek.org/), which is also the place to register to participate. By registering for Bike Walk week, participants pledge to make at least one trip each week without using a car

Got a minute? Then you can learn how to save someone’s life!

2011-06-06T12:37:00.003-05:00

CPR saves lives, it's that simple. If someone you loved suddenly collapsed and needed CPR, would you know what to do?

Simply put: The life you save with CPR is most likely to be someone you love. Sadly, 70 percent of Americans may feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency because they either do not know how to administer CPR or their training has significantly lapsed. This alarming statistic could hit close to home, because home is exactly where 80 percent of cardiac arrests occur.

In honor of National CPR Week, please encourage your legislators to learn and support Hands-Only CPR in your community

After you send the message to your legislators, please take a minute to visit www.heart.org/CPR and learn how to perform Hands-Only CPR. Once you have learned CPR, share this video with your friends and family so they are able to save your life!

Hands-Only CPR involves two simple steps: 1. Call 9-1-1 and 2. Push hard and fast on the center of the chest until professional help arrives. The American Heart Association has endorsed Hands-Only CPR as a treatment for adult cardiac arrest victims since 2008, and studies have shown it is as effective as CPR with breaths. In addition, people who watch a brief Hands-Only CPR training video are significantly more likely to attempt CPR, according to a recent study published in the association’s scientific journal Circulation.

Hands-Only CPR is recommended for adults who suffer a cardiac arrest at home, at work or in another public location. Children under eight years old still need full CPR with chest compressions and breaths since the cause of their cardiac arrest is typically respiratory-related.

Send a message to your legislators encouraging them to learn and support Hands-Only CPR in your community!

Thank you for helping to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown Says New USDA Food Icon is a Positive Step Towards Improving Consumer Health

2011-06-03T08:57:00.005-05:00

June 2, 2011

Our nation’s obesity epidemic calls for effective measures to help Americans make informed choices about the nutritional quality of their meals. The overconsumption of unhealthy foods and beverages combined with inactive lifestyles has contributed to alarming obesity rates with nearly 150 million adults and one in three children in the U.S. overweight and obese. Many suffer from serious health conditions including type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure and other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

The American Heart Association applauds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for developing the new food icon to help guide consumers toward healthier diets to reduce their risk for life-threatening illnesses and minimize mixed messages about a healthy eating pattern and what foods should be included to promote ideal health. We commend the agency’s efforts to translate the Dietary Guidelines for Americans into a more consumer-friendly format.

The new plate-shaped logo, divided into the basic food groups, will emphasize the importance of increasing consumption of whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean proteins. More importantly, the symbol conveys that half the plate should consist of fruits and vegetables. These guidelines align with the association’s diet and lifestyle recommendations. However, it is our hope that the program will eventually provide detailed information on healthy beverage options and establish robust evaluation to determine consumer acceptance and use of the new graphic.

We look forward to working with the USDA to promote the new consumer education campaign and will continue to stress the importance of effectively balancing calories with physical activity to manage weight and improve overall health.

For more information, visit http://www.choosemyplate.gov/.

Health gap: Minorities are at risk

2011-06-02T10:30:00.003-05:00

Article by: Alejandra Matos, Star Tribune

An emphasis on exercise could help fight ethnic disparities.

Carlos Riera and his family used to spend their Sunday afternoons strolling around the mall or gathered around the television set in their northeast Minneapolis home. But this spring they traded their shopping bags and couch for a pair of cleats and a field of green grass.

Every Sunday, the Riera family plays soccer with the North East Independent Soccer League, as part of a larger community project to reduce tobacco use, increase exercise and improve health in the Latino community.

"Playing soccer is a different way for us to be entertained," Riera said. "It's a way for us to get out of the house, and another way for us to exercise."

Unlike the Riera family, however, many Hispanics and members of other Twin Cities minority groups get very little exercise -- especially compared to the nonminority community.

Federal health statistics show that residents of Hennepin and Ramsey counties get far more exercise than the national average -- but that minority communities in the two counties lag far behind.

Those numbers are a small window into the larger problem of health disparities between Minnesota's white and minority populations -- a gap that has troubled the state's health authorities for years.

"[Minorities] have grown from 5 percent [of the state's population] 20 years ago to almost 15 percent now, yet we have the largest health disparities in things like diabetes and cardiovascular disease,'' said Jose Gonzalez, director of the Minnesota office of minority and cultural health. "It's our populations of color that get impacted the most."

Hennepin County, for example, had the state's lowest obesity rate in 2006, at 23 percent. Yet its obesity rates for Hispanics, American Indians and blacks are above the national averages for those groups.

Similar ethnic disparities show up for chronic, costly diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Those gaps have grave consequences for the entire state, health authorities say.

"When any of us have problems with our health, we all pay for it in terms of insurance, or in taxes for state health programs," said Marc Manley, chief prevention officer for the Blue Cross Foundation. "If we as a state or community can do something to help [minorities] stay healthy, it helps us all financially."

Social determinants
Health disparities often reflect larger social factors such as poverty and education, according to Martha Roberts, supervisor of the physical activity and nutrition program for the Minnesota Department of Health.

The minority populations of Minnesota often live in low-income neighborhoods, where exercise and healthy groceries may be hard to get.

"If you live in a poor community, there may not be many parks or bike trails, and you may live in what is known as a food desert, where healthy food may not be available,'' Manley said.

To help counter those problems, in 2009 Minnesota launched the Statewide Health Improvement Program, which provides local health boards and tribal communities grants to fund programs such as Farms to Schools, where local farmers sell produce to school districts.

Gonzalez said that, although obesity and diabetes are largely influenced by diet, another factor needs to be addressed. "I think it has a lot to do with a lack of physical activity, especially in our students," he said.

According to the 2010 Minnesota Student Survey, 13 percent of 12th-grade Hispanic boys and 20 percent of girls said they don't get any exercise during the week, compared with 9 percent of white boys and 12 percent of white girls.

"Unless we go out there and do more, especially with our kids, the [health] disparities will continue," Gonzalez said.

Several other programs, not funded by the state, are also attempting to close the gaps. Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio, or CLUES, is one. With funding from partners like the Minnesota Wells Fargo Foundation and the Xcel Energy Foundation, CLUES has programs targeted specifically at the Hispanic community, including home visits by volunteers to teach families how to cook healthier meals. It also helps fund the North East Independent Soccer League.

Soup and smoothies
Riera, his wife, Paulina, and their three children joined the league after Riera learned at his church about a program called the Diverse Racial Ethnic Groups and Nations project, which works to reduce tobacco use in the Hispanic community and promote healthful eating and exercise habits.

His children grew up watching him play soccer, and are now active in the league. "We don't have to push them to get to the games,'' he said. "If anything, they push us to go because they love playing soccer.''

Riera said he has taken advantage of both the soccer team and the nutrition advice.

"We tell our kids that if they eat their fruits and vegetables they will be stronger to play soccer,'' Riera said. "But sometimes they don't like everything we try to give them. We have to sneak it into their smoothies in the morning or in their soup so they don't notie it."

Jose Arrias, manager of the soccer league, said families like the Rieras are common in his organization, but that it's not always easy to get people to change their habits.

"We can give them all the information needed, but it's up to the individual to make those changes," Arrias said.

Alejandra Matos • 612-673-4028

To read the article on Star Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/wellness/122915638.html

Thanks to Senator Franken and Senator Klobuchar for their support of the Rural and Community Access to Emergency Devices Program

2011-06-01T15:28:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Senator Franken and Senator Klobuchar for signing a letter urging Senate Appropriations to continue support of the Rural and Community Access to Emergency Devices Program and other rural health programs in FY 2012. The Rural and Community Access to Emergency Devices Program helps small communities and rural areas purchase AED’s, train first responders and lay rescuers in their use and places them in public areas where sudden cardiac arrest is likely to occur.

Survival rates for out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest victims remain at 8 percent. However, a victim’s chance of survival more than doubles with immediate CPR and early defibrillation—an electrical shock to help restore a heart to its normal rhythm— using an automated external defibrillator (AED). Competitively awarded grants under the Rural Access to Emergency Devices Program allow states to purchase AEDs, train lay rescuers and first responders in their use, and place them in public areas where sudden cardiac arrests are likely to occur.

To read the letter, please follow this link: Rural Health Caucus Letter.

Today marks the first day of National CPR Week (June 1 - 7). To learn more about how you can learn to save a life follow this link: Save a Life; Learn Hands Only-CPR.

New CPR Training: Quick, Easy to Learn, and Could Save a Life

2011-06-01T09:41:00.003-05:00

Public News Service-MN

MINNEAPOLIS - Only 8 percent of people who suffer from sudden cardiac arrest at home survive, but a new and easier way to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) could change that.

The American Heart Association is trying to get a million people to learn the Hands-Only method of CPR. Kim Harkins, Heartsafe Communities coordinator for Allina Hospitals and Clinics, says the new method is easy to learn, simple to do - and can save a life.

"When a person has a sudden cardiac arrest, seconds count. Any time we delay CPR or getting an AED defibrillator to that person, we know their chance of survival diminishes every minute."

Harkins says the new Hands-Only CPR method involves just two steps: Call 911, and then push hard and fast on the center of the person's chest. Wondering about the tempo? Think the Bee Gees.

" 'Staying Alive' - that's about 100 beats per minute and that's exactly where we want to be, which is a little faster than most people are used to from their traditional CPR classes."

Training classes are being offered at various locations across the state. People also can learn the method by watching a video online at heart.org/cpr.

Harkins says administering CPR in the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest can completely change the outcome - for the better.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/20402-1

New Tobacco-Free Parks Directory Launched Today!

2011-05-31T12:59:00.006-05:00

New Tobacco-Free Parks Directory

Launched in Conjunction with
World No Tobacco Day

Website to help Minnesotans find tobacco-free parks

Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation (TFYR), a program of the Association for Nonsmokers - Minnesota (ANSR), has launched a new online directory with information about all the tobacco-free park systems in Minnesota. The database will be launched in conjunction with World No Tobacco Day on May 31, 2011. World No Tobacco Day was created by the World Health Organization in 1987, as a way to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable diseases and death it causes.

TFYR was launched in 2000 to provide assistance and information to Minnesota communities interested in adopting a tobacco-free policy for their outdoor recreation areas. Since then, a total of 136 communities have made their parks tobacco free. Due to the wealth of information about tobacco-free park systems across the state, TFYR decided to launch the directory to better serve Minnesota residents. "We often get asked about which communities have tobacco-free policies and what type of amenities are included," said Derek K. Larsen, TFYR Program Coordinator. "We felt this directory would be a great way for the public to find tobacco-free recreation facilities where they live." According to TFYR, approximately 70% of the state's population is covered by a tobacco-free park policy as well as 90% of residents in the 7-county Twin Cities metro area.

The directory can be found at http://www.tobaccofreeparks.org/directory.html and includes a variety of search options for residents to find many tobacco-free recreation amenities such as beaches, athletic fields, playgrounds, and trails. "Many of the questions we received are from people who live in an area without coverage and want to know where they can take their families and enjoy a healthy afternoon in a beautiful park system," Larsen said. "This database will make it so much easier for them to find a healthy place to play."

Please share this information with friends and co-workers to let everyone know about this exciting new service. If you have any questions about the new directory or if you would like to let us know what you think please contact Derek K. Larsen at dkl@ansrmn.org or 651-646-3005.

About Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation
Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation assists Twin Cities metro area communities in adopting tobacco-free policies for their park areas. If there are any questions about tobacco-free parks, please contact Brittany McFadden, Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation director at (651) 646-3005 or bhm@ansrmn.org, or go to http://www.tobaccofreeparks.org/

Tobacco-Free Youth Recreation's directory was made possible through funding the Tobacco-Free Communities (TFC) grant program of the Minnesota Department of Health.

Innovative public-private partnership helps Minnesota schools tackle childhood obesity through changes in the cafeteria

2011-05-25T09:09:00.004-05:00

May 24, 2011

Federally funded Great Trays Partnership provides training to help schools buy and prepare nutritious foods

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and seven public and private partners are collaborating to bring more nutritious, kid-friendly foods into school cafeterias across the state. The Great Trays Partnership, funded by a $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides training and tools to help schools statewide improve their menus and help kids eat healthier meals.

Great Trays efforts are a critical strategy to fight rising childhood obesity rates, which have tripled over the past three decades. Poor nutrition and obesity put children at risk for lifelong struggles with health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.

"Obesity is one of the most urgent health challenges facing our state and nation today," said Jim Koppel, Minnesota Deputy Commissioner of Health. "Minnesota students consume up to half of their calories at school. Great Trays is helping ensure that those food choices are healthy and taste good."

To accomplish this work, MDH has partnered with the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Education and Human Services, as well as the Minnesota School Nutrition Association, the Minnesota School Food Buying Group, University of Minnesota Extension and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. The Great Trays Partnership works to train school staff to prepare foods using more Minnesota-grown foods from the farm – and to help overcome equipment and cost barriers that make it hard for many schools to cook with fresh foods.

"Many schools don’t even have the right equipment to prepare and provide local foods and fresh fruits and vegetables," said Stephanie Heim, Farm to School coordinator at University of Minnesota Extension. "Nearly three-quarters of school food service leaders surveyed said they could provide more local foods if they had better equipment, such as wedgers, food processors and knives."

The partnership also works to help schools join food-buying cooperatives to make buying nutritious foods more affordable.

Great Trays held initial workshops last winter and will hold another round in June that train school cooks and menu planners in food preparation techniques to do more cooking from scratch and use more farm-fresh, Minnesota-grown foods.

School nutrition staff representing more than a thousand schools have participated in Great Trays initiatives thus far. These efforts are more important than ever as schools prepare for stricter federal nutrition standards that require lower levels of sodium and saturated fats.

"Great Trays has given me fresh ideas and tools so that I am able to begin menu planning for next year," said Lyn Halvorson, school nutrition director for Winona Area Public Schools. "The more people on the team that have the latest information, the more successful the transition will be to the new nutrition standards."

Great Trays is making a similar impact in schools across the state.

"We are experimenting with new menu items that are delicious and healthy, and our students are excited to try the new flavors," said Debra LaBounty, president of the Minnesota School Nutrition Association. "Our students learn lifelong habits in school, so increasing these options for healthy foods will have long-term benefits for their health."

To see examples of school lunch successes across the state and to get more information on Great Trays, please see http://www.health.state.mn.us/schools/greattrays.

-MDH-

Minneapolis-St. Paul tops a list of the healthiest U.S. cities

2011-05-24T09:56:00.003-05:00

People in Minneapolis-St. Paul have lower obesity rates and exercise more, which helped to put the Twin Cities at the top of the annual American Fitness Index that ranks the healthiest U.S. cities. The index from the American College of Sports Medicine puts Washington, D.C., and Boston next on the list; Oklahoma City ranked 50th because its population had higher rates of smoking and did not exercise enough or get enough fruits and vegetables.

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY (5/23)

Stroke: It Can Happen To Anyone

2011-05-23T10:50:00.001-05:00

Public News Service-MN

May 23, 2011

Stroke: It Can Happen To Anyone

MINNEAPOLIS - May is Stroke Awareness Month, and the American Stroke Association wants people to know the warning signs of stroke - and that it can hit anyone at any age.

April 11, 2009, is a day Kaela Gedda will never forget. She woke up with some numbness in her arm, but didn't think much of it. She had no idea the numbness was the first sign of a stroke, so she went to work - and things started getting worse.

"When I tried to walk to the break room, 'cause I was at work, it was about 15 feet away, and I could hardly walk. I had to lean up against the wall - and I still didn't know what was going on. I tried eating a banana, and when I couldn't even open the banana I knew that something was really wrong with me."

Kaela called her mother, who took her to the hospital. There, she was told she was having a stroke. Kaela says her experience points out stroke can happen to anyone.

"I was 19 years old, I've been dancing since I was 3, I'm on the dance team at St. Norbert, very healthy, active - and - it happened to me."

No matter how old or young you are, Kaela says, you need to know the signs of stroke: sudden numbness or weakness, sudden confusion or trouble understanding, sudden vision problems, sudden dizziness, loss of balance or trouble walking, or sudden severe headache of unknown cause.

If you experience any of those symptoms, Kaela says, you should call 911 immediately, and check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared. If the clot-busting drug tPA is given within three hours of the onset, it can help reduce long-term disability. She says a stroke can happen to anyone.

"It seems like it might be for your grandma or your grandpa who are 70, 80 years old, but it can be a young woman, it can be a college basketball player, it can be someone walking their dog, or just sitting at an office at work."

Stroke is the nation's third-leading cause of death. About 800,000 strokes occur every year in the United States, and the American Stroke Association says that knowing the warning signs and taking immediate action can be the difference between life and death.

Learn more about stroke at strokeassociation.org.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/20053-1

Top 10 Reasons to Support American Heart Association Advocacy Work

2011-05-13T16:02:00.002-05:00

Help the Minnesota Advocacy Team reach our goal of raising $10,000 to support our advocacy work! Join our You’re the Cure Advocacy Heart Walk Team or make a donation today!

Top 10 reasons to support American Heart Association advocacy work with a donation today:

Keep our Freedom to Breathe! American Heart Association played a key role in passing the Freedom to Breathe Act in 2007 and we’ve been fighting to keep our law strong ever since.
Leadership on Policy to Address Childhood Obesity! In 2008 we formed the Minnesotans for Healthy Kids Coalition and continue to lead the coalition. In 2009 we helped form the legislative working group working to tackle childhood obesity.
Passed the Healthy Kids Act in 2010! This Act created statewide standards for phy-ed as well as established a new Healthy Kids Awards program to encourage schools to promote healthy food and more physical activity.
Keep Tobacco Out of Our Kids’ Hands! In 2010 we passed the Tic Tac Tobacco Act—requiring new, candy-like tobacco products to be sold behind the counter and banning their sale to minors.
Strengthen Rural Stroke Care Access! We are leading efforts along with the Minnesota Department of Health to ensure that every Minnesotan gets the best stroke care possible regardless of where they live.
Heart on the Hill! This annual event brings volunteers together with their lawmakers at the Capitol. This year, along with our coalition partners, we brought 400 constituents together with 2/3 of the Legislature to educate them on tobacco policy.
Invest in Prevention! We helped pass the visionary Statewide Health Improvement Program in 2008 and continue to fight this year for continuation of the program. The current $47 million investment in local community strategies to address obesity and reduce tobacco use could reduce health care costs in Minnesota by $1.9 billion by 2015.
Promote Lifesaving CPR Training! In 2008 we passed legislation to ensure that when schools offer CPR instruction, they include the hands-on training. This year we have supported legislation to ensure proper training of daycare providers. Next year we will hold a Hands-Only CPR training for the Legislature and their staff at the Capitol.
Promote Health Equity! This year we helped bring over 50 advocates to the State Capitol to promote solutions to the health disparities among Minnesota communities.
Ensure Access to Physical Activity! In 2010 we helped pass Complete Streets legislation that helps ensure access to safe walking/biking routes in our communities. This year we have a bill to help ensure school facilities are more accessible to community members.

Walk with Us! Join Team You’re the Cure for the Twin Cities Heart Walk
Join our You’re the Cure Heart Walk team and walk with fellow advocates in taking a stand against heart disease and helping save lives! The walk is happening on Saturday, June 4th at Target Field. Follow this link to join our team and encourage your friends and family to do the same. If you are not able to join our heart walk team this year, please consider supporting us with a donation. We look forward to walking with you on June 4th!

National Study Underscores Importance of Minnesota's Health Initiatives

2011-05-12T08:36:00.000-05:00

Public News Service-MN
May 12, 2011, from Public News Service-MN

ROCHESTER, Minn. - Children in Minnesota and nationwide have too much access to screen time, sugary beverages and junk food, according to a national report. A Minnesota program already is doing what the report suggests to combat the problem - but its funding is set to expire.

The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests providing better support to communities, child-care facilities and schools to ensure that youngsters have access to healthy foods and exercise.

Minnesota has a head start in this effort thanks to the Statewide Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), a bipartisan initiative launched in 2008. Stephanie Heim, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Minnesota Dietetic Association, says SHIP is a community-based program that helps make the healthy choice the easy choice.

"We know that it's the individual's responsibility to make healthy choices, but we also know that the environment in which they live really impacts the choices they are able to make. So, for example, kids may know it's important to eat fresh fruits and vegetables - but if their school isn't offering fresh fruits and vegetables, then how are they going to get those throughout the day?"

Promoting community gardens, Farm to School initiatives and safe walking paths to school are some of the many ways SHIP helps communities create healthier environments, Heim says. However, despite being an innovative health program that has captured national attention, SHIP's funding is scheduled to expire June 30.

Heim says SHIP also is addressing adult health through initiatives in the workplace.

"We're making it easier for adults in their workplace to make healthier choices through work-site initiatives, or CSA boxes being dropped off at the workplace so employees can get fresh fruits and vegetables to take home to their families."

By 2015, Heim says, SHIP could move an additional 10 percent of Minnesota adults into a normal weight range and help 6 percent of the adult population kick the smoking habit, which would save the state an estimated $1.9 billion in health-care costs.

The CDC report is online at 1.usa.gov. More information on SHIP is at health.state.mn.us.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/19976-1

Food Support Expands Access to Minnesota Farmers' Markets

2011-05-09T12:06:00.002-05:00

Public News Service-MN

May 06, 2011

ST. PAUL, Minn. - As many farmers' markets across the state open for the season this weekend, more Minnesota families will have access to fresh, locally grown food. Several markets will now accept payment from the federal food support program, or "food stamps," thanks to a joint effort between state agencies, farmers' markets and local foundations.

Minnesota Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson explains that technology has previously been a challenge for farmers' markets in accepting the debit cards used by food-stamp recipients.

"Our Minnesota Department of Agriculture is working with the markets so many of them can get wireless card readers. While it will differ a little bit depending on what market someone goes to, having these readers is going to make everything easier, both for the sellers as well as for the people purchasing the food."

Thirteen markets across the state will accept food stamps. Some, including Midtown in Minneapolis and downtown Rochester, offer matching dollar incentives so that food support recipients can increase their purchasing power, Jesson says. Based on the calls they're getting, she says that by the end of 2011 there may be dozens of farmers' markets accepting food stamps.

While this is great news for all Minnesotans who rely on food support, says Colleen Moriarty, executive director of Hunger Solutions Minnesota, it's especially important for seniors to have access to fresh produce.

"We know that the better nutrition they have, the better their medication works, the longer they can stay in their homes, the lower their health-care costs are, so it's really a multiplier benefit for the community and to the people who are using SNAP."

Jesson says more low-income Minnesotans now are eligible for food support.

"We eliminated the asset limit for food support, and increased the income limit. So folks that didn't think they were eligible for this important program may now be eligible. So I want to just get the word out to people about that, especially now as they can use those dollars to shop at farmer's markets."

For more information and to find out whether you qualify, call the Minnesota Food Helpline at 1-888-711-1151. A list of participating farmers' markets is online at mfma.org.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/19884-1

May 2011 Minnesota Policy Update

2011-05-02T13:48:00.008-05:00

The Minnesota Legislative Session enters the home stretch with a May 23rd date for adjournment. You will see action alerts from us in the coming weeks as final budget negotiations wind down and the legislature finalizes any policy bills. This is final decision time for the legislature—this is when it is most important for us to be communicating with legislators. TAKE ACTION when you see alerts from us in the coming weeks. We will keep you up to date on developments if the Legislature/Governor do not finish their business on time and a special session is required. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress.

Thank you for your continued support!
Anne, Justin and Rachel

Policy Updates:

Minnesota Budget Showdown: The budget battle between the Governor and Legislature is far from over and although both House & Senate leaders have insisted that they will have a balanced budget by the May 23rd deadline, they couldn’t be much further apart from the Governor’s proposal. Governor Dayton’s Budget (released on Feb. 15th) included $700 million in cuts, but relied heavily on increasing taxes on the richest few percent of Minnesotans. The GOP controlled Legislature has vowed to balance the over $5 billion shortfall by spending cuts alone and not raising taxes.

The biggest set of proposed cuts is to Health & Human Services and would affect tens of thousands in Minnesota. For example:

The Senate bill would dramatically restructure public health insurance in Minnesota. Participants in Medical Assistance (MA) and all MinnesotaCare enrollees would lose their health care coverage and would instead be provided with a set amount to purchase coverage in the private market. These low-income individuals would likely face higher out-of-pocket costs for premiums, deductibles and copayments. The proposal is projected to save over $600 million but requires approval from the federal government. The Minnesota Department of Human Services believes the state is unlikely to receive that permission, meaning the state may not achieve the expected savings in the general fund.

The need to cut services like these could be limited with an increase in the state tobacco tax, which in addition to garnering a savings to the state of $1.3 billion in health care costs, can also bring $128 million into the state coffers each year.

School Liability/Joint Use legislation (HF1343/SF1068) spearheaded by American Heart Association has advanced through two legislative committees. This legislation seeks to make it easier for schools to open their facilities to outside groups and community members by clarifying the liability requirements and limits for schools. Research has shown that people who have parks or recreational facilities nearby exercise 38 percent more than those who do not have easy access. The bill will have two additional hearings in final House and Senate committees. While the budget is taking center stage, we hope this is one of the few proactive policy measures to pass the Legislature this year.

New resource on the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) —one of our top priorities this session is to fund SHIP. SHIP was established as part of Minnesota’s 2008 health care reform law. This forward-thinking investment promotes healthier behaviors and reduces health care costs over the long term by tackling obesity and tobacco use at the local community level. AHA seeks to continue stable funding for this bipartisan and visionary program. New fact sheets detailing each local program are now available on the Minnesota Department of Health website.

Update on our three-pronged approach to tobacco policy this year:

So far we have successfully defended Freedom to Breathe. While bills have been introduced to weaken the law, they have not been heard in committee and we have not seen amendments on the floor. Thanks to strong grassroots pressure, legislators are hearing the message loud and clear—“Don’t weaken Freedom to Breathe!” Let’s keep the pressure strong through the remainder of the session.
Protect kids from little cigars that are identical to cigarettes but cost less and come in “candy” flavors like grape, chocolate, and peach. HF743/SF493 would close a loophole in the law that allows these “little cigars” to be sold at half the price as cigarettes, which makes them more accessible to kids. Our bill has been heard in the Senate Tax Committee and awaits a hearing in House Tax Committee.
Increase the Price of Tobacco—this strategy has been proven to be one of the most effective strategies to reduce youth smoking, help smokers quit, and save health care dollars. While our coalition has not introduced a bill, we have been planting the seeds with legislators that this would be a good strategy in the final budget deal. Increasing the price of tobacco by $1.50 per pack could raise $128 million per year, prevent 60,000 kids from becoming smokers, and help 28,000 adults quit smoking. This is a win-win for the state and should be included in the final budget package.

April Recap:

Minnesota Heart on the Hill Day at the Capitol a Success

Our Heart on the Hill Day at the Capitol in conjunction with the Raise it for Health coalition was held on April 7. This was one of our biggest events yet, with more than 400 people in attendance! Thanks to our advocates who attended, we were able to hold constituent meetings with two-thirds of the Minnesota legislature advocating on three tobacco issues – defending Freedom to Breathe, passing the “Little Cigar Bill” and encouraging legislators to increase the price of tobacco. Watch the Day at the Capitol video here and for photo and more information on the day, visit our blog.

Minnesota Advocates Hit Capitol Hill

Walk with Us! Join Team You’re the Cure for the Twin Cities Heart Walk

Join our You’re the Cure Heart Walk team and walk with fellow advocates in taking a stand against heart disease and helping save lives! The walk is happening on Saturday, June 4th at Target Field. Follow this link to join our team and encourage your friends and family to do the same. If you are not able to join our heart walk team this year, please consider supporting us with a donation. We look forward to walking with you on June 4th!

Stroke continues to be a leading cause of death in Minnesota

2011-05-02T09:22:00.009-05:00

May 2, 2011

Stroke continues to be a leading cause of death in Minnesota

Health officials urge Minnesotans to learn the signs and symptoms of stroke during National Stroke Awareness Month in May

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in Minnesota, with 2,023 deaths in 2009, according to new data from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). The data from 2009 also show that:

* More than 90,000 Minnesotans, or 2.3 percent of adults, reported having had a stroke.
* Minnesotans were hospitalized more than 11,000 times for stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).
* The total inpatient charges for stroke-related hospitalizations were over $367 million, or more than $31,000 per hospitalization.
* Only 55 percent of Minnesota adults could correctly identify all five major signs and symptoms of stroke.

A stroke is a "brain attack" that occurs when blood flow to tissues in the brain is interrupted. Strokes can lead to permanent disability and death. To help raise awareness about stroke in Minnesota, Gov. Mark Dayton has proclaimed May as Stroke Awareness Month in Minnesota.

Dr. Ed Ehlinger, Minnesota Commissioner of Health, urged Minnesotans to learn the warning signs and symptoms of stroke.

"When it comes to strokes, we say that time lost is brain lost," Ehlinger said. "That's why it is so important for Minnesotans to know the signs and symptoms of stroke and to call 9-1-1 at the first sign of symptoms."

The signs and symptoms of stroke are:

* sudden confusion or trouble speaking.
* sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side.
* sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
* sudden trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance.
* sudden severe headache with no known cause.

If you think that you or someone else is having a stroke, call 9-1-1 immediately.

More information about stroke and its risk factors is available from MDH's Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention Unit at www.health.state.mn.us/cvh/.

For more information on the signs and symptoms of stroke and access to resources for stroke survivors, please visit the Minnesota Stroke Association's website at http://www.strokemn.org/.

For more information about cardiovascular diseases and stroke, visit the Minnesota Affiliate of the American Heart Association's website at www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Affiliate/Minneapolis/Minnesota/Home_UCM_MWA009_AffiliatePage.jsp. Health professionals looking for more information on how to conduct stroke community education events can find resources at the Minnesota Stroke Partnership's website at http://www.mnstrokepartnership.org/.

-MDH-

For more information, contact:

John Stieger, MDH Communications 651-201-4993
Stan Shanedling, Heart Disease/Stroke Prevention 651-201-5408

American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown says CDC Report on Children’s Food Environment Underscores Need for Strong Public Policies

2011-04-26T11:07:00.001-05:00

April 26, 2011

Our nation’s youth face major roadblocks to good health with easy access to calorie-laden snacks, sugary beverages and other unhealthy foods in their schools and communities. With about 1 out of every 6 children in the U.S. considered obese, we are condemning our kids to a bleak future of premature health problems such as type-2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease. The CDC Report: Children’s Food Environment State Indicator Report is a painful reminder that many children continue to lack access to fruits, vegetables and nutritious food close to home. We must place a greater emphasis on making healthier food choices more accessible and affordable, particularly for families living in food deserts where the nearest supermarket could be miles away and for those surrounded by fast food restaurants or corner stores with less healthy offerings.

Parents, schools, child-care facilities and communities have the potential to improve the health of young people by providing the tools they need to learn lifelong healthy behaviors. By strengthening nutrition standards in schools, pre-schools and day care settings, we can help limit kids’ exposure to unhealthy options. We must also support measures to reduce sodium and eliminate trans fat in the food supply, increase community and school gardens, reduce children’s exposure to marketing and advertising of unhealthy foods and require calorie information to be displayed on menus and menu boards in all restaurants.

Strong public policies and community programs to increase access to healthy foods will help children develop heart-healthy eating habits that could significantly reduce childhood obesity rates across the country.

http://www.newsroom.heart.org/index.php?s=43&item=1326

Accepting Nominations for the Twin Cities Lifestyle Change Award

2011-04-26T10:47:00.005-05:00

Have you lost a lot of weight in the past year, started living healthier or know someone who has? Nominate yourself or a friend today to be honored at the Twin Cities Heart Walk with the Lifestyle Change Award. Apply online by May 4th at www.heart.org/twincitieslifestyleaward

Last year’s winner, Billie Mackey, lost over 150lbs just by walking every day.

Billie Before

Billie After

Minnesota Heart on the Hill Day at the Capitol a Success

2011-04-25T21:23:00.005-05:00

Minnesota Advocates Hit Capitol Hill

2011-04-22T12:30:00.005-05:00

On April 11 and 12th the American Heart Association held its Federal Lobby Day in Washington D.C. Minnesota was well represented by volunteer advocates Stevie Nelson, Mark Olson and Jack Olwell, as well as Heart Association staff Justin Bell and Heather Shetka. We were there to meet with our members of congress to ask for their support increasing NIH funding for heart disease and stroke research, the FIT Kids Act and Safe Routes to Schools.

As survivors of a heart attack and stroke, Mark and Stevie were the best possible voices to convey the importance of NIH research to the health and well being of all Minnesotans and they did an fantastic job not only putting the personal face to the issue, but also pointing out how much Minnesota has benefited from NIH research economically.

When we were talking about FIT Kids or safe Routes to School, the message was childhood obesity prevention and creating a more active environment for our kids. As a Physical Education teacher for 34 years, we couldn’t have hoped for a better advocate than Jack and he came in fired up and well prepared!

After spending Monday traveling, preparing and training, we spent the entire day Tuesday bouncing around Capitol Hill trying to squeeze in SIX meetings (often as geographically far apart as they could be). We met with staff from the offices of Rep. John Kline, Rep. Erik Paulsen, Rep. Keith Ellison and Sen. Amy Klobuchar. We also met in person with Sen. Al Franken and Rep. Betty McCollum. We certainly had a Dream Team – our advocates did an excellent job of working together to effectively bring our message to Congress.

Support their efforts by sending a message to your legislators on these three important issues. Follow this link to take action and participate virtually in our Lobby Day.

Culture of Wellness Symposium: May 12

2011-04-21T16:32:00.002-05:00

Culture of Wellness Symposium
WHEN: Thursday, May 12, 2011
7:30 am - 10:30 am
WHERE: Towers Watson
8400 Normandale Lake Boulevard
Bloomington

Please join the American Heart Association and our local sponsor Towers Watson for a workshop on implementing wellness at your worksite. We’re partnering with organizations across our community in a comprehensive program to help local businesses foster heart-healthy work environments to prevent heart disease and stroke.

The workshop will include real-world examples on “what works in our workplace” and practical tools you can use.

Event is FREE, but Registration Required. Register by May 6, 2011 at barbara.ducharme@heart.org. For furtherdetails or questions please call 952-278-7910.

Towers Watson is a leading global professional services company that helps organizations improve performance through effective people, risk and financial management.

Parents want more phys ed in schools: new national poll

2011-04-20T09:14:00.000-05:00

Apr.19, 2011

Childhood obesity affects 1 of every 6 kids in the United States, in part due to a lack of physical activity. Schools can play a key part in offering elementary-age kids lots of chances to be active—on the playground during recess and when they’re in gym.

But recent increasing expectations about academic achievement, coupled with budget cuts, have prompted many schools to cut back on both recess and gym class.
The U-M C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked parents of children 6 to 11 years old for their views about physical activity in schools.

“Parents are virtually unanimous that it’s very important for elementary-school kids to get physical activity during every school day,” says Sarah Clark, M.P.H., associate director of the poll and associate director of the Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit at the U-M Medical School . “However, one-third of parents think that their kids do not get enough physical activity at school.”

35 percent of parents feel their children’s elementary schools have too little time in gym class, 26 percent think there is not enough playground equipment and 22 percent say there is too little time for recess.

“Academic and budget pressures threaten schools’ ability to provide outlets and opportunities for children’s physical activity. Many parents are noticing that something is missing,” says Clark.
Another key result from this poll is that parents’ own weight is related to perceptions of the need for schools to help children be physically active. With regard to time for gym, playground equipment, time for recess and playground space, overweight and obese parents were more likely than other parents to say their kids did not have enough during the school day.

“This is a new insight at the national level, indicating that parents with their own weight challenges are even more likely to see schools as a key partner in addressing the risks of obesity for their own kids,” says Clark.

“School officials should note the strong support from parents for the importance of physical activity during the school day for children in the elementary grades,” continues Clark. “Parents see many reasons why physical activity is valuable for their children—not just in preventing obesity but also in promoting healthy physical development. For parents of children in elementary school, it is critically important that children get the physical activity they need during the school day.”

For full report, see link below.
http://www.med.umich.edu/mott/npch/pdf/041811Report.pdf

Nationwide 2011 County Health Rankings explore the health of Minnesota counties

2011-03-30T12:21:00.000-05:00

Rankings by University of Wisconsin and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation offer a county-by-county snapshot of how multiple factors influence health Minnesota's counties are included in a report ranking the health of every county in each of the 50 states. The County Health Rankings, prepared by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, ranks the overall health of counties by using a standard formula to measure how healthy people are and how long they live. Counties are ranked in two categories: health outcomes and health factors (also known as health determinants). Health outcomes include the rate of people dying before age 75, the percentage of people who report being in fair or poor health and the rate of low-birth weight infants. Health factors include health behavior, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment. The rankings, which launched nationwide last year, are designed to compare the health of counties within each state; they do not compare counties in one state with counties in another state. “The County Health Rankings help everyone see that much of what influences our health happens outside of the doctor's office and where we live matters to our health," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which collaborates with the University of Wisconsin on the rankings. “We hope this second annual release of County Health Rankings data will spur all sectors – government, business, community and faith-based groups, education and public health – to work together to find solutions and take action and implement programs and policy changes to improve health." The County Health Rankings are an additional tool that highlights the essential role of prevention across Minnesota. “The Rankings not only shine a light on the health of individual counties; they also demonstrate the need to include prevention in our health reform efforts," said Dr. Edward Ehlinger, Minnesota Commissioner of Health. “We have an unprecedented opportunity to make reforms that will improve the health of all Minnesotans, and we must be sure to look at upstream disease prevention and health promotion at the same time we address other aspects of health reform." Local health departments in Minnesota already do extensive measurement of the health of their communities. Minnesota's Local Public Health Act requires local health departments to conduct a comprehensive assessment and planning process every five years in order to identify public health challenges and strategies for improving health. “Our local health departments already do an excellent job measuring the health of their populations, to help them understand what they do well and where they can improve," Ehlinger added. “This is one reason why Minnesota consistently ranks as one of the healthiest states in the nation." The County Health Rankings are available for viewing at www.countyhealthrankings.org. For a list of Minnesota's local health departments, see: www.health.state.mn.us/divs/cfh/ophp/system/administration/chb.cfm

Parrot Head CPR Training

2011-03-28T14:49:00.006-05:00

As some of you know, we have run into a specific roadblock in our work to get CPR training to all high school students in MN. That roadblock is that too many people think that CPR training is difficult and takes up to 8 weeks to complete anything significant. We of course know that with CPR Anytime people can receive quality CPR training in as little as 25 minutes!!

So, we have planned a massive public CPR training event at the State Capitol for the beginning of next session. We’re going to invite legislators, staff and the public and show everyone just how easy, fast as potentially lifesaving CPR training can be! To do this we needed to buy a whole bunch of CPR Anytime Kits in order to do the training for free. Enter our State Advocacy Committee Chair and Survivor Advocate Mark Olson! He belongs to the MN chapter of Parrotheads (Jimmy Buffet Fans) called St. Minnesomeplace - and they have a charity fundraiser every year. This year they are raising money to buy CPR Anytime Kits for our training!! We went to their fundraiser on March 26th to provide some free CPR training to their members to say thank you for supporting our work. We were very fortunate to be able to rely on our partners Gene Johnson and Ray Eiler from the MN Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivors Network, who not only provided the training, but set up appointments to provide CPR trainings at some of the worksites of the attendees.

Thank you St. Minnesomeplace! Thank you Mark Olson! Thank You MN SCA Survivors Network!

1-Year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

2011-03-25T15:39:00.003-05:00

The American Heart Association is a feature member of the Patient Advocacy Coalition (PAC) in Minnesota. The PAC is a group of Health Care organizations that focus on Access to Health Care for All.

On March 25th, PAC held a press conference to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by having patients and families with chronic disease tell real stories of how lack of access to health care hurt their families before the ACA or how they have already been helped by the ACA.

They told these stories to the press and to special guests Sen. Al Franken, Rep. Betty McCullum, Rep. Keith Ellison, Rep. Tom Huntley, Rep. Erin Murphy and MDH Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger.

A Mini-Day on the Hill for Health Equity

2011-03-24T13:11:00.003-05:00

The American Heart Association in Minnesota is a proud member of the Health Equity Working Committee (HEWC). The group consists of neighborhood and community organizations that represent Asian, Latino, African, African American, Pacific Islander, Recent Immigrant and GLBTQ populations that are concerned about Health Equity and ending Health Disparities in their communities.

On March 23rd 2011, the HEWC held their first public event: A Mini-Day on the Hill for Health Equity. The purpose of the event was to provide leadership training to community members who wanted to know more about Health Disparities, what the State of MN is doing about them and how the legislative process worked. Despite a terrible late season snow/ice storm we saw more than 50 attendees and the group heard presentations from the HEWC as well as from 6 Legislators and 2 Department of Health Staff. Following the event 17 attendees met individually with their representatives to discuss the Health of their communities while others attended a hearing of the House Health & Human Services Committee.

The day was an unprecedented success as we were assured that a group like this had never assembled at the state capitol and the attendees are already excited for a full blown Health Equity takeover of the Capitol in 2012!

American Heart Association Opposes Bill to Reduce Penalties for Selling Tobacco to Minors

2011-03-17T17:14:00.001-05:00

Dr. Courtney Jordan Baechler (pictured), cardiologist and American Heart Association State Advocacy Committee member, testified today before the House State Government Operations Committee on HF 962. The bill would reduce penalties for businesses who sell tobacco to minors. The proponents argued that it was too onerous to suspend a business's tobacco license if they sold to a minor--state law requires temporary suspension after the THIRD TIME THE BUSINESS IS CAUGHT SELLING TO A MINOR IN A 24 MONTH PERIOD.

Dr. Baechler argued: "There is absolutely no good reason to scale back the laws that keep tobacco out of the hands of our kids." Dr. Baechler went on to inform the committee, "Nearly 90 percent of all adult smokers begin smoking while in their teens, or earlier, and two-thirds become regular, daily smokers before they reach the age of 19."

One third of current high school smokers will die prematurely from tobacco-related causes. "In Minnesota that means over 18,000 of those 56,000 kids who are current smokers will die from smoking," said Dr. Baechler.

The bill passed the State Government Operations Committee, but was referred to the Health and Human Services Reform Committee where we have a further opportunity to highlight the harms of this legislation and hopefully ensure this misguided proposal is cut short.

Connect with Your Legislators on Twitter and Facebook!

2011-03-17T10:53:00.002-05:00

Want to help post or tweet You're the Cure messages to your legislators? Check out this great resource! It provides a listing of lawmakers in Minnesota who have social media accounts. "Like" or "Follow" your legislators today!

http://www.dcigroupdigital.com/digital-america/?id=5

Tell Your Legislators to Fully Fund the SHIP Program for a Healthier Minnesota

2011-03-16T14:08:00.001-05:00

Earlier this year, Governor Dayton committed to funding Minnesota’s Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP), keeping the vision for a healthier Minnesota. Now, it is time to tell your state legislators to do the same!

Tell Your Legislators to Fully Fund SHIP for a Healthier Minnesota

Minnesota is a leader in focusing on prevention efforts through legislation that passed in 2008. The Minnesota Legislature and Governor Pawlenty started SHIP in 2008; a program that promised to bring down health care costs by addressing obesity and tobacco use. By addressing these two primary preventable risk factors for heart disease, Minnesota could see a 3.8% decrease in health care costs by 2015 through the full implementation of SHIP. Who wouldn’t want to see health care costs go down by almost $2 billion by 2015?

The program is up and running in every county in the state and nine of Minnesota’s tribal governments promoting physical activity and access to healthier food in workplaces, schools and communities, and reducing tobacco use. But this program is in jeopardy. Please take one minute to help us keep this program going by following the link below to send your legislators a letter urging them to fully fund SHIP.

Tell Your Legislators to Fully Fund SHIP for a Healthier Minnesota

Your action today will ensure that many more Minnesotans live longer and healthier lives, children have a healthier start at life, and healthier food choices and opportunities for physical activity are available to every person in our communities.

Thank you for your continued support on this very important issue!

Follow this link to see what SHIP is doing in your community!

Seven Steps to a Healthier Heart

2011-03-14T10:06:00.001-05:00

EAGAN, Minn. - Sometimes there's a big gap between perception and reality when judging your own health. According to a recent American Heart Association (AHA) survey, nearly 40 percent of Americans thought they were in ideal heart health, when in reality, less than one percent has an ideal profile. To help people get back on track to heart health, the AHA has developed an online assessment tool called "My Life Check." It provides an overall health score and an action plan for improvement.

Pat Geraghty, president and CEO of Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Minnesota, and spokesman for "My Life Check," says a few steps can make a big difference in living a healthier life. He calls them "Life's Simple Seven."

"The four behaviors are: Don't smoke; maintain a healthy weight; engage in regular physical activity; and eat a healthy diet. The three clinical measures to be on top of: Managing your blood pressure; taking charge of your own personal cholesterol level; and being aware of your blood sugar level and managing that."

Geraghty says the steps are not expensive to take, and any healthy change can help you live a longer, better life. He suggests getting started online at "heart.org" and clicking on "My Life Check."

Geraghty says while tackling changes toward heart health may seem daunting at first, the website breaks it down into simple steps.

"When you go on, it walks you through - it's very intuitive, it's a very easy survey to take - and you get your scores, but you also then get direct feedback about things you can do, in each of the measures, to improve your scores."

That address link is www.heart.org

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/18852-1

Embracing the Local: MN Farm to School Programs See Dramatic Increase

2011-03-11T11:18:00.004-06:00

Public News Service-MN

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota schools are embracing locally produced food, according to a new report.

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) study shows a dramatic increase in Farm to School initiatives in Minnesota. A survey of 165 school districts - half those in the Minnesota - found that the number engaged in Farm to School rose from only 10 in 2006 to 123 in 2010.

JoAnne Berkenkamp, IATP's program director for local foods, says the initiatives promote healthy eating and educate students about how and where their food is grown. She says there are other benefits as well.

"It's also an economic-development strategy that is really aimed at supporting our local farmers and our rural economies. And it's a strategy for building community by engaging parents and farmers and the grandparents, and many other members of the community in what's happening in school food service."

Most schools rated their Farm to School programs as either "very" or "somewhat" successful, and would either continue or expand their efforts. Districts also incorporated a growing diversity of foods into their programs, with apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes and squash topping the list. Berkenkamp says the most common challenges school districts face in adopting Farm to School include extra time and labor for food preparation, price and budgeting, and finding farmers from whom they can purchase food directly.

Greg Reynolds with Riverbend Farm in Delano encourages farmers to take the initiative in making those connections with schools. He got involved with Farm to School two years ago, and believes it's the next big market for small farmers. He also enjoys the satisfaction of knowing how his work impacts students' nutrition.

"When it's local, they eat more fruits and vegetables. And what the cook supervisors found was that they continue to eat more fruits and vegetables when the local stuff isn't in season. So it's really making a difference in their diet. They're eating better food."

Apples tend to be a common way to introduce Farm to School to children. But when the Orono School District started the program, says Kris Diller, who supervises the district's child-nutrition program, it decided to attract more students with honey and brought in a beekeeper.

"He brought in samples of his beehives, and he brought in his beekeeper's suit and his helmet, and explained to the kids how he goes and collects the honey. And then the students all got samples of his honey. And then, one of the days, we made cornbread, and then we had Scott's Bees and Honey that day. So the kids knew that came from his farm."

The Orono district has been involved with Farm to School for three years, Diller says, using a range of fruits and vegetables as well as locally produced cheese, honey and bread. While some districts do Farm to School only in the fall, Diller says Orono has a year-round program, and hopes to incorporate a community garden as a next step.

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Editorial: Reject challenge to state smoking ban

2011-03-06T20:00:00.002-06:00

Appeared in Minnesota Star Tribune on 2/27/11

Public health is well-served by clean indoor air rules.
Star Tribune Editorial

A proposal to repeal part of Minnesota's indoor smoking ban should be snuffed out immediately.
Diluting the state's hard-won victory for clean indoor air is a terrible idea that shouldn't get any legislative traction this year.

A small, bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to repeal the portion of state law that prohibits smoking in bars that also serve food.

Under the plan, bars would have to provide a room sealed off from the adjacent restaurant with floor-to-ceiling walls and a ventilation system that exchanges the indoor air every two hours.
Smoking would still be banned in the rest of the building.

The proposed legislation would also phase in deadlines for bar/restaurants to install ventilation systems, based on their alcohol sales.

Businesses with 40 percent or less of their revenues in liquor sales would have to install ventilation systems by mid-2012; those with alcohol sales of more than 80 percent would have until 2017.

That would give bars several years to return to the "bad old days'' of cloudy rooms where smoke can easily drift into other parts of the building.

The claim that nonsmokers can be separated and protected was soundly discredited during debate when the ban was passed in 2007.

Research is clear on that point. Officials of the local Cancer Society say the proposed ventilation requirements would not remove smoke-related carcinogens from the air.

A 2005 Minnesota Health Department study found that huge numbers of Minnesotans are exposed to and affected by secondhand smoke every year. That includes nonsmokers who try to avoid smoky venues.

Though Minnesota's law has been in effect for three years, debate has continued over the financial impact on bars and restaurants.

Some bar owners say they've had dramatic drops in business because of the ban; others report that their establishments attracted new customers who enjoy eating and drinking in a smoke-free environment.

Supporters of weakening the ban also argue that smoking is a matter of personal choice that should not be impinged upon by government. One lawmaker said customers should have the right to select a bar or restaurant based on whether the establishment allows smoking.
Not quite. Individuals can indeed decide where to eat and drink. But they have no right to endanger the health of those around them or drive up health care costs for other taxpayers.
Smoking and secondhand smoke contribute to lung cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, male impotence, and routine colds and illnesses -- just to name a few related maladies.

A study commissioned by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota found that illnesses caused by secondhand smoke alone add nearly $216 million annually to state health-care costs.
Most states, including neighboring Wisconsin, have moved in the other direction by wisely prohibiting smoking in public indoor spaces.

More than three decades ago, Minnesota was a pioneer in the campaign for clean air -- and it took nearly that long to get the exemplary 2007 law in place.

This is no time for our state to step backward and lose ground on this important public health front.

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/116956693.html