The Maine Public Health Association

The Maine Public Health Association would like to invite you to join our regional meetings. The objective of these meetings is for MPHA members and public health professional to network, learn more about each others' organizations and to obtain input into MPHA's strategic plan.
Members and non-members are welcome to these free meetings. Members are invited to bring their promotional materials and/or displays. To RSVP or learn more, contact Mary Brotherton at maryb@mcd.org or 622.7566 ext 204.

Bangor- 8/21/08, 4-5:30pm, Camden Hall, 3rd floor
Lewiston- 9/9/08, 9-10:30am, CMMC, conference rooms B/C
Portland- 9/10/08, 4-5:30pm, City Hall, State of Maine room

September 9, 2008 – 3rd Annual New England Rural Oral Health Conference - Exploring Workforce and Delivery Strategies, www.newenglandruralhealth.org
Up to 5.5 CEUs will be available through the NH Dental Society for this event.

September 24-26, 2008 – Nutrition Agenda 2008 & Beyond, friedmansymposium.com
Tufts Friedman School Symposium. Topics will include: dietary guidance; nutrition profiling, scoring and labeling; challenges and threats in the era of climate change and increasng demand; and hot topics such as vitamin D & cancer, probiotics, artificial sweeteners, folate and cancer, and vitamin B and cognition. Keynote address by former Secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman. Program, registration and discount housing at http://friedmansymposium.com. Sponsorship information - mark.krumm@tufts.edu.

Sept 24 - Oct 29, 2008 – A Certificate Course in the Fundamentals for Worksite Wellness
A professional training series designed to teach best practice models, strategies and guidelines for successful wellness programs at your workplace. This course offers individuals that are currently coordinating company wellness programs or those employees who would like to become wellness leaders, an opportunity to become skilled/knowledgeable professionals in designing, implementing and evaluating employee health promotion efforts. Location: Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce, Lewiston, Maine. Time 9 :00 am to 11:00 am. Cost: SMWC Members - $279; SMWC Team Registration, 2 or more - $250; Non-SMWC Member - $299; Androscoggin Cty Chamber of Com - $285. For more information, contact downing@usm.maine.edu.

October 1, 2008 – Health Care Costs: Maine’s Burning Platform – Can We Extinguish the Fire?, www.anthem.com/maine/conference
The high and rising cost of health care in Maine will be the focus of a statewide conference on Wednesday, October 1 sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Maine Health Management Coalition. “Health Care Costs: Maine’s Burning Platform – Can We Extinguish the Fire?” will examine strategies to moderate Maine’s cost of care.
The morning conference will feature keynote speeches by two national experts on health care and health insurance costs: Dr. Arnie Milstein, Medical Director, Pacific Business Group on Health and the National Health Care Thought Leader at Mercer Consulting and Michael Chernew, Professor, Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Health Care Policy. Dr. Erik Steele, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Eastern Maine Health Systems, will open the conference with a presentation on why it is critical that Maine control health care cost increases.
“Our Health Care Leadership Conference Series focuses attention on the important issues facing Maine and no issue is more important right now than moderating the cost of health care in Maine,” said Dan Corcoran, president, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
“The Maine Health Management Coalition is pleased to co-sponsor this conference bringing together the purchasers and providers of health care to seek solutions to the unsustainable increases we have seen in costs of care,” said Doug Libby, executive director, Maine Health Management Coalition.
The half day conference will take place at the University of Southern Maine’s Abromson Community Center will run from 8:15 a.m. until noon. The cost to attend the conference is $25. Pre-registration is required by September 25. Participants can find more information about the conference and register online at www.anthem.com/maine/conference .
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine’s Health Care Leadership Conference series examines critical health care issues facing Maine. A series of conferences over the past three years has focused on wellness and preventative strategies to improve the health of Maine people.
The October 1 conference will be of special interest to health care providers and the Maine business community, as well as public policy makers and the general public.

October 2, 2008 – What We Can Do To Reduce the Epidemic of Obesity in Our Children - The Ann Arbor Experience-Project Healthy Schools, etc.emmc.org
Childhood obesity is an increasing problem in the US and worldwide. It is estimated that by 2010, as many as 50% of US children will be categorized as obese and will eventually become obese adults, with the accompanying risk of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and heart disease. This will overwhelm the US healthcare system. We are in the middle of an epidemic and need to do something now to reverse this trend. Dr. Kim Eagle, Director of the Cardiovascular Center at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, will discuss the program developed in the Ann Arbor School System-Project Healthy Schools to address these problems. This program is free to the public but pre-registration is requested. To register online, go to http://etc.emmc.org/.

October 3, 2008, ALAME Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon

Energy and Health -- "Keeping Healthy and Staying Warm"

Click here to view the brochure and print off the registration form.

In September the American Lung Association of Maine and the Maine Centers for Disease Control, sponsored the largest most comprehensive statewide survey on energy use in the state. MaryEllen FitzGerald, President of Critical Insights, will present the findings. A reactor panel and audience questions will follow.

Each fall at our annual meeting we honor those who have helped to make Maine a healthier place to live, work and raise a family. This year we are honoring the following individuals and organizations:

Huddilston Award (our top award) to Jonathan D. Shenkin, DDS, MPH –Bangor pediatric dentist, Jonathan Shenkin, was the driving force behind the first in the nation, city-wide ordinance banning smoking in vehicles with minors which led to a statewide law.

Distinguished Service to Julie Balistreri - Julie is an environmental studies student at Lewiston Auburn College, and has been instrumental to two very important ALAME air quality projects.

Mission Ambassador to John Fischer – John is a 13 year Trek Across Maine participant, ALAME volunteer and healthy air advocate.

Healthy Air Award to College of the Atlantic and Bates College – Both schools received the highest scores in “The Green Rating System” developed by Princeton Review and EcoAmerica.

Patient Advocacy Award to Rhonda Vosmus- Rhonda is a certified asthma educator who has not only helped hundreds of patients but who is a key trainer of other educators throughout New England.

Youth Advocacy Award to Maine Energy Education Program- MEEP provides critical energy education to thousands of students and teachers throughout the state.

Please join us on October 3rd at the South Portland Marriott to honor the awardees at our annual luncheon. Call Michelle Caliandro at 1-800-499-5864 x 103 for more information about the meeting.

Click here to view the brochure and print off the registration form.

October 15, 2008 – Building the Patient Centered Medical Home, www.mcph.org/events.htm
Annual Friends Of the Center across the US [FOCUS]

Building the Patient Centered Medical Home
On a Public Health Foundation

Creating a Roadmap for the Future with
Key Healthcare & Public Health Stakeholders in Maine

Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Maple Hill Farm, Hallowell
9:00-4:00
The Maine Center for Public Health [MCPH] is very grateful to a group of national public health leaders who have a special connection to Maine, wish to share their wisdom and learn from Maine's groundbreaking work. These individuals have become known as Friends Of the Center across the US [FOCUS members].

This year's FOCUS Conference is all about how to better link the health care system with public health in order to improve health status and health care quality. We are inviting state leaders in both public health and the health care system arenas to join this interactive, problem solving conference. Don't miss this chance to learn from two effective partnership models in North Carolina & Vermont, hear about emerging initiatives in Maine and share your thoughts with FOCUS members and key Maine stakeholders on next steps!

Why should you come? The following are just a few of the questions to be addressed during this day long conference.

How can collaboration with Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) improve and facilitate the work of community and public health? (e.g. Physical Activity, Nutrition, Substance Abuse Prevention; Community Health Mapping and Data collection; leveraging scarce personnel and financial resources)

How can community and public health resources support PCMHs improving both regional and personal health status and healthcare quality? ( e/g chronic care coordination; health promotion and preventive health outreach and information systems, community needs assessments and respective action items; leveraging staff support with public health nursing; improving cost effectiveness; and improving quality outcomes)

What resources (personnel, financial, health informatics) can facilitate and sustain collaboration between PCMHs and community health coalitions?

How do you evaluate/ measure effectiveness of community linked PCMH?

What are national and state models of effective and sustainable community linked PCMH?

What is a roadmap for moving Maine ahead at state, regional, and local levels in assuring that healthcare system PCMHs can make and sustain mutually beneficial community health linkages?

This year's conference promises to be useful and exciting.

Please forward this on to your colleagues, friends, and any list-serves to help us spread the word.

To register online, visit the Maine Center for Public Health website at: http://www.mcph.org/events.htm or fax the attached registration form to Melissa Chadwick at 207-629-9277.

Oct. 19-21, 2008 – New Frontiers in Diabetes Education
Annual Fall Diabetes Clinical Update Conference. Location: The Eastland Park Hotel, Portland, Maine. The goal of this conference is to enhance the knowledge of health professionals who educate individual with diabetes by providing the latest tips, strategies, and udpates. For more information, contact Great Gatherings LLC at 207-622-5330 or Susan@GreatGatherings.com. Online registration is available at www.mainediabeteseducators.org.

October 20-21, 2008 – Healing Invisible Wounds
A cultural conference on the shared legacy of trauma across ethnicities. Location: Colony Hotel, Kennebunkport, Maine. Cost: $100 for two days includes breakfast and lunch. For more information, contact info@thriveinitiative.org.

Location: Augusta Civic Center. More Details Coming Soon!
Pre-conference Summit for PLWH - Sunday, October 19

October 23-25, 2008 – SOPHE Annual Conference, www.sophe.org
SOPHE is charting a course to San Diego for its 59^th Annual Meeting at the Doubletree Hotel Mission Valley, October 23-25, 2008. Designed with the discriminating health education professional in mind, this conference promises an invigorating program with an agenda featuring skill-building pre-conference workshops, titillating oral presentations and plenary sessions, lunch roundtables, and a poster session gallery all set amid the backdrop of the scenic Mission Valley district.

Make the SOPHE 59^th Annual Meeting your professional development destination and enjoy the delights of San Diego, California’s second largest city -- where blue skies keep watch on 70 miles of beaches and a gentle Mediterranean climate begs for a day of everything and nothing. Bordered by Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, the Anza-Borrego Desert and the Laguna Mountains, San Diego County’s 4,200 square miles offer immense options for business and pleasure. And with the electric Gaslamp Quarter, you can move from jet lagged to jet setting in one quick taxi trip. From suave steakhouses and eclectic ethnic fare, dinner clubs to sultry jazz bars, the more than 100 restaurants intermingled with dance and drink are all situated within blocks of each other.

October 25-29, 2008 – American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, www.apha.org/meetings

2008 Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Diego, CA October 25-29, 2008

October 29, 2008 – Emerging Infectious Diseases in Maine: The Public Health Response, www.mainepublichealth.gov

23rd Annual Maine Conference
2008 Emerging Infectious Diseases in Maine: The Public Health Response
Augusta Civic Center

Since 1983, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Infectious Disease, has organized an annual infectious disease conference targeting public health issues of emerging concern to medical practitioners throughout the State. This year’s meeting will continue this tradition, and is dedicated to a review of emerging issues in the field of infectious diseases, particularly as they impact the Maine medical community. Issues presented will include challenges in controlling infectious diseases, information on responding to new disease threats, and clinical updates and approaches.

Target Audience - Physicians and allied health care professionals interested in emerging infectious diseases of public health significance.

Continuing Medical Education – Applications will be made to obtain CME, nursing and pharmacy continuing medical education credit.

More Information / Registration – More detailed conference information and a registration brochure will be mailed in August or you can obtain registration information by contacting AdCare Educational Institute of Maine at 626-3615 or visiting www.neias.org/mecdc/id08.html. A registration fee of $50 will cover conference materials, breakfast, lunch and breaks. The conference agenda, faculty and other details will be posted on the conference website in August 2008.

November 3, 2008 – Politics and Public Health, Maine Public Health Association's Annual Meeting

November 13-14, 2008 – International Bird Flu Summit, www.new-fields.com/birdflu7/index.php
Please find enclosed information on our upcoming 7th International Bird Flu Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 13-14, 2008.

Delegates are coming from US, Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific.

For more information call 202-536-5000 or email djones@nfemail.com

An updated full agenda and additional information is available on the 7th IBFS Website at: http://www.new-fields.com/birdflu7/index.php

Halfway through the five-year Cancer Plan ... what have we achieved? What's left to do? Location: Maple Hill Farm, Hallowell, Maine

December 16, 2008 – Prevention: The Ultimate Cost Containment Strategy and a Key to Affordable Universal Healthcare in America, www.neconinfo.org
This year's New England Coalition for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (NECON) Conference will focus on Prevention. There will be sessions on prevention progress, oral health, preventive responses to chronic disease challenges, healthy weight trends report, and implementation progress on The Strategic Plan for the Prevention and Control of Overweight and Obesity in New England. It is a great opportunity to network with colleagues in the New England states on these issues. The conference will be held at the
Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The cost to attend is $75. Participants should register as soon as possible as space is limited. For more information to to www.neconinfo.org.

April 2, 2009 – Beyond the Basics of Suicide Prevention Conference, www.mcd.org/suicide.asp
Conference will be held at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. Other suicide prevention trainings will be occuring throughout the year, if interested, please visit: www.mcd.org/suicide.asp