Member Benefit of the Month... know a golfer?
MPHA has partnered with the American Lung Association of Maine to bring you their Golf Priviledge Card at a deeply discounted rate ($20 off their normal $70 price). Treat yourself or your loved ones to an American Lung Association Golf Privilege Card (GPC).

With the 2009 Golf Privilege Card, you are receiving one of the best golfing values in New England!  When you purchase the GPC, you get all this and more…
• FREE or reduced greens fees at over 100 participating courses
• Opportunity to try new courses at a considerable savings
• Valuable driving range discounts
Your purchase helps make a difference in the fight against lung disease through research, education and advocacy.

To purchase your Golf Privilege Card, just go to http://www.lungme.org/site/c.ghLSJ7PLKuG/b.3012345/k.6E5A/Golf_Privilege_Cards.htm , order your card and list "MPHA" in the promotional code section (near the end of the purchasing process) and you will receive a $20 discount.
Please note: this discount is for current MPHA members only!

MPHA needs your input- we need your expertise on one of our committees!
All of our committees are looking for additional participants. Phone participation is available for every meeting and we welcome all levels of participation. Please contact any of the committee chairs below to learn more about the topic and how to get involved.
Public Health Workforce development- Kala Ladenheim drkala@roadrunner.com  
MPHA Sustainability- Richard Veilleux veillr@mmc.org  
Membership & Marketing- Jessica Begley beglej@mmc.org  
Policy advocacy- Shawn Yardley shawn.yardley@bangormaine.gov  
Program Committee- Joan Ingram jbi@portlandmaine.gov  
Get Ready/Emergency Preparedness- Tina Pettingill tinapettingill@gmail.com  

Preparing for National Public Health Week- April 6-12, 2009
MPHA is partnering with APHA to bring you the best of National Public Health Week http://www.nphw.org/nphw09/default.htm  This year's theme is Building the Foundation for a Healthy America.

MPHA will be coordinating state-wide events and publicity to bring attention to this important week and its message. To keep updated with our progress, help with events/coordination or just stay in the loop, contact Shawn Yardley at shawn.yardley@bangormaine.gov  
For more information about NPHW from APHA, see below.

Although we spend more of health care than any other nation, our nation is falling behind in many important measures of what it means to be healthy:

• U.S. life expectancy has reached a record high of 78.1 years but still ranks 46th — behind Japan and most of Europe, as well as countries such as Guam, South Korea and Jordan.
• A baby born in the United States is more likely to die before its first birthday than a child born in almost any other developed country. Among developed nations, only Latvia has a higher death rate for newborns than the United States.
• We’re among the top 10 countries that have the most people with HIV/AIDS, and it is estimated that one in 20 residents in the nation’s capital are HIV-positive.
• Disparities persist with ethnic minority populations having nearly eight times the death rate for key health conditions, such as diabetes, than that of non-minority populations.

And the list goes on. Despite the dramatic progress achieved through a century of public health advancements — the elimination of polio, fluoridation of drinking water and seatbelt laws — our nation’s health falls far short of its potential. Our progress has stalled, and we have reached a point where we must examine our health system and the foundation upon which it stands.

We have the potential to greatly improve our population’s health in the future. By recommitting ourselves to support our nation’s public health system, we can build on the successes of the past and establish the solid foundation needed for a healthy nation. 

Happy Holidays from the Board and Staff of the Maine Public Health Association!