E-Newsletter: Summer, 2005

Training on Policy and Environmental Best Practices Draws Regional Crowd
On May 24, members of local coalitions and other interested community representatives attended “Making it Easier to be Healthy in Michigan Communities: Policy and Environmental Change Initiatives,” a regional training organized by the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) and held at Washtenaw County Public Health. (more)

Parents Learn About Childhood Obesity
This spring, Washtenaw County Public Health received funding from the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan to educate parents about childhood obesity.  The forums, held in Ypsilanti and Saline, featured a video compellation of several media clips regarding the obesity epidemic, a presentation of local HIP data, group discussion on solutions parents would like implemented, and recruitment opportunities for parents who wanted to join current community or school action teams. (more)

The New Coalition for Infant Mortality Reduction
The Washtenaw County Public Health Department has been given a $65,000 Michigan Department of Community Health grant to organize and convene a local Coalition for Infant Mortality Reduction. Eleven health departments across the state were given the funding to work to reduce infant mortality, paying particular attention to racial disparities. (more)

Partnerships in Progress: CCH and Pierce Lake Elementary Partner to Prevent Childhood Obesity
Starting this fall, the Chelsea Community Foundation will fund a two-year project of Chelsea Community Hospital and the Chelsea School District that will focus on preventing childhood obesity. The desired long-term effect of “Move Forward! Healthy Choices for Kids and Families” is to improve eating habits and levels of physical activity for 3rd and 4th grade students at Pierce Lake Elementary. (more)

HIP Committee Updates

From the Implementation Team: Oh Baby – don’t hang up (on the 2005 HIP Survey)
The HIP Implementation Team is hard at work preparing for the up-coming 2005 survey. A subcommittee – the HIP Survey Marketing Group was formed to brainstorm ideas to increase public awareness and encourage participation in the survey. (more)

Community Resources

• Many popular HIP web pages can be accessed directly from the left hand "navigation bar."  This allows users to link directly to helpful resources such as the main Public Health page, HIP Data, popular CHC presentations, Newsletters and Reports or Meetings from any HIP web page.  Next time you visit, look left!
  
• Grant opportunity: the American Hiking Society is now accepting applications to its 2006 National Trails Fund. Awards will range from $500 to $10,000 per project and must be postmarked by November 1, 2005. For more information on the National Trails Fund and to download the 2006 NTF Guidelines and Application, visit: http://www.americanhiking.org/alliance/fund.html

Upcoming Events

• September 12, 2005
  Let’s Celebrate! HIP invites you to a 10 year anniversary celebration on September 12, 2005 at Washtenaw Community College, Morris T Lawrence Building from 12-2. Come celebrate 10 years of success, lunch will be provided, RSVP’s required. RSVP to Melissa Fochesato, fochesam@ewashtenaw.org or 734-544-3083

For more information about the CHC meeting, please contact Jenna Bacolor at (734) 544-2969

or bacolorj@ewashtenaw.org