NHPHA Newsletter
January 2015
President's Message

January is National Blood Donor Month!

 

January is designated 

as National Blood Donor Month and one of the best ways to start the New Year is to make sure that New Hampshire has an adequate supply of blood and platelets to meet the needs of our neighbors, friends and families 

through 2015.  

 

Every day in the Northern New England Region, approximately 700 units of blood are required in hospitals and emergency treatment facilities for patients with cancer and other diseases, for organ transplant recipients, and to help save the lives of accident victims.  According to the Red Cross, every donation we make will help save three people's lives.

 

On January 23, 2015, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., NHPHA is going to be working on a blood drive with the Red Cross of New Hampshire and the Derry Police Department (see details below).

 

If you will be joining us to give blood this month, the Red Cross recommends that:

  • Maintain a healthy iron level in your diet
  • Hydrate - drink an extra 16 oz of liquid before and after your donation
  • Have a healthy meal before your donation - avoid foods high in fat just prior to donation
  • Remember to bring your ID!

Other tips for a successful donations can be obtained at redcrossblood.org.  

 

Please join your fellow NHPHA members and give the gift of life.


 
Marie

        

Marie Mulroy

President

Join Us!

 

Derry Police Department Annual Winter Blood Drive 

 

 

DATE:     Friday, January 23

TIME:      11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

 

 LOCATION:  Promises to Keep

                            199 Rockingham Rd

                            Derry, NH 03038

 

While supplies last, all presenting 

donors will receive the following: 

  • An American Red Cross, Derry Police T-shirt
  • Delicious food provided by Greater Derry Restaurants, pizza, wraps, sandwiches, Lindt chocolates and more
  • A $5 Dunkin' Donuts Gift Card

Please visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS 

(1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment.

In Other NHPHA News

 

NHPHA Annual Awards for 2015 
We Need Your Help!

The Annual Meeting for NHPHA is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, 2015, during National Public Health Week.   As part of that meeting, NHPHA will be recognizing those individuals who are making a difference in New Hampshire by presenting them with either the 

Friend of Public Health Award or theYoung Professional's Award. 

Below is a brief description of each award:

 

Friend of Public Health Award - The Friend of Public Health Award is presented to a person or group who has been instrumental in practicing and promoting public health in the state.

Young Professional's Award - The Young Professional's Award honors a public health professional who has been in the field less than five (5) years and has both contributed to public health and has demonstrated significant potential - a rising star in the field!

We would love to hear from you as to whom you would like to recognize for their outstanding work in public health.  Nominations are open for members of NHPHA until February 13, 2015.  The nomination form can be downloaded here

If you have any questions, please contact Deanna Bennett at [email protected].
Member Spotlight

This month's member spotlight features Timothy Washburn.  Tim is the Director of Acquisition Planning and Scheduling for the Northern New England Region of the American Red Cross, Biomedical Services.  The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face

of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.  They provide about 40% of the U.S. blood supply through 5.7 million blood donations from over 3 million donors each year, and help serve millions of patients in over 2,700 hospitals nationwide.

 

Tim states that he's always had a desire to contribute to public health causes.  Before he began his career with the American Red Cross in 2002, he was a blood drive sponsor at his place of employment in Boston.  He coordinated the blood drive with the office building and helped recruit blood donors.  "Having such a great experience," he says, "I decided to pursue a career with the American Red Cross". Since then, Tim also earned a Master's Degree in Public Health from Boston University, expanding his knowledge and expertise in the field.

 

When asked what he liked most about the work that he does, Tim replied, "As the nation's single largest supplier of blood and blood products, the Red Cross is an essential partner to hospitals and cancer treatment centers across the country, ensuring they have the blood they need to save people's lives".  Tim would tell folks in NH wanting to know more about how public health benefits them locally is "every two seconds, someone in America needs blood and the Red Cross needs over 60,000 blood drive sponsors willing to hold 2 or more drives a year to ensure blood is available when needed.

 

The American Red Cross has five (5) branches meeting the following public health needs:
  • 190 times a day, they help a family affected by a disaster
  • 5,600 times a day, someone receives a Red Cross unit of blood
  • 424,000 times a day, a child receives a measles vaccination from the Red Cross or our partners
  • 1,000 times a day, they provide services to military members, veterans and their families.
  • 25,000 times per day, they teach someone life-saving skills, like CPR

In honor of this month's observance, Tim said that this January, the American Red Cross and Dunkin' Donuts have teamed up during National Volunteer Blood Donor Month with the Dunkin' Donors Make A Difference Campaign.  All presenting blood or platelet donors during January will receive a $5 Dunkin' Donor Card.  He goes on to say, "Just be present to donate at Red Cross blood drives in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and parts of New York and become a Dunkin' Donor!"

In This Edition
NHPHA would like to acknowledge and thank the following funders and organizational members for their continued support.

Funders
Organizational Members
 

 
  

 
 



 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 


To become a member of NHPHA, click here  for more information.
Health in All Policies

The work of the Public Policy Committee is some of the most important and time-consuming work of NHPHA. As you probably know, the Legislative Session has started which means almost daily checking, planning, and acting.

Click here for a table that summarizes what will be going on for the next six (6) months and how YOU can get involved!

In the coming weeks, our diligent Public Policy Committee will begin distributed the weekly Health in All Policies e-newsletter to keep members and partners apprised of upcoming committee hearings and floor votes on bills of interest to the public health community. 
By The Numbers...
3

The number of lives which can be saved by one blood donation.


5%

Annual reductions in substance misuse can increase the NH labor force productivity and employment growth.


165

Responses to a non-partisan community conversations in 8 locations around the state since the elections.

On the Blog!

Something to share?  E-mail [email protected] with your suggestions! 

Check out our blog page  here.
News from the Networks
 
Conducting Health surveillance during a large scale disaster provides essential information on the health of residents and provides situational awareness for emergency management and public health professionals.  During the activation of an emergency shelter, health surveillance monitors the health of the population in the shelters by monitoring for disease outbreaks, injuries and the need for resources to support behavioral health and chronic disease management. 

 

In previous disasters such as Hurricane Sandy, shelter surveillance was used successfully to monitor the health of residents in the shelter and identified outbreaks which allowed public health professionals to implement measures to control the outbreak.  In December 2012, the City of Nashua, NH Division of Public Health and Community Services (DPHCS), which is the host agency for the Greater Nashua Public Health Network, and the NH Department of Health and Human Services convened a Shelter Surveillance Work Group to develop guidance and protocols for conducting health surveillance in emergency shelters that aligns with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Public Health Emergency Preparedness Capability for Mass Care.  Forms from CDC and guidance from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology were adapted and used as the foundation for developing the state guidance.  Additionally, the guidance includes resources for infection prevention and control in shelters.

 

In the Greater Nashua Public Health Region, the DPHCS will work as emergency shelters and are set up in the region to conduct surveillance by sending support via phone, email or in-person.  Staff at the Division have been trained to conduct surveillance and recently piloted the forms during the winter storm over Thanksgiving 2014.  DPHCS is also working with the Medical Reserve Corps unit hosted by other Public Health Networks to train them on conducting shelter surveillance during disasters.

 

For more information on shelter surveillance in the Nashua region and to review the regional plan, please visit Greater Nashua Public Health Shelter Surveillance or contact  Ashley Conley via email.


Information about other Public Health Networks statewide is available at www.nhpha.org

News from APHA
 
This year, National Public Health Week will be celebrated from April 6-12.  The theme, "Healthiest Nation 2030," focuses on creative ways everyone can assist in making the United States the Healthiest Nation in One Generation.

To help build the collective voice and momentum, we cordially invite all Affiliate leaders to join APHA Section leaders, the Affiliate Affairs and Component Affairs staff and your colleagues on
January 30, from 2-3pm. ET for a special NPHW partnership webinar.  During the webinar, APHA staff will highlight way in which Affiliate And Section leaders can help promote the campaign in local communities and via social media.  The webinar will also promote tools and resources you can use to create fun and informative events.

To confirm your participation in the partnership webinar, RSVP to [email protected]  by Jan. 27 Please include the date and title of the webinar you plan to attend in your RSVP.

If you are hosting or coordinating an event or activity during National Public Health Week,  we want to know!   Please send the information and details to  [email protected].

Of Note in the NH Public Health Community

 

Go Red For Women!  

February 6, 2015, is National Wear Red Day .  Each year, 1 in 3 women die of heart disease or stroke, but 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented with education and lifestyle changes. The American Heart Association launched the Go Red for Women movement to raise awareness of this serious issue.  "We encourage everyone to wear red, raise their voices, know their cardiovascular risk and take action to live longer, healthier
lives."  Read more information here 

 

Are you hosting or coordinating  a Go Red activity or event of your own?  We want to know about it!  Please email the details to  [email protected]

Upcoming Events 
  • February 2015 is Friends and Family Month. New and renewing individual members will receive a $10 discount on their Professional Annual; Three-Year Professional; or Lifetime Professional Membership

Save the Date

  • Week of April 6th, 2015 - National Public Health Week (NPHW).  NHPHA will host another social in celebration of NPHW.  Information on this event will be shared when it becomes available.  Stay tuned. . .
  • April 8, 2015 - NHPHA Annual Meeting - 3pm to 7pm.  Being held at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, located at 2 Institute Drive, Concord, NH  03301.  
  • September 26, 2015 - Get Your Rear In Gear (GYRIG)

Contact Us

 

Your feedback is very important to us.  Please Contact Us if you have ideas, suggestions, questions or comments for the NHPHA e-Newsletter.  

STAY CONNECTED

Like us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter   View our profile on LinkedIn