INFORMATION RESOURCES
Health System Measurement Project 
Website
In a very easy to use format, trend information on about 50 key health system-related measures across 10 topical areas, including access to care, cost and affordability, prevention, and health information technology are brought together. Developed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, it includes measures drawn primarily from existing, publicly available datasets and are aligned with the HHS Strategic Plan, the National Quality Strategy, and other departmental strategic planning efforts. The data is intended for use in compiling reports, responding to requests for information, drafting memos, talking points, and testimony, and working with stakeholders.
Women’s Health and the Built Environment
Brief
This Women’s Health Prevention Brief highlights the importance of addressing the built environment in order to improve maternal health and birth outcomes. The brief includes an overview of the built environment and research on the connections between the built environment and health. It also explores biological and social impacts of an unsupportive built environment on maternal health and birth outcomes and highlights state- and local-level programs. This is a publication of the AMCHP/CityMatCH Women's Health Partnership which seeks to identify and promote unique state and local MCH roles and opportunities to improve women’s health before and between pregnancies.
Download the Women’s Health Brief PDF
Writing for Social Media
Guide
The CDC’s Guide to Writing for Social Media provides guidance and shares lessons learned in more than 3 years of creating social media messages in CDC health communication campaigns, activities, and emergency response efforts. Find out how to write more effectively using multiple social media channels, particularly Facebook, Twitter, and mobile phone text messaging. The guide is intended for a beginner audience, although some readers with an intermediate level may find it useful too. Some of the topics covered include:
- How social media should be part of your overall health communication efforts
- How to incorporate the principles of health literacy in your messages
- Writing for Facebook, Twitter, and text messaging
Datasets for CSHCN
Online Data Sets and Codebooks
The DRC Web site provides point-and-click access to a broad range of data from both the NS-CSHCN and the NSCH, but these enhanced indicator data sets and codebooks enable child health researchers, students, policymakers, and advocates to conduct their own more in-depth analyses on specific topic areas of interest. The data set features measure for MCHB’s 6 Core Outcomes for CSHCN, key child health status, quality of care, and impact on family members. The SPSS data set is currently available, with SAS and STATA versions to be available soon.
Community Services for Children and Families
Online Directory
This online directory for finding services for children and families in the communities in which they live was developed by the MCH Library. The locator can be used by service providers and families to find available child care and early childhood education programs; developmental assessment and learning services; family support; financial support; and health and wellness care.
Health Equity and Social Justice
Online Course
This online platform allows for the examination of the root causes of health inequity. Geared towards the public health workforce the intention is to "ground participants in the concepts and strategies that could lead to effective action." This online learning environment offers Continuing Education credits and is intended to be taken as a group or as an individual participating in the larger learning community.
TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES: Webinars
Youth Violence and Injury
June 19, 2012
3:00pm – 4:00pm EDT
Register today for “Building Better Data Systems to Address Youth Violence and Injury,” the latest webinar in HRSA’s MCHB DataSpeak series. Three experts will speak to the importance of data and the various ways that public data can be used to monitor and create policy to address youth violence and injury trends:
- George Bahouth, ScD - Senior Research Scientist CSN-EDARC will describe the current trends in youth violence and injury from a national perspective.
- Jenifer Cartland, PhD - Director of the CHDL will present on using public data sources to tell the story of child and adolescent health and wellbeing in Chicago and Illinois, with a special focus on intentional and unintentional injury.
- Deborah Azrael, PhD - Associate Director of the HYVP will describe the Center's Boston Data Project, an ongoing youth violence surveillance system established by the Center in collaboration with the City of Boston.
Kids in Disasters
June 20, 2012
12:30pm – 2:00pm EDT
“Kids in Disasters: Facing Our Challenges” is for state managers, researchers, EMS providers, family members and others interested in how to improve emergency medical services for children. Presentations will be made by Sarita Chung, MD, the Director of Disaster Preparedness and Assistant Professor in Medicine at the Boston Children’s Hospital and Mark X. Cicero, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine and the Director of Pediatric Disaster Preparedness at the Yale School of Medicine.
SPARC Conference: Building Your Academic Portfolio
June 21, 2012
12:25pm – 6:00pm EDT
New York, NY
The 2012 Achieving Successful and Productive Academic Research Careers (SPARC) conference in New York, NY will be broadcast live online. Several topics relevant to building one’s academic portfolio will be covered, including the role of mentoring in building your academic portfolio (J.P. Sanchez, MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine), building your academic portfolio through developing networks (Bernice B. Rumala, PhD, MA, EdM., MPhil, The Rockefeller University), and the importance of dissemination (Carla Boutin-Foster, MD, MS, Weill Cornell Medical College). Panels will include productivity in publishing papers, communicating your research to a broader audience through the media, the art, science, and politics of good grantsmanship, and others.
Mentoring Racially and Ethnically Diverse Students and Faculty
Archive
This MCH Learning webinar presented an overview of the literature on mentoring racially and ethnically diverse students and faculty. Presenters included Laura Kavanagh, the Director of the Division of Research, Training and Education at the MCHB; Patricia Maloof, a Senior Consultant for the National Center for Cultural Competence at the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development; and Vivian Jackson, a Senior Policy Associate at the National Center for Cultural Competence.
TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES: Conferences
National School-Based Health Care Convention
June 24 – 27, 2012
Albuquerque, NM
Every year NASBHC brings together more than 800 child and adolescent health providers and advocates for the National School-Based Health Care Convention. This year’s theme is “New Directions for School-Based Health Care: Hot Topics for our Future.” Workshop tracks include policy and advocacy, stakeholder engagement, primary care, sustainability, operations and administration, evaluation and quality, and mental health, among others.
National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media
August 7 – 9, 2012
Atlanta, GA
The National Public Health Information Coalition, SAMHSA and CDC are pleased to announce this 6th annual conference bringing together individuals representing academia, public health researchers and practitioners from Federal and state government and the private sector, and providing a forum for collegial dialogue within and across these disciplines. The conference is an excellent opportunity to meet with colleagues and shape the future of health communication, marketing, and media practice.
2012 Leadership Academy
August 20 – 23, 2012
Santa Fe, NM
The 2012 Leadership Academy is an intensive, interactive, 4-day residential learning experience. Implementation of a system of care approach requires strong and informed leadership to spur the necessary changes within systems, organizations and in practice. There is a need for leaders with the commitment, energy, knowledge, and skills to do the difficult work of facilitating this change. It is important that leaders, who are willing and able to step out in the forefront of this complex set of issues, have opportunities to increase their confidence and expertise, to share with and learn from other leaders, and to get the support they need in taking on this often challenging role.
Reproductive Health 2012
September 20 – 22, 2012
New Orleans, LA
Reproductive Health is the premier conference in reproductive and sexual health sponsored annually by ARHP. This clinical conference combines the latest research science with interactive, hands-on training and offers take home points for immediate practice improvement. Modules this year will cover contraception, abortion care, healthy sexuality, chronic conditions and reproductive health, and maternal and child health, along with other expert panels, poster sessions, and presentations.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
SAMHSA: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress
June 20, 2012 - Category I
June 26, 2012 - Category II
SAMHSA, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for FY 2012 NCTSI. This program is designed to improve the quality of trauma treatment and services in communities for children, adolescents, and their families who experience or witness traumatic events and to increase access to effective trauma-focused treatment and services for children and adolescents throughout the nation. The overall goal of the NCTSI is to improve treatment and services for children and adolescents who have experienced traumatic events and to increase access to these treatments and services throughout the United States. The initiative is designed to address child trauma issues by creating a National Network of grantees—the NCTSN—that works collaboratively to develop and promote effective trauma treatment, services and other resources for children and adolescents exposed to an array of traumatic events.
- Category I – 1 award, ceiling: $6,000,000
- Category II - 16 awards, total program funding: $12,956,597
Increase Healthcare Access and Include Children with Disabilities
June 29, 2012 (Letter of Inquiry)
The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust seeks to support programs and initiatives in the areas of access to healthcare and inclusion for children with disabilities and special healthcare needs, Programs should focus on 1 of 4 goals that include access to health care for vulnerable populations; efforts to increase inclusive options for children with disabilities in recreational programs, youth development programs, camps, and school-based programs; coordination and improvement of health care services for children with disabilities and/or special care needs; and increasing access to and appropriate use of early intervention services for children of all abilities. 1-year grants of $10,000 - $50,000 to support capital needs (excluding brick and mortar requests), build organizational capacity, expand or enhance proven programs, encourage innovative approaches leading to effective models, disseminator replicate effective approaches and models, and leverage other resources.
HRSA: Graduate Medical Education
July 13, 2012
This announcement solicits applications for the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Payment Program. Federal funding for graduate medical education (GME) is primarily provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Prior to the enactment of the CHGME Payment Program, children's teaching hospitals received a disproportionately low amount of Federal funding when compared to teaching hospitals that serve adult patients. The purpose of the CHGME Payment Program is to compensate for the disparity in the level of Federal funding for freestanding children's teaching hospitals versus other types of teaching hospitals. The CHGME Payment Program is administered by the Bureau of Health Professions, HRSA, HHS. The expected number of awards is 55, with an estimated program funding of $286,000,000.
SAMHSA: Project LAUNCH
July 3, 2012
SAMHSA, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year FY 2012 for Cooperative Agreements for Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health (Project LAUNCH). The purpose of Project LAUNCH is to promote the wellness of young children from birth to 8 years by addressing the physical, social, emotional, cognitive and behavioral aspects of their development. The goal of Project LAUNCH is to create a shared vision for the wellness of young children that drives the development of Federal, state, territorial, tribal, and locally-based networks for the coordination of key child-serving systems and the integration of behavioral and physical health services. A major objective of this grant program is to strengthen and enhance the partnership between health and mental health at the Federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local levels. The estimated number of awards is 11, with an estimated total program funding of $9,157,747.
RWJF: Young Leader Awards
July 16, 2012
As a part of the recognition of its 40th anniversary, the RWJF is seeking nominations for its Young Leader Awards. The Foundation will honor up to 10 leaders age 40 and under who offer great promise for leading the way to improved health and health care for all Americans. The Young Leader Awards will be given to individuals who have demonstrated innovative leadership in health and health care. To be eligible, a candidate must have been working to improve health or health care for at least 3 years, have contributed to improving health or health care through innovation and leadership, be 40 years of age or younger, and be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its territories. The Foundation will make up to 10 awards of $40,000 each to outstanding young leaders. Awardees may use the award to advance their work, though this is not a requirement. Awardees will be publicly announced at and will be requested to attend a RWJF conference to be held in Princeton, New Jersey, on October 25-26, 2012.
AAP: Community Access to Child Health
July 21, 2012
Applications for the CATCH Program are now open. The AAP offers 3 funding vehicles for pediatricians to support child health in the community:
- CATCH Planning Funds - supports pediatricians in planning a community-based child health initiative. Grants of up to $12,000 each are awarded each year on a competitive basis to pediatricians who want to assess and document the needs of children in the community, develop collaborative partnerships for planning the initiative, and successfully prepare for implementation of a program.
- CATCH Implementation - process involved in developing programs aimed at increasing access to medical homes and other needed services. Funding should lead to the development of successful programs that can be replicated in other communities. This program provides grants in amounts from $2,500 to $12,000 for pediatricians to initiate an innovative, community-based project to increase children's access to health care. The program will award these grants on a competitive basis.
- CATCH Resident Fund - supports pediatric residents in the planning and/or implementation of a community-based child health initiative. The community-based resident projects funded by this program should lead to the development of successful programs that can be replicated in other communities. Grants must include planning activities or demonstrate completed planning activities, and may include some implementation activities. Limited to $3,000 maximum.
NIH: Women’s and Children’s Health Research Network
July 31, 2012
This FOA invites applications from U.S. institutions to support Research Units (RUs) within the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research at NICHD. RUs will consist of U.S.-based research centers in partnership with research centers in low income foreign countries. The RUs within the Global Network will participate in addressing the major causes of maternal, neonatal, infant, and early childhood morbidity and mortality through the conduct of clinical research. The grantees will form a cooperative network in scientific partnership with NIH to conduct multi-center randomized clinical trials evaluating interventions in resource-poor settings. The purpose of this FOA is to compete 7 sites of the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research. The estimated number of awards is 7, with an estimated total program funding of $4,900,000.
NIH: Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Research Network Data Center
August 9, 2012
This FOA issued by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development invites applications from institutions/organizations willing to participate with the NICHD as the Data Coordinating Center under a cooperative agreement in an ongoing multi-center research network, the Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network, designed to perform observational and interventional clinical studies, using common protocols, to improve maternal, fetal and neonatal health.
NIH: Neonatal Research Network Data Center
August 9, 2012
This FOA issued by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development invites applications from institutions/organizations willing to participate with the NICHD as the Data Coordinating Center under a cooperative agreement in an ongoing multi-center research network designed to perform observational and interventional clinical studies, using common protocols, to improve outcomes for neonates.
NIHCM: Foundation Research Grants
August 15, 2012 (Letter of Inquiry)
NIHCM Foundation is making up to $100,000 available to support investigator-initiated research with high potential to inform improvements to the U.S. health care system by reducing health spending growth, enhancing quality, and/or expanding access to health insurance and health care services. Projects must advance existing knowledge in the areas of health care financing, delivery, management and/or policy. 1-3 projects will be supported in 2013. There are no restrictions on the types of organizations or individuals who may apply. All interested researchers must submit a 3-page letter of inquiry outlining their study. Full proposals will be invited from a small number of applicants in fall 2012.
Education and Training to Professionalism
December 10, 2012
The Institute on Medicine as a Profession (IMAP) and the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation are pleased to announce the continuation of the Education and Training to Professionalism Grant Program. The Program, entering its third year, will make up to 5 awards to support faculty-directed educational programs that address 1 or several of the critical components of medical professionalism. Grants will be provided for a 2-year period at $25,000 per year, beginning in July 2013. The objective of the grant program is to enhance undergraduate and graduate medical education about the ideals of professionalism and lead to students and professionals who will incorporate those ideals throughout their careers. IMAP and Macy seek to enable faculty at academic medical centers (medical schools and teaching hospitals) to design and implement innovative programs in this area.