An interesting read is a book by the Heath brothers (Dan
professor at Duke University, Chip professor at Stanford) entitled Switch: How To Change ThingsWhen Change is Hard...
The report "Giving USA 2011" was released earlier this year by the Giving USA
Foundation. Some interesting
patterns are emerging in charitable giving across the USA...
The American Public Health Association has joined with other
active groups in encouraging
action toward implementing a Federal Transportation Reform Program...
From health care and economic stagnation and solutions to
improve both, to social justice issues and building a Vikings stadium,
compromise seems the only way to affect progress...
There was recent item in the Minneapolis Star Tribune about concerns regarding elder abuse and
neglect, in nursing homes and other senior care settings...
We know the benefits of sodium to preserve and flavor food
we eat. Health experts are paying
close attention to the risks and harm that salt intake can provide...
Ten years ago, MIPH was going about our business in our
Anoka office. We were both nervous
and excited in preparing for the office move to our newly constructed building
in Mounds View...
When the Space Shuttle Atlantis landed safely back on earth
recently, it ended - at least for now - 50 some years of human space travel and
exploration...
One
of the more under-used skill sets in nonprofit and prevention work is
Positioning ourselves as prevention leaders that can help make a difference..
A recent report issued by the Minnesota State Lottery (Gambling in Minnesota, March 2011) lets
us know that in fact, gambling in Minnesota is a big deal..
I
noticed a recent issue of the APHA newspaper called TheNation's Health had a
feature article in its "Healthy You" section, about public health, prevention,
and tattoos...
Sometimes
the best feedback we can obtain doesn't come in through official channels,
through a careful ‘market analysis' or through other structured
processes. It can come in quiet
voices.
It
strikes me that parenting is perhaps the most important thing we do yet in many ways it's the thing for
which we get the least amount of formal training...
A report released by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative
(NRC) revealed that an increase in funds giving has occurred, but the demand
for such help has also increased...
There appears to be a whole series of opportunities for
prevention written in throughout the new Health Care legislation, which many
now call the Affordable Care Act (ACA)...
Recently, a trusted colleague in nonprofits and technology
loaned me the insightful book Managing
Technology to Meet Your Mission: A Strategic Guide for NonprofitLeaders...
I'm all for Wellness, and have worked with a dedicated staff
here at MIPH for a long time to improve health. But we need to get real and to be data driven in what we do
and call Health Promotion and Wellness...
In
many environments, the consequence of our plans is different and sometimes
quite the opposite of what we had intended. Take ATOD policy for example...
In our work with parents and children - actually in our life
experience as parents ourselves - we've noted the pre-occupation youth have
with what is "fair"...
A recent item in the news is a developing bruhaha over
Ronald McDonald and whether he should retire. The hamburger clown icon is fifty years old now, and
advocacy groups against fast junk food are laying into him.
A new study found unsurprising results: children in grades 3
through 6 who are obese are much more likely to be bullied than their normal
weight peers..
On the one hand, luck is some silly string of coincidences
many people believe are influenced by a rabbit's foot, a four leaf clover, a
leprechaun, a favorite coin, or some other kind of trinket...
Eons
ago, legendary NFL Coach Vince Lombardi began the first minute of the first
practice of each season, with the same routine. Holding up a pigskin before the
entire squad, Lombardi would say, "Gentlemen, THIS is a football."
There is a lot to be said for joining organizations and
groups that are relevant to one's work or one's life. The networking, information sharing, support and continuous
learning have great value. It's
also often more fun than not.
Many years ago when Lou Holtz became head football coach at
the U of Minnesota, for his brief stint pre-Notre Dame, he made the famous
remark that Minnesota was a land where many people have "blonde hair and blue
ears."
This weeks blog is guest authored by our own MIPH researcher Ray Lewis.
County health rankings published recently triggered conversations
in most county health departments and some homes and worksites throughout the
country.
Just as there are natural connections in prevention, there
is also need for students' learning experiences in school to be as integrated
as are their daily lives..
As MIPH works to develop its outreach and marketing of our
helpful products and services in public health and prevention, a few special
observations occur to me:
One could argue, IS there a topic that has NOT found its way
into the health care reform national discussion? That said, in our 38 year history of work in substance abuse
prevention, MIPH staff and our partners have noted with interest how
infrequently substance abuse prevention has been part of the dialog.
(This is a retrospective about life at MIPH in 2009).
Like most places, MIPH began 2009 with a mixture of hope for
the future, confidence from our past work, worry about an awful economy, and
realization of what we could influence in our world of health improvement.
Dealing
with major systems change can be tough. I've blogged before about these times
of change and what they seem to mean to people within their organizations. Change
remains one of the few constants in life.
