The Weekly Spark – Week of JUNE 17, 2011 Following verbatim are the titles, ‘lede’ opening sentences and links (where available) of items posted online in The Weekly SPARK, June 17, 2011, published and e-distributed FYI by the ONLINE Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) THE ONLINE COMPLETE June 17, 2011 *The Weekly Spark* IS FREELYRead… Read more »
This June, as we observe Father’s Day and National Men’s Health Week, remember that not smoking or quitting smoking is one of the best things a man can do for his health and the health of his family. In honor of Father’s Day, CDC created new e-cards, a button, and a feature article designed toRead… Read more »
I wasn’t sitting in traffic this morning. I’m convinced that teleworking has alternative health benefits. Trust me…I’m so much LESS stressed now that I’m not screaming and shouting at the guy that just cut me off on I-495. And there are more benefits too…the guy behind me that almost suffered a stroke as I slammedRead… Read more »
The NASCIO Healthcare Working Group has released a publication, On the Fence: IT Implications of the Health Benefit Exchanges. The publication is now available for download at www.nascio.org/publications. Now more than ever, state government relies on state CIOs to provide dependable information technology business solutions, serve citizens and enable the delivery of agency services. HealthRead… Read more »
CDC online article identifies top 10 public health achievements of the first decade of the 21st century. Tobacco control makes the list, due to a federal cigarette tax increase; more smoke-free laws; and FDA regulations that ban flavored cigarettes, restrict youth access to tobacco products, and require larger, more graphic warning labels on cigarette packages.Read… Read more »
I recently did an OpEd on Yahoo News on my views of Medicare and some of the pending proposals to reform the system. As I was writing the article, I came to a somewhat startling conclusion. Check this link to see what it was: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110512/pl_ac/8453683_near_retirement_govt_worker_will_forgo_medicare_1. How many other federal workers out there are concerned aboutRead… Read more »
The U.S. has an obesity crisis, and we all need to take personal responsibility for our health. This is, I think, especially important for those of us in federal service. Check this news item for some interesting recent scientific finds: http://news.yahoo.com/20110515.if_nm_life/us_obesity_genes
FROM A PROFESSIONAL PROSPECTIVE I’ve recently began looking into ways that public procurement can purchase goods and services in a more sustainable way. By sustainable, I mean incorporating the social, economic, and environmental impacts that purchases can have. As I began to look into this the Farm-to-School program emerged as a perfect example of howRead… Read more »
Flying DEN to SLC last month, I met University of Utah public health professor Christy Porucznik. It was a convenient introduction; she was heading back to Salt Lake City after attending the APHA Annual Meeting, and I was looking for help making videos for SLVHD-TV, Salt Lake Valley Health Department’s YouTube channel. Porucznik and herRead… Read more »
Goal: Make sense of your benefits package and pick the programs right for you. How To Cover Your Benefits Bases: 1. Pick a health/vision/dental insurance plan that suits your working style (i.e. HMO for staying put/PPO for travelling Govvies). 2. Contribute 5% to your retirement account or enough to get the full employer match, whicheverRead… Read more »