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What's New . . .
National Advocacy Efforts page
Federal Report Approved Citing Gaps for Children and Disasters Preparedness
NASN and other concerned organizations have been communicating to the National Commission on Children and Preparedness, chaired by Mark Shriver, about the preparedness issues for schools and the need for all school nurses to be trained. The Commission has approved a report to the President and Congress, which highlights that federal programs for school disaster preparedness are seriously underfunded. For more information, click here.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 08/26/10
Secretary Duncan Announces New Race to the Top Awards
Nine more states and the District of Columbia have received substantial awards for comprehensive educational reform. The 10 winning Phase 2 applications in alphabetical order are: the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Rhode Island. The U.S. Dept. of ED plans to bring all States together to help ensure the success of their work implementing reforms around college- and career-ready standards, data systems, great teachers and leaders, and school turnarounds. Let your State Dept. of Ed know that the health of students essential to their success. Click here for more information.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 08/26/10
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Wants to Hear From You
Tell ONDCP what works in your schools, groups, and communities and share your success stories and challenges with drug abuse prevention. ONDCP wants to help make the start of the school year a safe and healthy one for all our young people. If you have questions, contact the Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 08/26/10
U.S. Dept. of Ed Announces Study Results on Effectiveness of Student Drug Testing Programs
High-school students who face mandatory drug testing may be less likely to use drugs in the short term, but the protective effect doesn't last, according to a new U.S. Department of Education study. Drug use rates were identical among students at testing- and non-testing schools who did not take part in extracurricular activities, suggesting that drug testing of student athletes and leaders did not have any influence on the behavior of other students. For more information, click here.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 08/26/10
Education Jobs Fund – 160,000 Jobs
Secretary Duncan participated in a call with reporters following congressional passage of a bill that provides $10 billion to support an estimated 160,000 education jobs nationwide. He mentioned school nurses a number of times during the call. Click here to listen to the call. The application and guidance for states under the $10 billion Education Jobs Fund Program have been sent to governors and is available on the Education Department's Web site.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 08/19/10
First Federal Summit on Bullying
Secretary Duncan discussed myths about bullying at the Department's first Bullying Prevention Summit. NASN was included on the "invitation only" list of participants. Click here to learn more.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 08/19/10
NASN Continues Partnership with NetSmartz Workshop
As a program of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, NetSmartz Workshop offers free resources for educational personnel in the areas such as Internet safety and sexting. Click here for the newly improved NSTeens.org! - a tween Website providing innovative resources to help teach Intermediate and Middle School students about staying safer online. To read the downloadable guide "Interdisciplinary Response to Youths Sexting," click here. NASN was a lead partner in the development of this document that provides recommendations for devising a plan of action to handle and respond to sexting incidents.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 07/22/10
CHIP and Medicaid Health Coverage Available for Children!
Nearly five million uninsured kids are eligible for health coverage. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' Connecting Kids to Coverage challenge enlists government and community leaders, health and human services providers, schools and others to help sign up eligible children for CHIP and Medicaid. School nurses are encouraged to visit www.InsureKidsNow.gov to find a toolkit with materials designed to increase awareness and drive parents and guardians to apply for coverage for their uninsured children. You can also call 1-877-KIDS-NOW for more information.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 07/15/10
Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010
Detailed information on the report is available on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website. Click here to read.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 07/15/10
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Seeking Input from Communities
RWJF has launched an online forum at www.chrideas.ideascale.com for public health and community leaders across the country to post ideas on how communities can use the County Health Rankings to mobilize action to improve health outcomes by addressing the many social, economic, environmental and behavioral factors that affect health. Comments will be accepted until August 6th.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 07/15/10
President Obama Addressed Over 1,000 Nurses
Read what the President has to say about the value of nursing.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 06/24/10
Race to Nowhere
The trailer for an upcoming film about students having to over achieve and how their physical and mental health are compromised, was shown at the last meeting of the National Coordinating Committee on School Health and Safety. Click here for more information.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 06/24/10
National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the American Heart Association Released State of the Nation 2010 Report
Incremental improvements have been made in the last few years in the number of states that now require PE (17% increase) and student assessment in PE (26% increase). However, the Report shows that more states now allow waivers and exemptions from PE classes (77% increase) and no progress has been made in providing daily physical education in all grades K-12. For more information, click here.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 06/17/10
Teen Driver Safety
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released its Teen Driver Safety report. Covered in the report (Appendix II) are recommendations for various aspects of graduated driver licenses.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 06/17/10
National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council
President Obama issued an Executive Order on 6/11 establishing the council. The Executive Order closely follows the health reform statutory language, including the appointment of the Surgeon General as its chair. For more information, click here.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 06/17/10
Report from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is Available
The report can be found here. Comments on the report will be accepted until July 15. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture will then write the official Dietary Guidelines (based on the committee report and comments). Click here for more details. The Committee recognized that what is most needed is a major effort to help people follow the Dietary Guidelines -- changes in policy and the food environment to make it possible for people to eat well.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 06/17/10
Report on Nutrition and Physical Activity Practices in Elementary Schools Released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Bridging the Gap
The report, School Policies and Practices to Improve Health and Prevent Obesity: National Elementary School Survey Results, details how many schools have not implemented wellness policy provisions required by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. Only 49 % of students in public elementary schools with a wellness policy in place were covered by nutritional guidelines for competitive foods and beverages. For more information click here.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 06/10/10
Early Childhood Profiles
The National Center for Children in Poverty provides information about state policies that promote health, education, and strong families which effect the early development and school readiness of America's youngest citizens. These profiles highlight states' policy choices alongside other data related to the well-being of young children. For more information, click here.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 06/03/10
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Released a National Plan to Improve Health Literacy
The plan is aimed at making health information and services easier to understand and use. According to the plan, building health literacy skills begins early in life and must be reinforced through the educational process and life-long learning about health. Click here for more information.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 06/03/10
FDA Seeks Transparency in Their Operations
The FDA Transparency Initiative has been receiving recommendations for making useful and understandable information about its activities and decision more readily available to the public in a timely manner and in a user-friendly format. The first phase of the Transparency Initiative was completed in January 2010 with the launch of the web-based resources called FDA Basics.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 05/27/10
Current Information on Medicaid and CHIP
• Optimizing Medicaid Enrollment: Perspectives on Strengthening Medicaid's Reach under Health Care Reform reports on interviews with Medicaid program directors and other experts about how to make the most of the upcoming Medicaid expansion. All those interviewed saw the expansion as a strategic moment to recast Medicaid as an affordable program for working people and families and viewed strong enrollment as essential to fulfilling reform’s broader coverage goals.
• New Citizenship Documentation Option for Medicaid and CHIP Is Up and Running discusses the health reform requirement that states use a data matching system to verify citizenship for people seeking coverage in an exchange. The system is already an option for state CHIP and Medicaid programs. States report that this option simplifies enrollment, produces significant administrative savings, and may help states coordinate eligibility determinations for Medicaid, CHIP, and the new subsidies.
• Explaining Health Care Reform: Questions about Medicaid's Role explains how Medicaid works today and answers some key questions about Medicaid in health reform. Some questions include how the expansion will be financed, what benefits will be covered, and what will happen to CHIP.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 05/27/10
Population Health Provisions in Health Reform Law Chart Developed by the National Governors Association (NGA)
The chart is designed to highlight the state-relevant provisions, focusing on state health departments and related state efforts to promote population health. School-based provisions are included. View the chart.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 05/20/10
Opportunity for Public Comment on Upcoming Health Insurance Federal Website
The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services site will show consumers the health insurance options that exist in their state, including information about available private insurance policies, premium prices, and information about Medicaid and CHIP eligibility. The Web portal will be launched July 1st, and consumers are encouraged to provide comments as to what they would find most useful on the site. Make comments - which are due June 4, 2010.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 05/20/10
Paid Sick Days Briefing Book Released by the National Partnership for Women and Families
Click here for a one-stop resource that includes compelling statistics, arguments, and facts about paid sick days and the need for a national paid sick days standard.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 05/20/10
Federal Government Shows Modest Progress in Disaster Planning for Children
The new report from the National Commission on Children and Disasters has been delivered to the White House and congressional leaders. It measured the response of six federal agencies to an earlier commission report released in late 2009 that identified several shortcomings in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Click here to read the report.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 05/20/10
First Lady Michelle Obama Released Interagency Childhood Obesity Task Force Action Plan and Report
In connection with Let's Move!, federal agencies have developed Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Whitin a Generation with the input of national organizations, including NASN. The report includes schools as part of a national road map that will help solve the epidemic of childhood obesity in a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 05/13/10
U.S. Dept. of Education New Initiative
The Promise Neighborhoods program has been launched to put education at the center of comprehensive efforts to fight poverty in both urban and rural areas. The $10 million in grants will support non-profit organizations in planning for implementation of cradle-to-career services designed to improve educational outcomes for students within distressed neighborhoods. "The Promise Neighborhoods program brings all of the Department's strategies together -- high-quality early learning programs, high-quality schools, and comprehensive supports -- to ensure that students are safe, healthy, and successful, Secretary Duncan said. For more information, click here.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 05/06/10
Federal Officials Visiting Schools in Connection with the Let’s Move Initiative
Click here to read about what the schools are doing in Riverside, CA and how the Dept. of Agriculture recognized that the school district is providing a unique opportunity for students to not only enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers but to also grow their own produce: Under Secretary Concannon Visits Riverside for Farmers' Market Salad Bar Program 5th Anniversary . Under Secretary Concannon will be addressing school nurses in Chicago at NASN’s annual conference. If you have an innovative program in your school you haven’t yet shared with NASN that promotes health and fitness, please submit summary information to Tell Us Your Story. To learn more about Let’s Move, click here.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 04/29/10
President Obama Nominates Professor To Health Job
Dr. Donald M. Berwick, a pediatrician and health policy expert, as well as a Harvard professor, has been nominated to be the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which runs health programs insuring nearly one-third of all Americans. CMS is a part of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has launched the agency's efforts to write and implement new regulations for Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers, part of efforts to extend health insurance coverage to about 30 million uninsured U.S. residents. Click here for more information.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 04/22/10
A New Policy Report from the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools
The report, entitled, "Turning Around, Transforming, and Continuously Improving Schools: Federal Proposals are Still Based on a Two- Rather than a Three- Component Blueprint," concludes that by unifying student and learning supports, it will be feasible to develop a comprehensive system to directly address many of the complex factors interfering with schools accomplishing their mission. Such a system would facilitate the emergence of a school environment that fosters successful, safe, and healthy students and staff. Click here to access the report.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 04/22/10
Let's Move in School: Press Briefing to Release Initiative and a Comprehensive CDC Report on Physical Activity, Physical Education and Academic Performance
The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Adolescent and School Health, presented new evidence that shows physical activity is one of the most important steps to our students' health and well-being and can have a positive effect on academic performance. For more information, click here.
To read the CDC's report, click here.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 04/15/10
Addressing Childhood Obesity: "We Are Going to Need All of You"
The White House held a Child Obesity Summit on 4/9/10, attended by food experts, industry leaders, and people from different communities to share and discuss ideas on how to create a healthier environment to combat childhood obesity. NASN Board President, Sandi Delack, represented school nurses at the event. First Lady Michele Obama opened the summit and was accompanied by federal officials, such as DoED Secretary Duncan and U.S. Surgeon General Benjamin. Click here for more information.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 04/15/10
Protecting Kids from Tobacco: FDA Issued a New Rule Limiting the Sale, Distribution, and Marketing of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco Products to Youth
The final rule, which contains a broad set of federal requirements designed to both curb access to, as well as to reduce the appeal of, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to children and adolescents, will become effective on June 22, 2010. For more information, click here.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 04/01/10
Amy Garcia, Executive Director, Meets With Alexa E. Posny, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
The meeting was attended by members of the National Association for Pupil Services Organizations representing other disciplines that provide specialized instructional support. Amy pointed out that the US Department of Education does not measure the number or quality of school nurses providing services in US public schools. To read more, click here.
published to the NASN Weekly Digest 04/01/10
Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) Grant Awards
Forty-four communities will receive awards to reduce obesity, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease smoking in an effort to combat chronic diseases. These community projects are part of the U.S. Health and Human Services' comprehensive prevention and wellness initiative, for more information, click here. Check out the site to determine if your community is a recipient and more about what the grantees will do.
posted to the NASN Weekly Digest 03/25/10
National Commission on Children and Disasters Seeks Improvements for Children within a Recovery Framework
The Commission has submitted comments on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) draft National Disaster Recovery Framework. The Commission believes the Framework must focus more intently on rebuilding the lives of children and families, as opposed to rebuilding roads and bridges. To view a copy of FEMA's Draft National Disaster Recovery Framework click here. To view the Commission’s comments on this document, click here.
posted to the NASN Weekly Digest 03/11/10
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius Awarded $100 Million to 10 States to Test Innovation in Children's Health Care
The grant funds will help states to improve health care quality and delivery systems for children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). For more information on the grant awards and to learn more about CHIP and how school nurses can help enroll children in the program, click here.
posted to the NASN Weekly Digest 03/04/10
Special Supplement on Positive Youth Development Published in the Journal of Adolescent Health
CDC's Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) and Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), in partnership with colleagues at the University of Washington and the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, have published a special journal supplement titled "Positive Youth Development Promoting Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Review of Observational and Intervention Research." Positive youth development programs reduce sexual risk behavior by helping youth strengthen relationships and skills, embed them in positive networks of supportive adults, and develop a more positive view of their future by providing academic, economic and volunteer opportunities. Click here for free access to the articles.
posted to the NASN Weekly Digest 03/04/10
NASN Represented at the Institute of Medicine Future of Nursing Initiative
Martha Bergren, Director of Research, testified at the December 3rd Institute of Medicine Future of Nursing Initiative in Philadelphia on the public health role of school nurses. Read the testimony.
posted to the NASN Weekly Digest 12/04/09 |