February 24, 2010  
 

Mark Your Calendars for 2010 IMCHC Meetings and Events!

Annual Meeting and Luncheon

Tuesday, June 15th
11:30am – 2pm
Maggiano’s at Clark and Grand in Chicago

Contact Lilah Handler for sponsorship opportunities.


Chicago Area General Membership Meetings

Wednesdays, 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm
Metropolitan Family Services, 1 N. Dearborn, 10th Floor, Chicago
February 24, 2010                  
May 26, 2010 
September 22, 2010   
December 8, 2010        

To RSVP for the Chicago Area General Membership Meetings please contact Lilah Handler.


Southern Illinois Chapter Meetings 

Wednesdays, 12:15 pm - 2:15 pm
Municipal West Building, 200 Potomac in Mt. Vernon
April 21, 2010
July 28, 2010
October 20, 2010

To RSVP for the Southern Illinois Chapter Meetings please contact Lilah Handler.


Lake County Chapter Meeting
Wednesdays 1-3pm at the University of Illinois Extension Building, 100 South Highway 45, Grayslake
March 24, 2010

To RSVP for the Lake County Chapter Meeting please contact Sara Howard.


IMCHC Junior Board

March 8, 2010, Junior Board Meeting
March 11, 2010, Junior Board Book Club Discussion
March 25, 2010, S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G It Out for Student Health Grown Up Spelling Bee
June 24, 2010, Junior Board 2nd Annual Fundraiser

To RSVP for any IMCHC Junior Board Events please contact Sara Howard.

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State and Policy Updates


Join the Responsible Budget Coalition!

The Responsible Budget Coalition held a successful rally in Springfield to alert lawmakers that “We Can’t Wait” for a responsible budget from the state. The “We Can’t Wait” campaign gives advocates, concerned citizens and Illinoisians to take action in support of tax reform that will:

(1) raise more adequate revenue
(2) make taxes fairer 

IMCHC and other nonprofit groups across the state are encouraging members to hold up a sign telling their lawmakers why we can’t wait for a responsible budget in this state. For more information about the campaign, or to get a copy of the sign, please visit the Responsible Budget Coalition’s website.

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Rally for Reproductive Health and Access

As a result of inclement weather, the rally and lobby day in Springfield to support the Reproductive Health and Access Act (RHAA) was postponed.  

The RHAA is legislation that gives women in Illinois a continuum of information and choices throughout their reproductive lives including, responsible sexual health education, access to quality birth control, the ability to access prenatal care, and the right to choose an abortion.  This is a bill about comprehensive reproductive health care for women.

If you would like to attend the newly scheduled lobby day for the Reproductive Health and Access Act contact Kathy Chan.

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Federal Updates

Federal Health Care Reform

Save the date for President Obama’s Health Care Summit, scheduled for February 25th, which will be televised. The White House has invited 21 members of Congress from all sides of the health care debate and the discussion will revolve around the issues in the current bills, as well as the President’s health care bill, posted here. The intent behind the summit is to resolve the issues in the health care bills among members of Congress and pass comprehensive reform sooner, rather than later.
 
Kathy Chan, IMCHC’s Associate Director, recently traveled to Washington, DC for Families USA’s annual conference to learn what other health care advocates are doing to move forward federal health reform efforts. In response, she put together a memo encouraging IMCHC’s partners and members to continue to press ahead and urge members of Congress to take swift action. Visit IMCHC’s website to download a copy of the memo.

FamiliesUSA has released a new report entitled Lives on the Line: The Deadly Consequences of Delaying Health Reform, which estimates the number of deaths due to lack of health coverage since Congress’ last attempt at reform. In Illinois alone over 10,800 people died prematurely due to a lack of coverage over a 15 year period, the 6th highest number in all 50 states.

Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers

Building Bridges: Healthy Minds, Bodies, Communities
2010 School Health Center Conference
Hilton in Springfield, IL on May 13 and 14th.

For more information, click here.


Regional Meetings:

Southern Regional Meeting - Thursday, February 25
10:30am- 2:30pm
Adolescent Health Center
101 S. Wall St., Multi-Purpose Room
Carbondale, IL  62902

Chicago Regional Meeting - Monday, March 1
8:30am- 12:30pm
Reavis Elementary School, Gymnasium
834 E. 50th St.
Chicago, IL 60615

North-Central Meeting - Thursday, March 11
10:00am-2:00pm
Methodist Atrium Building
Suite A, B and C
900 Main Street
Peoria, IL 61602

RSVP to Conor Butkus at cbutkus@ilmaternal.org or at 312-491-8161 x 28

Chicago Area Immunization Campaign

Save the Date for the Chicago Area Immunization Campaign’s Spring General Meeting

Date: Thursday, April 15, 2010, from 8:30am to Noon (full breakfast will be provided)
Speaker: Margaret Fisher, MD, Chair, Department of Pediatrics and Medical Director of the Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center
Location: University of Illinois at Chicago—Student Center West, 828 South Wolcott Street, 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL   60607

For more information contact Sheila Sanders at 312-491-8161 x 23.


Register Now for the 9th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions

The 9th National Conference on Immunization and Health Coalitions (NCIHC) will be hosted by the Chicago Area Immunization Campaign, a project of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition. NCIHC will showcase successful ways in which health coalitions can improve immunization protection, prevent disease, improve access to care and health outcomes for underserved populations, reduce racial, ethnic, and geographic health disparities, educate new populations, and build community health infrastructures. 

NCIHC will take place on May 26 – 28, 2010 at the Westin River North Hotel in downtown Chicago. 

Registration is now open! Payment must be received by May 25, 2010 to ensure the regular registration cost. Visit IMCHC’s website to register online or for more information.

Chicago Department of Public Health to Partner for more H1N1 Flu Clinics in Chicago

The Chicago Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) Emergency Preparedness planning team is in the process of planning H1N1 vaccinations for February and March.  They would like to partner with organizations within the community who work with underserved and vulnerable populations, racial and ethnic minorities, hard to reach populations, population groups that consistently have lower than average seasonal influenza vaccination coverage rates, and adults with chronic conditions, among others.   If organizations would be willing to host, CDPH would provide the nurses, vaccine, and supplies to set up mini clinics at their location. The target groups that CDPH is trying to reach are as follows:

• Underserved and vulnerable populations;
• Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) priority groups;

1. Pregnant women because they are at higher risk of complications and can potentially provide protection to infants who cannot be vaccinated;
2. Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age because younger infants are at higher risk of influenza-related complications and cannot be vaccinated. Vaccination of those in close contact with infants younger than 6 months old might help protect infants by “cocooning” them from the virus;
3. Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel because infections among healthcare workers have been reported and this can be a potential source of infection for vulnerable patients. Also, increased absenteeism in this population could reduce healthcare system capacity;
4. All people from 6 months through 24 years of age
5. Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza.
   

• Racial and ethnic minorities;
• Hard-to-reach populations;
• Population groups that consistently have lower than average seasonal influenza vaccination coverage rates;
• Population groups disproportionately affected by H1N1 morbidity and mortality, e.g. American Indians/Alaska Natives; and
• Adults with chronic conditions.

Please contact Kate Schellinger, Sr. Emergency Management Coordinator at the Office of Public Health Preparedness & Emergency Response at 312-747-9402 (office).

Illinois Premature Infant Health Network

The Illinois Premature Infant Health network will have its next full meeting on March 1st at IMCHC’s office in Chicago. We will be discussing a bill to get more educational materials to parents of premature infants, conducting a subject matter only hearing on prematurity in Springfield and planning NICU tours during the summer of 2010. 

Upcoming meetings and conference calls include:

March 1st – IPIHN General Meeting, 10am-12pm at the IMCHC Office

*June 21st – IPIHN General Meeting, 10am-12pm, hosted by LaRabida Children’s Hospital, located at East 65th Street at Lake Michigan in Chicago

*Please note date change for our June IPIHN Meeting.

Please contact Sara Howard if you would like more information about IPIHN or to RSVP for a meeting.

Campaign to Save Our Babies

The Englewood project is collaborating with several community based organizations to deliver Health & Reproductive Education to young girls and women. Weekly sessions are being conducted with young girls and teenagers in Englewood on various Life Skills and Health Education Topics. If you are interested in hosting an interactive educational session with these young ladies please contact Tamika D. Hinton or call 773-651-0520.

IMCHC Junior Executive Board

Over twenty-five young professionals are actively involved in IMCHC’s Junior Board planning events to raise awareness for maternal and infant health.  Please contact Sara Howard if you would like to learn more about the Junior Board and its activities. Meetings are held on a bimonthly basis at IMCHC’s offices.

Upcoming events include:

March 8th – Junior Board Meeting
            5:30-7pm at IMCHC Offices, 1256 W. Chicago Avenue
            We’ll be discussing IMCHC’s policy agenda, as well as plans for our upcoming events.

March 11th – Junior Board Book Group Discussion of Reefer Madness:  Sex, Drugs and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market by Eric Schlosser.
            5:30-7:30pm at the home of an IMCHC Junior Board Member          
Please contact Sara Howard if you would like to attend this discussion.

March 25th – S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G it Out for Student Health: a Spelling Bee for Grownups!

	6:00-9:00pm at Mad River Bar and Grill
	Cost: $35.00 (Includes food and drink)
	Raffle Tickets: $5.00 or 5 for $20.00
	Purchase tickets for the event or register a team here!

Were you a champion speller back in the day? Want another chance to show off your spelling skills as an adult? Join the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers and the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition’s Junior Board for their first spelling bee fundraiser. Teams of two will compete in three exhilarating rounds of spelling for fabulous prizes and the title of the “Best Spellers in Chicago.”  If you are interested in being an event sponsor or participating as a spelling bee contestant, please visit our website or contact Lilah Handler.

Funds collected will support the youth empowerment and leadership development work of the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers. Don’t miss the most exciting fundraiser of the year!

June 24th – 2nd Annual IMCHC Junior Board Summer Rooftop Fundraiser

Staff Updates

ICSHC and IMCHC regret to announce the resignation of Project Coordinator, Megan Erskine, effective February 24, 2010.  Megan has accepted a job as a Job Locator and Developer for Columbia College. In her new role, Megan will work to develop relationships with creative industry professionals and other employers with the goal of accessing job opportunities for the students at the college. 

There is no denying how invaluable Megan has been to the work of ICSHC. Her many accomplishments include creating the youth development program from the ground up, coordinating our regional meetings and conference for the last three years, and planning exciting and successful advocacy days in Springfield. Her energy, work ethic, and creativity will be sorely missed by all of us at IMCHC. 

If you have any questions regarding the transition, please do not hesitate to contact ICSHC’s Project Director Divya Mohan-Little.

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Newsletter Archive

Visit our newsletter archive to read about recently listed articles from past issues.

• Federal and State Policy Updates
• Junior Board Events
• Chicago Area Immunization Campaign Meetings
• Staff Updates

Every day that we wait to enact meaningful health care reform is another day that hundreds of people lose their health insurance coverage, putting the physical, mental and financial well-being of individuals and families at risk.
  
Specific to IMCHC projects, here are concrete examples of how reform will benefit the general public:

1. Low-income, uninsured adults would be eligible for Medicaid coverage. In Illinois, over 1.125 million are expected to gain health coverage under the Senate bill; nationwide, this number is estimated to be 31 million.  
2. Insurance companies would no longer be allowed to discriminate against women and deny them coverage or charge them more in premium costs, just because of their gender.
3. Federal authorization and funding for school health centers would be made available, allowing numerous sites and interested communities access to federal funding for operating and capital costs for the first time.
4. Co-pays would be eliminated for preventative care services including annual women's checkups, well-visits and immunizations.
5. Families with premature infants or children with special health care needs would gain additional protections against medical bankruptcy as a result of caps on out-of-pocket costs and removal of annual limits on coverage.

What to do now?

Congress needs to hear from you. We are the closest we have ever been to passing reform - take action today by calling, sending an email and urging those in your network to do the same!

Talk to your friends, family, church members, community and civic leaders and let them know that health care reform MUST pass. Pass along the toll free number, 1-800-828-0498, and urge people to make a call to their Congressman AND both US Senators. Tell them:

"We cannot wait any longer for meaningful health reform. I urge you to pass health care reform and send a bill to President Obama's desk NOW."

Visit IMCHC’s Advocacy page for more information.

New Text Message Campaign Aims at Reducing Premature Births and Improving Maternal Health

Text4Baby is a new program sponsored by the federal government, the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, wireless companies and health providers that will text expectant mothers information during their pregnancy in order to encourage healthy behaviors. For more information on Text4Baby, or to register, visit their website.
 

Attention Primary Care Providers! Illinois DocAssist is here to help primary care providers answer child and adolescent mental health and behavioral health questions! 
Illinois DocAssist is a free service that provides consultation and training to Illinois Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) enrolled primary care physicians (PCPs), nurses, nurse practitioners, and other health professionals on the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health and substance use problems of children and adolescents up to the age of 21 years old. 

Primary care providers can consult with Illinois DocAssist’s child psychiatrists or request trainings Monday-Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM CST, at 1-866-986-ASST (2778) or via the internet. Free problem-based consultations are provided directly to clinicians, not parents, for non-emergent situations. 


New Provider Notice from HFS
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has posted a new Provider Notice to the Federally Qualified Health Centers page. You may view the Federally Qualified Health
Centers page here.


New Female Condom, FC2, Now Available at More Affordable Price:
Chicago Female Condom Campaign Invites Area Agencies to Participate in Pool Purchasing
The Chicago Female Condom Campaign, a coalition of area organizations working to expand access, availability, and utilization of female condoms (FCs), has launched a pool purchasing program to enable greater affordability of and access to female condoms.  Area agencies are invited to join the pool purchasing program to access greater quantities of female condoms for nearly 30% less than the cost of the original FCs. Through this joint purchasing program, agencies will pay approximately .75 per condom.  A minimum order of one case (1,000 female condoms at $755) is required to participate. If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Terlikowski.

Raise Awareness for the Earned Income Tax Credit!

In a time of instability and incredible economic pressures, tax credits can help eligible families make ends meet.

Families need to claim these tax credits when they file their 2009 tax returns. Most families will be receiving the tax documents they need to file their taxes in the next few weeks, making this an especially critical time for tax credits outreach.

For more information and outreach materials visit the National Women’s Law Center.  For information specific to Illinois visit the Center for Economic Progress.

Exclusive Breast Milk Feeding Core Measure: USBC publishes guidance for hospitals

The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) has published guidelines to aid hospitals and maternity facilities in accurate collection of the data needed to comply with The Joint Commission's new core measure on exclusive breast milk feeding. After March 31, 2010, The Joint Commission's Pregnancy and Related Conditions core measure set will be retired and replaced with the new Perinatal Care core measure set. The new Perinatal Care core measure set is available for selection for hospitals beginning with April 1, 2010 discharges.

For more information visit USBC.



Following Decade-long Decline, U.S. Teen Pregnancy Rate Increases as Both Births and Abortions Rise

For the first time in more than a decade, the nation’s teen pregnancy rate rose 3% in 2006, reflecting increases in teen birth and abortion rates of 4% and 1%, respectively.

This new data from the Guttmacher Institute is especially noteworthy because it provides the first documentation of what experts have suspected for several years, based on trends in teens’ contraceptive use—that the overall teen pregnancy rate would increase in the mid-2000s following steep declines in the 1990s and a subsequent plateau in the early 2000s. The significant drop in teen pregnancy rates in the 1990s was overwhelmingly the result of more and better use of contraceptives among sexually active teens. However, this decline started to stall out in the early 2000s, at the same time that sex education programs aimed exclusively at promoting abstinence—and prohibited by law from discussing the benefits of contraception—became increasingly widespread and teens’ use of contraceptives declined.


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Free Screening of "The Chicago Maternity Center Story" by Kartemquin Films
Wednesday, March 10th 6-8 pm
UIC School of Public Health Auditorium (1st floor), 1603 W. Taylor St. 
Street parking and University parking lots available, located near the Blue Line

For more than 75 years, the Chicago Maternity Center provided safe home births for Chicago mothers. In 1974, when funding from Northwestern University declined, the center was forced to close. This film interweaves the history of the center with the stories of a young woman about to have her first baby and the center's fight to stay open.


HFS Announces its 2010 Winter Outreach Tour Dates

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is about to begin the Winter 2010 Outreach Tour. Sessions will be held at various times and locations throughout the Chicago land area. During each session the following information will be provided:  Policy updates on FamilyCare, All Kids and FamilyCare Rebate, Moms & Babies, Illinois Healthy Women, Illinois Breast & Cervical Cancer Program, Illinois Warrior Assistance Program, Veterans Care, Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities and Child Support.

IMCHC will also be presenting updates on health care reform at many of these sessions.  You may register online, the dates and locations are listed below:

February 24, 2-4pm, at Vista Medical Center in Waukegan
March 2, 2-4pm, at St. Mary’s of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago
March 9, 2-4pm, at Provena Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin

La Rabida Children’s Hospital Presents: The 14th Annual Perspectives in Care Symposium
On April 9, 2010, La Rabida Children’s Hospital will present “A Collaborative Approach to Cerebral Palsy” at their 14th Annual Perspectives in Care Symposium.
For more information, call 773-256-5997.

Illinois Partners for Human Service Announce Legislative Meetings for January and February.
Across the state human services are under assault. A new group - Illinois Partners for Human Service - has been formed to help Illinois residents and elected officials understand the value of human services and what is at stake if this system continues to be dismantled. IMCHC is a member of this coalition.

Illinois Partners for Human Service will hold a series of meetings around the state to ensure human services and the people they serve are represented during the 2010 legislative session. To see the schedule for meetings visit Illinois Partners’ website.

For more information or to join Illinois Partners, contact Judith Gethner.

Obesity Prevention Initiative Act: PUBLIC HEARINGS

The Illinois Department of Public Health will host a series of public hearings in accordance with the Obesity Prevention Initiative Act.  The purpose of these hearings is to illuminate the social and human costs of obesity and to highlight existing state and community level initiatives; identify existing plans and opportunities for action and expansion of initiatives; inform policy makers and the public about effective solutions to the problem; and identify and engage stakeholders to promote action to reduce obesity, improve nutrition and increase physical activity.

Interested stakeholders are invited to attend and testify at the hearings.  If you would like assistance in crafting your testimony please don’t hesitate to contact Kathy Chan at IMCHC, or Karen Berg or Amber Broughton at the Illinois Public Health Institute.

For additional information about the hearings please visit the Illinois Department of Public Health’s website, or call 217-557-0496.

The dates for these hearings are:

February 26, 2010, 1-4pm
Michael A. Bilandic Building in Chicago
160 N. LaSalle, Room C-500

March 8, 2010, 10am-1pm
Illinois Department of Agriculture in Springfield
801 Sangamon Ave., Gate 11, Auditorium

March 15, 2010, 10am-1pm
Carbondale City Hall/Civic Center in Carbondale
200 South Illinois Ave., Room 108

Free Trainings on Work Incentives through Health and Disability Advocates

Over time, state and federal rules and regulations, called “work incentives” have been implemented to encourage individuals who receive Social Security cash benefits (Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income) to gain or maintain employment. Many of these work incentives are underutilized or unknown by both beneficiaries and service providers. In this day and half training, participants will gain a practical understanding of these work incentives.

For more information about the training, dates, locations and how to apply please visit Health and Disability Advocates website.

If you cannot properly access this link through your assistive technology or otherwise, please call Amie Schneider at 312-265-9096 or e-mail her at aschneider@hdadvocates.org. She can send you a word copy of the document to fill out and e-mail back or take the application over the phone.

The Committee for the Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Meeting

Monday, March 1, 2010
9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Work
1040 W. Harrison, 4th Floor
Room 4013
Chicago, IL

Meeting topics include:

• Activities Supporting UNCRC
• Short-term and Long-term Goals for UNCRC Information and Education Campaign
• UNCRC National Organization Updates
• Funding Opportunities
• Next Steps

For more information and to RSVP, please contact Felicia Dickerson at 312-326-0368 or email
her at fdickerson@aafc.org.