N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1 New Certification for Pediatric Emergency Care A trip to the emergency room with a sick or injured child is one of a parent’s worst nightmares, but not an uncommon experience. Last year in Arizona there were just over 400,000 emergency department visits by children ages 0 – 14. Not all hospital emergency rooms are equally equipped to provide care specific to children. Arizona is now one step closer to having a system in place to improve outcomes for ill and injured children. SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: New Certification for Pediatric Emergency Care Teen Pregnancy Prevention Grantees Announced A Season of Holidays Hearing Screening Equipment Available Meet the newest BWCH staff New Teen Outreach Trainers BWCH Contact Information This past month, the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AzAAP) launched Pediatric-Prepared Emergency Care, a voluntary certification program for pediatric emergency care. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Program initiated the development of the system by working with stakeholders in 2008 to create criteria and identify a model that would work for our state. The certification program is modeled after the regionalized perinatal system in which the Arizona Perinatal Trust certifies birthing hospitals through a membership/fee peer to peer driven organization. The AzAAP will be the certifying body for Pediatric-Prepared Emergency Care. Utilizing volunteer emergency health care professionals as site reviewers, the AzAAP will certify that emergency departments meet criteria for personnel training, policies, quality improvement activities, equipment and facilities. Three tiers of certifications are available: Prepared, Prepared Plus, or Prepared Advanced. Pediatric-Prepared Emergency Care opened applications for membership in August, with the approval of the first round of certifications projected to occur November 2011. To emphasize the collaborative nature of the program, certifications will be issued quarterly, and all efforts will be made to ensure centers applying for similar levels of certification are recognized at the same time. Funding for initial activities is provided, in part, by ADHS, Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health, EMSC Program. Membership fees will enable program sustainability over time. National statewide pediatric recognition systems have been shown to increase the number of emergency departments that are capable of providing pediatric care. ADHS is proud to partner with the AzAAP in this initiative to ensure Arizona’s children are getting the best emergency care possible. Wishing everyone a Healthy Holiday Season PAGE 2 Loaning Hearing Screening Equipment The Sensory Program through the Bureau of Women’s and C h i l d r e n’ s H e a l t h i s a legislatively mandated program that requires all Arizona schools to provide hearing screening and referrals to school-aged children. http://www.azdhs.gov/phs/owch/ sensory.htm. The mandate requires that all private, charter and public schools conduct a systematic screening for hearing disorders to allow for early identification and appropriate intervention for its students. H e a r i n g l o s s c a n h a ve devastating effects on academic, social and communication development. While Arizona’s birthing hospitals offer Universal Newborn Hearing Screening, to newborns, there are few programs that offer screening to children age 1 to 5. We know from research that even a mild hearing loss in young children can affect the ability of the child to speak or understand language. Early identification of hearing loss is important for brain development and success in schools. Many Arizona partners are working together to bridge the gap of hearing screening between the ages of 1 to 5. http://www.aznewborn.com/ index.htm. In order to assist in this early identification, the Sensory Program, in partnership with the Office of Children with Special Health Care Needs, the ADHS Newborn Screening Program and for children 1-5 years the EAR Foundation were able to purchase additional hearing screening equipment. The Sensory Program is now loaning hearing screening equipment to trained hearing screeners to screen children ages 1-5. Hearing screening equipment is located in Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff. Information on how to borrow hearing screening equipment is located on http:// w w w . a z d h s . g o v/ p h s / o w c h / sensory.htm. In addition, you can find the information to become a trained hearing screener at: ht t p: // www.ag.ar i zona.edu/ maricopa/t3/index.php The Sensory Program continues to loan equipment to screen school age children. Welcome New Teen Pregnancy Prevention Grantees! The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) expanded teen pregnancy prevention efforts in the state through the recent award of eight community based contracts. Federal funds from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will support the Abstinence Education Program and the Personal Responsibility and Education Program. Title V Abstinence Education contracts were awarded to Arizona Youth Partnership providing services in specific areas of Apache, Cochise, Gila, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz Counties, as well as in Tohono O’odham; Catholic Charities providing services in Maricopa County; National Community Health Partners providing services in specific communities in La Paz and Yuma Counties; and Pima Prevention Partnership providing services in the City of South Tucson. The Personal Responsibility Education Program contracts were awarded to Arizona Youth Partnership providing services in the Santa Cruz County communities of Tubac and Patagonia; Pima Prevention Partnership providing services in the Maricopa County communities of Estrella, Laveen, and South Mountain; Pinal Hispanic Council providing services in the community of Eloy in Pinal County; and Worthy Institute providing services in the Maricopa communities of Encanto/Central Phoenix, Estrella, Laveen, and South Mountain. Continued on next page PAGE 3 New Teen Pregnancy Prevention Grantees cont. These contracts are an addition to the current teen pregnancy prevention services being funded by state lottery dollars with services delivered by 13 county health departments, 6 community-based organizations, and 6 tribal nations. A second Request for Grant Application (RFGA) will be issued by ADHS to award the remaining PREP dollars in the Community Health Analysis areas of Mesa West, Glendale Central, Alhambra, Encanto, Tucson Southeast/Tucson North Central, Casa Grande/Coolidge/Florence, and Nogales/ Tubac-Patagonia. Organizations interested in applying are encouraged to register in the ProcureAZ system to receive notification when the RFGA is released. Teen pregnancy prevention contracts are managed by the ADHS Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health, Office of Women’s Health, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Dorothy Hastings, Section Manager of Office of Women’s and Children’s Health, 602-364-1423 or Dorothy.Hastings@azdhs.gov. A Season of Holidays As the holiday season approaches, we are reminded of the great wealth of customs and observances that take place this time of year. Here are some lesser known holidays: Although Ramadan is often listed as a December holiday, this year following the lunar Islamic calendar, Ramadan occurred in August. Other important dates, in 2011, include the observance of Hajj, approximately Nov. 4 – 9 and Islamic New Year, about November 26th. December 16 - 25, the Mexican and Latin American tradition of Las Posadas is observed. December 20 – 28, Hanukkah is another observance whose exact dates fluctuate, usually occurring between late November and late December. December 21 – 22 Winter Solstice, is observed in many native religions, modern versions of ancient pagan religions and others. December 22, the Hopi ceremony of Soyaluna or Prayer-Offering is a time for saying prayers for the New Year and for wishing each other prosperity and health. December 26—January 1 Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration held in the United States honoring universal African-American heritage and culture. It features activities such as lighting a candle holder with seven candles and culminates in a feast and gift giving. It was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966–1967. Did you know, the twelve days of Christmas actually begin on Christmas Day and ends twelve days later on January 6, which is traditionally observed as Three Kings Day or Epiphany? The months of November and December offer many opportunities to honor cultural diversity during the holidays and learn more about those around us. PAGE 4 Welcoming New ADHS Staff Laura Luna Bellucci, MBA Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Manager, a program that supports state-wide efforts to lower pregnancy rates among teens via teen pregnancy prevention education programs. Laura will provide guidance and technical assistance to providers of service that will improve outcomes for children and families throughout Arizona. Nicole Thurlow, MPH works in the Office of Oral Health as the Program Manager for the Arizona School-Based Sealant Program and the Arizona Teledentistry Program. The Sealant Program provides dental sealants in a cost effective manner to school children at high risk for tooth decay. The Teledentistry Program supports improved workforce capacity, diversity and flexibility for providing oral health services to underserved populations and underserved areas. Both programs aim to reduce dental disease and increase access to dental care for underserved populations throughout the state. Laura Gestaut, MPH is the Program Manager for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV). Her program works on implementing and expanding the implementation of evidence-based home visiting programs in the 31 target Community Health Analysis areas. She also works with a variety of partners on strengthening the home visiting system throughout the state. Sharon Jaycox, MHA Program Manager for Project LAUNCH, a program that promotes interventions to improve the wellbeing of young children by enhancing access to mental health and well-being services, promote developmental screenings, coordinate integration of behavioral health with primary care, and improve parenting skills of families. Sharon will work with a number of stakeholders to improve outcomes for children and young families in South Phoenix, with a particular focus on households with family members in the criminal justice system. Ralph Figueroa, Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs Title V Outreach Manager, a program that works to improve systems of care, provide information and referral to families, who would like assistance in finding the services available to their child; provide training to families and professionals on best practice related to medical home. Marla Herrick, BSW, M.Ed., MA Program Manager for Child Fatality Review Program and Maternal Mortality Review Program. Whenever a child dies or a woman dies within 1 year of giving birth, that death is reviewed. This consists of an extensive look into the circumstances surrounding the death. Each death is reviewed by a team of professionals including medical examiners, pediatricians, law enforcement officers and members of the public. The data collected during the review process is analyzed and published in an annual report each November. This report includes recommendations to prevent future deaths. These recommendations have been used to educate communities, initiate legislative action and develop prevention programs. PAGE 5 Sarah Henry, MPH is the Epidemiologist for two programs. The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) program screens pregnant women in the Health Start program for alcohol use and risk, providing a brief intervention to those who screen positive. The Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Program (SVPEP) focuses on primary prevention of sexual violence throughout Arizona. Dyanne Herrera, MPH Maternal and child health (MCH) epidemiologist in the Office of Assessment and Evaluation provides epidemiological support for all MCH needs within the state and the Bureau of Women's and Children's Health (BWCH). Dyanne serves as the epidemiologist in the Maternal Mortality Review and Title V Block Grant and provides technical assistance to MCH programs within BWCH and external partners. Valerie Odeh, High Risk Perinatal Hospital and Physician Services/Community Nursing Services Program Manager. Valerie has a strong neonatal background as the High Risk Coordinator for the High-Risk/Neonatal Intensive Care Unit hearing follow up program at the Office of Newborn Screening where she worked closely with NICUs throughout the state. The High Risk Perinatal Program/Newborn Intensive Care Program (HRPP/ NICP) is a comprehensive, statewide system of services dedicated to reducing maternal and infant mortality (deaths) and morbidity (abnormalities that may impact a child’s growth and development). Saji Gopalakrishnan is working as an Administrate Assistant III for the Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs. He is responsible for performing numerous administrative tasks including clerical administration, scheduling of activities and staff, travel arrangements and claims, phone coverage, data entry, and maintaining of personal confidentiality of records particularly regarding protected health information. Staff Become Certified Trainers with ADHS’s New Teen Outreach Program Replication Partnership The Teen Outreach Program (TOP), implemented by the Wyman Center in St. Louis, Missouri is a nationally recognized youth development approach that has been proven to foster academic success and prevent teen pregnancy. TOP, 30 years in operation, is based upon the principles of youth development, and the socio-emotional well being and mental health of teens. The program provides teens with the necessary support and opportunities to prepare for successful adulthood and avoid teen pregnancy and other negative behaviors. Delivering curriculum with fidelity is one of the most important concepts for providing effective results in not only TOP but in all teen pregnancy prevention programs. The Wyman Center, the national replication partner for the Teen Outreach Program has recognized this importance and as a result has implemented replication and training certification programs to ensure accuracy of program delivery. Congratulations to Angie Lorenzo and Laura Bellucci, ADHS Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Managers who recently completed the intensive week-long certification training in St. Louis, Missouri at the Wyman Center Headquarters to become Certified Trainers for the Teen Outreach Program. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is now a Replication Partner. With both certifications in place, training and technical support will be provided to teen pregnancy prevention programs ensuring Arizona’s TOP Clubs are being delivered with fidelity. The TOP certification can also benefit your organization and offers the opportunity to build capacity! ADHS certified trainers can provide free TOP facilitator trainings to your staff. Once trained, your organization can start implementing the program and gains all the benefits of becoming one of ADHS’ TOP Club Partners. Facilitator trainings are offered statewide upon request. For more information on the Teen Outreach Program and how to get a Club started, contact Angie Lorenzo at (602) 364-1400. PAGE 6 The Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health The Bureau of Women's and Children's Health (BWCH) supports efforts to improve the health of Arizona women and children. Activities focus on assessment of health status and identification of health issues, development of partnerships and planning to address health issues, and provision of "safety net" services. Our Vision Healthy Women...Healthy Children...Healthy Tomorrow Our Mission To strengthen the family and the community by promoting and improving the health and safety of women, infants, and children. Contacts Acting Bureau Chief Mary Ellen Cunningham, MPA, RN Phone: (602) 364-1453 Email: MaryEllen.Cunningham@azdhs.gov OFFICE OF CHILDREN’S HEALTH High Risk Perinatal Program Transport Valarie Odeh Phone: (602) 364-1453 Email: Valarie.Odeh@azdhs.gov High Risk Perinatal Program Hospital and Community Nursing Mary Ellen Cunningham, MPA, RN Phone: (602) 364-1453 Email: MaryEllen.Cunningham@azdhs.gov Project LAUNCH Sharon Jaycox Project Director Phone: (602) 364-1449 Email: Sharon.Jaycox@azdhs.gov ADHS Hotlines & Medical Services Project Karen Kuhfuss, Section Manager Phone: (602) 364-1454 Email: Karen.Kuhfuss@azdhs.gov OFFICE OF WOMEN’S HEALTH INJURY PREVENTION Office Chief State Adolescent Health Coordinator Toni Means, MBA-HCM Phone: (602) 364-1422 Email: Toni.Means@azdhs.gov Section Manager EMS-C, Safe Kids Tomi St. Mars, RN, MSN, CEN Phone: (602) 542-7340 Email: Tomi.St.Mars@azdhs.gov Education Section Manager Dorothy Hastings Phone: (602) 364-1423 Email: Dorothy.Hastings@azdhs.gov Injury Prevention Program Alana J. Shacter, MPH Injury Epidemiologist Phone: (602) 364-1444 Email: Alana.Shacter@azdhs.gov Health Start/Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Sara Rumann, MA, Program Manager Phone: (602) 364-1421 Email: Sara.Rumann@azdhs.gov Sexual Violence Prevention & Education Program Carol Hensell, Program Manager Phone: (602) 542-7343 Email: Carol.Hensell@azdhs.gov Email: carolrpep@aol.com Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Laura Gestaut, Program Manager Phone: (602) 364-1441 Email: Laura.gestaut@azdhs.gov Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Angie Lorenzo, Program Manager Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Phone: (602) 542-0360 Email: Angie.Lorenzo@azdhs.gov OFFICE OF ORAL HEALTH Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Laura Bellucci, Program Manager Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Phone: (602) 542-0360 Email: Laura.Belucci@azdhs.gov Office Chief Julia Wacloff, RDH, MS Phone: (602) 364-1474 Email: Julia.Wacloff@azdhs.gov Dental Trailer Loan Program Dental Sealant Program/Fluoride Mouth Rinse Program RaNee Tuscano, RDH Phone: (602) 542-2945 Email:Ranee.Tuscano@azdhs.gov Oral Health Nicole Thurlow, MPH, Program Manager (602) 542-1891 Email: Nicole.Thurlow@azdhs.gov Domestic Violence & Family Planning Program Brenda Nichols, Program Manager Phone: (602) 542-7341 Email: Brenda.Nichols@azdhs.gov Child Injury Prevention Manager Marla D. Herrick, BSW, M.Ed., MA Phone: (602) 364-4683 Email: Marla.Herrick@azdhs.gov OFFICE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS Office Chief Marta Urbina Phone: (602) 542-2528 Email: Marta.Urbina@azdhs.gov Title V Outreach Manager Ralph Figueroa Phone: (602) 354-1397 Email: Ralph.Figueroa@azdhs.gov Program Project Specialist Shelly Persons Phone: (602) 364-1497 Email: Shelly.Persons@azdhs.gov Education and Advocacy Manager Rita Aitken Phone: (602) 364-1480 Email: Rita.Aitken@azdhs.gov Administrative Assistant III Saji Gopalakrishnan Phone: (602) 542-1860 Email: Saji.Gopalakrishnan@azdhs.gov OFFICE OF ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION Office Chief Khaleel Hussaini, PhD (602) 364-1415 Syed.Hussaini@azdhs.gov Epidemiologist Sara Henry (602) 542-2097 Sarah.Henry@azdhs.gov Epidemiologist Dyanne Herrerra (602) 364-1432 Dyanne.Herrerra@azdhs.gov