Summer 2018 Issue

By: Beth Jones, IPHA President

As IPHA continues to grow and evolve through developing a new mission, vision, values and strategic plan, it’s critical that we remain relevant and thoughtful in our leadership.  Recently, the IPHA Board of Directors and many other non-profit partners had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with Andrew Zolli, Co-Author of Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back. Through a partnership of multiple sponsors, Zolli led a day of discussion about the emerging field of resilience with Iowa business and non-profit leaders at no charge.  During his time in Iowa, he shared social innovations and vital new approaches that will guide in constructing a more resilient future for our organizations and communities.

As public health leaders, we live in a world of increasing change and in a state of disruption.  Zollii’s book gives the opportunity to look at this time during which “business is unusual” to focus and maintain our core purpose with integrity.

I encourage you to take a moment to watch this brief video in which Zolli provides a few minute overview of his view of resilience during times of disruption.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epY68R_NEcE

By: Bonnie Rubin, IPHA Treasurer

Recently, my husband, Charley, and I began the process of getting our financial, medical and personal matters in order minimize the “hassle factor” and costs for our children as we age and hopefully reduce the myriad of legal requirements, medical decisions or (to be honest) our “final” arrangements in our future.  One of the major steps in this process has been to review our final wills.  Upon reviewing mine, I was reminded that I had requested that monetary gifts be left to various organizations that are close to my heart, including the Iowa City Community Band and our church, Zion Lutheran.  However, I was more aware of the fact that I had NOT included the Iowa Public Health Association as a gift recipient.  Needless to say, I am changing that to assure my will has a monetary gift to the IPHA endowment with the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines.

Gifts in wills are an amazing way to continuing your support of the mission of the Iowa Public Health Association into the future.  Several years ago, IPHA members Mary Weaver and Dr. Ron Eckoff had the vision to help establishing the IPHA endowment account.  Currently, the account balance is $6773.50.  With the exception of an annual gift from Dr. and Mrs. Eckoff, funds directed to this account are low.  As we continue to develop and enhance our sources of revenue to support our mission, I would like for everyone reading this to consciously make an effort to either contribute to the IPHA endowment in the next few months or (better yet) review your will and include a gift to IPHA from your estate.  That’s what I am doing because, of all the organizations and causes I support, IPHA is now on the top of my list.

In this phase of financial constraints, it is more important than ever to support organizations who impact the health and well-being of the population.  We are part of an enterprise that impacts thousands of lives each day, but no one really notices this until there is a crisis, outbreak or emergency event.  Join me in planning for a future far beyond our lives. Let’s help keep IPHA relevant for future generations of Iowans.

IPHA thanks our donor community, many of whom are also IPHA members, for supporting IPHA to assure that IPHA continues to be the voice for public health in Iowa and engaged in important public health discussions and decisions affecting Iowans.

Feeling inspired to contribute?  Explore the many ways you can donate today here.

Marti Anderson (October 2017)

Jane Borst (November 2017)

Sally Clausen (September 2017)

Pam Deichmann (April 2017)

Delta Dental of Iowa (November 2017)

Sarah Dricken (September 2017)

Dr. Ronald Eckoff (November 2017)

Di Findley (November 2017)

Dawn Gentsch (November 2017)

Jody Harmesen (January 2018)

Shelley Horak (November 2017)

Beth Jones (March 2017, December 2017)

Cheryll Jones (December 2017)

Linda Kinman (March 2017)

Mary Lawyer (December 2017)

John Lundell (December 2017)

Maren Lenhart (March 2017, August 2017, December 2017)

Julie McMahon (July 2017, November 2017)

Tom Newton (April 2017)

Susan Pohl (December 2017)

Ann Robinson (March 2017, December 2017)

Rachel Schramm (December 2017)

Ken Sharp (November 2017, December 2017)

Scott Slater (November 2017)

Bruce Thorson (September 2017)

Lina Tucker Reinders (July 2017)

Mary Weaver (December 2017)

Wellmark Foundation BluesCare Giving Program (August 2017, February 2018)

Sustaining Donors

- This special category of giving provides a stable investment in IPHA's mission.

Barbara Chadwick

Dr. Russ Currier

Kaitlin Emrich

Shelley Horak

Sherri Marine

Rae Miller

Dr. Mary Mincer Hansen

Pam Mollenhauer

Jeneane Moody 

Danielle Pettit-Majewski

Bonnie Rubin

Rachel Schramm

Ken Sharp

Sarah Taylor Watts

Deborah Thompson

Deb Vander Plas

Dr. Jeremy Whitaker

IPHA envisions a healthy and thriving Iowa because of the strong foundation laid by public health.  When you support IPHA you make that vision brighter.

Now you can invest in IPHA while shopping online through AmazonSmile.  Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to IPHA.  

Last month IPHA hosted the annual meeting of the APHA Region VII Affiliates - Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas (MINK).  Key note presentations and panels covered an array of timely public health issues many of which cut across the region.

IPHA thanks all who contributed to this convening from our planning team (Rachel Schramm and Laurie Walkner) to our BOD members, presenters, sponsors (Midwestern Public Health Training Center and Iowa Cancer Consortium), hosts (UI Pappajohn Education Center and American Cancer Society) - we are so appreciative of everyone's engagement and contributions.

Recorded content from the two-day meeting is available online here courtesy of our partners at the Midwestern Public Health Training Center.

Briefly describe your work and its relation to public health.

I have been with the Scott County Health Department for twelve years with the last three as the Environmental Health Coordinator and the previous nine as an Environmental Health Specialist. The nine years prior to coming to Iowa I was an Environmental Health Specialist at health departments in Illinois and Georgia. Our Environmental Health service protects the health of Scott County citizens by inspecting and enforcing state and local codes regarding restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, swimming pools, onsite sewage systems, water wells, grants to counties, tanning facilities, tattoo artists, childhood lead poisoning prevention program, transient non-community water systems, solid waste haulers, septic tank pumpers, and public health nuisances. We are also involved with mosquito surveillance and the SHL water well sampling project.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?

Working with staff to solve the problems that seem to come in daily is most rewarding. We do our best to help everyone that contacts us with a problem. Sometimes we have the authority to do so, and other times we do not. In these cases, we try to put the citizen in touch with another agency or association that can help.

What led you to this career?

I had a friend in college who was in the Environmental Health program and he convinced me to change majors. While I intended to go into the private sector, the Georgia Department of Public Health was the only environmental health employer who didn’t require several years of experience. As most all of IPHA’s members would agree, once you get into public health it is difficult to leave it.

What do you see as the greatest challenges and opportunities for public health in Iowa in the next two years?

Where to start? Funding, opioids, water quality, workforce... The list can go on for a while.

What role do you think IPHA could play in meeting those opportunities?

IPHA can continue to be the voice for public health in Iowa by taking the lead role in trying to influence policy and by continuing to work with our fellow public health agencies and associations in Iowa.  We have had our most success when the Legislature hears the same message from many different public health groups. We just have to remember that it is a marathon and not a sprint.

IPHA celebrated the recipients of the 2018 IPHA awards at a ceremony held at Des Moines University on 4.10.18. 

Thank you to the many IPHA members who volunteered on the IPHA Awards Selection Committee, the IPHA Awards Ceremony Committee or contributed their talents that evening.

Henry Albert Memorial Award was named in honor of the Commissioner of the IDPH from 1926-1930 and recognizes distinguished leadership in public health in Iowa.

2018 Recipient:  Shirley Stephen

Nominator:  Karen Crimmings

Richard Remington Award recognizes an individual, a team of individuals, or a community/business that has excelled in the advancement of public health.  Eligibility requires excellence in advancing new or existing public health promotion/prevention initiatives or a long-term educational dedication to public health. 

2018 Recipient:  Siouxland District Health Department (Michelle Lewis, Angela Drent, Becky Carlson, Leann Orr)

Nominator:  Kevin Grieme

Go the Distance recognizes a public health official who has gone above and beyond the usual employment requirements or the call of duty over the previous year. Individuals demonstrate critical thinking, disciplined work, and stellar public health accomplishments.  The award is presented to public health officials who have made a remarkable public health contribution and have exceeded expectations of their normal professional work duties.

2018 Recipient:  Rachel Stolz

Nominator:  Maria Sieck

Thelma Luther Award recognizes a local public health nurse who has made outstanding contributions in the field.  Eligibility requires employment in a public health nursing agency, in Iowa, for at least five years, providing direct patient care. The individual nominated may be leadership in an outstanding project or accomplishment or for a culmination of a career of outstanding service. This award was named to honor Thelma Luther, the Director of Public Health Nursing in the 1960s and 1970s.

2018 Recipient:  Mona Scaletta

Nominator: Kevin Grieme

 

Lilian Wald Award recognizes a nurse who has provided exemplary public health nursing practice on behalf of the public in the state of Iowa.  The individual nominated must have demonstrated initiative and resourcefulness in developing efforts to improve the health of the public through political, legislative, professional or interdisciplinary activism. 

2018 Recipient:  Melissa Walker

Nominator: Sharon Guthrie

Harry Grant Award is intended to be awarded only to individuals who exemplified superior life time performance in environmental health. It is not to be given out each year but only on infrequent

occasion awarded to those who deserve such and who went well above and beyond their normal job duties to give service to the public and fellow professionals.

2018 Recipient:  Dennis Heimdal

Nominator: Bonnie Rubin

More information on the IPHA Awards and an historical listing of honorees can be found here.

By: Sara Carmichael-Stanley, MPH, Community Water Fluoridation Coordinator, Iowa Department of Public Health 

Community Water Fluoridation (CWF) is the precise adjustment of fluoride levels in drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. Fluoride is naturally present in all water sources, including ground, surface, and sea water, but usually at levels less than the optimal amount (0.7 mg/L) to prevent tooth decay. The practice of water fluoridation has been studied and applied to water systems throughout the United States for over 70 years. It is safe and effective and has been shown to reduce tooth decay by at least 25 percent for all ages. 

In Iowa, CWF started in 1951 with Waukon Water and Dubuque Water. Currently, just under 3 million Iowans (2,818,710) receive the oral health benefits of fluoridated water, representing 90.2 percent of the population served by a community water system. However, the Iowa Department of Public Health can only verify that 63.6 percent (1,617,014 people) of that 90.2 percent are receiving the optimal amount every day to prevent tooth decay. 

The 2017 Annual Report on Water Fluoridation highlights the community water systems in each county and identifies the fluoridation level and population served. This report is designed to assist local public health professionals, dental and medical staff, and the public to make informed decisions about their oral health.

For the most current fluoride level in your community, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website My Water's Fluoride.

By: Pat Hildebrand, IPHA Community Water Fluoridation Advocate

Do you have questions about Community Water Fluoridation (CWF) such as?

• Why was CWF implemented and why is it important?
• What is fluoride?
• What is the current CWF status in Iowa?

View the IPHA webinar: Community Water Fluoridation: An Essential for Oral Health.  Sara Carmichael-Stanley, Water Fluoridation Coordinator for IDPH and Pat Hildebrand, IPHA CWF Advocate answer these questions and more. 

From CDC:

National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. NIAM was established to encourage people of all ages to make sure they are up to date on the vaccines recommended for them. Communities have continued to use the month each year to raise awareness about the important role vaccines play in preventing serious, sometimes deadly, diseases.

NIAM is sponsored by the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC). For more information on the observance, visit NPHIC’s NIAM website.

NPHIC, in collaboration with CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, developed communication toolkits to help you communicate about vaccines for various audiences. Each week of #NIAM17 focuses on a different stage of the lifespan:

• Babies and young children (July 31-August 6)
  
• Pregnant women (August 7-13)
  
• Adults (August 14-20)
  
• Preteen/Teen (August 21-27)
  
• Back to School (July/August)