election year inside choices and challenges wic n nl fall 2012 fi… · election year choices and...

Election Year Choices and Challenges

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

C a l I f o r N I a W I C a S S o C I a T I o N1490 Drew ave., Ste 175, Davis,Ca 95618 (530) 750-2280 • fax (530) 758-7780E-mail: ltrue@calwic.org • www.calwic.org

n Fall Conference ............................2

n We Need WIC Campaign ....3

n CWA News ........................................4

n Legislative Update ......................5 •StateBills •TheFederal“FiscalCliff”

n StateUpdates ................................6 •NewWICMagazine •Cook with Kids Cookbook •GISToolstoInformDecisions

n Worksite Wellness ................. 8 •TemeculaWIC’s“StaffChef” •CWAWalkstheTalk

n HealthCareReform ..........10 •IBCLCsinOakland •PreventiveServices

n Local Agency News ..........11 •CNCScholarshipProfile

FALL CONFERENCE EDITIONfall 2012 FALL CONFERENCE EDITION Vol. 12 No. 4

WICadvocatesandprovidersfacepolitical,fiscalandoperationalchallengesinthecomingyear.Working

together,CWAcanhelpyou—ourWICcommunity—meetthosechallenges.

TheNovemberelectionsareshapinguptobeaveryclearchoicebetweencompetingphilosophiesontheroleofgovernmentinourlives–includingprogramslikeWIC.CWAmemberscanplayanimportantroleinensuringWIC’sfuture,byeducatingcurrentleadersandCongressionalcandidatesaboutwhyWENEEDWIC—moreaboutthisatFallConferenceandonpage3.Wecanalsoensurethateveryoneeligibletovoteisregis-teredbeforetheOctober22deadline,andremindstaffandparticipantsto vote on November 6.

Oncetheelectionsareover,membersofthe“lameduck”Congresswillneedtohearfromyouabouttherealhumanconsequencesofpo-tentialWICcuts.WICisvulnerabletodrasticsequestrationreductionsthatautomaticallygointoeffectinJanuary2013unlessWashingtonleadersfindanalternativestrategytoreducethenationaldebt.

Meanwhile,thoseofyouworkingtokeepWICgoingduringtoughtimeshavesuccessestoshare!Justlookinsidethisissueforstoriesofdatause,technologyandpartnershipstoincreasecaseload;newmaterialsfornutritioneducationandoutreach;stridestowardimplementinghealthcarereform;andthepositiveimpactofwellnessprograms.

Sinceourfoundingin1992,CWAhasaproudhistoryofactivismonbehalfofthecommunitiesweserve.Withyoursupportandengagement,we’llcontinueourworkduringthiscriticalelectionyear.

WATCH FALL CONFERENCE EDITION FALL2012

Page2

The WIC scene is changing! New

players, new policies, and new

challengesarecomingonstage.

WelcometothoseattendingCWa’s

2012 fall Management Conference.

Itcanbeyourtickettobecoming

aStarWICManager,

withinformation,skills

and practical tools to

providingPlatinumService

toourmostimportant

customers:WICmothers,children,

andtheirfamilies.

Forthoseofyoustayinginyour

localWICagenciestokeepthings

humming,thankyou!Besuretoask

yourcolleaguestosharewithyou

whatthey’velearned,andCWAwill

strivetocontinueprovidingtimely

andrelevantinformationthrough

allourregularchannels.Besure

you’vesubscribedtoourbiweekly

e-newsletter,theCWA Flash, at

www.calwic.org!

AttheConferenceonTuesday,

CWAPresidentPeggyRedfernwill

openwithawelcometoallbefore

CWA’sTeresaMorris

sharesWIC Worksite

Wellnessupdates.

InterimDivisionChief

ChristineNelsonwill

provide State WIC updates and

thenThe California Endowment

willintroduce

ustotheirnew

campaign, Health

Happens Here.

Laterthatday,alocalWIC

AgencyPanelwillsharetheir

creativeusesofthenewGIS

Mappingdata.Readtherelated

article on page 7 for a taste of

thispanelpresentation.

PlatinumtrainerDavid

rabinerwillthentake

thespotlightandtellus

How to

Succeed, Stay Sane

and Have fun at

Work!

OnWednesday,

aftercelebratingwithsome

awards,anothertalentedLocal

Agency cast of

characterswill

highlightcreative

ways to “liberate”

your WIC data to

improve operations.

Followingthepresentationof

Career achievement

awards, laurie True

will provide State

and federal Updates

featuringthefederal

budgetdramaandhowCWAand

WIC Ambassadors plan to make a

positive impact.

Finally, rene Mollow,fromthe

newlyformedCaliforniaHealth

BenefitExchange,willgiveusa

Health Care

reformupdate.

Wehopethistimetogetherin

Sacramento—andtheweeksand

monthsthatfollow—inspiresWIC

managers to network, collaborate,

and problem-solve, as well as

recognizeandsharebestpractices

inprovidingPlatinumServiceto

CaliforniaWICfamilies!

WATCH FALL CONFERENCE EDITION FALL2012

Page3

We Need WIC Campaign

Phase 2: WE NEED YoU!

rememberlastyear’spaperplate campaign? We are grate-

fulfortheimpactsomanyWICstaffand participants madeinthisefforttoeducateourlegisla-torsaboutwhyWeNeedWIC.Nowit’stimeforPhase2,andwe’llneedyourhelptoensureWICsurvives!

Electoral Strategy: Where Do Candidates Stand?

GearingupfortheNovember2012election,CWAisleadingthenextphaseoftheWeNeedWICCampaign:theelectoralstrategy.In

August,CWAmailed a questionnaireto all Califor-nia congres-sional candi-dates.SinceSeptember,

WICAmbassadorshavebeenfol-lowingupwithcandidatestolearnoftheirviewsontwocriticalissues:

1. fullfundingfortheWICprogram, and

2. set-asidefundsforthebreastfeedingpeercounselorprogram.

As responses come in, CWA poststhemathttp://calwic.org/policy-center/we-need-wic.TheWICcommunitycanthenusetheseresponsesasaneducationaltoolforNovember’selectiontoseewhichcandidatessupportWIC’smission.

Want to get involved? ChecktheWeNeedWICwebpagetoreadtheLettertoCandidatesandQuestions

tobetterunder-standtheissuesandasks.Checkoutthestepbystepinstructions,andthenfollowupwithyourlocal

candidateswhohaven’trespond-ed!Thisshouldbefunandeduca-tional.Questions?ContactDonnaat CWA at dhoffman@calwic.org.

WIC Business-Community alliance

AftertheNovemberelection,CWAwilllaunchanongoingphaseoftheWeNeedWICCampaign:theWICBusiness-CommunityAlliance.Thiseffortwillinvolvereachingouttopartnersineverycornerofourcommunities,askingthosewhofa-vorfullfundingoftheWICprogram

toendorseastatementofsupport.WICimpacts—andcannot

succeedwithouttheinvolvementof—everyonearoundus,fromgrocersandotherbusinessownerstomedicalandeducationprofes-sionals.EachcommunitymemberisasimportanttoWIC’ssuccessasthefoodvouchersandnutritioneducationthatourWICparticipantsreceive.CWAwillusethissupportstatement and composite en-dorsementstoshowourleadersinCaliforniaandWashingtonjusthowextensiveWIC’simpactis,andhowessential it is to protect and pre-serveWIC’sfundinginthepresentandfuture.

How to get involved: Look for emails andfurthercommunicationsfromCWAthisfallandwinterforhowyoucangetinvolvedreachingouttoyourcommunity,andformingstrongtieswithourpartnersandallies.

Let your voice be heard!

CWA is participating with other California nonprofits in this unique get-out-the-vote effort, and we invite all of you in nonprofit WIC agencies to join us! Find

more information at http://calnonprofits.org/advocacy/voteyourmission. And all WIC agencies can encourage

staff and participants to 1) register to vote by October 22 and 2) vote on November 6.

WATCH FALL CONFERENCE EDITION FALL2012

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CWA News

WIC Can Help – New Toolkits Coming Soon!Youmaybefamiliaralreadywiththeresource

andreferralinformationavailableonCWA’sWICCanHelpwebpage:http://calwic.org/focus- areas/wic-can-help.Weupdateeachmonth’s informationatleastannually,soyouhaveeasy

accesstocurrent resourcesforWICparticipantswhomightneed additional assis-tancewithfood,hous-ing,finances,orhealthcare, to name a few.

Soontocome:newwaystoshareinforma-tion on two WIC Can Helptopics:Calfresh and Summer lunch. WithsupportfromTheCaliforniaEndowment,CWAhasdevelopednew toolkitstohelpyou

sharecriticalinformationabouttheseunderutilizedprogramswithWICfamilies.

Connect with us!

Eachkitincludes:

• AshortDVDinEnglishandSpanish(andsoon,Chinese)designedtobeshowninwaitingrooms

• Reproducibleflyerstodistributetopartici-pants,orinformationaboutwheretoobtainflyersfromtheprogramsource

• Step-by-stepinstructionsandsuggestionsforuse

• AbriefsurveytohelpyougiveusfeedbackCWAwillmailCalFreshandSummerLunch

toolkitstoeachWICagencyinearlyNovember.Materialswillalsobeavailablefordownloadonourwebsite.AlthoughtheWICCanHelpResourceandReferralCalendardesignatesCalFreshastheApriltopicandSummerLunchinMay,wewanttoallowagenciestoplantheuseofmaterialsinadvance;plus,familiescanbenefitfromCalFreshyear-round.

Weareespeciallygratefultoalejandra arellano of SlaHP WIC, Michelle Turner of CaP Kern WIC, and Grace Yee of San francisco WIC for theirverycapableassistancewithtranslatingandnarratingtheDVDs.Weinviteyoutousetheseinthebestwayforyourclinicsandparticipants,andletusknowhowitgoes!Questionsorcomments?ContactMargaretAumannatmaumann@calwic.orgor(530)750-2280.

SAVE THE DATE!

CANHELP!

PUEDEAYUDAR!

CWA Annual Conference & Trade Show

April 21-24, 2013 Fairmont Hotel – San Jose

like us on facebookandshareyourWIC

agencyactivitiesonourtimeline!follow us on

Twitter, too! read our blog at www.calwic.org!

WATCH FALL CONFERENCE EDITION FALL2012

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Legislative Update

State BillsSB 1190 (Hancock) - WIC EBT

SB1190iseffectivelydeadfortheLegislativeyear.ItwouldhaverequiredtheDepartmentofPublicHealthtoprovidetwo

annualupdatesonthestatusofWICEBTimplementation,andwouldhavehelpedmodernizetheWICprogramwithelectronic

benefitstransfer(EBT)capabilities.Unfortunately,thisbillwasheldintheAssemblyAppropriationsCommittee.

Despiteourdisappointmentinthisoutcome,wearegrate-fulforSenatorHancock’ssupport,optimisticaboutthecontinueddiscussiononWICEBTimplementation,andconfidentthatallpartnerswillcontinuetoworkeffectivelyandefficientlytoexpediteEBTimplementation.

aB 2386 (allen) - Breastfeeding Discrimination

WeareexcitedthatAB2386passedoutofbothhousesandiswaitingonGovernorBrown’sdeskforsignature!ThisbillwouldmakeitunlawfulundertheCaliforniaFairEmploymentandHousingActto discriminate against women forbreastfeeding.Currently,itisunlawfultodiscriminateonthebasisofsex,whichincludes,gender,pregnancy,childbirthandmedicalconditions related to pregnancy orchildbirth.Thisbillwouldprovidethattheterm“sex”includesbreastfeeding or medical conditions related to breastfeeding.

EnactmentofAB2386wouldbea step toward more acceptance ofbreastfeedingasthenaturalwaytofeedbabiesandprotectingthecivilrightsofmothersandbabiestobreastfeed.TheGovernorhas30daysfromreceivingthebilltomake a decision. At press time, we eagerlyawaithisdecision!

federal Update: WIC and the fiscal Cliff

Atpresstime,Washington,DCisstillfightingtheendlessbudgetbattle.Bytheendof2012,Con-gressmustdecidewhethertoleta combination of taxincreasesandspendingcutsgointoeffect:theso-called“fiscalcliff”ofsequestration.Theresulting8.2%reductionfortheWICprogramwouldforcestatestoterminateabout750,000nationwide(over123,000inCaliforniaalone)participantsanddrasticallycurtailWIC’sreach.

TheNovemberelectionswillguidethiscriticaldecision,whenvoterswillhaveaveryclearchoicewhenitcomestopickingcandidateswhosupporttheWICProgram.PresidentObama’sproposedbudgetcontinuestoadequatelyfundWICatcurrentlevels.GovernorRomney’schoiceofRep.PaulRyanashisrunningmateconcernsmanyintheWICcommunity:aschairoftheHouseBudgetCommittee,Ryanproposedsweepingcutstolow-incomeprogramsaswellasMediCare.

AstheDCsceneunfoldsoverthenextsixmonths,Congressionalleadershaveagreedtokeepthegovernment—includingWIC—operatingwithaContinuingResolutionuntilMarch,butdetailswon’tbeworkedoutuntilaftertheelections.

Many thanks to our CWA Advocate, Terri Cowger-Hill (second from right) and Legislative Co-Chairs Michelle Turner (left) and Samar MacGregor (second from left) for a successful legislative year. We’ll miss Samar as she leaves this CWA position, but we know she’ll continue advocating for California WIC.

WATCH FALL CONFERENCE EDITION FALL2012

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State Update

New WIC Baby Magazine: Out and About

out and About,thethirdintheWICbabymagazineseries,isnowavailable!Topicsincludedevelopmentalstages,babycues,baby-

proofingthehome,breastfeedingwhilereturningtoworkorschool,choosingchildcare,goingoutwithbaby,breastfeedinginpublic,andtipsformomstotakecareofthemselves.

TheWICmagazineseriescoversthefollowingageranges:

• Bringing Home Baby – birthtosixweeks

• Out and About – sixweekstosixmonths

• Let’s Eat – sixmonthstooneyear

California WIC is collaborat-ingwiththeNationalWICAsso-ciationandpublishingcompanyMeredithCorporationtodeve-lopthemagazines.SupportingcurrentWICnutritioneduca-tionandbreastfeedingguide-lines,themagazinesprovideevidence-based recommen-dations in an easy-reading style.Theyarecolorful,ad-free,andavailableinEnglishandSpanish.

WICstaffisusingthemagazinesinmanyeffectiveways:

• Discussinginclasses

• Sharingatindividualeducationcontacts

• Displayinginwaitingareas

• Distributingviabreastfeedingpeercounselors

Participantsareenthusiasticaboutthemagazines,describingthemasinformative,funandentertaining.

ManythankstotheselocalWICagenciesforparticipatinginfield-test-ing Out and About: Placer County, Delta Health Care, Solano County, Yolo County, Community Bridges, and Santa Clara County.

Extendandreinforceyournutritioneducationbyusingallthreemaga-zines!OrderusingOSPOrderForm#527:Magazines.Questions?ContactPoppyStrodeatmargaret.strode@cdph.ca.gov.

Let’s Cook with Kids Cookbooks are here!

Yes,it’strue:youragencycannoworderthesefantastic

cookbooks—displayedatthe2012CWAAnnualConference—fromtheOfficeofStatePublishing(OSP).De-veloped by Northeast Valley Health Corporation WIC, Let’s Cook with Kids/Vamos a Cocinar con los Niños isfilledwithhealthyandyummykid-friendlyrecipes,writteninEnglishandSpanish.Kids(andthekidinallofus)willlovethecolorfulphotosofeachrecipeandthefunideasforeatingmorefruits,vegetables,andwholegrains.You’llfindrecipesfor breakfast foods, snacks, main dishes,sidedishes,anddesserts.StartmakingyourshoppinglistandtrysomeoftherecipesathomesoyoucantellWICparticipantshowgreattheyare!Ifyouhaven’tseenthecookbookyet,checkitoutonline:http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/wicworks/Documents/NE/WIC-NE-CookingWithChildren-LetsCookWithKids.pdf

WATCH FALL CONFERENCE EDITION FALL2012

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State Update

GIS Tools to Inform California WIC Program Decisions

Hot-Spot analyses and online WIC Maps

Sample hot-spot map of Sacramento, California

Geographicinformationsystems(GIS)haveeasedtheirwayintoCal-iforniaWIC’scollectiveconscious-nessoverthecourseofthepasttwoyears.Bynow,WICmanagersandstaffinallcountieslikelyhavereceivedGISmapsthatincludespa-tialdatahighlightingWICservices,WIC clients, and WIC-eligible non-participants. State WIC andtheMa-ternal, Child, and adolescent Health (MCaH) Program collaborated to mapapproximately700WICCen-ters,5,000WICVendors,and30,000WIC-eligible non-participants across thestate.Counts,densitiesandratesofunmetWICserviceneedsonthelocal,county,andstatelevelareportrayedinthematicmaps.

Duringthepastyear,ourGISandspatialanalyseshavegot-tenmorecomplex.AsleadersDr.ThomasStopka(MCAH)andDr.PatGradziel(WIC)report,statestaffhasdevelopednumeroushot-spot cluster analyses andmaps.TheseclusteranalyseshelptolocateWIC-

eligibleparticipantswhoareinneedofenhancedpublichealthservices.Hot-spots(redzonesonthemapbelow)andcold-spots(bluezones)repre-sentclustersofCaliforniacensustractswherethedensity of WIC-eligible non-participantsissignifi-cantlyhigherorlowerthantheaveragedensityforthestateorcounty.

ThroughtheWIC-MCAHcollaboration,wehavealsousedthePythoncodinglan-guagetoautomateproductionofGISmapsforall58Californiacoun-ties—aprocessthatreducesmapproductiontimebyapproximately30hours—allowingustogetmapstolocalWICagenciesmorequicklyandefficiently.

Ournewesttoolisusingweb-basedGISmappingplatformtocre-ate online GIS maps.Theseinterac-tivemaps(seeabovescreenshot)

juxtaposeWICservicesandsocio-demographicvariables,allowingWICstakeholdersacrossCaliforniato assess availability of local ser-viceswithindiversecommunitiesonpersonalcomputers,smartphones,andcomputerpads.Wehopethattheseinteractivemapswillprovidelocalagencieswiththetoolstodetermine local service needs, and toguidefutureclientoutreachandenrollment.

local agency ExperiencesMaureenClarkreports:In2011,

Community resource Project, Inc. WIC Program opened two new WIC officesandrelocatedathird.Initial-ly—andpriortothereleaseofGISmaps—weutilizedavailabledatasetstoidentifylocationsofournewsites.GISmappingtoolsconfirmedourselections,revealinghighlevelsofunmetneedinthearea.MapsincludingHotSpotAnalysis,DotDensityofWomenperCensusTract

continued on next page

Interactive WIC Map portraying WIC centers and vendors, sociodemographic data, and 2-mile distance buffers around WIC Centers.

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Wellness is...Sharing a Meal

Worksite Wellness

TheTemecula WIC clinic profes-sionalstakeprideintheirgreat

teamwork. Not only is teamwork importanttoaccomplishingtheireveryday site goals(likemain-tainingnumberone breastfeed-ing rates and meeting case-load),buttheyuseteamworktomotivateeachothertoreachtheirindividualwellnessgoals.

OnewaythatTemeculaWICstaffwalksthetalkandhelpseachothergetmotivatedtoeathealth-ierandgetinshapeiswithgroupmeals.SinceFebruary,SiteWellnessCoordinatorLuciaWardhascre-atedaweeklymenuforbreakfastandlunch.Itwasateamdecisionthateachemployeepitchin$15aweekforgroceries.Lucyvolunteerstopurchasethefood,suchasfreshvegetables,fruits,leanproteins,andwholegrains.Then,as“staffchef,”

“Chef Lucy” (far left) and her Temecula WIC team enjoy a healthy lunch at work.

shearrivesatworkearlytocookheartybreakfasts,andpreparestastylunchesonherlunchbreak.

LucybecamethesiteWell-nessCoordinatorattheendof2009,fueledbyherdesiretolosepostpartumweight.Whenaskedwhatmotivateshertopreparestaffmealsonherowntime,Lucyreplies,“Coordinatingandleadingwellnessactivitiesfulfillsmeandbringsmeasenseofaccomplishment.Iliketoseemyco-workersbenefitfromthesehealthyactivities.”

LucyisgladtobeTemeculaWIC’schef“aslongasIdon’thavetoclean,“shesays.Theother7-12employeessharethedailyclean-ingduties,whichtheydon’tmindwhentheyhavetheirownpersonalchef!Theymeetbrieflyeachdaytoagreeonstaggeredlunchbreaksthatsupportwellnessactivitieswith-outdisruptingserviceattheWICsite.

Pairedwithphysicalactivityatstaff meetings, on breaks, and be-yondtheworkday,thegroupmealscreateanencouraging,family-like

environmentthatmoti-vates all staff members to continueworkingtowardwellness.AstheTemeculateamremindsus,“Some-timesyoujusthavetochangeitup,becreative,andhavefuninordertoobtainyourgoals.Whenyoufeellikeyou’repartofateam,you’remorelikelytosucceed.”

Level(includingthosenotreceiv-ingWICandWIC-eligible)aswellasdemographicmaps(i.e.,familiesinpoverty)werethemosthelpfulandusefulinsecuringoursites.

Ournewofficeshavegrownquicklyasweshiftstafftoofficeswiththemostgrowthpotential,con-firmingtheimportanceofusingsuchtoolstohelpgrowcaseload.Sincethen,wehaveutilizedGISmapstohelptargetouroutreachefforts,focusingtimeandenergytowardsspecificneighborhoodsandapart-mentcomplexes.AsofAugust2012,wereached100.6%ofourcaseloadforAugust—anincreaseof15%fromJuly!

HeatherHowardreports:InruralShasta County WIC,weusedGISdatatomapthelocationofourcurrentclientsandtheofficetheygoto.Weneededtocloseourmainofficebecausecaseloadwasdroppingandthe“satellite”officein town was seeing more clients. TheGISdatahelpedusprovetoourCountyBoardofSupervisorsthatthischangewasneeded.Wemadethe“satellite”officethenewmainofficeandthenopenedanotherWICclin-icinapartoftownwherealargeclusterofourclientslived.Thismovehelpeduskeepourcaseloadhigh;wewereoneofthefewlocalagen-cies to receive a caseload increase inthepastfewmonths.Co-locatingWICserviceswithCalFreshandotherprogramsandallowingwalk-insatanytimeprobablyhelpedourcaseload, too.

GIS Tools

continued from page 7

WATCH FALL CONFERENCE EDITION FALL2012

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CWa Walks the Talk

Worksite Wellness

Thispastyear,staffatCWA“headquarters”hassteppeduptowellnessbywalkingthetalk…liter-

ally!Manyofuswalkatwo-mileloopfromtheofficeonmostTuesdaysandThursdays.Atpresstime,we’vecompletedatleasteightoftheTenStepsforWICWork-siteWellness(WWW)andexpecttoachievecertifica-tionbeforetheendof2012.

CWAprovideseachemployeeanannualreim-bursementthatcannowgotowardsgymmembershiporotherwellnessexpensesaswellasthetraditionalout-of-pockethealthcarepayments.Offeringthisincentiveandprovidingahealthyworkenvironmentthatpromotesphysicalactivityandhealthyeatinghastouchedourlivesinmyriadways.

“I feel really lucky to work for an organization that values my health and well-being. It goes beyond the freedom to stretch our legs and get some fresh air. CWA encourages other healthy habits that I can take home to my family. It makes me a more productive team member and a happier, healthier person in general.” —Meghan Saddler

Allsummerlong,severalstaffmemberssharedtheirweightlossandfitnessachievements,whileothersbroughtinfreshproducefromhomegardensorCSAboxeswithrecipestoshare.Onourowntime,weswim,takeyogaclasses,bicycle,hike,and/ordocircuittrainingtokeepuphealthyandactivelifestyles.It’sfunandencouragingtoaskeachother,“Howwasyourworkout?”

Lastspring,someofusjoinedthePresident’sChal-lengeforadditionalmotivation.Thisfreeprogramaims

toencourageallAmericansto“makebe-ingactivepartoftheireverydaylives”andtobephysicallyfit.Participantscantrackprogressonlineandorderacertificateofachievementafterreachingtheirgoal.

Checkitoutatwww.presidentschallenge.org/.

Attheofficeoronourowntime,weatCWAhavetakentheworksitewellnessculturetoheart.Andit’snosecretthatwegetourinspirationfromthoseofyoupracticingwellnessatlocalWICagencies.Keepupthehealthyhabits!ContactTeresaMorrisatCWAorvisit www.calwic.org/focus-areas/wic-worksite-wellness for information and inspiration.

“As a member of a CSA program (Community Supported Agriculture), I pick up a big box of fresh, local produce every Friday afternoon. Every week I get a variety of local fruits and veggies, along with recipe ideas and information from the farm. It allows me to always have a flow of delicious produce, and experiment with new veggies that I might not otherwise pick out at the grocery store or farmers’ market. Plus, it is so cost effective! I pay $14 a week for a huge box of fresh fruits and veggies—can’t beat that!” —Donna Hoffman

Donna, Margaret, Karen, Meghan, Teresa and Laurie take a weekday wellness walk. Laurie’s dog, Remy, loves it, too!

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Health Care Reform

leading the Way in oakland

BreastfeedingcounselingispartofthePreventiveServicesprovidedinhealthcarereform,andEast

and West oakland Health Centersareearlyadopters!InternationalBoardCertifiedLactationConsultants(IBCLC)willnowprovidebreastfeedingsupportforpregnantandpostpartumwomenintheclinicsites.

Aimingtobuildabettercontinuumofcareforthemothersserved,thelactationconsultantswillreachmothersandtheirfamiliesprenatallybyorganizingoutreachwithCPSPcoordinatorsandthroughrefer-ralfromthemidwivesanddoctors.HospitaldischargeplanningafterbirthwillincludereferraltothelactationconsultantsandotherservicesforessentialsupportinthefirstfewdaysandenhancethesupportprovidedthroughWIC.

Inaddition,collaborationwithFamilyHealthSer-vicesprogramsmayprovideenhancedbreastfeedingsupportinhomevisitingcare.TheIBCLCswillprovideclinic staff in-service training, as well as collaboration withWICandthecommunityBreastfeedingCulturalOutreachTaskforce(seerelatedarticleintheSummer2012WICWatch,page8).

Overall,thiseffortaimstoincreasebreastfeedinginitiationandduration.AgrantfromtheKaiserPerma-nenteCommunityBenefitProgramenablestheclinictotapintofundingforIBCLCsthroughhealthplancoverage.FormoreinformationcontactNormaMasonatNormaM@wohc.orgorJeanneKettlesatjeanne.kettles@acgov.org.

rolling out Preventive Services

althoughtheSupremeCourtdecisionlastJunelargelyupheldtheAffordableCareAct(ACA),

morechallengescouldarisedependingonelectionoutcomes.Despiteuncertainties,manyimprovementsinhealthcarecoveragehavetakenplaceandmorearesettocomein2014andbeyond.

What has this meant for Californians?•About435,000Californiansage19-26kepthealthinsuranceundertheirparents’plans.

• About11,000Californianswithseriousmedicalconditionshavecoverage.

•Childrenunder19yearsoldcannotbede-niedcoverageforpre-existingconditions.

• Nolifetimelimitsofcoverageapplytonew policies.

• Preventiveservicesforwomenincom-mercialhealthplansbecameeffectiveAugust1.

What is coming for Californians in 2014?• Individualsmusthaveinsurancethroughanemployer,Medi-Cal,orpurchasedontheirown.

• Largeemployersmustprovideinsuranceorfacepenalties.

• TheCalifornia Health Benefit Exchange will provide aplaceforindividualstocompareplansandenrollforinsurance.

•Qualifyingindividuals,familiesandsmallbusinesseswillreceivefederalsubsidiestooffsetcostsofinsurancepurchases.

•Medi-Caleligibilitywillbeexpanded.Good things for Women, Children and families!

WithpreventiveservicespartoftheACA,familieswillbenefitfromserviceslikeobesitycounseling,vacci-

nations,andType2Diabetesscreeningatnocostsharing.Thesebenefitswill(oralreadyhave)becomeeffective,dependingonone’shealthcoverage.

Forwomenundercommercialhealthplans,addi-tionalpreventiveserviceskickedinAugust1,includinggestationaldiabetesscreeningandlactationsupport.Findoutwhatpreventiveservicesareavailableunderyourhealthplan!Where to get ‘easy-to-understand’ updates:AffordableHealthCareFederalWebsite: www.healthcare.govCaliforniaHealthCareFoundation:www.chcf.orgHenryJ.KaiserFamilyFoundation:www.kff.org

Oakland IBCLCS Jessica Lee, Allana Samuel, DJuna Blackmon, Brandi Gates, and Tanefer Lumukanda join coordinator Jeanne Kettles, WIC Regional Breastfeeding Liaison, to celebrate their new roles.

WATCH FALL CONFERENCE EDITION FALL2012

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Local Agency News

Coming Soon: 2013 CNC Scholarships!TheCaliforniaNutritionCorpsscholarshipfundsupportsemployees

ofCalifornialocalWICprogramswhoareadvancingtheirprofes-

sionalcareerswithintheWICprogram.Applicantsmustbecurrently

employedinaWICprogramforatleastsixcontinuousmonthsand

enrolledinadieteticinternship,undergraduate,orgraduatepro-

gram.Importantdates:

November 1, 2012 ...............applications available online

January 16, 2013 ..................Completed applications due

february 28, 2013 ................Awardees notified

Forfulldetails,visithttp://

www.calwic.org/focus-areas/

cnc-scholarships.Questions?

ContactTeresaMorrisat

tmorris@calwic.orgor

(530)750-2280.

CNC Scholar: liliana Prado Nava

likeanumberofyoungpeople,LilianaPradoNava,recipientof

the2012AnnePetersonMemorialScholarship,startedcollegewithonecareerinmindandfinishedwithanother.CaliforniaWICisfortunatethatshedroppedherpharmacyschoolplansanddiscovereddi-eteticsatUCDavis.Lilianathoughtshe’dthencompleteadieteticinternshiporfindaclinicalposition,butlandedherfirstjobattheMer-ced County Caa WIC Program.It’stherethatsherealizedhowmuchsheenjoyedcommunitynutritionandthepositiveimpactshecouldhaveinpublichealth.

FastforwardtoFall2012,andwefindLilianawithnearlythreeyears’workexperienceinWIC,havingcompletedtrainingasalactationspecialist,andfinishingherdieteticinternshipwithBowlingGreenStateUniversity.Thedistance-learningformatofherinternshipallowed Liliana to stay in Califor-nia’sCentralValley,whereshelivesandworks,andcontinuelearningaboutcommunitynutritionservicesandhowtheyarenetworked.AndwithaCaliforniaNutritionCorps(CNC)Scholarship,shewasabletocontinueworkinginWICduringherinternship.

“Thedieteticinternshiphashelpedmeunderstandmorehownutritionimpactshealth.”saysLiliana.“Seeingcomplicationsfromconditionslikecardiovasculardiseaseanddiabetes—conditionsthatcanbegreatlyimprovedbyfollowingahealthydiet—hasin-

creased my commitment to working inthefield.Eatinghabitsdevelopedduringchildhoodandinfancyreallycanhaveagreatimpactonadulthealth.”

Inthelongterm,oneofLiliana’sgoalsistobecomeaCertifiedDiabeticEducator.Sheseesfamilymemberslivingwithtype2diabetesandknowsthatbetternutritioncanimprovetheirqualityoflife.Liliana’sbilingualskillsandpersonalknowl-edgeofhealthchallengesfacedbymembersofhercommunitydriveherstrongdesiretohelpandtocontinuelearningabouthowdietet-icsprofessionalscanhaveapositiveinfluence.

Her intern-shipdirector,ChristineHaar,putsitthisway:“Liliana’s[work] geared towardthelow income audienceshowsherempathyandunderstandingoftheirneeds.[Oth-ers]noteherabilitytoestablishrap-portwithSpanishspeakingclientsandherpassionfortacklingtheprofoundhealthdisparitiesfoundintheCentralValley.”Congratula-tions,Liliana,forsuchastellarbegin-ningtoyourcareer.We’regladyoudiscoveredWIC!

California WIC association1490DrewAvenue,Suite175 Davis,CA95618

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april 21-24, 2013Fairmont Hotel • San Jose

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Contribute to the WIC Watch!EXECUTIVE BoarD

Marcia Barnes,President PlacerCountyHealthDepartment

Tracie Barrows, PresidentElect SonomaCountyWICProgram

Peggy redfern, PastPresident TulareCountyWICProgram

Pamela Stanley,Treasurer Antelope Valley WIC

Samar MacGregor,Secretary PHFEWICProgram

rEGIoNal rEPrESENTaTIVESAngelaDamon,Orange-LA

BasinRegion ElianaSchultz,BayRegion

LynneOfficer,GreatSouthRegion ChristineDodd,CentralValleyRegion

RoseMcIsaac,Delta/SierraGoldRegion Vacant,SierraCascadeRegion DeniseKirnig,NorthCoastRegion

SMall aGENCY CaUCUS HelaineMoore,ShirleeRunnings

NaTIVE aMErICaN rEPrESENTaTIVESIreneMason

MEMBErS-aT-larGE EloiseJenks,HeidiKent

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CWA extends heartfelt congratulations to Betsy Cline (San Bernardino County WIC – also a new bride!), Caro

Stinson (Santa Barbara County WIC), and Jane Lewis (City of Pasadena WIC) on receiving this year’s

Career Achievement Awards!

Betsy ClineCaro Stinson Jane Lewis