election year inside choices and challenges wic n nl fall 2012 fi… · election year choices and...
TRANSCRIPT
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: [email protected] • 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 [email protected].
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.
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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
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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
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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@[email protected].
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.
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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
(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
Save the Dates CalIforNIa BrEaSTfEEDING
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CWa aNNUal CoNfErENCE & TraDE SHoW
april 21-24, 2013Fairmont Hotel • San Jose
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WINTEr 2013 Deadline:
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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