AMCHP, in partnership with AEM, will develop an online Title V Data Systems Integration Toolkit to provide Title V leaders and stakeholders with resources and tools for integrating early childhood data and developing an early childhood integrated data system. To ensure this toolkit meets the needs of Title V stakeholders, AMCHP and AEM are establishing a Title V Toolkit Workgroup that will convene virtually between April and July 2017 to provide insight and feedback. The first call will take place on April 12from 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET and is open to anyone who would like to learn more about and/or participate in this workgroup and contribute to the development of the toolkit. To register for the call, click here.

Participate in a New eLearning Series

AMCHP, in partnership with Population Health Improvement Partners, will host a Quality Improvement (QI) eLearning Series for Title V staff to build capacity to apply QI tools and concepts to their work. The eLearning program is an interactive, virtual series of trainings that will allow participants to apply QI tools or concepts to issues they face working in MCH during virtual trainings with expert QI coaches from Improvement Partners. The QI eLearning Series also features coaching calls where participants can share their experience applying the QI tools with peers and receive feedback and guidance from the QI faculty at Improvement Partners. The QI eLearning series will run from March to July 2017. Topics covered each month include assessing current systems, identifying and prioritizing changes, testing changes and sustaining change. Participants do not have to commit to attending every session to take part in these trainings. The call schedule and registration links are below:

·       Live Discussion 2: Identifying and Prioritizing Changes (April 12 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET)
·       Collaborative Coaching Call 1 (May 9 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET)
·       Live Discussion 3: Testing Changes (May 31 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET)
·       Live Discussion 4: Sustaining and Spread (June 15 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET)
·       Collaborative Coaching Call 2 (July 13 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET)

New AYAH-CoIIN States Announced

AMCHP is pleased to announce the new group of AYAH-CoIIN states: Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Washington and Wyoming. These multi-disciplinary teams plan to improve adolescent and young adult health care delivery by exploring policy and insurance level changes, reviewing measurement strategies, developing trainings and resources for providers, partnering with clinics on quality improvement projects, and utilizing communications and marketing efforts. Learn more about the CoIIN. For more information on the Adolescent and Young Adult Health-Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network, please visit the AYAH National Resource Center, as well as AMCHP's Adolescent Health website.

Join AMCHP for the 2017 March for Babies Campaign

AMCHP is again supporting our partners at the March of Dimes by raising funds for and participating in the Maryland-National Capitol Area March for Babies on May 6 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. This year our fundraising goal is $3,000. If you participated in last year's fundraiser, please sign in with your username and password to confirm your participation in the AMCHP Steps for Babies Team (re-enrolling for the previous year's team will be the automatic choice) and confirm your personal information and insert your fundraising goal. New participants please visit our fundraising page and click on the link labeled "Join this Team." Please fill in your personal information and goal, then click submit. Once you are done, you are now a member of our team: You may edit your personal page and begin fundraising!

Participate in a Virtual Conference

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Environmental Heath Tracking Branch to host a virtual conference on April 5 and 6. There are various tools and resources available through the tracking program that are pertinent to MCH, including mapping and exposure data for MCH populations that may be utilized in ongoing Title V Needs Assessments.

Increase Your Knowledge on Adolescent Health

The University of Minnesota will host a webinar on April 10 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET. The webinar will focus on the Transforming Adolescent Care Learning Collaborative (TALK), an initiative of the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and United Healthcare Community Plan. Ohio Talk aims to increase the rate of comprehensive well-care visits for adolescents in primary care by improving office reminders, leveraging missed opportunities and exploring how adolescents and their families view their health care. This virtual learning event will share the TALK experience so that other interested state public health professionals and colleagues understand what it takes and are motivated to support similar efforts.

Recommend a Youth to Apply for the 2017 YAC

The School-Based Health Alliance seeks new members for its Youth Advisory Council (YAC). The YAC brings together diverse and passionate high school and college students for a one-year term of leadership, advocacy and service to promote school-based health care on a national level. Students will develop leadership and advocacy skills, learn and interact with other youth, and present at the School-Based Health Alliance's annual convention. Youth ages 16 or older who have current or prior access to a school-based health center, work to address health care issues affecting young people, and are passionate about school-based health care are eligible to apply. Applications will be accepted until April 14.

Participate in STD Awareness Month

STD Awareness Month (SAM) is in April. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages everyone to tackle the dangerous return of syphilis. CDC's SAM website has resources and guidance for health care providers and affected groups. To get involved:
·       Join the conversation in April on Twitter and Facebook with #STDMONTH17 (sample posts available).
·       Sign up for the Thunderclap.
·       Follow @WomensHealth on April 18 from 12:00-4:00 p.m. ET when @CDCSTD takes over the Office on Women's Health's Twitter account to share important syphilis prevention information with women and clinicians.

Parents and Privacy

The Autism Research Institute and the Johnson Center for Child and Health Development will host a webinar on April 18 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET. The presentation will discuss privacy rights and what parents should consider when sharing online information with children.

Moving from National Initiatives to Local Programs

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) will host the fifth webinar in the NACCHO Public Health Breastfeeding Series on April 19 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET. The presentation will explore how breastfeeding has been woven into the performance measures of national public health programs, such as Title V and Healthy Start and address how frontline public health professionals can engage these programs to advance breastfeeding initiatives at the community level.

The Role of Mayors and City Leaders to Ensure Kids are Healthy

The National League of Cities will host a webinar on April 19 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET. The presentation will explore the links between education, health and city leaders. Presenters will highlight efforts to improve the connection between health and education in their cities. Subject matter experts from national organizations, including the Children's Health Fund and Coalition for Community Schools, will remark on these critical links and how to implement strategies to better integrate health and education to ensure improved academic outcomes.

Enhance Your MCH Leadership Skills

CityMatCH is accepting applications for Cohort 11 of CityLeaders. This is a leadership training program for emerging and mid-level urban maternal and child health (MCH) leaders. CityLeader participants will engage in nine months of intensive training on the MCH Leadership Competencies, including one onsite meeting and a series of distance-based skills-building opportunities. Participants will also be matched with a senior urban MCH leader in the field for a mentor/mentee relationship. All applications must be received by April 21.

Recognize Leaders in Population Health

The Public Health Foundation is accepting applications for the Future of Population Health Award. The award recognizes exemplary practices by hospitals and health systems that are collaborating with public health departments and other community partners on health improvement strategies and implementation efforts. Applications will be accepted until April 21.

Excellence in Public Health Communications

The National Public Health Information Coalition is accepting nominations for the 2017 Berreth Awards for Excellence in Public Health Communication. Agencies that focus on health communication in the government, nonprofit or corporate sectors are eligible to recognized for exceptional and innovative information campaigns that help people lead healthier lives in health communities. Applications will be accepted until May 20.

Provide Your Feedback

The National Association of County and City Health Officials, with funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration, recently released the Local Health Department-Community Health Center Collaboration Toolkit. This set of tools is designed to support collaborations between local health departments (LHDs) and community health centers (CHCs) to increase access to and quality of critical services for underserved populations. NACCHO is searching for LHDs to test the tools and provide feedback. LHDs with existing partnerships with CHCs, as well as those who are interested in collaborating with a local CHC, are invited. Complete this short survey to indicate your interest in the toolkit and provide additional feedback.

Participate in the Prematurity Campaign Collaborative

The March of Dimes launched a new Prematurity Campaign Collaborative. The collaborative includes 200 leading maternal and child health organizations and experts nationwide, including parents and community groups, and focuses on fostering communities in which newborns, especially the most vulnerable, can get the healthiest possible start to life.