Population-based public health educational resources for primary care providers in Central MA
(This section is still evolving, hopefully with help this year from our Population Health Clerkship teams. As always, send relevant links to Heather-Lyn Haley. Thanks!)
You can use these links to jump to sections below:
Specific to certain age groups:
Infants and toddlers (0-5)
Getting started with immunizations: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/infants-toddlers.html
Infant mortality: The Worcester Healthy Baby Collaborative has stats showing Worcester’s high infant mortality rate, and links to their community programs for woman who are expecting. There is now also a library subject guide devoted to this topic.
Safety at home and in the community – Infants and toddlers: http://www.cdc.gov/parents/infants/safety.html
School-aged children (6-12)
School health: CDC Comprehensive resource: School Health Service Resources covers a wide range of school health topics, grouped under the following categories: Wellness and preventative care, Chronic health conditions, Mental health conditions, Episodic/acute conditions and diseases, Health disparities, Fact sheets, stats, links: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/
Public health nursing school health program: http://www.mass.gov/dph/fch/schoolhealth
Bullying policies, plans and reporting forms at Worcester Public Schools: http://preventbullying.worcesterschools.org/modules/groups/integrated_home.phtml?gid=2158515&sessionid=201a254a7b4da227fa68a57b86378746
Worcester Public School health forms: http://nursing.worcesterschools.org/modules/locker/files/group_files.phtml?parent=6646869&gid=1516675
Adoption and foster care: You can find resourcecs through the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange.
Department of Children and Families, MA Office of Health and Human Services
Teens and young adults (13-21)
US Preventive Health Task Force links to many recommended screening tools for teens (from suicide to scoliosis): http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/tfchildcat.htm
Resources for teens: http://kidshealth.org/teen/ - resources for sexual health, dating violence, tobacco, drugs and alcohol
Adults (27-54)
Preventive measures: US Preventive Health Task Force Pocket Guide to Clinical Preventive Services – online table of contents: http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/pocketgd1011/
Child-bearing and parenting: US Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health – includes data, grants, news, programs and training opportunities: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/
Locally, Pernet Family Services specializes in this area: http://www.pernetfamilyhealth.org/programs.htm
Environmental influences: The CDC has a good resource in this area, covering everything from air pollution to wildfires, from lead paint to mold, at http://www.cdc.gov/environmental/
Seniors (55+)
All about aging from the CDC, includes interactive data sets, prevention recommendations, latest research: http://www.cdc.gov/aging/
Specific to condition or medical disorder
Communicable disease
Not sure if you need to report a certain condition? Check here for the state's list of reportable conditions. Fact sheets on a wide variety of communicable diseases, translated into multiple languages, can also be found here at the state DPH website.
HIV, TB: MA Dept of Public Health HIV/AIDS Surveillance Program: http://www.mass.gov/dph/cdc/aids ; US Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Programs – includes data, clinical recommendations, http://hab.hrsa.gov
Chronic disease
Diabetes: Diabetes Public Health Resource, CDC, includes data, news, programs for patients and educational materials, all in one place at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/
Chronic pain: Get the perspective of professionals at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chronic_pain/chronic_pain.htm, find patient resources at the American Chronic Pain Association http://www.theacpa.org/default.aspx; learn about our own department’s protocols at http://www.umassmed.edu/Content.aspx?id=96774
Mental health
is a huge topic – a good place to start is the National Institute of Mental Health at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
Community Connections has compiled a list of support groups available in Worcester for a variety of issues. This listing should be accurate as of April 2012.
Physical disability
At http://www.disability.gov , you'll find information about Medicare and Medicaid, health care, and programs that can help people live independently in their own homes and communities instead of a nursing home. There are also resources for caregivers, and individuals looking for mental health services or developmental screening for children.
Oral health
Up to date, evidence based guidelines can now be accessed in two ways from the award winning Smiles for Life curriculum that has been endorsed by the American Association of Public Health Dentistry, Academy of Family Physicians, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Public Health Dentistry, among others including a letter of commendation from the ADA.
1) Go to http://www.smilesforlifeoralhealth.org/. Note that there are online versions for personal use and also downloadable versions for teaching purposes that comes complete with speaker notes, post test questions, patient handouts, etc. Topics include Systemic-Oral Health, Pediatric Oral Health, Adult Oral Health, Geriatric Oral Health, Pregnancy and Oral Health, Urgent Care Issues, Fluoride Varnish training, and the Oral Exam for Pediatrics and Adults.
2) All of the messages contained in the Smiles for Life training can be downloaded onto your iPhone.
Check out http://appshopper.com/medical/smiles-for-life-reference-guide or go to the iPhone app store and type in "Smiles for Life".
We're also pleased to offer you access to the list of dental care providers in MA who accept MassHealth, current for the 2014-2015 year.
Specific to demographic or cultural characteristics
Ethnicity
Latino health: In Worcester, there’s a Latin American Health Alliance – learn more at http://lahaworc.org/.
African-American health
Refugee health is a big issue in Worcester. Refugee health assessments are provided by Family Health Center Worcester, the Edward M Kennedy Community Health Center and St. Vincent's (adults only). One local group that partners with UMass Chan Medical School is the Worcester Refugee Assistance Project (WRAP), which focuses its work on refugees from Burma and Thailand. http://www.worcesterrefugeeassistanceproject.org
There's a Statewide Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Coalition, working to address the need for mental health services delivered in a culturally competent way. The December 2011 meeting of the group featured a presentation highlighting the services available at the Metta Health Center, a division of the Lowell Community Health Center providing both western and eastern medical services, from primary care to meditation, designed to meet the specific needs of the southeast Asian community.
Class/ socioeconomic status
You can get the basics on health disparities, clearly written and with lots of links at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthdisparities.html
The Ronald McDonald Caremobile is a good outreach mchanism for engaging new folks in primary care. The June-September 2016 Caremobile schedule is available here.
Sexual identity and preference
The National Coalition for LGBT Health is committed to improving the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals through federal advocacy that is focused on research, policy, education, and training. Learn more at: http://lgbthealth.webolutionary.com/home; you can find data, programs, clinical practice recommendations, and more from the CDC at , and there’s more specific information on issues for the transgendered community at http://www.transgendercare.com/ There is now also a library subject guide for this topic.