·         A Doctor in Little Lhasa:  One Year in Dharamsala with the Tibetans in Exile by Tim Holtz, MD.  Following medical school, Dr. Holtz, a long-time member of APHA, spends a year caring for the men, women, and children of the Tibetan community that have fled their country for the north of India.  In addition to basic primary care, childbirth, family planning, immunization, and mental health, he also finds time to address the issue of child labor and meets with the Dalai Lama.  Dr. Holtz teaches courses in tuberculosis, health and human rights, and social medicine at Emory University, and is the co-author of the Textbook of International Health:  Global Health in a Dynamic World, along with Anne-Emmanuelle Birn and Yogan Pillay.

·         Statistical Briefs from AHRQ:  The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently released reports from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Statistical Brief series include the following, which can all be accessed at http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs.jsp.:

o    Medicare Hospital Stays: Comparisons between the Fee-for-Service Plan and Alternative Plans, 2006 (HCUP Statistical Brief #66)  

o    Trends in Uninsured Hospital Stays, 1997-2006 (HCUP Statistical Brief #67)  

o    Hospitalizations for Brain Cancer, 2006 (HCUP Statistical Brief #68)

o    Hospitalizations for Colorectal Cancer, 2006 (HCUP Statistical Brief #69)

o    Hospitalizations for Eating Disorders from 1999 to 2006 (HCUP Statistical Brief #70)

o    Hospitalizations Related to Childbirth, 2006 (HCUP Statistical Brief #71)

o    Nationwide Frequency and Costs of Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations, 2006 (HCUP Statistical Brief #72)

·         Communicating with children and families: from everyday interactions to skill in conveying distressing information (Levetown M).  American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Bioethics.  Pediatrics 2008.  May; 121(5):e1441-60. http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?view_id=1&doc_id=13404

·         Introduction to Global Disparities in Indigenous Children’s Health:  This report documents what we know about the health of indigenous children (from birth to age 12) and evaluates the quality of indigenous child health data collection in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.  Similar exclusionary social policies active in all four countries are at the root of these profound and unjust differences in child health.   Available at http://www.stmichaelshospital.com/pdf/crich/ichr_report.pdf.

·         Traditional Tribal Subsistence Exposure Scenario and Risk Assessment Guidance Manual:  This document provides a framework for evaluating risks for Indian sites. Under the paradigm used by the federal government (NRC 1983), human health risk derives from the combination of human exposure to contaminants and the toxicity of the contaminants. In the risk assessment process, contaminant data is gathered to estimate present or future exposures to determine if resources are, or could, become harmful to the health and well-being of a community.  Environmental contact rates are used to estimate contamination doses to exposed individuals via inhalation, ingestion of food and water, and dermal absorption during a defined set of activities in particular locations.  Conversely, the degree of allowable contamination required to keep human health risks below a specified risk level can also be calculated.  The manual can be accessed at:  http://www.hhs.oregonstate.edu/ph/sites/default/files/xposure_Scenario_and_Risk_Guidance_Manual_v2.pdf

·         Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention Manual:  APHA is proud to annouce the release of Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention: A Guide for Public Health Practitioners. This manual provides public health professionals with information, skills and tools needed to conduct screening and brief intervention (SBI) to help at-risk drinkers reduce their alcohol use.  Download the manual free: http://www.apha.org/programs/additional/progaddNHTSI.htm

·         Online manual?  APHA wants to know your opinion on whether you would use an online version of the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual.  Help us by taking a survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=53858582nfNS699PLteHvg_3d_3d.  We appreciate your input.

·         New Book on Disability Studies:  Disability and Public Health, published by APHA, is now available. The publication is an important and overdue contribution to the core curriculum of disability studies in public health education. It is a particularly timely book because, as our nation ages, disability is an increasingly significant interdisciplinary area of study and service domain in public health. Visit the APHA online bookstore at www.aphabookstore.org/.  APHA members can also take advantage of a 30 percent member discount whether ordering online or via our toll-free number, (888) 320-2742.

·         Help Make America the Healthiest Nation in One Generation:  Let’s face it – as a nation we’re not nearly as healthy as we should be. Compared to other developed nations, we’re lagging far behind. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With your help, we can make America the healthiest nation in just one generation.  As a central component of this year’s National Public Health Week (NPHW) observance, APHA launched an exciting, new viral video campaign. The Healthiest Nation in One Generation video tells the story of the many ways that public health touches our lives. Nearly 25,000 people have already viewed the video online, and the numbers continue to grow each day. If you haven’t checked out the video, watch it today and be sure to share it with your colleagues, family and friends. And stay informed by visiting www.generationpublichealth.org. NPHW 2009 is over, but our campaign to make America the healthiest nation in one generation is just beginning.  We all have to do our part. What will you do?