2009 Community Health
Conference
Surviving and Thriving in Difficult Times
Conference Program
October 1-2, 2009
Cragun’s Conference Center
Brainerd, MN
Sponsored by the State Community Health Services Advisory Committee
and the Minnesota Department of Health
Welcome to the 2009 Community Health Conference –
Surviving and Thriving in Difficult Times
The theme of the 2009 Community Health Conference, “Surviving and Thriving in Difficult Times” is reflective
of the nation’s current economic crisis. While we respond – individually and collectively – to the increased
pressures from budget shortfalls, workforce challenges, business closings, policy shifts and program cuts and/or
elimination, we know that the public’s health must continue to be a priority. In fact, our work in public health is
more important than ever. Throughout this year’s conference we will seek ways for public health work to
survive as well as thrive during these difficult times.
As a participant you will:
• Meet new and network with old public health colleagues;
• Discuss and provide input on important public health topics with the Commissioner of Health;
• Learn about past public health achievements, celebrate recent accomplishments and be inspired to meet
the challenges of the future;
• Grow your leadership skills by examining leadership, power, and meaningful interaction;
• Develop an understanding of institutional racism and its contribution to health disparities;
• Gain fresh perspectives by attending timely concurrent sessions; and
• Receive tips, tools, and resources to assist in your “surviving and thriving in difficult times.”
Thank you for attending the 2009 Community Health Conference!
2009 Conference Planning Committee
Susan Morris, Chair, Isanti County Commissioner
Ken Bence, Minnesota Council of Health Plans
Cynthia Bennett, Aitkin, Itasca, Koochiching Community Health Services
David Benson, Nobles County Commissioner
Maggie Diebel, MDH, Community and Family Health
Gail Gentling, MDH, Community and Family Health
Ardis Henriksen, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Pipestone Public Health Services
Jay Jaffee, MDH, Health Promotion Chronic Disease
Kim Jeppesen, MDH, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Prevention and Control
Michelle Jordan, MDH, Office of Emergency Preparedness
Ann Kinney, MDH, Health Policy
Helene Kahlstorf, North Country Community Health Board
Idelle Sue Longman, City of Edina Community Health Board
Julie Myhre, Carlton, Cook, Lake, St. Louis Community Health Services
Mike Nordos, MDH, Environmental Health
Rachel Reabe Nystrom, Crow Wing County Commissioner
Mary Sheehan, Chisago County Health and Human Services
Sharon T. Smith, MDH, Office of Minority and Multicultural Health
Gary Sorenson, Cottonwood County Commissioner
Bev Wangerin, McLeod County Commissioner
Conference Staff
Chelsie Huntley, MDH, Community and Family Health
Peggy Malinowski, MDH, Community and Family Health
2
Highlights and Conference Basics
See Minnesota’s Public Health Partnership
in Action!
Join us for the State Community Health Services
Advisory Committee (SCHSAC) meeting. The
SCHSAC advises the Commissioner of Health on
critical public health issues; its members play an
important role in shaping public health policy in
Minnesota.
Continuing Education Credits
The conference is designed to provide continuing
education credits for nurses, registered dieticians,
health educators, and environmental health
specialists/sanitarians. Prior to leaving the
conference, please obtain certificates of attendance at
the conference registration desk.
Community Health Awards and Reception
Recognition of the accomplishments of local and
state public health staff and elected officials has long
been a highlight of the annual conference.
Commissioner of Health, Sanne Magnan, M.D.,
Ph.D. will present the awards Thursday evening.
Evaluation
Please complete evaluations for each concurrent
session you attend. You will also receive an online
conference evaluation the week following the
conference. We need to know what you found useful
– and not – about the conference. We value your
feedback!
Welcome Alumni!
Stop by the alumni table in the resources and displays
area. Look at photos from past conferences and
public health events and help us identify faces from
the past in these photos. Watch for Community
Health Alumni name badges and welcome them
back!
Photographs – Opt Out Form
We will be taking photographs to use in MDH
newsletters and online. If you prefer that we not use
your photo, please sign an opt-out form at the
conference registration desk.
Public Health Resources and Displays
The public health resource area will be the center of
activity for networking opportunities and refreshment
breaks. Informational resources will be on display
throughout the conference in the Cragun’s Sports
Centre.
Cyber Café
For your convenience, computers with internet access
are located in the Cragun’s main lobby and available
for use during conference hours. The Cyber Café is
being provided by the Minnesota Public Health
Association.
3
Town Hall Meeting and General Session Speakers
Town Hall Meeting
You are invited to join Sanne Magnan, M.D., Ph.D., Commissioner of Health for a spirited interactive dialogue
about how we can effectively prepare for and respond to H1N1 Influenza. We hope you’ll bring questions and
issues from your local jurisdiction to the town hall meeting; here are some discussion points to consider as you
compile your list:
•
•
•
•
•
•
How have your planning and response efforts been going?
What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing and the gaps that still need to be addressed?
What barriers do you have in assuring vaccinations are provided to everyone who is in a priority group
or who wants to be vaccinated?
What concerns are you hearing from your healthcare partners?
What can the State do in regards to media?
How are you preparing for employee illness and maintaining priority services?
General Session Speakers
Linda Olson Keller
Clinical Associate Professor
School of Nursing, University of Minnesota
Public Health 2009: Celebrating Our Achievements and Embracing the Challenge.
What makes public health practice unique? What makes it inspiring? This presentation will illustrate the public
health achievements of the past century and strategies for meeting the challenges of the future.
Robin Getman
Motivational Speaker
Leading from Your Soul (Instead of a Position of Authority)
This session is a lighthearted and serious examination of leadership, power and meaningful interaction.
Diana Dunn
People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, New Orleans, Louisiana
John Morrin
People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond and the Grand Portage Territory of the Anishinabeg Nation,
Grand Portage, Minnesota
Institutional Racism: What Is It? Why Is It Important?
This session will introduce one of the most significant contributors to health disparities – institutional racism.
The session will present what it is, why it’s important to health and what can be done about it.
Sanne Magnan, M.D., Ph.D.
Commissioner of Health
Join Commissioner Magnan as she closes the 2009 Community Health Conference by reflecting on the
conference, by celebrating our successes and our hopes for the future.
4
Conference Schedule - Thursday
Thursday, October 1st
9 a.m.
Conference Registration Desk and Cyber Café Opens ............................................... Lobby
10:00 a.m.
SCHSAC Meeting.................................................................................... Lakeshore 1 and 2
12 noon
Lunch (included in your Cragun’s meals package)........................ Cragun’s Dining Room
1:15 p.m.
Conference Opening ..........................................................................................The Centre
Bev Bales, SCHSAC Chair, Douglas County Commissioner
SCHSAC Sponsored Town Hall Meeting ........................................................The Centre
2:30 p.m.
Break, Resource Table Viewing and Networking Opportunities ........................The Centre
3-5 p.m.
Conference 1st General Session ........................................................................The Centre
Session Moderator: Maggie Diebel, Minnesota Department of Health,
Community and Family Health Division Director
Linda Olson Keller - Public Health 2009: Celebrating Our Achievements
and Embracing the Challenge
Robin Getman - Leading from Your Soul (Instead of a Position of Authority)
6:15 p.m.
Community Health Awards Ceremony.................................................... Lakeshore 3 and 4
6:30 p.m.
Conference Registration Desk and Cyber Café Closes............................................... Lobby
7-8:30 p.m.
Awards Reception............................................................................ Cragun’s Dining Room
5
Conference Schedule - Friday
Friday, October 2nd
6:45-8 a.m.
Breakfast .......................................................................................... Cragun’s Dining Room
7:30 a.m.
Conference Registration and Cyber Café Opens ........................................................ Lobby
8 a.m.
Conference Opening Day Two and 2nd General Session ................................The Centre
Session Moderator: Maggie Diebel, Minnesota Department of Health
Community and Family Health Division Director
Welcome
Susan Morris, Conference Planning Work Group Chair, Isanti County Commissioner
Diana Dunn and John Morrin - Institutional Racism: What Is It? Why Is It Important?
9:30-10 a.m. Refreshment Break and Resource Table Viewing ...............................................The Centre
Room Check Out......................................................................................... Cragun’s Lobby
10-11 a.m. – Concurrent Sessions “Series A”
Designing a Performance Management System
– LAKESHORE 1
Presenters: Sue Hedlund and Stephanie Lenartz, Washington County Public Health and the Environment
Moderator: Kim Jeppesen, Minnesota Department of Health
How does an agency incorporate quality improvement, CHAAP, mission-vision-values, accreditation, and
program evaluation into one strategic plan? Learn how one local public health agency designed a performance
management system to address the complex task of improvement planning and preparation for accreditation.
EHDI - Surviving, Thriving, and Accelerating Change
– LAKESHORE 4
Presenters: Theresa Evans-Ross, Annex Teen Clinic; Marie Tran, Vietnamese Social Services of Minnesota;
and Roberta Barnes, Agape House for Mothers, Inc.
Moderator: Makeda Norris, Minneapolis Urban League
In this session, Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative (EHDI) grantees will use stories to highlight effective
strategies and lessons learned in their work with communities of color and American Indians in Minnesota.
Specific examples will include, reducing barriers to accessing services, developing partnerships, and addressing
data limitations.
6
Catch Your Breath: Partnerships to Protect Public Health and Air Quality
– TECH 1
Presenters: Chuck Stroebel, Minnesota Department of Health; Rich Peter, Olmsted County Public Health
Services, Retired; and Mark Sulzbach, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Moderator: Susan Morris, Isanti County Commissioner
The notable increase in public and media attention to outdoor air pollution and public health presents new
challenges for health professionals and local communities in Minnesota. This session will provide innovative,
low-cost strategies for engaging state, local, and community partners around outdoor air pollution, and identify
readily available resources for handling public inquiries related to air quality topics.
Underage Alcohol Use is NOT a Rite of Passage
– LAKESHORE 2
Presenter: Jay Jaffee, Minnesota Department of Health
Moderator: Idelle Longman, City of Edina Community Health Board
This session will provide a graphic understanding of how too many young people are jeopardizing their lives
and others by drinking alcohol excessively and dangerously. Too many adults are enabling these behaviors
because they are uninformed and either deny or fail to understand the extent of the problem. Those attending
will have access to the materials presented in order to help them change the attitudes of adults about underage
and young adult drinking in their communities.
Health Care Coverage Outreach: Barriers and Solutions
– LAKESHORE 3
Presenters: Janny Brust, Minnesota Council of Health Plans; Gretchen Musicant, Minneapolis Department of
Health and Family Support; and Elaine Cunningham, Children’s Defense Fund
Moderator: Ken Bence, Medica
There are many barriers to applying for health care coverage programs and the current economic climate has
created additional barriers. Outreach programs can reduce those barriers. This interactive session will provide
examples of statewide and local outreach programs and identify ways to access health care coverage in your
own community.
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. – Concurrent Sessions “Series B”
Moving from Surviving to Thriving Using Team Coaching as a Tool: A Case Study
– TECH 1
Presenters: Jill Briggs, Elizabeth Dodge, Nancy Dahlin, Mary Sheehan, Chisago County Health and Human
Services; and Hanna Cooper, Public Health Consultant
Moderator: Ken Bence, Medica
In the midst of significant organizational and financial change, Chisago County Health and Human Services
identified the need to improve senior leadership team functioning. By working with a professional coach they
were able to improve team performance – a benefit to the agency and its constituents. Presenters will share their
experiences and lessons learned in developing a collaborative leadership approach within a combined county
health and human services agency.
7
Helping American Indian Babies Reach Their First Birthday – Everyone has a Role!
– LAKESHORE 3
Presenters: Janice LaFloe, American Indian Family Center; Stephanie Graves, Minneapolis Department of
Health; and Noya Woodrich, Division of Indian Works
Moderator: Sharon T. Smith, Minnesota Department of Health
The American Indian Infant Mortality Review Project was undertaken to address concerns about infant
mortality disparities. In addition to the project’s priority recommendations presenters will share successful
strategies and lessons learned in engaging the community to embrace an important issue and take responsibility
for moving the recommendations forward.
ECHO Comes of Age: The Evolution of an Important Resource for Limited-English Emergency
Communication – LAKESHORE 1
Presenters: Buddy Ferguson, Minnesota Department of Health; Bill Belknap, Hennepin County Public Health;
and Lillian McDonald, Emergency and Community Health Outreach
Moderator: Kim Jeppesen, Minnesota Department of Health
Emergency and Community Health Outreach (ECHO) provides a variety of communication tools that can be
used by local health agencies and others to reach Limited English Proficiency populations during an emergency
incident. At this session, you will learn how to work effectively with ECHO – and make it an ICS-compliant
element of your emergency response planning.
Life is Sacred
– TECH 2
Presenter: Luanne Koch, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Moderator: Rachel Nystrom, Crow Wing County Commissioner
Anishinaabeg Minosewag is a behavioral health program of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Health Division.
This session will focus on the strategies, reasoning, and the process of the development of this behavioral health
program.
Thriving in the Long-Term: Two Family Home Visiting Programs that Increase Mothers’
Economic Self-Sufficiency – LAKESHORE 4
Presenters: Marilyn Deling, Olmsted County Public Health; and Julie Burns, St. Louis County Health and
Human Services
Moderator: Joni Geppert, Minnesota Department of Health
The Minnesota Nurse Family Partnership and the Olmsted County Baby Steps programs are examples of how
family home visiting can help families thrive through improving economic self-sufficiency. These two
successful programs help increase high school graduation rates, decrease subsequent pregnancies, promote
employment and assist mothers in getting out of poverty. Presenters will share successful program
characteristics, evaluation methods and outcomes.
8
Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP): Implementing Successful Interventions
(This session will be repeated during Series C)
– LAKESHORE 2
Presenters: Julie Myhre, Carlton-Cook-Lake-St. Louis Community Health Board; Patty Bowler, Minneapolis
Department of Health and Family Support; and Judy Voss, Olmsted County Public Health
Moderator: Cara McNulty, Minnesota Department of Health
SHIP Manager, Cara McNulty, will introduce and moderate a discussion about successful implementation of
policy, systems, and environmental interventions around obesity and tobacco prevention. Three panelists from
local public health agencies in Minnesota will present on their successes, provide some key action steps for
implementation, detail insights from their work, and answer questions. Attendees will also receive information
on upcoming SHIP intervention-specific technical assistance opportunities.
12:15 p.m. – Lunch ................................................... Cragun’s Dining Room
1:15-2:15 p.m. – Concurrent Sessions “Series C”
Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP): Implementing Successful Interventions
(Repeat of session B6)
– LAKESHORE 2
Presenters: Julie Myhre, Carlton-Cook-Lake-St. Louis Community Health Board; Patty Bowler, Minneapolis
Department of Health and Family Support; and Judy Voss, Olmsted County Public Health
Moderator: Cara McNulty, Minnesota Department of Health
SHIP Manager, Cara McNulty, will introduce and moderate a discussion about successful implementation of
policy, systems, and environmental interventions around obesity and tobacco prevention. Three panelists from
local public health agencies in Minnesota will present on their successes, provide some key action steps for
implementation, detail insights from their work, and answer questions. Attendees will also receive information
on upcoming SHIP intervention-specific technical assistance opportunities.
Healthy Connections: Reaching the Latino Community
– LAKESHORE 4
Presenters: Barbara Dickie and Cristina Flood Urdangarin, St. Mary’s Health Clinics
Moderator: Helen Kahlstorf, North Country Community Health Board
Healthy Connections works to reduce health disparities in the Latino population by providing education and
increasing access to health care. This session will highlight innovative and successful strategies for connecting
with and providing services for the Latino community.
9
Health Response to the Red River Flood
– TECH 1
Presenters: Kathy McKay, Clay County Public Health; Bryan Green, Clay County Emergency Management;
and Randy Bach, Eventide Senior Living Communities
Moderator: Cindy Borgen, Minnesota Department of Health
During the Red River flood in 2009, Clay County Public Health was involved in the evacuation of a large senior
housing and skilled nursing facility, and several smaller multi-housing units. This panel of presenters will
discuss the planning and implementation of these evacuations and highlight lessons learned, including the value
of strong relationships and collaborations, and the challenges in receiving FEMA reimbursement.
Preventing Suicide in Minnesota: Public Health Approaches
– LAKESHORE 3
Presenters: Phyllis Brashler, Minnesota Department of Health; and Stephanie Downey, Evergreen House
Moderator: Jay Jaffee, Minnesota Department of Health
In this session, participants will learn about suicide in Minnesota and the public health approach to suicide
prevention. Information will include trends and statistics, risk and protective factors, proven effective
prevention strategies for reducing suicide, and lessons learned from existing programs. Resources for
information and technical assistance will be provided.
Building Community Capacity to use Data in Assessment, Planning and Evaluation
– TECH 2
Presenters: Becky Sechrist, Minnesota Institute of Public Health; Jean Johnson, McLeod County Public Health;
and Mary Bachman, Sibley County Public Health
Moderator: Ardis Henriksen, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Pipestone Public Health Services
For over a decade Meeker-McLeod-Sibley Community Health Services and the Minnesota Institute of Public
Health have collaborated to collect, analyze, report and use data effectively. Presenters will highlight lessons
learned in building organizational capacity to use data and how to approach evaluation with confidence and
understand its utility.
Laying the Foundation for Successful Local Health Departments: The State Community Health
Services Advisory Committee (SCHSAC) Blueprint Work Group
– LAKESHORE 1
Presenters: Susan Morris, Isanti County Commissioner; Patricia Adams, Minnesota Department of Health; and
Renee Frauendienst, Stearns County Public Health
Moderator: Allison Thrash, Minnesota Department of Health
Many in the CHS system are considering changes to their public health organization structures and governance.
In this session, participants will learn about the "Blueprint" work group and its progress on these issues.
Presenters will share findings from the literature on factors important to LHD performance, relevant Minnesota
data, a brief overview of the work group's discussions thus far, and MDH perspectives on this work. A draft
discussion guide developed for local use will be shared. The session will encourage active dialogue among
attendees and presenters!
10
Conference Schedule – Friday
2:15 p.m.
Refreshment Break...............................................................................................The Centre
2:35 p.m.
Conference Closing and 3rd General Session...................................................The Centre
Session Moderator: Pat Adams, Assistant Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Health
Sanne Magnan, M.D., Ph.D., Commissioner of Health
3:30 p.m.
Conference Adjourned
4 p.m.
Conference Registration, CEU Distribution and Cyber Café Closes ........................ Lobby
2010 Community Health Conference
The date and location of the 2010 Community Health Conference is yet to be determined,
please be on the look-out for an official announcement.
11