Wednesday, April 30, 2014

NCI Research to Reality Cyber-Seminar: May 13, 2014

Multilevel Interventions to Increase Physical Activity & Improve Nutrition and Create Change in Communities

Tuesday, May 13, 2014, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET

Multi-level interventions to improve the health of communities and decrease chronic disease risk are an essential part of cancer control strategies. The policies, systems, and environments (PSEs) in communities significantly shape lives and impact cancer risk. PSEs in communities that make healthy choices easy, safe, and affordable can have a positive impact on the way people live, learn, work, and play. Partnerships with community leaders in education, government, transportation, and business are essential in creating sustainable change to reduce the burden of chronic disease.

Our May NCI cyber-seminar will highlight two exciting interventions that are creating healthy communities by implementing policy and environmental changes that have a lasting impact.

ShapingNJ is the state partnership for nutrition, physical activity and obesity prevention. The goal of this partnership is to prevent obesity and improve the health of populations that are at risk for poor health outcomes in New Jersey by making "the healthy choice, the easy choice." Peri Nearon, with the New Jersey Department of Health, will discuss how ShapingNJ leveraged a wide array of partners around nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention.

Dr. Melissa Laska's presentation will address key issues related to food access in underserved communities and the impact of access to healthy and unhealthy foods on important health indicators. Her presentation will focus specifically on small food stores and the role that they can play in improving community-level food access, as well as the challenges that need to be addressed when working in these settings.

As always, the last part of the cyber-seminar will be dedicated to your questions. We invite you to engage with the presenters and share your own experiences.

Speakers:

Peri L. Nearon, MPA
Director, External Affairs & Strategic
Initiatives for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Control,
Division of Family Health Services,

Melissa N. Laska, Ph.D., R.D.
Associate Professor,
Division of Epidemiology &
Community Health,
University of Minnesota

Register Now!

Please click on the following link for more information and to register for this event: https://researchtoreality.cancer.gov/cyber-seminars/multilevel-interventions-increase-physical-activity-improve-nutrition-and-create-chan.

Following registration, you will receive a confirmation email with the toll free number, web URL, and participant passcode. This cyber-seminar will be archived on the Research to Reality (R2R) web site at http://researchtoreality.cancer.gov approximately one week following the presentation.


Moffitt Cancer Center Community Health Education Webinar-HPV

Join us for our next Community Health Education Webinar

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

HPV Related Diseases:

Genital Warts, Cervical,

Anal and Head & Neck Cancers


Featured Speaker:

Christine Gage, ARNP

Moffitt Cancer Center


Who should attend this webinar:

Community Health Workers

Promotoras/Promotores

Outreach Workers

Health Educators

Navigators

Health Ministry leaders

Community Advocates

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To start or join the online meeting
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Topic: Moffitt Cancer Center Community Health Education Webinar
Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Time: 12:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)
Meeting Number: 645 086 492
Meeting Password: arcAO82

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To start or join the online meeting
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Go to https://moffitt.webex.com/moffitt/j.php?MTID=m6ff8eb2fada5f33e15cb8dbd3b593913

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Audio conference information
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To participate in this webinar you will need to click on the link provided as well as dial into the call. Please dial
1-800-206-6032 If prompted to enter an access code, use 7454306.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

FBCF Education and Advocacy Day in Miami


A One-Day Conference

A free educational event open to all!

Newport Beachside Hotel and Resort

16701 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160

Saturday, May 3, 2014

8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Register Here

HealthStreet Presents: Our Community, Our Health

Wednesday, April 30th 5-7pm (Reception 4:30-5 pm) 
HealthStreet 
2401 SW Archer Road (off the corner of SW 23rd Dr. and Archer Rd.)
(352) 294-4880 www.myhealthstreet.org

HealthStreet is very excited to present ‘Our Community, Our Health’, a quarterly series designed to bring together researchers and the community to discuss various topics in health research. This event aims to close the “feedback loop” between those who conduct research, those who participate, and all of us who are impacted. 

Please RSVP at http://epidemiology.phhp.ufl.edu/healthstreet/rsvp-our-community-our-health/ to help us coordinate catering needs.

Contact Darryl Pastor for further details: darrylp@ufl.edu or (352) 294-4884.


Save Our Seniors Event

Awareness * Education * Protection

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

10000 W. Newberry Rd

Gainesville, FL

Thursday, May 1st, 2014

9:00am – 12:00 noon

PLEASE RSVP BY CALLING

352-333-7700

Bring any non-perishable items for Bread of the Mighty Food Bank

***Free Admission***

Continental Breakfast and Door Prizes

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Guest Post: “Addiction is a brain disease”

By Nicole Martins, WellFlorida Council Intern

The effects of tobacco addiction are inherently different on the adolescent brain as compared to adults. This was the focus of the presentation by Daniel Logan, MD, at the 6th Annual Rural Tobacco Summit on “Addiction: Tobacco & E-Cigarettes.” Logan, an assistant professor at the University of Florida Department of Psychiatry, discussed distinctive mental characteristics of teenage smokers.
The adolescent brain is maturing until about the age of 25. During this time, long-term connections and mental processes are being strengthened. When a teenager consumes tobacco there is an increase in nicotine receptors greater than that seen in adults because the teen brain is not yet fully developed. The increase also lasts longer in teens than in adults. This process quickly habituates the individual to smoking and has long-term effects on addictive and cognitive behavior.
Smoking is unique, Logan said, because it is simply a delivery system for the toxin: nicotine. Nicotine’s toxic properties reinforce “reward pathways” in the brain, including the release of dopamine, that lead to major dependence in adolescents. Teen smokers show signs of nicotine dependence before becoming daily smokers and they are more likely to be heavy smokers than those who are exposed to tobacco after the age of 18.
“Over 90 percent of lifetime smokers started before age 18,” Logan said. “If we can delay initial exposure before the age of 25, the likelihood of lifetime addiction diminishes significantly.”
The pathways are also intensified with vaping, the use of personal vaporizers commonly known as “e-cigarettes,” which is often considered a harmless alternative to smoking.
“You’re simply reinforcing the behavior,” Logan said. “If you normalize the behavior, it’s not surprising that smoking becomes more popular.”
Vaping imitates tobacco-smoking behavior and increases the likelihood of initial teen exposure and addiction to tobacco. Logan’s presentation emphasized that although vaping is the “lesser evil” of tobacco use, it should not be mistaken as a “safe” substitution or as quitting.

            The summit, sponsored by SuwanneeRiver AHEC, LakeShore Hospital and North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative(NCFCCC), was held in April 2014. Oversight and leadership of NCFCCC is provided by WellFlorida Council.

Guest Post: Uncovering E-Cigarettes

By Nicole Martins, WellFlorida Council Intern

            E-cigarettes have been marketed for less than a decade, first prevalent in Japan in 2004 and later exported to the U.S. and Europe. Due to the product’s novelty, little information on its components, usage and effects are readily available from trustworthy sources. Kathy Nichols presented her research on “What We Know and Don’t Know” about e-cigarettes at the 6th Annual Rural Tobacco Summit on “Addiction: Tobacco & E-Cigarettes.”
            E-cigarettes are marketed as electronic nicotine delivery systems/devices (ENDS/ENDDS), electronic cigarettes and personal vaporizers. Its users also commonly refer to themselves as “vapers.” Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist, is credited with the invention of the e-cigarette in 2003.
Within the device is an electronic heating element, a battery and a cartridge that usually contains a mixture of nicotine, propylene glycol and “other chemicals.” These “other chemicals” are not regulated and are credited with constricting arteries and increasing blood pressure.  
Nicotine is dangerous to us even in its pure form, said Nichols, associate director with the University of Florida Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Program. The amount of nicotine contained in e-cigarette liquids ranges anywhere from 2.4 to 7.2 percent nicotine according to package labeling, which is often misleading and inconsistent.
Use among adults and youth throughout the country is on the rise. According to the 2012 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, over 58 percent of Florida high school students that identify themselves as smokers have tried e-cigarettes.
More research is needed on second-hand effects. Individuals exposed to e-cigarettes second hand have reported increased airway constriction and oxidative stress.
The FDA attempted to block the import of e-cigarettes, claiming they were drug-device combinations. A major importer and distributer, Sottera, fought the regulation and “argued that e-cigarettes are tobacco products” so they should be regulated as such. Sottera got the injunction.
As of now there are little to no regulations on the sale of the devices. E-cigarettes are sold online, in malls, pharmacies, on television and through various other retailers.

The summit, sponsored by Suwannee River AHEC, LakeShore Hospital and North Central Florida Cancer Control Collaborative(NCFCCC), was held in April 2014. Oversight and leadership of NCFCCC is provided by WellFlorida Council.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The UFHCC - Minority Cancer Awareness Week 2014 Events, Dr. Thomas Gross Health Topics, Health Disparities Research Showcase, and More

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Dr. Thomas Gross, NCI Deputy Director, to Keynote at UFHCC Cancer Health Disparities Symposium on Friday April 18 from 10:30am – 2:30pm
The UFHCC Cancer Health Disparities Leadership Team is pleased to announce that the keynote address for the UFHCC Cancer Health Disparities Research Symposium will be presented by Dr. Thomas Gross, the Deputy Director of Science for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Global Health (CGH) on Friday, April 18, 2014.

Dr. Thomas G. Gross is an international expert in pediatric lymphoma and blood and marrow transplantation and has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles. He has received numerous awards recognizing his expertise in clinical care and clinical research. He has chaired several international clinical trials in pediatric lymphoma. In the Children’s Oncology Group, he served on the Scientific Council, Executive Committee and Chair of the NHL Disease Committee and International Membership Task Force. As Deputy Director of NCI-CGH, his focus is the establishment of international cooperative clinical research. He is the Scientific Director of the US Latin America Cancer Research Network (US-LACRN) and is on the Union of International Cancer Control (UICC) Task Force of Essential Medicines for Treatment of Cancer and Executive Boards of the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC), International Rare Cancer Initiative (IRCI).

The UF 2014 Cancer Health Disparities Research Symposium, Showcase & Mixer is scheduled for Friday, April 18 from 10:30am – 2:30pm at the UF Cancer & Genetics Research Complex (CGRC). Lunch will be provided and up to $250 travel award will be provided to UF faculty outside the Gainesville campus.

Please note the following deadlines for this event:

· April 11: Notification of interest to give a presentation during the research showcase. (email spressey@cop.ufl.edu).

· April 11: RSVP for lunch (email chill@cop.ufl.edu).

· April 14: Request for Travel Award by UF faculty/UFHCC members outside Gainesville campus (email spressey@cop.ufl.edu). Maximum award is $250

The UFHCC Community Cancer Resource Center Grand Opening on Friday, April 18 at 4:00pm

Please join us in celebrating the grand opening of the UF Health Cancer Center (UFHCC) Community Cancer Resource Center at HealthStreet (located at 2401 SW Archer Road, Gainesville) on Friday, April 18 at 4:00pm. The official opening of the Resource Center will be conducted by the UF Health Cancer Center Director, Dr. Paul Okunieff.

The UFHCC Community Cancer Resource Center provides educational, networking and lay support resources for the public. The resources available at the Center include reliable, timely and current information in all areas of the cancer care continuum, including prevention, risk reduction, screening, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. The Center resources include a resource library, computer and printer, and educational materials. All the resources, programs and services at the UFHCC Community Cancer Resource Center are free.

The UFHCC Community Cancer Resource Center is directed by Mr. Samuel Gaddy. Mr. Gaddy has over 30 years of experience as an administrator with the School Board of Alachua County Florida and also 32 years of military experience with the United States Army Reserve. He retired from the School Board in 2007 and from the Military in 2002. The work ethic he gained in these two experiences has served to assist him in his goal of learning educating others about cancer.

Refreshments will be provided during the grand opening. For more information or to RSVP, please email chill@cop.ufl.edu.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Comprehensive Treatment Plans for Chronic Conditions: A 2-Day Innovative Conference in Miami

Clinical Nutrition & Integrative 
Approaches to Chronic Conditions
May 2 & 3, 2014

Are you looking for additional ways to help your patients, especially those with chronic conditions? This two-day conference is packed with evidenced based science and treatment protocols combining clinical nutrition and dietary changes with conventional medicine.

The presenters are a list of who’s who in integrative and functional medicine. and leaders in the development of the new path in medicine.

A wide variety of topics will be covered: 
  • Mental health and clinical nutrition
  • Integrative Cancer Care
  • Hormone replacement therapy after menopause
  • Dietary and lifestyle factors affecting children's behavior
  • Mind-body medicine for physciains
  • Clinical nutrition and men's health
  • And much more… see the complete program schedule below

Your course registration includes:
  • PDFs of all presentations
  • Friday night reception featuring functional medicine pioneer Jeffrey Bland, PhD
  • Tasting tables from local, sustainable & organic restaurants
  • Sponsored gourmet healthy lunches Friday and Saturday



Friday, April 11, 2014

Guest Post: Marketing Tobacco To Youth

By Nicole Martins, WellFlorida Council Intern

            Perhaps the most frightening aspects of Big Tobacco, besides the well-documented effects of nicotine addiction, are its emerging tobacco products. At the 6th Annual Rural Tobacco Summit, Barry Hummel, Jr., MD, presented tobacco marketing tactics and product lines that are targeted toward youth.
            “Tobacco is a gateway drug and a gateway behavior,” said Hummel, co-founder of the Quit Doc Research and Education Foundation. “[Tobacco] is the first drug that teens can access easily. The tobacco industry knows this, and deliberately targets youth with products and marketing.”
            Flavored candy cigarettes popularized in the 1950s served to normalize the behavior of smoking and familiarize children with cigarette packaging and mannerisms. In the early 2000s, the introduction of flavored tobacco cigarettes from brands like Camel had deceptive, candy-like packaging.
            “Buyers and sellers don’t know what product is inside,” Hummel said. “They became a point of entry for kids.”
            In 2009, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was signed into law and the FDA banned the sale of flavored tobacco products (with the exception of menthol). The FDA, however, does not regulate cigars. As a result, cigarette companies repackaged products to resemble cigars to be exempt from the “flavor” rule. Flavored cigars continue to be very popular among smokers. Flavored smokeless tobacco is also currently being market tested in candy-like packaging. Hookah and e-cigarettes have also adapted flavors to increase their appeal to young smokers. According to the 2012 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, over 59 percent of youth tobacco users in the state are using flavored tobacco.  
            E-cigarette companies have begun to market themselves as the alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Ads ask, “Why Quit?” and list indoor places were people can still smoke with their products.
“E-cigarettes are marketed as safe, creating harmless water vapor,” which Hummel said is simply not the case. The products typically contain nicotine and are not safe for youth or adult consumption.
Many countries have banned their sale including Australia, Canada and Brazil. High school use throughout the U.S., on the other hand, has doubled within the past 2 years. Its prevalence in convenience stores and advertisements throughout the U.S. have led to a youth perception of tobacco use that is greater than reality, Hummel said. He performed a study with Martin County middle school students asking them to predict tobacco usage in the U.S. The students guessed that 61 percent of adults are smokers and the actual statistic is 20 percent.
Age disparity between legal tobacco and alcohol use makes these products more attractive to college students and young adults. Teenagers can legally buy tobacco products at the age of 18 whereas the age limit on alcohol is 21.
“E-cigarettes and hookahs are the two biggest threats,” Hummel said.  

The summit, sponsored by Suwannee River AHEC, LakeShore Hospital and NorthCentral Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (NCFCCC), was held in April 2014. Oversight and leadership of NCFCCC is provided by WellFlorida Council.

Cancer Resource Center Grand Opening at HealthStreet

National Minority Cancer Awareness Week, which runs April 13th to April 19th, seeks to increase awareness of cancer related health disparities, highlight research working to understand and reduce these disparities, and positively influence cancer related health outcomes for minority communities. 

UF Health Cancer Center Community (UFCCC) will be hosting several events at HealthStreet throughout the week to address specific minority concerns, culminating in the grand opening of the UFCCC Cancer Resource Center at HealthStreet.


Date
Time
Event
Tuesday, April 15th
11am-2pm
Cancer 101: African- American Cancer Resources Awareness and Education

Wednesday, April 16th 
11am-2pm
Cancer 101: Latino Cancer Resources, Awareness and Education

Thursday, April 17th
11am-2pm
Clinical Trials Information Display

Friday, April 18th
4pm- 6pm
 UFCCC Cancer Resource Center Grand Opening

Cancer Stakeholder April-May 2014

To view the latest issue please visit: http://issuu.com/floridahealth/docs/apr_2014_cancer_stakeholder_4-14 

This issue includes:

Program Spotlight: Gardening and HPV

State Update: Florida 2014 Legislative Session

Tools and Resources: Upcoming webinars, workshops and opportunities for continuing education credits

Cancer in the News: The latest articles from great resources such as Science Daily, American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), University of Southern California, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Funding Opportunities: For Health Impact Assessments (HIA), childhood obesity, payment and delivery systems, simulation approaches and research

Events: Local and national conferences of interest to our stakeholders


Monday, April 7, 2014

Colorectal Cancer Screening – Closing the Gaps With FluFIT and Other Practical Approaches

Closing the Gaps With FluFIT and Other Practical Approaches

April 23rd Noon MDT, 11am PST-American Cancer Society’s own Durado Brooks, MD, MPH will open the series with CRC screening state of the science and best evidenced practice for implementing change in clinics.

May 1st Noon MDT, 11am PST -Michael Potter, MD, UCSF, will discuss the FLUFIT (pairing flu shot clinics with colorectal cancer screening )concepts and applications for primary care settings.

May 14th Noon MDT, 11am PST- David Perdue, MD, Minnesota Gastroenterology, will introduce emerging research on using FIT test in Alaskan Natives and applications to American Indian communities for colorectal cancer screening.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Moffitt Cancer Center Conference Announcement: Personalized Medicine Conference

The DeBartolo Family Personalized Medicine Institute at the Moffitt Cancer Center will host the conference Beyond the Promise: Addressing Evidence and Value in Personalized Medicine on May 16 - 17, 2014 in Tampa, Florida. Personalized medicine in cancer is a rapidly evolving field nationally and internationally and this conference will provide a broad overview of efforts to bring precision cancer care to patients with solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. An internationally respected television commentator, as well as nationally known figures from Industry and Academic centers, will give keynote presentations during conference meals. In addition there will be six focused sessions addressing various aspects of personalized medicine.

Visit our conference website for more information and registration link: MOFFITT.org/PersonalizedMedicine

Forr questions about the conference or registration you may contact: Melissa Pearson at Melissa.Pearson@Moffitt.org or Janet Young at Janet.Young@Moffitt.org

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

NCI Cyber-Seminar - Integrating Cancer Control into Chronic Disease Frameworks: What Works and Why?

April 15, 2014 2:00PM - 3:00PM EDT

Register Here

Chronic disease programs in public health agencies across the US are increasingly integrating activities across single-disease program lines. Comprehensive cancer control programs have in many cases benefited from chronic disease program integration. Many realize a new potential for efficient use of staff, funds, and surveillance and intervention efforts. Such integration however is not without barriers, challenges and constraints. Despite these challenges, there is a growing determination among public health professionals and policy makers to coordinate and link chronic disease public health programs.

In our April NCI cyber-seminar, we will look across national and state programs to highlight principles for successful chronic disease program integration initiatives and specific recommendations for comprehensive cancer control and chronic disease programs.

Nikki Hayes, Chief of the Comprehensive Cancer Control Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will give an overview of what CDC’s vision for how such integration is viewed at the national level and how successful integration is strengthening cancer control initiatives.

Krystal D. Moorwood, a Chronic Disease Supervisor with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will share how the Colorado Chronic Disease (CD) State Plan broadly encompasses the Cancer Plan. Krystal will highlight Colorado's internal cancer program management and discuss how a health systems project that originated in 'cancer' grew to encompass other chronic disease initiatives.

As always, part of the webinar will be dedicated to your questions. We look forward to you engaging with the presenters, and sharing your own experiences.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the cyber-seminar, participants will be able to:
  • Participants will gain an understanding of the benefits and challenges of the integration of cancer into chronic disease programming. 
  • Participants will learn about principles and specific recommendations for successful comprehensive cancer control and chronic disease programs at the national, state and international levels.
  • Participants will gain an understanding of a health systems approach which aims to integrate not only cancer, but other chronic diseases and conditions into mandated health planning.

Florida Breast Cancer Foundation presents "Education and Advocacy Day" A One Day Conference

Florida Breast Cancer Foundation  presents

"Education and Advocacy Day" A One Day Conference


Newport Beachside Hotel and Resort

Saturday, May 3, 2014 ~ 9:00am-1:00pm

16701 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33160


"Education & Advocacy Day" - A One-Day Conference is a free event open to all and will offer educational sessions featuring top local breast cancer experts and advocates discussing the most current findings and advances in breast cancer research and other related topics.

Throughout the day, attendees will have an opportunity to meet with local exhibitors and expand their circle of support, visit informational community resource display tables, and enjoy a complimentary lunch.


The event is free, but space is limited!

To RSVP now, just click here or call

1-877-644-3222.


Sponsorship opportunities available. If interested, please call 1-877-644-3222
or email Russell Silverman at ceo@FloridaBreastCancer.org.