Update on collaborations

• The Mayo Counseling Program held a community forum on the Every 15 Minutes program, which uses a simulated vehicle accident to underscore the dangers of teenage drinking and driving. There is interest in bringing this program to Foxcroft Academy and SAD 4 in Guilford. A program is being planned to occur this Spring in Union #60 in Greenville.
• One Maine Grant - Each school superintendent should be receiving compiled data from the MYDAUS survey within the next month.
• Heartwise has provided schools and worksites with messages that can be used to promote the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke.

Piscataquis County Youth Overweight Collaborative
Progress has been made on multiple fronts in recent months: a presentation was made in February to the Maternal and Child Health Committee at Mayo Regional; information has been shared with school representatives from the Dover-Foxcroft, Milo, Guilford, Dexter, Greenville, Corinth and Newport school districts; a presentation was made to HMP project directors; and Mayo promoted the 5-2-1-0 message with radio spots on WDME in March.

Also, a presentation is scheduled for May 15 in Augusta for the Maine School Health Leadership Network; and the state Dept. of Education has issued new regulations for child nutrition programs, which should support healthy food choices in schools.

Dr. McDermott noted interest is growing on the need to reduce the prevalence of overweight children. It is important that a consistent message be delivered by members of the collaborative on such issues as the importance of Body Mass Index calculations to identify overweight youth, and the effectiveness of the 5-2-1-0 strategy.

PPHC mini-grants
Robin Mayo reported that awards have been made in the second round of mini-grants, which had a Feb. 15 deadline. She is still waiting for grant agreements to be returned, but tentative awards are $2,361 to the Charlotte White Center for purchase of a recumbent quadricycle to provide physical activity for CWC clients; $2,000 for the Penquis Leadership Institute to provide scholarships for that leadership training program; $1,755 to the Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District for a children's summer camp agricultural tour; and $4,200 to Central Maine Trails for Alternative Transportation for trail repairs as part of a railroad bed conversion.

The next cycle of mini-grants has an April 15 deadline.

Office of Substance Abuse funding opportunities
Robin reported $5,000 grants are available for strategic underage drinking enforcement projects. This grant information has been provided to municipalities and may be an opportunity to support the Every 15 Minutes programming.

Tobacco Health Disparity Mini-grant
The PPHC has received a $13,000 grant to expand collaboration with Penquis CAP, the Penquis Oral Health Coalition and OB/GYNs, targeting adults age 18-44 with particular focus on those adults with low socio-economic status and women of childbearing age. The funds will be used to expand PPHC capacity by hiring an assistant to the CPD for a one-year period.

Healthy Maine Partnership renewal
The group reviewed the PPHC workplan matrix and objectives for goals 1 and 2, and considered whether any items should be added for 2005-2006. The consensus was that the workplan was already ambitious, and adding more would stretch PPHC capacity beyond its effective range.

One suggestion was that local health councils be established in two service center communities of the PPHC's work area to further the overall goals of the workplan at that level. The health councils would also attend PPHC meetings so that efforts were coordinated in the region. It was also suggested that there was a need to prioritize workplan items in order of importance.

Upcoming events
Robin Mayo shared a listing of upcoming events at which the PPHC will be represented. These include a smoking cessation workshop on March 31, the Chamber of Commerce Expo on April 2, the Kids Health Day at the YMCA on April 2, Guilford Grange Health Fair April 16, Mayo Regional Hospital employee health fair May 18.

Next meeting:
Wednesday, June 8, 1-3 p.m. at Mayo.

Future meetings: Sept. 21, Dec. 7, 2005; March 15, June 7, 2006.

Minutes submitted by Tom Lizotte