Spring Treking and Living

Statement by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on LGBT Health Awareness Week 2012

LGBT Health Awareness Week is an important time to highlight the progress our country is making to address the unique health needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans, especially through implementation of the health care law, the Affordable Care Act.
Studies have shown that health disparities related to sexual orientation and gender identity are due in part to lower rates of health coverage and a lack of cultural competency in the health care system. The Affordable Care Act is already helping millions of Americans gain access to care by creating coverage options for people with pre-existing conditions, and under the law, beginning in 2014, every American will have access to health care through Affordable Insurance Exchanges, new competitive marketplaces where Americans will be able to purchase affordable coverage and have the same choices of insurance that members of Congress will have. These same benefits are or will be available to LGBT Americans across the country.
The Affordable Care Act also strengthens training for health care providers, devotes new resources to improving our primary care workforce, and increases funding for community health centers, where patients are served regardless of how much they can afford to pay. We know that members of the LGBT community may be more likely to be underinsured or uninsured, making the Affordable Care Act all the more important.

In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services continues to address the specific health concerns of LGBT Americans, including by working to incorporate data collection on LGBT populations into national health surveys, releasing rules requiring hospitals to allow same-sex partners the ability to visit each other in the hospital, and setting up an internal working group that ensures we are effectively coordinating policies to best address LGBT health needs across every agency in the Department.
Our Department is committed to improving the health of all Americans, including LGBT Americans, and we look forward to continuing this work during LGBT Health Awareness Week and beyond.

For more information on how the Department is working to improve LGBT Health and Well-being, visit http://www.hhs.gov/secretary/about/lgbthealth_update_2011.html.
Read the Departments recommendations for future LGBT Health improvements at http://www.hhs.gov/secretary/about/lgbthealth.html
Learn how health reform is giving LGBT Americans more control over their health care at http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/01/new-options-for-lgbt-americans.html

Enhancing Your HIV Prevention Work with a "Social Determinants of Health" Approach

The Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services (CHIPTS) at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Center for Strengthening Youth Prevention Paradigms (SYPP Center) of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles invite you to participate in a special webinar on social determinants of health. Presenters Mia Humphreys and Kiesha McCurtis will define and discuss the concept of social determinants of health and provide a framework for HIV service providers and community planners to articulate the many factors that impact HIV risk beyond the individual level. The Living Affected Corporation has championed this concept as  vital elements in their efforts to address marginalized communities in Arkansas. The group's "H.E.F.T.E." position, which denotes "housing, education, food, transportation and employment," as distinct determinants within the scope of dealing with individuals holistically. This webinar is presented in conjunction with the release of a new resource titled “The Role of Social Determinants of Health & HIV,” which can be downloaded at www.chla.org/sypp. After this webinar, you will be able to: Define social determinants of health within an HIV prevention framework Define health inequities and describe their relationship to social determinants of health and HIV prevention Apply learned knowledge of social determinants of health to example case studies in HIV prevention Housed at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the SYPP Center provides capacity building assistance (CBA) services to communities seeking to prevent HIV/AIDS among youth, with an emphasis on young gay men and transgender youth of color. The SYPP Center offers a framework for communities to create sustainable structural changes and build healthy community coalitions that respond to local needs. This project is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 5U65PS001708-03 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. USED SHOE DRIVE through March 31, 2012   We are a collection point for the Ozark Water Project new and used shoe donation. Attached is a flyer explaining the process of taking our used shoes and turning it into clean drinking waterfor people in need. Drop off boxes are located at all NLR Fire Stations. This is a good way to incorporate sustainability by recycling and repurposing shoes into providing basic needs. The drive will be now through March 31, 2012. Check out the webpage: http://ozarkwaterprojects.org Original message from Karla Allen, Ozark Water Projects, Inc. (info below) Karla Allen Ozark Water Projects. Inc. 10701 Rivercrest Drive Little Rock, AR 72212 501-626-0086