The development process for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 is kicking off! The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the proposed scientific questions that will inform the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines. HHS and USDA are accepting written comments from the public on the proposed questions from April 15 to May 16,2022 . View the announcement , and learn more about the process and how to submit a...

Over the past several months, I've been involved with a group examining the notion of well-being economies. Seeking a deeper understanding of the concept, I came across a 2020 article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review by Anna Chrysopoulou that posed a compelling vision for what a well-being economy might look like. "To solve the social, economic, and environmental challenges we face today, we need to rethink the status quo. Governments and other institutions around the world need to...

The 2022 National Health Outreach Conference will be held May 4-6 in Kansas City, MO and features 45 concurrent sessions, 30 posters, and four engaging keynote speakers. Don't miss out on the early bird registration and opportunity to reserve a room in the conference hotel. Also know that an updated conference schedule and a detailed listing of the current sessions are now available at the conference web site. Sessions focus on such topics as coalition building, PSE change, workforce...

The Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Health Program Action Team (PAT), in partnership with the Extension Foundation (EXF), seeks a Heath Partnership and Development Coordinator who is passionate about advancing health equity through the work of the Cooperative Extension System and its partners. The central focus of the work is to assist the Extension Health Director and the Health Program Action Team identify and manage progress toward milestones related to the...

Although the 2022 National Health Outreach Conference (NHOC) hosted by the University of Missouri is still a couple of months away, now is the time to consider whether your institution would be interested in hosting the 2023 conference. Originally known as the Priester Conference, NHOC is an annual gathering of Extension faculty and staff, cross-campus collaborators, and external partners focused on the role that they can collectively play in improving the health of the nation. A copy of the...

Collective impact initiatives utilize shared measurement systems to identify key metrics of success that align partners toward a common vision. But a recent article by Justin Piff in the Stanford Social Innovation Review suggests that the specific data we chose to track loudly signals what we believe to be important. In the article, the author shares four lessons from his work that can help collective impact initiatives use data more effectively for social change. They are: 1. Prioritize the...

Registration is now open for the 2022 National Health Outreach Conference to be held May 4-6 in Kansas City, MO. 45 concurrent sessions and 30 poster sessions were accepted for the 2022 conference. Sessions focus on such topics as coalition building, PSE change, workforce development, immunization education, diabetes prevention, and food insecurity. Keynote speakers include Dr. Salma Abdalla of the Rockefeller Foundation. To learn more and register for the conference, visit ...

Social determinants of health are the factors beyond individual behavior that impact the health status of individuals and communities. When these determinants disproportionately affect some groups in ways that are unjust or unfair, health inequities exist. One way to address the negative influences of these determinants is through collaborative partnerships. Community leaders like Extension professionals can initiate and develop cross-sector partnerships to collaborate with other...

A national survey of rural development stakeholders identified health as a priority recovery and growth in rural America. Investing in Rural Recovery: Findings from a Rapid Assessment of Stakeholder Priorities for Rural Development summarizes the results of a national survey conducted in the fall of 2021 by the nation's four Regional Rural Development Centers. The survey is part of a year-long Listening Session Initiative aimed at identifying key priorities and critical investments for rural...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not authorized or approved using ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19 in humans and has cautioned about the potential risks of using ivermectin for COVID-19. This medication is FDA-approved to treat certain infections caused by internal and external parasites, but is not authorized or approved by the FDA to prevent or treat COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic and recent surges of COVID-19 cases, rates of ivermectin prescriptions dispensed...

"The Lancet Countdown is an international collaboration that independently monitors the health consequences of a changing climate. Publishing updated, new, and improved indicators each year, the Lancet Countdown represents the consensus of leading researchers from 43 academic institutions and UN agencies. The 44 indicators of this report expose an unabated rise in the health impacts of climate change and the current health consequences of the delayed and inconsistent response of countries...