Gender Identity in Schools Among Topics at Connecticut School Health Issues Conference

The keynote address “When Boys Will be Girls: Getting A Grip on Gender” will greet attendees – school nurses and school health officials from across Connecticut - attending the 38^th Annual School Health Conference on Thursday in Cromwell. “Critical Issues in School Health 2016,” a two-day conference, will have expert presentations on issues ranging from absenteeism to infectious diseases, food allergies to mental health.  But no issue has grown in attention and interest recently than how to respond to LGBT students in the school setting.

The conference is coordinated by the Connecticut chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics with the assistance of the Association of School Nurses of Connecticut.  

The keynote will be given by Robin McHaelen, MSW, founder and executive director of True Colors, a Hartford-based non-profit organization that works with social service agencies, schools, organizations, and within communities to ensure that the needs of sexual and gender minority youth are both recognized and competently met. McHaelen is co-author of several books and articles on LGBT youth concerns, and has a national reputation as a thought leader in LGBT youth concerns, programs and interventions.

In her presentation, titled “When Pink and Blue Are Not Enough,” McHaelen offers suggestions on working with LGBT students, and seeks to increase “understanding, knowledge and cultural competency regarding LGBT students,” while identifying issues of “risk, challenge and strengths specific to LGBT youth.”  She also will point to “opportunities for intervention that will ensure appropriate care within a safe, affirming environment.”

Among the recommendations:  offer gender-neutral bathroom options, always use the patients’ chosen name and chosen gender pronouns, and “recognize that there are additional stressors (and that there may be significant feat on the part of) transgender patients.” 

McHaelen will be offering a similar presentation at the New England School Nurse Conference, to be held in late April in Mystic, hosted by the Association of School Nurses of Connecticut.  The president of the Association is Suzanne Levasseur, Supervisor of Health Services for the Westport Public Schools.  The New England affiliates include Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.  The conference theme is “Waves of Change, Oceans of Opportunity.”

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students are the targets of bullying, harrassment, and disproportionately high discipline rates at school, researchers have pointed out. But without consistently collected, reliable, large-scale sources of data, it's difficult to track the extent of those problems or the effectiveness of proposed solutions, a group of researchers at Indiana University said in a briefing paper released this week.

Expanding existing federal surveys on youth safety and well-being to include more questions about gender identity and sexual orientation could provide a clearer picture, according to the researchers, noting that “if you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”  They suggest addressing the data gap by adding discipline and harassment items to existing health surveys that currently include measures of sexual orientation and gender identity, such as the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Although these measures provide more specific information about sexual orientation and in some cases gender identity, they do not provide sufficient information about the specific negative outcomes experienced by LGBT students,” the research paper points out.  They conclude: “the availability of data documenting the experiences of LGBT students is a civil rights concern, and the expansion of data collection efforts to include sexual orientation and gender identity is a critical next step in ensuring the rights of LGBT and all students to participation and protection in school.”

The mission of the Association of School Nurses of Connecticut is to support, assist and enhance the practice of professional school nurses in their development and implementation of comprehensive school health services that promotes students' health and academic success.  The Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics has over 600 active members committed to both improving the health and safety of Connecticut's children and supporting those who provide care to these children.

Survey Says: Parents Don't Trust On-line Doctor Ratings, But Use Them

As the annual observance of National Doctors’ Day approaches this week, a new national survey indicates that nearly one-third (30%) of parents report looking at online doctor ratings for themselves or a family member in the past year, with mothers (36%) more likely than fathers (22%) to visit such sites. Among these parents, two-thirds say they selected or avoided a doctor based on the ratings they viewed. Among parents who choose doctors based on the ratings, most (87%) say the online ratings accurately reflect their experience with the doctor. The survey was conducted for C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan.

The survey also found, however, that a majority of parents have concerns about doctor rating websites in general. About two-thirds of parents believe some ratings may be fake; slightly fewer feel there are not enough ratings on the websites to make a good decision. More than half of parents feel doctors may influence who leaves ratings. Among parents in this survey who had ever left an online rating about a doctor (11% overall), nearly one-third (30%) reported that the doctor or office staff had asked them to do so.

National Doctors’ Day was established to recognize physicians, their work, and their contributions to society and the community. National Doctors’ Day is observed on March 30 each year.  The holiday was officially signed into U.S. law in the early 1990s by President George H. W. Bush, although since the early 1930s patients and healthcare organizations across the country have been celebrating their physicians on this day.

In the on-line ratings survey, older parents generally had more concerns than younger parents. Of parents age 30 and older, 71 percent were concerned about the possibility of fake reviews compared to 59 percent of parents under age 30. Older parents (65%) also were more concerned about the low number of ratings compared to younger parents (55%).

The survey analysis pointed out that “while the use of online physician rating sites is expected to keep rising, their growth may be limited by concerns from parents about accuracy and authenticity.”

In recognition of National Doctors’ Day, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford has urged patients to post a message to their doctor, and many of the messages have been displayed on the hospital’s web site.  Other organizations around the state also take note of the contributions of physicians to the well-being of the population.

Legislature to Examine Why Zero Convictions for Human Trafficking, Even As Incidents Increase in CT

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery. This crime occurs when a trafficker uses force, fraud or coercion to control another person for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or soliciting labor or services against his/her will.  It is happening in Connecticut. Connecticut’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) is convening a Joint Informational Forum with the state legislature’s Judiciary, Public Safety and Security, and Children’s Committees on Thursday, March 31 at the Legislative Office Building to examine the issue, the response of law enforcement and other agencies in Connecticut, and where changes in state law need to be made.

A decade ago, in 2006, Connecticut enacted Public Act 06-43, which created the felony charge of trafficking in persons.

“And yet, since then, only 10 arrests have been made and there have been no convictions,” according to PCSW, which noted that during that same time, the Department of Children and Families has received more than 400 referrals of individuals with high-risk indicators for human trafficking that demanded a collaborative response, including the participation of law enforcement.  Those numbers have climbed each year, with 133 referrals in 2015, according to the Governor’s office. 

“We decided to convene trafficking experts because, as we learn more about human trafficking, in particular sex trafficking of adults and minors, we need to ensure that victims are supported and that law enforcement and prosecutors have the tools to adequately punish traffickers, those buying sex, and those permitting and facilitating the sale of sex in Connecticut,” said Jillian Gilchrest, senior policy analyst for the PCSW, and chair of the state's Trafficking in Persons Council.

“Although the legislature has made great strides to increase awareness and enhance training programs against human trafficking, and especially the sex trafficking of minors – the truth is that this modern-day slavery is a national issue,” said State Rep. Noreen Kokoruda, the ranking member of the General Assembly’s Committee on Children. “Connecticut must take the critical steps necessary to combat human trafficking and to make sure that the legislation we passed is enforced. In order to proactively address this issue, we need a collaborative effort from all agencies; this issue is simply too important to ignore.”

Data from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) indicates that in 2015 there were 120 calls made and 39 human trafficking cases reported in Connecticut – the highest numbers in the past three years. The statistics are based on phone calls, emails, and webforms received by the NHTRC that reference Connecticut. The NHTRC works with service providers, law enforcement, and other professionals in Connecticut to serve victims and survivors of trafficking, respond to human trafficking cases, and share information and resources.

Since 2007, the NHTRC has received more than 600 calls to their hotline that reference Connecticut.  As Connecticut’s felony crime of trafficking in persons, Connecticut Statute §53a-192a approaches its 10-year- anniversary, members of the Judiciary, Public Safety, and Children’s Committees are interested in understanding why no one has been convicted under §53a-192a and what policy or legislative changes can help remove current barriers to prosecution in these cases, officials said.

In Connecticut, a person is guilty of trafficking in persons when such person compels or induces another person to engage in sexual contact or provide labor or services by means of force, threat of force, fraud or coercion. Anyone under the age of 18 engaged in commercial sexual exploitation is deemed a victim of domestic minor sex trafficking irrespective of the use of force, threat of force, fraud or coercion.

In a January report to the state legislature, the Trafficking in Persons Council pointed out that “Connecticut is not unique; there are many states that have yet to prosecute a trafficking case. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of State, as of 2011 only 18 states brought forward human trafficking cases under state human trafficking statutes.”

A series of proposals are now being considered by the state legislature.  In recent testimony, the PCSW pointed out that “the demand side of human trafficking and prostitution has all but been ignored in Connecticut. Arrests have been concentrated first on prostitutes, and secondarily on those buying sex. In fact, in the last 10 years in Connecticut, prostitutes were convicted at a rate of 7 times that of those charged with patronizing a prostitute It’s a basic premise of supply and demand: if you reduce the demand, you reduce the supply, which in this case, is the purchase of women and children for sex.”

In legislative testimony last month, the PCSW pointed out that “more and more trafficking and prostitution are being arranged online and taking place at hotels and motels throughout Connecticut. According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC), Hotels and Motels are among the top venues for sex trafficking in Connecticut.”  PCSW stressed that “as we learn more about human trafficking, and what the crime looks like in Connecticut, we must ensure that our policies keep pace with that reality.”  Among the proposals is one designed to “give more tools to investigators,” Gov. Malloy and Lt. Gov. Wyman recently told a legislative committee.

The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Council is chaired and convened by the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women and consists of representatives from State agencies, the Judicial Branch, law enforcement, motor transport and community-based organizations that work with victims of sexual and domestic violence, immigrants, and refugees, and address behavioral health needs, social justice, and human rights.

The report recommended that “Connecticut must ensure the creation of laws that address the continuum of exploitation, the implementation of laws, and the pursuit of criminal punishments for such cases. Sentences should take into account the severity of an individual’s involvement in trafficking, imposed sentences for related crimes, and the judiciary’s right to impose punishments consistent with its laws.”

Regarding victims of trafficking in Connecticut, the report recommended that “Key victim protection efforts include 3 "Rs" - rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration. It is important that human trafficking victims are provided access to health care, counseling, legal and shelter services in ways that are not prejudicial to victims’ rights, dignity, or psychological well-being. Effective partnerships between law enforcement and service providers mean victims feel protected and such partnerships help to facilitate participation in criminal justice and civil proceedings.”

According to Rep. Rosa C. Rebimbas, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, “Connecticut has made great strides to protect vulnerable women and children with strong laws against human trafficking, and resources to help them escape from the horrors of human trafficking, yet we are still behind when it comes to prosecution of the criminals who perpetrate such heinous offenses. We will continue to press for stronger laws to protect Connecticut residents, and to bring justice on their behalf.”

Coalition Calls for Public Input, Comprehensive Analysis, Greater Scrutiny of Cigna-Anthem Merger

A coalition of consumer and medical organizations is calling for greater public input into the Connecticut Insurance Department’s review of the proposed Anthem-Cigna health insurance mega-merger, and is expressing concerns about the potential “negative impact on both the cost and quality of care in Connecticut” of that merger and the proposed Aetna-Humana merger. The groups – Universal Health Care Foundation, Connecticut Citizen Action Group and the Connecticut State Medical Society – formed the “Connecticut Campaign for Consumer Choice” coalition and urged state Insurance Commissioner Katherine Wade to “ensure an open, transparent hearing process in Connecticut, where policy holders, physicians and other interested parties are given maximum opportunity to share their views.”

In a letter to Wade, the organizations urged a series of actions as part of the Anthem-Cigna review “to protect our health care options in Connecticut” – that a public hearing be held at a time and place that “allows for maximum public participation,” that interested parties be granted intervenor status (which would allow witnesses to be called and cross examined), and that a department commission a study that will “analyze the potential impact on cost, access, and the Connecticut economy, including jobs,” as part of the agency’s deliberations on the merger proposal. 

Bloomfield-based Cigna and Indianapolis-based Anthem are two of the nation’s five largest health insurance companies.  It is anticipated that a hearing would be held sometime this spring, but plans have not yet been announced. The coalition leaders indicated that “all eyes from around the country will be on Connecticut,” as home of two of the nation’s leading health insurance companies.

They also launched a new website, www.consumerchoicect.org, which will provide the public with information about the proposed mergers.  The site states that “what’s really happening is that fewer choices mean higher costs for consumers and employers. With fewer insurers for the remaining three national companies to compete against, there will be less of an incentive to keep costs low or develop innovative services to bring in new customers.”

Connecticut Insurance Department spokeswoman Donna Tommelleo said the department "is reviewing the proposed acquisition in accordance with all applicable  Insurance Holding Company Statutes. The Form A application is posted on Home Page of the Department’s Web site for public view and the site is updated frequently as more documents are filed. After the application is fully reviewed and deemed complete by the Department there will be public hearing held within 30 days. The public will be given ample opportunity to provide both written and oral comment."  She indicated that "the Department respects the coalition’s interest in the matter.” The Anthem-CIGNA merger was filed with the state Insurance Department last September.

In advocating for the merger, Anthem has established a website that highlights the company’s views on the benefits of a merged company, at www.betterhealthcaretogether.com  The site indicates that “the combined companies will operate more efficiently to reduce operational costs and, at the same time, further our ability to manage what drives costs, helping to create more affordable health care for consumers.”

Matthew Katz, executive director of the Connecticut State Medical Society, said that the merger “could be the demise of already struggling private practices,” and will adversely impact patient costs and access to care.  "Goliaths will not  benefit consumer choice," he said.   The Society opposes the merger, as do the other organizations in the coalition.  They indicated that a fair, open, transparent review process would make it more difficult for the merger to be approved as being in the public interest.

Noting that Wade serves as chair of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners working group on the Anthem-Cigna mercer, and that the working group’s proceedings are not open to the public, the coalition leaders stressed the importance of an open and comprehensive process in Connecticut.

The letter to Commissioner Wade, dated March 22, was signed by Frances Padilla, president of the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, Tom Swan, executive director of the Connecticut Citizen Action Group, and Matthew Katz, Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut State Medical Society.

The Connecticut State Medical Society is a federation of eight component county medical associations, with total membership exceeding some 7,000 physicians. Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut is an independent, non-profit philanthropy, supporting research-based policy, advocacy and public education that “advances the achievement of quality, affordable health care for everyone in the state.”  CCAG, founded four decades ago by consumer advocate Ralph Nader,  has "created change on the issues members care about including quality, affordable health care, protection of consumers, the environment, and democracy."

Combatting Childhood Obesity Starts From Day One; Wide-Ranging Policies Proposed

Less “screen time,” more physical activity, more nutritional foods and fewer sugary beverages – that’s the formula to prevent obesity from taking root in infants and toddlers in the formative years of childhood, according to new recommendations by the Child Health Development Institute (CHDI) of Connecticut.  A series of “science-based policy opportunities” for Connecticut, outlined this week, also include support for breastfeeding in hospitals and child care centers. The need for stronger action is underscored by recent statistics.  In Connecticut, one of every three kindergartners is overweight or obese, as is one of every three low-income children. Children who are overweight or obese are more likely, according to the policy brief, to have:

• risk factors for future heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure
• a warning sign for type 2 diabetes called “abnormal glucose tolerance,” although many children are being diagnosed with the full-blown disease in increasing numbers
• breathing problems such as asthma
• gallstones, fatty liver disease, and gastroesophageal reflux (acid reflux and heartburn)
• problems with their joints

“Recent research shows that obesity may be very difficult to reverse if children are not at a healthy weight by 5 years of age,” the policy brief indicated. “Investing early in preventing childhood obesity yields benefits for all of us down the line by fostering healthier children, a healthier population overall and greatly reducing obesity-related health care costs over time.”

The policy brief recommends five ways Connecticut’s child care settings and hospitals can help our youngest children grow up at a healthy weight:

1. Support breastfeeding in hospitals and in child care centers and group child care homes.
2. Serve only healthy beverages in all child care settings.
3. Help child care centers and group child care homes follow good nutrition guidelines.
4. Increase physical activity time for infants and toddlers in all child care settings.
5. Protect infants and toddlers in all child care settings from “screen time.”

The recommendations stress that “talking, playing, singing and interacting with people promotes brain development and encourages physical activity,” and urges that healthy infant and toddler development be encouraged by:

• Never placing them in front of televisions, computers, or tablets to occupy them
• Never allowing infants and toddlers to passively watch a television, computer, mobile phone or other screen that older children in the same room are watching

“Healthy lifelong weight begins at birth,” said Judith Meyers, President and CEO of CHDI and its parent organization the Children’s Fund of Connecticut. “Investing in obesity prevention policies makes sense for Connecticut.”  Meyers added that “the numbers are staggering,” and it has become clear that “to really address this problem we need to prevent it in the first place.”

If Connecticut were to implement the five recommendations highlighted in the policy brief, it would be the first state in the nation to do so, officials said.  A number of the proposals have been successfully implemented in other jurisdictions, including states and cities.  Marlene Schwartz, Director of UConn's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, noted that Connecticut has long been a leader in providing nutritional lunches in schools, and said that now the state’s attention needs to move to the earlier years of childhood.  “The field has realized that we need to start even earlier,” she said.  Rudd also indicated that determining "policy changes that might help reduce the disparities" in Connecticut, which are apparent in race, ethnicity and socioeconomic data, is also essential.

Legislation now pending at the State Capitol, which is not as comprehensive as the policy brief recommendations, is designed to "increase the physical health of children by prohibiting or limiting the serving of sweetened beverages in child care settings, prohibiting children's access to certain electronic devices in child care settings, and increasing children's participation in daily exercise."  The proposed legislation, HB 5303, was recently approved by a 10-3 vote in the Committee on Children, but has an uncertain future before the full legislature.

Dealing with childhood obesity has been a challenge because of the “many different systems and programs that impact childhood development – which can also provide “many different places for opportunities to influence what happens.”  Officials said that some of the policy proposals can be realized through legislative action, others by regulatory changes, and others through voluntary initiatives.  They indicated that since Connecticut established the Office of Early Childhood in recent years, coordination of oversight and services has improved, which is an encouraging development.  Child care settings provide an opportunity to impact a large proportion of the state’s pre-kindergarten children, but plans to disseminate the message more broadly, including through pediatrician’s offices, are being considered. 

The recommendations call for “allowing toddlers 60-90 minutes during an 8-hour day for moderate to vigorous physical activity, including running, and “adherence to federal nutrition guidelines” including more whole grains and low-sugar cereals, no sugary drinks, and fewer fried foods and high-sodium foods.  Through 11 months, infants should be served “no beverages other than breast milk or infant formula, and those 12 months through 2 years old should be served no beverages other than breast milk, unflavored full-fat milk water, and no more than 4 ounces of 100% fruit juice.”

The CHDI policy brief indicates that “childhood obesity can contribute to poor social and emotional health because overweight and obese children are often bullied and rejected by their peers as a result of their weight. That stress can affect every part of their development, interfering with their learning (cognitive), health (physical and mental), and social well-being.”

The recommendations, described as “affordable, achievable, common sense measures,” were prepared for CHDI as part of a grant to the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, funded by the Children’s Fund of Connecticut.  The author was public health policy consultant Roberta R. Friedman, ScM.

CHDI began focusing on strategies to promote healthy weight in children from birth to age two after publishing the IMPACT “Preventing Childhood Obesity: Maternal-Child Life Course Approach” in 2014. The report reviewed scientific research on the causes of obesity and explored implications for prevention and early intervention. In 2015, the Children’s Fund of Connecticut funded four obesity prevention projects in Connecticut that addressed health messaging, data development, policy development and baby-friendly hospitals.

CT Obesity Rate is 43rd in US; Steadily Increasing, But Among Lowest Rates

Connecticut’s obesity rate has increased dramatically during the past two decades, but the state has among the lowest adult obesity rates in the country, ranking 43^rd among the states in an analysis of obesity rates. According to the most recent data, rates of obesity now exceed 35 percent in three states (Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi), 22 states have rates above 30 percent, 45 states are above 25 percent, and every state is above 20 percent. Arkansas has the highest adult obesity rate at 35.9 percent, while Colorado has the lowest at 21.3 percent.

Connecticut now has the ninth lowest adult obesity rate in the nation, according to The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America. Connecticut's adult obesity rate is currently 26.3 percent, up from 16.0 percent in 2000 and from 10.4 percent in 1990.

U.S. adult obesity rates remained mostly steady — but high — in 2014, the most recent full year data available, increasing in Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Utah and remaining stable in the rest.

The analysis also found that 9.2 percent of adults in the state have diabetes, an obesity-related health issue, ranking 35^th in the nation as of 2014. It is the highest rate in the state in the past 25 years. The number of diabetes case is projected to increase from 267,944 in 2010 to 412,641 by 2030, at the current pace of increase.

The adult hypertension rate, 31.3 percent, ranks Connecticut 27^th among the states.  The number of hypertension cases is projected to increase from 708,945 in 2010 to 941,046 by 2030.  Heart diseases is projected to increase from 214,986 people in 2010 to 1,014,057 in 2030, and obesity-related cancer is projected to more than double in 20 years, from 58,115 in 2010 to 147,883 in 2030.

The state-by-state analysis is a project of the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

73 Local Health Departments Serve CT's 169 Municipalities

Connecticut has 73 local health departments serving the state’s entire population – individuals residing in the state’s 169 cities and towns. Data compiled by the state Office of Legislative Research breaks down the health departments by full-time and part time, as well as their geographic coverage. Of the 73 local health departments across the state, 53 are full-time departments, while the remaining 20 are part-time. The full-time departments include 33 individual municipal health departments and 20 health district departments (multi-town departments serving from two to 20 towns).

By law in Connecticut, a town may have a part-time health department if: (1) it did not have a full-time department or was not part of a full-time district before January 1, 1998, (2) it has the equivalent of one full-time employee, and (3) the Department of Public Health commissioner annually approves its public health program and budget.

According to the Department of Public Health (DPH), based on the state’s 2013 estimated population, full-time health departments (both municipal and district) serve about 95 percent of the state’s population, while part-time departments serve the remaining 5% percent, OLR reports.

Connecticut’s local public health system is decentralized and a local health department falls under the jurisdiction of its respective municipality or district. Staff are hired and employed by the municipal or district health department.

The law requires towns, cities, and boroughs to nominate a municipal health director, who must be approved by their respective legislative bodies and DPH. The DPH commissioner may remove the director for cause. The town, city, or borough may also take such action with the commissioner’s approval.

Municipal and district health departments enforce the state’s public health laws, rules, and regulations, including the Public Health Code. Responsibilities include jurisdiction to:

• examine and remediate public health hazards, nuisances, and sources of filth;
• levy fines and penalties for Public Health Code violations;
• grant and rescind license permits (e.g., for food service establishments or septic systems);
• establish fees for health department services;
• submit to DPH reports on reportable diseases from health care providers and clinical laboratories; and
• provide for sanitation services (district directors may serve as sanitarians as practical).

Full-time municipal and district health departments receive state funding. The legislature eliminated funding for part-time health departments in 2009, according to OLR.

Focus Shifts from Veterans to Children in Efforts to Combat Homelessness

As progress is being made in Connecticut and across the country to end homelessness among veterans, greater attention appears to be turning next to homelessness among families with children. Families with children under age 6 are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population in the United States, Myra Jones-Taylor, Commissioner of Connecticut’s Office of Early Childhood, told state legislators recently.

In Connecticut, an estimated 3,000 to 9,000 families with young children are homeless, Jones-Taylor said. Of that estimate, approximately 1,125 families experienced homelessness in 2015 with 2,022 children impacted. Of those children, 43 percent were under the age of 5 and 42 percent were between the ages of 5 and 12.

Governor Malloy announced last month that the federal government has certified Connecticut as having effectively ended homelessness among veterans.  Just the second state in the nation to accomplish the milestone, Connecticut has implemented a comprehensive, unprecedented system to target homelessness among veterans.  Connecticut was one of the first states to join a national initiative that sought to secure commitments from communities across the country to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015.

Nationally, between 2009 and 2015, there has been a 35 percent reduction in the number of homeless veterans, according to a Governing magazine’s review of data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, published this month.  In addition to Connecticut, major cities including New Orleans, Houston and Las Vegas have indicated that “they’ve effectively eliminated homelessness among veterans.”

“But most people who are homeless are not veterans.  And in many of the nation’s large cities, homelessness among the general population appears to be getting worse,” the magazine points out.  Between 2014 and 2015, overall homelessness in the nation’s 50 largest urban areas increased by 3 percent.  The number of unsheltered individuals in those cities went up 10.5 percent and the number of unsheltered people in homeless families grew by 18.8 percent, Governing revealed.

Many attribute the success in reducing the veteran homeless population to an aggressive well-planned effort initiated at the federal level, and are looking for similar efforts focused on homeless youth.

In President Obama’s budget plan submitted to Congress this year, he requested $10.967 billion for the purpose of reaching and maintaining the goal of ending family homelessness by 2020. The National Alliance to End Homelessness emphasizes that “should this request be enacted by Congress, it would give communities what they need to end homelessness for families with children.”

Connecticut Child Advocate Sarah Healy Eagan has said that “research has shown that homelessness puts children at increased risk of health problems, developmental delays, academic underachievement, and mental health problems.”

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is asking Congress to provide sufficient funding for 10,000 new housing choice vouchers for homeless families with children, funding for 25,000 new permanent supportive housing units, and funds to provide 8,000 families with rapid rehousing assistance.

In addition, HUD announced a legislative proposal where it will seek $11 billion in mandatory spending over the next 10 years to serve a total of 550,000 families with additional vouchers, permanent supportive housing, and rapid rehousing assistance.

At a February public hearing at the State Capitol focused on proposed Senate Bill 10, which focuses on child care for homeless families with children.  It would create a “protective services” category for children experiencing homelessness, making them “categorically eligible” for child care subsidies regardless of the parent’s work status; and, ensure immediate access to child care for all children by creating a 90-day grace period for providing documentation of health and immunization records when enrolling in a child care center, group children care home, or family child care home.

The executive director of the Partnership for Strong Communities, Alicia Woodsby, testifying in support of the legislation, expressed the hope that its passage would “assist providers in resolving each case of family homelessness more quickly,” noting that families experiencing homelessness lack employment and are struggling with extreme instability.  The lack of child care makes it even more challenging for them to participate in worker training or secure new employment.”

The coalition of organizations and agencies led 2016 Homelessness & Housing Advocacy Days on March 2 and 3 at the State Capitol, drawing attention to the issue of homelessness, including homelessness among children and families.

There are wide estimates of just how many young people are homeless nationwide, according to the Child Welfare League of America, ranging from half a million to 1.6 million with estimates that up to 40 percent are gay, lesbian, questioning or transgender. Many of these young people have been kicked out of their own homes and are responsible for their own survival and are frequent targets of exploitation, trafficking and abuse while living on the streets CWLA points out.

The White House has pointed out that three years ago, in February 2013, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) issued a  Framework to End Youth Homelessness detailing the steps necessary to achieve the goal of ending youth homelessness by 2020, and strategies to improve outcomes for children and youth experiencing homelessness.

Officials noted that “the framework articulates the need for government, non-profit, civic, and faith community partners to focus together on the overall well-being of youth experiencing homelessness — addressing not just their need for stable housing, but also their educational and employment goals, and the importance of permanent adult connections in their lives.”

The conclusion of that report stated flatly that “we can end youth homelessness in America by 2020.”  The report emphasized that “Reaching this goal will require more resources at all levels and sectors, but resources are not enough. At all levels of policy and programming, we have to continuously challenge ourselves to gather and use better data, to leverage existing resources available to us, to implement more deliberate service strategies informed by good data and stakeholder input, and to coordinate systems and services around those strategies.”

“Access to high quality early care and education is extremely important for all children, but especially for children in vulnerable circumstances,” Rachel Leventhal-Weiner, Education Policy Fellow at Connecticut Voices for Children, told legislators.  “We consider homeless children to be among the most vulnerable.”

University of Hartford Students Develop First-of-Its Kind Prosthetic Hand, Patient Testing To Begin

Five graduate students and their professor in the Prosthetics and Orthotics program at the University of Hartford have reached a significant milestone in the development of a first-of-its-kind prosthetic hand. The prototype of the potentially revolutionary device, after more than two years in development, is now ready to be tested on patients. Currently, amputees have a limited selection of sizes and designs for a prosthetic hand. The groundbreaking project, which has come to be known as the “Hartford Hand,” has a unique design that allows each patient to receive a custom-made hand that fits his or her exact needs. Because of the students’ technological ingenuity, the hand can be adjusted as the patient grows.

“It is the only hand at this time known to be completely customizable in terms of size and proportion,” said faculty advisor Michael Wininger, Assistant Professor of Prosthetics and Orthotics. (see video, below)

The five graduate students, due to graduate from the program in May, have spent thousands of hours on this project since 2013, with the goal of making the world’s first prosthetic hand that can be fully customized to patients’ needs. The students have joined the project through many pathways, either as part of their formal requirements for research in their master’s curriculum, though undergraduate honors theses, elective Independent study enterprise, or as extra-curricular collaborators in a not-for-credit research immersion.

“This has been one the best opportunities I have had in my life to design,” said Christopher Welch, one of the students currently working on the Hartford Hand initiative. Each week, Welch and colleagues Yonathan Moshayev, Jake Green, Amber Sayer, and Stephen Sousa, spend several hours improving the current design to make the unique Hartford Hand a reality for patients.

The University of Hartford’s College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions collaborates with Hanger Clinic to offer the Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics (MSPO). It is one of only 13 accredited programs in the United States. The curriculum provides students with strong foundational coursework in biomechanics, neuroscience, and kinesiology.

More than a great learning experience, the project has the potential to change lives as it prepares students for future career success. “They have more training than any other students in the country,” Wininger said, “which makes them competitive for their residencies. This is a good chance for students to train on cutting-edge technology.”

Two of the students presented the Hartford Hand at a national conference in San Antonio, Texas last year. “We were able to get professional feedback and network with people in our field,” said Sousa. Welch adds that everyone they talked with confirmed that there is a huge need for this hand. Both of them are planning to use the skills they have learned with this project to work in clinics after they graduate. “I am very grateful to have had this opportunity,” Sousa said. “I could not imagine a program without this great experience.” Previous students have presented at national conferences in Las Vegas, and have entered the Hartford Hand design into national engineering design competitions.

Wininger indicated that he anticipated tests with human subjects would begin by the end of the University’s spring semester.

The professions of prosthetics and orthotics are specialized allied health professions which combine a unique blend of clinical and technical skills. Professionals in this field design, fabricate, and fit orthopedic braces and artificial limbs for a broad range of clients from pediatric to geriatric.

PHOTO (at right): Yonatan Moshayev, Jake Green, Christopher Welch, Amber Sayer, Steve Sousa, and Assistant Professor Michael Wininger.

https://youtu.be/uxyeoi3G9ks

Survey Says Hartford Residents Want Healthier Foods and Beverages, Action Steps Suggested

Two-thirds of Hartford residents believe that fresh, healthy foods are too expensive, and 4 in 5 believe that it is very important for local childcare programs to offer healthy food options. In a survey commissioned by the American Heart Association's Hartford Accelerating National Community Health Outcomes through Reinforcing (ANCHOR) Partnerships Program, a majority of women, parents and young adults in the city see healthy foods as too expensive.

"Making healthier food more accessible to all will greatly improve health outcomes and move us closer to our goal of reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke," said Dr. Seth Lapuk, pediatric cardiologist and American Heart Association of CT/Western Massachusetts board president. "Healthy food access is especially critical for our children. Obese children as young as 3 years old show indicators for developing heart disease later in life. These survey findings show the community wants the healthy choice to be the easy choice."

The survey was part of an overall initiative to improve access to healthy foods in underserved communities. It was conducted in September 2015 and included 400 Hartford residents.  The survey also revealed that 70 percent strongly support matching a portion of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) so people can spend more on healthy foods. Respondents would also like to see an increase in the number of farmers' markets and wider acceptance of SNAP at farmers' markets and mobile markets.      

Based on the findings of this survey, the organization highlighted recommendations to address residents' concerns:

• Encourage local community, government and business leaders to increase access to healthy foods
• Present child care programs as an example of a key setting that has important influence on family nutrition and healthy food policy
• Promote farmers' markets as a way to increase competition and drive down price

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said "As a mayor and as a parent of three young kids, I'm proud to say that our schools and our Department of Children & Families have been making great efforts to promote healthy foods. To keep Hartford healthy and strong, we need to continue working hard to make sure that healthy food and beverage options are available wherever our residents live, work, play and learn."

Just over the city line in West Hartford, ShopRite supermarket (corner of Kane and Prospect Streets) is offering a series of free courses with a registered dietician to help individuals know “where to start on your path to becoming healthier.”  The “Eat Well Be Happy” Weight Management Series begins on February 24, and will be held every Wednesday from 6-7:30 p.m., for six weeks. Each class focuses on a different topic including: meal planning, portion control, importance of fiber, protein and hydration and controlling sugar cravings, among others.  Individual consultation is also available, and all nutritional services are available to customers free of charge.   (Interested individuals can contact shana.griffin@wakefern.com)

"Healthy food does not have to be out of reach on the basis of cost," said Martha Page, executive director of Hartford Food System and chair of the Hartford Advisory Commission on Food Policy.

"Based on the findings of this survey, I am glad to see that our residents view early childhood programs as a key opportunity to provide a positive influence on family health," said Jane Crowell, Assistant Director, Hartford Department of Families, Children, Youth and Recreation, Division for Young Children. "Hartford's Little City Sprouts program does exactly that by providing healthy foods and beverages to the children, encouraging community gardening, offering caregiver support and information to promote healthy food preparation through recipes and snack ideas."

The ANCHOR Project is a federally funded collaboration between the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The focus of the ANCHOR project is to improve access to healthy foods through the promotion of healthy food financing initiatives with grocery stores, healthful food and beverage contract arrangements among organizations and institutions, and farmers' markets. For more information on the American Heart Association's ANCHOR Partnerships Program, go to www.heart.org/ANCHOR .