Four Stores in CT Warned by FDA for Selling e-Cigarettes to Minors as Popularity, Concern Grows

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent out warning letters to 40 retailers in 17 states  – including four in Connecticut - as part of a “concerted effort to ensure youth are not able to access” e-cigarettes – specifically responding to what officials describe as the “surging youth uptake” of JUUL products. According to the federal agency, those receiving the warnings in recent weeks included four Connecticut retailers: Discount Tobacco and Vape in Vernon, Mobil Mart in Waterbury, Shell/Henny Penny in Lisbon, and Smoker’s Outlet in West Hartford. The retailers were warned about selling the increasingly popular – but hazardous – products to minors.

The FDA explained that warning letters are sent to retailers the first time a tobacco compliance check inspection reveals a violation of the federal tobacco laws and regulations that FDA enforces.  During undercover buy inspections by agency representatives, “the retailer is unaware an inspection is taking place” and the minor and inspector “will not identify themselves.”

Published reports nationwide indicate that vaping is increasing rapidly in popularity with young people, especially with the most popular brand, JUUL. Its devices are tiny, and look like a pen or flash drive. When someone vapes, there is no fire, ash or smoky odor — instead, the devices heat up and vaporize a liquid or solid.  School bathrooms, where cigarette smoking was done in “secret” a generation ago, are now often referred to as “juul rooms” according to numerous reports – the nicotine fix of choice of the current generation.  A recent New York Times article prominently featured a description of the magnitude of the problem in a suburban Connecticut high school.

“The FDA has been conducting a large-scale, undercover nationwide blitz to crack down on the sale of e-cigarettes – specifically JUUL products – to minors at both brick-and-mortar and online retailers,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D.

Gottlieb highlighted the danger – and the attraction – of the products to youth.

“We understand, by all accounts, many of them may be using products that closely resemble a USB flash drive, have high levels of nicotine and emissions that are hard to see. These characteristics may facilitate youth use, by making the products more attractive to children and teens.  These products are also more difficult for parents and teachers to recognize or detect. Several of these products fall under the JUUL brand, but other brands, such as myblu and KandyPens, that have similar characteristics are emerging.”

Businesses receiving the warning letters are directed to provide, within 15 days, “an explanation of the steps you will take to correct the violation(s) and prevent future violations (for example, retrain your employees, remove the problematic items, etc.),” the agency website points out.  In addition to federal restrictions, purchase/possession of an electronic nicotine delivery system or vapor product by persons under age 18 is prohibited in Connecticut.

The FDA also sent an official request for information directly to JUUL Labs, requiring the company to submit important documents to better understand the reportedly high rates of youth use and the particular youth appeal of these products.

Said Gottlieb: “We don’t yet fully understand why these products are so popular among youth. But it’s imperative that we figure it out, and fast. These documents may help us get there.”  The agency plans what it calls a “full-scale e-cigarette prevention effort” in the fall.

In addition, the FDA also recently contacted eBay to raise concerns over several listings for JUUL products on its website. eBay took what the agency described as “swift action to remove the listings and voluntarily implement new measures to prevent new listings” from being posted to the website.

Advocates Urge End to CT's Statute of Limitations for Sexual Assault Crimes; Legislation Awaits Action

The statistics were stark and unsettling, featured in an informational display in the corridor connecting the State Capitol and the Legislative Office Building, in the midst of Sexual Assault Awareness Month:

• 77% of victims in Connecticut know their perpetrators
• In 2016, the estimated cost of sexual violence in Connecticut was $5,762,944.30, including lost wages and medical costs based on emergency department visits.
• Connecticut students who experienced sexual violence were 3 times more likely to miss school because they felt unsafe
• 8% of CT students in grades 9-12 reported being forced to have sexual intercourse.
• 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men have experienced sexual violence other than rape in their lifetimes.

Less prominent, but described as equally significant, was advocacy information that explained Connecticut has the third shortest statute of limitation in the country in cases of sexual assault, and the shortest in New England – five years.

The Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence is calling for that to change, but it is unclear if a legislative proposal (House Bill 5246) to eliminate the criminal statute of limitations will be approved in the final three weeks of the state legislative session. Another proposal would extend the period to ten years (Senate Bill 238), an improvement over the current 5-year window, but still shorter than it should be, advocates say.

The "elimination" bill was approved by the legislature's Judiciary Committee, 26-14, earlier this month.

The organization points out that Connecticut’s short reporting window does not account for new crimes that involve online victimization.  And it does not recognize the multiple barriers to reporting immediately after an assault, or that five years has not always been enough time to investigate and bring a case against a perpetrator, “allowing some likely offenders to go free.”

Stating that “justice should not have an expiration date,” the organization points out that eight states have no statute of limitations for felony sexual assault crimes, and 28 states have a statute of limitations of 21 years or more.  Only 10 states, including Connecticut, have a statute of limitation of 10 years or less.

According to the National Institutes of Health, sexual violence is the leading cause of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in women.  Testifying in support of the bill last month, Madeline Granato of the Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF) said a survivor of sexual assault may face multiple barriers that prevent timely reporting, and "the elimination of the statute of limitations will remove at least one barrier:  time."

The bill has been opposed by the State Office of Chief Public Defender, which told legislators in March that "Without any finite period of time within which a prosecution can be brought, it may be impossible for an innocent person to fairly defend himself, 10, 20 or more years beyond the date of the offense."

The Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence partnered with the Connecticut Department of Public Health in showcasing materials and information to help the public identify sexual violence, offer support to survivors, and prevent sexual violence.  Throughout the month of April, The Alliance its member programs, are raising awareness about sexual violence through hosting events across the state.

Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence is a statewide coalition of individual sexual assault crisis programs. The Alliance works to end sexual violence through victim assistance, community education, and public policy advocacy.

US News, Aetna Foundation Rank Nation's Healthiest Counties; Three in CT Reach Top 100

Three Connecticut counties are among the 100 healthiest in the nation.  Tolland County ranked #44, Middlesex County was #46, and Litchfield County placed #54, in an analysis published by U.S. News & World Report in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation. Two additional Connecticut counties ranked among the top 500:  Fairfield County was #351 and New London County was #411.  Hartford Country, New Haven County, and Windham County were unranked, outside the top 500.

The “Healthiest Communities” analysis is designed as an interactive destination for consumers and policymakers.  Backed by in-depth research and accompanied by news and analysis, the site features comprehensive rankings drawn from an examination of nearly 3,000 counties and county equivalents on 80 metrics across 10 categories, informing residents, health care leaders and officials about local policies and practices that drive better health outcomes for all, the website explains.

The data categories include Population Health, Equity, Education, Housing, Food & Nutrition, Environment, Public Safety, Community Vitality, and Infrastructure.  All of the categories but one, equity, were identified as key considerations in evaluating community health by the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics as part of its Measurement Framework for Community Health and Well-Being.  Data were gathered and analyzed by the University of Missouri Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES).  The overall project was developed by U.S. News & World Report in collaboration with the Aetna Foundation.

Topping the national rankings were Falls Church, Virginia; Douglas County, Colorado; Broomfield County, Colorado; Los Alamos County, New Mexico; and Dukes County, Massachusetts.  Dukes County, the second smallest in Massachusetts, includes Martha’s Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands.

The scores for Connecticut’s counties were Windham 56.6, New Haven 60.2, Hartford 61.6, Fairfield 69.1, New London 67.9, Litchfield 82.0, Middlesex 82.6, and Tolland, 82.9.  The overall state average was 70.4.  The U.S. average was 52.3.  Among neighboring states, the Massachusetts statewide average was 72.8, Rhode Island was 74.8 and New York was 61.7.

“Healthiest Communities evaluates and explores how counties and county equivalents can minimize chronic disease, keep people out of the hospital, provide access to health care and lower costs,” the website explains.  “The Aetna Foundation, the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna, invested in this project as part of its broader effort to improve the health of communities.”

Opioid Epidemic Evident in CT Communities Large and Small; Data Show Rapidly Growing Health Crisis

In 2012-13, 111 of Connecticut’s 169 towns had at least one death attributable to opioids, and one city, Hartford, had more than 100 deaths that were caused by the drug.  Just four years later, in 2016-17, 138 towns saw at least one death during the two-year period, an increase of 24 percent, and the number of cities with more than 100 deaths had quadrupled, as Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven and Waterbury each saw the death toll climb past 100. A review of data from the Connecticut Medical Examiner by the Connecticut Data Collaborative found that “opioid deaths have doubled and tripled in some towns in Connecticut in only six years.” The analysis found that although Bridgeport, New Haven, Waterbury, and Hartford have the highest rates per population, “many smaller towns have seen their rates of death triple as well.”

In comparing the average annual opioid-related death rates per 100,000 population in 2012-13, 2014-15, and 2016-17, the dramatic increases across communities statewide is quite evident. The data analysts point out that data are where deaths from 'any opioid' (meaning some type of opioid were found in the person) take place. Therefore, they explain, one would expect to see higher rates in places with large hospitals (hence high rates in cities). They add that one can also not discount that these places are also seeing higher rates among its residents.

In Danbury, for example, the rate of deaths nearly tripled from 2012-13 to 2016-17, from 6.88 to 18.20. In Enfield, it more than tripled, from 2.01 to 6.70.  In that northern Connecticut community, the rate translates to 9 opioid-related deaths during the two years of 2012-13 to 30 in 2016-17.

In Norwalk, the rate quadrupled from 2.57 in 2012-13 to 10.70 in 2016-17, when 25 people died from opioid-related causes.  The rate in New Britain more than tripled from 8.78 to 29.65 – from 24 deaths over a two-year period to 81 in the same period four years later.  In Hamden the number of deaths from opioid-related causes doubled from 8 to 16 in four years; in West Haven there were 7 deaths in 2012-13 and 29 in 2016-17.

The Connecticut Data Collaborative has posted on its website an interactive series of state maps that allows visitors to compare the number of opioid deaths in every town in Connecticut in each of the three years.  The maps indicate “the breadth of the problem” and “intensity of the issue.”

Earlier this year, Connecticut officials launched a statewide public awareness campaign aimed at reducing opioid misuse.  The "Change the Script" campaign provides information on prevention, treatment and recovery provided by local health departments, prevention councils, healthcare providers, pharmacists, and other community partners and stakeholders.

The state departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), Consumer Protection (DCP) and Public Health (DPH) are working together on the campaign, which grew out of the Governor's Connecticut Opioid Response (CORE) Initiative, a three-year strategy to prevent addiction and overdoses.

https://youtu.be/Uy3IVFjUAjE

Public Access to State Government Data Would be Strengthened by Proposed Law

“If we want better government, we need better data.”  That succinct observation by Michelle Riordan-Nold, Executive Director of the Connecticut Data Collaborative, summed up the push for legislation that would codify in state law an “expectation of increased access to state government public data.” The proposal, House Bill 5172, supports the ongoing work of the State’s Open Data Initiative, which is currently maintained by the state Office of Policy and Management.  Riordan-Nold, in supportive testimony last week, said passage of the bill would be “an important step in institutionalizing the state’s commitment to public open data sharing.”  She noted that Connecticut has been a national leader in its commitment to open data, adding that passage of the bill was necessary to “continue the momentum.”

The Connecticut Data Collaborative works with state agency staff, nonprofit staff and community organizations.  Riordan-Nold said that “data users from all sectors across the state are hungry for unbiased, high quality public data,” pointing out that “the increased availability of public data from state agencies will not only aid many individuals, organizations and researchers in their daily work, it will also drive programming decisions, support funding opportunities and illuminate the health and well-being of our residents and municipalities.”

State Comptroller Kevin Lembo told the Government Administration Committee that “Making raw data regarding state agency performance and operations available to the public increases accountability. Access to data allows third parties in the public, including journalists and academics, to review and critique government performance, resulting in a more efficient and responsive government.”

Lembo added that passage of the bill would “affirm Connecticut’s commitment to open government. It allows existing transparency efforts to evolve and grow, providing easy access to public data while increasing government accountability and responsiveness.”  The Comptroller’s Office has a number of initiatives on its website that provide easy public access to data, and Lembo said passage of the bill would ensure that the data necessary for the sites would continue to be available to the public.

State Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz added that the bill “provides the confidence and volume of data that users require through the open access to the quality and unbiased public data that H.B. 5172 ensures.”  She said the bill “will allow for increased agency accountability and responsiveness in order to improve public knowledge of the state government and its operations, by safely providing timely data that the state makes easily accessible to the public.”

In his testimony before the committee, David Wilkinson, Commissioner of the Office of Early Childhood, said “by advancing better data systems, customer feedback mechanisms, and outcomes-driven contracting, we will get smarter and spend smarter, becoming more cost-effective as we achieve better results.”  A recent report by Connecticut Voices for Children pointed out that “integrated data would improve reporting and decision making within agencies, but public access to data is also vital.”  The report also noted that “the state needs more holistic and actionable data on health and social determinants of health in order to work towards health equity.”

The bill would codify Governor Malloy’s Executive Order 39, signed in 2014, which requires executive branch agencies to regularly publish data that is of high value to the public.

On behalf of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving,  Research and Community Indicators Director Scott Gaul testified in support of the provisions in HB 5517  that would establish the Connecticut Data Analysis Technology Advisory Board and encouraged the state to involve philanthropy and nonprofits on the Board. In recent testimony before the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth, the Foundation asked the Commission to prioritize the development and coordinate use of high-quality research and data to ensure that limited public and private resources support best practices and policies.

Marijuana, Cellphones May Increase Pedestrian Fatalities, Federal Report Suggests; Fewer Deaths in CT as 23 States See Increase

Connecticut is one of 20 states that saw a decline in the number of pedestrian deaths in the first half of 2017, as compared with the first half of the previous year.  The trend nationally, however, is in the opposite direction, as 23 states saw pedestrian deaths increase.  Seven states were virtually unchanged.  And the trend in recent years has also been a rising death toll. The number of pedestrian fatalities increased 27 percent from 2007 to 2016, while at the same time, all other traffic deaths decreased by 14 percent. A new national study raises the possibility of a number of factors for the increase – an increase in the number of cars on the road, the increasing use of cell phones, and the use of marijuana, which has been legalized for recreational use in some states, including neighboring Massachusetts. The report suggests that it "provides an early look at potential traffic safety implications of increased access to recreational marijuana for drivers and pedestrians."

The Governors Highway Safety Administration (GHSA) released a 38-page study this week estimating that just under 6,000 pedestrians lost their lives last year, essentially the same death toll as 2016. The projected total in both years represent the highest levels seen since 1990, Governing magazine reported.  The number of states with pedestrian fatality rates at or above 2.0 per 100,000 population has more than doubled, from seven in 2014 to 15 in 2016. From 2015 to 2016, pedestrian fatalities in the nation’s ten largest cities increased 28 percent (153 additional fatalities), according to the GHSA report.

The number of miles traveled by vehicles increased nationally by 2.8 percent between 2015 and 2016 then rose another 1.2 percent the first half of last year, according to Federal Highway Administration data  The GHSA report noted that nearly 6,000 pedestrians died in motor vehicle crashes in 2016 and 2017, coming after a spike in the number of pedestrian deaths in 2015. "It has been more than 25 years since the U.S. experienced this level of pedestrian fatalities. Because both 2015 and 2016 saw large increases in pedestrian fatalities, the continuation of pedestrian fatalities at virtually the same pace in 2017 raises continued concerns about the nation’s alarming pedestrian death toll," the report stated.

“We’ve plateaued at a very bad place,” Richard Retting, who authored the report, told Governing. “This should not be a new normal.”

While pedestrian deaths have increased over the past decade, other types of traffic fatalities declined. Pedestrians accounted for 16 percent of all motor-vehicle related deaths in 2016, up from 11 percent in 2007. Federal data suggests nighttime collisions are a major problem -- three quarters of fatal crashes occurred after dark.

In Connecticut, there were 31 pedestrian fatalities in the first half of 2016; 20 in the first half of 2017, a decrease of 35 percent. Connecticut was one of 11 states, 2014-2016, where 20 percent or more of the pedestrian deaths were among people age 70 or older.  Connecticut's pedestrian fatality rate in 2016 was 1.73 per 100,000 population, which ranked 20th in the U.S.  In the first half of 2017, the state ranked 31st.

Retting told Governing that he suspects cellphone use by drivers and pedestrians could also be a culprit. The GHSA report stated that "Without stating a direct correlation or claiming a definitive link, more recent factors contributing to the increase in pedestrian fatalities might include the growing number of state and local governments that have decriminalized recreational use of marijuana (which can impair judgment and reaction time for all road users), and the increasing use of smart phones (which can be a significant source of distraction for both drivers and pedestrians).

The total number of multimedia messages sent has more than tripled since 2010.  The report also suggests a possible link with marijuana use.  According to the report, the seven states (Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Washington) and  DC that legalized recreational use of marijuana between 2012 and 2016 reported a collective 16.4 percent increase in pedestrian fatalities for the first six months of 2017 versus the first six months of 2016, whereas all other states reported a collective 5.8 percent decrease in pedestrian fatalities.

One example cited is Washington state, where marijuana was legalized in late 2012 and the first dispensaries opened in mid-2014.  According to data from the Traffic Safety Commission, Governing reported, Washington state saw an increase in 2015 and 2016 in fatal crashes where THC, the primary psychoactive chemical in marijuana, was present in blood tests of either the pedestrian or driver.

It was noted, however, that the totals, while higher, still remain relatively small. THC levels can be detected days or even weeks after marijuana use, and Washington state’s data also indicates that between 70 and 80 percent of drivers found to have THC also tested positive for alcohol or other drugs, according to that report.

The federal report also indicates that Connecticut DOT recently completed a statewide overhaul to replace old signage, including signs for pedestrian safety. "These are new, bright signs that are up to code," the report explained.  "The Highway Safety Office also launched an outreach and advertising campaign titled 'Watch for Me CT' which focuses primarily on pedestrian safety but also includes bicyclists."  Law enforcement training for this issue is currently being developed, the report said.

Nationally, there were 4,457 pedestrian fatalities in 2011 and 5,987 in 2016.  The data for the first half of 2017 is considered preliminary, and may rise higher as some state records are updated with additional data, the report indicated.

Report Reflects Good News, Continuing Challenges for Women, Girls in Eastern CT

Women and girls in Eastern Connecticut are progressing in many ways, but gender equity is elusive in many others, according to a new report.  The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut commissioned DataHaven to develop a report on the Status of Women and Girls in Eastern Connecticut, and the findings provide an insightful snapshot of disparities that persist, and challenges that remain and may increase, as well as diminish, in the years ahead. The purpose of the 26-page report, explains the Community Foundation’s President and Chief Executive Officer Maryam Elahi, is “to help inform and guide thoughtful conversations and inspire local ideas for social and policy advancements and investments.”   It is designed to be a “platform for action” to increase opportunity, access and equity for women and girls in Eastern Connecticut, officials indicated.  It is the first time that such a report was developed.

Among the key findings:

• Young women are achieving in school, but greater educational attainment has yet to translate to economic equality.
• Positive educational outcomes and economic equality are further out of reach for women of color.
• Many occupations remain segregated by gender, and women make up a majority of part-time workers.
• Women are at greater risk of financial insecurity, with single mothers at the greatest risk. 25% of all children in Eastern Connecticut live with a single mother, and 90% of single-parent households are headed by a mother.
• Women in Eastern Connecticut are healthy, with a life expectancy of about 82 years—slightly above the national average, but below the state average.

The report also found that:

• The opioid epidemic continues to ravage our communities, with deaths of women in 2016 more than double those of 2012.
• Young women are at heightened risk for many mental health conditions. 35% of female students reported feeling hopeless or depressed vs. 19% of male students, and women are three times more likely to attempt suicide than men.
• Violence against women continues to be a major public health problem. Almost 5,000 women in Windham and New London counties received services from domestic violence shelters.

The report defines Eastern Connecticut as the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut service area:  42 towns that include 453,000 people, 227,000 women.  The population of the region is 80% white, 9% Latina, 4% Black and 4% Asian.  Approximately 33,700 residents, or 7 percent, are foreign born.  Looking ahead, the report noted that the population of women ages 65 and up is projected to grow significantly over the next decade; estimated to increase 44 percent by 2025.

Continuing racial disparities are highlighted by the finding that among 90 percent of girls in the region’s class of 2016 graduated high school within four years, yet nearly 20 percent of women in New London and Windham/Willimantic lack a high school diploma.

The report noted that “a persistent gap” exists for women with degrees in STEM fields. Overall, 51 percent of men vs. 30 percent of women majored in science and engineering fields. Encouragingly, of 25-39 year-old women with degrees, 37 percent majored in the sciences. This is higher than previous generations.

Although women comprise 76 percent of educators, only 11 out of 41 superintendents in the region are women.  The report also found that 25 percent of businesses are women-owned.

“Women’s equality,” Elahi said, “is not just a women’s issue. It affects the wellbeing and prosperity of every family and community.”

The Community Foundation has organized public forums to discuss the report findings.  The first was held last week in Hampton, the next is February 15 in New London.

New Haven-based DataHaven’s mission is to improve quality of life by collecting, sharing, and interpreting public data for effective decision-making. The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut serves 42 towns and is comprised of over 490 charitable funds, putting “philanthropy into action to address the needs, rights and interests of the region.”

Michelle Obama Influences Children's Trick-or-Treat Choices, Yale Study Says

The conclusion is striking:  Michelle Obama’s initiative to reduce childhood obesity has influenced children’s dietary preferences. Researchers estimated that viewing a photograph of Michelle Obama’s face caused children to be 19 percent more likely to choose fruit over candy, on Halloween.  The experiment – Yale University researchers - was conducted on a New Haven porch over three consecutive Halloweens, and the results are published this month in a journal of the Public Library of Science (PLOS). The participants were 1,223 trick-or-treaters in New Haven over three years; on average, 8.5 years old and 53 percent male (among children whose gender was identifiable). To be eligible for inclusion in the study, trick-or-treaters had to be over the age of three.

The porch of a home had photographs clearly visible in front of the trick-or-treating children.  One was of Michelle Obama.  The other side, the “comparison” side in the study, “had a photo of Ann Romney (2012), a photo of Hillary Clinton (2014, 2015), or no photo (2014, 2015).”

At both sides of the porch, children were asked their age and whether they would prefer to receive fruit (a box of raisins) or candy (a more typical small packaged piece of name-brand chocolate such as Snickers or Milky Ways). Each child was given the option (fruit or candy) that they requested.

“The experimental set-up allows us to measure what proportion of children chose fruit instead of candy when in the presence of an image of Michelle Obama’s face, as well as the proportion of children who chose fruit instead of candy when not in the presence of an

image of Michelle Obama’s face,” the researchers pointed out.

Publishing the research are Peter M. Aronow, Dean Karlan, Lauren E. Pinson.  Peter Aronow is Assistant Professor of Political Science and in the Institute for Social and Policy Studies and of Public Health at Yale University; Dean Karlan is a Professor of Economics at Yale; Lauren Pinson is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at Yale University.

The experiment was conducted in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, which is about one mile from the Yale University campus, and contains many single family homes owned by Yale faculty, as well as some multi-family homes in which many graduate students live, the study explained. “There are also low income neighborhoods within a mile of this neighborhood,” and “due to the high level of activity during Halloween, many families drive from further away in order to trick-or-treat in this neighborhood.”

The study provides background, explaining that “During her tenure as First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama has spearheaded one of the largest public health initiatives focused on childhood obesity. In 2010, Obama unveiled her Let’s Move Initiative, aimed at fostering a healthy lifestyle and reducing childhood obesity. As the public face of the campaign, Obama urged healthy eating and exercise in a variety of classic and social media venues accessible to minors and their parents, including appearances on Sesame Street and Oprah and posts of online videos.”

In regards to the results, the researchers caution that “we ran the experiment on a day where candy is readily available, the influence on children’s dietary preference for fruit instead of candy may differ from other days of the year; for instance, perhaps children are more willing to choose fruit since it is unique for the holiday, or children are less willing to choose fruit because they are under the influence of sugar consumption.”

PLOS was founded in 2001 as a nonprofit Open Access publisher, innovator and advocacy organization with a mission to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication.

Colorado's Hickenlooper Reconnects to Middletown Years, Discusses Key Healthcare Issues

John Hickenlooper, mentioned in national political circles as a potential presidential candidate in 2020, is a graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown, class of 1974, and the incumbent Governor of Colorado. His current career and Middletown roots come full circle this week, as Hickenlooper is the guest on the weekly podcast hosted by the leaders of Middletown-based Community Health Center, Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter.

The podcast, Conversations on Health Care, has a national following and is also aired on more than a dozen radio stations across the country, including Atlanta, Chicago, Michigan and Minnesota.  The program focuses on the opportunities for reform and innovation in the health care system.  In addition to health care headlines, the centerpiece of each show is a feature story and conversation with an innovator in the delivery of care from around the globe.  Guests are drawn from healthcare organizations, policy makers, researchers, educators, nonprofit leaders and individuals breaking new ground in scientific research and the delivery of health care services in the U.S. and abroad.

Hickenlooper, who took office in 2011 and is term-limited and in his final year as Governor, discusses how expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act has improved access to health care in his state, how embedding behavioral health in primary care is improving outcomes, and how they're fighting the opioid crisis in Colorado.  He addresses lessons learned from the state's marijuana legalization, and his bipartisan campaign with Governor John Kasich of Ohio, a past presidential hopeful, to promote sound health policies on the federal level including funding for CHIP, Community Health Centers and expanded coverage.  Kasich is a Republican; Hickenlooper a Democrat.

“States are the laboratories of democracy,” Hickenlooper said on the program. “We’re the ones that have to be doing the experiments and coming up with the innovations and then finding out whether they work or not.”

Masselli, founder and president/CEO of CHC, and Margaret Flinter, Senior Vice President and Clinical Director, each bring four decades of experience in overcoming the barriers that block access to care in their work at community health centers.  Their conversations with “creative thinkers and doers from all parts of the field” are aimed at “all who believe that Health Care is a Right, Not a Privilege,” according to the podcast’s website.

The program is recorded at WESU at Wesleyan University, and is underwritten by Community Health Center, Inc. Conversations on Health Care episodes are also broadcast by ReachMD, which can be heard on iHeartRadio. Past guests with Connecticut connections include former Middletown Mayor Paul Gionfriddo, CEO of Mental Health America; Save the Children CEO Carolyn Miles; and Aetna Foundation President Dr. Garth Graham.  Topics in recent months have include cancer therapy breakthroughs, telemedicine, innovations in caring for an aging population, obesity and efforts to transform healthcare through big data.

Hickenlooper graduated from Wesleyan University with a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in geology.  He began his career as a geologist and later opened a series of restaurants and brewpubs across the country, including the Wynkoop Brewing Co. in downtown Denver, which helped spark the revitalization of the city’s now-thriving Lower Downtown (“LoDo”) district.  He served as the mayor of Denver, Colorado, from 2003 to 2011.  He is a past chair of the National Governor’s Association.

CHC serves 145,000 patients statewide, providing medical, dental and behavioral health services, and is a nationally recognized innovator in the delivery and the development of primary care services to special populations.

Planning Underway for Nation’s Next Decade of Public Health Goals, to be Unveiled in 2020

In fiscal year 2017, the State of Connecticut received $373,921 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for childhood lead poisoning prevention programmatic activities. The funding arrived, at least in part, because one of the goals of the federal government’s Healthy People 2020 initiative, launched in 2010, is the elimination of childhood lead poisoning as a public health problem.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other agencies have developed a federal interagency strategy to achieve this goal by 2020.   The key elements of this interagency strategy include:

• Identification and control of lead paint hazards;
• Identification and care for children with elevated blood lead levels;
• Surveillance of elevated blood lead levels in children to monitor progress; and
• Research to further improve childhood lead poisoning prevention methods.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unveiled Healthy People 2020 in December 2010, laying out the nation’s new 10-year goals and objectives for health promotion and disease prevention. Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans, according to the program’s website.

Childhood lead poisoning prevention was one item on a lengthy list of national priorities.   Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, are responsible for seven out of every 10 deaths among Americans each year and account for 75 percent of the nation’s health spending, officials said as the agenda was announced.  Topics added in 2010 included Dementia’s, including Alzheimer’s Disease; Early and Middle Childhood; Sleep Health; Social determinants of Health; and Adolescent Health.

For three decades, since 1979, Healthy People has established benchmarks and monitored progress over time in order to encourage collaborations across communities and sectors, empower individuals toward making informed health decisions and measure the impact of prevention activities.  The initiative is housed in the federal office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Approximately three-quarters of the goals of the previous decade-long Healthy People agenda had been achieved, officials said in 2010.

Even as federal and state authorities work to achieve the 2020 goals, work has begun on the next set of national objectives.

The planning process for Healthy People 2030, the fifth edition of Healthy People, is already underway.  Federal agencies sought comments from the public last fall on a proposed framework, which “aims at new challenges and builds on lessons learned from its first four decades.”  In December, officials indicated that “The foundational principles and overarching goals of the proposed framework for 2030 include a call to attain health literacy, achieve health equity and eliminate health disparities, improve the health and well-being of all populations.”

Once the framework is finalized, the agency “will begin the development and selection process for Healthy People 2030 objectives. We anticipate that the public will be invited to comment on proposed objectives as part of this process.”  It is expected that four regional “listening” sessions will be held.  Connecticut is included in the New England region, one of 10 regions across the country.  A session held in Atlanta in November was attended by 77 people.

The imperative to improve public health has not lessened over time.

“The United States lags behind other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries on key measures of health and well-being, including life expectancy, infant mortality, and obesity, despite having the highest percentage of GDP spent on health,” the website points out.