National Working Group for ACTTION

Oct 13, 2009
Letter from Diane Canova

Dear Partners,

 

Are you looking to get more involved in the efforts to increase your “action” around ACTTION? Consider recruitment! Talk to your colleagues, constituents and friends to encourage other organizations to join and support the National Working Group.

Oct 13, 2009
Tobacco Cessation Takes a Big Step Forward in Health Reform

The current congressional debate around health reform holds enormous promise to expand the availability of comprehensive tobacco cessation services to millions of tobacco users. While there are few references to “tobacco” within health reform bill language, legislators are working hard to expand the availability and delivery of clinical preventive services. Under this reform umbrella, recipients of Medicaid, Medicare and other federally sponsored insurance programs will have access to services like FDA-approved cessation medications and community quitlines.  And, although it is still early in the legislative process, each of the three legislative health reform proposals seek to expand coverage and utilization of tobacco cessation services.

Oct 13, 2009
Making Tobacco Cessation a Business Imperative

Improving workforce health, productivity and “bending the curve” of health care costs are critical business imperatives for U.S. employers, particularly in today’s highly competitive and global economy. There is no greater opportunity for improving workforce health and controlling costs than motivating employees and their dependents to stop smoking. With its eValue8™ Request for Information (eValue8 RFI), the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) conducts an annual assessment of health plans on behalf of health care coalitions, their purchaser members, and national employers. A recent report was conducted and released that created a snapshot of eValue8 data on health plan strategies to address tobacco cessation.

Oct 13, 2009
The Joint Commission Sets New Standards on Tobacco Use Treatment

The Joint Commission, which sets accreditation standards for all hospitals in the United States, made public four new measures related to tobacco use and dependence, and took public comments on them through September 30. If these measurements are adopted, The Joint Commission will require all hospitals to assess the tobacco use status of every patient aged 12-years and older, and to offer current tobacco users counseling, medications and limited follow-up.

Oct 13, 2009
2009 Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) Annual Meeting, Vienna, Virginia

The 2009 ASTHO Annual Meeting will focus on implications and implementation of public health and prevention components of national health reform, how to address the role states play in reforming our health system, and issues around what public health will look like after reform. Speakers include Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who will share the Administration’s top health priorities and vision for a healthier America, as well as Joshua Scharfstein, Principal Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, who will address issues including tobacco regulation. For more information, visit ASTHO’s Web site.

Oct 19, 2009
The Second Menthol Conference, Washington, D.C.

This meeting will bring together representatives from the American Legacy Foundation, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network, Praxis, University of Maryland, Howard University, National Latino Tobacco Control Network, and the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program at the University of California Office of the President to focus on menthol in tobacco products. For more information, please contact Phil Gardiner.

Oct 22, 2009
ACTTION Webcast Series

Evaluating the Effectiveness and Cost-Savings of Tobacco Use Treatment Programs in the Workplace

The second Webcast in the ACTTION series will be presented by National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) and Partnership for Prevention. NBCH’s Dennis White will discuss their new eValue8 report on cessation benefits, and showcase Bob Merberg, program manager for the award-winning wellness program at Paychex, Inc. as a business case study from a company that is supporting tobacco cessation employer programs for employees. This FREE Webcast is an effort to help Americans gain access to comprehensive tobacco-use treatment. Check the National Working Group’s Web site at www.acttiontoquit.org for more information, or register here. This program is supported in part by Pfizer Inc.