Category: Health Care

News Release: Missouri WIC works to improve health of 80,000 Missourians each month

October 6, 2022

Missouri WIC works to improve health of 80,000 Missourians each month

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Every month, over 80,000 Missourians participate in the Missouri WIC program. WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. The program provides quality nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, nutritious foods, and referrals to health services.

Missouri WIC offers healthy food choices that target specific essential nutrients often missing from the diets of participants, such as iron, calcium, protein, and vitamins A, C, and D. To meet these needs, the WIC food package includes fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grains, milk and yogurt along with other nutritious foods.

“The WIC program takes into consideration the distinct needs of the women, infants, and children it serves, providing participants with individualized nutrition counseling and then prescribes a food package to fit their nutritional needs,” said Angie Oesterly, Missouri WIC Director. “Breastfeeding mothers receive additional support to ensure a successful breastfeeding journey for their infant and themselves.”

To qualify for the WIC program, participants must meet the following requirements:

  • Be a pregnant, breastfeeding, or new mother; an infant up to age one; or a child up to their fifth birthday; and
  • Be a resident of Missouri; and
  • Meet income eligibility requirements.

Missourians interested in learning about the benefits of WIC may visit by clicking here or call TEL-LINK at 1-800-835-5465 to find the WIC local agency in their county.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Nondiscrimination and complaint information can be found on our website at wic.mo.gov.

WIC is funded by the USDA and is administered by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

HHS Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs

October 5, 2022

HHS IEA Weekly Monkeypox Briefing

Please join the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) for a Monkeypox briefing TOMORROW at 2:00 PM EST. Starting this week, these briefings will be held every other Thursday (next briefing 10/20).

Date: Thursday, October 6
Time: 2:00 PM EST
Register for the briefing here.

Monkeypox Response Equity Resources

Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (HHSIEA) Briefing on Monkeypox

October 4, 2022

HHS IEA Briefing on Monkeypox

Please join the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) for our weekly Monkeypox briefing on Thursday at 2:00 PM ET.

Date: Thursday, October 6th
Time: 2:00 PM ET
Register for the briefing here

Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (HHSIEA)

October 4, 2022

Funding Opportunity TA Webinar: Public Health AmeriCorps

Please join the Department of Health and Human Services for the following events this week:

Funding Opportunity TA Webinar: Public Health AmeriCorps 

AmeriCorps recently announced a new round of funding for Public Health AmeriCorps!

Public Health AmeriCorps, launched in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a $400 million investment to engage new communities and individuals in public health, recruiting and building a new workforce ready to respond to the nation’s public health needs. Last year, over 80 organizations were awarded a total of more than $60 million. Funding is open to nonprofit, faith-based, tribal, and community-based organizations; higher education institutions; state, local, and territorial government entities, including local public health departments.

Is your organization seeking capacity to address a public health issue? Learn more about how to apply for a Public Health AmeriCorps grant! 

Date: Thursday, October 6th
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Register for the webinar here. 
This session will walk through the Public Health AmeriCorps NOFO components and programmatic requirements.

To learn more:

  • Register for the webinar on October 25, 2022 at 1PM ET: FY23 AmeriCorps State and National NOFOs Best Practices in Developing Performance Measures. This session will support organizations in developing their applications.
  • Watch the Intro to AmeriCorps Webinar session recording, recommend for anyone new to AmeriCorps funding
  • Read about the first cohort of Public Health AmeriCorps grantees here
  • Apply for funding here!

For more information, visit americorps.gov/publichealth or contact publichealth@americorps.gov

Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (HHSIEA)

Date: 10/03/2022

HSS COVID-19 Update

READING OF METTING WITH HEALTH SYSTEM AND HOSPITAL LEADERS ON MANAGING COVID-19 THIS FALL

White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy met with health system and hospital leaders to discuss the importance of acting aggressively this fall to protect their patients, health care workers, and communities from COVID-19 and the flu. The discussion focused on steps hospitals and health systems can take to help ensure all Americans, including health care workers, get their updated COVID-19 vaccine this fall, and encourage people to get tested and seek treatment when they get sick—steps that will save lives, reduce burden on the health care system, minimize disruptions to daily life, and help the U.S. effectively manage COVID-19.

INFORMATION FOR SPECIFIC POPULATIONS

Evusheld: FDA added important information to the authorized Fact Sheets for Evusheld (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab) to inform health care providers and individuals receiving Evusheld of the increased risk for developing COVID-19 when exposed to variants of SARS-CoV-2 that are not neutralized by Evusheld. Detailed neutralization data can be found in the revised authorized Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers. Health care professionals should inform patients of this risk and advise patients who develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19 to test for SARS-CoV-2 infection and promptly seek medical attention, including starting treatment for COVID-19, as appropriate if they test positive.

RESEARCH

Exploring a New Approach to Universal Vaccines Against COVID-19: NIH published a news story on a new approach to universal vaccines against COVID-19. Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) are exploring a different idea for vaccines. Instead of focusing on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, they are studying the virus’s nucleocapsid (N) protein, which rarely mutates. The N protein could be the key to creating a future universal vaccine to fight emerging variants. NIAID researchers found that N proteins produced by cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 neutralize multiple chemokines. Chemokines are substances produced in response to an infection or injury, and they attract white blood cells to the area. When N proteins bind to chemokines, this binding weakens the body’s immune response. Without white blood cells to kill virus-infected cells, the virus keeps multiplying and infecting more cells. Until now, most scientists thought that N proteins stayed inside a cell infected by SARS-CoV-2. But the NIAID researchers discovered that up to 100,000 copies of the N protein stud the surface of a single infected cell. In addition, N proteins on an infected cell can spread to uninfected neighboring cells so that they lose immune protection.

HHS Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs

September 29,2022

White House Convening on American Rescue Plan Community Health Workforce Investments

The White House invites you to attend a virtual convening on Friday, September 30, 2022 at 10:00 AM ET to highlight the American Rescue Plan’s historic investments in the community health workforce.

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, the Biden-Harris Administration has made the largest one-time investment in the community health workforce, which is deploying tens of thousands of people over the coming years into underserved communities to address health disparities, COVID-19, and other health needs exacerbated by the pandemic. These efforts include training and deploying Community Health Workers – an evidence-based, cost-effective intervention to improve population health and strengthen health systems.

Date: Friday, September 30th
Time: 10:00 AM ET
Register for the briefing here. 

This event will feature Biden-Harris Administration officials, members of Congress, local elected officials, community-based organizations, and workers, including:

  • Gene Sperling, White House American Rescue Plan Coordinator and Senior Advisor to the President
  • Carole Johnson, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration
  • U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)
  • Congressman David Trone (MD-06)
  • Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot

HHS Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) Weekly Monkeypox Briefing Tomorrow

September 28, 2022

Department of Health and Human Services  (HHS) Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) Weekly Monkeypox Briefing

Please join the HHS IEA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) for weekly Monkeypox briefing on Thursday at 2:00 PM EST.

Date: Every Thursday
Time: 2:00 PM EST
Register for the briefing here. 

Please note that webinar attendees represent a range of stakeholders with varying degrees of familiarity with Monkeypox outbreak and response. HHS IEA appreciates all of you taking the time to join these briefings and regret that while HHS IEA may be unable to answer every question submitted live due to the large number of attendees, HHS IEA will continue to use your questions to inform briefing content and update FAQs.

Additional Resources:

Ending Stigma Webinar

September 26, 2022

Ending Stigma: An Interfaith Discussion on Suicide Prevention

Join faith leaders from multiple religious traditions as they discuss how they are supporting people at risk for suicide and their families, and reducing its stigma in their communities. This webinar will highlight the importance of the new 988 Lifeline which makes it easier for individuals in crisis to connect with someone who can help.

Date: Wednesday, September 28th
Time: 11:00 AM ET
Register for the webinar here.