Greetings from the NCBDDD Chair
 Dear Friends,
Happy New Year!
The Champions and the Executive Committee will be meeting to review our shared action plan with senior staff at NCBDDD this month. Thanks to all who submitted action plan comments. An updated version will be made available on the Friends website after this meeting, so stay tuned for an announcement later this month.
Make plans to join us on Tuesday, January 20, 1pm – 2pm, ET for “Understanding the Causes of Major Birth Defects: Steps to Prevention.” A live webcastwill be available. Visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/ to watch the event. Every viewer counts as CDC uses this data to assess the importance of the issue to public health. Please use your own computer to log on to the Grand Rounds, rather than sitting together and watching with a colleague. I invite you to pass this along to any other interested parties and log on individually to the broadcast on Tuesday. Our numbers really matter here.
Please continue to reach out to your thematic area Champions with other thoughts or comments you may have. We also wanted to remind you to use the Friends member directory to reach out to each other. The whole really is greater than the parts!
Here’s to a great 2015! We’re already off to a nice start with your support.
Best regards,
Adriane K. Griffen, DrPH (c), MPH, MCHES
Chair
News from NCBDDD
Reminder: January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month
Birth defects are common, costly and critical conditions. Did you know that, every 4 ½ minutes, a baby is born in the United States with a major birth defect, such as cleft lip or spina bifida? Each year, CDC joins many organizations to recognize January as National Birth Defects Prevention Month. This year’s theme is “Making Healthy Choices to Prevent Birth Defects – Make a PACT for Prevention,” by Planning ahead, Avoiding harmful substances, Choosing a healthy lifestyle and Talking to your doctor.
Dr. Georgina Peacock named as Director, NCBDDD’s Division of Human Development and Disability
Georgina Peacock, MD, MPH, FAAP was appointed as the new Division Director for the Division of Human Development and Disability (DHDD) at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD). Dedicated to the health and development of children and adults across the lifespan, Dr. Peacock became the permanent director on December 15, 2014 after serving as the Acting Director for the previous four months. She directs CDC’s public health approach to help children and adults with disabilities get the most out of life by supporting programs, surveillance, research and policies that facilitate better healthcare, increases in accessibility, and inclusion.
Read more…
NCBDDD’s Division of Human Development and Disability – Highlights from 2014
It was a year of achievements for the Division of Human Development & Disability (DHDD) in 2014 as staff worked to prevent disease and promote equity in health and development of children and adults with or at risk for disabilities.
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Tune In to CDC’s Public Health Grand Rounds on Birth Defects
On January 20, 2015, CDC will debut a session titled “Understanding the Causes of Major Birth Defects: Steps to Prevention.” Experts in birth defects research will present an overview of current and historical efforts to understand the causes of major birth defects and explore the challenges to translating findings into effective prevention efforts. For more information on CDC Public Health Grand Rounds and upcoming session topics please visit http://www.cdc.gov/cdcgrandrounds/.
Webinar Save-the-Date: Reproductive Issues in Women with Bleeding Disorders
 Thursday, January 22, 2015
2:00 – 3:00 pm EST
In this webinar, Dr. James will discuss the key issues for women of reproductive age who have bleeding disorders. Women with bleeding disorders are at risk for the same reproductive issues that affect all women. However, women with bleeding disorders are disproportionately affected by conditions that occur with bleeding and are also at risk of having a potentially affected infant. Menorrhagia, or heavy menstrual bleeding, can begin with the very first menstrual period (menarche) and is the most common symptom that women experience.
Read more…
AAP and CDC Partner to Protect Children from Flu
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating to improve influenza prevention and control. Flu cases are increasing. Vaccination remains the most important step in protecting against influenza, with influenza antiviral treatment as a valuable second line of defense.
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Uncovering the Power of Data: Disability and Health Data System (DHDS)
February, 2015, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET
This webinar will teach users what Disability and Health Data System (DHDS) is and how to find data on the health of adults with disabilities. Attendees will learn how to find and view disability data in interactive maps, data tables, state profiles, and dual area profiles. The webinar will provide a brief overview of DHDS, discuss examples of how the system has been used, and then provide a demonstration of the system to highlight the main features
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Webinar Save-the-Date: Preventing Hospital- Associated Venous Thromboembolism: Practical Strategies That Work
 March 19, 2015
2:00 – 3:00 pm EST
Hospital-associated venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE), which encompasses deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary emboli (PE) occurring after surgery and hospitalization, is a major source of illness, death, and healthcare cost. While some HA-VTE occurs in spite of recommended prevention approaches, there are opportunities to improve VTE prevention at every medical center. In this webinar, Dr. Maynard will discuss key issues and opportunities for reducing HA-VTE.
Read more…
News from Partners
NACCHO’s National Assessment of the Knowledge, Awareness, and Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Local Health Departments’ Public Health Practices
This is a research brief developed by NACCHO’s Health and Disability team that details the results of a national assessment of LHDs’ disability inclusion efforts. The findings from this assessment suggest that LHDs are most likely to include people with disabilities in emergency preparedness operations over any other kind of public health services. This research brief provides six recommendations that LHDs can use to better include people with disabilities in their public health practices.
Read more…
New Affordable Care Act Fact Sheets for Families
Created by the National Center for Medical Home Implementation and the Catalyst Center, these four fact sheets highlight provisions of the Affordable Care Act which benefit children and youth with special health care needs. Each fact sheet is written in plain language, making the content easy to read and understand. Families will find information related to concurrent care; habilitative services; Health Home programs; and health insurance marketplace and Medicaid coverage for children and disabilities.
Read more…
ASTHO Webinar: Newborn Screening Quality Improvement: State Initiatives to Improve Screening Processes
January 28, 2015, 3:00-4:30 ET
Join this webinar, hosted by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), and learn about quality improvement initiatives in Arizona, Wisconsin, and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) Newborn Screening Technical Assistance and Evaluation Program (NewSTEPs) and discuss successes, challenges, and lessons learned to strengthen newborn screening systems across the United States.
Read more…
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The Friends of NCBDDD is a coalition of government and private sector participants who work together to enhance the mission and activities of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) in promoting child development; preventing birth defects and developmental disorders/disabilities; and enhancing the quality of life and preventing secondary conditions among people who are living with mental or physical disabilities, or a combination thereof. For any questions regarding this edition or previous editions please contact Anna Costalas
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