Announcements

Addressing Equity in Congressional Health Reform Legislation

On July 14 the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor Committees unvelied their health care reform legislation, "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009." TH ethree panels with jurisdiction over health policy in the House have been working together as one committee to develop a single bill with the goals of reducing health care costs, protecting and increasing consumers' choices, and guranteeing access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

To help highlight the need to address equity, The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Health Policy Institute, in partnership with the Drexel University School of Public Health’s Center for Health Equality and Health Management Associates, is pleased to release an analysis of the “Tri-Committee” bill to assess how it will address racial and ethnic health and health care inequities. This analysis is available on the at Joint Center’s Web site. The website also hosts the Center for Health Equality’s analysis of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee’s “Affordable Health Choices Act,” introduced by Senator Kennedy on June 9. To access this analysis, visit the Joint Center's Analysis web page

Soon, we will post an analysis of Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus’ bill, the House “Tri-Committee” legislation, as well as the leading Republican proposals. Visit our Web site frequently to stay posted on these developments!!

Infant/Toddler Lab School Receives Accreditation from National Association for the Education of Young Children

The Infant/Toddler Lab School was awarded accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC is the premiere organization in the early childhood community and it is a mark of high distinction to be awarded this honor. It can be overwhelming for parents when choosing the right childhood education program for their child. NAEYC Accreditation represents a seal of quality that helps ensure families that they are making the right choice for their children.

The staff at the Lab School has been working to obtain accreditation for over two years and have spent countless hours readying themselves for this process. Their accreditation status is a testament to the hard work and exceptional care giving that takes place at the Lab School everyday. To achieve accreditation, the Infant/Toddler Lab School must meet rigorous standards on education, health, and safety.

Infant/Toddler Lab School Staff, Spring 2009

Library Available at the Institute for Child Development & Family Relations

The Institute for Child Development & Family Relations has a library with DVDs and books available for check out.

DVD topics include

Cognitive Development
Social Development
Attachment
0-3 National Training Institute Materials

Audio sessions on children’s: language, culture, attachment, emotion regulation, pediatric obesity, etc.
Poster presentations from the 22nd and 23rd National Training Institute

Book topics include

Grant writing
Academic writing
Neurodevelopmental and genetic disorders in children

If you are interested, or would like more information, contact Amanda Flores @ 909-537-3679 or icdfr@csusb.edu

Triple P-Positive Parenting Program

Children make up one fourth of our population and all of its future. CDC has a goal of increasing the number of children that have a strong start for healthy and safe lives. The foundation of a population’s health, well-being, and productivity throughout life is established in childhood. We are learning that biological, social, and environmental exposures in the early stages of life determine people’s long-term health and developmental status. Exposure to child maltreatment and other adversities are particularly toxic to a child’s short- and long-term health. Promoting safe, stable, and nurturing relationships for children directly contributes to CDC’s goal and the prevention of maltreatment. Critical to the promotion of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships is helping adults become better parents.
A new study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows when parents have access to proven parenting interventions designed to address problems all families face—from tantrums to encouraging good behavior — key measures of child maltreatment fall. Support for families enrolled in the study came through the Triple P—Positive Parenting Program. The program uses a multi-level, parenting, and family support strategy that aims to prevent behavioral, emotional and developmental problems in children by enhancing the knowledge, skills and confidence of parents. Triple P incorporates a wide range of support mechanisms for parents including local media, brief public seminars, and parent consultation by specially trained providers in clinics, schools, churches, and community centers.
Researchers estimate for an area containing 100,000 children under age eight that the results found in the study could translate annually into 688 fewer cases of child maltreatment, 240 fewer out-of-home placements, and 60 fewer children with injuries requiring hospitalization or emergency room treatment.

For more information visit positive parenting visit Triple P – Positive Parenting Program. For information on CDC’s prevention research in child maltreatment, visit Mal Treatment info on CDC website.

Cal State San Bernardino receives $4million NIH grant for health disparities research

Date: 11/27/2007
Author: Carmen Murillo-Moyeda

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Cal State San Bernardino has been awarded a $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to create a center to promote research and training on health inequities found among differing racial, economic and ethnic groups in the United States.  The five-year grant comes from the NIH-sponsored National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities and is part of a "research infrastructure in minority institutions" (RIMI) program. It is designed to help minority-serving universities build innovative research programs aimed at reducing health inequalities among racial and ethnic groups and among people living below the poverty line.

The program will provide students and faculty with training for careers in health disparities research, and will develop and enhance Cal State San Bernardino's presence as a research institution, said Sybil Carrère, an associate professor of psychology and director of the university's Institute for Child Development and Family Relations. Carrère and Bryan Haddock, an associate professor of kinesiology and an expert in childhood obesity, will serve as the project's co-directors.

Cal State San Bernardino President Albert Karnig said the RIMI grant builds remarkably well upon earlier initiatives at the university.  "Because of the award's impact on the research competitiveness of faculty and graduate students working in the health-disparity arena, the RIMI grant may prove to be one of the most valuable ever received by the university," Karnig said. "The focus on health-disparity research is particularly meaningful to CSUSB's two-county service region, which is larger than 10 states in area, contains more population than 24 states, and is one of the most ethnically diverse in the nation. I'm delighted that the grant will promote research that has broad, national importance and also have meaningful applications in our own region."  
"One of the grant's aims and goal of Dr. Karnig is to grow and enhance Cal State San Bernardino as a research institution. It is through Dr. Karnig's vision, leadership and direction that our university has accomplished so much," Carrère said.

The specific aims of the RIMI program at Cal State San Bernardino will be to:

Create a center to advance faculty research, student research training and secure grants for health disparities research;
Implement and support a mentorship and training program to accelerate CSUSB faculty research through the involvement of nationally recognized health disparities scientists from other universities;
Provide research funding and time for faculty to develop competitive and integrated research programs with training opportunities for students;
Establish a CSUSB graduate student scholarship program in health disparities to provide research training for traditionally under-represented minority students;
Develop a set of shared resources for CSUSB faculty and students, including enhanced video conferencing and computer-based communication facilities, bio-behavioral and human performance networked laboratories and a center for promoting the best clinical interventions with young children.

The RIMI program will help CSUSB become the nucleus for research in health disparities in the Inland Empire by addressing health inequities among specific groups, such as the high rate of diabetes in Latinos and low birth weight in babies born to low-income families, Carrère said. "NIH developed the RIMI program because a racially and ethnically diverse body of scientists brings a broader and more robust perspective to scientific inquiry," she said. "Through the RIMI program, minority-serving universities such as Cal State San Bernardino, their faculty and students can become contributing members of the alliance of scientists trying to eradicate health disparities.
"CSUSB will become recognized for our leadership in mentoring undergraduate and graduate students to pursue doctoral and biomedical careers in health-related programs, especially in the areas of health disparities," Carrère said.

Haddock said the RIMI grant "will allow our faculty to become leaders in their field by working with established researchers from other universities and by growing their own lines of research. In addition, the funding will increase collaboration between faculty members in different departments, maximizing the expertise on campus."

Among the Cal State San Bernardino faculty expected to have major roles in executing the program will be David Chavez from the Department of Psychology, Marsha Greer from the Department of Health Sciences and Human Ecology, Mary Molle from the Department of Nursing and Amy Leh from the Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education.

The RIMI program will include an advisory board with distinguished scientists from Cal State San Bernardino and other universities. The advisory board would consist of Louis Fernandez, provost and vice president for academic affairs; Cynthia Crawford, professor of psychology; and Jeff Thompson, associate provost for research and professor of biology, all from CSUSB. Other advisory board members include Pam Mitchell, Bobbie Berkowitz and David Takeuchi from the University of Washington; Vickie Mays from UCLA; and Lewis King from UCLA and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

For more information about the project grant, contact Sybil Carrère in the Institute of Child Development and Family Relations at (909) 537-3844 or e-mail scarrère@csusb.edu.

For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university's Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit the Web site at CSUSB News Website.
Cal State San Bernardino News is a service provided by the university's public affairs office. For all news questions, please contact the public affairs office at (909) 537-5007 or news@csusb.edu.