March HealthLink Update: In Like a Lion, Out Like an E-Cig

ScoutIN — Dr. Scout leads LGBT cultural competency training with Indiana’s Department of Health

State of LGBT Healthcare – Activities around the country:

North Carolina: Tele-meeting on March 11, 2015 with State Department of Health Staff to discuss how to increase LGBT Tobacco Grade from a B to an A. They devised 12 strategies, including participation during Pride events, connecting with LGBT leadership, and modeling what other states are doing to educate in the area of LGBT tobacco prevention.
Indiana:LGBT Cultural Competency Training: on March 18, 2015 Scout and Juan Carlos Vega were in Indianapolis to provide in-person training to 17 DOH staff (tobacco and cancer) and local community partners. Participants came up with over 20 strategies to include in short and long-term tobacco control action plans, including integrating with other health issues, reviewing DOH discrimination policies, and distribution of tobacco and cancer materials, including TIPS LGBT educational materials.
Geminus.org: Juan Carlos Vega held a tele-meeting on March 16, 2015 with Geminus, a mental health CBO in Merrillville, Indiana. They are interested in implementing the LGBT needs assessment to collect more data on LGBT communities.

Washington State: Tele-meeting on March 16, 2015 with State Department of Health to discuss how to increase LGBT Tobacco Grade from B to an A and integrate LGBT leadership in local tobacco coalition. They devised five strategies, including developing an expert panel in upcoming conferences, model other states strategies, and expand their participation and engagement of LGBT communities.

Missouri: Tele-meeting on March 20, 2015 with GLO Community Center in Springfield, Missouri to follow up on their submitted outreach plan to begin their needs assessment survey. The surveying will occur from April to July 2015.

Cancer Census: 34 states and Washington, D.C. have answered the phone cancer census. Currently developing next steps after conference call meeting with contractor, Shannon Cuttle, on 3/13 to reach to remainder states and territories in order to complete the report.

Cancer Campaigns: HealthLink signed on for 80% by 2018 Colorectal Cancer Campaign. (See “Social Media” for additional campaigns.)

Surveillance: Modified LGBT questions were added on Nevada’s state Quitline survey in order to tests an enhanced LGBT measure for the Quitline data collection. The new measure will go live for all National Jewish Health Quitline clients on April 1st. The measure will be applied to both phone intakes and online enrollments. We plan to evaluate efficacy each month thereafter, and make a decision if we need to make further changes, or have reached our goal. We see this as an effective partnership to ensure the development of solid data collection measures.

Social Media:

Campaigns include: