The monthly update of the Minnesota Cancer Alliance, including MCA
highlights, policy updates, partner news, educational events, and more.
August 2015
MCA Highlights
Steering Committee invites nominations
The Minnesota Cancer Alliance is looking for five outstanding leaders to join its Steering Committee
in January 2016. To guide the recruitment and selection process, the Nominating Committee has
identified a list of priorities that complement the perspectives and expertise of current board
members. They include:
Leadership experience in public policy
Media or public relations expertise
Knowledge about the health care delivery system and innovation(s) in the system
Health equity and disparities, especially someone who brings cultural diversity
Geographic diversity, especially rural representation
Expertise or knowledge about the affordability of care and/or bioethics
Executive or senior leadership experience, or someone on the rise as a future leader.
Alliance members willing to serve are urged to review the roles and responsibilities of Steering
Committee members and then complete the online application form. Applications will close at
midnight on Friday, September 18. For more information, please contact Jeanne Steele
(Jeanne.steele@state.mn.us), who is providing staff support to the Nominating Committee.
Next policy & systems change workshop set for Sept. 21
Register early and bring your colleagues; space is limited for this event. Facilitator Maggi Adamek
will lead an interactive workshop that will help participants move their policy, systems, and
environmental change initiatives forward.
Partner Updates
ACS-CAN champions 80% for ALL by 2018
Only 20-40% of medically underserved populations in Minnesota are “up-to-date” with colorectal
cancer screening at a time when the statewide rate is 70%. The American Cancer Society - Cancer
Action Network is committed to narrowing this 30+ percent gap and has enlisted U.S. Congressman
Keith Ellison to help. Rep. Ellison will participate in an 80% for ALL breakfast event August 24 at
the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis. The event is free, but registration by August 18 is
required.
Author of Being Mortal comes to St. Paul
Fewer than 400 tickets remain for Speaking of Being Mortal, a conversation with best-selling author
and surgeon Dr. Atul Gawande. Sponsored by the Minnesota Network of Hospice and Palliative Care,
the September 18 event will be moderated by Minnesota Public Radio’s Cathy Wurzer, who recently
collaborated with Bruce Kramer on the book We Know How This Ends, a memoir about Kramer’s life
with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Click here to register.
Clinical trials should be ‘first’ not ‘last’ resort
ACS-CAN will turn its attention to clinical trials on November 9 when it brings together Minnesota
physicians and researchers to examine why less than 5% of newly diagnosed cancer patients
participate in clinical trials each year. Representatives from the Park Nicollet Frauenshuh Cancer
Center, Masonic Cancer Center, Hennepin County Medical Center, Mayo Clinic and Metro-Minnesota
NCI Community Oncology program will gather at the University of Minnesota to share ideas about
barriers to participation in cancer clinical trials and ways to improve access, especially for minority
communities. RSVP here to enjoy breakfast as you learn. Start time is 7 a.m.
Gilda’s Club Twin Cities selects new director
Daniel Narr, former head of Mano a Mano International Partners, joined Gilda’s Club Twin Cities as
executive director in July. Narr will be responsible for managing the growth of GCTC as it moves into
its second year of full operations. Click here to learn more about Gilda’s Club and Narr.
Worth Noting
Too few Minnesota teens getting HPV vaccine
Prompted by CDC’s release of 2014 National Immunization Survey data, WCCO 4 News interviewed
the Minnesota Department of Health’s Lisa Randall about the need for teens – girls AND boys -- to
get the HPV vaccine. Although Minnesota has slightly higher rates than the national average,
Randall says we need to do better. The recent data indicate 67 percent of Minnesota girls and 44
percent of boys ages 13 to 17 have had one dose. The segment aired July 30 and includes footage
of parents explaining why they chose to vaccinate their children.
Per pack cigarette fee kicks in this month
Distributors will now be charged $.50 per pack on all Winston, Kool, Salem, and Maverick brands.
The brands previously avoided this fee because they were owned by Reynolds and Lorillard, which
made annual payments to Minnesota under the 1998 tobacco settlement in State of Minnesota v.
Philip Morris Inc. Commonwealth-Altadis/ITG Brands recently acquired the brands, so they will be
subject to the “Fee in Lieu of Settlement” in August.
1.3 million emergency room visits preventable in 2012
Drawing on 2012 claims data from the Minnesota All Payer Claims Database, the Minnesota
Department of Health analyzed emergency department visits and hospital admissions and
determined that nearly $2 billion in charges could potentially have been avoided under the right
circumstances. According to the analysis, the volume of spending does not represent “real"
potential savings, however, because not all of the identified events would actually be clinically
preventable.
Medicare proposes to expand reimbursement for end-oflife discussions
CMS, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, recently proposed two new advance care
planning codes that physicians and other qualified health professionals can use to get reimbursed
for face-to-face conversations with patients, family members or named health care agents about
end-of-life care. Patrick Conway, chief CMS medical officer, told the New York Times that a final
decision on the proposal would be made by November 1.
Commission on Cancer to pilot Oncology Medical Home
accreditation process
Up to 50 Oncology Medical Home (OMH) practices will be chosen for a 2016 CoC pilot program. The
goal of the pilot program is to insure that “each cancer patient receives the right care at the right
time and at the right place.”
New director to lead CDC’s tobacco initiatives
Corrinne Graffunder, DrPH, MPH, has been selected as the new director of CDC’s Office on Smoking
and Health. She comes to the position with 28 years of experience with the agency, serving most
recently as deputy associate director for policy in CDC’s Office of the Director.
Education Programs and Events
International Radon Symposium in Bloomington –
Sept. 21-23
Register here.
MN Community Measurement’s 2015 Annual Seminar in
Minneapolis – September 24
Register now.
Midwest Community Health Worker Summit in Chicago –
October 30-31
Contact Julie Mumm for more information at jrmumm@stkate.edu.
Partnering for Cures 2015 in New York City –
November 1-3
Click here for program details.
Food Access Summit in Duluth – November 8-10
Click here for more information.
Resources and Publications
Three new articles from Office on Smoking & Health:
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Attitudes toward Raising the Minimum Age of Sale for Tobacco among U.S. Adults
Disparities in smoking-related mortality among American Indians/Alaska Natives
National and State-Specific Sales and Prices for Electronic Cigarettes—United States, 2012-2013
Tobacco Free in The Next 50 Years
As part of its continuing campaign to keep the original Surgeon General's Call to Action alive, CDC
has released a promotional video that recognizes the work that has been done and the work still to
be done in tobacco control.
Racism’s impact on health
The American Public Health Association has launched a four-part summer webinar series, The
Impact of Racism on the Health and Well-Being of the Nation. Click here to learn more and register.
Gone smoking? The Lethal Lure
The American Lung Association has launched a new website: www.LethalLure.org with funding from
ClearWay MN. This resource lays out the tactics the tobacco industry uses to target youth and
adults at the point of sale through downloadable factsheets and videos.
Tuskegee University journal on Ethics and Social Justice
In honor of the centennial anniversary of the death of Booker T. Washington, Tuskegee University’s
founder and first president, the National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care is
dedicating three issues of the Journal of Healthcare, Science and The Humanities to articles about
ethics and social justice. The Spring edition addresses discrimination and health disparities in the
past and present, suggests ways to create an equitable tomorrow.
Why are cancer drugs so expensive?
The Mayo Clinic and CBS News both asked this question and came to some provactive conclusions.
Health in All Policies toolkit
ChangeLab Solutions has developed a three-segment toolkit, The Power of Policy: Commit to a
Healthier, More Equitable Future, that explains what ‘health in all policies’ means and includes
model policies and a customizable presentation.
Announcements
Call for proposals -- Menthol cigarette intervention grant
The Minnesota Department of Health seeks proposals for addressing tobacco use in the African
American community. Funded by the Minnesota Legislature, the one-time, $200,000 grant will be
awarded by Nov. 1, 2015. Notice of Intent must be submitted by August 18. Visit
http://www.health.state.mn.us/healthreform/ship/index.html to access the RFP.
Call for proposals -- 2015 Midwest ECO Conference
The Society for Community Research and Action invites proposals for its fall conference, Forwarding
Inquiry and Action for Social Change. Proposals are due August 14.
Health equity grant proposals due October 16
The Association of American Medical Colleges' Accelerating Health Equity, Advancing through
Discovery (AHEAD) initiative is seeking academic medical centers, clinics, and community health
professionals interested in integrating research into their work to improve quality, safety, equity,
and system effectiveness. AAMC and Donaghue Foundation Grant is an opportunity to improve
population health. The full RFP can be found at https://www.aamc.org/download/.
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