Press release, Sept. 2, 2011
Contact: Margaret I. Gradie, (mgradie@mcd.org)
Medical Care Development
11 Parkwood Drive, Augusta, ME 04330
Medical Care Development, Inc., a Maine non-profit, has received notice of a grant award from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to establish a telehealth resource center for New England and rural New York. Telehealth delivers health care at a distance, using technologies such as interactive videoconferencing and electronic transmissions of medical images and data. The award is $325,000 a year for three years starting in September 2011.
The project will establish the NorthEast Telehealth Resource Center (NETRC) to promote telehealth in the six New England states and New York. The Center will be housed at MCD in Augusta, in partnership with the Fletcher Allen Health Care Telemedicine Program at University of Vermont College of Medicine (UVM).
Telehealth is a good way to get care to people who can't travel to it. With new techniques for monitoring and communicating, it can sustain access in rural communities struggling with aging population and shortages of specialty health care providers.
NETRC will offer technical assistance and educational activities such as regional conferences and smaller scale events. It will help the states in the region set up statewide telehealth user forums modeled on Maine's existing Telehealth Collaborative.
"This award is a result of the excellent work the Maine Telehealth Collaborative has done over the past years to develop a Telehealth network both in Maine and throughout New England. The ME CDC as convener of the Maine Telehealth Collaborative will continue to support the NorthEast Telehealth Resource Center and the Maine Telehealth Collaborative as they continue to expand access to the highest quality health care using 21st century technology" says Dr Sheila Pinette, Director, Maine CDC.
Telehealth is more economically and technically feasible than ever before, thanks to payment changes in health reform and better access to high speed broadband infrastructure in rural areas. The project will coordinate with broadband providers. "This is a fantastic opportunity for the state of Maine," said Susan Corbett, CEO of Axiom Technologies, an Internet Service Provider based in Washington County. "Sustainable broadband adoption and the implementation of telehealth services that will be spearheaded by the NorthEast Telehealth Resource Center will move Maine forward."
In addition to staff at MCD and UVM, NETRC will use consultants from the Maine Telemedicine Services (MTS) division of the Regional Medical Center at Lubec. The state offices of rural health will be key partners, engaging and coordinating stakeholders interested in telehealth solutions in each state.
For a gateway to existing Telehealth Resource Centers around the county, visit the following site: www.telehealthresourcecenter.org
Medical Care Development's mission is to improve the health and well-being of people both nationally and internationally. MCD does this: - In partnership with communities, organizations, and governments. - By developing and operating creative, compassionate, and practical programs. - By providing technical advice and assistance to enhance the capacity of others. Founded in 1966, MCD has a long and successful history of developing and demonstrating improved health through the creative application of best practices in a range of areas, including chronic disease self management, clinical office systems and practice improvement, and communication. MCD was one of the original rural health development organizations and conducted one of the first blood pressure screening programs. MCD helped create the early rural health centers in Maine and helped found the Maine Dartmouth Family Practice Residency.
21 Reasons selected as a recipient of the 2011 National Exemplary Award for Innovative Substance Abuse Prevention Programs, Practices, and Policies
"On behalf of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, Inc. (NASADAD) and its subsidiary organization, the National Prevention Network (NPN), I would like to congratulate the 21 Reasons program on its selection as a recipient of the 2011 National Exemplary Award for Innovative Substance Abuse Prevention Programs, Practices, and Policies! Your program was one of three programs in the nation selected for this award."
With prom and graduation season fast approaching, the non-profit group 21 Reasons, has launched a new website full of resources designed to help parents combat underage drinking.
"When it comes to raising teens, we all play a role in creating an environment which fosters the the drug and alcohol free development of our youth," stated Jo Morrissey, project manager for 21 Reasons. "We have made great progress in reducing teen drinking and raising awareness that underage drinking is not an acceptable rite of passage, however we still have a ways to go."
To help parents, educators, law enforcement and the community in general stop underage drinking, the group has launched a website with advice and links to community resources, and is also set to air a new public service announcement on radio and television stations throughout southern Maine.
"Alcohol is the number one cause of death and disability among teenagers in this nation," said former Maine Attorney General, Steven Rowe. "I saw first-hand a lot of the devastation caused by alcohol and other drugs in Maine, and a lot of the victims, the users are kids and it changes their lives in a bad way."
You can find the website and more information about combating underage drinking by clicking here.
Erin Doyle believes the best way to help kids make healthy choices about drinking is to talk to them.
"I am a really big believer in educating kids so they can make their own good choices," said Doyle, 28, sitting at the base of the Soldier and Sailors monument in Monument Square. In front of her were her chalk drawings that said "Be Honest" and "Know the Facts."
Doyle was one of several people participating in the "Chalk It Up to Prevention" event sponsored by 21 Reasons, a Cumberland County group that works to reduce underage drinking.
Volunteer artists sketched slogans and pictures on the plaza's bricks and concrete.
"When it comes to health messages for kids, you can never get enough," said the group's project manager, Jo Morrissey. She said Friday's event helped draw in people who were unaware of the group but supportive of the goal.
Portland police Cmdr. Vern Malloch said underage drinking has a detrimental effect on the community.
"Kids put themselves at serious risk when they're unable to make good decisions," Malloch said. "It might be who they go home with from a party.
"It can't always be about enforcement, it's got to be about prevention," he said.
One way police are helping decrease incidences of underage drinking is by reducing the availability of alcohol. An anonymous tip delivered by the city's new Text a Tip program suggested a Cumberland Avenue shop was selling to kids.
On Thursday night, police had an underage volunteer try to buy alcohol at Saigon Sandwich Shop and six other locations. The sandwich shop and the Xtra Mart at 754 Congress St. failed the test and were given administrative citations, Malloch said.
Overall, compliance by retailers has improved, Morrissey said. Of 900 checks last year, more than 96 percent of merchants refused to sell to someone who lacked proof of being at least 21 years old.
Portland area group fighting youth substance abuse wins grant
A local coalition of groups working to reduce teenage alcohol abuse has been awarded a federal grant to continue its work for another five years.
The coalition 21 Reasons received the $125,000 per year Drug Free Communities grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The five-year grant is the second of its kind. The group used its original grant five years ago, for $100,000 per year, to establish itself as an advocate for parental monitoring and working to limit access to alcohol through stepped-up police enforcement and cracking down on businesses that sell to minors.
"Student survey data shows that while youth substance abuse has gone down, alcohol still remains the most commonly accessed and abused substance by youth," said Joanna Morrissey, the Drug Free Communities project manager.
The group also received a two-year grant of $75,000 per year to help support a new substance abuse coalition in the Gray-New Gloucester area.
Another advocacy group started two years ago in the northern suburbs, Create Awareness Now to Reduce Youth Substance Abuse, also was awarded $125,000 per year for five years to continue its programming. The group serves Falmouth, Yarmouth, Freeport, Pownal and North Yarmouth.
Community coalition to hold event highlighting youth substance use prevention plan
Gray and New Gloucester, ME - Everyone in the community plays a role in preventing youth substance use. That's the message that the SHIFT GNG Coalition wants the Gray and New Gloucester community to understand and respond to. "The most effective, proven ways to reduce youth substance use are to involve the adults in the community, rather than focusing directly on youth," says Joanne Grant, a Gray parent and chair of the SHIFT GNG Coalition, as well as a substance abuse counselor for teens. "We need to consider the messages we send and the culture that exists around substance use, as well as how we can work together to keep an eye on our kids, and reduce their access to drugs and alcohol."
SHIFT GNG, a community coalition working to prevent youth substance use, invites all members of the Gray and New Gloucester communities to its launch event at Cole Farms on Saturday, February 11th, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Tickets are available for $10 online at www.shiftGNG.org or in person at Cole Farms, and include a buffet dinner and the chance to win nearly $1,000 in door prizes. Tickets must be purchased in advance by Monday, February 6th. For more information, call 773-7737 or email shiftGNG@mcd.org.
The event will provide a forum for discussion of both community strengths and areas that need more attention, as well as an opportunity for the coalition to outline some of its strategies for preventing youth substance use. The five-year plan calls for strengthening communication networks among parents; enhancing parents' skills for talking to their kids about substance use and monitoring to prevent it; increasing law enforcements' response to underage drinking; dispelling myths and raising awareness of risks; and highlighting ways that all adults can send a positive, consistent message about youth substance use.
Since October 2010, SHIFT GNG has been mentored by 21 Reasons, an award-winning Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grant project in Portland. 21 Reasons has supported SHIFT GNG in assessing the needs around youth substance use as well as recruiting participants from all sectors of the community including parents, schools and youth serving organizations, businesses, law enforcement, faith communities, health care providers, youth and others. The technical assistance has put SHIFT GNG in a strong position to seek its own DFC grant. In March, SHIFT GNG will submit an application to the federal substance abuse agency (SAMHSA) for $625,000 over five years to implement community-based prevention activities. Day One, a youth substance abuse and mental health agency, will serve as the fiscal agent for the grant. Nationwide, communities with DFC grants see a 20% reduction in previous 30-day use of alcohol among 6th-12th graders, compared to non-DFC communities.
SHIFT GNG completed a comprehensive community needs and resources assessment last year, relying on interviews with over 70 community members, surveys of students, parents and the community at large, and law enforcement data. The community's strengths include strong extracurricular involvement by students; active, engaged parents; and recent improvements in the school system. While these assets help protect youth, they are still facing mixed messages around drinking and drug use, limited law enforcement presence, and a high degree of access and availability of drugs and alcohol. Many interviewees and survey respondents talked about the reluctance of adults to talk to each other about this issue, a silence that may perpetuate drinking among teens.
The mission of SHIFT GNG is to mobilize families, youth, and all sectors of the community to prevent substance use among youth. We seek to promote and model shared norms, policies and practices that foster positive youth development and a healthy community environment.
The Shift GNG coalition was formed in 2010 in order to address the root causes of youth substance abuse in our community. The coalition is currently being mentored by 21 Reasons. To better understand the specific needs in Gray and New Gloucester, and the resources we can rely on to address them, we completed a community assessment. This process included interviews with over 60 community members about their perceptions regarding youth substance use, as well as review of data such as a parent phone survey, law enforcement calls for service, and a statewide student survey with questions about alcohol and drug use and attitudes (the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey - MIYHS). After analyzing this information, we identified strengths of the community, as well as areas that are contributing to youth substance use.
Portland, ME--Kids using fake IDs are going to get caught, just ask bar owners and door staff in Portland's Old Port.
"In the last month, our door staff has confiscated over 30 fake IDs," says Tanner Herget, owner of 51 Wharf Restaurant & Ultra Lounge and chair of Portland's Night Life Oversight Committee, a group organized by Portland Downtown District. "That includes both IDs that were created using personal or internet technology, as well as real, state-issued IDs that don't belong to the person presenting it." Herget flips through a large binder where he retains many of the questionable IDs. "Kids are creative in coming up with fake IDs, but we are working just as hard to train our staff on what to look for."
As college students return home for the holidays and make plans to catch up with their friends, Portland bar owners are working with police to thwart the efforts of would-be underage drinkers. Recently, they have focused their attention on the increased number of fake IDs being presented at their doors.
The majority of IDs confiscated are real; they just don't belong to the person using them. The technology used to create fake IDs keeps changing. However, the training that sellers and servers of alcohol receive, as well as the number of experienced door staff in the Old Port, is no match for these false identifications. Wharf Street is just one example of the dozens of fake IDs confiscated.
Herget describes the efforts of 51 Wharf to address the use of fake IDs. "When we spot a fake ID, we take it and immediately contact the police patrolling the area. We also have access to a texting tree that allows us to instantly alert door staff at twenty other Old Port establishments with a description of not just the person possessing the ID, but everyone else in their party. That can quickly put an end to the evening of bar hopping. Given the likelihood that your fake ID is going to be spotted and taken, it's just not worth the risk."
Portland Police take this issue seriously. Sgt. Andrew Hutchings says, "Any fake IDs that we get in the Old Port are confiscated and if the person using it is located, quite often it results in a summons or possibly an arrest, as well as a fine of $200. We also sometimes deliver the IDs we've confiscated to the address on the ID, during normal patrols. Our primary goal is to ensure the public's safety. Underage drinking creates risk for everyone."
Last year, Portland passed a local ordinance that gives consideration to the number of employees who have completed a responsible beverage service training when reviewing liquor license renewal applications. The ordinance has led to an increased demand for trainings, such as those offered by Frank Lyons, a 23-year veteran of the Liquor Enforcement Bureau. Lyons devotes a significant portion of the training to teaching sellers and servers of alcohol what to look for when examining an ID. Some of the features on legitimate IDs are not visible to the naked eye, and can only be seen with a magnifying glass. Scanners also aid in the detection of fake IDs, as well as a guide that includes pictures and descriptions of valid IDs for every state, tools that many bars provide to their door staff.
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