DHDD Newsletter - June 2019
A Note from the DHDD Director:
Dear colleagues –
We are proud to have recognized and participated in activities honoring Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month, which happened May 15 through June 15! We are excited to share more about our involvement in a number of meetings with partners in the field where we learned from your important work. Thank you for your continued collaborations with us! As always, please feel welcome to connect with me with about your ideas or questions.
– Dr. Georgina Peacock, Director, DHDD
dhdddirector@cdc.gov
Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month
Five Things You May Not Know About Tourette Syndrome
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a condition that affects the brain and nerves. TS causes people to make repeated movements and sounds, also known as motor and vocal tics, that they cannot control. In recognition of Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month, NCBDDD’s DHDD offers information about five things that you might not know about TS. Read more about Tourette Syndrome on our Feature page. This important information is also available to our Spanish-speaking audiences.
CDC Science Clips – Tourette Syndrome
CDC’s Science Clips is produced weekly to enhance awareness of emerging scientific knowledge for the public health community. In observance of Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month, the June 4th issue of Science Clips was dedicated to a compilation of scientific articles about the prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, and public health impact of TS. View the Science Clips page here.
CDC Staff Conduct Site Visits to Iowa and Montana for Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities project
(left) Tony Wernimont (Owner of Platinum Fitness) training client who has Cerebral Palsy, (right) Kellan Tigges and mother, Alie
This month, DHDD’s Chief Disability Officer, Dr. Shannon Griffin-Blake, and DHDD’s Disability and Health Branch Project Officer, Dr. Arlene Vincent-Mark, traveled to Sioux City and Carroll County in Iowa, and Helena and Butte in Montana, with Project Director Karma Harris with our funded partner, the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD)external icon.
The purpose of these visits was to learn about outcomes and successes of our collaborative project, entitled Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities. Through this partnership, 10 communities in 5 states received technical assistance from our DHDD team, NACDD, and the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) that they used at the local level to identify and address health disparities faced by people with disabilities.
Disability and Health Twitter Chats
This month we participated in three Twitter chats with a number of partners, hosted by the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). These chats allowed us to engage in live discussions on overall wellness, mental health, and oral healthexternal icon in the disability community with partners and individuals in the community. If you missed the chats, you can view the conversations at #IDefineMyWellness, #HealthyTeeth4All, and #BHealthy. Follow us on Twitter at @CDC_NCBDDD
CDC Staff Participated in the International Children’s Advisory Network Summit
(left to right) – Georgia iCAN Staff, Val Godoshian (DHDD), Leanne West (GA Tech), Amy Ohmer (iCAN Director)
DHDD participated in the 2019 International Children’s Advisory Networkexternal icon (iCANexternal icon) Summit in Kansas City, Missouri. Ms. Valerie Godoshian, a public health analyst who leads policy and partnership activities for DHDD’s Disability and Health Branch, provided a brief overview of the division and focused on public health, disability inclusion and the various mechanisms by which CDC communicates its key health messages to the public.
DHDD’S mission is to lead inclusive programs to optimize the health and development of children and adults with, or at risk for, disabilities.
