January 30, 2014

FEATURE STORIES

NMOI Brochures

Tools Available To Help You Distribute the National Institutes of Health's 2014 Health Planners

The NIAMS has created an electronic toolkit of valuable resources to help organizations like yours distribute the 2014 multicultural health planners, titled A Year of Health, in your communities. The planners are free of charge.

Try these simple ideas, which were tested and used effectively in multicultural communities:

Customize the health planners with your organization's information.
Place a label with your organization's contact information on the bottom left corner of the health planner's back page. Use this label template to print your organization's logo and contact information onto standard mailing or shipping labels.

Maximize your reach through social media.
Use the templates for social media posts (Twitter and Facebook) to alert your followers about the health planners.

Add a web banner to your website.
Direct your patients and constituents to the resources referenced in the health planners by placing the web banner on your website or blog. Select from five versions, including one in Spanish.

The health planners were developed as part of the NIAMS National Multicultural Outreach Initiative, which was established to ensure that health information is available and accessible to people from all walks of life.

NEWS AND EVENTS

NIAMS 2013 Summer Students

NIAMS Summer Student Program Accepting Applications

The summer program at the NIAMS provides an opportunity for students to spend a summer working side-by-side with some of the leading scientists in the world, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. Outstanding opportunities exist for high school, undergraduate, graduate and medical students contemplating a career in biomedical research or academic medicine. Students can apply online until March 1.

Image: 2013 Summer Students


USA Science and Engineering Festival

NIAMS To Participate in the 2014 USA Science and Engineering Festival

The third annual USA Science and Engineering Festival will be held on April 26-27, 2014, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. More than 750 leading science, technology, engineering and mathematics organizations, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will present hands-on activities for people of all ages.

The NIAMS booth will provide a variety of educational activities to explain the ways bones, joints, muscles and skin are affected by diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Through this event, the NIAMS will showcase its research and engage children in science and research. The event is free of charge.


Native American person

NIH Celebrates Native Peoples' Heritage

The NIH celebrated National Native American Heritage Month with a special program entitled, Healing Our Community Through Narrative: The Power of Storytelling.” The presentations focused on the power of personal narratives and storytelling in promoting the health and well-being of Native communities. The event is available via videocast.

Honoring the Native tradition of oral history, the National Library of Medicine has gathered a multitude of healing voices from across the country so that you may hear their stories in their own words. Short excerpts from the interviews can be viewed in this portion of the Native Voices exhibition website.


Health Disparities Seminar Series

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) sponsors the monthly NIH Health Disparities Seminar Series. The forum disseminates information on advances, gaps and current issues related to health disparities research. It features national and international health disparities research experts, including many funded by the NIMHD, the other NIH Institutes and Centers, and federal agency partners. Each seminar focuses on a specific theme.


NIMHD Launches The Health Disparities Pulse Newsletter

The NIMHD announced the release of The Health Disparities Pulse, a newsletter for the health disparities community that covers a wide array of topics, issues and information pertaining to minority health and health disparities research and activities.


Samples of DNA.

Arthritis Genetics Analysis Aids Drug Discovery

An international team identified 42 new areas in the human genome associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Many are already the targets of drugs approved for other conditions.

FEATURED RESOURCES

Two women jogging

New Mobile App Available: Primer for Women's Health

The NIH's Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) has created an online application called, “A Primer for Women's Health: Learn About Your Body in 52 Weeks.” This resource aims to promote healthy lifestyles by offering practical guidelines and strategies women can use every day to reduce the risk of developing illnesses or conditions that can affect their quality of life.


FDA.gov Gives Visitors a New Mobile Experience

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched a new version of its website that works well with the most popular mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, while continuing to support traditional desktop and laptop computers. The website design approach, called responsive design, keeps things simple for users.


Senior citizens on exercise bikes.

NIH Senior Health Website Celebrates 10th Anniversary

NIHSeniorHealth.gov, the NIH health and wellness website for older adults, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The site features a Bones and Jointssection, which contains topics such as Falls and Older AdultsGoutKnee ReplacementRheumatoid ArthritisOsteoarthritis; and Osteoporosis.


New Videos, Web Pages Offer Treatment Info for Spanish-Speaking Patients

The “Toma las riendas” (“Take the reins”) Web page, launched this fall, showcases Spanish-language resources to help patients take a greater role in their health care by exploring the benefits and harms of different treatment options and preparing for their next medical appointment. The new Web page offers three Spanish-language animated videos—one for newly diagnosed patients, one for those considering other choices, and one for those who are caring for a loved one. Each video encourages viewers to access the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) unbiased treatment information to have an informed conversation with their health care team. Also featured are links to information about treatments for muscle, bone and joint conditions. Visit AHRQ for other Spanish-language tools.


AHRQ’s New Evidence-Based Guide Helps Implement Health Assessments in Primary Care Settings

AHRQ has announced an evidence-based guide designed to help primary care doctors, nurses and other staff select, adopt and implement health assessments. The Affordable Care Act authorized annual wellness visits for Medicare beneficiaries and specifies that a health risk assessment be included as part of those visits. The Health Assessments in Primary Care: A How-to Guide for Clinicians and Staff combines the best evidence for successful implementation of the assessments in the primary care setting, with tools to help clinicians decide which health assessments to use, integrate them into their daily workflow and maintain the process. The Guide can be used by practices that maintain electronic health records and those that continue to use paper charts.


NIH News in Health

Read practical health information in NIH News in Health, which is reviewed by the NIH’s medical experts and is based on research conducted either by the NIH’s own scientists or by its grantees at universities and medical schools around the country.

Who Needs a Knee Replacement?

If you or someone you know is considering knee replacement, a new resource can help you understand how it works, how to prepare for surgery, and what to expect in recovery.

A man and a woman, the man changeing a smoke detector.

A Burning Issue: Handling Household Burns

Accidental burns can occur just about anywhere in your home, and they’re not always caused by fire. Take steps to prevent household burns, and learn how to treat them properly to avoid lasting problems.


Medline Plus Fall 2013 Issue

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

NIH MedlinePlus magazine presents reliable, up-to-date health information and the latest breakthroughs from NIH-supported research. The most recent issue includes an article about psoriasis that covers the following:

  • What Is Psoriasis?
  • How Is Psoriasis Treated?
  • An Expert's Advice: What To Do If You Have Psoriasis

DID YOU KNOW?

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles—the structures from which hair grows—causing baldness. Anyone can have alopecia areata. It often begins in childhood and there is a slightly increased risk of having the disease if a close family member has it. 

WHERE IS NIAMS?

The NIAMS Exhibit

The NIAMS exhibit will be traveling to several events in 2015. See the schedule of health fairs and exhibits.

The NIAMS can provide health information or staff to help make your community event or health fair successful. Please contact Sara Rosario Wilson by email, srosario@mail.nih.gov, for more information.

Image: the NIAMS Exhibit

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