SPRING 2015 SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION Vol. 15 No. 2

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

C a l I f o R N I a W I C a S S o C I a t I o N1450 Drew Ave., Ste 150, Davis,Ca 95618 (530) 750-2280 • fax (530) 758-7780E-mail: ltrue@calwic.org • www.calwic.org

n Annual Conference Highlights .......................................2

n CWA News ......................................4 •MeetOurStaff •ThankYou,LaurieTrue

n LocalAgencyNews .....................6 •NortheastValleyHealth Corporation •SantaBarbaraCounty •SanBernardinoCounty •UnitedHealthCentersof SanJoaquinValley

n LegislativeUpdate .......................8 •FederalNews •StateLegislation •WICMakesSenseCampaign

n ScholarshipNews ......................... 9 •CNCScholarshipAwardees

n WICWorksiteWellness ...........10 •CityofLongBeach •CommunityMedicalCenters •SolanoCounty •RecertificationReport

Harnessing thePower of Collaboration

CONFERENCE SPONSORS PlatINUM WELCOME RECEPTION

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CoNfERENCE BEVERaGE BREaK: DaNNoN

BRoNzEDelta Drugs • Hansen Beverage Company

Health Net Community Solutions • Masimo • MOM BrandsNational WIC Association • Prime Time Nutrition

WICserves60%ofinfantsborninCalifornia.”Whatkindofresponsedoyougetwhenyoutellpeoplethis?Dotheyaskyoutorepeatthatstatistic

sotheycanmakesuretheyheardyoucorrectly?Youmayexperiencesuchanincredulousresponsefromcommunitypartnersanddecisionmakerswhodon’tyetunderstandCaliforniaWIC’sservicesandscopeofreach.

Yes, we have a great responsibility and opportunity to impact the health of low-income young families,whoareoftenmostatriskforchronicdiseaseandexperiencethegreatesthealthdisparities.TherehasneverbeenatimewithmorepotentialforWICtoexcelasakeypartnerprovidingsupportforimprovednutrition,physicalactivityandbreastfeeding.

Healthcarereformisbeingbuiltonconceptsofprevention,qualityimprovement,collaborationandinnovation.Asaprogram,WIChasalwaysbeenaboutprevention,with40years’experienceinqualityimprovement.CollaborationishowWICagenciesmaximizeresourcesandbuildreliablecommunitysafetynets.There’saphysicalinfrastructureofhundredsoflocalWICclinicsineverycountyinCalifornia,andthelargestpublichealthworkforceofnutritionandbreastfeedingexperts.Nowonder WIC is the logical partner for innovative models of delivery for preventive services and workforce development with public and private partners!

“

WATCH SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION SPRING 2015

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Welcome to the 23rd Annual CWA Conference and Trade Show! This year’s theme, Plugged In: Harnessing the Power of Collaboration, encourages us to focus on improving our knowledge and

skills to better utilize collective resources and partnerships.

Wehopethisconferenceinspiresyoutoundertakestra-tegicandinnovativeeffortstoensurethattheWICprogramimpactshealthoutcomesandreduceshealthdisparitiesinourcommunities.Duringthishistorictimeofreform—withhealthsystemsadoptingtheTripleAim:improvedhealth,bettercare,andreducedcost—WICisakeypartnerinpromotinghealthequity.

Besuretosharetheideas,inspirationandresourcesyoufindhereintheSanFranciscoBayAreawithyourcol-leaguesbackhome.

TWO PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS providecontinuingeducationonSundaytoinvigorateyourprofessionalpractice:

• MarshaWalkerandLaurelWilsonwillguideattendeesthroughanintensivefour-workshopClinical Breastfeeding Day,coveringanatomy&physiologyofbreasts,suckdysfunction,evidence-basedsolutionsfordelayedlactogenesisandotherbreastfeedingproblems.

• ThefolksfromBePresent,Inc.,willtakeattendeesthroughprovenprocessesforLeading Collaboratively at the Intersection of Race, Gender, Class & Power.

PLENARY SPEAKERSsharetheirenergyandexperiencesonMondayandWednesday:

• LeadershipCoach Rick VanDermyden challengesustoleadthroughchangebyConnecting, Collaborating and Communicatingwithourteamstoimpactourcommunities.

• Sasha Hernandez,TheResourceConnection,Brandi Gates,WestOaklandHealthCenter,andPamela Martinez,ToiyabeIndianHealthProject,speakfromtheheartaboutwhyWIC Makes Sense.

• Dr. Robert Emmons ofUCDavisexploreswithusThe Science and Application of Gratitude. www.medela.com

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Because Every ChildDeserves the Best Nutrition

Medela - from Hospital to Home™

WIC and Medela share a mutual commitment to breastfeeding because breastmilk provides important protection and the best nutrition for every child. Working together, we can provide the

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WATCH SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION SPRING 2015

www.calwic.org Page 3

• Dr. Connie Mitchell, DeputyDirector,CenterforFamilyHealth,CDPH,outlinesthe Social Determinants of Family Healthandnewwaystointegratetheseinworkingwithyoungfamilies.

• Robert Lee, NationalWICAssociation,andaMen and Dads at WIC panel—MuswambaMwamba,FidelGarcia,andToreyCarrick—makethecaseforengagingdadsandpartnersatWICwhilerespectingculturalandenvironmentalrealities.

• Christine Nelson,CaliforniaWICDirector,Jesus Mendoza,USDAWesternRegion,Rev. Douglas Greenaway,NationalWICAssociation,Karen Farley andLaurie True,CWA,willprovideprogramandpolicyupdatesatstateandfederallevels.

FIVE CONCURRENT WORKSHOP TRACKS aredesignedtobringtopicalexpertiserighttoyou:

• Breastfeeding&EarlyFeeding

• Nutrition&HealthyLiving

• Leadership&Wellness

• CulturalDiversity&Collaboration

• AdditionalSessions

Conferenceattendeescanengagewithtopspeakersonavarietyoftopics,suchas:

• JeannettePanchula,oncue-based bottle feeding and JaneHeinig,on toddler behavior & feeding

• VanessaAnnibali,onbreastfeeding taboos andPattyNovak,on children with special needs

• PattyNovak,onneurological disorders and MoniqueSims,onfaith-based family support ManuelVillacorta,onanti-aging superfoodsand JoAnnHattner,onpro-biotic foods

• ErnieNavarro,onleadershipandArleneTaylor,oncommunicating effectively

Plusmoreinsightsfromourpre-conferenceandplenarypresentersandpanels,onbreastfeeding ethics & epigenetics, teamwork, and involving fathers

Whichevertrackyouchoose,besureandtakebacktoyourcolleaguesnewknowledge,tools,andbestpracticesforintegratingculturalsensitivity,leadershipandwellnessinyourworktogether.

THE TRADE SHOW & EXHIBITS, featuring nearly50booths,giveyouachancetosee,feel,taste,andtryoutnewfoods,clinicalproducts,andpublicationsfromindustryreps.Youcanalsolearnaboutkeygovern-mentprogramsandnonprofitservices,allwhilenetworkingwithyourcolleaguesandpartners.Don’tforgettoconnectwithyourWICpeersat Local Agency Sharing Exhibits,concurrent with the TradeShow,andlearnaboutwellness,customerservice,andotherwaystoimproveyourprogram.

SPECIAL EVENTSincludeTuesdayevening’sCalifornia Nutrition Corps(CNC)Reception,wherewe’llnotonly“MeettheFuture” aswerecognizeourCNC

scholarshipwinnersandWICDieteticInterns,butwe’llhavesomemind-blowing fun with mentalist Adrian Saint.

ManyofyoupracticeWIC Worksite Wellness atyourownworksites,andkeepingfitandalertattheconferenceshouldbenodifferent.RiseandshinewithYogainthemorning,andMove

totheGrooveatlunch.Wednesday’sWaterfront Walk & Run for Fun willbeablastforteamsandindividu-als.Finally,welookforwardto honor-ingsevenlocalagenciescertifiedthisyearasWell WIC Worksites.

NEXT STEPS:Ifyoucouldn’tjoinusthisyear,visittheCWAconferencewebpagetodown-loadselectpresentationmaterials,availableonlythroughMay.Then,plantojoinusatthe2016 Annual Confer-ence & Trade Show, April 17-20, 2016.We’llbebackattheTown&CountryResortinSanDiegoformoregreateducation,networking,andrecharging!

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CWA News

Meet Our Staff!

Karen Farley,RD,IBCLC,ExecutiveDirector,hasbeenwithCWAsince2002.Shefocusesherrelationship-buildingskillsandpassionforpartnerships,advocacy,andtrainingonworkingforhealthcarereform,breastfeedingsupport,andWICinnovations.Whennotatwork,sheenjoysspendingtimewithherfamily,includingtend-ingtheirlargegardenwithfruittrees.

Lena Workman, Administratorsince2005,handlesCWA’sadministrativeandfinancialoperations,andwhipstogethertheConferenceprogramandotherpub-licationsasneeded.Sheenjoystheoutdoorswhenitisneithertoohotnortoocoldandrelativelybug-free.Shehasageneraldistasteforfrogsandtoads.

Laurie True, MPH,StrategicAdvisor,helpsoutpart-timewithstrategicadviceandgrantsmanagement.ShewasCWA’sDirectorfrom1999-2014,andisnowcreatingapublichealthadvocacytrainingprogramatUCBerkeley’sSchoolofPublicHealth.Inbetween,shehikeswithfriendsandfamily,triestogrowvegetables,andspoilshertwosmalldogs.

Donna Hoffman,ProgramCoordinatorsince2010,managestheWICAmbassadorProgramandgrass-rootsadvocacycampaignslikeWIC Makes Sense. A

CLECtraininggraduate,sheoverseesconferenceworkshopselectionandworkscloselywithKarenonStateandFederalpolicyissues.Outsidework,Donnaenjoystravel,pho-tography,cooking,andbeingwith9-month-oldsonTheo!

Meghan Saddler, AdministrativeCoordinatorsince2011,handleseventregistrations,bills&checks,mail&phones,an-swerslotsofquestions,andtakescareofodds&endsingeneral.SheiskeptonhertoeswithatoddlerathomeandcouldbeconsideredtheCrazyCatLadyoftheoffice.Sheinspiresuswithherdailywalks.

Margaret Aumann,MPH,RD,CommunicationsCoor-dinatorsince2011,editstheCWA Flashe-newsletter,

compilestheWIC Watchmagazine,maintainsthewebsiteandWIC Can Helpcampaign,hostswebinars,co-managesWICWorksiteWellness,andisstudyingtobecomeaCLEC.Shelikestoswim,hike,bike,andmakemusic–withorwithouther

twocollege-agekids.

Teresa Morris, ConferencePlanningConsultantandwithCWAsince2010,plansandmanagestheAnnualConference&TradeShowandFallManagementConference.Whenshe’snotactingasour“AceOrganizer,”sheenjoyskeep-ingactive,cooking,volunteering,andspendingtimewithherfamily.

We’ve introduced the CWA staff below, so you know who to reach out to with your questions or ideas. We’re eager to use our years of expertise to serve YOU, the California WIC local agency employees.

Be sure to say hello if you see us at Conference!

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Get &stay connected!

Visit CWA on Facebook! (Search for California WIC Association.)

Follow us on Twitter, too! You’ll find us at www.twitter.com/calwic!

CWA News

Thank You, Laurie TrueThisyearmarksabigtransitionforCWA,theWIC

communityandourpartners,asLaurieTruestepsdownasExecutiveDirectortofocusonworkingwithourfutureleaders.WhileshewillremainatCWAfor2015asStrategicAdvisor,LauriewillbeworkingwithpublichealthgraduatestudentsatUCBerkeleyastheylearntobestrongadvocatesandleaders.

LauriebroughtextensiveexperienceinhungerpreventionadvocacywhenshejoinedCWA,thenafledglingnon-profit,14yearsago.SincethenCWAhasbuiltcapacityandgainedreputationasastateandnationaladvocacyorganization,workingtopro-tecttheWICprogramandparticipantsandreducehealthinequitiesforyoung,low-incomefamilies.

WearedeeplygratefulforthewaysLauriehascontributedonmanyfrontsatthehelmofCWA.ShehasworkeddiligentlytoprotectWICprogramservices,advocatedonbehalfoflocalagencies,andprovidedexpertanalysisandtestimonyonprogramquality,costcontainment,andintegrity.Apolicystrategistwithlong-rangevision,Lauriewasinstru-mentalincraftingandshapingmultiplestrategiesthatimprovedbreastfeedingoutcomesinCalifornia.Lauriehasbeenaresourceforstateandnationalhungerandequityadvocatesandalwaysstrivesto‘connectthedots’andmaximizeourcollectiveresources.

Wehavemuchtobethankfulforasweknowthat,inhernewposition,Lauriewillgiveherstudentsthebestpossibleexperienceandguidanceastheydevelopskillsandjoinusintheworkplace,becomingournextgenerationofleaders.

®,™, © 2015 Kellogg NA Co.

Many clients are not using all of their cereal allowance.

Help your clients experience all of the benefits of cereal and other WIC foods with resources that show how healthy habits can be enjoyable and achievable.

Visit: Kelloggsnutrition.com/WIC Visit: Kelloggsnutrition.com/WIC for tools and resources.

What an Opportunity!

Try Kellogg's cereals in tasty WIC-friendly recipes that stretch food dollars, boost fiber intake, and encourage healthy cooking habits. For recipes and healthy living articles you can use with your clients,

Visit: Healthybeginnings.com.

Cereal Beyond Breakfast

Help Your Clients Get More Out of Every Box!

Great Nutrition Inside and Out

Kellogg’s cereal offers delicious nutrition and encourages consumption of fruit and milk, perfect partners for a great start!

Laurie and CWA staff celebrate Well WIC Worksite certification at the 2013 Annual Conference.

WATCH SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION SPRING 2015

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Cultural Traditions in Breastfeeding

Northeast Valley Health Corporation

Local Agency News

Walk-in Wednesdays & Morning Passes

Santa Barbara County Public Health

If you’re attending the Conference, be sure to visit these and other Local Agency Sharing Exhibits to learn about some great best practices. If you’re not attending, here’s a glimpse into some

of the great strategies shared by your WIC peers!

Overtheyears,WICstaffatNEVHCintheSanFernandoandSantaClaritaValleyshadobservedseveralbreast-

feedingmomswithdifferentculturalbackgroundsfollowingeatingpatternsbelievedtoincreasebreastmilksupply.Staffwantedtolearnmoreaboutthesepracticesandhowtocounselthesewomenappropriately.

SotheCSUNorthridge/NEVHCWICDieteticInternsdesignedanin-servicetrainingondifferentbreastfeedingculturesandthefoodsbelievedtoincreasebreastmilksup-ply,toidentifysimilaritiesamongallcountriesandhelpstaffcreateanactionplantopromotebreastfeedingglobally.

FourInternsresearchedandpresentedaboutinfantmortalityandbreastfeedingrates,keypeoplewhoinfluencebreastfeedingdecisions,culturalbeliefsaroundbreastfeed-

ing,andrecipesforfoodsbelievedtoincreasemilksupplyforeightcountries:Ghana,Vietnam,Thai-land,India,Israel,Philippines,Mexico,andArmenia.Intrueparticipant-centeredfashion,theyincludedfoodsamplesandhands-onactivity.

Mostimportantly,theyconcludedwithtipsforculturally-sensitivecoun-seling,includingmotivationalinter-viewing,withholdingjudgment,andavoidingpushingone’sownculturalbeliefs.Theiradviceto“besensitivetoculturalpracticesbyincorporatingthefoodstheybelievetoincreasemilksupplybuttailoringitifnecessary”makessense.Actingonstrongly-heldbeliefsandfollowingculturaltraditionscangivethebreastfeedingmotherconfidenceandcomfort,evenifthe

practicesaren’tproventoincreasemilksupply.Formoreinformation,contactErinManlulu:ErinMan-

lulu@nevhc.org.

SantaBarbaraCountyWICrecentlydevelopedtwowaysthathelpparticipantsobtainWICServiceswithouthav-

ingtohavean“official”ISISappointment:• “Walk-InWednesday”

allows participants with-outanappointmenttogetWICservicesattheBetteraviaWICClinicinSantaMariaoneafter-noonattheendofeverymonth.

• Usinga“MorningPass,”participantscanwalk-inattheNorthSantaMariaWICsitewithoutanappointment

anymorninginthesecondhalfofthemonth.

Staffpromotedboththeseoptionsonapilotbasisfirst,inEnglishand

Spanish, and both have gained popularity. Participants areservedjustasiftheyhadappointments,includingcertifi-cations,individualclasses,andmore.Enrollmentsaren’tcompletedatthistime,however,asnewparticipantsmustattendaclass.

TheNorthSantaMariastaffexplainedwhythisworksforthemandforparticipants:

“Wearelessbusyinthemorningsinthesecondpartofthemonthsowecantakewalk-insandgivegoodcustomerserviceforeveryone,appointmentsornot.Participantsdon’thavetocallthephonecenteratall,sothere’slesshassleforthemandthephonecenterstaff.

“Itletsparticipantsfeeltheyhaveoptions,sincetheycancomeinwithoutanappointmentaslongasthey’vefol-lowedotherprogramguidelines.Someparticipantsliveday-to-dayandappointmentsdon’tnecessarilyworkforthem.TheMorningPasshelpsthemseethatitbenefitsthemtocomewhenwecanservethemquickly.”

Formoreinformation,contactJaneBoone-Brechwald:Jane.Boone-Brechwald@sbcphd.org.

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Smart Tech Marketing & Participant Education

San Bernardino County Public Health

Local Agency News

Breastfeeding Training for the Fun of It

United Health Centers

Ifyou“have”todosomething,youmightaswellhavefunwithit,right?That’swhatUnitedHealthCenters

(UHC)WICdecidedin2012astheypreparedtooffertherequiredsevenhoursofbreastfeedingtrainingunderthetheme,“It’sallabouttheGold.”Thatyear,a“CaliforniaGoldRush”themeinfluenceddecorations,costumes,andtrainingpresentationdelivery.

Staffevaluationsrevealedthatemployeeswerenotonlyenthusiasticabouttheexperi-ence,butwantedmore!Soin2014,a“MexicanFiesta”tiedinMexico’sgoldproduction,alongwithbreastfeedingratesandstruggles,andhowthatmayimpactUHCWICpartici-pants.StaffsangalactationsongtoMariachimusicandateadeliciouscateredMexicanlunch.

Tocreateafuntrainingevent,UHCstaffusethe acronymFUN,ofcourse!

F=Findametaphororconnection.

U=Utilizeresources.

N=Noteideasfromstafftalentsandinterests,partyideasandcommunityevents.

Eachyearemployeeevaluationshelpshapethetopicand“excursion”forthefollowingyear.ThisAugust,staffisalreadythinkingaboutcostumes,decorationsandlearningaboutthetopicsthattheysuggestedforan“AfricanSafari.”

For2016,willstaffvoteforan“AlaskanCruise,”“HollywoodSuperheroes”or“Thailand’sFloat-ingMarket?Whoknows,butit’llbeFUN!Forfurtherinformationorideas,contactKathleenHarriss:harrissk@unitedhealthcenters.org.

Throughoutthepasttwoyears,SanBernardinoCountyDepartmentofPublicHealthWICexpandedandim-

provedtheirinfrastructurefordeliveringparticipantcen-terededucationandmarketing,focusingontechnologyinthreemainways:

1.Ontheirupdatedweb-page,participants(atover10,000visitspermonth!)canmakeappointmentsorapplyforbenefits,getnewsaboutWICnutritioncampaigns,andeasilyaccessinformationaboutWICservices.Visitorscanalsoconnectvianewandongo-ingsocialmediaplatforms .

2.Allclassroomsandstaffcubicleshavethetechnol-ogytooffereducationthroughavarietyofelectronicmedia—suchasPowerPointslideshows,videos,andYouTubeclips—designedtoprovidetailorednutritioneducationmessages.Atprenatalvisits,forexample,staffofferseachparticipantamenuofeducationdeliveryoptions(group,individual,oronline)andaselectionoflessontopics.Staffwillclickonthetopicchosenandlaunchthecorrespondingeducationpre-sentation.

3.Videosproducedin-house,includingsomethatfeaturetheirownWICpar-ticipants,areshownincliniclobbiesandontheirYouTubeplatformandweb-site.Thevideoscovereducationaltopics,promotionaltopics,andWICevents.

Theirgoals?Toincreaseexclusivebreastfeedingratesandbuildopportunitiesforeducation,trust,andbetterconnectionswithWICfamilies.Checkouttheirwebsiteatwww.SBCounty.gov/wicorcontactMonicaHaag(mhaag@dph.sbcounty.gov)orJamesMarin(Jame.Marin@dph.sbcounty.gov)formoreinformation.

Mexican decorations and costumes surround Beth Arrindell as she presents on breastfeeding beyond one year.

Six different “safari” learn-ing stations will feature elephant signs that Patricia Preciado got from the Zoo-logical Society at UHC’s next FUN Breastfeeding Training.

WATCH SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION SPRING 2015

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Legislative Update

Welch’s is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of  the California WIC Association’s 2015 Annual Conference!

CongresswillreauthorizetheWICProgramin2015,asitdoesevery5years,providinganopportunitytomake

programimprovements.CWAispartneringwithNationalWICAssociationonaligningthelistofasksforprogramimprovements.Ideasincludeserv-ingchildrenuptoagesixyears,preconceptionhealthsupport,andinnovativepartnerships.Visithttp://calwic.org/policy-center/federal for materialsinmonthstocome.

What’s the most important action you can take now? Host your elected representatives and their staff for a visit to your clinic. Manylegislatorsdon’trealizetheneedforWICservicesintheirdistricts,orthatWICprovidesnutritionandbreastfeedingsupportinadditiontohealthyfoods.Theydon’trealizethepositiveimpactontheretailenvironmentfromtheWICfoodpackage.Yourfirststepistosimplymakeaphonecalltoyourrepresentative’sofficeandinvitethem.PlantomakethiscallbyMay30.Questions?ContactDonnaatdhoffman@calwic.org.

WIC Reauthorization Needs YoU!

State Budget Surplus and Bills

GovernorBrownmadeitclearwhenhebeganhishis-toricfourthtermthisyearwithagoodproblem—a

budgetsurplus—thathewouldfocusondebtreductionandtargetedobligations.Despitesignsofarecoveringeconomy,the Golden State remains among the worst

in the nation for poverty at 23%, especially for children. Plussafetynetprogramsforchildrenandfamiliesarestillseriouslyimpactedbydrasticcutsfrom2007-09.Childandfamilyadvocatesarefocusingeffortsthisyearonstrategicallyrebuildingkeypro-gramsaspovertyreductionmeasures.

CWAwillfollowanumberofbillsaddressingpovertyandhealthequity.CheckforupdatesonourStatePolicypage at http://calwic.org/policy-center/stateorcontactDonnaatdhoffman@calwic.org.

CWAneedsyourhelpwithWIC Makes Sense, a straight-forwardeducationcampaigndirectedatdecisionmak-

ersduringthe2015WICReauthorizationperiod.LikepasteffortsonthenewfoodpackagerolloutandWeNeedWIC

campaigns,we will ask for your help collecting comments or short videos from participants, staff and community members about why WIC Makes Sense for families and communities. Intheupcomingmonths,CWAwillmakeavailablesimplematerialsandideasforcollectingcommentsaboutthevitalservicesWICpro-vides.Staytuned!

WIC Makes Sense Campaign

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2014-2015 California Nutrition Corps Scholarship Winners

Scholarship News

CWA congratulates all winners, with sincere thanks to General Mills for their ongoing support. All are Dietetic Interns, except where noted.

American Red Cross WIC San Diego NareDavoodi QiaolingGong,Stefan Harvey Award

Butte County Public Health CarriePercy

Contra Costa County AnamarieOrgera

Indian Health Care Center of Santa Clara LaurenGendler(Graduate)

Inland Behaviorial Health Services Sha-KneciaPayne(Graduate)

Northeast Valley Health Center ChristyHelvestine RubenVargas

PHFE BrookeAdams WendyCeja-Garcia, Anne Garrett Memorial Award AudreyCristales EsmeraldaGarcia,Anne Peterson Memorial Award SarahGetachew,General Mills Award ValerieWard(Undergraduate)Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino CountiesCristinaPessegueiro,General Mills AwardRiverside County StaceyDoolinSan Diego State University Research Foundation EdgarGomez(Undergraduate) CaitlinJacksonScripps Mercy JaimeRangelStanislaus County KeirninHarrisUnited Health Centers RanaEghtesadi

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Worksite Wellness

Community Medical Centers WIC: Helping Each other out

City of long Beach WIC Gets leaner & Meaner

“ LongbeforeearningWellWICWorksitecertificationinNovember2014,CommunityMedicalCenters,Inc.WIC

hadbeenpromotingemployeehealthandwellness.Keepingthemomentumofactivitiesoncestartedwithenthusiasmisn’talwayseasy,yetCMCWIChasmaintainedwalkingandworkoutgroupsoverthelastfewyears.Groupsofstafftakeneighbor-hoodwalksaroundtheirWICsitesduringbreaktime.Andthosewantingtotakeitupanotchjoinina30-minutegroupstrengthtrainingclassdur-

inglunchseveraldaysaweek.

CMC’sWorksiteWellnessteamhasinitiatedsomefunandexcitingactivities,in-cludingstaffpotlucks,adelicioushomemadesalsatastingcontest,

andprofessionalsalsadanceinstructionatanall-staffmeeting.Eachmonth,WellnessCoordinatorsMyrnaRosalesandAndreaWeissposthealthtopicsinthebreakroom,withrecipes,healthscreeningandexerciseinformation.

Onespecialwaythatstaffhelpseachotherachievewell-nessgoalsisthroughdietitian-ledsupportgroups.Plus,anystaffinterestedintakingherper-sonalwellnesstothenextlevelispairedwithaRegisteredDietitianonstaff,whohelpsheralongthejourneytoachievegoalsrangingfromweightlosstoincorporat-ingmoreveggiesintoherdiet.Theyallknowthatgoalsaremuchmoreeasilyattainedwithhelpandsupportfromfriendsandfamily.

Exhausted,restless,andovernourished”ishowtheCityofLongBeachWICemployeesdescribedtheirwellness

statuspriortoDecember2013.Thenbegantheirjourneytowardimprovingteamattitudesandbehaviorsforoptimalhealth,withover71percentofteammembersindicatingtheirreadinesstotakestepsinthatdirection!

Teammembersstartedbring-ingheathierfoodsforpotlucks,lunchesandsnacks,withsaladoftenthemainmeal.Eachoffivesitesdesignatedateammemberasthe“WellnessAngel”tokeepstaffmotivated,providefruitandvegetablesnacksforgath-erings,andspearheadgroupwalksorstretchbreaks.

Movementforfitnessisnowthenormateachteammeeting.TheHealthyWICBuckProgramhelpscatchpeopleintheactofmakinghealthychoices.Staffcanjoinanafter-workwalkingcluboryoga/meditationhour.

Someemployeestriednewoutdoorsports,suchaspaddleboarding,MudRuns,ColorRuns,andwildernesshikes,whileothersenrolledinregularZumbaclasses.Severalbravesoulscom-pletedthe2014LongBeach

InternationalCityBankMarathonandHalfMarathon,RelayforLife,andthe5thAnnualOrangeCountyWalkforWater!

Manyemployeesdevelopedpersonalwellnessgoalsfor2014.Their“U Above All - In It to Thin It” weight loss pro-grammotivated75%ofteammemberstopursuehealthiereatingandmoreactivity.Oversevenmonths,theylostatotalof107pounds!

DuringPublicHealthWeeklastApril(thisyear’sisApril6-10),theentireWICTeamledotherHealthDepartmentstaffintheannual2.5mileHillChallenge.Theysay,“WearenowaLEANERandMEANERforcetoreckonwith!”Motivationalwellnessquotes,newsletters,andwellnesssegmentsduringmeetingskeepstaffexcitedtobeapartoftheWICWorksiteWellnessfamily.

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Worksite Wellness

Wellness is Contagious in Solano County

SolanoCountyWICisoneofafewlocalWWWprogramsthathasinfluenceditsparentorganizationtoembrace

worksitewellness.PresentationsbytheWICDirectortotheBoardofSupervisors,yearlywellnesschallenges,andaKaisergrantmovedthecountytorecentlyhireaworksitewellnesscoordinatortobringphysicalactivity,stressmanagement,andhealthyeatingopportunitiestoallcountyemployees.PartneringwithKaiser,thecountyoffersyearlyhealth screenings atworkandanonline health assessment.SomeWICemployeeshaveevenwoncashprizesforparticipating!

SinceWICpromoteshealthyeatingandphysi-calactivitybyde-sign,WICemploy-ees were often the onestopresentwellnessinformationtoallemployeesevenbeforecounty-widewellnesswasinplace.AftercommittingtobecomeaWellWICWorksite,however,wellnessbecameaconsistentfocusthroughouttheirwork.

Surveysrevealedstaff’sinterestinpersonalhealthandawillingnesstomakechanges,fromthetypeoffoodsand

beveragesavailableandexercisebreaksofferedatstaffmeetingstopersonalhabits.MoreteamsgoforwalksoruseexerciseDVDsduringlunchandbreaks.Dieteticinternscreateaquarterlywellnessnewsletter with short articlesonphysicalactivity,nutrition,stressmanagementandahealthyrecipe.

Staffmeetingpresentationsaboutdiseasecomplica-tionsandmanagementmadeemployeesmoreawareofdia-betesandobesityandtheirownrisksorcondition.SeveralWICworkerssuccessfullylostweightafteryearsoftrying,thankstocoworkers’encouragementandsupportandaWeightWatchersdiscount.AsmanyWellWICWorksiteshavediscovered,thiskindofenvironmentmakeswellnesspositivelycontagious!

Keep the Momentum!IfyouragencyhasbeenacertifiedWellWICWorksiteforatleastthreeyears,it’stimetorecertify!Thisprocessismuchlessinvolvedthantheinitialcertification,yetshowsyourcontinuedcommitmenttonurturingemployeehealth.KudostoPlanned Parenthood WICandSan Bernardino County WIC forrecertifyingsincelastfall!Thereare11moreagencieswhoqualify,includingafewthatneedtofulfilljustonemorerequirement.CompleteandsubmittherecertificationformfoundontheCWAwebsite,orcallMargaretorMeghanat530-750-2280withyourquestions.

Many partners helped to convince the Solano County Board of Supervisors to declare August “World Breastfeeding Month.

SPARK trained Solano County WIC staff to lead Family Fitness events.

Staff meetings are interactive, funny and educational, like this food safety skit.

California WIC Association1450DrewAvenue,Suite150 Davis,CA95618

ENACT DAYMay6,2015

StateCapitol•SacramentoCWA FALL

MANAGEMENT CONFERENCEOctober(datesTBD)•Sacramento2016 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

April17-20,2016 Town&CountryResort•SanDiego

CWA Directors 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6 Tell Your Story

& Share Your Success!EXECUTIVE BOARDRose McIsaac,President AmplaHealthWICProgram

Samar MacGregor,PresidentElect PHFEWICProgram

Tracie Barrow,PastPresident SonomaCountyWICProgram

Debra Leigh,Treasurer PlannedParenthoodOrangeCounty

Marcia Barnes,Secretary PlacerCountyWICProgram

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVESIreneSalazar,Orange-LA

BasinRegion ElianaSchultz,BayRegion

MarySammer,GreatSouthRegion TinaCanales,CentralValleyRegion

LaurieSomerhausen,Delta/ SierraGoldRegion

KellyWilson,SierraCascadeRegion JenniferRemmers,NorthCoastRegion

SMALL AGENCY CAUCUSShirleeRunnings

NATIVE AMERICAN REPRESENTATIVE

IreneMason

MEMBER-AT-LARGEKiranSaluja

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIRVacant

Read this and past issues of the WIC Watch online at http://calwic.org/news-a-publications/wic-watch.

Share the link with colleagues, family & friends!

To update your e-mail or mailing address, request more copies, or submit article ideas or drafts,

contact Margaret Aumann at:Say hey,

what’s new?

maumann@calwic.org CWA, 1450 Drew Ave., Ste. 150 • Davis, CA 95618

530.750.2280 phone • 530.758.7780 fax

Save the Date

We’re now publishing the WIC Watch just twice a year. Send us your agency’s article ideas, photos, and best practices

any time, and by September 4, 2015 for the Fall Edition.

Get Ready for ENACT Day 2015InsteadofhostingourownWIC&BreastfeedingInformation&EducationDaythisyear,CWAwilljointhePreventionInstitute’sStrategicAllianceforENACTDayonMay 6. ENACT(EnvironmentalNutritionandActivityCommunityTool)Daybringscommunityresidents,youth,andlocalorganizationstogetherintheStateCapitaltofocusoneducationandadvocacyaroundfood,physicalactivity,andhealthequity.StaytunedformoreinformationintheCWA Flash e-newsletterandonourwebsiteatwww.calwic.org/policy/state.