HHS Health Initiatives - FAQs:

The HHS Heart Health Program has resources from many sources:

• The Heart Truth Campaign
  The Office of Women's Health provides resources for heart health Initiatives, including national campaigns, minority programs, meetings and conferences, publications, and evaluation programs.

• Heart Health and Stroke (Office on Women's Health)
  Learn about your risk for a heart attack or stoke with the resources on this site.

• Heart Health Online (Food and Drug Administration)
  This Web site gives you reliable information about the products used to prevent, diagnose, and treat cardiovascular disease. It includes full descriptions and patient instructions for many medications, medical devices, and diagnostic tests for cardiovascular disease.

• Heart and Vascular Diseases (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  Learn about cholesterol, congenital heart defects, heart attack, high blood pressure, and other heart-related information.

• Lower Heart Disease Risk (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH)
  Find out about the risk factors for heart disease and what to do to learn if you are at risk.

• Understanding Your Body (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
  Find the keys to heart health on this site which provides easy-to-understand explanations of body systems and disease conditions.

• Latino Cardiovascular Health Resources (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  Learn about the Salud para su Corazon site which offers many educational materials in English and Spanish for the general public and community health planners.

• When Delicious Meets Nutritious: Recipes for Heart Health (PDF - 4 Pages) (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  This brochure offers eight great recipes and tips to keeping the "heart" in your favorite recipes.

The Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Program (APRHB) leads HHS's fight against environmental-related respiratory illnesses, including asthma, and studies indoor and outdoor air pollution. For more information, you may want to visit these sites:

• Air Pollution and Respiratory Health (CDC)
  Learn about the CDC surveillance program that tracks asthma, influenza, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and find guidance for preventing environmentally-caused diseases.

• Indoor Air Pollution (NIH)
  Find information on indoor air pollutants, molds, radon, tobacco smoke, and volatile organic compounds.

• Outdoor Air Pollution (NIH)
  Learn about public and private partnerships addressing outdoor air pollution, research, laws, and

• Air Quality, Fires, and Volcanic Eruptions (CDC)
  Find prevention guidelines and other resources to help you protect yourself and your family from poor quality air caused by fire, volcanic eruptions, and other hazards.

• Air Pollution (MedlinePlus)(healthfinder)
  Learn the basics of air pollution and how they affect you and your family on MedlinePlus; and find a wide variety of air pollution information resources from healthfinder.

• Air Pollution Control Self-Inspection Checklist for Schools (CDC)
  With this tool, schools can self-check their indoor air equipment and learn if their situation complies with law or needs help from an outside expert.

• Indoor Air Quality Self-Inspection Checklist for Schools (CDC)
  This tool helps school districts determine the need for indoor air quality management plans.

• Smoking and Tobacco Use Health Effects (CDC)
  Learn about the impact of smoking on the health of your lungs, as well as the health of your family and friends.

• Respiratory Health & Air Pollution (CDC)
  Find resources on transportation-related air pollutants and other respiratory health issues.

• Environmental Hazards and Health Effects (CDC)
  Learn how the CDC works with state grantees to reduce death, hospitalizations, and missed work/school days due to environmental hazards.

Research Findings/Activities

• Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease in Women (NIH)
  This study describes the high impact of air pollution on the hearts of post-menopausal women.

• Air Pollution-Associated Changes in Lung Function among Asthmatic Children in Detroit (NIH)
  This research fond that lung function in children decreased when exposed to air pollutants.

• Effect of Particulate Air Pollution on Emergency Admissions for Heart Attack (NIH)
  This multi-city, case-crossover analysis found increased hospitalizations among the elderly in areas of high air pollution.

• Environmental Genome Project (NIH)
  This project is focusing on how human genetic variations impact on the tendency to have environmental health problems.

HHS programs specifically related to women's health can be found in several HHS agencies, including AHRQ, CDC, FDA, HRSA, and NIH. Check out the links below for additional information.

Women's Health (General)

• Women's Health (MedLinePlus)
• Women's Health (IHS)
• Women's Health Topics A-Z (CDC)
• Free Publications for Women and Their Families (FDA)
• Women's Health (AHRQ)

Preventive Health

• The Heart Truth, A National Awareness Campaign for Women about Heart Disease (NIH)
• Information for Women on Food Safety, Nutrition and Cosmetics (FDA)
• Women's Reproductive Health (CDC)
• Physical Activity and Health (CDC, Surgeon General)
• All Women Need Folic Acid, Every Day (CDC)
• Women's Safety and Health Issues at Work (CDC)
• Bladder Control for Women (NIH)

Diseases

• HIV/AIDS and Women (CDC)
• Women and HIV/AIDS (womenshealth.gov)
• HIV/AIDS Basics (AIDS.gov)
• Bleeding and Clotting Disorders in Women (CDC)
• Women's Cancers (NIH)

Research/Statistics

• Women's Health Initiative (NIH)
• Women's Health Statistics (womenshealth.gov)

Specific Populations

• Women with Disabilities (CDC)
• Minority Women's Health (womenshealth.gov)
• Women and Mental Health (NIH)

HHS Offices on Women's Health

• HHS Office of Women's Health
• CDC/ATSDR Office of Women's Health
• FDA Office of Women's Health
• National Women's Health Information Center

HHS sponsors a number of online training programs in many categories. To learn more, select from the following:

Library of Online Training Programs

• CDC Learning Connection
  CDC Learning Connection launched in November, 2010, is designed to help you locate learning products developed by CDC and CDC partners for the public health community. Check back often to access the growing collection of free products in a variety of media formats, including podcasts, e-learning, electronic publications, and live events.
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Educational Tutorials (NHLIB)
  The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers tutorials for the public on heart and vascular, cholesterol, high blood pressure, overweight and physical activity, and sleep disorders.

Healthy Lifestyles

• Understanding Your Body (AHRQ)
  Understanding Your Body provides easy-to-understand explanations of body systems and disease conditions. This material can be used for patient education, life sciences curriculum development, or to enhance public understanding of general health concepts. Permission for such use is not required, but citation as to source is requested.
• Make Your Calories Count: Use the Nutrition Facts Label for Healthy Weight Management (FDA)
  Make Your Calories Count is an interactive learning program that provides consumers with information to help plan a healthful diet while managing calorie intake. The exercises will help consumers use the food label to make decisions about which food choice is right for them. For simplicity, the program presents two nutrients that should be limited (saturated fat and sodium) and two nutrients that should be consumed in adequate amounts (fiber and calcium).
• Next Steps After Your Diagnosis, Finding Information and Support (AHRQ)
  Next Steps After Your Diagnosis offers general advice for people with almost any disease or condition. And it has tips to help you learn more about your specific problem and how it can be treated. The information here is presented in a simple way to help you scan the material and read only what you need right now. Organizations, publications, and other resources are included if you would like to know more. This online version has many additional resources with their Internet links. This document is also available in Spanish.
• Stryve, Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere
  Training opportunities are listed by date.

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Disease/Condition-Related Training

• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Education/Training Courses and Materials (SAMHSA)
  Information on this site is primarily for professionals working with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
• Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Education and Training Centers
  The AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) Program of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program supports a network of 11 regional centers (and more than 130 local associated sites) that conduct targeted, multidisciplinary education and training programs for health care providers treating people living with HIV/AIDS. The AETCs serve all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the 6 U.S. Pacific Jurisdictions. The AETC Program increases the number of health care providers who are effectively educated and motivated to counsel, diagnose, treat, and medically manage people with HIV disease, and to help prevent high-risk behaviors that lead to HIV transmission.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Curriculum Self-Study Modules for Clinicians (CDC)
  Seven web-based educational modules, each based on a specific STD topic. Each module is considered to be an individual course, and a student may complete as many modules as he or she chooses.
• Smallpox: What Every Clinician Should Know (CDC)
  The purpose of the Smallpox: What Every Clinician Should Know video is to provide clinicians with information on the virology, epidemiology, clinical features, and diagnosis of smallpox; the characteristics and use of smallpox vaccine; and proper management of smallpox vaccine recipients.
• National Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death & Pregnancy Loss Resource Center Training Toolkit
  A number of resources are available to assist professionals, first responders, and parents to reduce the risk of sudden death in young children.

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Public Health and Health Care

• NIH Offic of Intramural Training and Education
  The NIH Office of intramural Training & Education (OITE) is a division of the Office of Intramural Research (OIR), Office of the Director (OD). The mission is to enhance the training experience of students and fellows on all of the NIH campuses. The staff works closely with the Training Offices in the NIH Institutes and Centers to help trainees in the Intramural Research Program (IRP). The intramural program is the sum of all the research projects carried out by NIH investigators and trainees in NIH facilities) develop scientific and professional skills that will enable them to become leaders in the biomedical research community.
• Public Health Assessment Process Interactive Learning Program (CDC/ATSDR)
  This program provides an overview of the public health assessment process that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) uses to evaluate whether people will be harmed by hazardous materials from waste sites or from other places where hazardous substances have been spilled or released into the environment.
• Environmental Health and Medicine Education (ATSDR)
  Environmental medicine education products present current environmental medicine content drawn from peer-reviewed medical literature. These products are accredited for free continuing education.
• Health Information Technology Knowledge Library (AHRQ)
  In an effort to ensure that stakeholders are on the same page when talking about health IT, we have developed a series of key topic articles. Each article includes beginner-level background information on the topic, a description of current activities in this part of the field, and lessons emerging from the array of projects sponsored by AHRQ. These articles also include recommended tools and resources for individuals engaged in health IT projects.
   

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Drug and Food

• Training & Continuing Education Courses from the FDA
  Information on state-level resources for food investigators; online training for health professionals about the safe use of medicine and the drug regulatory process; and online courses for industry on safety and effectiveness of medical devices and exposure to radiation from medical devices.
• Make Your Calories Count: Use the Nutrition Facts Label for Health Weight Management (FDA)
  Make Your Calories Count is an interactive learning program that provides consumers with information to help plan a healthful diet while managing calorie intake. The exercises will help consumers use the food label to make decisions about which food choice is right for them. For simplicity, the program presents two nutrients that should be limited (saturated fat and sodium) and two nutrients that should be consumed in adequate amounts (fiber and calcium).
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Online Training (NIAAA)
  NIAAA offers online training for CME/CE credit on Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much.

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Emergency Preparedness & Response

• Radiological Terrorism: Medical Response to Mass Casualties (CDC)
  The purpose of this training is to prepare clinicians in first receiver settings to: (1) Identify factors impacting immediate medical response to mass casualties following major types of radiological incidents, and (2) Demonstrate appropriate patient assessment, triage, treatment and disposition decision-making required during a radiological mass casualty incident.
   
• Radiation Emergency Training & Education Webcasts (CDC)
  Topics include basic components of
  • radiological population monitoring guidelines,
  • key radiation principles & procedures,
  • protective measures and evacuation and sheltering guidelines
  • signs and symptoms of radiation syndrome
  • decontamination of patients

• Video: The History of Bioterrorism (CDC)
  These videos describe the Category A diseases: smallpox, anthrax, botulism, plague, tularemia, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. If these germs were used to intentionally infect people, they would cause the most illness and death. Watch these videos to learn how some of these agents have been or can be used as bioterrorist weapons.

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Research/Researchers

• Human Participant Protections Education for Research Teams Login (NIH)
  This free, web-based course presents information about the rights and welfare of human participants in research. The tutorial is designed for those involved in conducting research involving human participants. Also see, Protecting Human Subjects Training (HRSA)
• Incorporating Cancer Clinical Trials Into Your Practice (NIH)
  A Web-based course for healthcare professionals who are new to the clinical trials research process. The course contains practical information for professionals interested in referring patients to clinical trials, or conducting clinical trials, for the first time.
• Clinical Research Training for Principal Investigators at the NIH Clinical Center
  This program responds to the federal mandate requiring human subjects protection education for research teams at the NIH Clinical Center.
• Research and Training Opportunities at the National Institutes of Health
  Information about career advancement and services, internships, and enrichment opportunities in research training.
• Quick Health Data Online Free Training
  The US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women's Health provides free telephone training for the Quick Health Data Online system.
• National Human Genome Research Institute Training Programs
  The National Human Genome Research Institute provides a wide range of programs aimed at furthering the professional training and career development of students, educators, health professionals and research scientists. This page describes the various training and educational opportunities available for individuals at various stages of their careers.
• Stem Cell Training Programs
  NIH provides listings of trainings of stem cell research training programs.
• Research in NIH Labs & Clinics
  Learn about NIH training opportunities, lab research support, clinical research support, computational biology, and other Federal Resources.
• Diversity Training Programs
  The Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) Diversity Training Branch (DTB), leads NCI’s efforts in the training of students and investigators from diverse populations who will be part of the next generation of competitive researchers in cancer and cancer health disparities research.
• Medical Informatics Training Program
  The Lister Hill Center provides training opportunities for individuals at various stages in their careers.
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Training and Career Development
  Information about the training programs and grant mechanisms for students and researchers.
• Extramural Training Mechanisms grants and Fellowships
  Funding opportunities for training programs.
  

HHS National Institutes of Health has developed the Web site http://ClinicalTrials.gov to provide patients, family members and members of the public current information about clinical research studies. Other HHS sites with clinical trial information include:

• Educational Materials About Clinical Trials (National Cancer Institute)
• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Clinical Trials
• National Institute of Mental Health Clinical Trials
• Clinical Research & Clinical Trials (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
• National Institute on Aging Clinical Trials
• Women & HIV/AIDS Research and Clinical Trials (womenshealth.gov)