National PCHHC Newsletter                                                                                       Spring 2017 
Show Your Love Ambassador Spotlight
Jacki Wing, Show Your Love Ambassador from New York, took her SYL message and health tips international! 

Why Jacki got involved:
"I've come to realize that it is not selfish to put yourself first. Wellness is a journey and mental health is just as an important part of it as physical fitness is. Whether or not someone chooses to have a child, preconception health enables us to open the door to talk about family health history, screening methods and how to get and stay healthy."

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Event Spotlight
May is  National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month (NTPPM) ! On the National Day (May 3rd), and throughout the month, visit StayTeen.org to see latest games, quizzes, resources to learn more and get involved. Get everything you need to participate in all the activities with this easy to join guide from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen & Unplanned Pregnancy.   C lic k below for national and state data on #NTTPM:








In May, it's also Women's Health Month, Women's Health Week, Mental Health Month; there's a March for Moms on Mother's Day...list goes on so, 
Prepare to GET SOCIAL!
Featured Article
This month's must-read article is by Dan Frayne, Co-Chair of the PCHHC Clinical Workgroup. This article in ZERO TO THREE is only open access until August so click soon!

Partner Spotlight  

Women Watch Afrika, Inc. (WWA) is a nonprofit, grass roots, social justice organization working to eliminate all forms of discrimination against African women & promote equality. 
 
 
WWA was one of our  Show Your Love Grantees,  and celebrates the anniversary of their first  "Show Yourself Love" Day, where they brought together family and community members to learn about SYL and preconception  care. 
Read about their PCC work HERE.  Check out WWA's Show Your Love Campaign video clips and click through the gallery to view their infographics HERE . Click below to watch how they show their love in their community.
 

NEW Tool Spotlight

The Federal Healthy Start program provides services in communities across the US aimed at improving birth outcomes and equity. This spring the program released a new website to provide training and resources to programs and community health workers across the country. Have you seen Healthy Start EPIC's online resources? They have numerous comprehensive tools available HERE EPIC Center Services include preconception health as mission critical care.

Click below to view the toolkits, modules, resources available at Healthy Start EPIC Center. For more information email: healthystartepic@jsi.com or call: 1-844-225-3713.
Submit an event, tool, research, program, campaign update for a spotlight or feature
We want to amplify your work and showcase all that you are doing in your community or with your team to advance preconception health across the US. Email Suzannew@med.unc.edu with something you'd like us to amplify in our newsletter, website & social media properties. 
About the Newsletter
Thanks for reading the National Preconception Health & Health Care Initiative newsletter.  For questions or submissions to our PCHHC Newsletter, email pchhcnews@gmail.com . PCHHC Initiative newsletters are archived here  (BeforeandBeyond.org). Please help us grow our readership and share this widely!
Springing Into Action on Preconception-Community Health 

ENERGIZED is the word that best describes PCHHC efforts around activating young adults on preconception wellness. Below is a snapshot from a week in the life of our communications director Suzanne Woodward. Interested in bringing this energy to your state? It's all about connections and maximizing opportunities. Connect with Suzanne for ideas and support in elevating the health of young men and women in your home town.
 
A Week in the Life...
~ Suzanne Woodward
 
From the daily, weekly, and monthly awareness observances to partner meetings and presentations, Show Your Love has been all over North Carolina in April, uniting partners, communities, campuses on our shared mission:  
to improve the health of young adults and any children they may have

An ode to  Every Woman NC's theme for their spring meeting, "Springing into Action,"  we 'sprung into action' this spring! While this work has been featured on our ShowYourLoveToday Facebook, Insta & Twitter, you can view our picture albums below. 
 
PCHHC joined Every Woman NC, Latina Sana & NC Preconception Health Campaign  at AHEC in Greenville for a day of learning and sharing at their #NCPHC forum ( click to read the highlights ). 

Then we met and presented to over 70 Preconception Peer Educators and students from East Carolina University, Rockingham Community College, Bennett College, and UNC-Greensboro at a statewide Preconception Peer Educator's training.

On to a fun discussion with North Carolina Central University Department of Public Health students about sexual health equity and preconception care.

Then a trip to Meredith College in Raleigh to speak with public health grad students about preconception health.

...and we attended the CreateGood Conference for Non-Profit Communications. This two-day event gave us some great ideas for Show Your Love partnerships (also, met the communcations director for Black Lives Matter!)...

...and that's just the beginning! We're gearing up for a "virtual summer road trip." We're compiling photos of our ambassadors and partners -- going about their summer fun and making healthy choices while doing so! We'll share the photos and highlight partner events this summer. 

Stay tuned for a "my healthy summer" social media challenge. We have some fun incentives for posting how you #ShowYourLoveToday by making healthy choices and engaging with us this summer.

Full photo albums are up on:  Facebook.com/ShowYourLoveToday  
and featured on  Instagram.com (@ShowYourLoveToday)
Catalyzing Change in Preconception Health Meeting Report
PCHHC brought over 100 community members and health/policy professionals together representing 20+ states for a 2-day meeting to set the direction for PCHHC and partner work.  This unique convening elevated some key concepts, strategies and ideas for the future. 
The full meeting report is now available on BeforeandBeyond.org, and full and summarized slides can be viewed here.  
Keep up with the Science!
Sign up for the  CDC's bi-weekly updates on preconception and interconception health by emailing Cheryl Robbins  (ggf9@cdc.gov). A great resource for everything happening in the industry, across the country - and world!