WIC e-Leaks –September 2014 A monthly update from Nutrition Services WIC Program

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National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month One in three children in the United States is

overweight or obese according to the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services

http://healthfinder.gov. Obesity puts children at risk for

health problems that were once seen only in adults,

such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and

heart disease.

The good news is that childhood obesity can be

prevented. In honor of National Childhood Obesity

Awareness Month, the Calcasieu Parish Health Unit

encourages your family to make healthy changes

together.

Get active outside - Walk around the

neighborhood, go on a bike ride, turn on

music and dance with your children, play

basketball or baseball at the recreation

center. Finding a way to stay active with your

children will help to keep them physically fit

and may be a new way to spend time

together.

Limit screen time - Keep screen time (time

spent on the computer, watching TV, or

playing video games) to two hours or fewer a

day.

Make healthy meals - Buy and serve more

vegetables, fruits and whole-grain foods.

Choose water- over other drink options

when you are thirsty.

Limit juice- children between one and six

years old to four to six ounces of juice per

day.

Taking small steps as a family can help your child

stay at a healthy weight. The Calcasieu Parish Health

Unit provides nutrition education, healthy foods and

breastfeeding support for eligible pregnant and

postpartum women, infants and children up to five

years of age through the Special Supplemental

Nutrition Program (WIC). Remember to consult your

physician before beginning any exercise or weight

loss program.

Thanks to Region 5 for drafting this article for every

local newspaper in the region. If your Region would

like to submit articles to your local newspaper, follow

the steps below:

1. Compose the document in AP (Associated

Press) style. Make sure all sources are given

credit.

2. Forward the document to Barbara

Cerniauskas for review and submission to

DHH-BMAC approval.

3. Once the article has been reviewed and

approved, it will be forwarded back to your

region for dissemination.

WIC e-Leaks –September 2014 A monthly update from Nutrition Services WIC Program

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World Breastfeeding Awareness Events in Region 2

Cathy Daniels, Penny Trepagnier, and Ochsner representative at the Baby O-Ochsner Baby Fair

WIC at Wooddale Clinic Breastfeeding Event

Iberville Parish WIC Clinic Breastfeeding Shower

Capital City Family Health Center Breastfeeding Social

Pointe Coupee Parish WIC Breastfeeding Event

Parish of Ascension Gonzales WIC Breastfeeding Event

WIC e-Leaks –September 2014 A monthly update from Nutrition Services WIC Program

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Southeast Community Health Systems WIC “Let’sTalk Breastfeeding” Meet & Greet

West Baton Rouge Parish WIC Breastfeeding Event

Calcasieu Parish Health Celebrates Breastfeeding

Pregnant WIC participants enjoying the event.

Excited Door Prize Winners!

Breastfeeding Education and Plenty of Visuals.

WIC e-Leaks –September 2014 A monthly update from Nutrition Services WIC Program

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FRAC Brief: Impact of the Revised WIC Food Packages on Nutrition Outcomes and the Retail Food Environment The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) every

month provides more than 8 million low-income

pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and

young children with nutritious foods, nutrition

education, and increased access to health care.

The WIC food packages were revised in 2007 to

align the authorized food with the latest nutrition

science and guidance. The majority of WIC

participants are satisfied with the revised food

packages in terms of the new foods offered and

changes in the amounts of food. And, as

summarized in this brief, there is a growing body

of evidence that the revised WIC food packages

have favorable impacts on dietary intake,

breastfeeding outcomes, and obesity rates. In

addition, emerging studies suggest an important

role for WIC in improving neighborhood food

environments.

Revised WIC Food Packages and Nutrition

Outcomes

Research shows that WIC is effective at

reducing food insecurity, improving dietary

intake, addressing obesity, and improving other

health outcomes. And emerging research links

the revised food packages with improvements in

a variety of nutrition outcomes. For example,

multiple studies link the revised food packages

with improvements in the consumption of fruits,

vegetables, whole-grains, and lower-fat milk.

One study found modest declines in overweight

and obesity rates among young children enrolled

in WIC after the introduction of the new food

packages. Research also shows improvements

in infant feeding practices in terms of the

appropriate introduction of solid foods as well as

increases in breastfeeding initiation.

Furthermore, a number of studies have

examined the impact of the revised WIC food

packages on purchases using WIC benefits and

non-WIC funds. Overall purchases of whole

milk, WIC-eligible cheese, 100 percent juice,

and white bread declined among WIC families,

while purchases increased for 100 percent

whole-grain bread, brown rice, fresh fruit, and

fresh and frozen vegetables.

Revised WIC Food Packages and the Retail

Food Environment

The revised WIC food packages include fruits,

vegetables, whole-grain products, and lower-fat

milk. Research suggests that this, in turn, has

increased the availability, variety, quality, and

affordability of healthy foods in the food retail

environment. Such progress is being made not

only in WIC-authorized stores, but also in non-

WIC stores. For example, after the introduction

of the new WIC food packages, improvements in

healthy food availability were observed in WIC-

stores and non-WIC stores in a number of

studies using composite scores of availability. In

addition, in a study examining fruit and

vegetable prices in more than 300 stores, overall

prices fell for canned vegetables and frozen

vegetables after the WIC food package revisions

across WIC-authorized stores in seven Illinois

counties, possibly from greater demand and

economies of scale.

As the research in the brief suggests, the

revised WIC food packages are having favorable

impacts, especially in low-income communities.

The WIC program continues to play a vital role

in improving the health and well-being of

vulnerable Americans.

WIC e-Leaks –September 2014 A monthly update from Nutrition Services WIC Program

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Louisiana had Great Representation at the

National WIC Association Conference in

Atlanta, Georgia

Mary Schultheis, CEO-Crescent City WIC Services (above) and Stephenie Marshall, COO-Daughters of Charity WIC (below) collaborated to develop a poster that was presented at the NWA Conference in Atlanta.

LaKesha Lafayette-Green (far right), NWA Southwest Region Representative (Local Agency), networking with GA WIC Administrators during the NWA conference.

Policy Concerns and Clarification:

Concern: Clinics are making copies of identification, income or residency information.

Clarification: WIC does not require clinics to duplicate and file proofof identity, income or residency. However, OPH required this information for billing audit purposes.

Remedy: If your WIC clinic is required to duplicate and retain proof of identify, income, or residency, file the duplicates in a separate folder by date of service. If an audit occurs, the information can be retrieved and presented easily without having to pull the entire medical record.

Concern: The PHAME recertification due letters do

not generate from time to time. The clinics are

WIC e-Leaks –September 2014 A monthly update from Nutrition Services WIC Program

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fearful of being considered out of WIC compliance if

the recertification due letters are not mailed.

Clarification: In 2010, the WIC-2 Financial

Declaration Form was revised to include the

certification beginning and end date. This revision

fulfills the federal requirement of notifying WIC

participants of their WIC certification period. That

stated, the WIC recertification due letter is a helpful

courtesy reminder afforded to the WIC participants

but clinics will not be considered out of compliance if

they are not mailed.

Remedy: Clinics should make a reasonable effort of

maintaining an acceptable appointment keep rate of

70% or higher. To ensure WIC applicants and

participants keep their scheduled appointments,

please consider the following:

1. Consider Next Day Scheduler appointment

scheduling (contact Monica McDaniels for

details)

2. Encourage WIC participants to enroll in Text4Baby to receive FREE text appointment reminders and other valuable information. Free promotional materials can be ordered online.

3. Continue routinely mailing the recertification due letters weekly.

4. Conduct reminder calls at least 24-48 hours before the appointment.

5. Affix the WIC appointment label to the blue folder with clear instructions.

6. Print the WIC Appointment Reminder Letter

at the end of the counseling session.

Education Leave

The DHH Education Leave policy defers to the Civil Service Rule (11.24) as follows:

The purpose of educational leave is to permit an employee to obtain formalized training that will materially assist the employee in conducting his work without being charged accumulated leave. Such educational leave is optional at the appointing authority’s discretion.

(a) An employee may be granted leave without pay to attend classes at an educational institution. The leave without pay is limited to the time spent in class at the educational institution.

(b) An employee may be granted education leave, with pay, for a maximum of 30 calendar days in a calendar year. The course of instruction must be related to the work the employee performs for the state. A permanent employee may be granted up to 90 days of educational leave for special training, if it is required by the employee’s appointing authority.

(c) If an employee is granted leave without pay for educational purposes, the employee may receive a stipend from the educational institution if funds are available.

WIC e-Leaks –September 2014 A monthly update from Nutrition Services WIC Program

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Consider the information above when contemplating attending WIC trainings and conferences. Keep in mind that on-duty status travel requires an approved Travel Authorization (TA) for OPH/Parish/Police Jury employees.

Upcoming Training/ Conference:

Power of Peer-to-Peer Support October 21, 2014 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. New Orleans Contact Tikvah Wadley for more information,twadley@healthconnectone.org, or at (312) 878-7022.

Nutrition Education Fund Allocation: The USDA considers nutrition education as an

integral part of the WIC experience. Funds are

granted to optimize nutrition education efforts.

Regional budgets are allocated nutrition education

funds annually. Clinics may receive up to $960 per

year to be used for nutrition education supplies.

Regional budget allocations are determined by the

previous year’s spending. It is recommended that

each WIC clinic use the nutrition education funds to

enhance the WIC participant experience. Please see

that attached memorandum for additional

information.

WIC e-Leaks –September 2014 A monthly update from Nutrition Services WIC Program

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WICHealth.org-Online Nutrition Education

Participation continues to increase for online

education. Over 3,000 lessons have been

completed to date with each lesson taking an

average of 15 minutes to complete with 3 links

visited on average. ontinue promoting and

offering this service to eligible participants.

Refer to LA WIC policy Chapter 14 to determine

which participants are eligible use online

nutrition education.

On a recent conference call, several clinics

shared their strategies for successful

implementation:

Daughters of Charity in New Orleans has

success with scheduling online nutrition

education users’ food benefit issuance

appointments during lunch time or extended

hours. This is a very brief visit, and the

participants appreciate the convenience of

being able to stop by during their lunch break or

on their way home from work.

Jefferson Parish Health Unit WIC Clinics and St.

Bernard WIC Clinic are also encouraging online

education. One participant even completed her

session on her I-pad in the waiting area and

received her benefits. Keep in mind that any

phone with internet service can also be used to

complete a lesson. There has been good

feedback from the participants who have used

this service.

Crescent City WIC promotes online education

with promotional materials in the waiting area

and each CPA keeps the flyers on their desk to

remind them to suggest online education for

eligible participants. They schedule these

participants at 15 minute intervals in between

WCFI classes and are able to place the

participant in a class if they forget to complete

their education online.

St. Tammany Community Wellness Center

promotes online education during their classes,

and encourage participants to try it out while in

the class to demonstrate how user friendly it

is. They have recently added the option of

having the participants email their certificate to

the clinic. They have a designated email just for

the certificates and one employee checks the

email at least once daily. When a participant

completes online education and emails the

certificate, staff calls to make the appointment

for the participant to come in. The education is

documented in PHAME. When the participant

comes in, they just have to print the vouchers

and the participant is handled right away. Clinic

has not any “no-shows” for this type of visit!

If you have a success story, please share!

Resources are on the portal to help you with

implementation. Please contact Barbara

Cerniauskas at Barbara.Cerniauskas@la.gov or

reach out to your fellow WIC clinics for

assistance and tips to make this a success! We

want all clinics taking advantage of this time

saving resource!

WIC e-Leaks –September 2014 A monthly update from Nutrition Services WIC Program

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WIC Approved Measuring Equipment The Nutrition Services Program will order equipment needed to replace broken or nonfunctioning apparatuses on behalf of the regions. Please contact Denise Harris Denise.Harris@la.gov by email when equipment is needed. Contract WIC Providers must submit a request to Shera Gardner, Nutrition Services Contract Manager for approval prior to placing an order. An updated list of approved measuring equipment is attached.

Microcuvette Orders Due September 26th It is time to order microcuvettes from

Stanbio. Attached is a spreadsheet to be

reviewed by each Regional Nutritionist and

completed by indicating the number of boxes

needed for each site. Delivery can be simplified

by combining small orders to be shipped to one

location. It is also acceptable if the Regional

Nutritionist prefers to have the entire order

shipped to the Regional Office or a large clinic.

Please complete the attached spreadsheet and

submit to Denise Harris Denise.Harris@la.gov

indicating your preferred method of delivery by

September 26th.

Crescent City WIC Expanding to Provide Healthy Start Services

Crescent City WIC Services has been awarded $533,000 to aid in reducing infant mortality rates in the Region 1 area to provide Healthy Start Services.

Healthy Start works to prevent infant mortality and high rates of low birth weight, preterm birth, maternal mortality and maternal morbidity (serious medical conditions resulting from or aggravated by pregnancy and delivery).

Healthy Start communities are some of the nation's poorest and Healthy Start families frequently struggle to meet their most basic needs.

Healthy Start reaches out to pregnant women and new mothers and connects them with the health care and other resources they need to nurture their children.

NVRA Reports Due October 5th!

Submit a cumulative report for the entire region to Monica McDaniels at Monica.McDaniels@la.gov or fax 225-342-8312.

WIC e-Leaks –September 2014 A monthly update from Nutrition Services WIC Program

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The NRVA Declaration Form is now available in

Spanish. Please see the attached document for

immediate use. Remember to type in the clinic

name, physical address and telephone number

in the appropriate spaced prior to

dissemination. A copy of the Spanish NVRA

Declaration Form will also be posted on the

Portal.

Formulary Changes and Formula Manufacturer Changes

The Revised CPA Prescribing Guide will be posted to the Portal to reflect the New Food Rule changes effective October 1, 2014. WIC Formulary Exhibit B has also been revised to reflect the New Food Rule changes as well as the change in the can size of Enfaport from 8oz. to 6oz. Effective October 2014 PurAmino The hypoallergenic, amino-acid based nutritionally complete infant formula for infants and toddlers for the dietary management of cow's milk allergy, multiple food protein

intolerance and food allergy-associated conditions, will be reformulated. This reformulation will add 33% more MCT oil which will allow physicians to continue managing severe food allergies, but now also use the product for other conditions such as short bowel syndrome, eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders (EGID), short bowel syndrome (SBS), and fat malabsorption. The newly formulated product will begin shipping in October 2014.

Revised WIC-48 Special Formula Prescription Form: The WIC-48 has been revised to reflect the USDA Final Food Rule changes. The current WIC -48 may be used until the stock is depleted. Clinics will begin receiving the revised WIC-48 as stock is available.

State Printing and Forms Management Update The State Printing warehouse is permanently

closing. All printed materials have to be moved

within the next 30-60 days. Regions are asked

to place form orders to store within regions.

Please complete the DA 202 form and send to

Barbara Cerniauskas. She will place the orders

at State Printing on your behalf to override the

current order limits and ensure distribution of

materials throughout the state. Submit all

WIC e-Leaks –September 2014 A monthly update from Nutrition Services WIC Program

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requests to Barbara.Cerniauskas@la.gov or Fax

225-342-8312 by October 3.

Note: All nutrition education materials may be

ordered from the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Office as previously instructed.

Text4Baby Enrollment Update

Continue to enroll WIC participants in

Text4Baby!

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