Paying the Price with Our Health May 2 & 3 Convening

You are cordially invited to join the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and their community partners on May 2 & 3 for “Paying the Price with Our Health” free conference at The California Endowment Conference Center. This event will engage community residents, service providers, educators, faith organizations, decision makers and others in developing recommendations for a Community Action Plan for systems and policy changes to address health inequities related to a disproportionate exposure to air pollution in Boyle Heights and Long Beach. The conference will also present promising community models to reduce risk and protect health.

To register go to: www.healthdatabytes.org/register

We are offering free nursing and health education CEU credits.  Indicate your interest in obtaining a credit on the registration form.  Refreshments and parking are provided at no cost.

Please add your voice to help shape a public health action plan informed by your work in these communities.  The conference will present current research findings showing increased health risks from traffic related air pollution that impacts asthma among children, impairs healthy births, and heightens risks related to heart disease.

• Pregnant mothers exposed to air pollution, even at low levels, are at an increased risk of delivering an infant with low birth weight. Low birth weight can lead to infections, illness, and delayed social development and learning ability.

• In Los Angeles County, 1,173,000 adults and children have been diagnosed with asthma.  Children with asthma miss 2 more days of school than children without asthma.

• Current research links air pollution with increased rates of heart failure, stroke, and cardiac arrhythmia and arrest.  Exposure to air pollution contributes to higher heart disease related hospitalizations of adults over 65.

Turning Data into Action, a CDC REACH CORE Project, is a collaboration of The Children’s Clinic, “Serving Children and Their Families”, East LA Community Corporation of Boyle Heights, the Asthma Coalition of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County Dept of Public Health, The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

For more information please go to the project webpage: http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/ProgramDetails.aspx?id=96

Or contact Porsche Johnson, Conference Coordinator, at 310-794-0983.