Raw Milk continued from page 23 Still, from a policy perspective, the small difference in re-
ample, they found that in other states, when stricter standards
ported cases between the most restrictive and the moderately
were set, income stayed constant because students spent their
restrictive states provides food for thought. “Of course, even
money on school lunches if they didn’t like the healthier fare in
a small difference matters to the people who get sick,” says
the vending machines.
Falb. “But it will be up to the legislators to interpret how that difference will be meaningful regarding policy.”
“The project was a spectacular experience for both the students and myself,” said Rimm, associate professor in HSPH’s
The raw-milk report will help Massachusetts legislators
Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition. “We got to see
determine raw-milk policy. DPH has shared the report with staff
how research directly impacts policy and implementation in a
from other Massachusetts agencies, as well as with policy lead-
setting of forward-thinking and extremely motivated govern-
ers in other states and at the CDC.
ment employees in the Massachusetts DPH.”
Students study “competitive” foods in schools Falb and Greene’s raw-milk project is HC-CHIRP’s second commission from the Massachusetts DPH, and several more are in the works. The first, which began in the fall of 2010, helped a Massachusetts nutritional-standards interagency work group develop guidelines for “competitive” foods in schools based on the latest science. “Competitive” foods are those that are not part of the school meal program, including offerings in vending machines, school stores, and fundraisers. For that project, HSPH Department of Nutrition doctoral students Juliana Cohen and Jessica Garcia worked with faculty adviser Eric Rimm to ensure not only that the new standards would be realistic but also that schools would not lose money because of their implementation. Regarding the latter, for ex-
The food guidelines that the HSPH team helped DPH develop mirror the rigorous Institute of Medicine (IOM) standards—and, in some cases, go even farther. For example, whereas the IOM requires that all snack items be whole grain, the Massachusetts proposal requires that all grain-based foods—even pizza and hot dog buns—be whole grain. “These will be both the most progressive guidelines in the United States and also the most realistic,” says Cohen. DPH Commissioner Auerbach has praised HC-CHIRP in several public meetings. DPH is grateful for the continuing collaboration. To develop evidence-based policy, DPH needs to locate and evaluate a great deal of research quickly and without additional cost outlay. In these severely constrained times, HC-CHIRP’s assistance is especially valuable.
—Thea Singer is a Boston-based science journalist and author.
Continuing Professional Education Programs, 2012 Where theory informs practice and practice informs theory January 2012 January 22–27 and May 14–18 Leadership Strategies for Information Technology in Health Care March 2012 March 12–14 Basic Hands-On CAMEO Training March 19–22 Analyzing Risk: Science, Assessment, and Management March 22–25 Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives: Caring for Our Patients and Ourselves Napa Valley, Calif.
March 26–28 Management and Leadership Skills for Environmental Health and Safety Professionals April 2012 April 23–26 Safety in Design and Construction: A Lifecycle Approach May 2012 May 7–11 Guidelines for Laboratory Design: Health and Safety Considerations May 14–16 Effective Risk Communication: Theory, Tools, and Practical Skills for Communicating about Risk
June 2012 June 4–6 Advanced Hands-On CAMEO Training June 4–8 Radiation Safety Officer Training for Laboratory Professionals June 11–15 Comprehensive Industrial Hygiene: The Application of Basic Principles All programs are held in Boston unless otherwise noted.
Customized programs are also available. Foster the growth of your executives and your organization as a whole by developing a custom program that will address the specific challenges you are facing in today’s marketplace. CCPE brings custom programs to organizations around the globe. For a complete list of topics and faculty, or to register, visit: https://ccpe.sph.harvard.edu/ email: contedu@hsph.harvard.edu call: 617-384-8692 Harvard School of Public Health Center for Continuing Education 677 Huntington Ave. CCPE-Dept. A Boston, MA 02115 Winter 2012
29