MMWR News Synopsis for June 30, 2016

 

Suicide Rates by Occupational Group — 17 States, 2012

CDC Media Relations
404-639-3286

Knowing that suicide rates vary by occupation gives employers and prevention professionals the opportunity to improve suicide prevention programs and messages. Rates of suicide vary by what people do for a living, and it can be helpful to focus suicide prevention activities to groups at greater risk. This report has examined suicide rates for both males and females by occupation. Knowing who needs to be reached by suicide prevention activities can help connect at-risk individuals to assistance and lower the potential for suicide. Suicide prevention strategies that can be applied in the workplace include employee assistance programs; workplace wellness programs; technology to provide online mental health screenings and web-based tools; and increased awareness of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org; 1-800-273-TALK [8255].

Assessment of Staffing, Services, and Partnerships of Local Health Departments — United States, 2015

Theresa Spinner
Director, Media and Public Relations
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
202-783-5551
tspinner@naccho.org

Ongoing budget cuts and resulting staff layoffs jeopardize the work of local health departments (LHDs). Despite these challenges, LHDs continue to build and explore critical local relationships that benefit multiple stakeholders and their communities at large. Results from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) 2015 Forces of Change survey show local health departments face challenges and opportunities as the public health and clinical care environments evolve. LHDs continue to experience budgetary challenges. One quarter of LHDs reported budget decreases in 2015 compared with the previous fiscal year and LHDs collectively reported 3,400 jobs lost in 2014. These fiscal challenges jeopardize the work of LHDs, which remain primary providers of health care services for many people. LHDs are also engaged in or exploring new partnerships with nonprofit hospitals and primary care providers as a result of new opportunities presented by the Affordable Care Act.

Notes from the Field

• Four Multistate Outbreaks of Human Salmonella Infections Linked to Small Turtle Exposure — United States, 2015
  

QuickStats:

• Age-Adjusted Death Rates for Females Aged 15–44 Years, by the Five Leading Causes — United States, 1999 and 2014

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES