The Frontline Newsletter

CDC Foundation News

Foundation Key Partner in $125 Million Anti-smoking Initiative

The CDC Foundation has received a grant from Michael Bloomberg to establish systematic surveys to monitor global tobacco use among adults. The grant is part of a $125 million initiative by Bloomberg to create a partnership devoted to reducing dependence on tobacco around the world.

The two-year grant to the CDC Foundation will support the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) and CDC’s efforts to design a standard survey protocol to collect data on tobacco use in low- and middle-income countries with the highest smoking rates and to track countries’ progress in implementing tobacco-free programs.

“CDC has a strong track record of working collaboratively with countries and partners to develop global tobacco surveillance systems, but these have primarily been focused on youth and in schools,” says Charles Stokes, Foundation president and CEO. “This infusion of new resources from Michael Bloomberg will enable the world for the first time to systematically track and compare rates among adults in countries where tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death. Most importantly, we will be able to see where progress is being made in reducing tobacco use through effective interventions,” he says.

In addition to the CDC Foundation, other partners in the initiative include the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the World Lung Foundation, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the World Health Organization.

Tobacco is the world’s leading killer, causing more than 5 million deaths each year.

Public Health Journalism Boot Camp Held in China

With support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the CDC Foundation recently hosted a Public Health Journalism Boot Camp in Beijing, China, which was attended by 40 Chinese journalists. CDC experts provided information and answered questions about the rising rates of HIV/AIDS, heart disease and smoking in China and gave tips on how to research public health topics using scientific journals and the Internet.

New Corporate Partnership Opportunity Announced

The CDC Foundation recently announced the creation of a Corporate Annual Fund campaign to provide companies of all sizes the opportunity to align themselves with the public health objectives of CDC, while providing unrestricted support to the CDC Foundation. For more information, please contact Leah-Lane Lowe at 404.653.0790 or LLowe1@cdc.gov.

Can Cell Phones and Web Technology Help Prevent Child Abuse?

A partnership between the CDC Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and CDC will provide new and important information about the best strategies to prevent child abuse and promote healthy families. A $3 million gift from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation will help CDC test whether technology, such as cell phones and Web-based learning, can be used to improve child abuse prevention programs.

A peer review committee convened by CDC recently awarded grants to the University of Kansas, Wayne State University and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center to add a new technology component to an ongoing, effective parenting program. CDC experts will provide the grantees with technical assistance and, at the end of the four-year grant period, will evaluate the usefulness of the added technology in improving overall program effectiveness and efficiency.

This study is part of a larger portfolio of child abuse prevention research conducted or supported by CDC. “Our goal is to provide parents and caregivers skills they need to create a safe environment in which children can thrive,” says CDC Injury Center director Ileana Arias, Ph.D. “We believe that technology can be used to bolster existing prevention programs and ultimately reduce the number of children abused or neglected.”

New CDC Foundation Partnerships

The CDC Foundation has partnered with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Harvard University and CDC to launch a Meta-Leadership Development Program to inspire cooperation among government and non-government leaders in preparing for and responding to natural and man-made disasters. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has committed $561,000 to support the initial phase of the project.

A $497,670 educational grant from Pfizer Inc. will support The CDC Experience: A Fellowship in Applied Epidemiology for Medical Students.  This program continues to provide future physician leaders with hands-on training in epidemiology and public health.

A contribution of $168,547 from the Joyce Foundation will help CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control improve the National Violent Death Reporting System.  The improved system will provide a deeper understanding of violent deaths as well as tools to design and implement preventions and interventions.

The CDC Foundation gratefully acknowledges $100,000 in unrestricted funds from the Kansas Health Foundation in support of the CDC Foundation’s day to day operations.

New to Our Board

Andrew Klepchick is executive vice president of Synovus and president and CEO of Synovus, Financial Management Services. He was one of the founding partners of Creative Financial Group (CFG) and co-founder and president of Robert Andrews Securities. In February 2001, CFG and Robert Andrew Securities were acquired by Synovus, a diversified financial services holding company with more than $29 billion in assets.

Sheila Johnson is CEO of Salamander Hospitality, LLC; a partner in Lincoln Holdings, LLC; and a co-founder of Black Entertainment Television. She serves on the boards of Parsons The New School for Design, The Christopher Reeve Foundation, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, The Jamestown Yorktown Foundation, the United States Equestrian Federation, Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts and the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.

Board Milestones

Veronica Biggins recently completed her second five-year term of service with the CDC Foundation’s Board of Directors. Having reached the two-term limit, she will now join the CDC Foundation’s Honorary Board of Directors.

New to Our Staff

The CDC Foundation is pleased to welcome Lorrinn Woods to the advancement team as gift and donor records associate. Lorrinn comes to the Foundation from the Ritz Carlton Hotel. She earned her B.A. in political science from Lincoln University and has completed certifications in the Labor Management System and Certified Hospitality Supervisor.