September 2009 - Member Update

Dear SAVIR Members,

As the debate to reform health care moves forward, SAVIR has been active in promoting violence and injury prevention and care as an important avenue for health care cost savings.  Here are some of SAVIR's activities:

• SAVIR members met with legislative representatives in May and June, 2009, to discuss health care reform and injury prevention.
• SAVIR joined 18 research universities, professional organizations and advocacy groups to urge Congress to consider injury prevention in the health care reform debate. This group has produced an advertisement in the legislative publication Roll Call (see ad on the SAVIR website http://www.savirweb.org/assets/228_rollcallad090709.pdf) and several associated press releases.
• The SAVIR Advocacy and Public Policy Committee is working with the CDC Prevention Research Centers to complete a white paper on prevention in health care reform. If you are interested in participating, please contact us.
• The From SAVIR article in the August, 2009 edition of Injury Prevention focuses on injury in health care reform. The article is titled "Help put ‘injury' prevention and care into healthcare reform."

SAVIR members have an opportunity to participate in shaping the future of NCIPC!  The CDC will soon be soliciting applications for the position of NCIPC Director.  SAVIR strongly advocates a leader who is nationally recognized in the field of violence and injury prevention and care research. If you or a colleague you know is interested, please contact Donna Knutson, Deputy Director, NCIPC, at 770-488-4694 or email Dknutson@cdc.gov.  An announcement from NCIPC Acting Director Louise Galaska is below:

Dear Colleagues, 

On or about December 1, 2009, CDC will request applications for the position of Director, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), through the federal hiring mechanism called USAJobs (http://www.usajobs.com).  I hope you will help us identify well-qualified scientists and practitioners and help us solicit applications for this important position from leaders in the field of injury and violence prevention and control. 

 In 2009, NCIPC received an appropriation from Congress of over $145 million to carry out its important work. Nearly 200 staff and contractors, with a variety of educational and professional expertise, support the Center's activities in intentional and unintentional injuries.  The NCIPC Director is responsible for using these resources, and leveraging others, to set and achieve the strategic, scientific, and programmatic goals of the Center to reduce injuries and violence and their consequences. The NCIPC Director will do this with a strong focus on identifying and making available interventions, typically for use at the state or local level, that will reduce unintentional injuries and violence. NCIPC's Director is also responsible for identifying opportunities for the Injury Center to contribute to CDC's strategic directions to strengthen public health surveillance and epidemiology; support state and local public health; provide public health leadership in global health; and represent the public health perspective in health policies and health reform.

Candidates for the position should have a strong background in injury and violence prevention and control, as well as proven skills in research and management. A good understanding of the roles and capabilities of the federal, state, and local public health systems is also important for this position. Candidates must be results-oriented and committed to moving from research to application to reduce injuries and violence and save lives. 

I encourage you to share this information with those who may be interested in applying for this job, and with those who can help us identify and recruit well-qualified candidates for the position. For further information about the job and the Injury Center, interested parties may contact Donna Knutson, Deputy Director, NCIPC, at 770-488-4694 or email Dknutson@cdc.gov.

Thank you for your interest and support. 

Louise Galaska, M.P.A.
Acting Director, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Phone: 770-488-4694

In the next week, you will receive a ballot to vote for one Board of Director's position that will become vacant in the coming year.  We have an extremely strong slate of candidates for only one position.  I encourage you to vote!  In November, the SAVIR Board of Directors will meet to develop our next 2-year strategic plan.  If you have ideas about activities that SAVIR should prioritize, please forward them to us.

As always, I encourage you to become active in a SAVIR committee.

Yours Truly,

Corinne Peek-Asa, PhD
President, Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

Contact Information

Julie Gibbs-Long
SAVIR Administrator
admin@savirweb.org