<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-15">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.5897" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY style="MARGIN: 4px 4px 1px; FONT: 10pt Palatino Linotype">
<DIV>The Oregon Environmental Public Health Tracking Program welcomes Tara Chetock as Outreach and Education Coordinator! Tara comes to us most recently from the Oregon Department of Human Services Teen Parent Self-Sufficiency Program providing outreach and client services. Prior to that, Tara provided outreach and support for Matrix Public Health Solutions, Inc., and interned with both Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Corvallis Family Medicine. Tara received her Masters in Health Administration at Portland State University and her BS in Health Promotion and Education from Oregon State University (where she also served as a peer health advocate!).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We'll all look forward to working with Tara on Tracking. Please extend your warmest welcome!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And now, for National EPHT News:</DIV>
<DIV>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT color=#000000>The Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network) now includes data on reproductive and birth outcomes, as well as modeled air data. Each year in the United States, more than a half million babies-1 of 8-are born prematurely. Among newborns premature birth is the leading cause of death. Research on reproductive and birth outcomes has considerably improved our understanding of how environmental risks might affect these conditions. State Vital Records Departments, through the National Center for Health Statistics, provide reproductive and birth outcomes data for the Tracking Network. The data include </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT face=Symbol>·<FONT face="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us> Prematurity among singleton births,</SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT face=Symbol color=#000000>·<FONT face="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us> <FONT color=#000000>Growth retardation among singleton births, and</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT face=Symbol color=#000000>·<FONT face="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT> <FONT color=#000000>Sex ratio.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT color=#000000>For more information about the reproductive and birth outcomes data available on the Tracking</FONT></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us> Network, visit the Reproductive and Birth Outcomes page at<FONT color=#000000></FONT></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us> </SPAN><A href="http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showRbMain.action"><SPAN lang=en-us><U><FONT color=#0000ff>http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showRbMain.action</FONT></U></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN></A><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT color=#000000>.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT color=#000000>Modeled air data have also been added to the Tracking Network. Previously, the Network only included monitored air data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Air Quality System, but these data are limited. Monitoring stations are not in all areas of the country and there are time gaps when the monitors are not recording data. With modeled air data, the Tracking Network can now provide more accurate and complete air quality information for the entire country. For more information about the modeled air data available on the Tracking Network and how to use the data, visit the</FONT></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us> Monitored + Modeled Air Data <FONT color=#000000>page at</FONT></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us> </SPAN><A href="http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showAirMonModData.action"><SPAN lang=en-us><U><FONT color=#0000ff>http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showAirMonModData.action</FONT></U></SPAN><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN></A><SPAN lang=en-us><FONT color=#000000>. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us>Best regards, </SPAN></P>
<P dir=ltr><SPAN lang=en-us></SPAN> </P><SPAN lang=en-us>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" size=2>Curtis Cude, Program Manager<BR>Environmental Public Health Tracking<BR>Hazardous Incident Tracking</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" size=2>Office of Environmental Public Health: Research & Education Services</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" size=2>Oregon Public Health Division</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" size=2>phone: 971-673-0975<BR></FONT></DIV></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>