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Pam Galle is an International Board Certified Lactation consultant and had a long career working in several venues to promote healthier babies, mothers and families through supporting, protecting and promoting breastfeeding at the local, regional and statewide levels.
During her career with Healthy Northland she
- organized, facilitated & presented bi-annual regional Summits for hospital, Public Health/WIC & clinic staff participating in the Healthy Northland Breastfeeding Strategy
- Convened 18 Breastfeeding Summits, providing opportunities for regional hospitals, clinics, and public health to share best practices, and to further enhance collaboration between organizations.
- Was one of the founding members of Northland Breastfeeding Coalition
- Under her leadership, the Northeast region of Minnesota has outpaced other Minnesota regions in maternal perinatal hospital practices and served as a statewide model.
- She has represented the MBC at the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee and Midwest region breastfeeding committee.
- Her work with the Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition in promoting Baby-Friendly Hospital practices through the MBC’s 7 Perinatal Hospital Leadership Summits has helped in Minnesota’s statewide increase in BFHI-certified hospitals from two in 2012 to 14 in 2018.
Pam Galle was selected as the Betty Hubbard Leadership Award recipient for her contributions to maternal and child health with outcomes at the statewide level.
Pam Galle Retired on December 31 st, 2020. We wish her all the best in the next phase of her life!
We are forever grateful for all her work in promoting breastfeeding at the local, regional and statewide levels.
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From June to August 2020, Michaela Scharmer was an Emergency Response AmeriCorps member through the True North AmeriCorps program. In December, Michaela graduated from UMD with a Bachelor's in Psychology and a minor in Public Health, and now she is back from January to August 2021! Some of Michaela's strong interests include mental health and wellbeing, health equity, and health communication. She also is passionate about youth homelessness as she continues to work for Lutheran Social Service in Duluth with the Another Door Emergency Shelter Program.
Some projects Michaela worked to support last summer included topics of commercial tobacco use, food access, and health equity. During this service term, Michaela will be working to add capacity to well-being and healthy equity SHIP projects. She will also be working with the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD) program to support substance misuse prevention. Through the lens of COVID-19 emergency response, Michaela will be striving to support, address barriers, and build stronger connections across health and well-being efforts happening in the region.
Michaela is excited to gain more experience, grow existing and new connections, and start out as a young professional in the Healthy Northland region.
Connect with Michaela at healthynorthlandamericorps@gmail.com with any potential project ideas.
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Partner Spotlight: Zeitgeist's Winter Bike Week Event
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Winter Bike Week 2021
Zeitgeist hosts annual Winter Bike Week. Winter Bike Week 2021 is scheduled for January 29 - February 5. Due to the COVID pandemic, the event was virtual with region-wide engagement in winter active living support!
All activities in this event are free of charge.
Upcoming virtual Events Include (see the Winter Bike Week page for event links):
- Embracing Winter: A Virtual Discussion – Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 12 PM
- Pedestrian Plan Webinar on Winter Safety and Accessibility – Thursday, Feb. 4 at 12 PM & 5 PM
- Winter Biking 101 – Friday, Feb. 5 at 12 PM
Zeitgeist have partnered with Safe Kids MN and Essentia to make nearly 200 all-sport youth helmets available to youth in our community.
Kids can get a helmet at:
- Continental Ski & Bike on Fri. Jan 29 from 7am-12pm
- Bike Cave on Weds. Feb. 3rd from 1-5pm (or following Weds. from 1-5pm, as supplies last)
Helmets will be also distributed through the Duluth Area Family YMCA After School Programs.
More information about individual events is in the attached graphics, as well as at the Zeitgeist website & Facebook page.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Andrea Crouse at andrea@zeitgeistarts.com
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#StayConnectedMN
Connection is an important part of mental well-being, and staying connected can be one of the greatest challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting on February 1st, MDH launched their #StayConnectedMN campaign. This is a four week communication campaign aimed to address mental health and well-being by providing information, messaging, and resources. Anyone can use and adapt the messages found in the free toolkit. Be sure to keep up with Healthy Northland Facebook page and the #StayConnectedMN hashtag to find resources and ways to stay connected! |
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Covid-19 Dashboard by County in Healthy Northland
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Below is a listing to direct links to the COVID-19 Dashboard webpage in for each the seven counties in the Healthy Northland region. In addition, visit the Minnesota Department of Health “Find My Vaccine” page for updated information and resources for vaccine distribution.
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Tips for Active Living in the Winter
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Look for indoor walking opportunities. Grocery stores may be a good place (they’re open early and late!)
Outdoor places to walk: local park or golf course. Parks sometimes have a trail loop that is plowed or even a snow-packed footpath on the perimeter of a golf course. And if one’s not there, a pair of snow shoes could help create one!
Walking in the street may be the only place people can walk outside during snowy months. In this case, people should walk facing oncoming traffic (on the left side of the road) and make sure drivers can see them; this might require intentionally wearing a bright colored piece of clothing (even just a yellow hat, for example). If possible, people walking should aim to make eye contact with any people driving by.
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Northland Food Network:
The Northland Food Network supports regional food production, access, and education to improve the health and resiliency of the Northland’s people, economy, and environment. Connect with others in the region who are working to increase local food production and consumption. Together, let’s create the networks of support that ensure long-term sustainable food access in NE MN.
Law, Policy & Ethics with Beast/chestfeeding Friendly Environments – Information available from the Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition Winter Workshop
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Commercial Tobacco Free Living Resources
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- Check out this latest resource on underage youth tobacco use: T21 Schools Guidance
- How is tobacco a social justice issue? Follow LethalLure.org for more information or to request a lunch and learn
- The Lung Mind Alliance is a statewide coalition with the goal of reducing disparities related to the impact of commercial tobacco on people with mental illness and/or substance use disorders. Find our more, here
- Learn more about how ALA has converted it’s resources to incorporate wellbeing and COVID messaging: NEW COVID Smokefree Housing Online Resources
- For information on FREE MN tobacco treatment services for smokers, pregnant smokers, those with behavioral health concerns, substance use disorder, and more: check out QuitPartner.com
- Interested in joining a NE Regional COVID and Tobacco group? Contact Taylour.Blakeman@lung.org for more information
- Have you checked your local city or county tobacco ordinance recently? If you are looking to update your language, please reach out to Taylour.Blakeman@lung,org for assistance. You can also view this resource for guidance: MDH City-Retail Model Ordinance
- MN takes Major Steps to Prevent Tobacco Use, More Should be Done to Prioritize Public Health: American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control (MN)
- Reminder to please fill out survey from NE tobacco group here. If not in attendance, you can still have input on priorities here
- The Commercial Tobacco Cessation Unit at the Minnesota Department of Health is seeking a new statewide commercial tobacco cessation advisory committee. Apply online by Feb. 19 and share this opportunity with staff at your organization and other contacts who have an interest in and experience with cessation.
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Funding Resources
Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (NERSDP) – Request for Project Ideas by Feb. 14
Northeast Minnesota residents with an idea to strengthen their community can now apply for partnership support from the University of Minnesota Extension Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (Northeast RSDP). Northeast RSDP supports local innovation by connecting community ideas to University of Minnesota resources. Project ideas are being accepted through February 14 and can be submitted online at z.umn.edu/RSDPIdeaBrief. Community members are encouraged to contact David Abazs at dwabazs@umn.edu to discuss their ideas and ask any questions. Successful projects are selected by the Northeast RSDP community-University governing board through a competitive process.
NERSDP Rapid Response:
In response to community challenges and changes resulting from COVID-19, Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (NERSDP) is inviting rapid response partnership opportunities. We invite ideas for small-scale community partnerships to address immediate community needs, including mental health needs, resulting from the ongoing pandemic. NERSDP board members will consider requests for funding up to $550, and/or opportunities to connect communities with University of Minnesota resources. Please e-mail David Abazs at dwabazs@umn.edu for more information.
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