We are still busy and it shows! Leaping up 31 spots on the ColoradoBiz Magazine's "Top 250 Private Companies," Klein Buendel now ranks in the 187th position compared to other Colorado companies. In addition, KB is ranked 60th in the "Top 100 Women-Owned Businesses" in Colorado. But don't worry, we're not going to let it go to our heads. According to Mary Buller, "Ranking isn't as important as doing what we set out to do. We make well-researched and well-designed health education materials, and our success tells as much about the need for those materials as it does our ability to make them." However you look at it, KB's success is great news for all of us.

KB Updates News Section, 3/15/07

Yes, it is true. We are actually updating our news section of the web site with this article. The fact of the matter is that we have been too busy DOING our work over the last few months that we haven't had time to TELL anybody about what we've been working on. (Think about that the next time you see a completely up-to-date company website.) So let's bring things up to date, shall we? Here's what has been going on over the last few months that we haven't had time to squawk about:

Kudos!

KB's Research Director David Buller, PhD was awarded Colorado Cancer Researcher of the Year by the Colorado Cancer Coalition. Way to go Dave! You've put in a lot of work over the years. Congratulations!

Also, did you see the previous release about KB receiving The Tibbets Award in Washington D.C.? If not, be sure to read about it below.

New Projects Funded

Live Fit On Campus: Expanding on the successful 5 a Day On Campus Phase 1 Project, KB is now building the Live Fit On Campus program to help teach college age students how to make healthier nutrition and physical activity choices at the crucial time when most of them are making those choices on their own for the first time. Project Lead: Mary Buller, MA

The Colorado Comprehensive Skin Cancer Prevention Program: In a partnership with the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (UCDHSC), KB will implement a multi-channel, statewide skin cancer prevention program. The program will promote sun protection and thorough skin self-examination to fulfill several objectives in the Colorado Cancer Plan. It will combine a statewide campaign with community components for schools, health care clinics, and worksites, using effective interventions and reach White and Hispanic adults and children in all regions of Colorado. KB will manage the entire project, produce project materials for and implement the school and worksite components, and conduct the evaluation of the program. KB will also assist UCDHSC in the production and implementation of the clinic-based programs. Project Lead: Dave Buller, PhD

Balancing InTake and Expenditure (BITE): Funded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, BITE will be a virtual hub for planning, management and evaluation of physical activity and nutrition programs in local communities. Online integrated program planning, project management and evaluation tools can help improve the effectiveness of public health efforts in the United States and enable broader community participation in all stages of program planning and implementation. Project Lead: Snip Young, PhD

Study of the Naturalistic Dissemination Process of an Evidence-based Program: Despite the availability of proven primary prevention health programs, organizations have been slow to adopt these programs. Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, investigators from KB, Kaiser Permanente, and Healthy EverAfters will examine important organizational factors that predict the adoption and maintenance of a proven physical activity program currently being offered in healthcare clinics, worksites, community organizations and fitness facilities. Project Lead: Andrea Dunn, PhD

DoSomethingOnThe.net: Developed with a grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, DoSomethingOnThe.net is a prototype program designed to provide an arena for tomorrow's creative marketers to expand their skills with social marketing techniques. Colorado community college students will use the program to learn social marketing techniques and then receive an assignment to apply those skills to a designated health awareness message project. We hope to build on this program in the future to help educate tomorrow's health educators as well as develop more avenues for health interventions. Visit www.dosomethingonthe.net to see what it is all about. Project Leads: Ilima Kane and Bryan Giese

New Staff

With all the new work, we needed to bring in some more people. Here are the most recent people to join our hearty crew:

Steven Kish - Programming Technician
Lucia Liu - Statistician
Deva Montgomery - Research Assistant
Katie Neal - Research Technician

New Publications

In the December 14, 2006 edition of the Golden Transcript newspaper, Mary and Aimee were featured on the front page of the Business section in a full page interview about Klein Buendel. Soon after, Steve Burkholder, the Mayor of Lakewood, Colorado , stopped in to our offices to see the great things that are being created in his town.

"Good for you!" you say. "But is there more? It HAS been a while," you say. More we shall give you. Not only did KB staff publish 20 peer reviewed papers this year (with another five in press as of this writing), senior scientists David Buller, PhD and Erwin P. Bettinghaus, PhD were guest editors of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine's special journal issue "Diffusion and Dissemination: Increasing Physical Activity in World Populations" for October, 2006. How about those apples, eh? Our keyboards are on FIRE! Here's the official list of all those articles.

Buller DB, Buller MK, Reynolds KD. A survey of sun protection policy and education in secondary schools. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006;54(3):427-432.
Andersen PA, Buller DB, Voeks, JH, Borland R, Helme D, Bettinghaus E, Young WF. Predictors of Support for Environmental Tobacco Smoke Bans in State Government. Am J Prev Med April 2006;33(3):340-351.
Yaroch AL, Reynolds KD, Buller DB, Geno CR, Maloy J. Validity and reliability of sun safety measures in middle school children. Health Educ Behav 2006;33(3):340-351.
Reynolds KD, Buller DB, Yaroch AL, Maloy J, Cutter GR. Mediation of a middle school skin cancer prevention program. Health Psychol Sep 2006;25(5): 616-625.
Buller DB, Taylor, Buller MK, Powers, Maloy J, Beach. Evaluation of the Sunny Days, Healthy Ways sun safety curriculum for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Pediatr Dermatol 2006;23(4):321-329.
Buller DB, Young WF, Fisher KH, Maloy JA. The effect of endorsement by local opinion leaders and testimonials from teachers on the dissemination of a web-based smoking prevention program. Health Educ Res 2006.
Dunn AL & Bettinghaus EP.Afterword: Diffusion and dissemination for increasing physical activity in world populations. Am J Prev Med. 2006 Oct;31(4 Suppl):S94-6.
Young WF, Montgomery D, Nycum C, Burns-Martin L, Buller DB. Web-based technical assistance and training to promote community tobacco control policy change. Health Promot Pract, 2006 7: 78-85
Buller DB, Reynolds KD, Yaroch A, Cutter GR, Hines JM, Geno CR, Maloy JA, Brown M, Woodall WG, Grandpre J. Effects of the Sunny Days, Healthy Ways Curriculum on Students in Grades 6 to 8. Am J Prev. Med 2006;30(1):13-22.
Helme DW, Borland R, Young W, Nycum C, Buller DB. The development and validation of a coding protocol to measure change in tobacco control newspaper coverage. Health Promot Pract 2006 7:103-109
Dearing JM, Maibach EW, Buller DB. A Convergent Diffusion and Social Marketing Approach for Disseminating Proven Approaches to Physical Activity Promotion. Am J Prev Med Oct 2006;31(4 Suppl):S11-23.
Buller DB. Diffusion and dissemination of physical activity recommendations and programs to world populations. Am J Prev Med. 2006 Oct;31(4 Suppl):S1-4.
Wilcox S, Dowda M, Griffin SF, Rheaume C, Ory MG, Leviton L, King AC, Dunn AL, Buchner DM, Bazzarre T, Estabrooks PA, Campbell-Voytal K, Barlett-Prescott J, Dowdy D, Castro CM, Carpenter RA, Dzewaltowski DA & Mockenhaupt R. Results of the first year of Active for Life¨: Translation of two evidence-based physical activity programs for older adults into community settings, Am J Public Health 2006;96(7):1-9.
King AC, Marcus BH, Ahn D, Dunn AL, Rejeski WJ, Sallis JF, Coday. Predictors of maintenance of physical activity change among primary care patients: The Activity Counseling Trial, Health Psychol. 2006 May;25(3):336-47.
Heesch KC, Masse LC, Dunn AL. Using Rasch modeling to re-evaluate three scales related to physical activity: enjoyment, perceived benefits and perceived barriers. Health Educ Res 2006;21(1):i58-i72.
Dunn AL, Resnicow K, Klesges LM. Improving measurement methods for behavior change interventions: opportunities for innovation. Health Educ Res 2006;21(1):i121-i124.
Carmack Taylor CL, deMoor C, Smith MA, Dunn AL, Basen-Engquist K, Nielsen I, Pettaway C, Sellin R, Massey P, Gritz ER. Active for Life after cancer: A randomized trial examining a lifestyle physical activity program for prostate cancer patients. Psycho-oncology 2006 Oct;15(10):847-862.
Carmack Taylor, CL, deMoor C, Basen-Engquist K, Smith MA, Dunn AL, Badr H, Pettaway C, Gritz ER. Moderator Analyses of Participants in the Active for Life after Cancer Trial: Implications for Physical Activity Group Intervention Studies. Ann Behav Med 2007;33(1):99-104.
Green LW, Orleans CT, Ottoson JM, Cameron R, Pierce JP, Bettinghaus EP. Inferring Strategies for Disseminating Physical Activity Policies, Programs, and Practices from the Successes of Tobacco Control. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Oct. 2006;31(4 Suppl):S66-82
Slonim AB, Callaghan C, Daily L, Leonard BA, Wheeler FC, Gollmar CW, Young WF. Recommendations for Integration of Chronic Disease Programs: Are your Programs Linked? Accepted Preventing Chronic Disease, April 2007. Publications in press
Woodall WG, Buller DB, Saba L, Zimmerman D, Waters E, Hines JM, Cutter GR, Starling R. Effect of Emailed Messages on Return Use of a Nutrition Education Website and Subsequent Changes in Dietary Behavior. J Med Internet Res, in press.
Scott MD, Buller DB, Andersen PA, Walkosz BJ, Voeks JH, Dignan MB, Cutter GR. Testing the Risk Compensation Hypothesis for Safety Helmets in Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding. Injury Prevention, in press.
Buller DB. Using internet in community intervention studies. In Z. Feng (Ed.), Encyclopedia of clinical trials. Hoboken, NJ: John Wileys & Son, in press.
Buller DB. Interventions to modify skin cancer related behaviors. In Bowen D. & Croyle R (Eds.), Handbook of behavioral science and cancer. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, in press.
Young WF, McGloin J, Zittleman L, Westfall J. Colorectal Screening in Northeast Colorado. Journal of Rural Health (accepted).

Whew! After all that we are tired, but excited about all the fun things going around here. Talk to you at the next update!

Klein Buendel Wins National Award, 9/26/06

Klein Buendel, Inc., a women-owned firm from Golden, Colorado, has been selected as one of the winners of the 2006 Tibbetts Award. Owners Mary Buller and Aimee Giese received the award on September 26, 2006 in Washington, DC.

Named for Roland Tibbetts – the person acknowledged as the father of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program – these prestigious, national awards are made annually to those small firms, projects, organizations and individuals judged to exemplify the very best in SBIR achievement.

Klein Buendel is one of only 57 companies in the U.S. to receive the Tibbetts award this year.

Senator Ken Salazar took time to meet with Ms. Buller and Ms. Giese in Washington and congratulate them on their accomplishments (photo attached).

Klein Buendel specializes in the development of effective and engaging research-based programs and multimedia products to motivate targeted audiences to act on health information that impacts their lives.

In 2002 (Klein Buendel’s first year of business), its combined grant, contract and sales revenue was roughly $650,000. In 2006, it is predicted to total $3.4 million, an increase of 423% in just 4 years.

Ms. Jayne Reiter, Director of the Lakewood Small Business Development Center, a SBIR/STTR assistance program, nominated Klein Buendel for the award.

The Small Business Technology Council (SBTC) hosted the awards ceremony. Since its inception in 1995, SBTC (sbtc.org) has played a crucial role in promoting congressional legislation and federal regulations that aid small, technology-based companies—including re-authorization of the SBIR program.

The complete list of winners can be found at tibbettsawards.org.

2006 Colorado Cancer Conference, 8/11/06

On August 9th and 10th, Klein Buendel was a Supporting Sponsor of the Colorado Cancer Conference for the sixth year in a row! This year's conference was titled "Pathways To Action" and KB was proud to be part of the action. Senior Scientist, Dave Buller, PhD. received the Outstanding Researcher/Research Project Award; Project Managers, Ilima Kane and Lee Stiffler-Meyer, were honored to conduct breakout session presentations; and all of the staff who attended enjoyed making valuable contacts and forging new collaborations for our current and future projects. If you would like copies of the slides for Ilima's presentation titled "The Internet, Your Audience and How To Design Effective Interventions: Examples from Tobacco, Nutrition, and Sun Protection," you can download them here.

Download Ilima's Slides

If you would like copies of the slides for Lee's presentation titled "5 A Day at Work - Extending Cancer Prevention Communications with an Internet Worksite Health Promotion Program," you can download them here.

Download Lee's Slides

American College of Sports Medicine, 6/03/06

On Friday, June 2, Dr. Andrea Dunn and Ilima Kane presented a workshop at The America College of Sports Medicine Meeting in Denver, Colorado. The workshop was entitled “Using Technology to Increase Physical Activity and Nutrition: A Workshop on Using Multimedia” and was attended by a standing-room only crowd. Due to the great response, many attendees did not receive the handouts from the presentation. If you would like a copy, you can download them here.

Download Slides

New Season, New Project, and New Office, 6/28/05

The summer sun brings change to all things, including KB. First on our list of changes this season is our new, larger office. With the addition of our new staff, we needed more space to put everyone, so we picked up and moved a few blocks to another building in the Denver West Office Park. Our web address will stay the same, but our mailing address and phone number apparently have to stay with the old building. Get all the new information-here-, and if you have any trouble, please call us at our new easy to remember phone number 303-565-4321. (See how it flows down just like counting backwards. We did that for you.) Stop by sometime and we'll give you a tour of the whole place.

Next up on the list of changes is our newest grant, Responsible Beverage Service. This project is designed to provide a consistent resource for bars and restaurants to train their employees how to serve patrons alcoholic beverages without allowing them to over-indulge. Training servers to watch for those who may have had a few too many can benefit not only the establishment's patrons, but everyone that travels near it.

With all these changes over the last few months, it's no surprise that we have a new feather to add to the company cap. If you take a look at the Top 100 Women Owned Businesses List in the May 2005 issue of ColoradoBiz magazine, notice that residing at number 74 is Klein Buendel. Not bad for a company only 4 years old.

The Science of Health Education, 3/8/05

Building on the successes of 2004, health education company Klein Buendel has expanded, adding senior scientists and research staff to the current research group. Company president Mary Buller explains, "Our researchers are what differentiates us from others in the health education industry. We don't develop products that capitalize on the latest trends. All of our products are designed, tested, and evaluated outside of commercial pressures, and the addition of these scientists will make all of our products even more comprehensive." Included in the new group are several nationally recognized research scientists from a range of disciplines:

David Buller Ph.D. is an expert in health communication, conducting research sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since 1979. Dr. Buller was previously a Professor at the University of Arizona, a Senior Scientist at AMC Cancer Research Center, and the Harold Simmons Senior Scientist for Health Communication and Vice President of The Cooper Institute – Denver.

Andrea Dunn Ph.D., former Director of Behavioral Science Research at The Cooper Institute, earned her Doctorate in Exercise Science from the University of Georgia and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Dr. Dunn's research focuses on physical activity interventions and how they can be used to treat depression and prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Erwin Bettinghaus Ph.D. has been a leader in researching and teaching communication since the early 50's and was formerly Dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University. Dr. Bettinghaus currently is researching the news media and its influence on the general public's perceptions of cancer risk.

Walter 'Snip' Young Ph.D. is currently a co-investigator on two National Cancer Institute sponsored projects "Web-based Support for Community Tobacco Control Coalitions" and "Media Influences on Cancer Risk Perceptions." Previously, he was Director of the Colorado Department of Health's Prevention Programs Division, where he directed Colorado's ASSIST Project (statewide tobacco control program), and activities in chronic disease prevention and control. His research interests include community tobacco control, chronic disease prevention and dissemination of effective public health programs.

Rounding out the new team are Project Coordinator Katie Fisher M.P.H. and Research Assistant Rachel Burnett. Ms. Buller adds, "Expanding our research staff also allows us to develop many new opportunities that we look forward to exploring."

UNM and KB Awarded Binge Drinking Prevention Project, 11/4/04

The University of New Mexico's Center on Alcohol, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (CASAA) has recently been awarded a $2.05 million grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health to develop and evaluate an interactive web site targeted at reducing binge drinking at college campuses. The four-year study will be conducted with entering freshmen at colleges in New Mexico and Colorado. Colorado universities have recently had several high-profile student alcohol-related tragedies.

Dr. Gill Woodall, senior research scientist at CASAA and principal investigator on the project states, "Binge drinking among college students has been better described than influenced by prevention researchers. Unfortunately, many programs that focus on helping students do not evaluate their own effectiveness. The goals of this program are to not only provide a positive influence, but to provide a comprehensive test of the impact that the web site program has on the reduction of binge drinking behaviors." Taking advantage of the average college student's unlimited internet access, this program minimizes many of the obstacles that traditional intervention programs have had to address, such as physical location, costs per participant, and comprehensiveness. In addition, the anonymity of the medium promotes honest involvement from participants, making for a more accurate and beneficial program.

The experts involved with this new program are optimistic about its effectiveness. "All the pieces have come together for this project, and we are truly looking forward to the evaluation stage. I can see it making a great impact on future students," states Aimee Giese, creative director for Klein Buendel, the design firm providing the multimedia components of the program.

The Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (CASAA) at the University of New Mexico is a university-wide strategic research center focused on multi-disciplinary research on addictions. Find out more about CASAA at http://casaa.unm.edu/.

KB Leaders Invited to Present, 10/13/04

Klein Buendel's Mary Buller and Rob Martin have both been invited to present at this November's Fifth Annual eHealth Developers' Summit in Huntington Beach, California. Striving to leverage the experience of experts in the field, the invitation only event gathers authorities from around the nation that are deemed likely to have an impact on the eHealth sector. "Our successes have been built on the experience of researchers and developers before us, so we want to make sure that process continues," states Ms. Buller, who will be demonstrating KB's Sunny Days, Healthy Ways CD-ROM series. Mr. Martin adds, "It feels a lot like the beginning of the Internet boom, everybody sharing ideas and working to push the industry. It's great to be involved with that energy."

One of the main goals of the summit is to identify common obstacles faced by both developers and funders, and to share common solutions. In the quickly developing industry of health education, learning from already established experts is imperative, but Ms. Buller is quick to note, "The fresh perspective that most newcomers bring to these events sends us home with a batch of new ideas to test and build on." As educators around the nation feel their budgets pinched, events such as the eHealth Summit could make all the difference for both the educators and the public who benefit from their work. Information on the Fifth Annual eHealth Developers' Summit is available at www.eHealthInstitute.org.

KB Makes Top 250, 9/3/04

In just two years, Klein Buendel, a woman-owned health education, multimedia, and graphic design firm based in Golden, Colorado has made it to number 206 on the Top 250 Private Colorado Companies list posted in the September 2004 issue of ColoradoBiz magazine. "We knew when we started that there was a need for well-researched and well-designed health education materials," states company president and research director Mary Buller, "but it is encouraging to have been welcomed into the industry like we have."

Klein Buendel produces health education products like CD-ROMs and interactive web programs that don't just preach good health, they teach people how to develop healthy habits in their own lives. Many of their projects focus on preventing different forms of cancer by teaching sun safety and increased exercise and fruit and vegetable consumption. According to vice president and creative director Aimee Giese, "There is a lot of information about preventing disease available, but it's often in a format that many people have trouble understanding. We work to make it easy to understand, remember, and apply."

KB's Newest Projects, 8/5/04

Continuing an already successful streak, Golden, Colorado based health education firm Klein Buendel has been awarded several new grants and contracts this season. Many of the projects build upon Klein Buendel's previous accomplishments with the Produce for Better Health Foundation and expand the reach of the national 5 A Day program.

Grow Your Way to 5 A Day- Funded through the USDA, KB will begin work on developing a school gardening curriculum to increase children's fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity level.

5 A Day the Active Way- Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, this project will determine the feasibility of an interactive program teaching elementary school age children how eating right, exercise, and their general health are all related.

5 A Day Cookbook- A direct contract for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, KB will plan the development of an interactive online cookbook of 5 A Day recipes to help users build a healthier diet.

5 A Day on Campus- The National Cancer Institute funded this interactive program designed to help college students adopt healthy eating and exercise habits when many are making these decisions for themselves for the first time.

Nutrigram- In conjunction with The Cooper Institute of Dallas, Texas, KB will plan the development of a new middle school nutrition variant of the nation's most widely used fitness assessment and intervention programs, Fitnessgram and Activitygram, both structured for kindergarten through twelfth grade students.

Get Your Screen Test- Developed for the American Cancer Society, this screening guide helps employers encourage their staff to get up-to-date with the ACS recommended health screenings. For more information, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.

"Survivor™ " Pedometer Program, 6/1/04

Watching other people exercise won't give most people any benefits, but associating an exercise program with their favorite show could be the encouragement some people need to get walking. That's the idea behind "The Ultimate Survivor™ Challenge" Activity Wellness Program developed by Accusplit in conjunction with The Cooper Institute, the University of Colorado at Denver, and Golden design firm Klein Buendel.

While not directly tied to each weekly Survivor™ episode, the kit comes with an Accusplit pedometer and a 14-week "Ultimate Survivor™ Challenge" activity booklet that challenges the show's fans to eat right and move more, losing weight and increasing their fitness. "Sometimes all we need to change our lifestyle is a little encouragement," says Klein Buendel's president Mary Buller, "so when Accusplit and CBS Consumer Products came to us with this idea, we felt it was a great way to reach a lot of people with a unique tie-in."

The Accusplit Survivor™ Step Counter is available through Amazon.com and many sporting goods dealers.

5 a Day on Campus Receives Funding, 5/4/04

Like the rest of the nation, obesity rates at college campuses are on the rise. Many students are making their own decisions about their diet and fitness for the first time and find it difficult to establish healthy eating and exercise habits. "College students are faced with many decisions, often without the positive influences of their families. The 5 a Day on Campus program will help fill that void and provide a positive source of motivation to encourage them to make healthier choices in their daily activities," explains Mary Buller, principal investigator on the project. "If they can establish beneficial nutrition and exercise habits now, they can greatly reduce their future chronic disease risk."

Modeled after Klein Buendel's active 5 A Day@Work program for worksites, 5 A Day On Campus will be administered in conjunction with University Student Health Services programs. "We have found that when people are faced with a decision, they tend to make the healthy choice if they have the right information. Having the right information when the choice is presented is the key," states Ms. Buller.

James Shane Joins the KB Team, 1/5/04

KB welcomes its newest member to the team. With a B.S. in computer science and a mathematics minor, plus experience as a database administrator, software support technician, and accessibility consultant at Metropolitan State College of Denver, James Shane is well suited to take on the job of Programmer/Help Desk Coordinator. James is responsible for quickly resolving any issues that may arise on projects, as well as helping develop and write code for multimedia CD-ROMs and interactive web sites.

New Mexico Adopts SDHW, 10/14/03

As part of continuing efforts to curb the ever-increasing number of skin cancer cases and start prevention early, the New Mexico Department of Health has purchased theSunny Days Healthy Ways Program for use in elementary schools across the state.

"Educators are already over-extended on time and resources. We have built a program that is easy for the teachers to implement, is fun and interesting for students to do, and meets all the CDC 's sun safety education guidelines," states Mary Buller, president of health education firm Klein Buendel. "We designed the program to compliment what teachers are working on, not to give them an entirely new curriculum to teach. The Sunny Days, Healthy Ways Program is lesson plan and interactive CD-ROM curriculum designed to educate children in grades K through 8 about sun safety and the damaging effects of UV radiation without overwhelming them with hard-to-grasp concepts or technical jargon."

Nationwide, sun safety education has moved to the forefront as a community health issue. Since 1973, melanoma mortality rates in the United States have increased 44% and regrettably, continue to climb in many states. These facts are concerning enough that 12 states- Alabama, Delaware, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia- as well as the District of Columbia require sun safety or skin cancer prevention education in their state health plans. The CDC has also published a set of guidelines to help concerned states develop their own programs to address the issue. Concern over sun safety education is also common at the local level. A recent survey of U.S. elementary school principals showed that while only 11% of the schools had used a sun safety curriculum, 78% of principals wanted one and 82% wanted interactive CD-ROM programs for student education. But with budgets shrinking in a tight economy, many state health departments are hard pressed to supply their communities with a comprehensive program that fulfills the CDC guidelines.

Klein Buendel hopes to fill that gap as soon as possible. "Sunny Days, Healthy Waysis designed to be used. It works within the schools' current curriculum and doesn't take time away from their core studies. It does no good to put information in a package that will sit on a shelf all year," Ms. Buller states. So far, the program has been well received. Both the CDC and the American Cancer Society acknowledge Sunny Days, Healthy Ways as a national resource for complying with their recommendations, and Sunny Days, Healthy Ways is promoted by The Los Angeles Metropolitan Dermatological Society. It is also recommended by the director of the Comprehensive Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Education:

Colorado's rate of melanoma is above the national average and rising at an alarming rate. In response, we needed an effective tool for educating our youth about preventing sunburn and skin cancer. SDHW hits the bull's-eye! It's a dynamic, flexible and evidence-based program for schools that makes sun safety policy and education easy. It gets results fast! - Sara Miller, CDPHE

To help communities address sun safety issues, the Sunny Days, Healthy Ways web site, www.SDHW.info , has a free guide to help parents and administrators assess their school's policies and plan more sun-safe solutions as needed. As children spend from one to three hours outside for various school activities each day, minimizing their sun exposure during those times can have great benefits. Most people receive as much as 80 percent of their lifetime UV exposure in their first 18 years, making primary school interventions both effective and timely.

Flood & Peterson Hosts UVFx Seminar, 9/10/03

As part of their commitment to provide current risk management information to their clients, Flood & Peterson Insurance Company will be holding its 6th Annual Risk Management Symposium on September 16th in Fort Collins, Colorado. Included in this year's presentations will be a topic that is quickly becoming a very important issue at many companies: ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure. According to Mary Buller, M.A., the founder and former President of the American Sun Protection Association and President of Klein Buendel, a Golden, Colorado health education firm, "Many workers are needlessly exposed to the sun's UV rays each day. The Preventing UVFx at Work seminar teaches safety officers how simple it can be to minimize their employees' risks."

According to a 1999 study, outdoor workers experience twice the number of nonmelanomas as indoor workers, a statistic of enough significance to get the attention of a wide range of employers. Denver International Airport, Sport Obermeyer, as well as municipalities like the Cities of Lakewood, Thornton and Westminster all attended the Preventing UVFx at Work seminar hosted by the Colorado Safety Association and Klein Buendel in May 2003. With more than 200 risk managers, safety officers, and HR directors attending this year's Flood & Peterson Risk Management Symposium, many more Colorado workers will start learning how to protect themselves from the sun's harmful rays.

Day of Caring Updates Online Presence, 9/9/03

It has been 22 years since Sue Miller presented the first Day of Caring fashion show. Since then, the annual Day of Caring conference has become an educational and inspirational event for all people whose lives are touched by breast cancer. Working with Golden, Colorado based multimedia design firm Klein Buendel, Day of Caring has expanded and updated their online presence, DayofCaringOnline.org, detailing future conference dates as well as the history of the event and of its founder, Sue Miller. New to the site is the Day of Caring Marketplace where visitors can purchase various items that support the organization. Also included are links to the Breast Cancer Resources Directory andMaking Connectionsnewsletter, providing news and information for the fight against breast cancer.

Each year, nearly 1,000 people attend the Denver Day of Caring, which features experts presenting information in dozens of seminars, a comprehensive resource area with exhibits of products and services, and - still the signature event of the day - an inspirational survivor fashion show. "The more people see of what Day of Caring is all about, the more they want to be involved," states Klein Buendel's Aimee Giese. "And with more and more people searching the Internet for health information,DayofCaringOnline.orgwill help bring even more people in contact with this great program."

Day of Caring for Breast Cancer Awareness is an independent, non-profit, 501c3 charitable organization. Programs are funded by grants, registration fees, sponsorships, and individual contributions.

KB Contributes to Success of Conference, 8/18/03

With a common interest in reducing the impact of cancer in Colorado, over 300 people participated in the 3rd Annual Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Conference held at the Denver Marriot Southeast, August 11-12, 2003. The conference is designed to help attendees share existing information as well as develop new collaborative efforts to improve Colorado's cancer prevention and treatment programs. With 38 exhibiting organizations and 76 presenters at the conference, this year's event was even more successful that the previous two years.

In support of the conference, Klein Buendel provided design services for the event brochure as well as the help of Media Project Coordinator Ilima Kane on the conference planning committee. In addition, Ilima, Bryan Ax and Rob Martin presentedUsing Technology in Public Health Education Campaigns, an Extended Skill Building Session designed to help guide educators through some common technological pitfalls, including the importance of understanding both you and your audience's technical abilities.

We all look forward to next year's conference and the opportunities it will bring.

Colorado Working To Reduce Outdoor Workers' Health Risks, 5/20/03

Colorado's beautiful sunshine has always been one of the things that draws people to our state, but for people who work every day under our blazing sun, it is also a severe health risk. Studies indicate that outdoor workers are as much as three times more likely to develop non-melanoma skin cancer than indoor workers.

In a step to help reduce this risk for employees throughout the state, over 500 Colorado businesses were invited to attendPreventing UVFx at Work, a free seminar designed to teach employers how to protect their employees from the harmful effects of the sun and make their workplace a sun safe environment. Guest speakers for the seminar included: Tom Bell, Safety and Loss Control Specialist for the State of Colorado; Sara E. Miller, M.P.A., Program Manager for the Comprehensive Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; and Dave Erickson, President of Rocky Mountain Sunscreen. Also presenting at the seminar was Mary Buller, M.A., the founder and former President of the American Sun Protection Association and President of Klein Buendel, the health education firm co-hosting the event with the Colorado Safety Association. "Many workers are needlessly exposed to the sun's UV rays all day. It really isn't that difficult to minimize the risks," Mary explained.

Once only a minor concern, UV exposure is quickly becoming a very important issue at many companies. Attendees included a wide range of groups including Denver International Airport, Sport Obermeyer, as well as municipalities like the Cities of Lakewood, Thornton and Westminster. Funding for the seminar was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, allowing companies of any size and budget to be able to attend. In addition, employee education materials were provided at no cost.

ThePreventing UVFx at Workseminar is modeled after previous health training programs that have been proven effective. "Our programs are based on substantial research and successful interventions. We also conduct pre- and post-tests to make sure that the desired message is getting delivered," added Mary.

ThePreventing UVFx at Workseminar was held May 21st at Klein Buendel's offices.

Overcoming Barriers to Healthcare, 3/11/03

Generally, prostate care doesn't come up as a topic of discussion for most men, even when speaking with their own healthcare provider. Unfortunately, this prevents many from obtaining early prostate cancer screening, and for some, early detection of a treatable condition. In an effort to address this issue, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment conducted two studies to help determine what barriers exist that prevent many men- especially Hispanic and African American men- from getting screened, as well as the perceptions of the current prostate cancer treatment process. KB was asked to condense the reports into a simplified format that would assist health care providers in overcoming these barriers. Working with urologists, GPs, and nurse practitioners, KB developed a useful and easy to read booklet that will be distributed by CDPHE to health care providers throughout Colorado, helping them to provide better care to their patients.

KB and Kaiser Permanente Collaboration, 1/16/03

KB has been awarded a subcontract on a new grant to reduce tobacco use among patients at Kaiser Permanente. This most recent collaboration with principal investigator Russ Glasgow, PhD, will provide recurring counseling and tailored newsletters incorporating information specific to each patient's condition. KB will provide the graphic design of the newsletters and management of the tailoring process, as well as facilitate the printing and mailing of the newsletters.

Internet Will Help Manage Healthcare, 11/3/02

According to a report by Virginia based healthcare research and strategic planning firm Health2 Resources, an increasing number of employers will use the internet to help employees get the most out of their healthcare plans. From online enrollment through disease management programs, employers are expected to utilize the internet to reduce costs of managing healthcare programs, simplify the steps employees must take to manage their own care, and augment their current health plan offerings. Wellness programs such as KB's 5 a Day@Work program, a work place web site designed to help increase employees' daily fruit and vegetable consumption, are comparably economical to implement and benefit both employees and employers. Research has consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables drastically reduces cancer risk, resulting in lower long-term health care costs.

The report entitled "How Employers are Using the Internet in the Management of Health Benefits: The eHealth Promise" was produced in association with the National Business Coalition on Health with a grant from Schering-Plough. It is based on responses from 27 employer coalition directors and one-on-one interviews with the benefit managers at four major employers: AOL Time Warner Inc., General Electric Co., General Motors Corp. and R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. Health2 Resources also drew from other polls, including those conducted by Harris, The Pew Foundation, the California Health Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund.

New Staff At Klein Buendel, 10/26/02

Klein Buendel welcomes its two newest staff members to the team. Steve Burkholder will be the Help Desk and Technical Support contact for all active projects, making sure that any issues that may arise are resolved quickly and efficiently. His extensive experience with multimedia technology and music performance will add much to both the development and implementation of our projects.

Myra Keeble will be taking on the task of writing and preparing grant applications to develop and acquire future projects. She most recently worked writing successful grants for arts and humanities education projects in Seattle, Washington and we look forward to her contributions to the Klein Buendel grant writing process.

New 5 A Day Coordinator, 9/5/02

The newest addition to our team is Ms. Lee Stiffler-Meyer, Research Coordinator for KB's 5 A Day@Work project. Her experience as a 5 A Day Program Coordinator at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the American Cancer Society will help expand KB's implementation of the 5 A Day Program, as well as influence the development of future projects. Lee earned her Masters of Public Health from the University of Denver and a Bachelors in Nutrition from the University of Texas.

APS Purchases SDHW, 8/29/02

The Albuquerque Public School District has purchased Klein Buendel's Sunny Days, Healthy Ways Sun Safety Program for immediate distribution to all of its elementary schools. Research indicates that most people receive as much as 80 percent of their total lifetime sun exposure during their first 18 years, and as few as two severe sunburns during childhood may double the risk of developing melanoma later in life. A recent survey of U.S. elementary school principals showed that while only 11% of the schools had used a sun safety curriculum, 78% of principals wanted one and 82% wanted interactive CD-ROM programs for student education. The Sunny Days, Healthy Ways written curriculum and interactive CD-ROM programs were researched, designed and evaluated with state and federal funds to teach children in grades Kindergarten through 5 about the dangers of ultraviolet radiation (UV) and to help them build lifelong positive health habits. Being in one of the highest UV regions in the country, APS has made it a priority to teach school-aged children how to be sun safe at school and at home. If you would like more information about the Sunny Days, Healthy Ways Program, please visitwww.sdhw.info.

5 A Day@Work Funded, 8/29/02

After a successful Phase 1 prototype of 5 A Day@Work, Klein Buendel has received funding from the National Cancer Institute to continue with Phase 2 of the project. Worksite wellness coordinators from employers like Marriott Corporation, the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, Great Western Life Insurance, and the City of Fort Collins, CO, helped test and refine the Phase 1 prototype, and are expected to continue their participation in the Phase 2 implementation. Over 32 companies, 64 wellness coordinators, and 800 employees will participate in this phase of the program, testing and evaluating a full-fledged 5 A Day web site that is designed to help increase employees' daily fruit and vegetable consumption. The benefits to both employees and employers are great - research has consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables drastically reduces cancer risk, resulting in lower long-term health care costs.

Mary Buller is the principal investigator on the project. Co-investigators include Gary Cutter, Ph.D., of University of Nevada-Reno, Jerianne Heimendinger, Sc.D., of AMC Cancer Research Center, David Buller, Ph.D., of The Cooper Institute, Beti Thompson, Ph.D., and Shirley Beresford, Ph.D., of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., of the Produce for Better Health Foundation.

Wall Street Journal Calls On Mary, 8/2/02

The August 2 edition ofThe Wall Street Journal, Weekend section included an article covering the booming sun protection industry, listing some of the many sun protection items available in the marketplace today. A staggering $3 billion were spent last year on sun protection products and the market continues to grow each year. As the WSJ reporters did their research, they contacted KB's Mary Buller for information on the history and growth of the industry. Being the founder and former president of the American Sun Protection Association, she was able to provide them with more than enough information on the evolving state of the industry. She is quoted in the article confirming that without enforcing testing and labeling standards, consumers don't always know the true sun protection value of what they are buying.

Mary Buller Speaks In South Korea, 7/16/02

Klein Buendel president Mary Buller traveled to the Far East this week to speak at the 52nd Annual International Communication Association Conference in Seoul, South Korea. She was a featured presenter in the panel discussion "Health Communication and the Internet," covering the development and initial results of Klein Buendel's 5 A Day- Phase I worksite web site project, a prototype web site promoting better nutrition and increased fruit and vegetable consumption.

In his keynote address, South Korean President and Nobel Laureate (2000) Kim Dae-Jung expressed great interest in the internet as a health communication tool - South Korea is one of the most Internet-connected nations in the world, with over 58% of all households having Internet access (Source Link). Using the Internet to help offset the rising costs of health care in this developing nation is a very real option.

Mary has been a member of the ICA since 1984 and has given many presentations over the years. In late August, she will be speaking to the 7th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine in Helsinki, Finland about Klein Buendel's Sunny Days, Healthy Ways program, a comprehensive curriculum set of CD-ROMs promoting sun safety for elementary school-aged children.

Barb Walkosz Awarded Grant, 7/14/02

Longtime KB colleague Barbara Walkosz's recent grant submission, "Project TEAM," has been funded by the Colorado Tobacco Research Program. Project TEAM (Tobacco and Media Education) is a web-based, interactive media literacy education program designed to help middle school children develop strategies to counter the smoking imagery found in popular culture. The placement of tobacco products in film and the use of tobacco in music videos and television has been connected to smoking initiation by adolescents. Education programs, such as TEAM, teach children critical thinking skills related to choices they make about their health. Project investigators include: Dr. Barbara J. Walkosz, University of Colorado at Denver, Dr. James Sargent, Dartmouth Medical School, Dr. Michael Slater, Colorado State University, and Dr. Jennifer Voeks, Cooper Institute-Denver. KB will be providing the graphic design and multimedia services for the project.

Opening Ceremonies, 7/9/02

Klein Buendel and the Denver branch of the Cooper Institute hosted the grand opening of their new combined offices in the Denver West office complex. Dr. Ken Cooper cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the building. Previously located on the AMC Cancer Research Center campus, the move allows the individual groups to expand as they acquire more projects and research grants.

KB Welcomes John Nyquist, 7/1/02

Programmer and co-author of the "Director 8 and Lingo Bible," John Nyquist joins the KB team this week, adding over 16 years of experience to the group. As Programming Manager, he will lead the coding department in development and implementation of the intricate backend scripting necessary to deliver the customization and tailoring the most recent projects demand.

Klein Buendel Moves In, 6/25/02

The new office at Denver West is open and ready for business after a long day of moving on Tuesday. The new office space is a much needed expansion and consolidates the group into a single floor of one building. Even the audiovisual recording studio, previously a good trek away, is now close at hand and upgraded with state-of-the-art equipment. According to Creative Director Aimee Giese, "Getting the entire group into the same area will definitely help streamline our communication process and encourage even tighter integration of the research and creative teams." The public is invited Tuesday, July 9 for the Grand Opening Ceremonies and Open House on Tuesday, July 9 at 10am.

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