Health advocates nationwide submitted details of their events to The Nation’s Health in April, an alphabetical summary of which follows.
During a range of creative celebrations during National Public Health Week, which ran April 5–11, public health advocates across the country showed there are many ways to make communities healthier while highlighting the importance of public health.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, in BIRMINGHAM, ALA., and its Public Health Student Association hosted National Public Health Week events that included sponsoring community outreach activities, highlighting cutting-edge public health research, promoting public health practice, developing and participating in a health communication intervention and disseminating a multimedia message.
The school’s Public Health Student Association partnered with more than 15 student, community and health organizations to get the word out about public health promotion and practice. Monday was Public Health Research Day, an annual event providing an opportunity for faculty, students and others involved in public health research to showcase academic achievements in the field via poster and essay submissions. Prizes were awarded to winners from each class, and a luncheon featured a distinguished genomics researcher.
Tuesday was HIV Testing and Awareness Day, when the School of Public Health partnered with the university’s Lister Hill Library, Birmingham AIDS Outreach and 1917 Clinic to offer university-wide HIV testing and awareness education. In just five hours, 68 people were tested, and volunteers gave out 346 safer sex kits.
Events on Wednesday included the public health lecture “A Healthier America: One Community at a Time” by Claude Earl Fox, MD, MPH, a public health physician and former administrator of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The founding director of the Florida Public Health Institute, Fox is a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. After his speech, which was presented by the School of Public Health Student Association, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Graduate Student Association and the Jefferson County Department of Health, attendees were treated to a roundtable health reform breakfast and reception.
Thursday, the School of Public Health encouraged students to compete for prizes in the KoronisFest Public Service Announcement and Poster Competition. The event featured the screening and display of 20 live action and animated public service announcements and graphic design posters showing the value of social marketing of public health issues. There was also a blood drive on campus that day.
On Friday, more than 150 students, faculty and staff gathered to increase public awareness by using the Association of Schools of Public Health’s This Is Public Health sticker campaign to develop and film an interactive public service announcement. The film linked the words “public health” to clean air, seatbelts, water fluoridation and other issues. Saturday featured Project
Homeless Connect, when members of the Public Health Student Association volunteered for the one-day community service event organized by Hands on Birmingham and a collection of health, outreach and faith-based organizations. Volunteers offered health and wellness services and activities to more than 1,000 homeless people across Birmingham.
The University of Alaska in ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, marked National Public Health Week with a series of weeklong displays and events sponsored by the Department of Health Sci-ences’ Master of Public Health Program.
Throughout the week, public health was front and center in the University Consortium Library, which featured an extensive array of public health books. A display of public health milestones and a photo history of public health in Alaska were included in the library display.
Identifying college stress as a significant public health problem, the Master of Public Health Program’s Student Advisory Council and the Student Health and Counseling Center created an exhibit to raise students’ awareness of public health activities and the availability of health and counseling services and resources related to stress management. Students also distributed educational materials.
Also during National Public Health Week, students had opportunities to view and discuss the film “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” The film event was co-sponsored by Student Providers Aspiring to Rural and Underserved Experience, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School, and the Master of Public Health Program.
Highlighting a broad array of public health activities and careers, a panel of local public health professionals participated in a discussion themed “This is What Public Health Does. Join Us!” The event, which included healthy refreshments, was attended by faculty, new and prospective students, administrative staff and the general public.
As an added highlight, five master of public health candidates presented their theses during National Public Health Week, covering topics such as factors influencing breastfeeding mothers’ decisions for infant vitamin D supplements and the impact of medical record alerts for childhood immunization rates.
At the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Area Health Education Center in MOUNTAIN HOME, ARK., organizers promoted making healthy changes in 10 Arkansas counties by conducting a mass e-mail and Twitter campaign during National Public Health Week. Each day, free outdoor activities were highlighted in two different counties, such as trails and community resources available for residents, and parks with amenities such as golf courses, swimming pools, boating areas, ball fields and tennis courts. Each day’s e-mail featured a healthy recipe, such as one for waffles made with whole-wheat flour and topped with fresh berries or peaches and yogurt.
Every day during National Public Health Week, the Public Health Association at the University of California in IRVINE, CALIF., sponsored events designed to help students pursue their passions in public health. The association was on campus all week giving out free public health books and stickers, educational information and “I am a Public Health Champion!” buttons. Events were endorsed by the College of Health Sciences and the university’s public health professors.
On Monday, students were invited to a professor luncheon, and Tuesday the association hosted a graduate school workshop where students considering a career in health sciences or health policy could learn more about the admissions process. Wednesday, graduate students from the University of California, Irvine, and University of California, Los Angeles, were invited to tell their stories at the ever-popular “Graduate Panel” that underscored the academic and professional demands of obtaining an MPH degree.
The week’s events concluded during an American Cancer Society fundraiser at a local restaurant and bowling alley, and Public Health Association members also participated in a Saturday Multiple Sclerosis Walk to raise money for research.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health staged Health Fest 2010 in downtown LOS ANGELES, CALIF., during National Public Health Week. The event capitalized on heavy foot traffic around the Civic Center Mall and attracted more than 500 people from local businesses and communities. Dozens of exhibitors offered health services, demonstrations, educational materials and giveaways to promote the theme “A Healthier L.A. County.”
Offerings at the health fair included free H1N1 influenza vaccinations, blood pressure and body mass index screenings, free tomato seedlings to plant at home, fresh fruit samples, nicotine-replacement therapy gum and patches, dental care items, reusable shopping bags, daily pill reminder cases and hand sanitizers. Among the popular demonstrations were “kid chefs” whipping up healthy snacks and self-defense instruction for women. Educational materials available at Health Fest covered topics such as sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, immunization, tobacco cessation, good nutrition, physical activity, menu labeling and emergency preparedness. Video highlights of the event are posted at www.youtube.com/lapublichealth.
In SACRAMENTO, CALIF., the California Department of Public Health displayed a mural depicting the theme “A Healthier California: One Step at a Time,” and on Monday of National Public Health Week unveiled a new social marketing campaign titled “Network for a Healthy California.” The campaign’s ads emphasize that even though it may not be easy to ensure kids eat a healthy diet, it is tougher to watch them suffer the negative physical and emotional consequences of obesity. The hard-hitting ads feature “Champions for Change” moms and dads from across the state.
The International Health and Epidemiology Research Center in SHERMAN OAKS, CALIF., celebrated its 16th annual Anti-Violence Day “Peace Day” event during National Public Health Week at William Mason Park in Irvine, Calif.
At the event, children turned in toy guns and violent video games and received certificates and an award in exchange. The children also created works of art with the collected toys and received educational materials.
The Colorado Health Foundation in DENVER, COLO., took National Public Health Week as an opportunity to recognize the unsung heroes of public health who advocate for life-saving practices from immunizations to helmet safety and everything in between. Cartoonist Ed Stein designed Public Health Man, who was displayed on the foundation’s website and depicted a bespectacled man opening his shirt to show a “PH” emblazoned on his chest — “revealing the superhero lurking under the mild-mannered exterior of every public health worker.” On the foundation’s Health Relay blog, Richard Vogt, executive director of the Tri-County Health Department, shared his thoughts about the role of the field of public health. He wrote of the elimination of smallpox, the regulation and reduction of air pollution, decreased cigarette smoking rates and the development of a vaccine to help prevent cervical cancer as a few of the many public health accomplishments to be celebrated during National Public Health Week.
Students at Iberoamerican University and Auto-nomous University of Santo Domingo in SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, collaborated to highlight preventive health education, especially focusing on the health risks endemic in the Caribbean Hispanic population. Joining with the Iberoamerican University Fitness Center and cafeteria, students showed exercise and nutrition can reduce risks for cardiac disease, diabetes and obesity. Displays during National Public Health Week showcased healthy sandwiches, vegetables and other snacks, and both university libraries displayed exhibitions of textbooks, scientific journals, manuals and thesis collections on obesity, nutrition and cardiovascular disease.
An informative poster display identified and described the risk factors linked with obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Medical students organized posters that described metabolic syndrome and its epidemiology, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Psychology students’ posters described ways to improve and maintain mental health, including improved nutrition, adequate hydration, sufficient hours of sleep and limiting or eliminating alcohol intake and cigarette smoking. Dental students developed posters about the importance of dental hygiene to reduce the risk of gum disease and cavities.
Supplementing the poster exhibition, medical students measured blood pressure, abdominal circumference, height and weight to calculate the body mass indexes of participants. Students also participated in three conferences that highlighted important medical and public health topics endemic in the Dominican Republic.
At the Polk County Health Department in BARTOW, FLA., Director Daniel Haight, MD, PhD, presented findings from a recent national county health rankings report to members of the Polk Health Care Alliance in Lakeland. The alliance is a group of health care and social service providers dedicated to increasing access to care for local residents.
The Brevard, Lake, Orange, Seminole and Volusia County health departments in CENTRAL FLORIDA came together to recognize National Public Health Week by developing a regional advertising campaign. By pooling their resources, the health departments were able to advertise on all five local television stations to reach a larger portion of the Central Florida population. They also placed an ad in the Orlando Sentinel, a newspaper that reaches all the counties involved in the campaign.
The Public Health is Your Health campaign, which reminded the public of the services county health departments provide and commitments to public health, highlighted activities such as H1N1 flu immunization, maternity care, disease control, environmental health, tobacco prevention and dental care.
Baptist Health South Florida in MIAMI, FLA., celebrated National Public Health Week by providing health promotion, prevention education and health resources to the local community, including employees at the health and hospitals system.
At the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in MIAMI, FLA., the Public Health Student Association celebrated National Public Health Week with an assortment of educational and interactive events. A poster session sponsored by the Beta Chapter of the public health honorary society Delta Omega showcased student research projects from all facets of public health. A panel of Delta Omega peers, faculty members and alumni judged the event. The online video “This is What Public Health Does — What Are You Doing?” was sent to all public health faculty and students on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Public Health Student Association organized a 45-minute walk around its department’s building to bring awareness to cardiovascular disease and give students and faculty members an exercise break. Thursday featured a screening of the “Unnatural Causes: In Sickness and in Wealth” docu-mentary episode followed by a discussion led by public health faculty. The week ended on a fun note with students’ rendition of the game “Family Feud” played with an epidemiological twist.
Students, faculty, staff and alumni at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health in TAMPA, FLA., joined with a number of community partners in planning and implementing an impressive array of educational, research and service activities to commemorate National Public Health Week. In collaboration with the University of South Florida Health Service Corps, teams of public health students led health education lessons of their own design about nutrition and fitness, careers in occupational health and safety, infection control and global health with more than 300 middle and high school students. On Give Life Day, public health students held a blood drive and also gave people the opportunity to register for the National Marrow Donor Program and register to be an organ, tissue or eye donor through Donate Life Florida.
Students also contributed to the University of South Florida Service Corps picnic for patients and caregivers at the American Cancer Society’s Benjamin Mendick Hope Lodge. Other popular events during the week included the College of Public Health open house and lab tours, seminars that included a student-led global career night with a panel discussion on careers in global health, and a dean’s lecture on tropical diseases.
The College of Public Health also held its annual awards ceremony during National Public Health Week, featuring student research and scholarship awards, the Delta Omega public health honorary society induction ceremony, Professor of the Year Award and Florida Public Health Woman of the Year Award. Other events included the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Laboratories, Tampa Branch Laboratory, with a special proclamation by the mayor. The College of Public Health Office of International Programs put up a display of world health factoids and a table with a puzzle of the world for students, faculty and staff to work on throughout the week. The popular table remained in the lobby even after National Public Health Week and was enhanced by a basket of Certified in Public Health Exam study questions and answers to help those studying for the upcoming August exam. A dean’s presentation stressed the importance of the certification exam.
The Florida Environmental Public Health Tracking Program exhibited at the 2010 Health Summit in TALLAHASSEE, FLA., on the eve of National Public Health Week. The event, sponsored by the Leon County Health Department, featured a panel discussion on various health and wellness issues and had a focus on minority and men’s health.
The Morehouse School of Medicine in ATLANTA, GA., celebrated National Public Health Week with a conference honoring the legacy of Daniel S. Blumenthal, MD, MPH, chairman emeritus of the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine. The fourth annual Public Health Summit was organized under the theme “Voices of Change: The Impact of Public Health on Georgia, the Nation and Our World.” The conference was designed to exchange and disseminate ideas about public health’s impact and featured two keynote speakers and discussion panels. Proceedings will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.
As part of National Public Health Week, the Hawaii Medical Service Association and Integrated Services Inc. in HONOLULU, HAWAII, celebrated Healthy Workplace Day on April 8 and encouraged employees statewide to participate. The day’s events included fitness walks led by company executives, fresh fruit and posters with inspirational quotes promoting physical activity. Other activities included a meditation session that was webcast to employees on Maui and Kauai, and various dance, yoga and tai chi sessions.
The East Side Health District in EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL., celebrated National Public Health Week through a display made of each department’s descriptions of how employees contribute to the health of each day’s theme — individuals, community, school, work and the nation.
The Siouxland District Health Department in SIOUX CITY, IOWA, hosted a week-long booth with informational materials for adults as well as crayons with a health department logo and coloring sheets for younger patrons during National Public Health Week. On Thursday, a “block walk” had health department employees donning disposable gloves and dividing into groups armed with garbage bags to walk the blocks adjacent to the agency and pick up litter.
A volunteer appreciation event on Tuesday honored the 133 volunteers who donated more than 1,300 hours during Woodbury County’s response to the H1N1 influenza immunization effort. Each volunteer was recognized with a certificate listing the number of hours personally donated to the vaccination response.
In WASHINGTON, IOWA, Washington County Public Health gave a “Public Health 101” presentation to high school students during National Public Health Week, and the students then led a Walk for Health. Health department staff also gave a nutrition presentation with an Iowa State University nutritionist that focused on reading food labels, the basics of the food pyramid and economical ways to eat healthy. The local YMCA offered free week-long memberships in celebration of National Public Health Week.
The Sedgwick County Health Department in SEDGWICK COUNTY, KANSAS, marked National Public Health Week with a thank-you reception for volunteers, providers and school districts. The event celebrated the collaboration between public, private, for-profit and nonprofit entities in Sedgwick County throughout the local H1N1 influenza response. Awards recognized schools that vaccinated a quarter or more of their students through in-school clinics, the school district that administered the most vaccines, people with the most clinical and clerical volunteer hours, and the clinical provider that administered the most vaccine. A separate award honored lifetime commitment to public health.
The Kansas Public Health Association in TOPEKA, KANSAS, kicked off National Public Health Week with Health Day at the Capitol in Topeka. Morning advocacy training for attendees was followed by a tour of the judicial building and a networking lunch that included a dem-onstration of membership software. Participants all wore bright green T-shirts emblazoned with the Health Day logo and drew positive attention as they walked around the Kansas Capitol complex.
Bags filled with healthy snacks, literature about public health and education for legislators about current bills still going through the session’s legislative process were distributed when lawmakers returned from a spring recess. Also during National Public Health Week, the Kansas Public Health Association’s student section chair coordinated visits to local high schools and colleges to discuss what public health is and to allow students to learn about future job opportunities in the public health field. Resolutions recognizing National Public Health Week were read in both the Kansas House of Representatives and the Senate.
The Anne Arundel County Department of Health in ANNAPOLIS, MD., held a nature walk during National Public Health Week on the trails surrounding the Health Services Building in Annapolis.
The Brookline Health Department in BROOKLINE, MASS., celebrated National Public Health Week by joining with Brookline 2010, the town’s major climate change initiative, to promote the goal that residents “do at least one thing in 2010 to reduce your CO2 emissions.” To reach that goal, the health department is focusing on nutrition and physical activity, as improvements in public health can also have an impact on climate change.
On the Friday before National Public Health Week, the city recreation department offered free activities for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, including golf and tennis lessons, soccer drills and clinics and swimming. To kick off National Public Health Week, the health department posted a Public Health Quiz online at www.brookelinema.gov, and a local television station aired public service announcements about public health and climate change. On Monday, Brookline Public Schools joined the nationwide campaign to improve nutrition by introducing Meatless Mondays at all elementary and middle schools. The ongoing campaign is part of the Brookline 2010 effort for local households to reduce their carbon footprints.
Also on Monday, the Brookline High School Environmental Action Club kicked off a campaign to reduce the use of plastic water bottles and sold metal water bottles at the school store.
Tuesday’s events in Brookline included the start of Minutes in Motion for Seniors, a six-week health initiative that encourages seniors to team up to increase their level of physical activity and have fun at the same time. A 10-week initiative, called Minutes in Motion for Brookline Employees, began before National Public Health Week and ran through mid-May. Tuesday also featured a screening of the documentary “Food, Inc.” that focuses on the food industry and the role it plays in what we eat, how food is produced and how the food industry contributes to the obesity epidemic.
On Thursday, the Brookline Health Department held a flu clinic, which was free and open to the public and offered both H1N1 and seasonal influenza vaccinations.
At Delta College in BAY COUNTY, MICH., several themes shaped the National Public Health Week events that all fit in with the overall theme of “A Healthier America: One Community at a Time.” Monday’s theme was “A Healthier America and You — The Impact Your Health Has On Your Community.” That day’s events at the college included H1N1 influenza vaccinations courtesy of the Bay County Health Department, blood typing courtesy of Michigan Blood and an unused or unwanted medication drop-off booth.
Tuesday’s theme was “Your Community — The Impact Your Community’s Health has on the Nation” and featured blood typing and H1N1 vaccinations as well as a handwashing table staffed by microbiology students and a table on dental health. That evening, the Delta Debate Political Forum Series presented “Technology Behind the Wheel: Unsafe at Any Speed?”
Thursday’s theme was “Your Workplace — How Healthy Employees and Healthy Businesses can Affect Real Change.” That day’s events featured an unused or unwanted medication drop-off booth, blood typing, a handwashing table and a table staffed by the Delta College Human Resources Department.
Ferris State University in BIG RAPIDS, MICH., celebrated National Public Health Week with student posters and photo displays, influenza immunizations, health screenings, volunteer opportunities for students at community agencies, and screenings of movies about environmental issues and the way food sources impact population health. The school also hosted a multidisciplinary panel discussion about public health in America.
The Introduction to Community Health Education class at Grand Valley State University in GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., sponsored a Community Health Fair on Wednesday of National Public Health Week. The event included 16 student and community partnership booths highlighting a variety of health topics for all age groups.
For example, a booth on stress management offered chair massages and stress testing, and a “fitness at home” booth featured suggestions on getting fit using household items such as laundry baskets filled with towels and milk jugs filled with water. Visitors to the environmental safety booth could take a How Safe is Your Home quiz, and a Safe Kids booth gave out car seat and helmet information and raffled off free helmets. More than 150 community members attended the health fair.
The Michigan Department of Community Health in LANSING, MICH., joined with partners around the state to celebrate National Public Health Week with a Capitol Rotunda event in Lansing honoring this year’s Health Policy Champions and Hometown Health Heroes. Event partners included the Michigan Association of Counties, Michigan Association for Local Public Health, Michigan State University, Michigan Public Health Association, the University of Michigan School of Public Health and Wayne State University.
The awards marked the seventh consecutive year of honoring the public health accomplishments of people in local communities. This year’s awards placed a special focus on the role communities play in building a healthier America. Health Policy Champions are elected officials who either introduced new legislation to address gaps in Michigan’s state safety net or who have been longtime supporters and advocates of programs that are critical to maintaining good public health. Five legislators were honored for their efforts to shepherd Michigan’s new clean air bill through the legislative process and into law.
Two Health Policy Champions — one from the state board of education and the other a county commissioner — were honored for their public health contributions to improve the health and nutrition of Michigan’s schoolchildren and for their leadership on health.
The Hometown Health Heroes represented some of the outstanding work being done in the name of public health across the state. One hero opened a health clinic to serve the uninsured and economically disadvantaged. Another established a medical reserve corps that helped respond to the H1N1 influenza outbreak. Others devoted time to helping fellow residents adopt healthier eating habits and get moving.
Two classes worked together at Central Michigan University in MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH., to develop National Public Health Week information. Posters and documentary photography assignments were displayed in the atrium of the College of Health Professions building. Topics included alcohol and smoking while pregnant. The local university television station interviewed public health professors on what National Public Health Week was and what the plans were for the week. Students also created a public health video shown in the atrium and available online, created and signed a panel of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and held a duathalon in which more than 300 participants competed in a five-kilometer run and 20-kilometer bike ride.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services in ST. LOUIS, MO., kicked off National Public Health Week with a news conference featuring Mayor Francis Slay, St. Louis Public School District Superintendent Kelvin Adams and Health Director Pamela Walker, MPA, CPHA, who promoted healthier behaviors and lifestyles.
Though diabetes mortality rates in Missouri have dropped by more than 20 percent since 1999, rates are still above the national average. Heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in St. Louis, where more than 30 percent of city residents ages 18 and older smoke cigarettes.
“We’ve made great progress over the past two years, but numbers show that we have a lot to do to become healthier,” Walker said. “The annual National Public Health Week celebration is an opportunity to remind the general public, policy-makers and other public health advocates that many of the choices we make in our daily lives directly impact our quality of life and how long we live.”
Throughout the week and on a continuing basis, the health department is promoting healthy changes throughout the city such as adopting better eating habits, exercising more, practicing a greener lifestyle and avoiding tobacco use. Signs St. Louis is moving in a healthy direction include an increase in bike lanes and trails in the city, the adoption of an anti-smoking ordinance, a revised food code, a new downtown farmers’ market and a decrease in childhood exposure to lead.
Pender Community Hospital, Pender Mercy Medical Clinic and Pender Public School in PENDER, NEB., presented the “Embracing Healthy Lifestyles Health Fair: Start Small, Think Big” on Tuesday of National Public Health Week. Held at the school, the four-hour health fair highlighted topics such as skin protection and wound care, drug awareness, respiratory care, family dental care, services offered by the Northeast Nebraska Area Agency on Aging, cardiovascular fitness, back care, bicycle safety and myriad other health-related issues. Attendees could meet the new hospital administrator, and lab testing services were offered for a $5 fee.
In CARSON CITY, NEV., the Public Health Foundation launched a website and promoted obesity awareness during National Public Health Week. The site, www.nphf.org, is designed to help state residents address critical health issues, highlight Nevada’s public health standings and offer awareness, education and collaboration resources. Those include links to obesity-related deaths, obesity trends and obesity rates by county. The numbers show as many as a third of residents in some Nevada counties are obese.
The site outlines public health challenges such as the growing obesity rate, low high school graduation rates, high rates of violent crime, low immunization coverage and low public health funding, at $37 per person. The number of Nevadans who are obese rose from about 21 percent in 2008 to 25 percent the following year.
“Nevada currently ranks 45th in the nation in overall public health,” said Nevada Public Health Foundation President Keith Sands, DO, MPH, whose comments are posted on the website. “Improving our state’s ranking will not be easy, especially with the continuing budget challenges public agencies across the state are facing.”
“A Healthier New Jersey: One Community at a Time” was the theme of the 15th Annual Public Health Symposium sponsored by the School of Public Health at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in PISCATAWAY, N.J. Timed to coincide with National Public Health Week, the event featured more than 130 public health professionals and students and included tabletop exhibitions and poster presentations on topics targeting high-profile issues confronting college students, including stress, weight gain, caffeine consumption, insomnia and text messaging while driving.
Session presenters addressed key public health issues facing New Jersey and the nation, including diabetes and obesity in the state. Participants also learned about the Witnesses to Hunger project, in which mothers and caregivers use digital cameras to document their experiences raising children on limited incomes. Another session focused on the Healthy Corner Store Initative, which partners with urban store owners to increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in their stores and teaches techniques for effectively displaying and marketing the produce.
Symposium attendees also enjoyed a meal and networking opportunities.
Monmouth University in WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J., held its Ninth Annual Global Understanding Conference during National Public Health Week. The theme was “Change and Stability in Global Environments.”
Conference highlights included poster exhibits, a keynote speech, and student-led lectures on the plans for the Macheke Sustainability Project, a public health initiative with a vision of poverty eradication in the village of Macheke, Zimbabwe.
The project is helping the village meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality, improving maternal and child health, offering HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, and developing a global partnership for development. Monmouth students are working to direct research, grants and public health program planning in the region. The first phase of the project aims to empower community members via training that supports sustainable living, and future plans include a food-processing center, establishment of a banking system, formation of a nonprofit social center and dedicated medical assistance from global aid organizations. Part of the program also aims to empower Macheke’s traditional herbalists to participate in integrative medicine, incorporating preventive and holistic medical practices.
Learn more about the project at www.machekeproject.blogspot.com.
Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., held its fourth annual Student Research Diversity Day during National Public Health Week on April 9.
Organized and led by the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity, the conference focused on the role of public health in health care reform. Poster presentations spanned a variety of health topics, including “Alternative Food App-roaches to the Obesity Epidemic” and “Mass Transit Ridership and Impact of Excessive Noise Exposure.” Oral presentation panels touched on current topics in genetics and co-morbid conditions, global perspectives on reproductive health, and advances in theory and methods in population health. A keynote speech focused on “Making the Population Healthier: How Might We Change the Policy Landscape.”
The Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina in CHARLOTTE, N.C., joined with the Graduate Public Health Association and undergraduate Public Health Association to sponsor the community discussion “A Healthier America: One Community at a Time” on Tuesday of National Public Health Week. Panelists presented two case studies addressing the national theme, the first focusing on community and agency cooperation and the next emphasizing coordination among safety net providers.
On Friday of National Public Health Week, the newly chartered University of North Carolina-Charlotte Beta Phi chapter of Delta Omega, the national public health honorary society, held its inaugural induction, with future inductions planned annually as part of National Public Health Week festivities. The evening also featured the induction of three honorary members recognized for their meritorious distinction in the field of public health and their specific contributions to the launching and development of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte public health programs. Each inductee spoke about lessons learned in promoting community engagement.
At a city council meeting in GRAND FORKS, N.D., on April 5 during National Public Health Week, the Grand Forks Public Health Department announced the winners of the 2010 Public Health Community Champion Awards. Thirteen people and organizations were recognized for their commitment to promoting public health, showing creativity and leadership or innovation in public health and for increasing awareness of public health issues.
Grand Forks Mayor Michael Brown offered congratulations to each award recipient during the locally televised council meeting. After the awards presentation, the Grand Forks City Council voted to expand the local smoke-free ordinance to include all workplaces in the city.
National Public Health Week activities in OHIO included a proclamation signed by Gov. Ted Strickland officially recognizing the week, newspaper articles in Williams County featuring health department employees who participated in the H1N1 response, billboards, placemats and radio spots in Defiance County lauding public health’s local impact and a health department open house. A poster contest for fourth-graders in Licking County had a theme of “Do it for your health!”
The Wright State University Department of Community Health hosted a National Public Health Week brown bag lunch with the Montgomery County health commissioner. Also, the Ohio State University College of Public Health organized a poster display, and there was a Health Day Celebration Breakfast in Richland County. The Uni-versity of Cincinnati held a master’s of public health student day celebration, and the school’s Department of Health Sciences sponsored public health grand rounds during the week.
The National Association of Local Boards of Health in BOWLING GREEN, OHIO, and the Bowling Green State University College of Health and Human Services presented the 11th annual Ned E. Baker Lecture in Public Health during National Public Health Week. The lecture’s theme was “A Growing Hunger: The Nation’s Demand for Food Safety and Nutrition Information.” A panel of nationally recognized experts discussed food safety efforts, menu labeling, imported food security, food marketing and the impact of advertising and labeling on obesity. The discussion is available at www.nalboh.org/Ned_E_Baker_Lecture.htm.
Administrators at the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department in ZANESVILLE, OHIO, asked for ideas from employees before planning a week of activities to celebrate National Public Health Week. The week kicked off with an annual health fair featuring the Kiser Colon, an eight-foot tall, 20-foot long model of the human colon designed to spread the message of early cancer detection and healthy eating. Health department employees decorated their offices for National Public Health Week, and the winner of the decorating contest won a gift card. Other events included a weeklong staff scavenger hunt. Employees were asked to solve riddles to find public health professionals they work with and collect their signatures.
The health department created a calendar of healthy habits for staff members to adopt every day for the week, such as exercising after work and choosing fruits and vegetables instead of sugary sweets. Employees put stickers on a calendar when they followed a healthy behavior.
A healthy salads and baked potato potluck was held for staff, who contributed toppings, and employees also participated all week in mid-afternoon health breaks.
OREGON’S National Public Health Week activities focused on ways to involve youth in the efforts to make America healthier, to bring new workers to public health careers and to inform the public on health equity issues.
One highlight was a youth photo contest that garnered 80 entries from across the state that represented youth perspectives on what makes — or does not make — healthy communities. The contest was sponsored by the Northwest Health Foundation in Portland, Ore., in cooperation with the Oregon Public Health Division, also in Portland.
Hundreds of people participated in activities organized by the state health department and partners in the Portland metropolitan area as well as events coordinated by county health departments and partners across the state. Activities included video screenings and discussions on diverse public health issues such as health equity, suicide prevention, gender bias and the local food movement. Physical activities including a free yoga class helped encourage the “healthiest generation” idea. A national and local expert speakers’ series included talks on “Race, Stress and Health” and “Chemicals, the Environment and You.” A public health career fair showcased public health jobs in the area, and a “grow and harvest” health event included local food and farm promotions.
The Public Health Management Corporation in PHILADELPHIA, PA., celebrated National Public Health Week by hosting Thomas McLellan, PhD, deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, for a talk on the latest developments in federal drug control policies and their implications for addiction treatment in public health, behavioral health and primary care. Experts in research and addiction services from the Public Health Management Corporation also spoke during the event, as did Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, director of the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services, among others. McLellan also was honored with the Public Health Hero Award for his contributions to the public health of the region and the nation.
The Center for Public Health Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania in PHILADELPHIA, PA., sponsored a National Public Health Week photo exhibit and presentation of Witnesses to Hunger. The documentary photography project, directed by a Drexel University School of Public Health professor, focuses on the everyday challenges that mothers and caregivers of young children face to nourish their children. At the opening on April 7, two people spoke about the impossible trade-offs they and their sisters often make: rent or medicine; heat or breakfast; diapers or fresh fruit.
The exhibit inspired a roundtable discussion on ending child hunger and poverty at the University of Pennsylvania following National Public Health Week. At the event, researchers, community members, organizations and political advocates discussed solutions to the problem of child hunger and poverty.
The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in PITTSBURGH, PA., celebrated National Public Health Week with a series of educational and service activities related to the “A Healthier America: One Community at a Time” theme.
The week’s events began with a lecture sponsored by the Student Public Health Epidemic Response Effort on the history and duties of the U.S. Epidemic Intelligence Service, a program that guards community health. The Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences hosted a workshop and discussion panel with members of the Pennsylvania Breastfeeding Coalition, representatives from the health department and community groups on the benefits of breastfeeding to maternal and child health and overall community wellness. The discussion also highlighted the opening of a new and dedicated lactation room at the Graduate School of Public Health.
The Global Health Student Association held a viewing of the film “Road to Fondwa,” offering a global perspective on a rural university in Haiti.
Officers in the Student Government Association prepared a nutritious meal at Family House, a local nonprofit organization that provides a special “home away from home” for patients and their families who travel to Pittsburgh for the treatment of serious illnesses. Students, staff and faculty also participated in a blood drive.
The Graduate School of Public Health also celebrated its first annual Wear a Baby Day to raise awareness about child health. Students, faculty and staff wore slings and other baby carriers filled with a baby doll or stuffed animal. A bookmark with maternal and child health “fun facts” and a list of resources were handed out at the event and later distributed to local family health centers in Pittsburgh. Students in the Public Health Fitness and Recreation Organization formed a public health team that raised more than $500 for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. And as a National Public Health week finale, the Student Government Association hosted a student social to celebrate the first Public Health Student Day and to congratulate the student body for so many community health achievements both throughout the week and during the 2009–2010 academic term.
At Pennsylvania’s Chester County Health Department in WEST CHESTER, PA., National Public Health Week events included a “That’s Healthy” photo contest challenging teens to use cameras to show what being healthy means to them. The contest was open to all high school students in the county, with student entries judged on presentation, artistry, creativity, originality and overall impact. The top three winners were awarded prizes, and the winning photos and photographers’ names are displayed on the health department’s website, Facebook and Twitter pages.
The health department worked with Boy Scouts of America to promote a chance for scouts to earn their public health merit badge on Tuesday. The event included a speech by a public health physician and interactive booths with hands-on activities on sources of lead, environmental toxins and nutrition. Scouts received handouts and certificates of participation.
The health department hosted a community health screening on Wednesday at the Chester County Library. Services included blood pressure checks, hemoglobin and cholesterol testing and blood sugar testing. Those who took advantage of the free screening received personalized counseling with their results.
Following up on the week’s events, the health department and College of Health Sciences at West Chester University co-sponsored a celebration thanking community organizations that helped the county earn the “Healthiest County in Pennsylvania” ranking in a recent Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report. Public health and medical professionals gathered in early May to network and listen to speakers discussing the county rankings report, its impact on the local economy and the future changes the public health and medical community should consider in light of health reform.
In PUERTO RICO, the Student Council of the University of Puerto Rico’s Graduate School of Public Health worked during National Public Health Week to show how public health can make a difference in the community. Activities included talks by two alumni who highlighted their experiences as public health workers in the field, one as a state epidemiologist and the other as chief of the Older Adults Affairs Office.
The Anderson County Health Department, in CLINTON, TENN., launched its monthlong event with the release of “environmentally friendly” biodegradable balloons that naturally decompose. Staff members and children tucked important public health messages into the balloons before releasing them in the hope that their messages would be received and put to use. In addition, each child who came to the health department that week received seeds and peat to grow their own flowers.
Also during the month, National Public Health Week organizers transformed the health department’s monthly staff meeting into a staff celebration, with each employee contributing a cleaning or hygiene item to be given to a community member in need. A staff member who coordinates Emory Valley Dental Clinic served as the primary speaker for the event. Staffed by volunteers, the clinic provides low-cost dental care to under-served families, helping to fulfill the health department’s mission to make Anderson County healthier.
National Public Health Week also served as an opportunity for staff members to put heart and health information gathered during February’s American Heart Month into practice with a healthy snack contest. Health department staff members were divided into four teams, with each team preparing a healthy snack or appetizer. A panel of three employees judged the snacks based on taste, presentation and nutritional value, and awarded top honors to a honey mustard strawberry fruit salad.
In KNOXVILLE, TENN., the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s Public Health Program invited Ron Bialek, MPP, president of the Public Health Foundation, to speak during National Public Health Week on “Quality Improvement in Public Health: Turning Hard Work into Healthier Communities.” Bialek’s talk focused on the need to “check solutions at the door and look for the cause of the problems” using a quality improvement model to illustrate successes from state health departments. The audience was encouraged to focus on consumer satisfaction in the delivery of health services.
Also during the week, the public health program sent news releases to campus and local newspapers. During the East Tennessee Forum on Public Health and Preventive Medicine luncheon, practitioners from local and regional health departments, family practice physicians, veterinary public health doctors and public health academic faculty had the opportunity to discuss quality improvement within their respective settings.
The Memphis and Shelby County Health Department in MEMPHIS, TENN., partnered with local residents for a cleanup day and hosted Zumba dance sessions, free-throw and three-point basketball competitions and free H1N1 influenza vaccines to commemorate National Public Health Week. Other activities included Cigarettes for Savings, a new initiative to educate high school students about the dangers of smoking while encouraging them to open a savings account. An essay contest brought Shelby County adolescents’ attention to ways individuals can help improve the nation’s health. A poster competition for elementary school children celebrated the theme of “Being Healthy.” And health department as well as other county employees participated in “Dump the Elevator: One Step at a Time” and “Take a Walk: One Block at a Time.”
In ARLINGTON, TEXAS, the Texas Department of State Health Services Region 2/3 kicked off National Public Health Week with a wellness screenings fair to get employees motivated to “know their numbers” and care for their health. The screenings included vision, hearing, stroke risk, blood pressure and nutrition assessments. A local farmer was on hand as part of a Nutrition Department and Wellness Program-Work Place Improvement Collaborative with a goal of providing easy access to fresh produce and promoting the value of locally grown fruits and vegetables.
On Tuesday, health services staff learned how to better communicate with families and co-workers with the help of a speaker from the Fort Worth Parenting Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Staff learned skills on improving relationships, creating faster, better resolutions to conflict and building a solid foundation for effective communication.
Wednesday’s focus was schools and children with Teens in the Driver Seat, a peer-to-peer safety program for young drivers that promotes safe driving and awareness of risks such as using cell phones, sending and receiving text messages, and drinking while driving. Staff also learned about current school health policies and how parents can get involved in local school health advisory councils.
Thursday, the health services staff moved to the beat of a different drum and learned line dancing and western style dance moves. A lunchtime event also featured Zumba, a fitness program that combines Latin rhythms with easy-to-follow moves. On Friday, the staff rounded out National Public Health Week with A Taste of Good Health — a potluck luncheon featuring healthy dishes such as cucumber salad, gazpacho, chili and yogurt parfaits.
Other activities throughout the week included rural counties sending packets of information to local authorities about National Public Health Week. The move resulted in proclamations in Fannin, Johnson, Montague, Stonewall and Wilbarger counties. Also, the Tobacco Control Program held an art and composition contest with schools throughout the health services region, with winners named at the end of the month.
In AUSTIN, TEXAS, Texas Public Health Association Executive Director Terri Pali sent a message to members asking them to contribute to a special section of the Spring 2010 Texas Public Health Journal by sending announcements of activities planned in their communities to celebrate National Public Health Week. She stressed the “Start Small, Think Big” theme with suggestions such as starting a walking group with colleagues, promoting a tobacco-free workplace and surveying local businesses to determine what they do to keep their employees healthy, among many other ideas.
Students at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health in COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, participated in the fifth annual research poster symposium and student poster contest during National Public Health Week. Award-winning posters were “Dietary Intake of Choline and Neural Tube Defects in Mexican Americans,” the “Detection of Sublethal Concentrations of Cyanide in Drinking Water” and “Diastolic Prehypertension: A Predictor of Cardiovascular Disease.” The winners were invited by the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health to submit abstracts for the 13th annual Student Poster Session through the Academic Public Health Caucus at the APHA Annual Meeting in Denver this November.
Also at the School of Rural Public Health, Brazos County Health Department Director Ken Bost and Dean Craig Blakely attended the annual Public Health Week 5K Fun Run and signed a proclamation declaring Public Health Week. The school joined with the Brazos County Health Department to offer human papillomavirus vaccinations to Texas A&M students and host a cancer survivor and remembrance panel. The school held its spring blood and marrow drive during the week as well.
The Parker College of Chiropractic in DALLAS, TEXAS, held a series of events during National Public Health Week related to improving health. Tickets were handed out at each of the week’s events for a chance to win in a drawing. The week began with free pedometers given to faculty and staff, who were asked to join the Second Annual Steppin’ to Wellness challenge. Participants were divided into teams for the month-long fitness challenge.
A lunch and learn session focused on the changes in agriculture practices during the past 80 years that have reduced the nutrients in foods. A “hydrate for health” day highlighted the importance of staying hydrated, and everyone was offered a free bottle of water. The college’s director of wellness initiatives urged chiropractors to promote water instead of soda to their patients. The campus community was also encouraged to visit their chiropractic or massage therapy intern during the week to reduce stress and improve overall health.
The University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, Dallas Regional Campus, in DALLAS, TEXAS, celebrated National Public Health Week with a series of lectures on topics such as behavioral health, clinical nutrition and evidencebased medicine and physical activity as preventive care. National Public Health Week booths provided snacks, water bottles and information on public health issues throughout the week. The Dallas Regional Campus Student Association helped plan the seminars and screened the documentary “Food, Inc.”
In EL PASO, TEXAS, the University of Texas School of Public Health El Paso Regional Campus hosted a range of National Public Health Week activities. The El Paso Student Association designated Monday as Environmental Health Day and promoted healthy tips with fliers and posters across the campus. Students also distributed reusable shopping bags and kicked off a composting project. Tuesday’s focus was emergency preparedness, with guest faculty talking of their experience visiting Haiti after the recent earthquake. Wednesday was Nutrition Day, when students offered healthy foods, including fruits, juices and green vegetables, to the community and provided healthy recipe tips and nutrition information in both English and Spanish. Thursday was Prevention Day and included tips and posters displayed across campus and a screening of “Inequality: The Enemy Between Us.” Friday was Physical Activity Day, with students displaying messages about the importance of being active.
The University of North Texas Health Science Center in FORT WORTH, TEXAS, celebrated National Public Health Week with a student-organized health fair and the third annual, community-wide North Texas Health Forum, which this year focused on the issue of infant mortality. The school’s Public Health Student Association offered a range of other events during the week, including promoting awareness about public health and public health careers at two local high schools and hosting a screening of the film “Thank You for Smoking” to advocate against tobacco use. A cookout was held to celebrate public health and promote camaraderie throughout the university and the community, and students volunteered at the local African-American Health Exposition to educate community members and introduce them to a collaborative health care model linking residents to providers, public health officials and community resources.
In GALVESTON, TEXAS, the Galveston County Health District and University of Texas Medical Branch held a community outreach health fair to celebrate public health education and outreach efforts in honor of National Public Health Week. The health district and the university’s Center to Eliminate Health Disparities and Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health partnered to provide educational materials and health screenings and to recognize local public health heroes.
The Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing in HOUSTON, TEXAS, used National Public Health Week as an opportunity to publicize two sustainability projects — one encouraging recycling and the other aimed at increasing carpooling. Each program started as a class project for the environmental health course taught at the College of Nursing and has since expanded across the nursing program. Both projects are managed by students who are demonstrating that people can individually and collectively help the envi-ronment to improve environmental public health in the nation.
Student-sponsored events at the University of Texas Health Science Center in HOUSTON, TEXAS, included work by the Student Epidemic Intelligence Society, the Student Society for Global Health and the School of Public Health Student Association. Monday’s events featured a kickoff of the This is Public Health campaign, physical readiness training at a local park and the start of a weeklong media series featuring school faculty as “poster children for public health.” Tuesday’s global health seminar was titled “Community Gardens along the U.S.-Mexico Border.” Wednesday featured a walk for Haiti through the Texas Medical Center, yoga and dancing in the park, and a multicultural dinner. Because National Public Health Week coincided with World Health Day, the Student Society for Global Health hosted the president of the Haitian Medical Association at a dinner where he spoke of health issues in his country.
Other events later in the week included a screening of the film “Inequality: The Enemy Between Us,” a healthy dessert cook-off, and HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases awareness. The third annual Public Health Field Day included a twomile run, obstacle course and physical readiness challenges.
The University of Texas School of Public Health Regional Campus in SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, held a “Welcome Weekend” for incoming medical students during National Public Health Week, where booths were set up for incoming students to describe student groups and opportunities and incorporating the “A Healthier America: One Community at a Time” theme. Students also participated in a com-munity service learning conference.
The Central Texas Medical Center in SAN MARCOS, TEXAS, held its 24th annual HealthCheck in April. The event offered a variety of free health screenings, including blood pressure testing, blood analysis for diabetes screening, cardiac risk profile and a complete blood cell count. City employees also were offered prostate cancer screenings and thyroid stimulating hormone tests.
The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District in WACO, TEXAS, celebrated National Public Health Week with proclamations presented by the Waco mayor and McLennan County judge on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday the health district hosted events for children after school at two recreation centers. Activities taught children about public health, nutrition, physical activity and immunizations, and each child took home packets of health education information and information on health department services. Thursday featured a county-wide kickoff of the Walk Across Texas program, which encouraged participants to walk the 800-plus miles it would take to cross the state. The kickoff included a warmup and one-mile walk. On Saturday, the health district hosted a health fair at a local mall to promote health and wellness services, and Sunday featured a health fair aimed at providing information and services to Waco’s homeless.
In ARLINGTON, VA., several groups came together during National Public Health Week to offer the Ethiopian Community Development Council Health Fair. Participants included Georgetown University nursing students, the Arlington Medical Reserve Corps and the Arlington Public Health Division, Department of Human Services. The fair featured free H1N1 influenza immunizations, HIV screening and blood pressure checks. Exhibits included information about handwashing, the dangers of smoking, cancer prevention, controlling the rat population and preparing for retirement.
In WASHINGTON, D.C., APHA celebrated National Public Health Week with an event for staff. APHA workers were treated to a healthy lunch and engaged in a Wii Fit dance-off.
In SEATTLE, WASH., the Washington State Public Health Association engaged a wide audience of public health supporters around the state to recognize Health Champions each day of National Public Health Week. The champions worked to respond to budget crises, H1N1 influenza, the challenges presented by health disparities and the health reform debate. Also, Saturday honored elected officials who had made a difference in public health, and Sunday recognized governmental service. Winners received a certificate of recognition and are featured on the website of the APHA Affiliate at www.wspha.org/2010healthchamps.
County officials and community members in TACOMA, WASH., came together during National Public Health Week to examine how the environment impacts health. The first lecture in the spring Environmental Science Seminar at the University of Washington-Tacoma featured an examination of environmental health trends. The seminar, “Environmental Health Data: Do We Believe It When We See It, or See It When We Believe It?” focused on how to use data to better understand environmental conditions and their impact on health.
The St. Croix County Department of Health and Human Services in NEW RICHMOND, WIS., celebrated National Public Health Week by identifying Public Health Champions throughout the county who are creating “A Healthier America: One Community at a Time.” Individual and organizational champions included a breastfeeding-friendly business; a 90-year-old man and his son and grandson providing cross-country skiing opportunities on their property, accepting donations and then giving the money to the Special Olympics; a community meal coordinator who works with area churches to provide free meals for those in need; a library that allows people to work out and check out books at the same time; and a restaurant that provided a smoke-free environment long before the statewide indoor smoking ban was passed and which also supports local, sustainable foods. Other public health champions included a couple who own an antique shop that also serves as an alcoholand tobacco-free venue for local musical talent to gather and who are advocating for more crosswalks in the small, but busy, town.
Area media worked closely with Public Health Week Committee members to interview and photograph the public health champions and highlight their efforts. The public health department also recognized two “Friends of Public Health” — volunteers who helped with the H1N1 influenza response and a state senator who supported and advocated for the Wisconsin Smoke Free Air Law, which goes into effect July 5.
College campuses work to make Colorado healthier
Putting a collegiate twist on this year’s National Public Health Week theme, schools in COLORADO worked to create a healthier America one campus at a time.
The week kicked off with a standing-room only College Health Colloquium at Colorado State University, an event co-sponsored by the master’s of public health program. Topics included alcohol use and prevention among college students, the integration of medical and mental health services on campus, and suicide prevention. Attendees included students and staff from Colorado State University, the University of Colorado’s Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs campuses, the University of Wyoming, Larimer County Department of Health and Environment and the McKee Medical Center Foundation. The event proved so popular, plans are under way for a 2011 version.
An annual all-campus research day at the University of Northern Colorado highlighted health research, including students from the Master of Public Health Community Health Education Program presenting posters about their projects with Children’s Hospital, the Healthy Snack-Produce Initiative, the College Credit Union Employee Wellness Program and others. That work represented a snapshot of the work students in the graduate program conduct with community agencies each semester to advance specific health programs and initiatives.
Other school-sponsored events included the Preventive Medicine Grand Rounds, a health professionals recruitment fair at Metropolitan State College of Denver, a Global Health Lecture and posts on the Colorado Health Foundation blog about National Public Health Week.
During the week, students at the Anschutz Medical Campus organized the campaign Creating a Healthier Colorado One Gift at a Time. The campaign encouraged faculty, students and school administrators to give gifts of their time at the Food Bank of the Rockies.
Support and promotion of the campus-based National Public Health Week events came from the Colorado Health Foundation and members of the Public Health Alliance of Colorado.
Florida International University students take on full event schedule
Tobacco awareness, public health preparedness, global public health, advocacy, community health and health disparities were just some of the focus topics during National Public Health Week at Florida International University in MIAMI, FLA.
Monday’s theme was “FIU Smoke-Free Tobacco-Free” and featured an opening ceremony with talks on public health and a panel discussion on tobaccorelated health issues. Informational tables and other displays included information from groups such as the March of Dimes, University Health Services, the American Lung Association of South Florida and the Miami-Dade Area Health Education Center.
The campus was slated to become a smoke-free, tobacco-free university on July 1, and National Public Health Week events helped highlight Smoke-Free Tobacco-Free Official Panthers Partners, a student group charged with informing the university community about the health and socioeconomic benefits of banning cigarettes on campus. The National Public Health Week kickoff also served as a reminder that University Health Services offered free smoking cessation programs for those who want to kick the habit.
Tuesday was global health and advocacy day, when events focused on the need to respond to areas such as Haiti, where the recent earthquake devastated the country’s public health infrastructure.
Wednesday focused on public health preparedness, with a panel discussion and information on the development and practice of a public health preparedness plan in the hurricane-prone area surrounding the university. Staff from the Miami-Dade Health Department Public Health Preparedness Program were on hand to talk about the need for emergency response and community awareness.
Thursday’s events focused on HIV/AIDS and sexual behavior. In addition to a panel discussion, informational tables and booths were staffed by groups such as Healthy Teens and Planned Parenthood. The event’s organizers advocated for HIV testing.
Friday’s events focused on community health and health disparities. After an informational fair and panel discussion, the day’s events wrapped up with a Stempel Public Health Association social.
Public health and medicine was the theme for Saturday, and on Sunday public health students learned about public health leadership.
The Annual Paths of Public Health Awards Luncheon at the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work honored front-line health workers for their contributions to public health in South Florida. Led by a faculty committee, the event featured a keynote address by internationally acclaimed public health scientist Lawrence W. Green, DrPH, MPH, who later during National Public Health Week coled a workshop on “Translating Research and Practice and Back.” On three consecutive Saturdays, the video series “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making us Sick?” was discussed by public health and Florida International University College of Medicine panelists.
Organizers said the week’s events, which were supported by the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Healthy University Task Force, Leadership Center and Service, Miami-Dade County Health Department and other organizations, were a popular draw and helped the school create new partnerships with local and national organizations and also recruit students to participate in public health projects.
Chicago Lighthouse promotes exercise, wellness, activity
Exercise classes, a group walk and a wellness challenge were among the multiple National Public Health Week activities hosted by Chicago Lighthouse in CHICAGO, ILL.
The rehabilitation and educational organization is dedicated to helping children, youth and adults who are blind, visually disabled or who have multiple disabilities. In one of the organization’s many National Public Health Week events, organizers proved even man’s best friend can get fit by holding a weigh-in for service dogs. The goal of all the week’s events was to stress the importance of a balanced diet, exercise and an overall healthy lifestyle for people who are blind or visually impaired.
During the week, a pep rally promoted wellness, a fitness challenge offered incentives to individuals who lost weight and the agency offered low-calorie, nutritious meals. Daily exercise classes proved popular, as did a fitness walk through the surrounding community that attracted more than 50 people and fit well with this year’s National Public Health Week theme of “A Healthier America: One Community at a Time.”
“I can’t emphasize enough the merits of exercise,” said Bob Kim, a personal trainer and former Chicago Lighthouse program participant who led the group sessions. “A daily exercise program can help lower blood pressure, cholesterol rates and relieve stress. It can make you perform better at work.”
Volunteers included a soldier who lost his vision while serving in Iraq and who commended the agency for showcasing the importance of good health and exercise, particularly for those going through a rehabilitation program. The organization offers support such as job readiness and placement, help with adult living skills and orientation to technologies that can help make life easier.
The Chicago Lighthouse posted a daily National Public Health Week tip on its website at http://chicagolighthouse.org that inspired visitors to set goals for healthier habits.
“Our activities generated a great deal of interest and enthusiasm among staff and program participants,” said Janet Szlyk, PhD, Chicago Lighthouse’s executive director and a professor in the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences’ Low Vision Laboratory. “I think everyone came away with a much greater appreciation of wellness and the steps necessary to achieve a healthier, happier way of life.”
To build on the healthy momentum generated by National Public Health Week, the organization has planned a series of ongoing activities to continually promote good health.
“I think this event succeeded in changing attitudes, and that’s a good place to start,” said Tanya Melich-Munyan, a nurse who helped direct the Chicago Lighthouse National Public Health Week observances. “When I heard comments like, ‘I want to make eating better and exercising into a lifestyle,’ I knew we were on the right track.”
DePaul students demonstrate that exercise is fun
At Rowe Elementary School in CHICAGO, ILL., students share space with a high school, making it difficult to provide physical education classes in a full-sized gym or to provide recess for students.
But during National Public Health Week, members of DePaul University’s Public Health Student Organization teamed up with volunteers from the group Get Healthy Chicago to teach Rowe Elementary kindergarteners how physical activity can be fun and that healthy snack choices are not necessarily boring. The students and volunteers led the kindergarteners in fitness and stretching activities. Next came group conversations in which students and facilitators shared what they had for breakfast that day and talked about which foods were healthier than others.
A physical fitness game involving movement, listening skills and memorization was a big hit with the 5- to 6-year-olds, according to the organizers, who said everyone cheerfully participated and had the opportunity to move, stretch, laugh, expend energy and share their knowledge.
After the fitness activities and healthy food talk, each child received a Clementine orange as a snack. And the school’s weekly newspaper featured an easy recipe for “Fruit Face Rice Cakes” — provided by the National Public Health Week volunteers — for the children to try at home with their parents.
For DePaul students, the activity marked a success on many fronts. Not only did they successfully plan and carry out a public health event as a group in collaboration with an outside organization, but they also sparked young children’s interest in their own health and eating habits. The kindergartners were enthusiastic and said they were happy to take the knowledge they learned in class and apply it to daily life. At the end of the activity, the elementary students could demonstrate that they understood what constitutes a healthy food and that having a few treats is okay when partnered with some physical activity.
The National Public Health Week event took the healthy living message to students who spend most of their waking hours at school during the academic year.
Tulane student leaders present wide range of public health events
The Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in NEW ORLEANS, LA., commemorated National Public Health Week by presenting a health-related documentary, hosting a healthy snack bake sale and keynote speech, talking to high schoolers about mental health and hosting a stress management seminar and community field day.
On Tuesday, a committee of leaders from the school of public health Student Government Association, the Society for Young Black Public Health Professionals at Tulane University and Tulane’s APHA Student Assembly campus liaison coordinated a presentation of the documentary “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?”
Wednesday featured a healthy snack bake sale courtesy of the National Public Health Week Committee, with proceeds donated to Tulane University’s Pediatric Obesity Clinic. Later that evening, the committee hosted “Ladies Night,” where health students joined a local community leader to discuss women’s health.
A stress management event for students and faculty included yoga sessions and education. A community field day at a local park wrapped up the week and was sponsored by the National Public Health Week Committee and the Tulane University Undergraduate Student Government Association. Neighborhood families enjoyed kickball, snow cones and a catered lunch.
California county health department showcases a ‘Healthier Sutter’
Sutter County Public Health in YUBA CITY, CALIF., applied the National Public Health Week theme in a local way, organizing events under the umbrella of “A Healthier Sutter: One Step at a Time.”
At a Monday morning Community Mall Walk, participants were encouraged to complete half-mile laps around the perimeter of the local mall. For each lap, they earned a ticket to be entered into a drawing at the end of the day. Health educators conducted body mass index analyses, and public health nurses were on site to conduct blood pressure checks and blood sugar testing.
The day ended with what organizers described as a relaxing community bike ride through Sutter County, with views of the unique Sutter buttes. The nine-mile route wound through scenic orchards and rice fields. Those who did not have a bike could walk part of the Sutter Bike Trail.
Because National Public Health Week coincided with the local schools’ spring break, Tuesday featured a Family Fun Day with stations supporting fun, games and physical activities. For example, a “clean up your room” station had yarn balls that had to be thrown to the opposite side to “clean a room” before the opposing team could do so. Other stations included safari yoga, jumproping and a dancea-thon modeled on the “Dance Dance Revolution” video game.
The Sutter County Board of Supervisors issued a proclamation declaring the week of April 5–11 as National Public Health Week, and staff members from the local health department were on hand to promote various community events throughout the week. Sutter County health education staff helped promote the slogan of “working to create a nurturing community that exemplifies dignity, family and self-worth.”
A “Fruits & Veggies: More is Better” food demonstration on Wednesday encouraged families to cook at home and showcased recipes in a new cookbook. Public health staff whipped up healthy snacks to share and spoke to parents and children about exercise and enjoying the many games and physical activity booths available during the event.
The evening ended with a Family Fun Night At the Park, where stations encouraged everyone to get active and have fun with their families. Elected officials joined in to show off their jumproping skills.
A Tobacco Stinks Scavenger Hunt at the local mall encouraged school-aged children to look for clues that illustrated the dangers of tobacco use. For the fourth consecutive year, public health staff were encouraged on Friday to bring in a salad topping and share with coworkers in a break room salad bar called Salads ‘R’ Us Café.
Tennessee association’s events blanket the state
Local health fairs, blood drives, nutrition program kickoffs and public health awareness presentations highlighted the TENNESSEE Public Health Association’s National Public Health Week activities, which featured events in each state region and the central office of the Tennessee Department of Health.
The result of the work of a planning committee made up of members from each health department region as well as the Coordinated School Health Program, the events were unique and focused on local needs. And statewide, each region received a copy of the APHA “Healthiest Nation in One Generation” video to be shown at local National Public Health Week events, in local theaters, in schools, at community meetings and in health department lobbies. The video, which received rave reviews from public health staff, students and community partners, will be used throughout the year in Tennessee.
Among the week’s activities, community Health Council members in all 95 Tennessee counties received a thank-you letter stressing their importance and the contributions they make toward communities becoming healthier every day.
Each coordinated school health site received National Public Health Week information to share with their schools. Schoolbased events included a kickoff of the “Slow, Go, Whoa” healthy eating program in Blount County, adolescent pregnancy prevention education in Pickett County and a blood drive and student health fair in Polk County. Presentations given to the Teen Health Council in Warren County included career opportunities in public health, the history and future of public health, and viewing the “Healthiest Nation in One Generation” video.
Also during the week, Tennessee Technological University shared the APHA and Generation Public Health websites with students in the Health and Physical Education Department and the School of Nursing. In the health department’s Southeast, South Central, Upper Cumberland and Metro Nashville regions, staff were recognized with Unsung Hero awards voted on by their peers. Staff appreciation activities in other regions included lunches, awards, “Healthiest Nation in One Generation” video viewings and a demo of the Wii Fit video game system.
Sullivan County health officials spread the “A Healthier America: One Community at a Time” message by being featured in five radio interviews, two television spots and two newspaper articles. Statewide, the National Public Health Week message was distributed via 5,000 car window static clings.
Indigenous health institute draws leaders to New Mexico
A three-day leadership event held in ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., during National Public Health Week brought together people from around the nation on indigenous health and culture.
The Native Health Initiative served as the local host for the Indigenous Health Leadership Institute. APHA’s Student Assembly, the American Medical Student Association and the Association of Native American Medical Students also served as national partners.
At the Indigenous Health Leadership Institute, professors are not strictly health professionals but also native elders, youth and community activists. The course subjects are knowledge and wisdom, and participants have a “friendly guarantee” that the institute will be free of PowerPoint presentations.
The institute, a communityfriendly way to approach health care, started on Public Health Student Day, April 9, and involved two indigenous nations — the Pueblos of Isleta and Acoma. Highlights included the importance of indigenous culture, language and community to health. Traditional healers and others worked to dispel the myth that indigenous communities and traditions from north of the U.S.-Mexico border are different from those south of the border.
Detroit health department showcases city health services
With a local National Public Health Week theme of “Together, We Are Public Health,” the DETROIT, MICH., Department of Health and Wellness Promotion offered a range of fun and informative activities including a fitness walk, educational outreach and food demonstrations.
At a kickoff event on Monday, April 5, health workers staffed information tables on the lawn of the county health complex, hosted a one-mile walk and gave introductory exercise classes in yoga and tai chi. Each day featured special events scheduled around the lunch hour and also health programming at three community centers across the city.
Residents participated in the Walk for a Healthier Detroit, which was led by health officials and featured the Detroit Community Marching Band. After the walk, festivities at the city’s health complex included a hustle dance, a healthy lunch and raffle prizes.
Information tables in the health complex lobby the following day featured various programs including the Women, Infants and Children Nutritional Program and Office of Health Outreach Promotion and Education. Free health screenings were offered at a local community center, and a senior citizens’ theater troupe performed a series of comedy vignettes on health care and aging.
Adding some friendly competition to the week, each health department division was judged on its informational table and other outreach activities, with the winner earning bragging rights as well as dinner and a movie with the department director and National Public Health Week planning committee.
On Wednesday, about 200 visitors to the county health complex learned about emergency preparedness, weather hazards, important food preparation standards for restaurants and how to adopt an animal. During the hands-on day for visitors, a hazardous materials truck allowed the Environmental Health Services Division to share its work with the community. Other departments on site that day included those focusing on animal control, food sanitation, environmental health and safety, and emergency preparedness.
On Thursday, the Special Populations Division set up the most interactive displays of the week that included impromptu poetry readings and music encouraging prevention of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and abstaining from the use of illegal substances. The HIV/AIDS Program promoted safer sex, and staff with the Bureau of Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery demonstrated the effects of alcohol.
The week ended on a high note on Friday with a healthy cooking demonstration led by a team of nutritionists who made Mediterranean vegetarian pizza and fruit parfaits. They offered recipe cards for people interested in preparing healthy alternatives to fast food. Polls were open for voting on the best display, with the Environmental Health Services Division earning the title.
Mississippi public health students connect with middle-schoolers
In JACKSON, MISS., student members of the Jackson State University Master of Public Health Student Association celebrated National Public Health Week with a community outreach project at a local middle school.
Jackson State University students focused on nutrition, physical fitness, healthy hearts and the environment during their event at the local middle school. The goal was to encourage the middle-schoolers to think about ways they could become involved in contributing to a healthy community by starting with themselves, their families and their communities.
The event started with a welcome address that included tips for healthy living and making good choices. Throughout the day, several guest speakers highlighted ways to learn about and practice a healthy lifestyle. The sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders heard from representatives from the G.V. Montgomery Veterans Administration Medical Center, the Jackson Heart Study and the Jackson University School of Health Sciences, among others.
Sixth-grade students were entertained in the gym by master’s of public health students who led fitness activities that used jump ropes, hula-hoops, dancing and ball games to illustrate that physical activity can be fun. The college students asked fitness-related questions during and after the presentations, and prizes were given to middle school students who answered correctly.
Ohio association uses podcasts to serve as ‘voice of public health’
The OHIO Public Health Association’s tagline is “The Voice of Public Health.”
So when organizational member Fleishman Hillard, a public relations firm, came up with the idea of National Public Health Week podcasts featuring interviews with public health workers, “the idea just seemed like a great way to literally hear our voices,” Ohio Public Health Association President Lois Hall, MS, told The Nation’s Health.
Podcasts are recorded audio programs that are posted online and made available for people to listen to either on a mobile device such as a smartphone or via computer. With no cost to the APHA Affiliate, the public relations firm took charge of reaching out to local health departments, finding people to interview, conducting and taping the interviews and posting them online. The podcasts are hosted on a free Google website accessible via a link to the Affiliate’s website, which is online at www.ohiopha.org.
“I don’t think it was all that difficult,” Hall said about getting the podcasts up and running. “I think other states could do it, too.”
Hall said she was delighted to learn that as the company contacted health department leaders, most opted to have front-line workers be featured in the podcast.
“I typically gave them health commissioner names or directors of nursing, and almost all of them passed it down to the actual person who did the program, which to me was really neat,” Hall said. “Those are kind of the unsung voices, the unsung heroes.”
The podcasts feature interviews with public health leaders who are working on public health initiatives in their own communities — programs that combat tobacco-use and childhood obesity and reach out to the medically under-served.
For example, in one podcast Martha Halko, MS, RD, LD, supervisor at the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, Community Health Services, described how location affects health. She also introduced the Healthy Communities Project, Cuyahoga County’s initiative to help communities build and sustain spaces that promote healthy lifestyles now and in the future. In another podcast, public health dietitian Connie Codispoti of the Delaware General Health District illustrated that county’s small steps in child obesity prevention by implementing local versions of research-based projects and programs starting with school partners.
The Affiliate launched its organizational membership category in the past year, and the podcast collaboration quickly showed how useful it can be to bring the strengths of traditionally non-public health companies to work to advance the mission of public health, Hall said.
— Donya Currie
National board promotes exam for public health certification
The National Board of Public Health Examiners, based in PITTSBURGH, PA., celebrated National Public Health Week with three events to promote the certified in public health designation as a career and community health investment.
The Boston University School of Public Health and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health each hosted an event about certified in public health advances. Nationwide, 37 schools are participating in a pilot program this year allowing public health students to take the Certified in Public Health Exam prior to graduation. If the pilot works out well, administrators could consider offering the exam more often than once a year, which is the current schedule. Registration for the 2010 exam closed in May.
Also during the week, the National Board of Public Health Examiners hosted a webinar on “How To Maintain Certified in Public Health.”
“Becoming certified in public health elevates the field of public health to be on par with other professions,” said Molly Eggleston, MPH, CPH, CHES, deputy executive director of the board.
Launched in 2008 by the National Board of Public Health Examiners, the voluntary certified in public health program gives public health professionals the opportunity to demonstrate that they have “mastered core and cross-cutting competencies in public health.” More than 1,000 public health professionals have registered for the exam since its debut.
To take the exam, health workers must have a graduate-level or higher degree from a public health school or program that is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. For more information, visit www.publichealthexam.org.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association