Demonstrating creativity, enthusiasm and dedication, public health advocates across the country showcased ways to build the foundation for a healthy America during the 2009 celebration of National Public Health Week April 6–12.
The University of Alabama, Birmingham, School of Public Health reached out to the homeless, partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build a home, teamed up on a blood drive, hosted a lecture on the future of public health and sponsored other community-building activities across the BIRMINGHAM, ALA., area during National Public Health Week.
Students and faculty volunteered on April 4 at Birmingham’s Project Homeless Connect 2009, a one-day event sponsored by community leaders that was designed to provide housing, services and hospitality to the local homeless population in a convenient, one-stop format. Some services provided that day included meals, medical and dental care, vision care and tax preparation. The university’s Public Health Student Association also held a hygiene drive, collecting more than 2,700 containers of shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothpaste and other items to be distributed during the event.
The Public Health Student Association also partnered with Habitat for Humanity on April 6 to help build a home and teamed up with the American Red Cross to hold a campus blood drive. And on April 7, Birmingham News columnist Jon Archibald was escorted via carriage as part of a ceremony for the school’s Lou Wooster Public Health Hero Award, which is named for a Birmingham woman who risked her life and stayed in the city to care for residents during an 1873 cholera epidemic. When she died in 1913, hundreds of empty carriages drove by the funeral home as a sign of respect.
On April 9, in conjunction with the dean’s office, the Public Health Student Association also helped organize what it hopes will be an annual Public Health Research Day. The event allowed students and faculty to display their work, and prizes were awarded to the best poster displays. A luncheon featured a talk on activism research.
The week ended with the “Amazing Public Health Race,” which had teams race around to different public health establishments to complete tasks, earn points and learn exactly what public health is. Stops on the race circuit included the local YMCA, the Jefferson County Health Department and two local nutrition programs. Teams also earned points by taking pictures of public health-related scenes in the community.
At the University of CALIFORNIA, IRVINE, the Public Health Association celebrated National Public Health Week by informing students about the field of public health, encouraging a healthier campus and raising money for cancer research.
All week, students set up a booth in the heart of campus to offer an array of information about the many opportunities in public health. The booth also allowed fellow university students a chance to pledge what they would do to build a healthier America.
On Monday, the Public Health Association hosted a “public health mixer” where public health faculty offered insight into the growing field of public health and interacted with students. On Wednesday, the association hosted six panelists representing various master’s in public health programs from the University of California, Irvine; the University of California, Los Angeles; Loma Linda University; and California State University, Fullerton.
One of the week’s highlights was a Concert for Charity, featuring local bands, which raised money for the American Cancer Society. The week’s events ended with a showing of the movie “Flow” on Friday and a hike at the local state park on Saturday.
At Loma Linda University in LOMA LINDA, CALIF., students at the School of Public Health observed National Public Health Week by introducing teens from local southern California high schools to the ways public health touches people’s lives.
Students from Redlands East Valley High School and Rialto High School visited the university campus, where faculty members spoke to them about different aspects of the public health field and university students led the teens in activities such as a public health scavenger hunt. The week’s activities also included a movie and lunch hosted by the campus group Students Teaching AIDS to Students and a poster contest.
The Student Dietetic Association at California State University in LOS ANGELES, CALIF., celebrated National Public Health Week a little early to also acknowledge March as National Nutrition Month. Students promoted healthy lifestyles among college students by providing healthy snacks and brochures about good nutrition. At an information table on campus, students also sold cookbooks that featured healthy recipes.
During Global Health Awareness Week in early April, which overlapped with National Public Health Week, the University Muslim Medical Association Clinic in south LOS ANGELES, CALIF., displayed a poster in the UCLA Global Health Symposium describing the clinic’s role in strengthening patient assistance programs.
The clinic’s dispensary provides uninsured patients with free prescription medications, and the poster explained how the program works and ways the clinic tracks progress and improves outreach to the under-served.
In ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF., the Orange County Health Care Agency kicked off National Public Health Week with a mini health fair to welcome public health staff as they arrived to work. Booths featured information about various public health services, and activities such as blood pressure checks and nutrition and smoking cessation information focused on employee wellness.
On Tuesday, the agency held the “World’s Biggest Lift-Off,” a 10-minute activity break designed for the workplace. At noon, agency employees “lifted off” together after more than 50 staff members were trained as facilitators. Also on Tuesday, a Public Health Week resolution was presented by the Orange County Board of Supervisors. An afternoon workshop for staff focused on obesity trends and chronic disease with the opportunity for staff members to earn continuing education credits.
On Wednesday, an award for excellence in health education was presented for innovative food safety education. Each day’s theme was captured in an e-mail blast to all staff with information that included a health tip and resources.
The week wrapped up with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated stairwell at the public health headquarters building. Modeled after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s StairWell project and funded by the California Endowment, the stairwell’s walls were painted in motivating colors along with inspirational quotes and point-of-decision prompts that encourage staff to “burn calories, not electricity” by taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
In SACRAMENTO, CALIF., the California Department of Public Health honored National Public Health Week by hosting celebrity chef Tyler Florence to show Californians “how to eat right when money’s tight.” The cooking demonstration featured state officials and served as a marquee event to draw attention to the public health department’s largest nutrition education and assistance programs, the Network for a Healthy California and the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program. The popular Showbiz Productions Dance Team also performed to help deliver the week’s message of “California: Think Healthy, Live Healthy.”
The Center for Health Improvement in SACRAMENTO, CALIF., celebrated National Public Health Week by reaching out to more than 3,000 people via an electronic newsletter asking them to help make sure health promotion and disease prevention figure prominently in the current health reform debate. Staff kicked off the week with a contest to reduce individual carbon footprints, and each day featured activities designed to enhance staff members’ health.
On Wednesday, staff gathered for an exploration of the resources offered via the federal government’s HealthFinder Web site. Stress reduction was Thursday’s theme, when staff members participated in an afternoon yoga and meditation session and power-walked a two-mile route from the office, around the State Capitol Park and back. The center’s National Public Health Week celebration officially ended May 5 with the announcement of the winner of the “Reduce Your Carbon Footprint” contest.
Waiting times for emergency care offer an opportunity to provide information for patients and caregivers. As such, the University of CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO, Hillcrest Emergency Department Waiting Area used National Public Health Week to launch its colorful, educational display board featuring health promotion topics that will be updated monthly.
An editorial was published in the Daily Journal of SAN MATEO COUNTY, CALIF., during National Public Health Week that educated readers about the theme of “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America” as well as how public health has improved lives. The article, written by San Mateo County Deputy Health Officer Alvaro Garza, MD, MPH, pushed the public to help build a foundation for a healthier county.
The International Health and Epidemiology Research Center in SHERMAN OAKS, CALIF., celebrated National Public Health Week for almost an entire month, beginning with an art exhibit that ran from March 14–21. The exhibit, “Replacing Violence With Art,” featured more than 40 examples of artwork with peaceful messages. On March 29, the center hosted the 15th annual “Peace Day,” where children turned in their toy guns and violent video games for a certificate and a reward and then created works of art with the collected toys. April 8 featured a one-hour live radio interview about the center’s “Anti-Violence Campaign for Peace” and public health issues.
Ventura County Public Health in VENTURA, CALIF., celebrated the advancements of the past such as polio eradication, fluoridation of drinking water and seat belt laws during National Public Health Week while also looking toward the future.
Beginning with a public health week proclamation from the County Board of Supervisors, the week’s activities included a free health fair and a panel discussion on the relationship between nutrition and physical activity. Panelists included professional chef Claude Mann from the TBS television show “Dinner and a Movie.” The agency also issued a news release and an op-ed about the importance of public health in every facet of daily life.
Amid the networking events, health walks and seminars traditionally organized during National Public Health Week, the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus teamed up with the Public Health Alliance of Colorado in DENVER, COLO., to launch a virtual celebration for the week.
Efforts started in mid-March with a soft launch of the National Public Health Week Colorado Facebook page. The soft launch targeted student leaders and public health advocates throughout the state to gain support and collect content. Then the school and alliance sent a series of e-mails about the week and the page, which now includes fans from across the state.
The Facebook page was the platform for the week’s events, including a seminar on the 2009 salmonella outbreak in Alamosa, Colo., a networking event for public health professionals and Denver’s National Start Walking Day rally. The school, alliance and Facebook fans contributed daily content, including personal videos, This is Public Health sticker photos and the latest public health headlines from across the country.
The week’s events included the Colorado School of Public Health joining with the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital in instituting a campus-wide tobacco-free policy. The policy will be phased in during the next six months, with a complete tobacco ban commencing on Oct. 31.
On Monday, the Colorado School of Public Health welcomed its newly admitted class of students to campus for an open house, which included a prospective student panel, small group meetings with faculty and staff, a campus tour and preventive medicine grand rounds. Various professional public health associations from across the Denver area gathered on Tuesday to sponsor a networking event at a local restaurant. Other events included a National Start Walking Day rally, hosted by the American Heart Association, where public health representatives sported This is Public Health T-shirts, carried National Public Health Week signs and distributed This is Public Health stickers.
National Public Health Week kicked off Monday, April 6, at the Yale School of Public Health in NEW HAVEN, CONN., with a panel discussion entitled “Perspectives on Health Disparities in Connecticut.” The Office of Community Health and a committee with representatives from the Yale College Public Health Coalition, Yale School of Public Health Global Health Initiatives, Office of Alumni Affairs, Yale’s Community Alliance for Research and Engagement and the Student Association of Yale Public Health organized the week’s events.
Other events included screenings of “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” the acclaimed PBS documentary exploring the root causes of socioeconomic and racial health disparities.
The Florida Department of Health in TALLAHASSEE, FLA., hosted a health fair at the state Capitol to observe National Public Health Week.
Health department staff from various programs worked at information booths and held interactive games to raise awareness about the week’s theme of “Building the Foundation for a Healthier Florida.” Events included a chronic disease “Wheel of Fortune,” computer quizzes about nutrition, blood pressure and blood glucose screenings by the Leon County Health Department, school health games, a sexual violence prevention video and a Tobacco-Free Florida game wheel.
Batman and Wonder Woman accompanied the Tobacco-Free Florida “Smokifier” van, which demonstrates how the effect of smoking ages a person over time, at the Capitol Courtyard and promoted the program’s custom comic book.
The Emory Reproductive Health Association, an organization within the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in ATLANTA, GA., sponsored a National Public Health Week discussion about mainstream pornography and its impact on women’s health.
The discussion started with the airing of interviews with an adult film star that touched on issues such as drug use, promiscuity, rape and pornography’s impacton sexual relationships between men and women. A debate followed, and more than 80 students attended the event, where the consensus was that pornography and its potential public health implications have not been adequately addressed by health professionals and that the topic merits greater attention and discussion.
Also at the Rollins School of Public Health, more than 100 undergraduate and graduate students participated in the Rolympics, a National Public Health Week competition filled with public health-related events. “Rolympians” competed in a rock-climbing race, the Student Outreach and Response Team Hazmat Suit Relay Race, a healthy eating competition, tug-of-war and a condom toss. Team Epidemiology squeaked out a win, allowing it to hold the Curran Cup — a trophy named after one of the school’s deans — until next year’s competition.
The Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University in STATESBORO, GA., hosted many events during National Public Health Week.
First was a viewing and discussion of the acclaimed PBS documentary “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” The following day, students distributed information about the importance of advocacy. A heart healthy recipe book, “What’s Cookin’,” was distributed to faculty, staff and students on the third day, with recipes submitted by students in the school’s Public Health Student Association and various organizations that promote healthy eating.
The college also held an open house for undergraduate students to help them learn about degrees offered and the field of public health. The week wrapped up with an all-day educational session to teach high school students about public health and its career options.
National Public Health Week events in Hawaii began with a social mixer hosted by the Hawaii Public Health Association in HONOLULU, HAWAII. Other events included a symposium on health and human rights, workshops, screenings of the documentaries “Sick Around the World,” “Together We Are Strong,” “Seeds of Hope” and “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” and a public health social mixer on the island of Maui.
The University of Hawaii public health student group, Hui Ola Pono, organized most of the week’s events and chose an alternative theme of “Health and Human Rights,” addressing issues specific to Hawaii. Six major topics addressed during the week at a human rights “teach-in” and other events were Native Hawaiian and indigenous health, domestic violence, global violence, immigrant and migrant health, food security and nutrition, and universal health care. Sponsors included the American Heart Association, East-West Center, University of Hawaii Population Studies, Ka’u Preservation, Health Care for All Hawaii and the John A. Burns School of Medicine Global Health Interest Group.
In BOISE, IDAHO, the Idaho Public Health Association helped promote the National Public Health Week theme of “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America” by highlighting the many faces of public health in the state. The association and the governor’s office proclaimed Wednesday, April 8, as Idaho Public Health Day in honor of public health professionals. The APHA Affiliate’s blog included essays on the faces of public health written by Idaho Public Health Association board members to high light different areas of public health, such as surveillance, suicide prevention, medical training and public health preparedness.
The Eastern Idaho Health Festival at Pine Ridge Mall in POCATELLO, IDAHO, and Grand Teton Mall in IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO, featured more than 90 health care agencies and businesses joining to help spread the “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America” message during National Public Health Week.
Entertainment at the festivals included the Easter Bunny and Billy the Blood Drop from the American Red Cross, dance and gymnastic performances, a rock wall from the National Guard and martial arts demonstrations. Kids were the main focus and they received giveaways such as Frisbees, bikes, skateboards, footballs, soccer balls and basketballs. A scavenger hunt at both malls had participants looking for nine pictures of health care themes such as “say no to drugs” and “eat healthy.”
The events also featured an American Red Cross blood drive and more than $15,000 in cash and prizes.
The Urban Health and Diversity Programs at the University of ILLINOIS, CHICAGO, hosted a National Public Health Week poster contest and a trivia competition for middle school students from Chicago public schools. The trivia competition, called “Public Health is All Around Us,” increased student awareness of public health and its relevance to society as well as career paths in public health. The competition also increased students’ motivation to study math, science and language arts. About 100 students participated, along with teachers and parents.
The Macon County Health Department in DECATUR, ILL., held an open house during National Public Health Week to invite community members not only to learn about programs and services but also to receive free screenings, tour the building and meet the staff.
The free screenings included car seat checks, developmental screenings and blood lead level screenings for children, and free prostate-specific antigen blood tests, oral cancer exams and blood pressure checks for adults. Immunizations were offered, as were free lead paint chip testing and take-home radon test kits. A local radio station broadcast its morning show live from the open house to promote the event as well as the Macon County Health Department’s tobacco cessation efforts.
The East Side Health District in EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL., opened its doors to the community for the entire week to commemorate National Public Health Week, with each department informing visitors about how it contributes to the public’s health. Both the week-long open house and National Public Health Week were advertised in the local East St. Louis community newspaper.
A new student organization at Benedictine University in LISLE, ILL., celebrated its first National Public Health Week by decorating the campus with signs and banners and sending daily, themed e-mail messages suggesting ways students could impact public health. The MPH Student Advisory Panel also collaborated with the student newspaper to write an article addressing the importance of public health.
Live Healthy Iowa in AMES, IOWA, celebrated National Public Health Week with a 100-day wellness challenge that had 29,000 Iowans logging hours of activity and pounds lost.
By the end of National Public Health Week, participants had logged more than 965,000 hours of activity and dropped more than 119,000 pounds by following the program either individually or as part of one of the many Live Healthy Iowa teams enjoying some healthy competition on the road to wellness.
More than 50 communities, 173 businesses and 56 schools participated. Learn more at www.livehealthyiowa.org.
At Palmer Chiropractic College in DAVENPORT, IOWA, a variety of information booths, banners, posters and other activities spread the public health message during National Public Health Week. The college also celebrated the opening of a free clinic for low-income community members in downtown Moline, Iowa.
Promoting a state-specific theme of “Public Health Modernization as a Foundation for a Healthy Iowa,” the Iowa Department of Public Health in DES MOINES, IOWA, posted a Web page before and during National Public Health Week that allowed public health professionals from across the state to spread the word.
The page featured a link to a governor’s proclamation, community event ideas and tips, a news release template and media advisory template for local events. Other resources included informative quiz handouts on topics such as injury prevention and protection against environmental hazards, and table tents from the Iowa Public Health Association listing 10 top public health advancements.
The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department celebrated National Public Health Week in LAWRENCE, KAN., with a focus on staff appreciation. For the second consecutive year, the department gave out the Kay Kent Excellence in Health Service Award, named for the woman who served as head of the agency for 33 years.
The Johnson County Health Department in OLATHE, KAN., previewed National Public Health Week by getting the word out to local residents through message posters on the local bus line. Ninety posters were displayed on 45 buses during most of the month of April. Through such messages as “Change Happens, One Step at a Time” and “Step up to a Healthier Lifestyle,” the posters encouraged people to be healthier by taking the stairs.
The department also coordinated the promotion and give-away of the book “The Gulps” to 15 local elementary schools. The book promotes physical activity, proper nutrition and healthy family choices. In addition, the department promoted healthy food choices to employees, who were encouraged to bring healthy foods to share with co-workers during lunch.
The Kansas Health Institute in TOPEKA, KAN., joined with the Kansas Public Health Association, the Kansas Department of Health and the Environment, the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library and several other local partners to coordinate events in recognition of National Public Health Week.
A free health and wellness fair, “Pathways to a Healthier You,” was held the morning of April 8 at the public library. The fair featured health screenings, interactive demonstrations on healthy eating and exercise, and conversations with representatives from local health and wellness organizations such as the Shawnee County Health Agency, the American Red Cross, Topeka Parks and Recreation, the Kansas Eye Care Council and the St. Francis Health Center Diabetes Center.
Staff from downtown businesses in Topeka, including many state agencies, participated in the walking challenge “Steps to a Healthier You” during National Public Health Week. Teams of four competed for gift certificates for new running shoes, and participants walked more than 4 million steps in five days.
National Public Health Week events sponsored by the Sedgwick County Health Department in WICHITA, KAN., included a screening of the PBS documentary “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” at Wichita State University, followed by a discussion. Health department materials and resources were made available during the screening.
A handout explaining how public health touches daily lives was distributed throughout the week, which will serve as a tool during future fairs and promotions. More than 260 businesses in Sedgwick County received the health department’s Worksite Wellness Toolkit to help encourage them to take steps toward creating a healthier work force. School nurses in Sedgwick County received resources and a letter thanking them for their public health efforts and encouraging them to contact the department for oral health services. Fourth-year medical students at the Kansas University School of Medicine heard a presentation on public health and the most recent public health data, and department officials made a book presentation to the Board of County Commissioners.
Sedgwick County Health Department personnel provided a presentation at a health disparities conference in Topeka on the local Health Access Project, which researches the county’s health access problems and aims to find solutions to barriers to health care access. Veggie trays with healthy dip were delivered during National Public Health Week to each of the six health department sites, random acts of kindness “gold stars” were distributed to all supervisors and staff, and the county manager’s weekly address included an article on National Public Health Week that featured local data and promoted the “Unnatural Causes” screening event.
The Student Government Association at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences in LOUISVILLE, KY., kicked off National Public Health Week by hosting an appreciation lunch for Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness employees. During the event, students learned more about health department activities and employees enjoyed getting to know tomorrow’s public health leaders.
The students took a stand against heart disease on Wednesday, April 8, by participating in the American Heart Association’s national Start Walking Day. Students attended the event in downtown Louisville, hosting a This is Public Health booth and taking turns walking on treadmills alongside community leaders.
Throughout National Public Health week, students distributed pedometers to faculty, staff and fellow students to continue efforts to promote exercise and sponsored a “Walk the Talk” contest from April 7–14 to see who could rack up the most miles.
University of Maine senior nursing students worked hard during National Public Health Week to promote health in ORONO, MAINE.
Events included a pandemic influenza tabletop exercise focusing on an incident command system, teaching emergency response to second-graders, speaking about obesity and exercise to a parent and teacher association, performing children’s yoga with kindergarteners, and designing and distributing a resources brochure for veterans.
The Anne Arundel County Department of Health held a heart healthy walk during National Public Health Week outside the Health Services Building in ANNAPOLIS, MD. More than 75 county and state employees participated in the event. The department also produced a National Public Health Week display at the Annapolis Area Public Library.
Healthy living was front and center during National Public Health Week in BROOKLINE, MASS., where the Brookline Department of Public Health promoted running, a good night’s sleep, kids’ recreation, summer safety and physical fitness throughout the week.
On Monday, April 6, a local author presented scenic running routes featured in his new book and a clinical supervisor of physical therapy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital outlined how to prevent and treat running injuries. Following the presentations, health department staff conducted a gait analysis session to allow participants to learn which running shoes work best for their respective feet.
On Tuesday, April 7, a local doctor spoke about “Healthy Sleep” and discussed common sleep concerns and illnesses, various methods to improve sleep, and sleeping patterns and their relationship to overall health. Friday, April 10, was Kids Recreation Day in Brookline, and the Brookline Recreation Department played host to healthy fitness activities for local kids in kindergarten through eighth-grade. The day’s events included an open swim, soccer drills, golf clinics, tennis instruction and outdoor games and activities.
A public health nurse entertained schoolchildren with summer safety tips and prevention strategies, and throughout the week local gyms and fitness centers promoted physical fitness by offering specials on classes and memberships.
In SPRINGFIELD, MASS., the Department of Health and Human Services not only celebrated National Public Health Week but also the entire month of April as Public Health Month.
The month-long celebration highlighted the cooperative efforts of local institutions, organizations and communities working to address public health challenges. The city of Springfield and the local Public Health Committee presented the 13th annual Luminary Award and the Director’s Award — which recognized contributions toward optimal community, personal and environmental health in Springfield — at a Public Health Month Kick-Off and award ceremony event at City Hall on Monday, April 6.
Springfield’s many Public Health Month events included an obesity forum, a legislative luncheon, a ribbon-cutting celebration at the Springfield Community Dental Clinic, a “Mind, Body and Spirit” health fair, a workshop for the homeless on sexually transmitted diseases, a session for parents and children on peaceful resolution of life’s conflicts and a workshop on lead and other hazardous conditions in apartments. Other events included a forum on racial and ethnic disparities in children’s health, a clinic on medication management and blood pressure and an annual health fair.
Also in SPRINGFIELD, MASS., the Community Outreach Worker Network and Training Coalition held a one-day development conference with workshops.
The Mississippi Public Health Association in HATTIESBURG, MISS., celebrated National Public Health Week with awareness-building activities to showcase how public health improves lives.
A guest editorial published in the largest state newspaper, the Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss., emphasized the importance of public health and the field’s impact on the daily lives of state residents. With Jackson State University, the APHA Affiliate co-sponsored a Community Health Forum on April 8 titled “Building the Foundation for a Healthy Mississippi.” Participants included public health students and faculty as well as other community representatives. The Mississippi Public Health Association also staffed a booth with information on APHA’s Get Ready campaign.
The Mississippi Affiliate sponsored a reception at the Mississippi State Department of Health honoring the efforts of department employees and their contributions to improve the health status of Mississippi residents.
A tour of the newly remodeled Douglas County Health Department in AVA, MO., during National Public Health Week gave community members the opportunity to see the new health education resource center and view more than 350 items on public health issues.
Educational booths at the center touched on myriad issues and services, ranging from an annual three-day camp sponsored by the Southwest Missouri Area Health Education Center and the health department that gives seventh- and eighth- graders the opportunity to explore various medical professions, to safety information on all-terrain vehicles, sun safety, proper car seat use and environmental safety. One booth highlighted the Live Like Your Life Depends on It campaign, which the health department and partner organizations are using to promote healthier lifestyle choices in Missouri. The campaign’s primary messages are to eat smart, move more, be tobacco-free and get recommended health screenings.
A booth on tobacco education included information on cigarette ingredients, the costs of smoking, consequences of smokeless tobacco and the opportunity to sign up for a grassroots movement to make Douglas County smoke-free. Other booths focused on healthy weight, how to perform breast and testicular self-exams, a local infant formula program for at-risk babies and the opportunity to sign up for a monthly newsletter featuring health department clinic schedules, healthy recipes and health-related articles.
The department also sponsored an April 9 health fair where residents could get free screenings for colorectal cancer, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, height, weight and body mass index.
In April, Carson City Health and Human Services in CARSON CITY, NEV., launched a full-scale public health marketing campaign to boost awareness of public health interventions, forge partner ships within the community and increase awareness about the services offered by the health department.
The This is Public Health sticker campaign featured prominently in awareness activities and served as a springboard for the department’s future outreach efforts. Staff also gave tobacco-free Tar Wars presentations in local elementary schools, and two students were trained to be peer advocates and encourage fellow students to stay away from tobacco. Two health fairs during the month also helped bolster National Public Health Week efforts.
At the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in PISCATAWAY, N.J., the School of Public Health held its 14th annual public health symposium to kick off National Public Health Week. Titled “Research and Practice in Global Public Health Issues,” the popular symposium was sponsored by the School of Public Health’s Office of Public Health Practice and featured presentations on topics such as air pollution and the global burden of disease, cultural communication issues, public health challenges facing sugar cane workers, and pertussis and influenza trends.
Poster presentations gave participants information on a wide range of public health programs from other schools at the university and departments in the School of Public Health as well as the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, local health-related high school programs and many others. Exhibits from the Black Infant Mortality Reduction Resource Center of the Northern New Jersey Maternal/Child Health Consortium, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the New Jersey Women and AIDS Network and other groups also added to the symposium. Following the official presentations, attendees were treated to a healthy food reception.
In recognition of National Public Health Week, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services in TRENTON, N.J., issued a news release quoting Commissioner Heather Howard, JD, on the important role public health plays in keeping New Jersey residents safe and healthy. The release also highlighted Howard’s recent testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health on the role public health should play as the nation moves forward with health care reform.
In that testimony, Howard said investments in public health and prevention are essential elements in effective health reform. Her full testimony is available at www.nj.gov.
Public health advocates in NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., celebrated National Public Health Week by treating residents of the Queen City Towers municipal housing building to healthy food, music and screenings for diabetes, HIV and heart disease at a community “Health Jam.”
The local group African American Men of Westchester Inc., supported by the Westchester County Department of Health and the housing authorities of the cities of New Rochelle, Yonkers and White Plains as well as Westchester Medical Center and local community and medical partners, has brought eight Health Jams to municipal housing sites since 2007. In recognition of its unique concept and success in reaching more than 700 residents at the Health Jams, the African American Men of Westchester was honored by the Westchester County Board of Health at the April 6 Health Jam, when the group was presented with the health agency’s 2009 Distinguished Public Health Service Award.
At New York Chiropractic College in SENECA FALLS, N.Y., students serving as interns with the local Veterans Administration outpatient clinic focused on infection control in a patient setting during National Public Health Week.
Evidence-based sanitizing measures were discussed, with a special focus on handwashing before and after every patient contact to break the chain of contagion. Both students and patients were informed that extra care was being taken to reinforce proper handwashing procedures in honor of National Public Health Week.
Nursing students asked sixth-grade students to “get reel” about tobacco during National Public Health Week in Grand Forks, N.D. The Grand Forks Public Health Department and students from the University of North Dakota’s College of Nursing visited sixth-grade classrooms at a local middle school to educate students about the influence of tobacco in the movies.
An interactive activity focused primarily on the smoke-free movies campaign, ScreenOut, which is a project of the Smoke Free Movies Action Network. The goal was to raise awareness about the influential strate gies the tobacco industry is using to reach youth and to change the way they and their families look at movies. Learn more at www.smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu.
The Mansfield/Ontario/Richland County Health Department in MANSFIELD, OHIO, honored an individual, an organization and a media personality at its annual Public Health Day breakfast and awards program during National Public Health Week.
The Friends of Public Health awards recognize outstanding contributions to the health department’s programs or health within the community. A local church’s wellness committee was honored, for example, for providing free, healthy food at the Minority Health Fair for four years. Public Health Day is celebrated every year during National Public Health Week and this year featured proclamations from local mayors and county commissioners.
The first week of April got double billing at the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health in OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA., as National Public Health Week and Oklahoma Wellness Week. Both were proclaimed by Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry.
In addition to a keynote address each day of the week, the college co-sponsored a half-day town hall meeting focusing on Oklahoma employee wellness programs. Presentations throughout the week touched on topics such as Oklahoma’s state health insurance coverage initiative, public health lessons from the past and applications for the future, prediction and prevention of emerging infectious diseases, health care equity and public health ethics.
The National Nursing Network Organization teamed up with the local Medical Reserve Corps and parish nurses to deliver two healthy living fairs in OREGON during National Public Health Week. The organization also posted a public health message on its Web site, at http://nationalnurse.blogspot.com, reminding visitors of the goal of becoming the healthiest nation in one generation and the importance of a public health focus during national health reform efforts.
OREGON’S National Public Health Week events included a variety of activities such as a statewide walk, a speakers’ series, a student photo contest, physical fitness classes and the creation of a new chronic disease prevention display.
For Spanish-speaking residents, a panel of state and local public health professionals in Portland, Ore., was featured on a local public radio show titled “Buscando América.” Representatives from Migrant Health, the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, the Oregon Public Health Association and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children discussed various public health issues including HIV, diabetes and new laws that support breastfeeding. Students from across the state shared their perspectives on public health by participating in a “The Way I See It: A Teenage Perspective on Public Health” photo contest. Entries were exhibited at multiple venues throughout National Public Health Week and will continue to be exhibited for the rest of the year. View the photo submissions at www.communityhealthpriorities.org.
Other highlights of National Public Health Week in Oregon included discussions on “Willpower and our Weight Control Fairy Tales: Rethinking the Causes and Solutions to Obesity” and “Talking Public Health: Developing America’s Second Language.” A State Walk for the Public’s Health challenged state legislators to walk each day during National Public Health Week to collectively cross the entire state. Health department staff learned the latest exercise techniques, including yoga and Tjimindi Tulen, an Indonesian martial arts activity. Healthy snacks were provided for sampling, with a survey tallying which types of snacks were most popular. Health officials also unveiled a new chronic disease prevention display that will be used around the state to help inform Oregonians on obesity prevention, physical activity and related issues.
Multiple public health displays were on view all week at the state Capitol in Salem, Ore., and the Portland State Office Building in Portland, Ore. Safe Kids Oregon collected used life jackets, offered new children’s life jackets for sale and demonstrated their proper fit. The group also provided information on a bike safety fair as well as ways to recycle used car seats.
The Multnomah County Health Department in PORTLAND, ORE., celebrated National Public Health Week through its ninth annual Public Health Heroes Celebration on April 9. Created to honor and recognize the many individuals and organizations throughout the community that work to promote public health, this year’s awards went to three organizations and three individuals for their efforts in promoting public health practices with innovative community programs.
At Western States Chiropractic College in PORTLAND, ORE., three days of events were held during National Public Health Week, all co-sponsored by the Oregon Public Health Association and the college’s Business Club. A discussion panel kicked off the week’s events and featured the history of APHA and the value of participation for chiropractors, billing codes for services related to public health and other issues. Other events included a “Walk for the Health of It” for the campus community.
Also in PORTLAND, ORE., the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University hosted several events during National Public Health Week. Each day during the week of celebration focused on a different setting through which the public’s health is impacted.
Monday focused on “your nation,” with a talk on mental health reform and one on women’s health. Tuesday was “your community,” featuring information on drug and alcohol abuse as well as “Oregon Health Go Local,” an online directory of health services, programs, resources, facilities and providers throughout the state. Wednesday was “your workplace,” with a talk on the Dangerous Decibels Project, which seeks to reduce the incidence and prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus, and information from Oregon Poison Control. Thursday’s topic was “your schools,” featuring information about community schools that combine the best educational practices with enhanced and extended daytime and summer programming to ensure that children are physically, emotionally and socially prepared to learn. Friday’s focus was “your home,” with a presentation on a local car safety seat study.
In addition to the presentations, participants were asked one question based on each day’s theme and had the chance to win donated prizes such as a bicycle tune-up and gift certificates for bike rentals and bike tours.
PHILADELPHIA, PA., celebrated National Public Health Week this year with the theme “Hunger is a Public Health Issue.” The issue is critical in Philadelphia, where nearly one in five households with children had to skip or cut out meals in 2008 and there has been a 44 percent increase in households assisted by food pantries, despite a 20 percent reduction in food donations.
Working with Mayor Michael Nutter’s Task Force on Hunger, the Drexel School of Public Health and other partners, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health participated in several awareness-building activities, including a proclamation from the mayor announcing Public Health Week with the hunger theme.
A group of community, government and academic experts spoke at a panel on hunger as a public health issue, and staff from the health department, other city departments and the mayor participated in Philadelphia’s Hunger Walk, which was sponsored by the Coalition Against Hunger.
Also, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health organized an advocacy campaign to encourage the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue funding the city’s Universal Feeding Program, which provides an estimated 121,000 of the district’s 167,000 students with breakfast, lunch or both at no cost every day.
The National Board of Public Health Examiners in PITTSBURGH, PA., shared an hour-long webinar during National Public Health Week on “Past and Future Perspectives on Certified in Public Health,” which was hosted by the Association of Schools of Public Health on Thursday, April 9.
APHA and the Association of Schools of Public Health, along with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the National Association of County and City Health Officials, are organizational partners to the National Board of Public Health Examiners, which administers the Certified in Public Health exam. Through the webinar, participants assessed their own readiness to register for and complete the 2009 exam, and the event also provided an opportunity for public health students and professionals to hear testimonials from members of the charter class of Certified in Public Health as well as public health faculty and employers. The testimonials are available online at www.publichealthexam.org.
The Graduate School of Public Health at the University of PUERTO RICO in SAN JUAN celebrated National Public Health Week with a presentation about a local project addressing violence against women, a blood drive and posters displayed on the school’s main bulletin board illustrating the different community projects the school and students are involved in.
A conference on the epidemiology of substance abuse in Puerto Rico gave participants the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the area, and the University of Puerto Rico’s Medical Sciences Campus was the site of an evening “Suavecito” party, which is a traditional social gathering where students from many different schools joined to relax and have a good time. A forum on “The Community: The Foundation for a Healthy Puerto Rico” featured representatives from community-based organizations who talked about the services they provide and the day-to-day struggles they face while working to improve community health. Organizations represented those who work with the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, those who provide services to the homeless, drug abusers and battered women, and an agency that provides assistance to women from the Dominican Republic.
The university’s Family Planning Program also sponsored a sexually transmitted infection screening clinic, offering free testing to students.
Across TENNESSEE, numerous National Public Health Week events included mayoral proclamations, presentations at area schools and community activities. The Bledsoe County Health Department in Pikeville, Tenn., issued a one-page flier on “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America” that discussed ways public health makes a difference, highlighted key health department programs and gave tips on how residents could improve their health during National Public Health Week.
In CLINTON, TENN., the Anderson County Health Department celebrated National Public Health Week by establishing a county health department foundation to benefit the county’s needy citizens. A Public Health Week Committee prepared lunch for staff members, and in exchange, employees donated a personal hygiene item such as a toothbrush, soap or shampoo to keep at the department for those in need. Quarterly lunch events are planned to keep the supply well-stocked.
The county’s mayor signed a proclamation acknowledging Public Health Week, and local newspapers and cable television stations ran articles and aired announcements noting the contributions of public health to the local infrastructure. A psychologist gave a talk during a health department staff meeting on helping distressed residents during tough economic times.
The governing body of the master’s of public health degree program and the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee in KNOXVILLE, TENN., collaborated to celebrate National Public Health Week with a public health seminar on “Building an Integrated Health Team and a Vision of Health Care Reform.” The seminar focused on the role of veterinarians as public health team members and the intersection of human, environmental and animal health. The school’s public health program also recognized two internship preceptors for their outstanding work.
Community health education graduate students enrolled in the program planning course partnered with the East Tennessee Regional Health Office and the Coordinated School Health director for Union County schools to recognize National Public Health Week with a toolkit for high school instructors and presentations on public health and public health careers. A student essay contest challenged entrants to assign significance to symbols using This is Public Health campaign stickers.
The National Kidney Foundation Serving East Tennessee in KNOXVILLE, TENN., submitted op-ed pieces to local newspapers and sent letters to state and federal lawmakers during National Public Health Week to highlight the burden that chronic disease places on the nation’s health. The pieces urged the community to become an advocate for public health policies that help prevent kidney disease and improve the lives and care of those affected by the disease.
In COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, the Texas A&M Health Science Center’s School of Rural Public Health honored winners of the fourth annual poster symposium and poster contest during National Public Health Week. The winners, all students in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, have been invited by the Delta Omega Society in Public Health to submit abstracts for the student poster session at the November APHA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Other events included a “fun run” to raise money for student scholarships, public health presentations for the general public, disparities grant presentations, a blood drive and a global health exhibit.
The University of Texas School of Public Health at Dallas Student Association and the Southwestern Preventive Medicine Interest Group in DALLAS, TEXAS, held several National Public Health Week events, including a networking social for students, faculty and staff, a lecture series, an information booth fair, a global health lecture and a poster session.
The El Paso Department of Public Health in EL PASO, TEXAS, distributed information to media outlets during National Public Health Week on the importance of each health department program and joined with the University of Texas at El Paso College of Health Sciences to host public health information booths during the week.
The City of El Paso’s Department of Public Health showcased its programs during National Public Health Week through collaboration with the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Texas School of Public Health–El Paso Regional Campus at outreach events April 7 and 8 at the school’s library.
In FORT WORTH, TEXAS, the University of North Texas Health Science Center celebrated National Public Health Week with a free, community-wide children’s asthma conference, a North Texas Health Forum and a community health fair coordinated by the school’s Public Health Student Association.
At the Galveston County Health District in GALVESTON, TEXAS, National Public Health Week events included recognition of Hurricane Ike Public Health Heroes, free immunizations at the district’s three immunization clinics and the annual Gold Ribbon Awards given to food establishments that show exemplary compliance with the Texas Food Establishment Rules.
The Texas Obesity Research Center at the University of HOUSTON, TEXAS, held its inaugural conference during National Public Health Week to serve as a platform for the exchange of obesity research focusing on areas such as cell biology, energy regulation and clinical management, epidemiology, public health and built environment policy.
The Salt Lake Valley Health Department in SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, launched its new initiative “One Small Change — For the Health of It!” during National Public Health Week, arranged for the mayor to sign a proclamation, issued an op-ed column about achieving a healthier nation and posted links to public health videos on its Web site, Facebook page and Twitter feed.
In RICHMOND, VA., students and faculty from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Epidemiology and Community Health recognized National Public Health Week with a variety of activities including an op-ed column on the importance of public health that was published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The East End Community Health Fair offered blood pressure screenings, child identification and fingerprinting, HIV testing and counseling, exercise and nutrition information and tennis demonstrations for youth. University public health students provided handwashing demonstrations and a fruit-tasting table.
The master’s of public health program worked with the Virginia Department of Health to place students in day-long shadowing experiences, and students also attended the State Board of Health meeting on April 17 to observe the process of formatting public health policy. A May 1 Public Health Forum included more than 40 research poster presentations and a keynote address on “Community Engagement: A Direct Pathway to Addressing Health Disparities.”
The Washington State Public Health Association, University of Washington’s Extended MPH Program, Public Health SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY, WASH., joined during National Public Health Week to kick off their participation in the This is Public Health sticker and photo awareness campaign. King County plans to use the pictures in ongoing public health campaigns and on publicly accessible Web sites, and the university will be displaying posters of selected photos in libraries and other public places.
The Office of Health and Wellness Promotion and faculty from the social work program and College of Nursing at Seattle University screened segments of the PBS documentary “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” during National Public Health Week and participated in several days of health screenings and education sponsored by the campus health center and supported by nursing students.
The University of WASHINGTON, TACOMA, celebrated National Public Health Week with a special lecture on April 6 titled “Every Breath You Take: Health Effects of Air Pollution.”
Clark County Public Health in VANCOUVER, WASH., celebrated National Public Health Week with a campaign theme of “Building a Healthier Community From the Ground Up.” The campaign included Public Health Week proclamations, a celebratory poster, week-long messages distributed via e-mail and news releases to all county employees, an hour-long brown bag presentation on how to “grow your garden in less space” and a community forum to garner ideas for more successful Clark County garden programs. Employee recognition and community awards honored those who contribute to the health of the community.
The Genetic Alliance in WASHINGTON, D.C., celebrated National Public Health Week by creating a small, in-office gym including a treadmill, stationary bicycle and exercise ball for staff members to use while reading public health articles or when they needed a break from their desks. The alliance also recently formed a committee to encourage healthy living among staff members. Monthly health challenges included competing to be the person who walked up the stairs the most times in one month.
The American Public Health Association in WASHINGTON, D.C., celebrated National Public Health Week with its staff with daily e-mail reminders, a healthy lunch and a National Public Health Week quiz competition.
More than 80 residents at seven sites across WISCONSIN participated in the second annual statewide public health simulcast during National Public Health Week. The Wisconsin Public Health Association collaborated with local health departments, universities and community organizations to plan and implement the event, which featured the film “Flow” and a panel discussion with water and public health experts. The simulcast highlighted issues such as water technology, safe-water policies, privatization concerns and human rights issues surrounding water and public health.
The St. Croix County Department of Health and Human Services public health staff in NEW RICHMOND, WIS., celebrated National Public Health Week with activities such as a display of more than 100 photos taken by mothers in the county who identified community assets, strategies, barriers and needs related to raising healthy children. A poster incorporating 11 Healthy Wisconsin 2010 health priorities and the county health department’s mission to protect and promote health, prevent disease and injury, and empower communities to live healthier lifestyles is traveling throughout the county for the rest of the year. Newspaper articles were submitted and printed before and during National Public Health Week, touching on themes such as public health preparedness, local public health services, exercise and nutrition, and an invitation to join the week’s activities. The week ended with a luncheon and award ceremony recognizing “Friends of Public Health.”
National Public Health Week 2010 will be celebrated April 4–11. The theme for next year’s event will be announced during the 137th APHA Annual Meeting, which will be held Nov. 7–11 in Philadelphia.
For more information on National Public Health Week visit www.nphw.org, e-mail nphw{at}apha.org or call 202-777-2742.
Cleveland Chiropractic College zeroes in on healthy weights
To promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, Cleveland Chiropractic College campuses in KANSAS CITY, KAN., and LOS ANGELES, CALIF., sponsored wellness activities such as a smoking cessation presentation, a nutrition session and a weight loss contest during National Public Health Week.
At the Kansas City campus, a smoking cessation presentation and a nutrition session were offered during the lunch hour so employees and students could attend and get help to change critical health behaviors. All events at both campuses helped showcase how chiropractic care is integrated with improving community and individual health.
The college challenged employees at both campuses to exercise for the recommended minimum of 30 minutes a day for five days a week. Those who did so were entered into a raffle to win one month’s membership at the local YMCA express fitness center.
The week’s events also included lectures and panels on health promotion topics, including one on public health and the legislative process. A luncheon hosted by the Student American Chiropractic Association included distribution of a health quiz to help participants learn about health topics.
Collaborations key at University of South Florida
At the University of South Florida College of Public Health in TAMPA, FLA., collaboration with a number of community partners made for a National Public Health Week full of events focused on education, recruitment, community service and research.
On the research and education front, 34 graduate and doctoral level public health students participated in the College of Public Health Research and Practice Poster Competition. The top five posters from the competition were submitted to a national competition.
On World Health Day April 7, students took in a film and lecture, both of which focused on stigmatization of women in Africa and Haiti, health problems among the women and the public health efforts to alleviate their physical, social and emotional burdens.
Recruitment events during the week included an open house and information session where College of Public Health staff and graduate students welcomed undergraduate students and gave tours of the college’s environmental and occupational health laboratories. Public health staff and graduate students also participated in the university-wide Student Health Services health fair and shared information about the College of Public Health’s academic programs and the key public health concepts of handwashing and food safety.
The week’s community service events featured collaboration with the University of South Florida Health Service Corps. A mini public health “teach-in” at four Tampa public schools introduced elementary, middle and high school students to public health and featured topics such as handwashing, tobacco prevention, cancer research, global health and skin cancer screening. A record number of donors showed up for a successful blood drive with Florida Blood Services. Patients and caregivers at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge were treated to a picnic and concert, a campus-wide “Relay for Life,” left, raised awareness about cancer, and a food drive benefited migrant farm workers and their families.
More than 100 people participated in the College of Public Health’s wellness day activities, which included a campus fitness walk and a health expo, and the college’s annual awards ceremony featured numerous research and scholarship awards.
Cumberland County, Tenn., builds a healthy foundation
The theme of “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America” took on a literal meaning during National Public Health Week at the Cumberland County Health Department in CROSSVILLE, TENN.
Each health department employee was assigned to be part of a team that focused on raising local awareness of public health’s role in ensuring a healthy Cumberland County. To obtain “building blocks,” each team received simple job assignments to complete during the week. At the end of the week, each team’s building block was added together to make the county’s healthy “foundation” complete.
Examples of those job assignments were walking with a family member for at least three days during the coming week, eating a salad with fresh vegetables and fat-free dressing for lunch or reaching out to other agencies about the health department’s programs. Other assignments included bringing a fruit tray or healthy dessert to the health department’s April 9 employee picnic and promoting the smoking cessation line among local organizations and groups.
Each team had an April 9 deadline for construction projects, and that day team members gathered to be awarded a building block to add to the health department’s foundation to complete the “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America” project.
North Carolina forum spotlights health reform
National Public Health Week proved a fitting backdrop for the University of NORTH CAROLINA-CHARLOTTE’S “Forum on Health Care Reform: Perspectives from the Community.”
Held in partnership with the Graduate Public Health Association, Public Health Association and Health Care for America Now!, the forum provided a platform for the community to speak about reform while enabling faculty and students to engage with and listen to local residents. Organizers said the current economic crisis “provided a unique opening to begin rethinking America’s approach to promoting health and organizing, financing and delivering” health services.
The forum featured case study presentations from several community organizations serving those most affected by gaps in the current health care system, including a community health center and community clinic. Community residents recounted personal and often emotional anecdotes about their struggles with the health system. Audience members replied with comments and suggestions.
The forum highlighted the fact that the United States spends more per capita on health care than any other nation yet has substantially shorter life expectancies, higher infant mortality and greater health disparities than many other developed nations.
Other National Public Health Week events at the school included a partnership between the Graduate Public Health Association and Fit City Challenge to organize a “fittest department challenge” on campus. The challenge was open to students, faculty and staff in each department, and participants kept a week-long fitness log provided online by Fit City Challenge. The log tracked people’s physical activity as well as vegetable intake.
The Graduate Public Health Association also organized a photo contest, exhibit and reception featuring a display of the photos. The winning photo, (see Page 31) showing a smiley face made of vegetables, was designed to promote healthy living by encouraging people to see vegetables in a different light.
Santa Barbara, Calif., report provides health snapshot
A community health status report that includes leading causes of premature death, risk factors and prevention steps was unveiled by the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department in SANTA BARBARA, CALIF., during National Public Health Week.
The aim of the report was to provide information to county employees, the general public and local professionals about the health of residents.
“Understanding the health of the community informs critical decision-making regarding program and policy development, resource allocation, and personal behavior,” according to the report. “When we are well-informed with current statistical information and scientific data, we can make better decisions and take more effective actions that support healthier and longer lives.”
In 2007, the county’s 10 leading causes of premature death were coronary heart disease, motor vehicle accidents, accidental drug overdose, stroke, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, suicide, lung cancer, hypertensive heart disease, diabetes and pancreatic cancer.
The report focuses on the top three causes of premature death and explores risk factors and prevention strategies. For coronary heart disease, risk factors include lack of physical activity, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and being overweight or obese. More than half of Santa Barbara County residents are obese or overweight.
Of the county’s total 6,600 motor vehicle accidents in 2007, about 28 percent were linked to driving at an unsafe speed and 19 percent to improper turning. While only about 10 percent of the total accidents were associated with alcohol or drug use, 35 percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes were linked to alcohol or drug use. As is the case nationally, motor vehicle deaths in the county were higher among males than females and were highest among drivers ages 15–24.
Community prevention steps for reducing the rate of fatal crashes include enforcement of all traffic laws, media campaigns to promote seat belt use and safe driving, and availability of low-cost transportation for people who have been drinking alcohol. Individual prevention steps in the report include abiding by all traffic laws, especially the posted speed limit, always wearing seat belts and having children in age-appropriate, properly installed car seats.
Produced by health department staff, the report not only lists the leading causes of death in Santa Barbara County, it also takes a close look at many public health programs that have improved lives.
The report received substantial local media attention during National Public Health Week, including a front-page story in the Santa Barbara News-Press. The report’s cover art was painted by students in a local seventh-grade class as part of the “Harvest of the Month” nutrition education program.
The full Santa Barbara report, “2009 Community Health Status Report” is available online at www.sbcphd.org.
Tennessee high school raises awareness of public health
Whites Creek High School’s Health Science Academy in WHITES CREEK, TENN., celebrated National Public Health Week with daily activities that ranged from screenings to a student health newsletter to first aid training.
On Monday, April 6, the school hosted health screenings provided by Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Employee and Family Health Centers and the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. As an incentive to encourage people to participate, the school competed against other area schools to determine who had the most teachers and staff members taking advantage of the screenings.
The next day, representatives of the Nashville Fire Department paid a visit to share their knowledge of emergency medicine as well as information about community emergency health issues and the tools they use to aid people during emergency calls. On Wednesday, April 8, students distributed the Cobra Health 411 Newsletter, which focused on National Public Health Week and included information about first aid, common diseases in the community, career spotlights and a profile of a local health care provider.
Thursday featured the school’s first-ever First Aid Scenario Event, which, like the newsletter, is planned to re-occur during National Public Health Week in coming years. The event had students providing first aid to “patients” at the school. The patients displayed their cause of injury and signs of distress on a labeled badge, and students were charged with assessing the scene and delivering first aid based on classroom lessons from the previous few weeks. Students then discussed the care given in class as part of their assessment, and patients gave their own first-hand reports.
“This exciting week helped all of us understand that we are not only creating a strong foundation of knowledge that will be the basis of transition into a medical career, but that we are also creating stronger and more knowledgeable people in the community,” said Lora Hickman, MSN, RN, ACNP, a clinical instructor at the high school.
UCLA students take to the streets to support health
At the University of California, Los Angeles, the Students of Color for Public Health group hosted its second annual National Public Health Week events in keeping with this year’s theme of “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America.”
During the week, lunchtime guest speakers included faculty members who discussed health disparities, implications of President Barack Obama’s health reform efforts in the midst of the current economic crisis, public health careers in government and the importance of urban planning for healthy, livable communities.
To kick off the week, public health graduate student Malia Jones organized a walkability study of the Palms neighborhood, an area near the university campus that is home to many university students. Jones collaborated with the Palms Neighborhood Council to assess the quality of the neighborhood’s environment. She modified the Pedestrian Environmental Quality Index developed by the San Francisco Department of Public Health to fit the concerns of the neighborhood council, which pointed out that the neighborhood could be more pedestrian-friendly.
Public health graduate students and community members joined together to walk around the neighborhood and record information such as the time allowed to cross an intersection, the width of sidewalks and whether speed limits were clearly posted. The survey included more than 30 measurements to assess the walkability of the city blocks examined by volunteers.
Volunteers worked in pairs and covered more than 60 percent of the streets and intersections of the Palms neighborhood in one day. The Palms Neighborhood Council will use the survey results to help better target city services that enhance walkability in the area.
Other National Public Health Week events included a silent auction to support the university’s UniCamp, which is a summer camp for low-income youth in the Los Angeles area that is run by college students and is the official charity of the campus. A student poster session included a research information booth with university librarians. The Career Center’s manager held individual resume reviews the day before hosting the campus’ annual public health career night.
Walden webinars show public health role in healthy nation
Walden University’s School of Health Sciences celebrated National Public Health Week with two webinars aimed at educating public health workers about the theme of “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America.”
During the April 9 webinar, APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), spoke on the role of public health professionals in building that foundation.
Benjamin talked about the fact that achieving individual health is a complex process that includes variables such as social and physical environments, genetics and individual behavior. He discussed how U.S. health expenditures as a share of the gross domestic product have risen steadily since 1988 and are expected to continue to rise through the next decade. Even as U.S. health spending per capita outpaced five other developed countries, the nation’s overall health ranking was last in 2004 when compared with the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Even more sobering, Benjamin pointed out, is that in 1980 the United States ranked 14th among industrialized countries in life expectancy at birth, but by 2003 had slipped to 23rd place.
Now, Benjamin said, the health community needs to draw together to make the United States the healthiest nation in a generation.
On April 10, Glenna Crooks, PhD, founder and president of the health consulting firm Strategic Health Policy International Inc., presented a webinar on “Health Care Leadership in an Era of Chaos.” She said the recent H1N1 flu outbreak is an example of why public health leaders need to think outside their own countries as well as their usual ways of doing things.
“We need a passport to travel across the border, but a virus doesn’t,” Crooks said. “What’s becoming really quite clear is all the boundaries and borders are breaking down. The pandemic is showing us that we are all neighbors and this is one world.”
Workers in North Dakota focus on healthy behaviors
At the Southwestern Health District in DICKINSON, N.D., National Public Health Week events helped raise local awareness of public health’s critical role in ensuring a healthy region and also promoted the importance of healthy eating and active living.
Health district staff asked everyone to eat healthily and make physical activity a part of their daily routine during the week, incorporating at least three, 10-minute sessions of exercise a minimum of five days per week. Federal health officials estimate that almost 27 percent of North Dakotans are obese, a condition linked to higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and other health problems.
The seventh annual “Take 10 at 2” campaign encouraged state residents to get in shape by taking 10 minutes at 2 p.m. to participate in a healthy activity. Through the special campaign, schools throughout southwestern North Dakota were part of many Take 10 at 2 events. Each day during the week, teachers and students were moving for 10 minutes at 2 p.m.
Other activities during the week included health department open houses in several counties including Adams, Billings, Golden Valley, Bowman, Slope, Dunn, Hettinger and Stark. Special services during those open houses included free blood pressure checks, free fasting blood sugar tests and hemoglobin checks. Health department staff delivered table tents with healthy living information to restaurants and other public places. Public health week awareness messages were displayed on two outdoor billboards in Dickinson, and two local businesses displayed National Public Health Week messages on their electronic marquees for the week. A health display also graced city hall.
- Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association