CPH Newsletter Archive
Session Updates
Session 2
Session 2 of the 2011-2012 CPH Program was held in conjunction with the Governor’s Public Health Conference on April 19-20, 2011, in Wichita, KS. CPH participants attended the keynote and selected breakout sessions. On Day One of the conference, they heard from Dr. Larry Cohen of the Prevention Institute. Dr. Cohen discussed strategies to achieve health equity. He equipped the audience with practical tools to encourage collaborative efforts and partnerships within the community. Following Dr. Cohen, Dr. Ruth “Toni” Pickard, Wichita State University, shared how to adapt health services for immigrants in the community. Each immigrant has a unique story and specific needs to be addressed. She helped participants think of ways their agencies can better identify and meet these needs on a regular basis.
Later that afternoon, CPH students had a meet and greet session. They were able to get to know their classmates and begin brainstorming ideas for their final projects. Deborah Fromer, Sedgwick County Health Department, gave the students pointers on making scientific posters. Each of the CPH participants will make posters of their own and present them at the Governor’s Public Health Conference in 2012. To assist with brainstorming, they attended a poster session featuring graduates of the CPH program, the KPHLI, and the KU-MPH program. To wrap up a busy Day One, some of the participants attended an evening filled with dinner and entertainment at the All-American Indian Center. They were served Indian tacos and looked on as Indian dancers performed traditional dances.
Day Two was started off by Pam Shaw, University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Shaw explained how pediatricians are screening for early signs of child mental illness. She discussed how these assessments have improved children’s health with early interventions. Greg Crawford, KDHE, and Gianfranco Pezzino, Kansas Health Institute, led a breakout session regarding statewide health assessments. They shared the significance of completing such a health assessment and the steps that were taken to do so. Later, Sharon Homan and Tatiana Lin, Kansas Health Institute, walked through a Children’s Health in All Policies Workbook to show the group how health objectives can be prioritized by working with others in the community to share a common vision when creating policies. To close out the session, Aiko Allen, KDHE, led the group through a dance of partnerships to illustrate the importance of collaboration.
Click here for the Session 2 Newsletter.
Session 3
Session 3 took place on July 28-29, 2011, in Wichita, KS. CPH participants were joined by Kansas Public Health Leadership Institute Cycle IX scholars for both days of the session. On Day 1, the group listened to the KPHLI Cycle VIII graduates as they shared their capstone projects. The presentations allowed the audience to learn about applied public health work being completed throughout the state, while also helping them gain a vision for their own projects. KPHLI Scholars and CPH students will present their capstone projects in April 2012 at the Governor’s Public Health Conference. Cycle VIII capstones included “School Wellness and Health Promotion: Empowering Staff and Students,” “Evaluation of KS HAN Alert System Effectiveness,” and “Kansas Pre-K – 12 Tobacco Use Prevention Policy.” Congratulations to the graduates of the Cycle VIII class!
On Day 2, the group heard from a panel of One Health Kansas speakers. The One Health Kansas initiative was started at Kansas State University in 2008. It organizes community outreach and education programs to “[connect] animals, people, and their environment.” Speaker topics included Human-Animal Bond, Companion Animal Zoonotic Diseases, Emergency Response and Preparedness, and Food Safety Culture.
Session 4 for the CPH participants will be September 21-22, 2011, in Wichita, KS. It will be held in conjunction with the Kansas Public Health Association Annual Conference.
Please click here for the CPH Newsletter.
Session 4
Session 4 took place on September 21-22, 2011, in Wichita, KS, in conjunction with the Kansas Public Health Association (KPHA) Annual Conference. CPH participants joined public health workers from across the state to hear updates about public health happenings in the state and across the country. Day 1 featured plenary keynote speakers Kaye Bender (PHAB), Rex Archer (Kansas City, MO Health Department), and Gina Frack (Norton County Health Department) as they discussed the importance of public health accreditation. Also featured was Paul Benne from the Fort Riley Department of Public Health. He presented his findings from an infant mortality study done in the Fort Riley area. Breakout sessions included information for caregivers, utilizing health fairs as an outreach tool, and the challenges faced in the fight to eliminate tuberculosis. CPH students had a private breakout session with facilitator Jeff King, Next Element. Jeff led the group through a series of activities that allowed them to establish their own “Full Value Contract.” The contract is a set of norms by which the group will operate for the remainder of the course. The activities emphasize the importance of team building in any organization through experiential learning. Jeff encouraged the students to “steal” any of his activities and use them in their own agencies.
On Day 2, the group heard an update from the CDC about tobacco control on the state and national level. Also, KDHE Secretary Robert Moser spoke about a shared vision for health policy in Kansas. Attendees could choose from a variety of breakouts including a session on Medicare, fall prevention, and worksite wellness.
During the awards portion of the conference CPH Co-director Suzanne Hawley was the recipient of the Samuel Crumbine Award. This is the highest award given by the KPHA. It is presented for meritorious service and improvement of the health of Kansans. Congratulations, Dr. Hawley!
Session 5 will be a webinar on December 6, 2011.
Please click here for the CPH Newsletter.
