National Public Health Partnership Kicks Off with Meeting At Museum Conference and Plans for Major Event in Fall

Museum and science center leaders from across the US were recently introduced to the Museum’s National Public Health Partnership (NPHP) initiative at an event held during the annual meeting of the American Association of Museums (AAM). The May event in Dallas, a luncheon discussion, was held to formally acquaint museum and science center professionals with the NPHP and its staff, and engage their early input into plans for the initiative.

The aim of the NPHP is to bridge the gap between public health and museum and science center communities through a robust dialogue that will help advance the quality of and capability to support public health programming in informal education settings. The NPHP is the second major NHM initiative to be fully undertaken with the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest health care philanthropy.

J. Mark Dunham, Acting NHM President, used the occasion to introduce the Museum and the NPHP to the group, which included museum and science center professionals from a variety of institutions and backgrounds. He also introduced recently hired NPHP Project Director Claudia Menashe, MSW, MPH, who will provide day-to-day leadership and strategic direction for the initiative.

Menashe joins the Museum from Matthews Media Group, Inc., one of the nation’s leading health communication companies. With more than 10 years of experience in public health, communications, partnership development, and strategic planning, she will be the NHM staff member responsible for advancing the NPHP and securing support for the initiative from its key constituencies. "Beginning my work at the Museum by planning and hosting the NPHP inaugural discussion provided me with an immediate hands-on opportunity to learn what’s going on in the field and what the NPHP constituents want most out of the Partnership" noted Menashe.

The meeting included a formal dialogue, facilitated by Dr. Lynn Dierking of the Institute for Learning Innovation. Participants communicated strong interest in both the Museum and the NPHP. They were generous in providing ideas about how to maximize its productiveness and expressed a desire to be involved in ensuring its success.

During the next few months Menashe and the NPHP team will work closely with public health and museum partners on planning a full convening of the Partnership for the first time in November during the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) annual meeting in Philadelphia. In support of the Partnership, APHA has offered to devote priority time and space during their annual meeting to convene the NPHP event. This historic gathering will bring the public health and museum communities together in formal partnership for the first time. It will include a working session focused on meeting NPHP objectives, as well as a major announcement to the press and general public about new plans for the Partnership.