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Issue 1, Summer 2005
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Director’s Welcome
Dear Colleague,
It has been nearly three years since the National Public Health Partnership (NPHP) held its Inaugural Meeting in Philadelphia. Since then, the NPHP has hosted numerous meetings with the public health and science center communities, helped celebrate National Public Health Week, and launched its first programmatic initiative, the Health Response Center.
In an effort to keep you up-to-date about NPHP and National Health Museum goings-on, we're pleased to launch this periodic e-update to keep Steering Committee Members informed about what's happening at each other's institutions and organizations. We hope you will enjoy catching up on Partnership activities and learning what your colleagues are doing.
The next issue of the NPHP e-update will be out in the winter, and we will contact you in advance to gather your news. We look forward to staying in touch and keeping you informed.
Warm regards and happy remaining summer.
Claudia L. Menashe , MSW, MPH
Director, National Public Health Partnership
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NPHP – Where We’ve Been
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| NPHP Steering Committee Members sign a Memorandum of Understanding during the NPHP Inaugural Meeting Reception. |
When NHM received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2004*, a significant portion of the funding was dedicated to the Partnership's first programmatic initiative - the Health Response Center (HRC). But the roots of the HRC can be traced to a series of initial NPHP planning sessions in 2002 and 2003 that were funded by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
During those initial planning sessions, which included major meetings in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, PA, and Portland, Oregon, NPHP members identified issues that could be addressed by the NPHP, including bringing science museum visitors reliable, up-to-date public health information, and facilitating the connection between science museums and their local public health communities.
The NPHP was and is still guided by a Steering Committee comprised of two dozen leading science museums and public health organizations:
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Museums and Science Center Members
Adventure Science Center
California Science Center
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Franklin Institute
CDC's Global Health Odyssey
HealthSpace Cleveland
John P. McGovern Museum of
Health & Medical Science
Liberty Science Center
Louisville Science Center
Maryland Science Center
MOSI
Museum of Science
New York Hall of Science
Please Touch Museum
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Public Health Members
American Association for Health Education
American Psychological Association
Association of Schools of Public Health
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of Health Education Centers
National Association of Local Boards of Health
Partnership for Prevention
Public Health Foundation
Society for Public Health Education
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The NPHP was founded to expand the presence of public health programs in the high traffic informal learning environments of museums and science centers. The HRC is the first example of how that objective can be achieved.
The combined use of the RWJF planning grant and HHS program funds are a superb example of a public-private health partnership that the National Health Museum hopes to utilize for future NPHP activities.
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Health Response Center
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| Dr. David Satcher and National Health Museum President Mark Dunham interact with the HRC kiosk at Healthspace Cleveland. |
The NPHP's first programmatic initiative is an interactive touchscreen information kiosk called the Health Response Center (HRC) that links museums, visitors, and local health communities. Developed with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the device is a highly flexible digital system that provides museum visitors with current data and information about important health issues. It is adaptable to virtually any disease area or health subject.
NPHP recently concluded successful pilot field testing of the HRC on the subject of Influenza (the flu) at the John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science in Houston, Texas, and HealthSpace Cleveland, in Cleveland, Ohio. The HRC was rigorously evaluated and outcomes are being used to plan the next phases and uses of the system.
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| The HRC Pilot program addressed public concerns about influenza via an interactive touchscreen kiosk. |
Both pilot site institutions organized promotional and educational events connected to the HRC. HealthSpace Cleveland dedicated the month of February as "Flu-bruary" and provided museum visitors with flu information, flu facts, and flu vaccine clinics in conjunction with the HRC kiosk. On February 9, 2005 they hosted a press conference headlined by Dr. David Satcher, former US Surgeon General.
The McGovern Museum offered multi-generational visitors an in-depth look at the world of germs during its Rapid Response Science Day, when the HRC kiosk was officially unveiled. Representatives from the University of Texas School of Public Health were on hand to answer visitors' questions about the flu. A community immunization clinic provided free flu shots for children up to 18 years of age.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases provided in-kind support for the project with content, images and other audio visual communication as needed.
The Flu HRC utilizes two novel educational outreach tools -- a touchscreen kiosk for use by the public and a Web-based Resource Bank for use by museum professionals. The custom-designed 40" LCD touchscreen provides museum visitors with current information including local flu surveillance data, a scan of the latest flu news, and lists of local community resources where visitors can get more information. The technology designed for the touchscreen program allows for immediate updates of breaking news.
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The HRC is complemented by a Web-based Resource Bank that provides museum staff with expanded information about the flu, ideas for public programs, educational materials, and links to local flu experts.
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Early Findings
The HRC was evaluated throughout the course of the pilot program. Evaluation results confirmed the valuable nature of the system to museum guests. Kiosk users most frequently wanted to learn if they or their family were at risk for the flu and where in their community they could go for more resources. The evaluation study also confirmed the premise that the kiosk should focus on visitors' natural curiosity about their health and the health of their families, and help them answer questions of immediate personal interest.
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Flu Update "attract" touchscreens showing early (left) and later (right) stages of design. Early and ongoing evaluation allowed NHM to update the touchscreens throughout the pilot project in response to visitor feedback.
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A key result of the pilot evaluations was to validate NHM's belief that the kiosk system has great potential for use in other non-museum venues. Some of these locations include physicians' offices, pharmacies, libraries, movie theaters, grocery stores, airports, bus and train stations, worksite locations, and shopping malls. NHM expects to conduct an analysis of additional sectors for HRC use later this year.
Next Steps
Influenza Program
NHM hopes to continue testing the HRC's flu kiosk system by offering it to an expanded group of museums and science centers during flu season 2005-2006. The program will be modified based on evaluation data from the testing. We are currently seeking funding support for this ongoing program.
Cardiovascular Health Program
NHM is now developing plans for the second use of the HRC technology -- a program that focuses on cardiovascular health. We envision a program that would enhance existing kiosk technology and complement it with ongoing museum programming dedicated to cardiovascular health issues. Funding support for this program is currently being sought with the hope of rolling it out in February, 2006, in conjunction with Heart Health Month.
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NHM News
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| Moshe Safdie's current concept for the National Health Museum includes a stunning rooftop view of the National Mall and Washington DC. |
A significant step forward in the National Health Museum's journey from concept to landmark took place on July 29, 2005, when Congressional supporters introduced legislation to provide an outstanding location for NHM's new facility in Washington, DC. H.R. 3630, The National Health Museum Act of 2005, would direct the transfer of a property at Independence Avenue and 12th Street, SW, to NHM. The bill authorizes a general agreement the Museum has already reached to acquire the property from its owner, the federal General Services Administration (GSA).
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| This interior concept image looks upwards through the Museum's central glass spine. |
A strong bi-partisan Congressional coalition is supporting the legislation, led by Congressman Phil Gingrey, MD, (R-GA) who introduced it in the House of Representatives. Original cosponsors of the bill include Congresswoman Lois Capps, RN, (D-CA) and Congressman Charlie Norwood, DDS (R-GA). Action on the legislation is expected in early fall, when Congress returns from its summer recess.
"It has everything," said NHM President Mark Dunham about the property, which can not only support the Museum's planned 300,000 square foot complex, but is located at the Smithsonian Metro station close to the historic Smithsonian "Castle."
"It's within two blocks of Smithsonian museums that attract more than 20 million visitors annually. It has wonderful access. It can support a large museum, and it will give visitors spectacular vistas of Washington greatest landmarks."
"We have worked closely with the General Services Administration and our many backers in Congress to craft an agreement that provides a true "win-win" for the Museum, the American people and the federal government," said Dunham. "Our supporters believe the prospects for passage of the legislation this year are excellent."
The site acquisition process is keeping pace with the progress of NHM's architectural design team led by world-renowned Moshe Safdie, whose recent commissions include the new Salt Lake City Public Library as well as the conceptual design for the new US Institute of Peace in Washington. Moshe's conceptual design for the National health Museum is shown below.
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| Moshe's conceptual thinking suggests an open and unified exterior that is highly original and well-suited for the 12th and Independence Avenue location. |
NHM Selects BRC Imagination Arts as Planning Competition Winner
NHM has named BRC Imagination Arts as the winner of the Museum’s Master Planning Competition and started contractual discussions to determine the scope and schedule of the relationship. A formal announcement is expected soon pending completion of those discussions.
The competition, which began last November, attracted more than two-dozen entries from museum planning firms around the globe. BRC was one of two firms under final consideration. The other was Cambridge Seven Associates of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Two other California firms—Gyroscope, Inc. and IQ Magic—had previously been in the running as semi-finalists.
In announcing the selection, Museum Vice Chairman and Program Committee head Fitzhugh Mullan, M.D., said that “Choosing a winner was a real challenge because we received so many exceptional, high quality submissions. We are grateful to all those who participated. The choice of BRC reflects our high regard for their past achievements and recognition of their exciting vision for the future of the world’s only national health museum.”
BRC is a global leader in the design, creation and production of immersive attractions for museums and cultural heritage sites. Headquartered in Burbank, California, with offices in the Netherlands and England, the 22 year-old company has developed scores of major exhibitions including the recently opened Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, the NASA Space Centers in Florida and Texas, and the current U.S. Pavilion at Japan’s World Expo 2005.
“We now have our three key foundation stones of the Museum in place,” said Mullan. “We have a great architect, an exceptional team helping to acquire and develop the site on the National Mall, and now a world-class master planning partner selected from an outstanding group of finalists.”
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| NHM Vice Chairman Dr. Fitzhugh Mullan, right, and NHM Senior Vice President David Roland, second from right, are pictured with the young Abe Lincoln and BRC Chairman Bob Rogers during a recent NHM Program Committee visit to the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. |
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National Public Health Week
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| BodyLink staff member leads a group of visitors in a "This is how you breathe" explainer on lung function at the Maryland Science Center during National Public Health Week. |
Note: National Public Health Week is celebrated across the country every year during the first week in April. NHM works closely with NPHP partner APHA to encourage museums and science centers from across the country to celebrate the event. For the past two years Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of APHA, has sent a letter to museums and science centers with ideas about how to commemorate the Week and coordinate activities with local public health groups.
The Maryland Science Center (MSC) in Baltimore, MD organized activities throughout National Public Health Week. Admission to the IMAX film The Human Body was waived on April 9th and 10th, and visitors were encouraged to explore exhibits related to this year’s theme, Living Stronger, Longer! Exhibits included The Changing Face of Women’s Health, BodyLink, and Your Body. MSC staff from The Human Body and BodyLink exhibits were on the exhibit floors to answer visitor’s questions and hold live demonstrations specific to wellness and disease prevention. MSC teamed up with the Maryland Public Health Association to promote the MSC’s National Public Health Week events on the Association’s Web site.
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) promoted National Public Health Week in their interactive Hall of Life exhibit, which allows visitors to learn about nutrition, fitness, stress, and other risk factors and lifestyle choices. The National Public Health Week logo and Web site was projected in the Hall of Life exhibit and the DMNS Web site linked to APHA’s National Public Health Week Web site.
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Partner News
| NPHP Museum and Science Center Steering Committee Member News |
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http://www.aam-us.org
AAM Publications Competition (Pub Comp).
The 25th-annual AAM Museum Publications Design Competition drew more than 900 entries from museums across America and around the world. Judges selected 130 museum publications—exhibition catalogues, invitations, posters, and press kits among them—as the winners of this year’s competition. Pub Comp, which acknowledges excellence in the graphic design of museum publications, is the only national, juried event involving publications produced by museums of all kinds and sizes. Twenty-four museums received a first prize, 20 received a second prize, and 86 received an honorable mention.
For more Information about awards and recipients, click here.
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Partnerships for Excellence: Seeking Strategic Alliances to Increase our Impact.
2005 ASTC Annual Conference, Richmond , Virginia , October 15-18, 2005
The 2005 ASTC Annual Conference will be hosted by the Science Museum of Virginia, located in Richmond, Virginia. Founder of four other Virginia science centers and active member of a consortium of museums working to enhance Richmond's emerging cultural district, the Science Museum of Virginia is ready to share its experiences in developing “partnerships for excellence.”
For More Information, click here. |
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BodyQuest: All Systems Go!
On May 30, 2005, Adventure Science Center unveiled 9,000 square feet of human body exploration in the new BodyQuest: All Systems Go! BodyQuest features new one-of-a-kind, hands-on exhibits that promote health and wellness and increase understanding of the human body. New exhibits include The Heart of It All, The Locker Room, Brain Storm, Down the Hatch, and Mini Med Center and Ambulance. These exhibits join Body Battles, The Wind Pipe, and The Amazing Aging Machine, which opened in 2004. Related health programming is offered to the public and visiting school groups. BodyQuest is sponsored by The Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) Foundation on behalf of TriStar Health System, The Memorial Foundation, Saint Thomas Health Services, and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.
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The 54th Annual California State Science Fair
Each year, nearly 1,000 middle and high school students compete in the California State Science Fair, a two-day event sponsored by the California Science Center that recognizes the state's best student research projects. Winners of the 2005 California State Science Fair were announced before a cheering audience of students, parents and teachers during an awards ceremony hosted by the California Science Center on May 24, 2005 at the Sports Arena. The fair drew 955 students from 35 counties statewide, with finalists selected by a volunteer pool of over 300 scientists and engineers from private industry and higher education. Students took home a combined total of over $40,000 in cash prizes.
For More Information about awards and recipients, click here.
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http://www.dmns.org
New Human Health Curator Announced.
Dr. Bridget Coughlin has been selected to join the Denver Museum of Nature & Science as its first Curator of Human Health. Bridget was born and raised in Colorado, has an extensive background in science, and a demonstrated commitment to informal science education. She received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Iowa and served as a Christine Mirzayan Science Policy Fellow for the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Dr. Coughlin’s broad variety of scientific and communication skills will lead the museum's efforts to promote knowledge about human health. Dr. Coughlin can be reached at Bridget.Coughlin@dmns.org.
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http://www.cdc.gov/global
Teacher Workshop.
On June 6, 2005, Global Health
Odyssey hosted a Teacher Workshop focusing on new ways to teach about infectious diseases in the classroom. This workshop covered topics such as the differences between bacteria and viruses, the immune system, and how the environment affects the spread of infectious diseases. Activities included Web-based mysteries, classroom simulations, videos, and games. The workshop was hosted by CDC's Global Health Odyssey with instruction given by Rice University's MEDMYST Education Team.
For more information: http://www.cdc.gov/global/workshop.htm |
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http://www.healthspacecleveland.org
HealthSpace Cleveland Awarded a Bronze at the 2005 Industrial Design Excellence Awards
HealthSpace Cleveland's Head First! Theatre, a three-story interactive theatre, was awarded a bronze at the 2005 Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA05) competition. IDEA05 is a national celebration of the best and hottest designs of the year. HealthSpace Cleveland's Head First! Theatre is an immersive, interactive multimedia experience that is housed within a three-story sculpture of the human head. The interactive theater is a feast of sight and sound that encourages students to apply critical thought toward making healthy lifestyle decisions. Topics covered in Head First! include drinking, drugs, nutrition and smoking.
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Football, The Exhibit – May 28 – September 11.
Football scores a touchdown with hands-on displays that explore the health, physical science, technology and history of football. Organized into zones that relate to the game, the exhibit encourages hands-on participation from beginning to end. Through activities and experiments, visitors will learn about physics, statistics, collision dynamics, reaction time and aerodynamics.
Thursday Movies in August:
- Bill Nye the Science Guy: Heart -- Bill Nye checks out this important muscular pump's function in the body, by flying with the United States Navy's Blue Angels and chatting with Seattle Mariner Edgar Martinez. Showings at 2:00 p.m. on Thursdays throughout August.
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Osmosis Jones -- Watch this live-action/animated adventure and follow Osmosis Jones, a white blood cell cop, as he sets out to stop a villainous virus. Showings at 3:00 p.m. on Thursdays throughout August.
Ongoing Activities Include: Amazing Body Pavilion, By You City, Brain Command, and much more.
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http://www.lsc.org
Liberty Science Center Announces Major Expansion
Just 11 years after it opened to the public, capital campaign co-chairman Governor Kean announced the most significant project in the history of Liberty Science Center, a comprehensive renovation, renewal and expansion project to a total size of over 295,000 square feet. Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2005 with the re-opening slated for summer 2007. When completed in summer 2007, visitors will enjoy a completely improved Liberty Science Center. Guests will benefit from more comfortable spaces and amenities. All exhibit areas at the science center will be renewed, with hundreds of exciting, educational and challenging new learning experiences and a few current favorites, transformed. Expanding upon the institution's popular themes of invention, health and technology, guests will be drawn further into exploration of these subjects in large new exhibition areas including "Communication," "Our Hudson Home," "Skyscraper!" and "Infection Connection."
During the 22-month expansion project Liberty Science Center will relocate to the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal in Liberty State Park. Located on the shore of the Hudson River near Ellis Island, the building will serve as the temporary home of Libery Science Center.
For more info, click here
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Major New Permanent Exhibit
On September 24, 2005, the Louisville Science Center will open THE WORLD AROUND US, a $4.3 million permanent exhibit more than two years in the making. Covering 8,000 square feet, this action-packed, hands-on encounter with natural and earth sciences encourages a deeper understanding of the natural world. Visitors can explore three major ecological galleries: Atmosphere: The Air That Surrounds Us; Terrasphere: Environments That Support Us; and Aquasphere: The Water That Sustains Us. THE WORLD AROUND US completes the Science Center's strategic plan to completely transform the facility with three new permanent exhibits and other improvements. The Science Center has raised more than $21 million in that time and increased the number of persons served by more than 50 percent. THE WORLD AROUND US is funded in part by grants from the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
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http://www.mdsci.org
National Public Health Week.
Maryland Science Center organized
activities
throughout National Public Health Week. Exhibits highlighted during the Week included:
- Changing Face of Women’s Health – provides a sampling of many critical health issues facing women today including a special focus on risk, prevention, detection, and control of diseases.
- BodyLink – focuses on taking control of personal health through interactive exhibits and live demonstrations.
- Your Body – allows visitors to learn about what happens inside the body so they can connect daily activities with health in order to live stronger, longer. Features include a true age calculator, interactive heart monitor, Calcium IQ test, and an interactive breathing exhibit.
The Maryland Science Center teamed up with the Maryland Public Health Association to promote the Science Center’s National Public Health Week events on the Association’s Web site,
and waived admission to the IMAX film The Human Body on April 9th and 10th in celebration of the Week.
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http://www.mos.org
Women in Research Day.
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| Dr. Elizabeth Jarvo and Dr. Annaliese Franz from Harvard University prepare demonstrations for the girls attending Women in Research Day at the Museum of Science. |
On the first Saturday in April, 25 dynamic women in science and research careers converged on the Boston Museum of Science’s Current Science & Technology Center. During the day the scientists inspired over 100 teenage girls and the general public through both presentations and one-on-one conversation on the Museum floor. All interactions focused on mentoring and providing insight into the women’s lives, their futures and their careers in science.
Frontiers of Health Science on Friday.
On the third Friday of May, Museum of Science guests attended a free talk and discussion with groundbreaking scientists and their lab personnel. The evening focused on individual conversation and interaction; each of the scientists brought research associates and students from their laboratory to field questions and talk with attendees. Everyone was encouraged to participate in questions and discussion on various topics, including stem cell research, HIV, and clinical trials for new drugs. More Information: www.wgbh.org/forum
Women in Research Day and Frontiers of Health Science were supported by a grant from the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR).
New Evolution Permanent Exhibit.
In late summer 2005, the Museum’s Human Body Connection Gallery will install a new exhibit on Evolution. This new 1,500 square foot exhibit will feature three component pods that illustrate a particular line of evidence that supports biological evolution.
Hand Held Computer Data Collection and Related Upcoming ASTC Session.
Staff and volunteers in the Human Body Connection are working with a powerful new tool in order to demonstrate important variability in human biology and behavior; variability created and maintained by evolution within our complex environment. At the ASTC meeting next fall, Tim Kardatze, Program Manager of the Museum’s Human Body Connection Gallery, will be leading a session on the use of data collection in educational programming.
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The Amazing You.
Planning is underway for a 10,000-square foot state-of-the-art exhibit on health and wellness at MOSI. The exhibit, called The Amazing You, is dedicated to helping people become more familiar with the way in which their bodies work so they can make informed health decisions. The exhibit will highlight common diseases and dysfunction, provide strategies for therapeutic management, present cutting-edge research, and offer resources for visitor reference. The exhibit will also focus on the mind-body-spiritual connection.
A National Advisory Board for Health comprised of experts on health and wellness from around the world has been established by MOSI. Members of this advisory board will participate in sessions that help create the stories for The Amazing You, review potential content, offer feedback on ideas, and form a network of contacts through which MOSI may gain potential financial support for the exhibit. Most recently, a group of experts met to discuss issues in aging and current research on Alzheimer’s Disease.
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http://www.nyhallsci.org
Major Expansion.
On November 23, 2004, the New York Hall of Science unveiled its 55,0000 square-foot, $89 million expansion. New exhibits include The Sports Challenge, where each sports-related exhibit focuses on a different scientific principle that is crucial to succeeding at the sport. Whether you like baseball, basketball, auto racing or rock climbing, there is something for everyone. By playing with different sports elements, visitors learn about friction, balance, physics, rotation, aerodynamics, reaction and reflection. Each of eight activity areas focuses on a different scientific principle that is crucial to succeeding at that sport.
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http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org
Please Touch Museum to Move
Since 1976, Please Touch Museum has been dedicated to enriching the lives of children by providing learning opportunities through play. Sustaining itself through two relocations and one expansion, the first museum in the nation designed for children ages seven and younger is now planning to expand. Please Touch plans to officially open its new home in 2007 at Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, located in northwestern Philadelphia. The Museum will occupy all 135,000 square feet of Memorial Hall, which offers three times more space for exhibits and display areas, a connection to a new community and the opportunity to rehabilitate Memorial Hall, a national treasure from the Centennial Exhibition.
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http://www.fi.edu
The Giant Heart: A Healthy Interactive Experience.
The Franklin Institute's giant model walk-through Heart, an icon in Philadelphia since its opening in 1954, recently underwent major renovations, upgrades, and enhancements. Supported by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), it reopened in October 2004, as part of a new bioscience exhibit, The Giant Heart: A Healthy Interactive Experience. The new exhibit doubles in size to 5,000 square feet and surrounds the Heart as it pulses with interactive devices and information in four thematic areas: Heart Anatomy and Physiology, Health and Wellness, Blood and Diagnostics, and Treatment. Highlights of the new exhibit include the renovation of the Walk-through Heart, a surgical theater, a ten foot “spiral of hearts” and crawl-through arteries.
Sports and Steroids.
As part of their community outreach initiatives, The Franklin Institute Science Museum, along with Comcast SportsNet, hosted a town hall meeting on Wednesday, May 25, 2005, entitled Sports and Steroids: Performance Enhancing Drugs in Schools. The program was open to middle school and high school student athletes and coaches and focused on the dangers of performance enhancing drugs. Panelists included current and former professional baseball and football players, collegiate football coaches, doctors, and ethicists. The event was recorded and televised by Comcast on June 2, 2005.
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NPHP Public Health Steering Committee Member News
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APHA Annual Meeting November 5-9, 2005 .
Join thousands of public health professionals at the American Public Health Association’s 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition, Nov. 5-9, in New Orleans, LA. The focus of this year’s meeting is Evidence-based Policy & Practice. The APHA Annual Meeting offers more than 900 scientific sessions providing the latest in public health research and practice, and the largest and most comprehensive public health expo featuring more than 625 exhibit booths.
For more information, visit www.apha.org/meetings.
Leading Public Health Newspaper Debuts New Web Site.
The Nation's Health, the nation's most widely read public health newspaper, recently launched its new Web site: www.thenationshealth.org. The site features full issues of the paper, online-only public health news stories and archived articles, and online advertising opportunities. The newspaper, an award-winning publication with 31,000 subscribers, is published by the APHA and reports the latest news on health and public policy issues as well as federal and judicial actions in public health
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http://www.apa.org
2005 APA Annual Convention: Washington, DC, August 18–21, 2005.
APA’s Convention offers a wide range of programming that will provide attendees with the opportunity to learn about the latest research, issues, and innovations in the field of psychology. The Convention will kick off this year with an Opening Session filled with exciting entertainment and dynamic speakers, including Arlo Guthrie who will perform as he stops through Washington, DC on the 40th anniversary tour of "The Alice's Restaurant Massacree." Judith Rodin, PhD, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, will be honored with the APA Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Psychology. Dr. Rodin will lecture at a plenary session on Friday, August 18 from 10:00–10:50am. Her presentation is entitled, The University as an Agent of Change: Transforming Individual Behavior and Community Engagement.
For More Information: http://www.apa.org/convention05/
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http://www.aahperd.org/aahe
2005 AAHE & National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) Faculty Development Institute.
Lansdowne, VA, September 29 - October 1, 2005
This institute will provide 4 workshops that will focus on faculty and staff development in the following areas:
- Standards-based Health Education & Performance Assessment Workshop
- Scoring Rubrics Development Workshop
- AAHE/National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) University Preparation Workshop
- NASPE/NCATE Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) Program Report Preparation Workshop and Reviewer Training-Initial and Advanced Standards
For More Information, click here.
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whatispublichealth.org
ASPH is pleased to announce the launch of "whatispublichhealth.org." Intended for a general audience, the site gives an overview of public health and emphasizes the relevance of public health to everyone's lives. It features a two-minute Flash animation about public health on the home page, as well as a number of resources for learning more about public health. The development of this Web site was supported by Pfizer, Inc. and was guided by an advisory committee of ASPH members.
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ASTHO Elects New Officers; Expresses Concern over Funding Cuts
During its annual business meeting on July 13, 2005, the members of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials elected Leah M. Devlin, DDS, MPH, North Carolina State Health Official as President. Mary Mincer Hansen, RN, PhD, Iowa State Health Official was confirmed as President-elect and J. Nick Baird, MD, Ohio State Health Official was elected Secretary-Treasurer. They will serve until September 2006. One of Dr. Devlin's first acts was to express concern in response to cuts in preparedness funding proposed by Congress. She said, "While we have made great strides in preparedness, sustained support is critical. If the cuts to preparedness funding that Congress has proposed are accepted, state and local health departments will be forced to curtail crucial preparedness exercises and programs and layoff essential preparedness staff, including physicians, laboratorians, epidemiologists, and nurses."
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Public Health Readiness E-Link: Advancing Local Practice.
This e-newsletter provides timely resources and information regarding bioterrorism and emergency preparedness. Through an online discussion board, the e-newsletter serves as a forum for exchanging of ideas around the needs and challenges faced in different jurisdictions.
To sign-up for this newsletter, click here.
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The 17 th Annual NAHEC Conference and the 2005 American Association for Health Education Mid-Year Meeting.
This year’s conference is hosted by the John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science in Houston, TX on August 29 – September 1, 2005.
For More Information, click here.
New partnership aims to provide popular exhibit for smaller informal learning organizations.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded IDSolutions, in partnership with NAHEC and five NAHEC member centers, a two-year grant to produce and deliver informal science education programs to school-age children, families, teachers and community groups through the creation of an Interactive Videoconferencing Programming Collaborative (IVPC). The purpose of this project is to address the needs of children and adults who seek engaging science content delivered in creative and innovative ways. This initiative will assist science organizations that wish to expand their outreach by taking on the role of distance learning “content provider”.
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Local Boards of Health: Responding to Our Community’s Needs.
NALBOH will be hold its 13th annual conference in Nashville, TN on August 10th through 13th. The conference theme is Local Boards of Health: Responding to Our Community’s Needs and includes educational tracks in board governance, community health, environmental health, and preparedness. For more Information click here.
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2005 Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Innovation in Prevention Awards.
Partnership for Prevention is coordinating the 2005 Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Innovation in Prevention Awards. The Secretary's Innovation in Prevention Awards is a component of STEPS to a HealthierUS, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) initiative that advances the goal of helping Americans live longer, better, and healthier lives. The Awards identify and celebrate outstanding organizations that have implemented innovative and creative chronic disease prevention and health promotion programs. Award submissions were due in June 2005. An Expert Panel Selection Committee reviews and rates the nominations, and awardee recommendations will be sent to the Secretary of Health and Human Services in August, 2005. Awardees and all others are expected to be notified by October 1, 2005, and awardees will be the guest of the DHHS Secretary at the awards announcement in Washington, DC.
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http://www.phf.org
AARO – Alliance for Achieving Results and Outcomes.
A new PHF initiative aimed at helping public health systems save lives, cut costs, get better results by management performance, and help organizations harness proven quality improvement techniques to benefit the public’s health, drawing on the best available research, resources, and expertise from the private, public, and academic sectors. More Information, click here.
TRAIN – TrainingFinder Real-time Affiliate Integrated Network.
PHF’s award-winning nationwide learning management system connects public health professionals to over 700 courses from more than 250 providers of training. More Information, click here.
Public Health Worker Recruitment and Retention .
Compiling Evidence on Effective Recruitment and Retention Strategies in Public Health. More Information, click here.
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SOPHE 56 th Annual Meeting - Global Health Promotion: Bridging New Worlds and New Cultures.
November 3-5, 2005, Hotel Intercontinental, New Orleans, LA.
More Information: www.sophe.org
New Health & Behavior Coalition.
SOPHE, The National Association of Social Workers, The American Psychological Association, and The American Public Health Association invite you to join the newly formed National Coalition on Health and Behavior. The National Coalition on Health and Behavior will advocate for the role of behavior in eliminating racial and ethnic and other health disparities, including rural health. For more Information contact Deborah Cotter at dcotter@apa.org
New Tools of the Trade Publication.
Health Education Tools of the Trade: Tools for Tasks that Didn’t Come with the Job Description is a compilation of 29 Tools of the Trade columns, originally printed in News & Views and Health Promotion Practice. This collection offers easy-to-read tips for key health promotion and education functions and responsibilities, as well as tools addressing professional responsibilities that are not necessarily a part of formal education yet are inevitably part of the job. More Information: www.sophe.org
Ninth Annual Health Education Advocacy Summit.
March 11-13, 2006, Washington Court Hotel, Washington, DC. Sponsored by the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations.
More Information: www.healtheducationadvocate.org
National Women’s Health Week.
National Women’s Health Week was held May 8-14, 2005, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and SOPHE. The week encourages Americans to focus on important steps women can take to improve their health through simple preventive and positive health behaviors. National Women’s Health Week encourages awareness about these and other health issues. In addition, the issue of growing health disparities among minority women is highlighted.
More Information, click here.
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