With this year’s theme of “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America,” the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health will celebrate National Public Health Week (April 6-12) throughout April with numerous presentations, a “5K Fun Run/Walk” and more.
The following is a list of scheduled events:
Prior to National Public Health Week
• City of Bryan Mayor D. Mark Conlee and City of College Station Mayor Ben White are scheduled to join Roderick E. McCallum, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs and interim dean of the HSC-School of Rural Public Health, for a proclamation signing Tuesday, March 24 at 6 p.m. at the beginning of the Bryan City Council Meeting.
• A national health exhibit will be displayed March 27-April 1 in the HSC-School of Rural Public Health Administration Building lobby (corner of Stotzer Parkway and Adriance). The Association of Schools of Public Health is partnering with the National Library of Medicine to offer a national traveling version of the exhibit, “Against the Odds: Making a Difference in Global Health.” The exhibit consists of six-foot-tall banners highlighting stories of individuals and communities making a difference in global health. The exhibit will be at the HSC-South Texas Center in McAllen beginning April 28.
Throughout National Public Health Week
• HSC-School of Rural Public Health student research posters will be exhibited in the Classroom Building.
• School students in the informatics course are learning about communicating public health issues by developing public service announcements (PSAs) for newspapers, radio, posters and flyers, and social networking media such as YouTube. Each student selected a topic from the “Healthy People 2010” project along with an audience and media, then followed guidelines for writing an effective PSA.
Saturday, April 4
• The second annual “5K Fun Run/Walk” to raise money for HSC-School of Rural Public Health student scholarships is from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Entry fee is $15, with open registration and packet pick-up beginning at 7:30 a.m. Age groups are 25 and under, 26-35, 26-45 and over 50. Awards will be given in the age groups, along with top male and female finishers. There are goodie bags, T-shirts, post-race drawings and a student/faculty poster session. The purpose of the 5K Fun Run/Walk is to raise money for HSC-School of Rural Public Health student scholarships and special projects and to provide an opportunity for the Brazos Valley to "kick start" healthy living initiatives through the run/walk. Registration is available online at http://srph.tamhsc.edu/fun-run/index.html, by campus mail to TAMU 1266 (Attn: Fun Run Committee) or in person at the HSC-School of Rural Public Health Administration Building front desk. For more information, contact Harlan Johnson at (979) 845-5790 or hjohnson@srph.tamhsc.edu
• A series of public health presentations by HSC-School of Rural Public Health faculty begin at 10:30 a.m. Catherine Hawes, Ph.D, and Charles Phillips, Ph.D., M.P.H., will speak on “Nursing Home or Assisted Living: When Is It the Correct Choice and How to Select the Best Facility.” They will be followed at 11:30 a.m. by Jean Brender, Ph.D., R.N., on “Healthy Pregnancies-Healthy Babies: What You Can Do for Yourself or for Your Daughter Now.” Mark Benden, Ph.D., concludes at 12:30 p.m. with “Is Work a Pain in the Neck? Ergonomic Tips for Healthy Computing at Home, School and Work.” A 20-30 minute question-and-answer session follows each presentation.
Monday, April 6
• A series of four 15-minute disparities grant presentations will be given starting at noon. Topics are “Measurement of Household Food Availability Among Limited Resource Families,” “Home and Community Factors Affecting Children’s Physical Activity and Healthful Eating in the Summer,” “Fathers’ Perceived Role as Health Liaisons for Childhood Obesity Prevention,” and “Multicultural Assessment Validity: A Test of Complexity, Impartiality, and Accuracy in the Case Conceptualization of African-American Male College Students.” A free lunch will be served, and an RSVP is required.
Tuesday, April 7
• The HSC-School of Rural Public Health Social and Behavioral Student Organization and the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center will host a blood drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the HSC-SRPH complex.
• Two HSC-School of Rural Public Health student groups will have public health information tables on display at the complex.
Wednesday, April 8
• HSC-School of Rural Public Health students will make presentations to Brazos Valley middle school classrooms. Included is a video, “This is Public Health,” along with associated activities.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Ph.D. Students Dissertations Defended
John Prochaska, M.P.H, and Monica Wendel, M.P.H., the first two Dr.PH. students at SRPH recently defended their dissertations. John’s topic was “The Association of Perceived Physical Environment with Meeting Physical Activity Recommendations across Rural-Urban Settings in Central Texas.” Monica’s topic was “Social Capital and Health: Individual Measures, Community Influences, and Persistent Questions.”
Both of these students used the Center for Community Health Development Brazos Valley Community Health Assessment Survey to examine how social context affects health status. Special attention was given to the role of rurality.
Dr. Carrillo-Zuniga named Fellow for CDC Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute
Genny Carrillo-Zuniga, M.D., Sc.D., assistant professor in the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, has been named a Fellow for the 2009-2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute.
The fellowship is a one-year program of special projects, workshops, seminars and individual study. Dr. Carrillo-Zuniga, of the HSC-South Texas Center in McAllen, will be among 35 fellows during the program, all of who are practicing environmental public health professionals.
In addition, Dr. Carrillo-Zuniga applied for and was awarded $48,000 from the U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program (Border 2012) for a Hidalgo County project, “Environmental Education in Asthma and Pesticides in the U.S.-Mexico Border.” The project examines environmental education in asthmatic school children, with a focus on parental empowerment through education to reduce missed school days, emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Provided by the Environmental Protection Agency and administered and managed by the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, it also addresses the prevention of pesticide exposure.
A public health and environmental scientist, Dr. Carrillo-Zuniga leads the Asthma Coalition Group of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, which was established to address asthma in Valley children. Her projects focus on environmental pesticides in relation to exposure, prevention and proper storage in houses along the Texas-Mexico border. It also includes Cultural and Linguistic Appropriate Services awareness in health care settings and for medical interpreters.
Dr. Carrillo-Zuniga received her medical degree in Mexico and her master’s and doctoral public health degrees from Tulane University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Tulane University developing and evaluating an occupational health-training program for workers in Department of Defense nuclear sites.
The fellowship is a one-year program of special projects, workshops, seminars and individual study. Dr. Carrillo-Zuniga, of the HSC-South Texas Center in McAllen, will be among 35 fellows during the program, all of who are practicing environmental public health professionals.
In addition, Dr. Carrillo-Zuniga applied for and was awarded $48,000 from the U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program (Border 2012) for a Hidalgo County project, “Environmental Education in Asthma and Pesticides in the U.S.-Mexico Border.” The project examines environmental education in asthmatic school children, with a focus on parental empowerment through education to reduce missed school days, emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Provided by the Environmental Protection Agency and administered and managed by the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, it also addresses the prevention of pesticide exposure.
A public health and environmental scientist, Dr. Carrillo-Zuniga leads the Asthma Coalition Group of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, which was established to address asthma in Valley children. Her projects focus on environmental pesticides in relation to exposure, prevention and proper storage in houses along the Texas-Mexico border. It also includes Cultural and Linguistic Appropriate Services awareness in health care settings and for medical interpreters.
Dr. Carrillo-Zuniga received her medical degree in Mexico and her master’s and doctoral public health degrees from Tulane University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Tulane University developing and evaluating an occupational health-training program for workers in Department of Defense nuclear sites.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Dr. Benden to present at Health and Safety Congress
Dr. Mark Benden has been asked to make two presentations at the Health & Safety Congress in Panama City, Panama in April: "Occupational Obesity-Workplace Design and New Methods of Employer Based Prevention" and "Construction Ergonomics-Avoiding Costly Workplace Injuries through User-Centered Design."
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Ashleigh Dozier secures $250,000 grant for Washinton County
Working on behalf of Washington County, Ashleigh Dozier, a graduate student in the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, recently secured a $235,000 grant from the Texas Office of Rural Community Affairs to support development of a county health center.
“This funding moves us closer to our goal of improving access to medical care for residents in Washington County,” Dozier said. “I am excited to be a part of a project that will improve the lives of so many and proud to work with many individuals who have a passion to see that happen.”
The health center will co-locate a health clinic to serve uninsured Washington County residents, along with the county’s Texas Department of State Health Services public health nurse; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program; Medication Assistance Program; Indigent Health Care Program; and other providers. It is expected to open later this year.
“Without Ashleigh’s due diligence of getting all the answers and materials together for the grant, we probably would not have been successful,” said Washington County Judge Dorothy Morgan. “We are truly grateful for her dedication and hard work.”
Dozier has worked with Washington County, Faith Mission and Trinity Medical Center in developing the proposal since October 2007, when the medical center contracted with the HSC-School of Rural Public Health’s Center for Community Health Development (CCHD) to jointly fund her graduate research assistant position. She will continue with the group in developing the clinical protocol and facility.
“Ashleigh was a catalyst in bringing the Washington County Coalition together to successfully develop our health center project,” said John Simms, Trinity Medical Center CEO. “Her ability to organize the process, coordinate activities, facilitate meetings and research the options speak well of her abilities and the education she received at the School of Rural Public Health.”
Jim Burdine, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., professor at the HSC-School of Rural Public Health and CCHD director, said, “There is such great value in the opportunity to provide students with real-world experience as they transition from graduate school into their professional careers. Ashley is a great example of the type of training and community work that is at the Center for Community Health Development’s mission. We’re really proud of her.”
Dozier is expected to graduate in May with a Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) degree and has already accepted a position as administrative fellow with the Moore County Hospital District in Dumas, Texas.
“This funding moves us closer to our goal of improving access to medical care for residents in Washington County,” Dozier said. “I am excited to be a part of a project that will improve the lives of so many and proud to work with many individuals who have a passion to see that happen.”
The health center will co-locate a health clinic to serve uninsured Washington County residents, along with the county’s Texas Department of State Health Services public health nurse; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program; Medication Assistance Program; Indigent Health Care Program; and other providers. It is expected to open later this year.
“Without Ashleigh’s due diligence of getting all the answers and materials together for the grant, we probably would not have been successful,” said Washington County Judge Dorothy Morgan. “We are truly grateful for her dedication and hard work.”
Dozier has worked with Washington County, Faith Mission and Trinity Medical Center in developing the proposal since October 2007, when the medical center contracted with the HSC-School of Rural Public Health’s Center for Community Health Development (CCHD) to jointly fund her graduate research assistant position. She will continue with the group in developing the clinical protocol and facility.
“Ashleigh was a catalyst in bringing the Washington County Coalition together to successfully develop our health center project,” said John Simms, Trinity Medical Center CEO. “Her ability to organize the process, coordinate activities, facilitate meetings and research the options speak well of her abilities and the education she received at the School of Rural Public Health.”
Jim Burdine, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., professor at the HSC-School of Rural Public Health and CCHD director, said, “There is such great value in the opportunity to provide students with real-world experience as they transition from graduate school into their professional careers. Ashley is a great example of the type of training and community work that is at the Center for Community Health Development’s mission. We’re really proud of her.”
Dozier is expected to graduate in May with a Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) degree and has already accepted a position as administrative fellow with the Moore County Hospital District in Dumas, Texas.
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