School of Rural Public Health Center for Community Health Development awarded federal funding to continue activities

The Center for Community Health Development (CCHD) in the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, which addresses critical health issues in rural and underserved populations in communities across Texas, has been awarded $3.9 million for five years from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to continue its activities as one of 35 CDC designated and funded prevention research centers nationwide.

“This five-year funding from the CDC will provide critical support for the center, school and health science center to work closely with regional and state organizations and groups to improve the health of our rural and underserved populations,” said Kenneth McLeroy, Ph.D., CDC grant principal investigator. “It also strengthens our ability to collaborate with other prevention research centers, including our partners at The University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, to address the health and public health needs of the state and nation.”

The CCHD also received $2 million in support of three special interest projects focusing on healthy aging, nutrition and obesity, and cancer.

Two of the special interest projects will be led by Joseph Sharkey, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., associate professor in the HSC-School of Rural Public Health. The Texas Healthy Aging Network, which Dr. Sharkey established in 2004, received funding to continue working with a network of community, health and aging service organizations in the seven-county region of the Brazos Valley, the Lower Rio Grande Valley and across Texas to conduct community-based participatory research on prevention of health issues related to aging.

The Texas Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research Network (TxNOPRN), also led by Dr. Sharkey, received funding to work in collaboration with the national Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research Network (NOPRN) to address issues related to identification, adoption and outcome of policies affecting improved access and availability of healthy foods. TxNOPRN also will target rural communities within Central Texas and colonias – residential area along the Texas-Mexico border that typically lacks the most basic living necessities – in South Texas to determine policy changes related to children’s access to healthy foods.

The Central Texas Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network – led by Marcia Ory, Ph.D., M.P.H., Regents Professor in the HSC-School of Rural Public Health, in coordination with colleagues at Scott & White Healthcare and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service – was the third special item funded. The network aims to involve community members in research around cancer prevention and control by working closely with community stakeholders and disseminating evidence-based cancer prevention and control interventions. The focus of these interventions will be to improve the coordination of post-treatment care. It also will link cancer survivors to resources in their communities that encourage adoption of lifestyle behaviors reducing the risk of reoccurrence or occurrence of another type of cancer.

“An additional five years of funding plus the expansion of activities through these special interest projects validates that the center is filling an important role in the nation’s prevention research,” said James N. Burdine, Dr.P.H., CCHD director and co-principal investigator. “It also encourages us to increase our efforts to demonstrate the value of improving communities’ ability to solve local health problems as a key component of any national health care reform strategy.”

The Center for Community Health Development mission is to work collaboratively with communities and other partners to translate, evaluate and disseminate effective individual, organizational, community and regional strategies for addressing critical public health and health-related issues in rural and underserved populations.

Sang Nam Ahn's doctoral work completed

The School of Rural Public Health is extraordinarily pleased to announce that one of our doctoral students has successfully defended his capstone project and will be awarded his diploma this December. Sang Nam Ahn came to SRPH just a few short years ago after completing his degree at the Bush School. Last week, he presented the results of his capstone work on obesity in the elderly in the US and China. The work was very well received by all members of his committee. His committee included Dr. Charles D. Phillips as chair, Dr. Catherine Hawes, Dr. Charles Huber, Dr. Ming Tai-Seale, and Dr. Bita Kash.

It is very likely that next year Dr. Ahn will be engaged in a post-doctoral fellowship program. I hope that all of you congratulate him on his achievement.

Charles D. Phillips, PhD, MPH

SRPH Alumni Tailgate

Join us for our FIRST ever Alumni Tailgate!
Saturday, November 21st

Before the A&M vs. Baylor Football Game
Location: Adriance Dr. (Lot. 114)

Free Barbeque (BYOB)

The Tailgate starts at 11 and ends at 2:30!

Bring your family and friends and spend some time with SRPH!

(Parking is a total of $10 if you do not own a 114 parking lot permit)

RSVP: kleinen@srph.tamhsc.edu with number of guests and via e-vite.

SRPH Faculty Promotions

Four faculty in the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health recently were promoted.

Dr. Steve Moore has been promoted to executive associate dean. Dr. Moore received his M.D. from Southwestern Medical School, Master of Public Health (M.P.H) from the Medical College of Wisconsin and Bachelor of Science (B.S) in Physics from The University of Texas.

Dr. Antonio Rene has been promoted to associate dean for academic affairs. Dr. Rene received both his Ph.D. in Epidemiology and his M.P.H. in Disease Control from The University of Texas. He received a B.S. from Southern University.

Dr. Jean Brender has been promoted to associate dean for research. Dr. Brender received both her Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N) from the University of Washington. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) from Whitworth University.

Dr. James Burdine has been promoted to assistant dean for public health practice. Dr. Burdine received his Doctorate of Public Health (Dr.P.H.) in Community Health Education from the University of North Carolina, an M.P.H. in Community Health Education from California State University and a B.S. in Health Science from San Fernando Valley State College.

"The success of any school rides on the shoulders of the faculty, staff and students affiliated with the school’s activities," said Craig Blakely, Ph.D., M.P.H., dean of the HSC-School of Rural Public Health. "The experience, expertise and leadership reflected by this assembled team places the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health in a great position to continue its commitment to improving the population health status of our global community, and rural and underserved populations in particular. I look forward to working closely with these colleagues and the entire school community as we continue pursuit of this mission.

Dr. Craig H. Blakely Approved as Dean of SRPH

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Friday approved Craig H. Blakely, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate dean for academic affairs and research at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health, as the new dean of the school.

The HSC-School of Rural Public Health is the first school in the nation to not only train public health professionals about issues pertaining to the urban environment but also to focus on the health of rural, underserved and at-risk populations statewide, nationally and internationally.

“We are excited about the foundation already in place at the Texas A&M Health Science Center as one of the Top 25 accredited schools of public health in the country,” Dr. Blakely said. “It is a personal pleasure to follow in the footsteps of the founding dean, Dr. Ciro Sumaya. I look forward to our continued success and expanding role in meeting the population health needs of our fellow Texans and the global community.”

A professor of health policy and management, Dr. Blakely served as interim dean of the HSC-School of Rural Public Health since Aug. 1. Roderick E. McCallum, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs, was interim dean before Dr. Blakely.

“Dr. Craig Blakely has been a key participant in the creation and growth of the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health,” said Nancy W. Dickey, M.D., president of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and vice chancellor for health affairs for the A&M System. “It is with great pleasure and anticipation of excellence and innovation that we welcome him to his new role of dean of the school. Throughout the search process, Craig stood out as an individual who can lead this young school to the next level of recognition among its peers.”

Dr. Blakely focuses on disenfranchised and underserved groups such as pregnant women (particularly those without health care access), juvenile delinquents, substance abusers and rural populations. He has been the principal investigator in grants totaling more than $13 million and published numerous works that include A Pound of Prevention: The Case for Universal Maternity Care in the U.S., which was published by the American Public Health Association and served as an early bible for those advocating universal access to maternity care in the United States in the 1990s.

Dr. Blakely’s research on maternal and child health includes several major statewide studies of immunization and several crosscutting subject areas such as substance abuse prevention, maternal and child health, and community-based change. He has evaluated major initiatives that include a community-based substance abuse prevention program covering a seven-county region, a school-based prevention program targeting at-risk youth, an early state-supported maternal and child health care program providing services to non-U.S. citizens, Medicaid managed care rollouts, and major workers’ compensation reforms in Texas. He has served on numerous review panels, regularly reviews papers for a number of journals and sits on the editorial board of Journal of Primary Prevention.

Dr. Blakely obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois, a Master of Arts degree from Southern Illinois University, a Ph.D. from Michigan State University and a Master of Public Health from The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.

A senior member of the Texas A&M Health Science Center leadership team, the dean works together with the HSC president and vice chancellor for health affairs for the A&M System, the Executive Committee and other HSC colleges. With primary responsibilities for faculty development and student programs, the dean drives the school’s agenda within the HSC and with local, national and international constituencies in the public and private sectors.

The HSC-School of Rural Public Health has developed four master’s and three doctoral degree programs, a distance education program spanning Central and South Texas, and several centers of research excellence.

With help from IPWR, Royal Bank of Canada invests $300,000 in pioneering drinking water education in Trinidad and Tobago

The Institute for Public Health and Water Research (IPWR) – in partnership with the Texas A&M Health Science Center, the University of East Anglia and the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean – has launched “Water for Life: The Trinidad and Tobago Initiative.”

Funded by a three-year, $300,000 renewable grant from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Blue Water Project, this initiative will provide an educational intervention to various communities within Trinidad and Tobago.

Led by a local steering committee and in partnership with more than 20 private, public and nongovernmental organization stakeholders, the initiative aims to build capacity at the community level and will focus on the public health implication of household practices related to conservation, collection, storage and usage of water. The impact of this knowledge significantly addresses health literacy regarding hygiene and sanitation.

“Education is the key,” said Dr. Jennie Ward-Robinson, IPWR executive director. “The delivery of safe drinking water to populations in developing countries cannot be accomplished through infrastructure alone. A long-term, sustainable solution requires culturally relevant education which generates a sense of local ownership.”

Marilyn Crichlow, acting general manager of the Water Resources Agency at the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), said, “This project is seen as complimentary to its outreach programs in which the community is educated regarding technology and the application of safe water management practices.”

Results from this initiative are expected to help establish safe water management practices at the community and household level in selected rural communities of Trinidad and Tobago that depend heavily on rainwater and truck-borne water supplies.

Approximately 1.1 billion people – 18 percent of the world’s population – lack access to safe drinking water. Diarrhea and malaria (water-related diseases) are ranked third (17 percent) and fourth (8 percent) in the cause of death among children under age 5. More than 2.2 million people, mostly in developing countries, die each year from diseases associated with poor water and unsanitary conditions.

Water use increased sixfold during the last century, more than twice the rate of population growth. Approximately two billion people were affected by natural disasters in the last decade, 86 percent of them by floods and droughts.

For additional information, contact Dr. Fredericka Deare at the Institute of Gender and Development Studies in Trinidad at (868) 662-2002 ext. 3549, (868) 389-7395 or by email at gender@sta.uwi.edu. In the United States with Dr. Ward-Robinson, contact Misha Granado at (979) 845-0391 or at misha.granado@ipwr.org.

Using a Computer Doesn't Have to be a Pain

Do you suffer from shoulder, neck or arm pain while working at the computer? The good news is that with some minor adjustments, you can alleviate those aches and pains and enjoy work a lot more.

“Your best position while using a computer is your next position,” said Mark E. Benden, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health. “You need to change positions frequently while working as opposed to typing while holding a static position for an extended period of time. Also, seated work at the computer should be mixed in with standing work at the computer whenever workstations can accommodate it.”

According to Dr. Benden, other tips for comfortable computer use include using your arm rests to relax your neck and arms, relieving your dominant hand by moving your mouse to the other side of the keyboard, and placing your keyboard on a flat or slightly downward surface. Do not prop up the feet at the back of the keyboard, as doing so encourages poor wrist posture.

“Having your head tilted slightly downward 20 degrees is the relaxed or neutral position, so a good rule of thumb is for the top of the computer monitor to be slightly below eyebrow level and at least 24 inches from your eyes,” said Dr. Benden, a certified professional ergonomist.

Finally, laptop computers were not designed for all-day use. Connect them to a docking station; add an ergonomic split keyboard and comfortable mouse sized for your hand; and utilize a larger, more adjustable monitor on an arm that provides finger-touch monitor positioning, Dr. Benden said.