August 29, 2005
Public Health Conference to Share Policy, Program Successes
The 26 th annual Montana Public Health Association Conference will be held Sept. 13-15 at the Holiday Inn in West Yellowstone. It is expected to draw more than 200 public-health professionals and key state and national policy, program, and government leaders.
Among those expected to attend are the head of the American Public Health Association, Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s public health policy advisor, and members of the Montana Public Health Association (MPHA), Montana Environmental Health Association, and Montana Public Improvement Task Force.
The theme of this year’s conference is "Just the Facts, Ma’am: Evidence-Based Policy and Programs." Evidence-based approaches are based on research or success. Lora Wier, President of MPHA and a public health nurse for Teton County, said a variety of disciplines will come together to share what works.
"It’s important to provide an opportunity to get together and hear new information about different topics," Wier said. "If you have a public health force that’s up-to-date, it benefits Montana residents."
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, whose talk is entitled, "Rebuilding the Public Health Infrastructure." Anna Whiting Sorrell, health policy advisor to Gov. Schweitzer, will give the plenary address "Moving All Montana Forward," about administration policies and the public-health system.
Wier sees the conference as an opportunity to bolster collaboration with the Governor’s Office.
"Our governor is interested in public health, so this is a time to strengthen that relationship and improve public health in Montana," she said.
Other topics of the three-day conference will include family health, childhood obesity, emergency public information and risk communication, unified health command, cancer prevention, mass vaccination clinics, plans for a statewide 2-1-1 phone system, methamphetamine and drug-endangered children, and public-health home visiting.
For more information about the program, contact Jan Kiely, conference coordinator, Montana Public Health Association, 406-452-9113 or jbkiely@msn.com. To register, contact Jodie Bohl, JSI Research and Training Institute, 303-262-4301 or jbohl@jsi.com.
Page last updated: 06/14/2006
