A little birdie told me so: Tweet of the day

As has become tradition here at the Annual Meeting Blog, we'll be posting a tweet of the day from all you social media lovers using the hashtag #APHA14. Today's tweet comes from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, @NIOSH, which wished APHA's Occupational Health and Safety Section a joyous centennial celebration with this tweet: Happy 100th anniversary to the APHA Occupational Safety and Health Section! #APHA14

If you'd like to wish the Section a happy anniversary as well, check out session 4101, "Occupational Health and Safety Centennial Year Celebration," on Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 10:30 a.m. to noon.  

Eat, explore and be merry!

Now that you’ve arrived in the Big Easy, it might be tough to decide what to do with your non-APHA time. This is one seriously lively town. But here are a few ideas.

Food
Our local friends tell us these are some of the must-eats in the area near the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center:
•    Herbsaint
•    Cochon/Cochon Butcher
•    Domenica (According to our sources, “some of the best pizza in the Southeast.”)
•    Mother's (Some consider this a touristy landmark for po-boys, others rave about it.)
•    Restaurant August
•    Pêche Seafood Grill (Pro tip: Reservations are at a premium.)

Museums
•    National World War II Museum (It's expanded, is huge and will suck you in, plus there's a decent on-site restaurant.)
•    Ogden Museum of Southern Art, featuring a fascinating Louisiana-themed Basquiat collection.
•    Contemporary Arts Center
•    Louisiana Children's Museum
•    New Orleans Pharmacy Museum

The French Quarter is just a few blocks from the convention center and offers everything from voodoo-themed keepsakes to high-caliber street musicians. Last night at about 8 outside a packed Café Du Monde on Decatur Street, a saxophonist and a drummer were playing a soulful cover of “Dock of the Bay.” Nearby, the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve Visitors Center has an exhibit explaining how the French Quarter came to be, and Tuesday-Saturday at 9:30 a.m., park rangers lead walks to the riverfront. There’s a limit of 25 free tickets, though, and those are available beginning at 9 a.m.

The New Orleans School of Cooking and Louisiana General Store on St. Louis Street offers cooking classes and free praline samples. If shopping’s your thing, the Shops at Canal Place (http://www.theshopsatcanalplace.com/) is the home of higher-end stores like Saks and Brooks Brothers, and the Outlet Collection Riverwalk has a variety of stores right on the waterfront. Looking to stock up on some produce and other healthy foods to hold you over between scientific sessions? Rouses Market at 701 Baronne St. is open 6 a.m.-midnight.

Check out this list of local smoke-free venues and find out about the local public transportation options before you venture out. If you’re interested in guided tours by riverboat or bus, stop by the On the Town Concierge table on the main floor of the convention center, near the APHA registration area.

Do you have any favorite local spots? Let us know in the comments section below.

— D.C.

Above photos from top to bottom, a fitting alligator-themed sign in the French Quarter; the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau welcomes us to town; a jester and a riverboat along the Riverwalk Marketplace; and a local garbage truck implores you not to litter. Photos by Donya Currie

Cracking the code: Students tackle disparities

Public health students gathered today for the APHA Student Assembly's National Student Meeting, which had a theme of "Decoding Disparity: Cracking the Code Through Communities & Collaboration."

The morning's speakers included Louisiana State University public health criminologist Peter Scharf and the Rev. Earl Williams of Trinity Christian Community Center in the New Orleans neighborhood of Hollygrove. Williams is also chair of the Coalition United Against the Middle Belt, a local advocacy group working to stop plans to reroute hazardous freight traffic through a number of New Orleans neighborhoods, particularly those home to communities of color and low-income residents.

During the meeting's breakout roundtable discussions, Scharf and Williams joined groups of students as they discussed a variety of topics related to disparities, such as poverty, income inequality, housing affordability and incarceration. Students also engaged in a fascinating discussion on gun violence, its contributors, the need to address gun violence from a public health perspective and the role of the church in reducing violence in black communities.

Issues of environmental justice came up as well, with students discussing the environmental health risks, such as heavy vehicle emissions, that many low-income communities face at a disproportionate rate. One student may have put it best when she said: "Somebody is always downstream from somebody else."

—K.K.

Above, attendees at the 2014 National Student Meeting. Photo by Kim Krisberg

Public health problem-solvers

Above, participants talk about developing new apps that connect health and place during yesterday's portion of the APHA Public Health Codeathon. Stop by the Codeathon tomorrow morning from 9-10:30 a.m. in convention center room 343 to view the creative outcomes of the two-day event and cast your vote in the Viewers' Choice Award competition.

Above photos by Michele Late, courtesy APHA Flickr
 

Hello New Orleans!

As they say in New Orleans, laissez les bons temps roulez! Consider that your first lesson in local Cajun expressions — this one means "let the good times roll!" Welcome to the 142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition!

Above photos from top to bottom: A New Orleans fire truck embellished with local flavor; the Saint Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square; a French Quarter street marker; the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, which features exhibits on bloodletting, leeches and other questionable (and kind of stomach-turning) medical practices; and local jazz musicians entertain pedestrians walking through the French Quarter.

—K.K.

 

APHA’s Dr. Benjamin: Welcome to New Orleans!

Greetings APHA members, partners and friends,

It’s my great pleasure to welcome you to the 142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans! After more than a decade as APHA’s executive director, welcoming thousands of dedicated public health practitioners, researchers, advocates, students and supporters to our Annual Meeting never gets old — in fact, it only gets better. Like you, I’m excited and eager to hear stories of public health success, learn about new and promising public health innovations, and discuss ways we can collaborate in support of a strong and robust public health system. For this practitioner, every Annual Meeting is a time of rejuvenation and revival. But this year is even more special.

Nearly 10 years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, shattering lives, displacing thousands, destroying the landscape and forever changing one of the nation’s most unique and celebrated cities. That same year, our Annual Meeting was scheduled to convene in New Orleans and though we very much wanted to bring the emotional, economic and on-the-ground support of thousands of public health workers to the city, it just wasn’t possible. We convened in Philadelphia instead, but we vowed to return to New Orleans. This year, we make good on that promise. And there are few better places to explore this year’s Annual Meeting theme of “Healthography: How Where You Live Affects Your Health and Well-Being” than New Orleans, a city that’s a living laboratory of the challenges that come with rebuilding after catastrophe as well as the silver-lined opportunities to rebuild in a way that’s more resilient, prosperous and healthy for all.

In addition to bringing with us the latest in public health science, we’re also excited to bring the voice of public health to New Orleans. That means we, along with many of the meeting’s presenters, plan to highlight concerns about environmental health in the aftermath of Katrina and the 2010 BP oil spill, call for tobacco reform and smoke-free workplaces, and support local advocates as they work to ensure that all residents have access to the opportunities that afford good health and well-being. And after a jam-packed day of science, advocacy and action, I hope you’ll find the time to explore and enjoy this year’s historic host city and its unique sights, sounds and flavors. 

But as we enjoy the festivities and camaraderie of this year’s Annual Meeting, I also ask that you keep in mind our public health colleagues who are tirelessly working abroad and at home to stop the spread of Ebola and care for those infected with the deadly virus. The effects of the global outbreak and the untold suffering it has inflicted on the world’s most vulnerable communities will reverberate for years to come, long after the outbreak is contained and the images of the sick and dying disappear from the evening newscast. Join me and your fellow public health colleagues in New Orleans as we call for facts over fear — for science over politics and unity over division. During the meeting, you might notice a bright, pink ribbon on my Annual Meeting badge that boldly reads #FactsOverFear — I hope you’ll pick one up for yourself at the Information Desk inside the New Orleans convention center.

This year’s APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition will surely be one to remember. I can’t wait to see you there.

Best (and healthy) wishes,
Georges Benjamin, MD
Executive Director
APHA

Public health decision 2014: We report, you decide

Sessions, sessions, sessions. There’s a lot of them taking place at this year’s 142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans — hundreds, in fact. So, in an attempt to help you whittle down your options, below is a list of sessions that caught this blogger’s attention and that you might want to consider for your own Annual Meeting itinerary.

• The Ebola outbreak will be the focus of discussions at “Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic in West Africa,” session 3108.1 on Monday, Nov. 17. Presenters will discuss the experience of Red Cross volunteers on the front lines in Guinea; the Ebola response in Liberia and Sierra Leone; Ebola control in Nigeria; the perspective of nurses in the United States; and the public health ethics involved in curbing the virus’ spread and protecting those at risk. 

• New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will speak about the city’s homicide reduction strategy during “Changing the Context: Youth Violence Prevention Through Community Change,” session 3124 on Monday, Nov. 17. The session will also feature an overview of youth violence from a public health perspective, strategies to improve community safety and programs that specifically address violence reduction in cities.

• APHA Special Sessions features presentations on some of today’s most cutting-edge and emerging public health topics. For example, “Building a Social Movement to Become the Healthiest Nation in One Generation,” session 5033 on Wednesday, Nov. 19, will focus on topics such as income inequality, grassroots organizing and lessons learned from the fight for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. That same day, speakers will gather for “Separate and Unequal: The Political Geography of Reproductive Rights, Reproductive Justice and Reproductive Health,” session 5093, which will feature insights on the intersections of racism, classism and gender discrimination and their effects on reproductive health in New Orleans. Visit the APHA Special Sessions page for a full listing of events.

• Get your public health message in the news with tips from “Media Advocacy: How to Make Public Health Matter in Media,” session 3113 on Monday, Nov. 17. Among the session’s speakers will be health care writer Rebecca Catalanello, a reporter with the local Times-Picayune newspaper. Later that same day is “Mobilizing a Public Health Campaign,” session 3324, which will offer lessons on coalition building, community engagement and grassroots organizing.

• A number of this year’s sessions tie into this year’s Annual Meeting theme of “Healthography: How Where You Live Affects Your Health and Well-Being.” Here are just a few: “Healthography and the Food Environment,” session 3026 on Monday, Nov 17; “Healthography — The Impact of Place,” session 3071 on Monday, Nov. 17; “Healthography and the U.S. Gulf Region — A Transdisciplinary Public Health Systems Approach in the Aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill,” session 4208 on Tuesday, Nov. 18; and “Innovative Community-Academic Approaches to Address Healthography,” session 5036.1 on Wednesday, Nov. 19.

• Grab some popcorn and check out the 11th Annual APHA Film Festival, which is organized by the Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section's Health Communication Working Group and the International Health Section. The festival includes a number of sessions throughout the Annual Meeting and offers a variety of both domestic and international public health videos. For a list of sessions, visit the APHA Film Festival site.

• Join members of APHA’s Occupational Health and Safety Section as they celebrate the Section’s 100-year anniversary! “Occupational Health and Safety Centennial Year Celebration,” session 4101 on Tuesday, Nov. 18, will feature remarks from David Michaels, U.S. assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, as well as past APHA presidents Jay Glasser and Linda Rae Murray.

• Learn more about the latest threats from the tobacco industry at “Taking E-Cigarettes Head On — Local, State and National Regulations,” session 3321 on Monday, Nov. 17. The session will offer insights on regulating e-cigarettes, the appeal of e-cigarettes among people who don’t smoke conventional cigarettes, and concerns that e-cigarettes are undermining cultural norms that reject smoking in public places. And for more on the growing movement against tobacco use, stop by “Prescription for Health: Tobacco-Free Pharmacies,” session 4200 on Tuesday, Nov. 18, which will feature a presentation from Eileen Boone, president of the CVS Health Foundation, on CVS’ landmark decision to stop selling tobacco.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The Annual Meeting spans the full breadth of the public health discipline and there’s something for everyone. To see for yourself, visit the Annual Meeting online program. Or download the Annual Meeting app and sync it with your personal scheduler.

— K.K.

Above, watch a video from last year's APHA Film Festival.

There’s an app for that: Download the APHA Annual Meeting mobile app today!

Download the free APHA Annual
Meeting mobile app.

This blogger loves the APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition program. That giant, freshly printed, phone book-like tome overflowing with hundreds of chances to learn about public health’s latest innovation, insight and invention. Every year, when my copy arrives in preparation to launch this very blog, I gather my trusty yellow highlighter, a stack of sticky fluorescent page markers and a cup of hot tea and immerse myself in the opportunities. What can I say — I’m a total public health nerd.

That being said, however, the Annual Meeting program can be a bit cumbersome to haul around a convention center for five days. It truly is the size of a small phone book and after a few days of pulling it in and out of my bag, all of those page markers begin to join the wayward gum wrappers and pen caps in the dark corners of my newest APHA Annual Meeting tote bag. It turns out that sticky page markers are not the most effective scheduling tools. Thankfully, APHA agrees and now, as they say, there’s an app for that. 

For the third year in a row, meeting attendees can download the APHA Annual Meeting mobile app for easy access to all the information related to the Annual Meeting, including the massive meeting program. Those of you with Apple or Android phones can download the free tool in your app store by searching for “APHA meeting,” while those with other brands of smartphones can download our mobile Web version.

The mobile app lets users search scientific sessions, abstracts, author information and session room locations; view the Public Health Expo floor plan and maps; create an event itinerary and sync it with the APHA personal scheduler or your phone’s calendar; receive meeting alerts; and access general meeting information, such as info about shuttle buses, first aid and designated breastfeeding areas. The app also lets users connect with fellow Annual Meeting attendees — you can search through a list of attendee names and send him or her a message directly (though no one’s personal information is provided through the app).

Also this year, attendees can use the mobile app to play Passport to Prizes. Just click on “scavenger hunt,” scan quick response (QR) codes at all 20 designated Expo booths and be entered into a drawing for a variety of cool prizes, such as free registration to next year’s Annual Meeting or a free, one-year APHA membership.

You’ll need an Internet connection to initially download and launch the mobile app. But after installation, no Internet connection is necessary to access its contents. Also, you’ll want to download the mobile app before you arrive in New Orleans, as the downloading process can take some time. Plus, you’ll need time to create the perfect schedule. For more information and a list of FAQs, visit our Annual Meeting mobile app page. And leave those sticky, fluorescent page markers at home.

— K.K.