APHA Storify: Students!

Catch up with tomorrow's public health stars with our Storify coverage of students at the APHA Annual Meeting.

‘Experience, explore and connect’

Why are public health students joining us in New Orleans?

“I just want to be a sponge, just soaking up all the information from great minds,” said Tarre Stanley, who’s pursuing an MPH in epidemiology at Florida A & M University.

“I hope to become inspired,” said Laura Voith, a social work student at the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin. “There are so many ideas and so much passion.”

Stanley and Voith are just two of the many students who were attending yesterday’s National Student Meeting, which is organized by APHA’s Student Assembly. We wanted to know more about tomorrow’s public health practitioners, what drives them to work toward a healthier nation and what they hope to take home from the APHA Annual Meeting.

Tomia Austin is back in school for a DrPH in behavioral health after 15 years in the workforce.

“I’m here to learn,” she said. And she’s interested in how science can help her spread the important message of hydration among those living with sickle cell anemia.

Texas A & M students Crystal Perez, Kirsten Cannon and Betsy Cochran said they’re excited to meet other people in public health, to hear from five former surgeons general and Acting U.S. Surgeon General Boris Lushniak at the Monday General Session, and to get a better handle on what public health is, exactly.

“I can sum it up in three words,” said Willie Williams, who is studying for a doctorate of public health at Florida A & M University, when asked why he’s here. “Experience, explore and connect.”

Students are excited, too, to meet the public health rock stars whose names are on the spines of some of their textbooks. Jennifer Warren, for example, an assistant professor at Rutgers, will be talking about community- and place-based approaches to health communication during a Tuesday morning session.

Many students, some of whom are at an APHA Annual Meeting for the very first time, just want to talk to everyone they can about public health.

“I came to make good connections, just find out more about what’s going on in public health on a deeper level than what we learn in the classroom or see on the Internet,” said Aaron Judson, who’s studying environmental epidemiology at Florida A & M.

The biggest public health issues of our time also have students’ attention. Those issues include Ebola, of course, as well as zoonotic infectious diseases in general, Judson said. Stanley is particularly concerned about health disparities and has a deeply held belief, like so many of us, that “we all deserve to be able to live healthy lives.”

— D.C.

Above, a group of public health students give the thumbs-up to five days of public health exploration. Photo by Donya Currie

Health innovations take center stage at APHA codeathon

When it comes to technology, no one is immune to change, including public health professionals. And this weekend, a group of such professionals joined together with developers, coders and designers to find new ways to guide those changes and ultimately benefit the public’s health.

Held Nov. 13-14 in New Orleans, the second annual APHA Public Health Codeathon challenged participants to create apps, tools and other technological innovations that connect place and health, tying into the Annual Meeting theme of “Healthography: How Where You Live Affects Your Health and Well-Being.” Sponsors of the event included Esri, Validic and the California Healthcare Foundation.

Participants spent two days brainstorming, forming teams and turning their ideas into reality. They also heard from a lineup of health information technology leaders, such as Allen Dearry, director of the Office of Scientific Information Management at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and Karen DeSalvo, national coordinator for health information technology and acting assistant secretary for health.

Americans are eager to take advantage of technology that can help them stay healthy, especially data they can access on their own and that follows them seamlessly through the health care system, DeSalvo said. She encouraged public health professionals to provide feedback on a new federal IT strategic plan that will be released in December.

“We want to create a better picture of health for people,” she said.

Codeathon attendees rose to the event’s challenge, submitting nine presentations to a team of judges Saturday. Four teams took home prizes for their innovations, with a team from the University of Maryland earning three honors, including the Social Impact Prize. The Maryland team created a tool called Healthy Actionable Behavioral-Based Informational Technology — also know as HABIT. The tool uses data from health devices, electronic health records and other sources to map health measures.

Other winners included the Hospital Readmissions Dashboard, which helps hospitals follow up with patients for 30 days after they’ve been discharged to prevent readmissions, and the Empowerment app, which is designed to help youth in foster care transition into adulthood.

Another winner, the Food Recovery App, marries geolocation services with volunteers willing to collect unwanted excess food and deliver it to those who can use it. The smartphone-based app is modeled after on-demand car services that allow users to summon rides from nearby drivers.

Modeling the app after a platform that smartphone users are familiar with may make it more appealing to them, said Khusdeep Malhotra, who submitted the app.

“Hopefully, people will be inspired through their social networks to do something good,” Malhotra said.

Annual Meeting attendees get their chance to decide which codeathon innovations they think deserved to win on Sunday morning. Meeting attendees are invited to hear about the projects created in the codeathon, ask questions and vote for their favorites from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in room 343 at the convention center.

“A lot of hours were spent on how they can make an impact on health delivery and make health care more accessible,” said John Yaist, a technology evangelist at Esri. “I’m always kind of amazed by what they come up with.”

— M.L.

Above photos from top to bottom: The University of Maryland codeathon team celebrates their win; Karen DeSalvo, U.S. acting assistant secretary for health and national coordinator for health information technology, speaks to codeathon attendees; and two codeathon participants fine tune their innovation. Photos by Michele Late, courtesy APHA Flickr

Good friends, good times

Last night, members from APHA's 53 affiliated state and regional public health associations gathered to celebrate, socialize and honor their colleagues for their outstanding service to public health at the annual Council of Affiliates Reception and Awards. Let's hear it for thinking globally and acting locally! (And if you run into any friends from Mississippi, say congrats! The Mississippi Public Health Association won this year's Outstanding Affiliate of the Year Award.)

Above photos by Jim Ezell, courtesy EZ Event Photography

Sunday’s Have You Heard

Facts Over Fear: In the midst of the global Ebola outbreak, we hope you’ll join us in calling for facts over fear. Stop by the information booths in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center or the Hilton New Orleans Riverside and pick up a bright, pink ribbon that reads #FactsOverFear.

Apps in the A.M.: APHA Public Health Codeathon teams will show off their inventions during a public viewing on Sunday morning from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in room 343 of the convention center.

Jazz hands: Right before the start of the Opening General Session, Dr. White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band will be bringing a taste of New Orleans to the APHA Annual Meeting. The music starts at 11:15 a.m. in the Great Hall of the convention center.

Kick off!: The Opening General Session is always the perfect way to kick off four days of public health plenty. This year’s opening starts Sunday at noon in the Great Hall of the convention center, with welcoming remarks from APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, New Orleans Department of Health Director Charlotte Parent, Louisiana Public Health Association President Takeisha Davis and many more. And don’t miss keynote addresses from author Isabel Wilkerson and Acting Surgeon General Boris Lushniak.

Author! Author!: Schedule some time to stop by this year’s book signings at Everything APHA inside the Public Health Expo. Opening Session keynote speaker Isabel Wilkerson, author of “The Warmth of Other Suns,” will be signing copies of her book on Sunday from 2:30-3:30 p.m.; APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin will be signing copies of “The Quest for Health Reform: A Satirical History” on Sunday from 4-5 p.m.; and Michael Patrick MacDonald, author of “All Souls,” will be signing books on Monday, Nov. 17, starting at noon.

Rookie training: New to APHA? No problem. Check out the Annual Meeting/New Member Orientation on Sunday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in room 220-222 in the convention center. We’ll give you tips for navigating the enormous Annual Meeting and taking full advantage of your APHA membership.

Mad media scientists: Wondering how to best leverage social media to support your public health goals? Wonder no longer — we’ve got you covered. Register today for APHA’s Social Media Lab, which is organized in partnership with AIDS.gov, and learn one-on-one with social media experts. Or just stop by the lab and check it out Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Great Hall pre-function area of the convention center.

Be social!: Curious about the faces behind your favorite public health tweets, posts and pics? Check out Sunday’s Social Media Meetup at 5:30 p.m. at Spirits Bar inside the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. RSVP here. All are invited!

Photo by Michele Late, courtesy APHA Flickr

APHA members call for Louisiana Medicaid expansion

With one in four Louisiana residents lacking health insurance, APHA members and state-based groups gathered to call for expanding Medicaid and turning the uninsured tide.


Groups such as APHA’s Community Health Planning and Policy Development Section advocated for that expansion at Saturday’s Create a Movement for Change event at Mississippi River Heritage Park, just steps away from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.


The event kicked off a letter-signing campaign in support of expanding Medicaid in Louisiana. Attendees were encouraged to visit www.lamedicaidexpansion.org to send letters in support of the expansion. The campaign will end when the letters are delivered in April 2015 to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, as well as to other elected officials.


Section member Ashley Wennerstrom said current policies regarding access to health care in Louisiana are not in the best interest of public health. Overall, Louisiana ranks low among all 50 states and the District of Columbia in areas such as cancer deaths and chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.


“We have approximately between 750,000 to 850,000 people without health insurance,” Wennerstrom said. “We could cut that number in half if we were to expand Medicaid.”


The event, which is the Section’s fourth Day of Action held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting, was a partnership between the Community Health Planning and Policy Development Section, the Association’s Caucus Collaborative and several state and community-based groups, such as the Louisiana Center for Health Equity.


APHA Immediate Past President Adewale Troutman, an event speaker, urged attendees to sign the letter and take the message of Medicaid expansion to their legislative representatives as well as network with fellow public health allies.


“One of the things we don’t do well enough as public health practitioners is be active,” Troutman said. “We don’t advocate the way we should. We don’t organize the way we should. This is an opportunity for all of us to be on board.”


Louisiana is among more than 20 states that have not expanded Medicaid eligibility as authorized via the Affordable Care Act, said Alma Stewart, founder and president of the Louisiana Center for Health Equity. She says the state has become complacent when it comes to access to care, and the problem of being uninsured goes beyond not having a primary care physician.


For example, Stewart said small businesses may incur increased costs because they cannot avoid the cost of providing health coverage to people who would otherwise be insured via a Medicaid expansion.


“Expanding Medicaid makes sense from a public health perspective and economically,” Stewart said. “If the leaders of this state operated in the best interest of this state, we wouldn’t be standing here today.”

To get involved, visit www.lamedicaidexpansion.org.





— N.G.

Above photos from top to bottom: Alma Stewart, founder and president of the Louisiana Center for Health Equity, speaks to a crowd at the Create a Movement for Change event held at Mississippi River Heritage Park. The event was sponsored by APHA member groups, including the Community Health Planning and Policy Development Section, as well as state-based organizations.  


APHA Immediate Past President Adewale Troutman, left, talks to advocates along with Alma Stewart of the Louisiana Center for Health Equity. 

Ed Behan of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, stands with a sign that reads “240,000+ LA Workers w/out a Safety Net X-pand Medicaid” at the Create a Movement for Change event.

Photos by Natalie McGill

Booked!

Get a head start on this year's hot public health titles at APHA Press Express in the registration area of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Stop by APHA Press Express, which will be open Sunday morning from 9 a.m. to noon, to pick up a handful of public health titles, including the brand new 20th edition of the "Control of Communicable Diseases Manual," as well as this year's Annual Meeting T-shirt — it's the perfect souvenir.

Out of the convention center, into the streets!

APHA student members are thinking outside of the box this year — and outside of the convention center. On Saturday, 150 student members left the 10th annual Student Assembly's National Student Meeting on field trips to three nonprofit organizations addressing public health issues in New Orleans. Students visited the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University, the NO/AIDS Task Force and Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative for a hands-on look at how they might put their public health passion to use within their own communities.

— L.W.

Above photos from top to bottom, Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative has been revitalizing the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. The organization has built and sold 30 affordable houses as well as green spaces for all to enjoy.

APHA student members take a tour of the Central City neighborhood where Jericho House has built affordable houses and green spaces. This community garden, built and maintained by Jericho House volunteers, is available for all neighbors to enjoy — and offers a source of healthy fresh produce as well.

APHA student members walk through the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. Once a neighborhood plagued by blight and crime, Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative has been working with community members to revitalize Central City and provide housing security to its residents.

Photos by Lindsey Wahowiak