Opening: The Fall session of the Science Board was called to order on November 7, 2004 during the Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Harry Perlstadt (Chair) welcomed the new members, Judith Baigis and Olivia Carter Pokras and thanked the outgoing members Hila Richardson and Gregory Pappas for their service and contribution to the Science Board. Certificates of appreciation were given to outgoing members.
Present: Geraldine Perry Allen; Judith Baigis, Olivia Carter Pokras, Adnan Hyder, Carol Korenbrot, Suzanne Kupiec, Lillian Mood, Joshua Mott, Harry Perlstadt, Kathleen Russell, Deborah Prothrow Stith, Alan Trachtenberg, David Wegman, Stanley Weiss,
APHA Staff: Omari Keeles, Monica Lathan, Charlene Royal, Sandra Trinidad (APHA Fellow), and Margie Ssemanda (APHA Intern)
Absent: Hila Richardson, Letitia Davis, and Gregory Pappas
Approval of Agenda: Agenda approved
Approval of Minutes: Minutes approved with corrections to the spelling of board members name: Hila not Hilda and Letitia not Lakitia)
Old Business
- American Society of Health Pharmacists
Contact Dr. Hatcher to find out where are they with the draft that was reviewed last spring? Science Board proposes circulation among leadership targeting International Health and Epidemiology sections, Latino and African American caucuses. Incorporate APHA comments into the policy.
Olivia Carter Pokras and Alan Trachtenberg will work together to compose and send letter to the chair of all Sections, Spigs and Caucuses asking for comments within a timeframe. The focus is on the engagement of pharmacists in public health.
Suggested watermarking archive documents to differentiate active policy from archived policy when downloading/printing.
New Business
- Health Disparities Database
Earlier this year APHA set up its Health Disparities Projects and Interventions, which resulted in over 600 submissions of projects and interventions to address the challenges of health disparities in communities. The Executive Board has authorized the Science Board to create a task force to develop evaluation criteria to determine the effectiveness or success of each submission and then identify and create a registry of effective programs in the database. The Task Force will review several models of evidence-based evaluations, specifically, SAMSHA’s National Registry of Effective Programs, FDA’s Evidence-based Ranking System, and Canada Treasury Department’s Guidelines for Review of Evaluation Reports. At the conclusion of its work, the Task Force will be appointed by the Chair of the Science Board in consultation with the APHA President, Director of Scientific and Professional Affairs and the APHA Executive Director.
Olivia Carter-Pokras volunteered for the Task Force along with Adnan Hyder.
- Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
The Committee on Professional Education (CPE) has been established by the Executive Director of APHA and reports to the Education Board (EdB). Adnan Hyder represents the Science Board on CPE and thereby provides a conduit for interaction with CPE and the EdB. The CPE will meet on Sunday night and Adnan will submit a brief report on the meeting. Discussion focused on how to make the APHA Continuing Education Institutes (CEI) more attractive to larger membership base. 75% institutes paid by organization and not individual participants.
- Public Health Graduates examination. Proposing an examination to certify that public health graduates know what they should before entering the public health workforce.
Discussion: Although certain courses are required in an MPH program, there is no standardization of what schools are teaching; standardized exams end up being gatekeepers instead of what they are suppose to do; core competencies should be met; appears to be a trend of students with MPH degrees without knowledge of public health; more schools should offer B.S. in public health in order to start the learning and application process earlier; CEPH should consider evidence-based and not “let’s have an exam/board;” review course content and performance of graduates from accredited vs. unaccredited MPH programs; take a look at the quality of the programs; schools should demonstrate how curriculum is met – spell out/identify the skills.
The process should be evidence-based. Science Board could gather evidence of how accreditation works.
- Annual Meeting, Science Board sessions
Last year we did a session on weight and diabetes. Current ideas for topics to consider for 2005 theme: “Evidence Based Policy and Practice.”
- Whose science is evidence for public policy? Government? Academia? or Industry?
- Evidence in public health systems, policy, research, ethics
- Bringing evidence into the policy process
- Symposium on IRB issues – public health practice vs. research (research ethics – conduct of science). Deficits of current IRB process. Entire scheme of how we have human protection – areas of commission only. Areas of omission ignored. No balance with these issues.
- How to talk to the press about scientific issues?
- Process of developing an idea into policy
- What’s the difference between policy, regulation, law, etc.?
Science Board would like to give input on choosing a keynote speaker for the 2005 Annual Meeting.
Carol Korenbrot and David Wegman will work together to develop a primary theme more specific to the science board (2 session tracks).
Six (6) late breaker policies were received: Group A received two ( LB-1Opposing Health Professional Cooperation with Detainee Abuse and Promoting Education to Resist Participation; LB-4 Developing a Comprehensive Public Health Approach to Influenza Vaccination) , Group B received two ( LB-2 Responsibility of the Food and D rug Administration (FDA) to set and Enforce Lead Standards to Protect Children from Overexposure to Lead in Candy Products; LB-5 The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) must maintain its unique scientific and administrative role within the Department of Health and Human Services) , Group C received two ( LB-3 Supporting the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health; LB-7 Attacks on Immigrant Healthcare) and Group D did not receive any late breakers. Can the Science Board see late breakers also? Discuss changing the submission deadline to give science board an opportunity to review late breakers for scientific merit before they go to the Governing Council. How can we come up with a way to introduce late breakers in a more efficient manner to JPC? Online submissions of policies for next year’s annual meeting. Recommends an advance copy of late breakers received after 6:00pm.
- Joint Policy Committee (JPC) Members
Joshua Mott, David Wegman, Stanley Weiss, and Geraldine Perry Allen are the Science Board Representatives to the JPC.
Harry announced the new chair of the Science Board – Geraldine Perry Allen.
Staff on behalf of the APHA and the Science Board, presented Harry with a framed certificate for his outstanding contribution as chair of the Science Board.