Washington, D.C., June 26, 2012
– As the nation awaits the fate of the Affordable Care Act, a landmark law that will determine for a lifetime the health and well-being of all Americans, the American Public Health Association is hosting its 2012 Midyear Meeting in Charlotte, N.C., beginning today, to discuss implications of the ruling, address current public health challenges and explore new strategies to “rewire” its infrastructure.
Centered on the theme, “The New Public Health: Rewiring for the Future,” the meeting will feature national public health leaders who will discuss the latest challenges facing public health and emerging opportunities for innovation in delivering essential public health services. The meeting kicks off with remarks by Donald Berwick, MD, MPP, former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Laura Gerald, MD, MPH, state health officer for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; and E. Winters Mabry, MD, health director for Mecklenburg County.
“These are uncertain times for public health, which is why it is crucial to bring the public health community together under one roof to set new priorities, share promising practices and focus efforts on our nation’s most pressing challenges,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP, (E), executive director of APHA. “When we marshal our collective strength, the public health community can make an enormous difference in the health of all Americans and save lives.”
Sessions will cover a wide variety of topics, including ways to build a more collaborative public health workforce, trends in the use of health information technology and how to effectively use social media to improve public health. An evening session on June 26 will focus on public health implications of the impending U.S. Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the landmark health reform law, just two days before the anticipated ruling.
Reporters are encouraged to register on site.
WHAT: APHA’s 2012 Midyear Meeting
WHERE: Westin Hotel (Press office: Queens Room)
WHEN: June 26-28
WHO: 400 public health professionals
Follow the Midyear Meeting on Twitter @APHAAnnualMtg and the Midyear Meeting hashtag at #APHAMid12.