What do you call a group of 100 unaffiliated APHA members who organize around a unique and emerging public health issue? A Special Primary Interest Group (SPIG). Within three years, if and when a SPIG recruits 250 members, it can apply to become a section.
What do you call 75 APHA members who formally get together from various sections and SPIGs to address a public health issue with potential for specific action? A forum. Forums need the written support of at least two APHA sections.
The APHA Executive Board, based on member feedback, voted to approve a new SPIG – Health Informatics and Information Technology (HIIT) – and two forums – “Trade and Health” and “Family Violence Prevention.”
HIIT (http://www.pubhiit.org/aboutus.html): Aims to improve the public's health and facilitate prevention through innovative and effective information technology and informatics approaches. Contact: Chair Diane L. Adams, MD, MPH, CHS-III, dla8315@aol.com; Chair-elect Sandra A. Worrell, MS, sandraworrell@sbcglobal.net.
Trade and Health Forum: Brings different disciplines within APHA together to better understand the impact of trade agreements. Among future activities proposed: developing and promoting policies that advance economic development while sustaining life, healthy society, and the environment; supporting proposals that expand access to safe water and sanitation; and ensuring that public health professionals participate in trade negotiations with health implications. Contact: Chair Ellen Shaffer, ershaffer@cpath.org; co-chair Anna Gilmore Hall, agilmorehall@hcwh.org.
Family Violence Prevention Forum: Plans to build a clearinghouse on issues related to family violence prevention, including violent and abusive acts perpetrated against a parent, child, sibling, or someone in the role of family member. Contact: Chair Michael Durfee, MD, michaeld55@aol.com; Vice-Chair Peggy Goodman, MD, goodmanp@ecu.edu.
Also being considered are a request from the Disability SPIG to be approved as a section, and “Public Health and Genomics” to be a forum.
Disability SPIG: Works to broaden the knowledge base and awareness regarding disability and related phenomena among all public health professions and to provide policy advice to APHA on public health policies and programs for prevention and services to enhance the quality of life for persons with disabilities, including increased public and professional awareness. Contact: Chair Gloria Krahn, PhD, MPH, krahng@ohsu.edu; Chair-elect James Rimmer, PhD, jrimmer@uic.edu.
Public Health and Genomics: Educate the public health workforce to understand the basics of genetics and the implications of genomics; provide communities with appropriately designed information that promotes good heath in the context of genetic information; prevent the misuse of information and technology; and ensure that genetic information is used to decrease health disparities. Contact: Acting Chair Jody Platt-Garcia, jeplatt@umich.edu; Acting Co-Chair: Emylou S. Rodgriguez, erodriguez@marchofdimes.com.
Finally, one last riddle. What do you call two or three APHA members who get together? A promising start.
For information on setting up APHA Forums or SPIGs, please contact Fran Atkinson, MSM, APHA director of component affairs, at frances.atkinson@apha.org.
By Priti Irani, Chair Elect, pri01@health.state.ny.us