We are seeking nominations for the APHA Epidemiology Section Public Health Practice Award.  There are two awards: One for an individual who is within 10 years of his or her terminal degree, and one for an organization.  To nominate a person or organization, one needs to complete the attached form, and return it to Kristopher.fennie@yale.edu by July 20, 2008, 5:00 pm.

This is an important award that gives the Epidemiology Section a chance to recognize important accomplishments of a person or program with respect to the practice of public health grounded in epidemiologic tradition and soundness.  We  strongly encourage you to think about your colleagues and their work, and nominate those whom you feel are appropriate for this award.

Following is an overview of the Public Health Practice Award:

"The Public Health Practice Award has been designed by the Epidemiology Section in order to recognize the use of epidemiologic methods in an innovative and creative public health program or project.

The award committee will consider both individuals and/or organizations for the award. An individual investigator must be within 10 years of their terminal degree. An organization may have been in existence for any amount of time. Examples of projects that may merit such an award include the improvement of disease surveillance, creative pre- and post-intervention assessments, innovative ways of improving study participation, and/or communication of epidemiologic measures to the participating community.

Projects may also be national in scope, but all projects must demonstrate measurable relevance to improving public health. Awardees will receive a nominal monetary award and an engraved clock.

Our winner of the 2007 Epidemiology Section Public Health Practice Award was the Bureau of Tobacco Control at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Beginning in 2003, the Bureau distributed free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches and provided follow-up counseling to increase rates of smoking cessation. Evaluation results from the first year demonstrated that 87 percednt of those who received NRT attempted to stop smoking after requesting the patch, and about one-third (33 percent) of those reached six months after the giveaway had quit smoking. The project utilized epidemiologic and other outcome measures which allowed them to target efforts to specific populations."

Please feel free to contact Kristopher Fennie by telephone at (203) 785-2057 or by e-mail at Kristopher.fennie@yale.edu if you have questions or concerns.