The Epidemiology Section had the pleasure of awarding both an individual and an organizational award for the Public Health Practice Awards at the 2009 APHA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.  The Public Health Practice Award has been designed by the Epidemiology Section to recognize the use of epidemiologic methods in an innovative and creative public health program or project. This is an important award that gives the Epidemiology Section a chance to recognize significant accomplishments of a person or program with respect to the practice of public health grounded in epidemiologic tradition and soundness.

Public Health Practice Award for an Individual – Elise Riley, PhD, MPH, was awarded the Public Health Practice Award.  Dr. Riley uses epidemiologic principles in her practice of public health. She is committed to determining and ameliorating health risks that are specific to poor and marginally housed persons. The development and evaluation of a community syringe drop box program (Operation Drop Box) in Baltimore exemplifies her approach to public health practice.  It was an inexpensive, simple, yet elegant intervention, acceptable to drug users, the community and police.  It was effective in reducing risk of HIV infection through shared syringes.

Public Health Practice Award for an Organization – The Assessment, Policy Development and Evaluation unit of Public Health – Seattle & King county (PHSKC) was awarded the Public Health Practice Award at the 2009 APHA Annual Meeting. Through the practice of community health assessments, PHSKC has been able to identify important health issues and effect a change through community involvement and appropriate interventions. A highlight of their work is the analysis and identification of trends in asthma hospitalization in King County. This led to the development of a community-based participatory research project aimed at reducing asthma health disparities.  Dissemination of these studies led to the formation of an asthma coalition which has targeted low income children, and has helped to develop housing-related interventions.

The Public Health Practice Awards Committee did an outstanding job this year in selecting winners from a pool of impressive candidates.  Please thank them for their efforts:  Oscar Alleyne, Kristopher Fennie, Jim Gaudino, Claudia Kozinetz, Perianne Lurie, Polly Marchbanks, and Lauren Zapata.

We are seeking nominations for the 2010 Public Health Practice Awards. If you know of someone or an organization that exemplifies the use of epidemiologic methods in an innovative public health context, please consider nominating them. For further information on how to nominate an individual or organization contact Kristopher Fennie, Chair, PHP Awards Committee, at kristopher.fennie@yale.edu .