Chair's Report Fall 2005
Dear Section member,
It is already time for the fall newsletter, and our next Annual Meeting is getting closer as well.
I am writing you this note still being shaken by Hurricane Katrina and its effect on all of us. I hope that this will help us realize how precious we all are and how quick our orderly life can be changed. It made me realize that we need to prepare much better for natural disasters, not only for a potential terrorist attack but also think carefully about the weakest and poorest members of our society.
It shows as well how important public health is.
Our Section has the potential to become an important voice in this process if we draw from the collective experience of our members. We started this process earlier this year with e-mails to all members asking for volunteers to expand and build on our committee structure. I am thankful for all the members who stepped forward to help and assist us. You provided needed help to our committee chairs as well and enabled them to get some important work done within their committees. I am thankful for all the tremendous work that has been done by our committee chairs over the last year. I wish all the best to our Chair-Elect Paul Halverson and Chair-Elect-Elect Gloria Brown McNeil as they prepare for their terms in office.
Thanks so much for a wonderful year. I hope I see all of you in Philadelphia in December.
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HA Members... Become Mentors!!!
The Annual Meeting is fast approaching. The Health Administration Section has a tremendous program for new members and students that needs your support. Just think back on the time when you first became a member of APHA. What did you think about this organization? How did you think you could become active? How did you get involved? Who or what made the difference for you in APHA?
The value you provide someone else, and the value you get from helping someone else, can make all the difference in the world to someone's connection to APHA. As you ponder these questions, please complete the form to become a mentor for someone who is a new member, or a student. It does not take that much time. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Audrey Smith at (313) 402-9608 or via e-mail: <
asmith48219@aol.com>.
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Staffing the HAS Booth - An Interesting Experience and Valuable Networking Opportunity
The time is soon approaching for the 133nd Annual APHA Meeting and Exposition in Philadelphia, Dec. 10-14, 2005. We need your help to make the Health Administration Section Booth both interesting and inviting for those who pass by in the Exhibit hall. Interesting because you will be there describing the Section.
Working at the HAS Booth is a great opportunity to meet Section members and recruit new members, as well as network with thousands of public health professionals and students attending the meeting. Besides, it is a lot of fun!
Please sign up to help your Section by working the HAS Section Booth for at least two hours over the course of the Annual Meeting. We encourage you to sign up for as many blocks of time as you can spare.
There are slots open that we would like to fill but we cannot do it without you. It takes an entire Section to run a booth!
We have an online signup calendar available. It is located at: <
http://my.calendars.net/has_booth/d11/12/2005>. The times are already set up in 1 hour blocks for you. Time slots available include:
Sunday, Dec. 11: 2 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 12: 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec.13: 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 14: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Click on the link to find the calendar. To sign up for a time period, click on the day (number), then on "Edit" next to the time period you want to sign up for. Fill in your *name and e-mail address* in the Calendar Text box. We need your e-mail address to contact you. Remember, dates of use of this calendar are December 11, 12, 13 and 14 only. You'll see hour slots either with or without a name and e-mail address. Sign up for the available slots only. Click on the Submit button. Watch your name and e-mail address appear.
I look forward to working with you to make the 133rd meeting a great success. If you have any questions or ideas I would really like to hear from you. Please e-mail me at <
asmith48219@aol.com>.
If you have technical problems with the calendar, contact Laura Larsson at <
larsson@u.washington.edu>. Laura will also help you sign up if you prefer to have her do it for you.
Please sign up. Working at the HAS booth is a lot of fun, and you get to network with all sorts of interesting people. Also, you get to learn about a great new technology that you can use for your events.
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Urgently Needed: Pictures from Previous Conferences!
PICTURES!!! PICTURES!!! Do you have any pictures from previous conferences? The HA Membership Committee would like to develop a collage of pictures to display at the HA Booth. If you have any pictures to share, please e-mail <
asmith48219@aol.com>.
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Health Administration Section Awards - Come Celebrate Our Accomplishments - and Network
The Health Administration Section will be gathering to acknowledge the accomplishments and contributions made by section members. This year the Excellence in Health Administration, Section Chair, and Outstanding Student Abstract awards will be presented. The Excellence in Health Administration award is intended to recognize exceptional and sustained achievement and performance in public health administration, as evidenced by contributions in the fields of practice, science, research, teaching or writing and should have demonstrated outstanding contributions of major significance to the practice of health administration. The Section Chairperson's award, given by the chair, recognizes service to the Section beyond the expectations of office, exceptional performance of duties, outstanding leadership qualities and/or national achievement in attainment of Section goals and objectives.
Come join us as we celebrate and acknowledge the contributions made by outstanding health administrators in public health. A light buffet of h'ordouervs and drinks will be served.
The Section Awards Event will be held Monday, December 12 from 7:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. If you look for it in APHA's database, the session is #367.0 : HAS Awards.
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HAS Annual Meeting Program Newsworthy!
The Health Administration Section’s (HAS) scientific program for the 2005 APHA Annual Meeting is worth attending. You are invited to view the entire HAS scientific program at: <
http://apha.confex.com/apha/133am/techprogram/>. A complete list is located below and is linked for those who want to print it as a separate document.
Session #3109.0 Health Administration Section – Student Award Presentations
As a step toward recognizing the importance of students as the future leadership of public health, the Health Administration Section will be featuring a session focused on the top student abstracts submitted to the Health Administration Section. Please join us in recognizing these students
Session #3108.0 Eliminating Health Disparities through Collaborative Leadership
This year APHA and the American Medical Association (AMA) are co-sponsoring a panel at the APHA Annual Meeting on using collaborative leadership to decrease health disparities. This panel comes from continuing discussions between APHA’s Health Administration Section and AMA’s Public Health staff. Panelists will present the principles of collaborative leadership as they can be used with practicing physicians in the community to work together on decreasing health disparities.
Session #3282.0 The 2004 Florida Hurricanes: Public Health and Community Response
Florida experienced its most intense hurricane season ever during a seven week period in 2004 – causing $60 billion damage and 117 deaths. Come hear about how Florida coped with a situation where there was greater damage from natural disasters than any other state has had in a comparable period of time. Presentations will cover response and recovery activities relating to Hurricane Charley and lessons learned; the Department’s behavioral health incident command response to the hurricanes; a summary of a series of case studies and journals produced by graduates of the Public Health Leadership Institute of Florida; and the findings of a survey of nursing home administrators that collected their views on preparations for disasters and their experiences in the hurricanes.
Session #4031.0 New Directions for Quality Improvement
The U.S. public and elected officials are demanding accountability from government agencies. This Health Administration-sponsored session will provide attendees with a snapshot of current initiatives for quality improvement in public health at the state and local levels. The session will address successes, barriers and challenges to implementation of quality improvement efforts, and will provide attendees with strategies, tools and techniques for public health organizations to consider as they seek to move ahead in embracing quality improvement.
Session #4227.0 Public Health Systems Research
This invited session from the Health Administration Section will provide an update on the emerging field of public health systems research and highlight current studies that offer evidence-based guidanc