Public Health Nursing

137th APHA Annual Meeting Update

Plan now to attend the 137^th Annual Meeting of the APHA in Philadelphia , Nov. 7 – 11, 2009! .

Here are a few highlights and considerations:

• All PHN events except for poster sessions will take place at the Philadelphia Loews at 1200 Market Street.
• You can reserve your hotel through the APHA Web site beginning June 1, 2009 which is the same day when the conference program goes “live” and will be available to you online. 
• An early-bird discount is offered for registrations received by August 28, 2009. Click here for the registration site.
• Check APHA’s Web site for current information about the conference here.
• The Sunday afternoon “Quad Council: And Drink Plenty of Water” Learning Institute will focus on the conference’s theme of water and health. Brenda Afzal, Director of Health Programs at the Environmental Health Education Center at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, will be the keynote speaker.
• Calling all students! Encourage nursing students to attend the first “Public Health Nursing Student Business Meeting” on Sunday afternoon.
• Our PHN Section is organizing one round table session, four poster sessions, and 28 scientific sessions on a variety of subjects of interest to public health nurses and practitioners.We have a number of distinguished speakers including Tennessee Commissioner of Health Susan Cooper, MSN, RN, who will share her experiences in the session, Public Health Perspectives on Health Reform.
• Plan on coming to the “Public Health Nursing Emerging Leaders Recognition and Reception” on Monday evening, Nov. 9. This will be a great time to network with nurses and other public health practitioners. We will recognize all of the students who presented at the conference, and the PHN Section Young Investigator Award will be given for the first time.
• Sign up to attend the PHN Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 10 when you register for the conference.
• Come to the PHN Business meetings beginning Sunday, Nov. 7 – Wednesday, Nov. 11.
• Not sure what to expect or feeling overwhelmed already by the conference? Contact me by sending an e-mail message to soppewal@unc.edu and I will try to help identify a PHN Section member to help answer your questions, provide guidance, share experiences, and help make your first APHA conference memorable.
• If you are interested in serving as a moderator for a session at the conference, please send an e-mail message to Sonda Oppewal at soppewal@unc.edu.

I look forward to seeing you in Philadelphia!

Sonda Oppewal, PHN Section Program Chair

_________________________________________________