National Public Health Week is marked in communities nationwide: Thousands take part in, hold events
Public health advocates flexed their creative muscles during National Public Health Week, hosting everything from health fairs to walking challenges to interactive museum exhibits showcasing the importance of public health. The following is an alphabetical summary of some of the events held across the country that were submitted to The Nation’s Health.
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| The National Public Health Week observance held by the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Public Health included free massages and an elevator boycott. | The University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Public Health in Birmingham, Ala., continued its tradition of a strong National Public Health Week observance with events that included free massages, a display on the benefits of a vegetarian diet, an elevator boycott that encouraged people to take the stairs and a hike aimed at both promoting physical activity and cleaning up a local park.
On Thursday of the week-long observance, public health students went head-to-head against faculty and staff to guess correct survey responses to a number of public health questions in a game show called “Family Feud — Public Health Style.”
The students won free lunch, bowling and bragging rights for coming up with more correct survey answers than their professors and school staff.
Officials with the Arizona Department of Health Services presented awards to individuals and programs in six Arizona counties that exemplified this year’s National Public Health Week theme of “Empowering Americans to Live Stronger, Longer!”
The awards ceremony was held at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Ariz., and recognized people who coordinated tobacco prevention, cessation and education programs as well as those who helped promote physical activity for seniors. On April 5, the Arizona Local Health Officers Association presented public health success stories at the governor’s cabinet meeting.
The Arizona Public Health Association helped spread the word about staying healthy
by sponsoring a booth at the popular “Sunday on Central” street festival in Phoenix, Ariz., during this year’s National Public Health Week.
The booth, which attracted hundreds of visitors, featured health fact sheets, buttons and exercise guides from the National Institute on Aging, more than 400 of which were handed out.
At the request of the association, state Gov. Janet Napolitano proclaimed April 2005 as Public Health Month in Arizona. A copy of the proclamation was prominently displayed at the booth.
“This was a fantastic opportunity for AzPHA to reach a great number of people with the public health message,” said Elsie Eyer, MS, the association’s executive director.
California public health advocates kicked off National Public Health Week with a combined, statewide annual meeting that brought together members of the Southern California Public Health Association and the California Public Health Association-North as well as state and local health officials. APHA President Walter Tsou, MD, MPH, was one of several speakers at the two-day meeting, which was titled “Improving the Public’s Health: the Power of Collaboration.”
“The planning and hosting of this meeting models collaboration between two public health associations as well as national, state and local public health agencies requiring major commitments of time, expertise and other resources,” said Peter Abbott, MD, MPH, president of the northern California Affiliate. “We are pleased that this conference demonstrates the power of collaboration and multidisciplinary approaches.”
In Encino, Calif., the International Health and Epidemiology Research Center sponsored an anti-violence project to help commemorate National Public Health Week. Participants in the “Peace Day” project gathered at two parks, one in Encino and one in Irvine, Calif., where children turned in toy guns for a certificate and reward and organizers sponsored exhibits featuring art made from toy guns.
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science in Denver, Colo., promoted National Public Health Week in its interactive “Hall of Life” exhibit, which allowed visitors to learn about nutrition, fitness, stress and other risk factors and lifestyle choices. The National Public Health Week logo and Web site were projected in the exhibit, and the museum’s Web site linked to the National Public Health Week site.
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| Events held by the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment in Colorado attracted the attention of the media. | The El Paso County Department of Health and Environment in Colorado Springs, Colo., held its annual meeting during National Public Health Week at the U.S. Olympic Complex. Events during the meeting in Colorado Springs included the unveiling of a new city and county wellness plan, the first community forum on methamphetamine, a showing of the movie “Super Size Me” and free health screenings. The meeting’s overall goals were to increase public awareness about the ongoing public health efforts to help people “Live Stronger, Longer” and to provide suggestions as to how individuals, agencies and the community can get involved in the efforts.
The Greenwich Department of Health, in Greenwich, Conn., held a series of town events involving many partners in the local public health system and set up a public health window display at the Town Hall. Among the National Public Health Week events there was a “benefits check-up” at the local library that sought to help people ages 55 and older identify programs in the community, state and nation they might be eligible for. The local senior center hosted a mini health fair featuring screenings and health information, and health officials released initial results of the Greenwich Public Health Performance Standards Assessment at a town forum on April 7. Throughout the week, people were encouraged to check out the Living to 100 Healthspan Calculator.
In Westport, Conn., the Westport Weston Health District’s series of National Public Health Week events included free water testing for coliform bacteria, food safety demonstrations, an emergency preparedness drill and seminar, a program on how to start exercising regularly, and screenings for cataracts/ glaucoma, hearing problems, high cholesterol and blood pressure problems. Officials also handed out information on Lyme disease, West Nile virus and emergency preparedness and offered tetanus immunizations to seniors.
At Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the Public Health Student Association hosted National Public Health Week events such as a daily “healthy tip” distributed throughout the campus, education booths touching on issues of vision, dental, mental, osteopathic, physical, occupational and general health and a legislative project. Coordinated with the university’s Sheperd Law School, the project involved students writing hundreds of letters to local- and state-elected officials asking them to support legislation aimed at increasing physical activity in elementary schools. Students joined with staff members from the HIV office of the Broward County Health Department to host a health fair that featured screenings and educational displays. Optometry students collected used eyeglasses for donation to the needy, and public health students helped lead an autism walk to cap off the week’s events.
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| University of Florida public health students share information on global public health during a Graduate Student Council Forum. | In Gainesville, Fla., University of Florida public health students who had recently traveled to the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti and Mexico to help implement public health protocols presented findings from their project to students and faculty at the Graduate Student Council Forum. The students said their findings demonstrated the “critical need” to increase awareness for international research to improve community health and eliminate disparities.
Lillian Stark, PhD, was recognized as the 2005 Florida Outstanding Woman in Public Health during a National Public Health Week awards ceremony at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla. Stark is director of the Virology Department in the Bureau of Laboratories at the Florida Department of Health and was selected as this year’s award winner for her long-standing advocacy of water quality standards. Also during the ceremony, Noreen Poor, PhD, was recognized as the College of Public Health Teacher of the Year. The school sponsored its second annual Public Health Fair at Tampa’s University Square Mall on the last day of National Public Health Week. More than 1,000 people visited the fair, which featured more than 50 booths and displays from groups such as the March of Dimes, Arthritis Foundation, Florida Blood Services, Tampa Fire and Rescue and the Hillsborough County Health Department.
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| Public health advocates in Hawaii share public health information. | In Hawaii , state Gov. Linda Lingle issued a proclamation that outlined the reasons public health is important and officially recognized April 4–10 as Public Health Week in Hawaii. The Hawaii State Department of Health and Hawaii Public Health Department hosted a week-long health fair, and various health department offices held daily events designed to raise public awareness and promote the “Live Stronger, Longer!” theme. Legislators and community members were invited to an open house hosted by the state laboratories, and informational displays promoted all aspects of public health and touted safety, daily activity, regular health check-ups, healthy eating and immunizations. Advocates also promoted the “three Ps” for adding healthy years to life — prevent, protect and plan — throughout the week, while health department staff wore buttons that read “Public Health is Everyone’s Kuleana,” which means “responsibility” in Hawaiian.
Public health workers across Idaho learned how to motivate state residents to become more physically active as part of an interactive videoconference sponsored by Telehealth Idaho at Idaho State University during National Public Health Week.
The university, based in Pocatello, Idaho, broadcast a Virtual Grand Round Session to participants in five sites. The session focused on “Idaho on the Move,” a campaign that encourages residents to become more fit by increasing their activity levels by 2,000 steps a day.
Car seat safety and identification of common environmental and home hazards were the focus of a health fair outreach project in Cicero, Ill. Students at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health partnered with the All Our Kids Early Childhood Network to run the health fair.
More than 200 people visited the Macon County Health Department in Decatur, Ill., during National Public Health Week to take part in the department’s sixth annual health fair.
The fair included health screenings for blood pressure, bone density, breast cancer risk, oral cancer, vision and hearing as well as cholesterol and blood sugar levels. A dermatologist who provided skin cancer exams reported that 20 percent of people who took part in the screenings were referred for biopsies.
Particularly popular at the fair were the three massage therapists, who massaged 20 people apiece in just two hours. Two translators were on hand to help make the event more accessible to Spanish-speaking participants.
The fair was followed by a two-hour seminar on women’s health that featured discussions on cardiovascular disease, fitness, menopause and healthy skin.
“The purpose of the annual health fair and women’s seminar is to promote and encourage a healthy lifestyle,” said Diane Johner, RN, MSN, director of health promotion at the Macon County Health Department. “Participants learn how to get healthy and stay healthy.”
The Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Public Health in Indianapolis, Ind., sponsored many National Public Health Week events, including a walking challenge between faculty, staff and students. Topics featured during the National Public Health Week 2005 Lecture Series included diabetes, obesity, smoking cessation, exercise and physical fitness. Local public health advocates took the opportunity to put prevention into practice on the Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis campus by handing out pedometers to 19 walking teams, who took a combined 4 million steps toward better health during the week. One lasting result of the week’s activities is the newly formed interdepartmental Indiana University/Purdue University Indianapolis Wellness Committee, which plans to continue coming up with collaborative health promotion activities for staff, faculty and students.
In Terre Haute, Ind., the Vigo County Health Department and West Central Indiana Area Health Education Center celebrated National Public Health Week by hosting the Wabash Valley Community Health Forum. The forum’s theme was “Understanding Chronic Disease for a Healthier Community” and was designed to give participants a better understanding of the risk factors for certain chronic diseases, how the disease process is affected by behavior and what actions can address risky behaviors. The Vigo County Health Department purchased a full-page ad in the Sunday Tribune-Star newspaper that highlighted public health programs and activities in the community as well as the National Public Health Week theme.
Several APHA members are faculty at the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, where the school co-sponsored National Public Health Week activities with a local hospital and joined with more than 20 community organizations and the Trinity Visiting Nurses and Homecare Association to empower the aging in what is known as the “Quad-City” community of Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa. Chiropractic spinal screenings, osteoporosis education, stroke assessments, memory screens and informational talks on cancer prevention and hospice care were some of the highlights of the week. Bettendorf Mayor Mike Freemire welcomed public health advocates at an April 8 gathering where audience members were treated to free screenings and a demonstration of File of Life, a system designed to document medical information for emergency medical personnel.
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed a National Public Health Week proclamation in the state, where the kick-off event for National Public Health Week was a reception and Live Stronger, Longer Day at the state Capitol. Among those sponsoring health-related displays at the Capitol were the Kansas Public Health Association, Kansas Foundation for Medical Care, Coordinated School Health Program and Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition.
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| Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, center, accompanied with state health workers and advocates, signs a state proclamation. | Also in Kansas, the Crawford County Health Department took “Live to 100” surveys to senior sites; Shawnee County Health Agency staff, many of whom are Kansas Affiliate members, held a community health fair with a public health panel presentation; and Sedgwick County Health Department staff distributed an oral health kit with a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and apple and sponsored a “Live Stronger, Longer” health walk as well as a county proclamation and a newspaper insert. Kansas Public Health Association student members organized and sponsored a Kansas State University keynote speech, a panel discussion of infectious diseases that impact public health globally and in Kansas and sponsored a “Live Stronger, Longer” fun walk. The Barber County Community Health Department held a health fair.
Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher met with the leadership of the Kentucky Public Health Association on April 8 in the state Capitol rotunda in Frankfort, Ky., to sign a proclamation designating April as Public Health Month in the commonwealth of Kentucky. Fletcher also delivered the keynote address at the Kentucky Affiliate’s annual meeting in mid-April.
The Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, Md., organized activities throughout National Public Health Week, including free admission to the film “The Human Body,” several exhibits that encouraged visitors to “Live Stronger, Longer!” and live demonstrations specific to wellness and disease prevention. One exhibit provided a sampling of many critical health issues facing women, another focused on taking control of personal health and a third allowed visitors to learn about what happens inside the body and encouraged them to connect daily activities with health.
Thrive Yoga Center in Rockville, Md., celebrated National Public Health Week by holding its first “Yoga for a Cause” on April 9. The event was a donation-only yoga class to promote healthy aging. All proceeds from the event benefited local associations for seniors as well as the American Heart Association. The yoga class was followed by healthy snacks and raffle prizes from the National Cancer Institute’s “5-a-Day” campaign to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
The Hebrew Day School in Silver Spring, Md., used materials from the National Health Museum when it hosted “Health Days” during National Public Health Week, an event promoting health and wellness to students and the local community.
The Public Health Practice Office at the Boston University School of Public Health held its “Community Partners Appreciation Luncheon” in Boston, Mass., during National Public Health Week. The event was designed to gather students, faculty and organizations that worked with the practice office and students field placements in 2004–2005. Highlights of the luncheon included a display of student work as well as agency, faculty and student perspectives on the importance of public health practice. Also during the luncheon, some students received the 2005 Recognition of Excellence in Public Health Practice awards.
Public health advocates in Brookline, Mass., celebrated National Public Health Week with an array of activities. Nursing interns taught an evening class in breast self-exams at a local English-language class and demonstrated correct handwashing techniques at a local college health fair. Brookline women, as well as a few men, participated in a free cardiovascular screening at the Brookline Main Library and then listened to a talk on “Women and Arrhythmia” given by a local cardiologist. The Brookline Health Department offered a free, four-hour CPR and automated external defibrillator training to community residents, and Brookline seniors were treated to a public forum highlighting ways to mix nutrition and exercise. The forum included information on recent government-issued nutritional guidelines and samples of healthy snacks. Other local events included a rabies vaccination clinic for dogs and cats, a food safety demonstration and information on dental health.
Public Health at Tufts, an undergraduate club at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., co-sponsored events and staffed information tables during National Public Health Week to encourage better health awareness on campus. On one day, a certified personal trainer gave a presentation during lunch that touched on healthy eating habits and diet fads and later that day, the club showed the movie “Super Size Me.” Other movies screened during the week included “Kids,” which was followed by a discussion on safe sex, and “Philadelphia,” which was followed by an AIDS discussion. A discussion was also held on alcohol and drug trends at the school. A local dancer led a salsa workshop to promote physical activity, and a panel discussed environmental clean-up issues touching on a local Superfund site.
On April 7, the student group co-sponsored events with the Tufts HIV and AIDS Collaborative and other groups to commemorate World Health Day as well as National Public Health Week. Speakers highlighted global public health issues, child survival, warfare, disease and famine, and five bands donated their time to entertain the students who attended an AIDS benefit. A fun fitness day rounded out the week, with morning workouts led by students on the school’s crew and track teams followed by a free evening yoga lesson.
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| Faculty, staff and students at Jackson State University joined together to support public health in Jackson, Miss. | A display in the Midland County Services Building in Midland, Mich., featured brochures and pamphlets on a variety of health topics. The information focused on senior issues but also touched on maternal and child health, public health preparedness and environmental health. The display featured a variety of morbidity and mortality charts on leading causes of disease. Organizers also provided healthy snacks such as apples, raisins and peanuts during the week’s display, which was covered by the local newspaper.
At the Oakland County Health Division in Pontiac, Mich., health officials sponsored blood pressure screenings, handed out educational materials and raffled pedometers at several senior centers to encourage exercise in older residents. Officials also spread the word about National Public Health Week by distributing banners, posters and other promotional materials and being available for local news interviews.
Public health advocates in Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., reached out to students, staff and the community during five days of National Public Health Week activities.
The School of Public Health within the College of Public Service organized a week’s worth of health events, creating a different theme for each day. On “Be Safe, Be Healthy Day,” for example, the school disseminated preventive health information to residents, while on “Healthy Kids Day,” children were taught how to escape from their homes during a fire and to avoid injury risk factors.
Other events included a two-kilometer walk, a forum on community health issues and a discussion of health and spirituality.
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| Four students were grand prize winner in the annual Clay County, Mo., Public Health Art Week Contest. | More than 200 third-graders from 12 schools in Clay County, Mo., entered drawings of “Healthy Activities That My Family and I Do” for an art contest, and winners were featured in a display at a local mall. The Clay County Public Health Center also sponsored a health fair that featured speakers and a “showcase of community resources.” Fair visitors could build healthy snacks using federal food guidelines and take “I Got Milk” photos promoting dairy consumption.
Showing community members they were up and running after being closed for many months, officials at the Jefferson County Public Health Department in Boulder, Mont., held an open house during National Public Health Week. Visitors were treated to nutritious snacks and beverages, free blood pressure screenings, healthy diet assessments and immunization updates.
The public open house was popular at the South Heartland District Health Department in Hastings, Neb., which was designed to both celebrate National Public Health Week and showcase the health department’s move to its new home. Every visitor received a free copy of the book “Smart Women Strong Hearts: Recipes for Healthy Living,” which was created by the Nebraska Cardiovascular Health Program. And heart-healthy foods made from recipes in the book were served during the open house. Area artists and authors displayed paintings, sculptures, drawings, short stories and poems as part of the “Arts in the Heartland” exhibit, which show how the artist or author has been touched by heart disease.
Second-grader Brian Messermith’s colorful depiction of handwashing was the winner of the Two Rivers Public Health Department’s National Public Health Week coloring contest, which centered on the theme of “Scrub a Bug, Kill a Germ.”
Messersmith received a fitness package for his winning effort and his school earned a gift certificate for PE equipment. The department, which is based in Holdrege, Neb., and covers a seven-county area, also posted the student’s artwork on its Web site.
Additionally during National Public Health Week, the health department encouraged residents to “Walk Out on Your Job” during the opening ceremonies for a new hiking and biking trail. Women’s health was targeted as well during an educational healthy heart luncheon at Phelps Memorial Health Center.
People who attended the Inaugural Public Health Day Luncheon and Awards Ceremony at the University of Nebraska in Omaha, Neb., were able to read nutritional information on the food they were served — from the chicken salad to the fruit, roll and butter — thanks to cards placed on each table. Held on World Health Day, the luncheon included a nod to some of the academic community’s premier leaders in public health with a special awards and recognition ceremony. An afternoon seminar focused on “Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Birth Outcomes.” Edible centerpieces made of healthy ingredients were donated to local shelters for homeless women and children.
The Clark County Health District in Las Vegas, Nev., celebrated National Public Health Week with a variety of activities designed to encourage older adults to engage in healthier and more active lifestyles. The health district sponsored a community fitness walk at a neighborhood mall, and participants were offered healthy refreshments, health information, pedometers, water bottles and free blood pressure screenings.
The New Hampshire Public Health Association held its annual meeting during National Public Health Week in Concord, N.H. Keynote speaker Richard Chevrefils of the New Hampshire AARP addressed the meeting’s theme of “Empowering New Hampshire Residents to Live Stronger, Longer” by stressing the importance of planning for the increase of the aging population in the state. APHA President Walter Tsou, MD, MPH, spoke on the national issues facing the field of public health, including the growing gap between what’s needed to support public health in the United States and what Congress and President Bush are including in the federal budget for fiscal year 2006.
Also during the meeting, the New Hampshire Affiliate presented awards to three outstanding individuals who have contributed to improving the state’s public health. “Senior Moments,” a senior theater group sponsored by the Seacoast Repertory Theatre, performed two humorous skits on keeping seniors healthy.
Officials in Burlington, N.J., took the opportunity to recognize community partners who participated in the National Emergency Preparedness Exercise known as “TopOff” during National Public Health Week. A proclamation honored partners for their help with TopOff and their role in the health department’s emergency preparedness plans.
Public health advocates in New Jersey once again used National Public Health Week to take an in-depth look at health issues in their state and beyond.
The 10th Annual Public Health Symposium, held on the Rutgers University Campus in Piscataway, N.J., was organized around the theme of “Public Health Helps New Jersey Live Stronger, Longer.” Speakers during the six-hour event focused on issues such as prevention, nutrition, healthy aging and assisted living. The event also included posters and exhibits.
About 300 people attended the symposium, including students, faculty, health workers and government officials. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the symposium, the first 225 attendees received National Public Health Week T-shirts.
The symposium was sponsored by the University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey’s School of Public Health, the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University and the Rutgers University Public Health Association.
For more on the symposium, visit www.publichealthsymposium.org .
The School of Public Health at the University of Albany in Albany, N.Y., sponsored and co-sponsored a number of National Public Health Week events that were open to faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community. The events included a half-day conference titled “Pursue Your Life’s Work in Public Health” that featured a workshop for students to learn more about the school and field of public health and a panel on global health. A school alumnus spoke during a keynote address on his experience in Iraq, where he helped with civil infrastructure projects such as rebuilding medical clinics, schools and irrigation areas.
The Center for Workforce Studies of the School of Public Health at the University of Albany, co-produced an all-day event, “Project 2015 Impact of Aging in Higher Education — Future Long-Term Care Work Force Needs,” which brought together the university community and visiting scholars in the fields of social work, nursing, geriatric rehabilitation, geriatric medicine and paraprofessional health care. The intent of the program was to foster discussions about higher education and how students are being prepared for the long-term care work force needs of the future. Other University of Albany events included “A Celebration of the 40th Anniversaries of Medicare and Medicaid,” a satellite broadcast and colloquium on bioterrorism and emergency preparedness and a presentation on successful aging.
The State University of New York at Buffalo School of Public Health Professions in Buffalo, N.Y., celebrated National Public Health Week by hosting a free, on-campus film series. Student volunteers prepared and served healthy homemade refreshments for each screening of films such as “Super Size Me” and the HIV/AIDS film “A Closer Walk.” Researchers from the school’s departments of social and preventive medicine and exercise and nutrition sciences presented lectures on original research during the week’s festivities. And talks included information on the university’s wellness services and the Uganda Village Project, a grassroots organization founded by local medical students that seeks to improve living conditions of rural Ugandans.
Montgomery County Public Health in Fonda, N.Y., hosted a mini health fair in recognition of National Public Health Week. Among those handing out information were representatives from the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Council of Montgomery County, a local anti-tobacco coalition, a local women’s health partnership, two hospitals and a community health center. Attendees could take advantage of free blood pressure screenings, healthy weight profiles, healthy snacks and many product giveaways.
More than 2,300 students in Hudson Falls, N.Y., took part in a fun and educational Wellness Fair during National Public Health Week.
Sponsored by the Hudson Falls Central School District, the fair featured demonstrations, information and activities from more than 40 local organizations. Students sampled healthy food, learned about seat belt safety and took part in fitness demonstrations. Also at the fair was a jar of tar that demonstrated the effect of smoking on the lungs.
National Public Health Week activities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing in Chapel Hill, N.C., included two lunch-hour “power walks” for faculty, staff and students to promote physical activity and healthy aging. Organizers e-mailed daily messages and fact sheets to all school faculty, staff and students and encouraged everyone to complete the “Living to 100 Healthspan Calculator.”
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| An open house at the Elyria City Health District Office in Elyria, Ohio, attracted a lot of attention from the community. | Health officials in southwest North Dakota encouraged residents to get in shape for the future during National Public Health Week.
Officials with the Southwestern District Health Unit, based in Dickinson, N.D., used their week of events to call attention to the fact that many opportunities for prevention and healthier lives are missed. Among the activities held in the district, which encompasses eight state counties, were public health clinic open houses and free health screenings.
Schoolchildren in the district were encouraged to “Take 10 at 2,” by participating in 10 minutes of healthy activity every weekday at 2 p.m. A list of suggested healthy activities were provided to schools.
The Grand Forks Public Health Department and University of North Dakota community health nursing students held a health fair on April 6 at the Grand Cities Mall in Grand Forks, N.D. The event carried the “Empowering Americans to Live Stronger, Longer!” theme and aimed to make people aware of local public health services available to them as well as ways to improve their individual health. Various community agencies provided information on topics such as immunization, nutrition, cancer awareness, poison prevention, health risks of tobacco use and emergency preparedness, and participants could take advantage of screenings for high blood pressure, diabetes and anemia.
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| More than 300 people took part in a race and family fun run in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, on April 9. | More than 300 people hit the streets in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, as part of the first-ever “Run for your Life!” during National Public Health Week.
Sponsored by the Cuyahoga County Board of Heath and the Greater Cleveland YMCA, the event featured a 5K race and one-mile family fun run. Each of the 46 children who took part in the event received a medallion and their parents received information on keeping kids active throughout the year.
The race and run raised more than $4,000, which will be used for health outreach in the community and to plan next year’s event. The event helped build a partnership between the two organizing groups and will help promote healthy lifestyles “that will last for years to come,” according to its organizers.
An open house at the Elyria City Health District in Elyria, Ohio, featured door prizes, and the event generated a lot of interest in health topics, resulting in three speaking engagements for staff and requests for more information on CPR, cardiac health and defibrillator use and training. The area is at high risk for lead poisoning, so a local newspaper reporter used the National Public Health Week angle to write an article on lead poisoning prevention.
“The most common comment heard was, ‘I never knew public health did so much!’” said Joan Kowalczyk, RN, of the Elyria City Health District.
Healthy living and longevity were the focus of health celebrations held as part of Green Tea Day in Oxford, Ohio, in April.
The fifth annual observance, sponsored by Miami University’s Scripps Gerontology Center and the city of Oxford, featured an interactive health fair, free exercise classes and samples of green tea, which has been shown to have beneficial health properties.
Activities held during the day-long celebration included demonstrations on drumming and self-defense, free massages, osteoporosis screenings, aging sensitivity training and skin cancer screenings. A talk on efforts to help older people affected by last year’s tsunami in Asia was also held.
The gerontology center hosted a Japanese Tea Ceremony and a Grandparents of the Year Ceremony and various departments on campus held their own events, including an origami workshop, tea receptions and a talk on journaling. The university’s dining halls contributed to theme by serving green tea and green tea cookies.
Longer, healthier lives were on the agenda in Portland, Ore., as part of the Friendly House Senior Program’s observance of National Public Health Week. About 50 people took part in the program’s Senior Fitness Fair, engaging in Tai Chi demonstrations, an osteoporosis exercise group, gardening activity and nutrition talk. The seniors also took part in a bingo game that featured healthy prizes.
“It was a lot of fun and the seniors enjoyed the day very much,” said Grace Hague, senior program director for Friendly House Inc.
Colorectal cancer awareness took center stage during National Public Health Week activities in Erie, Pa., where the Erie Center on Health and Aging sponsored a prevention and early detection project. Sixteen sites across the city provided screening test kits and information on the importance of early detection and treatment of colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States for both men and women. The sites included churches, senior centers, libraries and city government offices. Erie health educators felt colorectal cancer awareness was a particularly important focus because while a yearly fecal occult blood test is recommended for everyone ages 50 and older, the 2001 Behavior Health Risk of Erie County Adults survey found that a mere 30 percent of local residents ages 50 and older were getting the test.
The Montgomery County Health Department in Norristown, Pa., hosted free senior health expos in Norristown and Pottstown and participated in a general health fair in nearby Ambler, Pa. Available screenings included spirometor, vision, blood pressure and hearing. Doctors were on hand to answer health questions, and health department staff offered tetanus and pneumonia immunizations. A raffle featured items important to older Americans, such as smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, pedometers, fire extinguishers and home safety kits.
During the expo, public health experts gave presentations on sun safety, Lyme disease and West Nile virus, giving attendees information on how to protect themselves.
Jeff Safety Awareness and Public Health Education, the public health student/community group at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pa., held a variety of events that built on the National Public Health Week theme. Information booths in the University Hospital cafeteria and the main student building provided dozens of health resources, including literature on aging, pamphlets on prevention and information on outreach providers. Booth staffers also offered free healthy snacks and health-related wristbands. The student group provided free body mass index and cholesterol screenings and joined with the Student Nursing Association of Philadelphia to present a health education fair focusing on sexual health issues.
A brown bag lecture series ran Tuesday through Thursday and touched on chronic disease self-management in the elderly, health care access issues in the geriatric population and the art and science of benefit-risk evaluation and communication. Also during the week’s festivities, Jane Golden, director of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program, was awarded the Excellence in Community Service Award for her work in building strong communities, eradicating blight and supporting the city’s social, physical and economic health.
After Philadelphia, Pa., was again named one of the fattest cities in America by Men’s Fitness magazine, the Drexel University School of Public Health launched a “Lighten Up Philadelphia” campaign during National Public Health Week. The campaign’s launch featured city officials, including Philadelphia Health and Fitness Czar Gwen Foster and Health Commissioner John F. Domzalski, MPH, JD. Drexel students urged Philadelphians to skip the elevator and take the steps for at least one day. Students, faculty and city officials signed a pledge to live healthier, and then climbed six flights of stairs at city hall led by Mario, the Drexel Dragon mascot. Drexel Dean Marla Gold was presented a mayoral Public Health Week proclamation.
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| Drexel University students in Philadelphia, with their school mascot, Drexel the Dragon, encourage residents to take the stairs. | Other Drexel University events included student information sessions on topics ranging from body mass index measurement to lifestyle changes. “Meatless Monday” scholar Lynette Hammond offered free meatless food samples and information on how to pursue a vegetarian diet one day a week.
Health educators and advocates in Pittsburgh, Pa., used National Public Health Week to draw attention to both the young and old, holding events aimed at improving the health of area schoolchildren and seniors.
The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health collaborated with the Allegheny Department of Health on the events, which kicked off with an appearance by actor and comedian Bill Cosby at Reizenstein Middle School, which is located in an area of the city with many black residents. More than 800 students, parents and residents came to hear Cosby’s speech, which focused on good nutrition and healthy behavior. In recognition of his accomplishments, the school of public health presented Cosby with the 2005 Porter Prize.
The event also included appearances by Pennsylvania’s secretary of health and the director of the county health department.
To raise awareness of senior health issues, the school of public health and health department also released a new report on the “State of Senior Health” in Allegheny County. The report showed both positive and negative results for county seniors: While 62 percent of those surveyed were overweight or obese, there was a low percentage of smokers and a high rate of vaccinations.
To address the issue of obesity, the Center for Healthy Aging at the University of Pittsburgh has developed an outreach campaign aimed at the elderly that emphasizes “10 Keys for Healthy Aging.”
York, Pa., Mayor John Brenner proclaimed April 5–11 as National Public Health Week in the city and spoke about the importance of public health in the community during the “Get to Know Public Health” breakfast, which organizers hope will be an annual event. Other speakers during the event included David Hawk, MD, MPH, director of the York City Bureau of Health, and Wanda Filer, MD, a medical correspondent for a local television station.
The South Dakota Department of Public Health offices of Community Health Services in Dupree, Faith, Isabel and Timber Lake, S.D., celebrated National Public Health Week by offering free health screenings, including checks for body mass index, blood pressure, pulse rate, blood sugar, hemoglobin and pneumonia and tetanus vaccination status. Participants were counseled about their test results and referred to a primary care provider for follow-up, if needed. They also were introduced to the Living to 100 Healthspan Calculator.
The Master of Public Health Degree Program at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., collaborated with the Knox County Health Department on a National Public Health Week program. During the program, Theodora Pinnock, MD, director of Maternal and Child Health for the Tennessee Department of Health, spoke on “Living Longer, For What?” She framed her message to highlight contributions from minority health pioneers who’ve made an impact on human health. Also during the program, six preceptors were recognized for their “outstanding sustainable contributions” as mentors for MPH graduate students during internships. Certificates were awarded to the preceptors — who were working with the concentrations of community health education and health planning and administration — from the Knox County Health Department Community Health Services Division, Cancer Information Service at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, University of Tennessee, East Tennessee Health Office, the Healthier People Network in Atlanta and the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga.
The Knox County Health Department also hosted an exhibit on health services, the regional newspaper published the program announcement, students created displays on health topics and the health science honorary Eta Sigma Gamma hosted a week-long campus exhibit and offered health screenings.
Adult vaccinations, children’s nutrition and healthy activity were emphasized during National Public Health Week in Rutherford County, Tenn.
Health officials with the Rutherford County Health Department, based in Murfreesboro, and the North Rutherford County Health Department, based in Smyrna, held a week-long adult immunization clinic, providing 87 free vaccinations.
Children’s health received special attention during a health fair at LaVergne Public Library, during which parents and children learned about lead prevention, healthy snacks and public nutrition programs. Rutherford County Health Department employees also got involved in events as part of a “Main Street Walk,” during which they were encouraged to spend 30 minutes on a walking tour.
The Public Health Improvement Team in Health Services Region 2/3 of the Texas Department of State Health Services in Arlington, Texas, led 37 northern state counties in celebrating National Public Health Week. A poster and essay contest for students in every county focused on living tobacco-free and ways to live stronger and longer. Regional health department staff organized a health fair for more than 200 older Americans at a local senior apartment complex. Regional employees also enjoyed an electronic scavenger hunt and daily activities encouraging exercise. Walls of recognition at regional health clinics featured seniors who live healthily.
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| The fourth-grade People's Choice winner in a poster contest sponsored by Health Services Region 2/3 of the Texas Department of State Health Services celebrated "Heart Smart Texans." | The City of Beaumont Public Health Department in Beaumont, Texas, celebrated National Public Health Week all week long. The Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Futures Dental Van provided dental screenings to students at several elementary schools across the city. The health department sponsored a week-long health awareness fair at the local shopping mall, where Friday “culminated in a big blow-out…with 52 vendors and all health department divisions in attendance,” said Mercy LaPointe, a health education technician with the City of Beaumont Public Health Department.
The Denton County Health Department in Denton, Texas, hosted a seminar titled “Public Health and Wellness: Empowering Denton County Residents to Live Stronger, Longer” on April 7. Speakers touched on four focus areas: employer strategies, school-based approaches, government participation and community partnerships.
“This was a successful springboard into further discussion of these important and relevant topics,” said Betsy Haggard of the Denton County Health Department.
The department also hosted its fifth annual Public Health Advocates Luncheon, where 10 advocates were recognized “for their caring effort and generous assistance in public health for Denton County,” Haggard said.
The “Live Stronger, Longer” health fair was a success in Edinburg, Texas, where more than 40 agencies committed to health showed up, and more than 400 students, staff and faculty picked up valuable wellness information. Sponsored by the University of Texas Pan American Student Health Services, the fair was held on campus April 8 as a National Public Health Week event. In addition to blood pressure and vision screenings, attendees were offered free healthy food and T-shirts along with information on diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases and a myriad of other health topics. Door prizes, music and a performance from a local elementary dance team helped add entertainment to the event.
Students at the University of Houston College of Optometry, in Houston, Texas, used National Public Health Week as an opportunity to increase awareness of vision issues.
In conjunction with the Healthy Eyes, Healthy People Health Education Service Learning Project, community health optometry students made presentations to staff at local clinics and social agencies on vision rehabilitation and the use of devices for people with visual impairments. The presentations highlighted vision objectives spelled out under Healthy People 2010, which sets health goals for the nation to achieve by 2010.
The project was extended throughout April, with similar presentations made by a total of 12 student groups. The project was conducted in collaboration with the college’s Vision Rehabilitation Service.
The San Patricio County Department of Public Health in Sinton, Texas, held a mini health fair during National Public Health Week that featured free cholesterol screenings and counseling from staff of the local Family Planning Clinic. Other fair highlights included cancer and cardiovascular health educational displays, prenatal health education displays and pamphlets, State Children’s Health Insurance Program applications, breastfeeding and nutrition information, applications, and information about the Indigent Healthcare Program and handwashing awareness information. County Judge Terry Simpson signed a Public Health Week proclamation on April 4, and the proclamation was displayed at the mini health fair.
The Peninsula Health District in Newport News, Va., hosted a community health fair during National Public Health Week. Nearly 300 people visited more than 30 displays offering information on topics such as nutrition, diabetes and dental health. Cardiovascular disease prevention staff provided blood pressure screenings, followed as needed with cholesterol and blood glucose testing in the health district’s laboratory. Many community coalitions and agencies participated, including the Cancer Prevention Coalition, which set up a skin analyzer and offered free screenings and sunscreen samples. Other agencies offering information included the Peninsula Agency on Aging and Newport News Parks and Recreation. Each visitor received a Lance Armstrong “Live Strong” wristband as a reminder to continue to follow this year’s National Public Health Week theme.
The Washington State Public Health Association helped celebrate National Public Health Week across the state with a variety of activities designed to spread the word about public health and encourage residents to “Live Stronger, Longer.” More than 150 people participated in a walk in downtown Seattle called “Stepping Up and Stepping Out.” Among the walkers were several Seattle City Council members and King County Board of Health Chair Carolyn Edmonds. A large group of walkers gathered at Capitol Lake for “10,000 Steps Around Capitol Lake,” where Tumwater Mayor Ralph Osgood, Olympia Mayor Mark Foutch and Lacey Mayor Virgil Clarkson walked and listened to public health speeches. APHA member Maxine Hayes, MD, MPH, a Washington state health officer, gave a pep talk about the importance of physical activity and read Gov. Christine Gregoire’s Public Health Week in Washington proclamation at the Capitol.
Among the other Washington state festivities were a week-long walking challenge in Pierce County, a celebration and community walk in Whatcom County, the debut of the public health emergency preparedness Web page in Kittitas County and “Do it for Health,” a day of free activities for health in Spokane County, including dancing, walking, rock climbing and biking. At the University of Washington in Seattle, multiple National Public Health Week events included a viewing of “Super Size Me” followed by a discussion about nutrition as well as a brown bag lunch seminar on environmental health and lunch-time walks on and near the university campus. In Seattle and King County, the city council and the county council took each other on a walking challenge, and staff participated in multiple walks across the region.
National Public Health Week activities at the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., were a “resounding success,” according to the university’s Student Public Health Association.
In conjunction with the Washington State Public Health Association, the student group planned a week’s worth of activities on campus, including a movie screening and a seminar on public health ethics. Students and staff who took part in lunch-time walks were given T-shirts, pedometers and other incentives to encourage regular exercise.
The students also selected a bus shelter that they plan to paint with public health and healthy living themes as part of a city mural program and held a month-long food drive.
At the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department in Tacoma, Wash., Director of Health Frederico Cruz-Uribe, MD, MPH, challenged county agency staff to hit the pavement in a walking challenge. The result was 119 people logging nearly 1,200 miles in five days.
“Obesity is a life-threatening risk in Pierce County,” Cruz-Uribe said. “We want people to have fun while they get active, and even win a prize for responding to this walking challenge, but more, we want everyone to take seriously the need of exercise every day and to eat healthy.”
The Tacoma Board of Health passed a resolution asking community members to take preventive action against obesity now, especially on behalf of children and youth, in order to avoid harmful effects that will undermine their health and their future. Cruz-Uribe issued the walking challenge to support the resolution and called it “a good start, but only a start. Health means daily physical activity, eating healthy foods and changing other behaviors.”
The District of Columbia government kicked off National Public Health Week with a symposium titled “Healthy D.C. Residents: A Status Report on Healthy People 2010 Goals.” Hosted by the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the symposium was designed to assess progress in meeting the D.C. Healthy People 2010 objectives, determine what more must be done to ensure all objectives are met and enhance private and public collaboration essential to achieving the 2010 goals. The Mayor’s Office of Health Policy developed and organized the symposium.
More than 120 participants from district and federal governments, academia, the faith community and grassroots health organizations were on hand, including U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Woodie Kessel, MD, MPH, and representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. APHA Vice President for the United States Bailus Walker, PhD, MPH, moderated the event.
The National Health Museum in Washington, D.C., prominently featured National Public Health Week on its Web site, which receives an average of 7.1 million hits and 750,000 individual visits monthly. During the week of April 4, the site’s Health Focus advised visitors on ways to live stronger, longer and offered various resources related to topics associated with the “three Ps” — prevent, protect and plan.
The National Health Museum also worked closely with APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP, to encourage museums and science centers across the country to celebrate National Public Health Week. Through the National Public Health Partnership, Benjamin sent a letter to member museums and science centers with ideas about how to commemorate the week and coordinate activities with local public health groups. The goal of the partnership is to bridge the gap between museum and science centers and public health organizations and to increase public health programming. Several museums and science centers answered the call to participate.
At APHA headquarters in Washington, D.C., interns in the Government Relations and Affiliate Affairs Department served healthy snacks to employees and encouraged them to take the stairs. The interns posted signs on each flight of stairs to let staff know how many calories they’d burned on the way up.
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| The annual Spring Fling Health Education Fair was held by the Oneida Tribe's Community Health Center in Oneida, Wisc. | The West Virginia Public Health Association sponsored Public Health Awareness Day at the state Capitol in Charleston, W.Va. Public health experts provided information about the various issues and activities of public health agencies in the state, and displays were set up in the second floor rotunda of the main Capitol building. The public health day included exhibits from local health departments as well as screenings for blood pressure, weight, body mass index and bone density. The Affiliate also sponsored displays at West Virginia State University in Institute, W.Va.
In Oneida, Wisc., the Oneida Tribe’s Community Health Center hosted a Spring Fling Health Education Fair during National Public Health Week. With a goal to inform the community about health services available to them not only at the health center but also at other tribal departments and community organizations, the event attracted 200 community members.
Booths were organized around a variety of topics including blood pressure and osteoporosis screenings, disease prevention, reproductive health, dental health, vision care, injury prevention, nutrition, fitness, mental health, senior health services and emergency preparedness.
For more coverage of 2005 National Public Health Week activities from The Nation's Health, visit:
Boston students bring public health week to local schools
http://www.apha.org/publications/tnh/archives/2005/06-05/StateLocal/774.htm
National Public Health Week a success across the country: Hundreds of communities hold events
http://www.apha.org/publications/tnh/archives/2005/06-05/National/741.htm
California stresses healthy lifestyles
http://www.apha.org/publications/tnh/archives/2005/06-05/StateLocal/773.htm
Iowa forum focuses on culturally competent aging
http://www.apha.org/publications/tnh/archives/2005/06-05/StateLocal/772.htm
PHilmfest spotlights public health through film
http://www.apha.org/publications/tnh/archives/2005/06-05/StateLocal/771.htm
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