Health departments are calling attention to the lack of dedicated, stable communicable disease funding in Wisconsin. An issue particularly important in light of rare diseases, such as Ebola, appearing in the United States, and the resurgence of highly communicable illnesses such as measles. The Joint Finance Committee is set to take up DHS-Public Health issues on Tuesday, May 5, and local health officers signed on to assure the public is made aware of the lack of funding public health and communicable disease receive! Please view the submitted article here.

Patricia Lopez was presented the Chancellor Robert D. Sparks, M.D., Award in Public Health and Preventive Medicine at the annual College of Public Health Awards Banquet.

Lopez is a site visitor for the Public Health Accreditation Board for local health departments in other states. She works with local health departments to assist them in preparing for national public health accreditation. For the past seven years, this project has taken Lopez to national meetings to work with peers in other states.

She was instrumental in the passage of LB692, the bill that created regional public health departments in Nebraska. Her work with the state legislature, community partners, primary care, education and others made it possible for so many to agree on the importance of establishing a state-wide local public health system with the funding from the Tobacco Settlement in 2001. Local public health districts now cover all 93 counties of the state to assure the public health of all Nebraskans.

Lopez played a major role in assisting the new health departments with examples of state and local laws, policies and procedures, human resource information and others. She volunteers as the director of the State Association of Local Boards of Health Section of the Public Health Association of Nebraska and provides education and assistance to board of health members.

The Sparks award recognizes an individual who has shown outstanding innovation, excellence, collaboration and impact on health promotion, disease prevention and advancement of effective public health. Dr. Robert Sparks, a former chancellor of UNMC, established this award through the University of Nebraska Foundation.

Ali S. Khan, M.D., M.P.H., dean of UNMC's College of Public Health, said, "Pat has been a tireless champion of public health for 30 years and she still continues."

Brandon Grimm, Ph.D., director of public health practice and of health promotion, social & behavioral health, nominated Lopez for the award. It was the first time the award has gone to someone who works at the grass roots level, he said.

"Without Pat, the public health infrastructure wouldn't be where it is in the state. She was the one who brought all the partners together to determine how the tobacco settlement money can be put to the best use in Nebraska. She wants local public health departments to succeed and a lot of what she does is on a volunteer basis," he said. 

-submitted by Margaret Brink, Four Corners Board of Health, York, NE

In 2002 the counties of Butler, Polk, Seward and York made the decision to come together to establish a regional Public Health Department.  The Founding Board with representatives from all four counties joined to learn how public health could have an impact on the health of the population of our region.  Tuesday evening, April 7, 120 residents of those four counties gathered to celebrate the partnerships, programs and successes of the Four Corners Health Department and Board of Health.  They were joined by representatives from National, State, Regional and County Public Health Systems. 

During this National Celebration of Public Health Week those attending were given an education on disease prevention by Dr. Alan G. Thorson, a Clinical Professor of Surgery at Creighton University School of Medicine and the University Of Nebraska College Of Medicine. As a 20 year volunteer for the American Cancer Society and the former President of the National American Cancer Society, shared a wealth of medical and research knowledge combined with a common sense approach to showing us how to improve our health.   Small steps can make a big difference.   Dr. Thorson demonstrated the importance of life balance and simple choices in reducing the risk of colon and rectal cancer as well as many other forms of cancer which have a large impact on our community. 

Four Corners also received a letter and certificate of recognition from the State Board of Health for the pre-planning done and Four Corners’ help in the recovery efforts after the tornadoes in Seward County in 2014.  Roger Reamer, CEO of Memorial Health Care Systems and Board of Health Member, joined Margaret Brink, Four Corners Board of Health President, in presenting this award.  Vicki Duey and Laura McDougall thanked the State Board of Health for this recognition.  They pointed out that local Emergency Management, elected officials, and Four Corners Staff were essential in this response.  

The Center for Healthy North Carolina is pleased to share “Snapshots of Success: Evidence Based Strategies at Work.” These quarterly documents highlight the successful implementation of evidence based strategies/interventions in Healthy North Carolina 2020 focus areas and objectives that are moving NC to a “Better State of Health.” Components include a brief description of the problem, key community partners, results, milestones and lessons learned.

This document features the success of the Northeastern North Carolina Partnership for Public Health (NENCPPH). This regional initiative includes 9 local/district health departments serving 17 counties. Through their strategic planning process in 2013, prescription drug poisoning and overdose was identified as a regional priority. The group identified and implemented evidence based strategies to address the HNC2020 Injury and Violence focus area, specifically objective #1: Reduce the unintentional poisoning mortality rate (per 100,000 population).