Dr. Phyllis Meadows Receives Honor from Community College Foundation

ASPH Friday Letter (May 24, 2013)

The Washtenaw Community College Foundation has honored Dr. Phyllis Meadows, associate dean for practice at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, with their Salute to Women’s Leadership award. Dr. Meadows was recognized for her efforts to improve the public health workforce and establish the academic health department model. She is senior fellow for health at the Kresge Foundation where she is implementing a national initiative that engages community health centers in addressing the social determinants of health.

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Potential funding cuts facing the Michigan Public Health Training Center

A key public health training program in Michigan over the past 10 years faces significant funding cutbacks beginning fall 2013.

The Michigan PHTC provides accessible training, works with public health organizations to meet strategic planning education and resource needs and assesses the learning needs of the public health workforce. In 12 years as a training center serving Michigan, the Michigan PHTC has trained thousands in Michigan's public health workforce.

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Michigan Awarded USDA Grant

Researchers at the University of Michigan have been awarded a five-year, $4 million study of disparities in access to healthy food across the state. The study, funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, will examine the relationship between demographic characteristics and the distribution of food outlets in 18 small and medium-sized cities in Michigan. It will also examine the presence or absence of food deserts and oases, effective nutrition and behavioral interventions, and mechanisms for enhancing participation in local food initiatives. "We're concerned about vulnerable populations, especially their access to healthy foods. This study will help us to determine what these populations may be missing and what they have, and to make recommendations to assure adequate nutrition for the future," says Dr. Rebecca Head, associate director of the School of Public Health’s Office of Public Health Practice and a research collaborator on the project.

Published in ASPH Friday Letter of November 16, 2012. Read more..

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"IOM Report: For the Public's Health"

Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C., asked Dr. Phyllis Meadows to join a national committee in early 2009 charged with developing strategies to improve and strengthen the U.S. public health system.

Established in 1970 as a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine "serves as adviser to the nation to improve health," according to its mission statement. That advice comes in the form of in-depth reports from carefully selected experts on issues related to medicine or public health. IOM reports are commissioned by Congress, federal agencies, or nonprofit organizations.

The third and final volume of the IOM report, For the Public's Health, was published in April 2012. All three volumes totaling 580 pages are now posted and available on the IOM website. For the Public's Health describes a new vision of the U.S. public health system and includes specific recommendations on how to achieve that vision.

The entire Findings article (Fall 2012) and a link to the IOM Report: The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century. click here.

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SPH Practice Plunge Avalon Housing worksite at Arbordale Apartments on Ann Arbor's west side. Above, Avalon Housing operations manager, Jude Walton tells the group about the organization and the landscaping work needed to be GOOD NEIGHBORS in the area near Eberwhite School.

Avalon Housing is a 20-year-old supportive housing program in Ann Arbor that houses over 400 residents who were homeless or at risk of homelessness. Edible Avalon is a community gardening program that provides fresh produce to Avalon tenants and regularly hosts SPH interns. Students helped out at an Edible Avalon organic garden and with general landscaping projects at one supportive housing project. See more photos on the Practice Plunge page.

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The Michigan Public Health Training Center was awarded "2012 Best Practice Recognition" by (HRSA) the US Department of Health Resources & Services Administration

The Michigan Public Health Training Center (Michigan PHTC) is one of nine public health training centers presented with a 2012 Best Practice Recognition Award. The award, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Health Professions, recognizes a public health practice tool developed by the Michigan PHTC entitled, "Crosswalk: A national public health accreditation readiness tool."

There are 38 training centers nationwide. Michigan's readiness tool will be one of nine to be featured on the HRSA website as a best practice for evidence-based content, collaboration, evaluation methods, impact, replicability, and lessons learned.

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Poster Sessions - Presented by the interns that were sponsored by the Office of Public Health

We hope that you were able to join our interns on October 21, 2011 as they presented to their peers, faculty and staff about their internship project(s) and experience. The UM SPH Poster sessions photos are posted on our Internship webpage.

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Crosswalk: Michigan LPH Accreditation Program and PHAB’s National Accreditation Program

To aid in understanding how Michigan’s ongoing state-wide accreditation work may be used to support and assist in meeting national voluntary accreditation through PHAB, the Michigan Public Health Training Center funded a Crosswalk of the two programs. The Crosswalk was developed by Mary Kushion, MSA. (Download PDF of Crosswalk)

Note: A limited number of the printed document is available. Please call Judith Compton at (734) 763-6526 or email comptonj@umich.edu for more information.

Visit the Office of Public Health Practice webpage on national accreditation & Michigan's health departments.