Community-Oriented Public Health Practice - COPHP MPH Program

The University of Washington has been ranked No. 7 on the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities rankings for 2024. The university tied with the University College London and remains the second-highest ranked U.S. public institution. “Impact is at the heart of everything we collectively accomplish, and I am honored to see the UW once again recognized as ranking highly among the world’s best research universities,” said UW President Ana Mari Cauce. “I’m exceptionally proud of the global research contributions made by our community of UW faculty and scholars across many disciplines.”

For more details, you can read the full article here: https://ow.ly/QIuC50SsbWe

Steven Nez of the Community-Oriented Public Health Practice MPH program looks to his past and the connection between Indigenous Youth and Water in his research into recognizing natural entities like water as integral elements of wellness.

A deep dive into Indigenous Youth and their connection to Water Learn more about Steven Nez's research on how Indigenous Youth conceptualize health and well-being through their connection to Water

JAMA Open Network published "Sweetened Beverage Tax Implementation and Change in Body Mass Index Among Children in Seattle." The research paper's co-authors—several of whom are affiliated with HSPop—discuss the tax and its potential outcomes. Designed to reduce the sale of sugary drinks, the tax was implemented in 2018. Since then, researchers evaluated 6,313 children from Seattle, as well as surrounding children in nontaxed King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties.

The researchers found that compared to those living in neighboring nontaxed areas, Seattle children experienced a greater decrease in body mass index. They concluded that the sweetened beverage tax may be associated with a small but reasonable reduction in BMI among children.

Jessica (Jesse) Jones-Smith told U.S. News & World Report, “When taken together with the previous repeated cross-sectional study of Philadelphia, San Francisco and Oakland and with studies showing a substantial and sustained decline in purchasing of sugary beverages after the tax, we think ours provide(s) evidence to support the idea that sugary drink taxes may be an effective policy for improving children’s BMI and potentially preventing high BMI.”

Learn more: https://ow.ly/eRmB50S93zi

HSPop faculty member Stephen Bezruchka connects the dots between economic inequality, attention to health in early life and population health.

https://ow.ly/SX0M50S8Bnq

Francesca Collins will temporarily take over as capstone director for the Community-Oriented Public Health Practice (COPHP) MPH program for Genya Shimkin while Shimkin is on parental leave. Currently, Collins serves as the program’s curriculum and strategic planning director.

Collins to oversee COPHP capstone program during Shimkin leave - Health Systems and Population Health Starting May 2024, Francesca Collins will temporarily take over as capstone director for the COPHP MPH program.

"There are a lot of gaps in our knowledge about the health of AANHPI populations and their risk factors for a variety of diseases. We are recognizing and responding to the lack of data for these populations through this study. This monumental effort aims to recruit a cohort of 10,000 participants from different country-of-origin or cultural backgrounds from East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Pacific Ocean regions, marking a pivotal stride towards comprehending risk factors and health outcomes within these communities," -Gary Chan

HSPop faculty Gary Chan discusses landmark study to improve AANHPI cardiovascular health and chronic disease data - Health Systems and Population Health In a new Q&A, Gary Chan shares what is needed to improve health equity among AANHPI populations, and advice to improve AANHPI health outcomes

Barbara Baquero, along with Christine Kava and Jason Daniel-Ulloa and colleagues from the University of Iowa recently published research aimed at improving and increasing physical activity among those living in rural communities.

https://ow.ly/sY0750RPoc5

Congratulations to all the students, staff and faculty who were recognized at the UW SPH Awards of Excellence ceremony!

The University of Washington School of Public Health (SPH) recognized dozens of students, staff, and faculty at its annual Excellence Awards celebration on May 14, 2024 in the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health. The Excellence Awards celebrates members of the SPH community for their dedication, service, and many contributions to public health.

https://ow.ly/TNtb50RHBnj

Blair Darney (HSERV PhD ’12) was recently awarded the 2023-2024 Garcia Robles COMEXUS/Fulbright award to study abortion access in Mexico.

Darney has authored 136 articles about reproductive health in peer-reviewed journals, including, most recently, two papers about COVID-19’s effects on menstruation.

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HSPop alum receives Fulbright Award to study abortion access in Mexico - Health Systems and Population Health Blair Darney (HSERV PhD '12) was recently awarded the 2023-2024 Garcia Robles COMEXUS/Fulbright award to study abortion access in Mexico.

Interested in graduate school but don’t know where to start? The SPH Career Services Team and PH-GH SRCs present “SPH Graduate School 101”, an event that explores graduate departments within the UW School of Public Health! This event will take place on Monday, May 20th from 3:30-5pm on Zoom (pre-registration required).

This event will feature five UW SPH departments, including: the Department of Global Health (DGH), Department of Epidemiology (EPI), Department of Biostatistics (BIOST), Department of Health Systems & Population Health (HSPOP) and the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS). Each department will share about their programs and there will be a Q&A section at the end. the Assistant Director of Admissions and Outreach, Noura Youssoufa, will also be doing a segment on SOPHAS and the graduate school application process. All undergraduate students are welcome to join.

Please direct all questions, comments, and concerns to [email protected]. We hope to see you there!

RSVP: bit.ly/SPHGradSchool101

“Being under a larger private equity umbrella can help scale technological advances if there is a unifying, enterprise-wide PACS and information systems used across practices," however “one downside of private equity is the required short-term horizon for profits,” - Dr. Christoph Lee, MD

READ MORE: https://www.rsna.org/news/2024/may/radiology-and-private-equity

“I believe music transports you to another world and reaches parts of the brain other things can’t. Music can unlock memories in people with dementia that they would have otherwise been unable to access. Even for speech and movements, there’s research out there that it helps people walk again and talk again. It’s definitely something that can have amazing results. We don’t quite know why yet because our brain is just so complicated and amazing.” - Nicole Stankovic, UW HSPop MPH student

Stankovic combines passions for music and public health in her research - Health Systems and Population Health Upon beginning the UW MPH program Stankovic realized how to combine music in public health with pre-med and arts degrees.

“It’s always about working with the women and giving them voice. Each event is like, ‘Okay, how are we giving them knowledge? How are we giving them skills? How are we giving them earning potential?’”

Laura C. Streichert (COPHP MPH ‘05) partnered to start a nonprofit to address water access and equity in rural Uganda.

READ MORE:

Rural Water Initiative for Climate Action improves water access and equity in Uganda - Health Systems and Population Health Laura C. Streichert (COPHP MPH ‘05) partnered to start a nonprofit to address water access and equity in rural Uganda

Every two years, University of Washington’s Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI), in partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County, conducts a statewide survey of people who utilize SSPs. This year, the team at Public Health – Seattle & King County took a deep-dive into the findings from about 500 participants at Public Health’s SSP sites. The findings provide important information for continuing to adapt and respond effectively to the needs of our community.

Local survey highlights substantial changes in drug use over the past few years – PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER Every two years, University of Washington’s Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI), in partnership with Public Health, conducts a statewide survey of people who utilize syringe service programs. We sat down with Sara Glick, PhD, Epidemiologist for Public Health – Seattle & King County, Asso...

“My idea was, what if instead of just telling people ‘Eat healthier,’ we as a group learned about folate and leafy green vegetables, and we would make a massaged kale salad or a kale soup? My idea, building on my public health background, was how can you help increase their self-efficacy, their confidence that they have the skills to be able to promote this healthy lifestyle that could help with fertility? We would cook, we would learn, we would share support, we would always do some stretching, and we would walk outside for half an hour, rain or shine. The women could talk together, get to know each other, getting that support that they weren’t the only one struggling on this fertility journey. We tracked these groups, and women were really getting pregnant, and some of them either didn’t have to go through IVF or IUI because they were able to use lifestyle modifications to make that change.”

- Judy Simon, MS, RDN, CD, HSPop clinical nutrition instructor and clinician at UW Women’s Health Center

https://ow.ly/KaNC50RpxeE

Join us for a forum on how we can protect ourselves and others from the fentanyl epidemic, including how to build a "fentanyl awareness toolkit" to protect yourself and others from the dangers of this crisis.

May 7, 5-6:30p
HRC 155

https://ow.ly/eJPT50Ru3FM

COPHP's Barbara Obena will be leading a new training with the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (NWCPHP). The course, “Essentially Public Health,” is a three-part learning series which focuses on the foundations of public health and equity. The course offers a unique chance to gather with peers from around the region to learn together and work through current public health issues.

Learn more about the course at: https://www.nwcphp.org/about/news/new-course-new-public-health-professionals

Learn more about Barbara at: https://www.nwcphp.org/about/news/essential-opportunity-new-public-health-professionals

An Essential Opportunity for New Public Health Professionals NWCPHP is excited to launch a new course to provide new public health professionals with a foundational understanding of public health.

COCO is a mobile-based chat platform that offers support to people caring for chronically ill individuals. This program shares wellness practices and connects caregivers with tips from healthcare professionals.

https://ow.ly/4fER50RkhIh

UW researchers seek to adapt AI-driven caregiver support tool for Latino community Weichao Yuwen, an associate professor in the School of Nursing & Healthcare Leadership at the University of Washington Tacoma, and Maggie Ramirez, an assistant professor in the School of Public...

“We looked at the change in obesity prevalence, and we found that schools that participated in CEP were associated with a modest net reduction in obesity prevalence relative to eligible non-participating schools.” - Anna Localio, PhD candidate

https://ow.ly/w8yc50RiAPH

Advocates Claim Universal Free Meals Are A Critical Tool To Help Combat Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is on the rise, but providing free meals universally may help decrease the trend. According to Helene Law, Seattle Children's Nurse Practitioner in the Child Wellness Clinic, based on historical and current trends, childhood obesity is projected to increase, but she believes that p...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvVRp34qiNsClimate change is affecting health globally: Deadly heatwaves have become more frequent and prolonged, weather catastrophes more common and intense, and climate-related diseases, particularly vector-borne infections, more widespread.

https://youtu.be/bvVRp34qiNs

UW stakeholders discuss climate change and healthcare in inaugural symposium

The University of Washington Population Health Initiative announced a special funding call for pilot projects that seek to accelerate the application of large language models and generative artificial intelligence to seemingly intractable grand challenges in population health.

Awards of up to $100,000 each are available to UW researchers for interdisciplinary projects that propose exploratory research that serves the public good.

https://ow.ly/cCHq50RbAA3

Application of AI to grand challenges in population health The rapid advances in technological innovation holds great promise for advancing the health and well-being of populations here and around the globe.

TOMORROW is the 2024 Symposium on Race, Health & Justice!

This cross-disciplinary symposium brings together students, faculty, researchers and members of the public to discuss racial disparities in population health and health care, and the broader social, political, economic and historical structures in which they occur.

REGISTER: https://ow.ly/QUxG50RenYF

Betty Bekemeier of HSPop, UW School of Nursing and the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice led a year-long review process to create a new, updated research agenda designed to drive new funding and evidence to guide a reimagined public health system.

https://ow.ly/BamC50RbBLK

Setting the Direction for Public Health Services and Systems Research - JPHMP Direct The new PHSSR research agenda aims to help build “the evidence base that lays the foundation for and demonstrates the value of a high-performing public health system leading to improved health outcomes for all.” Learn more on JPHMPDirect.com: https://wp.me/p7l72S-a2O

Despite being one of the leading causes of death in the United States, opioid overdose deaths are ignored, or worse, normalized by public discourse.

Narcare, an RSO at the University of Washington, is organizing a forum on the opioid crisis as a public health issue. The forum will be held on April 11, 2024, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM at the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health (room 155). It is open to anyone interested in learning about and discussing what can be done about the opioid crisis. Our panelists consist of experts who are working with communities impacted by the crisis and will highlight their stories.

Samyuktha Singh - Research Assistant, Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI)
Allison Newman - Program Operations Specialist, Center for Community-Engaged Drug Education, Epidemiology and Research (CEDEER)
Cece Wettemann - Research Coordinator, Research with Expert Advisors on Drug Use (READU) team
Greg Nance, Washington State Representative for the 23rd Legislative District

The purpose of this forum is to provide a detailed understanding of the opioid crisis, describe the public health response needed, and share the experiences of those harmed by the crisis. Once equipped with this information, we hope that the UW community will advocate for expanding access to Naloxone, a medication that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.

RSVP HERE: https://ow.ly/Nwhb50R7Xw5

Philanthropy is an essential resource, and Husky Giving Day is a great time to get involved! Give today to support our students through the HSEED and/or the MHA Fellowship Fund!

https://ow.ly/HoUR50R7Wv9

Husky Giving Day is THIS THURSDAY!

Husky Giving Day is a 24-hour period during which alumni and friends come together to support the people, programs, projects and causes they care about most at the University of Washington.

Philanthropy is an essential resource for our department, our programs, and most importantly, our students. Scholarships and fellowships provided by philanthropy offset rising costs and ensure more students have access to public health education.

Gifts received on Husky Giving Day will go towards funding the HSEED award - the Health Systems Excellence, Equity, and Distinction Award - created in 2016 to increase diversity in public health. The award provides support for people who are LGBTQIA+, veterans, community members of color, from lower income backgrounds, and/or have disabilities.

The HSEED Award is presented annually to students in each of our degree programs (bachelor's, master's and doctoral). Recipients are honored for their outstanding academic merit, diversity of experiences and backgrounds, and potential for leadership in public health.

https://ow.ly/TJJV50R6Z04

“No one should be inhibited from accessing high quality, preventative health care, particularly for a choice that is both highly safe and highly personal, like a medication abortion.” -Dr. Sarah Munro

Dr. Sarah Munro (PhD, MA), assistant professor of Health Systems and Population Health, is a principal investigator on a research team looking to create evidence-based guidelines to support abortion care for people living in remote areas.

https://ow.ly/njl450QMLbA

MENTHOL is a chemical additive that makes it easier to start smoking or va**ng and harder to quit.

HSPop's Jeff Harris worked with Washington Breathes on this fact sheet about the dangers of mentholated to***co products.

MENTHOL makes it easier to start using ni****ne products. It reduces the harshness of smoking or va**ng by creating a cooling effect on the mouth and throat.

MENTHOL suppresses the cough reflex. People who smoke and v**e can inhale more deeply, drawing in more ni****ne and more chemicals from the product.

MENTHOL enhances the addictiveness of ni****ne. Menthol interacts with the same brain receptors that ni****ne does. Menthol increases the number of ni****ne receptors in the brain and increases the intensity of ni****ne withdrawal.

DOWNLOAD:
https://ow.ly/x3u850QM3yw

A Learning Health System Embedded Scientist Training and Research Center will be led in part by professor India Ornelas, assistant professor Maggie Ramirez, and adjunct associate professor Allison Cole of HSPop.

https://ow.ly/tNCi50QBv6z

A petition for a ceasefire in Gaza was hand-delivered to the Seattle offices of Sen. Patty Murray and Sen. Maria Cantwell on March 1. The petition’s demands indicate growing concern among faculty members across the Pacific Northwest as Israel’s military campaign has killed upwards of 30,000 people in Gaza. The hard copy included 321 signatures from faculty members mainly in Washington and Oregon.

“We are very much part of a national movement of faculty and higher education instructors all around the US who are dismayed and I would have to add quite angry at our ongoing U.S. support for what we believe is a very, very unjust attack on innocent civilians in Gaza,” James Pfeiffer, adjunct professor of HSPop and one of the main point persons for the petition, said.

https://ow.ly/8wo550QM3YY