Register for the Public Health Conference!
The Ohio Public Health Conference, Celebrating Public Health: People and Purpose, will be held April 24-26, 2023, at the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Lewis Center, Ohio.
You can view the program here, and register for the conference HERE. Don’t delay! Registration closes April 10. Please note: you will be directed to website of the Association of Ohio Health Commissioners Hotel for both the registration and to reserve a hotel room. You will need your login ID and password. If you don’t have one, or cannot remember it from last year, you can reset both. The hotel block closes April 3!
OPHA will hold a special celebration dinner during the conference on Tuesday evening, April 25, 2023. Register for the dinner HERE. You can download a registration form or register online! It’s easy! Even if you are not planning to attend the conference, you can still join us at the dinner! If you have any questions, please contact dwright@ohiopha.org.
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Investing in the Future of our Public Health Leadership
The Ohio Public Health Association, with the support of the Ohio Department of Health, has launched an initiative to offer an opportunity for future leaders to attend the Ohio Public Health Conference April 24-26, 2023. This pilot program for early career public health professionals (within 5 years of graduation) will enable a small cohort to gather at the Conference and attend Conference sessions, be matched with a seasoned public health leader with similar career interests and participate in opportunities to shape ongoing programming. Conference registration and hotel will be provided at no cost to the department or participant.
If you would like to nominate an early career professional, contact student1@ohiopha.org for additional details. Nominations are due March 27, 2023.
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PHPS is Looking for You!
The Public Health Professional Services (PHPS) program has actively been evaluating the needs of the public health workforce. The biggest needs are for Registered Environmental Health Specialists (REHS), Nurses, and professionals with expertise in accreditation or quality improvement projects. If you or anyone you know are interested in becoming a consultant to assist public health agencies, visit the program web page here: OPHA Public Health Professional Services Program - Ohio Public Health Association (ohiopha.org)
News from The Ohio Journal of Public Health
With gratitude to our fabulous editor, Dr. Sheryl Chatfield, additional Journal articles have been added to the website, and now posted on a rolling basis. Check out the research important to Ohio public health professionals. Among the most recent articles is….
Factors Impacting COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Resistance Among College Students in Northwest Ohio by Mounika Polavarapu; Shipra Singh; Philip J. Welch; Lauren Maziarz;, Beanna A. Martinez; Edoseawe Okoduwa; Timothy R. Jordan
Vaccination is a critical strategy for controlling the transmission of COVID-19 and for returning to normalcy on college campuses; however, vaccine hesitancy and resistance persist as a significant barrier. This study utilized the integrated behavior model (IBM) and the precaution adoption process model (PAPM) to identify factors predictive of COVID-19 vaccine willingness (receptive, hesitant, and resistant) among college students. In this study more than 1200 students were surveyed, and results analyzed to look at the association of theoretical constructs with vaccine willingness, after controlling for COVID-19 related factors and sociodemographic factors.
The study concluded that identifying the factors that predict vaccine hesitancy and resistance among college students is critical for college administrators, and for those who are designing health communication campaigns, to increase vaccination among this priority population. Learn more about the study results by reading the article here.
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OPHA Membership + Engagement: We Need YOU!
Our strength is in our members. To serve each of you, we need YOU to lend your talents and your time to help OPHA thrive. Get involved in our governance project, marketing and communications, or fund development. There are so many ways to get involved. Thank you to the members who have recently raised their hands to help. We appreciate you! Whether you have just an hour a month or one day a month, we have a project that could use your talents.
As the end of the year approaches, we hope that you will consider a donation to OPHA. It’s quick and easy – just click on this link.
Thanks, as always, for your commitment to public health and for being a valued member of OPHA. If you have questions about membership, please contact dwright@ohiopha.org. If you have news from your organization, or public health conferences you would like to highlight, please forward to cdavis@ohiopha.org, and we will include in a future email.
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