2010 Connecticut Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Conference

A Message from the President Welcome to the 2010 CPHA Annual Meeting and Conference! At this very time last year CPHA was busy celebrating the APHA Affiliate of the Year Award. While we continue to celebrate this tremendous honor, 2010 has been a year of great loss for CPHA as well as a year of new beginnings and planning. Occasionally, the President of CPHA will choose to recognize CPHA members for their outstanding work and for their significant contributions in the field of public health. Last year, one of the President’s Award Winners was Charles G. Huntington III. This year, CPHA is honoring Charles by presenting an award in his memory. CPHA continues to honor Charles as we work towards the future. Charles and his students were instrumental in assisting CPHA with starting our strategic planning process. For anyone that has ever worked on a strategic plan, you know how long it can take. With a lot of dedication and hard work, however, CPHA has reached some critical milestones that I would like to share. Most significantly, over the past year CPHA has:  Adopted the following Mission Statement, which reflects the purpose of CPHA and provides CPHA with a sense of direction and guidance for future decision-making and a framework within which CPHA’s strategies will be formulated. The mission of the Connecticut Public Health Association (CPHA) is to represent and unite the diverse expertise of Connecticut’s public health professionals, to ameliorate the most pressing public health issues in the state, and to promote healthy and safe living for the people of Connecticut. CPHA works to promote and protect the public’s health through advocacy; education; program, professional and workforce development; and networking among the public health community.  Developed a Case Statement, which provides internal and external stakeholders with a description of CPHA’s identity and serves as the core document of CPHA’s plan and future strategy.  Established a Development Committee to formulate short- and long-term development goals and activities to put CPHA on a firmer financial foundation.  Committed to establishing the Connecticut Association of Local Boards of Health - a section of the Connecticut Public Health Association - with the goal of creating the infrastructure for additional CPHA sections.  Successfully applied for several grants, awarded by the Connecticut Health Foundation, the Lawson Valentine and Merck Foundations (for environmental health advocacy in conjunction with the Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Connecticut), The National Association of Local Boards of Health (to assist with the formation of a state association of local boards of health and thus CPHA’s section infrastructure).  Collaborated and received funding through the CT Dept of Public Health/ASTHO and the Hartford Public High School Nursing Academy to train high school educators to teach public health concepts and careers toward building the public health career pipeline.  Continued to play a role in several coalitions, including the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut, the Connecticut Cancer Partnership, the Connecticut Influenza & Pneumococcal Immunization Coalition, the Connecticut Primary Care Coalition, the Connecticut Multicultural Health Partnership, and the Connecticut Partnership for Workforce Development. In addition to these critical milestones, all of the CPHA Committees have been very busy carrying out the activities of the association. None of these milestones would have been reached without our talented and committed Board members and staff, and without the foresight of so many of the prior CPHA leaders who laid the foundation for what we have achieved. There is much work to be done to build on our successes, and much opportunity for members to join us in our work. Seek out a committee that interests you and help us as we work together to promote healthy and safe living for the people of Connecticut.

1 2010 Connecticut Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Conference

Best wishes, Tracey Scraba, JD, MPH President CPHA Board of Directors Program Committee Members

President – Tracey Scraba, Aetna Committee Chair – Elaine O’Keefe, Yale School President Elect – Renee Coleman-Mitchell, of Public Health Connecticut Department of Public Health Elaine Abrams, Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield Immediate Past President – Joan Segal, County University of Connecticut Health Center Vani Anand, Southwestern Area Health Education Treasurer – William Derech, Aetna Center Director-at-Large – Vani Anand, Southwestern Area Lisa Bemben, Nurtur Health, Inc. Health Education Center Lucinda Hogarty, Connecticut Cancer Partnership Campaign Director – Annamarie Beaulieu, CPHA Staff Marty Mancuso, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital Director-at-Large – William Faraclas, Southern Sharon Mierzwa, Connecticut Association of Connecticut State University Directors of Health Chair, Development Committee – Philip Greiner, Pace University Renee Coleman-Mitchell, Connecticut Department of Public Health Co-Chair, Finance Committee; Ex-Officio – Delores Greenlee Alyssa Norwood, Connecticut Association of Chair, Membership Committee; Ex-Officio – Monika Directors of Health Haugstetter, University of Connecticut Health Center Joan Segal, University of Connecticut Health Co-Chair, Finance Committee; APHA Delegate; Ex- Center Officio – Steve Huleatt, West Hartford-Bloomfield Tracey Van Oss, Quinnipiac University Health District Stanton Wolfe, University of Connecticut Health Ex-Officio; CAPHN Representative – Andrea Lombard, Connecticut Department of Public Health Center Ex-Officio; Honorary Member – David Mack, CPHA Staff Shipman & Goodwin, LLP Annamarie Beaulieu Director-at-Large – Marty Mancuso, Charlotte Eileen Kehl Hungerford Hospital Jonathan Noel Director-at-Large – Rasy Mar, University of Connecticut Health Center Ex-Officio; APHA Affiliate Alternate – Mary Nescott, Birmingham Group Health Services Chair, Advocacy Committee; Ex-Officio – Alyssa Norwood, Connecticut Association of Directors of Health Director-at-Large; Chair, Program Committee – Elaine O’Keefe, Yale School of Public Health Co-Chair, Health Education Committee; Ex-Officio –Kimberly Pelletier, Connecticut Department of Public Health Director-at-Large – Baker Salsbury, Ledge Light Health District Co-Chair, Mentoring Committee; Ex-Officio – Cyndi Billian Stern, Billian Stern Consulting, LLC Co-Chair, Mentoring Committee; Ex-Officio – Kristin Sullivan, Connecticut Department of Public Health Chair, Communications Committee; Ex-Officio – Kathi Traugh, Yale Center for Public Health Preparedness Co-Chair, Health Education Committee; Ex-Officio – Tracey Van Oss, Quinnipiac University

Table of Contents CPHA on the Web

A Message from the President 1 Remember to visit the CPHA website at www.cpha.info. There you will find updated Board of Directors 2 information about CPHA’s activities around Program Committee Members 2 Connecticut; resources focusing on Connecticut, the U.S. and the world; and you can update your Conference Goals and Objectives 3 CPHA profile. Schedule of Events 4 In addition, visit the CPHA Facebook page and Keynote Speaker Biographies 5 follow us on our Twitter account Breakout Session Objectives and Speaker (@CTPublicHealth) where regular updates and Biographies 6 discussion topics will be posted. Student Poster Session 15 Awards 21 Contact CPHA:

Committee Reports c/o Eileen Kehl Advocacy 23 241 Main St. Second Floor Communication 24 Hartford, CT 06106 Development 24 (860) 293-1183 [email protected] Health Education 24 Membership 25 Mentoring 25 Program 26 Sponsors, Exhibitors, Advertisers 27 Advertisements 28 Map of Aqua Turf 36 Notes 37

Conference Goal and Objectives Goal: Objectives:  To support the development of a public health  Increase awareness of the scope and impact of agenda that promotes actions to address the root health disparities in Connecticut causes of health inequities for racial, ethnic  Explore the root causes of health disparities minority and low income populations in  Profile existing initiative to end health disparities Connecticut  Promote multi-disciplinary and multi-sector solutions to health inequities involving non- traditional public health partners

Schedule of Events 8:00 AM Registration and Breakfast 11:45 AM Break 8:30 AM Opening Remarks 12:00 PM Lunch, Business Meeting and Tracey Scraba, President, CPHA; Elaine O’Keefe, Awards Presentation Chair, CPHA Program Committee 12:30 PM “Mapping Inequality: Factors 9:00 AM “Place Matters” Underlying Health Disparities” Brian Smedley, PhD, MPH, Vice President and Dr. Carmen Nevarez, MD, MPH, President, Director of the Health Policy Institute of the Joint American Public Health Association Center for Political and Economic Studies 1:30 PM Breakout Session 2 9:45 AM Poster Presentation Tour Multi-sector Strategies to Overcome Renee Coleman Mitchell, President Elect, CPHA Obstacles (Glass Ballroom) Erin Boggs, Connecticut Fair Housing Center; Gloria 10:30 AM Breakout Session 1 Mills, Community Association for Community Local Community Action for Changes in Transportation; Theanvy Kuoch, Khmer Health Policy & Practice (Glass Ballroom) Advocates; Facilitator: Sharon Mierzwa, Carmen Chaparro, Hartford Health Department; Connecticut Association of Directors of Health Amanda Durante, New Haven Health Department; Health Impact Assessments: A Tool to Shanta Evans, New Haven Health Equity Alliance; Address Social Determinants (Kays Pier Rita Kornblum, Hartford Health Department; Steve South) Mansfield, Ledge Light Health Department; Megan Gaydos, San Francisco Department of Facilitator: Sharon Mierzwa, Connecticut Public Health; Facilitator: Elaine O’Keefe, Yale Association of Directors of Health School of Public Health Health Equity Initiatives in Boston, Baltimore and Beyond (Wagon Room) Legal Solutions to Health Disparities (Wagon Nashira Baril, Boston Public Health Commission; Room) Courtney Boen, Boston Public Health Commission; Brad Plebani, Center for Medicare Advocacy; Jay Michael Scott, Baltimore Equity Matters; Facilitator: Sicklick, Medical Legal Partnership Project; Jamey Jennifer Kertanis, Connecticut Association of Bell, Connecticut Voices for Children; Facilitator: Directors of Health Alyssa Norwood, Connecticut Association of Directors of Health Connecticut Health Disparities Data: Surveillance and Related Activities (Kays 2:30 PM Break Pier South) 2:45 PM Forum: Promoting the Health Diane Aye, Connecticut Department of Public Equity Agenda in Connecticut Health; John Frassinelli, Connecticut Department Marie Spivey, Health Equity Commission; Rafael of Public Health; Susan Hewes, Connecticut Pérez-Escamilla, SustiNet Health Disparities Department of Public Health; Lloyd M. Mueller, Committee Connecticut Department of Public Health; Jeffery Osleeb, Department of Geography, University of Connecticut; Alexander Vias, Department of Geography, University of Connecticut; Facilitator: Justin Peng, Connecticut Department of Public Health;

Unless otherwise noted, all sessions will take place in the Kays Pier North Ballroom.

Keynote Speaker Biographies Brian D. Smedley, PhD, MPH, Vice Dr. Carmen Nevarez, MD, MPH, President, President and Director of Health Policy American Public Health Association Institute at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Carmen Rita Nevarez, MD, MPH, currently serves as the President of the American Public Health Brian D. Smedley is Vice President and Director of Association and as the Vice President for External the Health Policy Institute of the Joint Center for Relations, Public Health Institute, where she has Political and Economic Studies. In this position, Dr. responsibility for incubating new project areas and Smedley oversees all of the operations of the developing relationships with health and public Institute, which was started in 2002 with funding health organizations and interests. She is formerly from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The Institute the Health Officer of the City of Berkeley, an has a dual focus: to explore disparities in health independent health jurisdiction. During her tenure and to generate policy recommendations on at the City of Berkeley, she also was named to the longstanding health equity concerns. Formerly, position of Environmental Health Director and later, Smedley was Research Director and co-founder of Director of the Department of Health and Human a communications, research and policy Services. As Director, she had responsibility over a organization, The Opportunity Agenda, where he comprehensive department with public health, led the organization’s effort to center equity in mental health, environmental health, and social state and national health reform discussions and to services programs. She was instrumental in the build the national will to expand opportunity for all. development of the Berkeley Primary Care Access To that end, Smedley is a co-editor, along with Clinic, a new entity that was created as a joint Alan Jenkins, of a book, All Things Being Equal: project of community interests, the local Instigating Opportunity in an Inequitable Time. community hospital and regional political interests. Prior to helping launch The Opportunity Agenda, After leaving the City of Berkeley, she began CRN Smedley was a Senior Program Officer in the Health Consulting Group, and participated in the Division of Health Sciences Policy at the Institute of development of a series of projects in public health Medicine (IOM), where he served as Study Director leadership, public health education and community for the IOM reports: In the Nation’s Compelling health. In 1996, she became the Community Interest: Ensuring Diversity in the Health Care Liaison in the Office of the Dean, School of Public Workforce and Unequal Treatment: Confronting Health, UC Berkeley. In this position, she helped Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, among to develop university participation in community- other reports on diversity in the health professions based public health projects and she developed and minority health research policy. Smedley came and taught a graduate course in Multicultural to the IOM from the American Psychological Competence in Public Health. She also provided Association, where he worked on a wide range of considerable expertise in the development of the social, health, and education policy topics in his SPH proposal for a Public Health Workforce capacity as Director for Public Interest Policy. Prior Development Project. Since 1979, she has also to working at the APA, Smedley served as a maintained a part-time clinical practice in Congressional Science Fellow in the office of Rep. Reproductive Health. Robert C. Scott (D-VA), sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Among his awards and distinctions, in 2004, Smedley was honored by the Rainbow/PUSH coalition as a “Health Trailblazer” award winner; in 2002, he was awarded the Congressional Black Caucus “Healthcare Hero” award; and in August 2002, was awarded the Early Career Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest by the APA. Smedley holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and

a Ph.D. in psychology from UCLA. Breakout Session Objectives and Speaker Biographies Local Community Action for Changes in Parenthood of Southern New England’s (PPSNE) Policy & Practice first statewide college internship program. Evans’  To explain the difference between current public other experience as an employee of PPSNE health practice and the social determinants of includes Public Affairs and Real Life. Real Talk. health and discuss the ways in which they Manager (a social marketing program that was overlap implemented in New Haven to teach parents how  To give examples of findings from the Health to talk to their children about sexuality). Evans has Equity Index that highlight social determinants of also served as a co-chair of the Young Women’s health Leadership Program, an initiative that was a part of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Carmen Chaparro, HEA Project Supervisor, City Women, and a fellow in the Connecticut Health of Hartford Health & Human Services Department Foundation leadership program. Evans has an Carmen is the Project Supervisor for the City of undergraduate degree in Women, Gender and Hartford’s Health Equity Alliance. Carmen comes Sexuality from Trinity College and an M.B.A. from to public health from the Office for Young Children the University of Hartford. in Hartford, where, in her capacity as a Supervisor, she oversaw the operations of School Readiness Rita Kornblum, Project Manager, Health Equity and DSS funded Early Childhood programs. Alliance, City of Hartford Health and Human Carmen also serves on Connecticut’s Child Day Services Department Care Council, and various other advisory boards. Rita Kornblum immigrated to the United States Mrs. Chaparro has served as an adjunct instructor approximately 30 years ago with a bachelor’s for Wheelock College and Eastern Connecticut degree in educational psychology. Since her move State University, teaching leadership classes to to this country, she has worked as a social worker, early childhood professionals in the Greater coordinated a program for children with pediatric Hartford area. In her free time, Carmen serves as AIDS, and performed community organizing for the group leader for her RESULTS group in non-profit organizations. In 1994, she was Hartford. RESULTS is a grassroots organization introduced to the world of public health and in her creating the public and political will to end hunger own words, “it became her first love.” She has and the worst aspects of poverty. Mrs. Chaparro since been trained in Environmental Health through holds a Masters Degree in Organizational the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Psychology from the University of Hartford and she Indoor Air Quality through the EPA, obtained a completed her undergraduate degree in ServSafe Certification, obtained a Smoking Elementary Education and Psychology at Guilford Cessation Facilitator certification through the College in Greensboro, NC. She is also a Children’s American Lung Association, and became an All Defense Fund Fellow. Hazards Public Information Officer through the Department of Homeland Security to name a few. Amanda Durante, PhD, MSc, Epidemiologist, She has produced a TV program for the Hartford New Haven Health Department Government Access Channel focusing on public Dr. Durante is an Epidemiologist for the New health issues over the past 5 years as a way to Haven Health Department. She has 20 years of reach individuals who are homebound or hard to public health practice experience, primarily in the reach. She has been employed by the City of areas of surveillance and infectious disease control. Hartford Department of Health and Human She is an adjunct faculty member at the Yale Services for the past 16 years and is currently the School of Public Health and the University of project manager of the Health Equity Alliance Connecticut Health Center Department of Hartford pilot site. Community Medicine and Health Care. Stephen Mansfield, Deputy Director of Health, Shanta Evans, Director, New Haven Health Equity Ledge Light Health District Alliance Stephen graduated with an BS in Public Health Shanta Evans has spent the past ten years creating from Southern Connecticut State University in 1990 and implementing two after school programs that and has worked at the local health level as a

Breakout Session Objectives and Speaker Biographies were a part of a drop out prevention effort (Vision Sanitarian, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Academic Mentoring Program and Rising Stars) at Environmental Department Supervisor, and most Trinity College, and creating/managing Planned

recently, as Deputy Director of Health. A 2007 case manager at a community health center. Since graduate of the UCONN Master of Public Health then, she has taken on several new leadership Program, Stephen was appointed overall Project roles, coordinating a community-based research Coordinator for the Ledge Light Health District project, and directing the City’s REACH efforts Health Equity Alliance in 2009. since 2005. As a member of several community Sharon Mierzwa, MPH, RD, Project Director, advisory boards and the National Coalition for Health Equity Alliance Health Equity, Nashira has focused her career on Sharon Mierzwa, MPH, RD, (facilitator) is the moving local and national efforts towards the project director of the Health Equity Alliance (HEA), elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities. sponsored by the Connecticut Association of Nashira earned her Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Directors of Health, Inc. (CADH). HEA is an Studies and Legal Studies from the University of approach designed to address health inequities Massachusetts Amherst in 2001 and her Master of through focus on the social determinants of health, Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from emphasizing primary prevention efforts at the Boston University in 2006. In October 2008, the community level. Her previous professional Boston Public Health Commission announced the experiences include regional planning for new Center for Health Equity and Social Justice, emergency preparedness, chronic disease co-led by Nashira. In 2006, she was selected as prevention, program evaluation, and development one of 20 emerging leaders in community health to of culturally appropriate interventions. Sharon participate in the Massachusetts Institute for received her MPH degree from Tulane University Community Health Leadership of the Blue Cross School of Public Health, and has a B.S. degree in Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. In early Foods & Nutrition from the University of Wisconsin 2008, the Boston Celtics honored Nashira as “A - Madison. She has served as the coordinator of Hero Among Us” for her leadership and strides to the Connecticut State Department of Public improve community health. She is the Vice Health’s Obesity Prevention Program and the President of the Board of Directors of the Hyde Connecticut Diabetes Control Program. She is the Square Task Force, a community-based youth empowerment organization in Jamaica Plain, and

Breakout Session Objectives and Speaker Biographies past president of the Connecticut Dietetic volunteers as a mentor to college-bound high Association (CDA) and the Connecticut Nutrition school students. Nashira is a Connecticut native Council, and served as CDA’s state public policy and currently resides in Dorchester, Massachusetts. representative. Courtney Boen, MPH, Policy Analyst, Center for Health Equity and Social Justice, Boston Public Health Equity Initiatives in Boston, Baltimore Health Commission and Beyond Courtney Boen, MPH, is the Policy Analyst for the  Participants would have an understanding of Center for Health Equity and Social Justice at the health equity strategies in two Eastern US cities Boston Public Health Commission. As a policy  Discussion will include health equity frameworks, analyst, she works with institutions, coalitions, initiatives, challenges, policy approaches, community residents, and Boston Public Health engaging broad stakeholders’ base, Commission staff to develop policy-based understanding health equity beyond health strategies that address the social determinants of outcomes, authentic community engagement, health and build health equity. Courtney is prioritizing civic engagement, and lessons learned particularly interested in examining how social Nashira Baril, MPH, Director, REACH Center of policies shape communities’ opportunities for Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities, Boston health and well-being. Prior to her work at the Public Health Commission Boston Public Health Commission, Ms. Boen Nashira Baril is the Director of the CDC-funded worked in the Health Policy Department of the REACH US New England Center of Excellence in the Massachusetts Medical Society and as a Quality Elimination of Disparities at the Boston Public Improvement Specialist at the Massachusetts Health Commission. With experience in women’s Department of Public Health. Courtney Boen health projects in both Western Massachusetts and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts the Dominican Republic, Nashira moved to Boston University with a double major of Community in 2001 and began her work in public health as a Health and Sociology. She received her Masters in sections of class, race, and gender. When Public Health with a concentration in Health combined with local relationships and track records Services Management and Policy from Tufts within communities, players that are often University. Courtney is also a community-based competing can be turned into game changing “co- mentor with the Big Sister Association of Greater opetition,” win/wins. As Chairman/ President of Boston. Douglas Memorial Community Church Village Inc. Jennifer Kertanis, MPH, Executive Director, (Baltimore City’s oldest black church community Connecticut Association of Directors of Health development corporation) and Village Development Jennifer Kertanis (facilitator) is the Executive Partners (its Treasury Department Certified Director of the Connecticut Association of Directors Development Entity for tax credits), he has over of Health, Inc., which represents Connecticut’s borrowed and repaid HUD monies and assisted local health directors and departments. The residents of public housing (McCulloh Homes) Association works to advance local public health transitioning from affordable housing into home practice through advocacy, training and education, ownership. The Cradle to College Pipeline, which identification, development and support of model he founded, was nominated to be a central practices. Prior to joining CADH, Jennifer worked platform for Community Outreach at Johns Hopkins for eleven years in Environmental Epidemiology at University, School of Education, Department of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Counseling and Human Resources, after co-piloting Jennifer received her MPH from the University of Pursuing and Acquiring a College Education (PACE) Connecticut and currently serves on their at Johns Hopkins to establish a school guidance admissions committee. counselor aided program that demystifies, enhances interest, changes and enhances school Michael Scott, Founder and Principle, Equity culture and parental involvement in accessing and Matters, Inc completing college. He also established the Michael is a big citizen who works as a consultant Children Defense Fund Freedom Schools in

Breakout Session Objectives and Speaker Biographies primarily. He is a social and business Baltimore with university, faith based and entrepreneur, facilitator, social technician, pattern community organization based partners. Freedom detector and group-process incubator within social- School Work reviewed by the Kaufman Foundation change networks (MEGA-Communities) in both reflects a decrease in the “summer learning gap” non-profit and for profit economic development suggested by the Center for Summer Learning at worlds using institutional paradigms, resources, Johns Hopkins. A public school graduate of the and capital market approaches, as well as Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Mr. Scott furthered grassroots sensibilities and efforts to achieve his social science career at Morehouse College in significant social and capital returns on investment. Atlanta Georgia, where he distinguished himself As a merchant banker, with nearly 20 years of with an award for outstanding achievement in private equity and merger and acquisition economics and was also elected to the prestigious experience, and a cumulative global network of Spring Tour as a junior in order to represent the accretive relationships to be brought to bear, he college along with other students as a Goodwill and has managed over thirty engagements of private Fund Raising Ambassador to large corporate equity investments, merger transactions and bridge interests both in the US and their operations in financing implementations— he is now an Brazil and Argentina. He later graduated from the investment banker to the poor. Further, he brings University of London’s, London School of this sensibility and investment experience in Economics and Political Science, where his peers income-generating projects to the Americans of elected him Overseas Officer, and where he greatest need as a consultant. His areas of studied International and Comparative Economic experience in addition to finance include politics Systems, and Finance during the time of the fall of and communications. He possesses the theoretical the Berlin Wall. He later visited and studied in economic and political background, a 3-century’s Russian with other students and visiting scholars old American family legacy of values & during Perestroika. He was granted special student expectations, and personal and professional status at The Johns Hopkins University where he experiences that cut across many unusual cross continued formal and informal studies in select advanced finance coursework. He started his John Frassinelli, Director, Women, Infants and career as an intern in the State Department under Children Program, Connecticut Department of Secretary James Baker. His primary interest and Public Health focus is systems change, which he does now John Frassinelli is the Director of the Women, primarily though Equity Matters, and its Place Infants, and Children (WIC) Program at the Matters Initiative as one of the 16 teams and 20 Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH). county/city sites across the country run by The As the Connecticut WIC Director and a registered Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies dietitian, Mr. Frassinelli serves to safeguard the Health Policy Institute, and funded by Kellogg, NIH health of low-income women, infants, and children and CDC. up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritional assessment and education, referrals to Connecticut Health Disparities Data: health care and nutritious foods to supplement Surveillance and Related Activities diets. Mr. Frassinelli holds a Bachelor of Science  Describe current CT DPH surveillance efforts that degree in Dietetics and a Master of Science degree examine racial, ethnic, social class, and in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention from geographic disparities across the life span the University of Connecticut.  Describe how public health surveillance is Susan Hewes, MPH, Epidemiologist, Health enhanced by use of GIS technology Education, Management and Surveillance Section,  Give examples of how DPH data and surveillance Connecticut Department of Public Health efforts are applied to enhance effectiveness of Susan Hewes is the Epidemiologist for the State programs such as WIC WIC Program at the Connecticut Department of  Demonstrate the importance of inter-sectoral Public Health (CT DPH), in the Health Education, partnerships in public health surveillance efforts Management and Surveillance (HEMS) Section. Prior to joining DPH in 2006, Ms. Hewes spent Diane Aye, PhD, MPH, Senior Epidemiologist,

Breakout Session Objectives and Speaker Biographies Survey Research Unit, Health Information Systems nearly 20 years working in public health and child and Reporting Section, Connecticut Department of rights in Latin America with federal and non-profit Public Health organizations, and upon returning to the States Diane Aye is a Senior Epidemiologist in the Survey with the Stamford-based non-profit AmeriCares, Research Unit, Health Information Systems and working as program director for the southeastern Reporting Section at the Connecticut Department Connecticut mobile free clinics program. Ms. of Public Health. Dr. Aye is the coordinator of the Hewes holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology Connecticut Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance and Latin American Studies from the University of System (BRFSS), an ongoing CDC sponsored Florida, Gainesville, and a Master of Public Health telephone survey that gathers information degree from the University of California, Los regarding health risk behaviors, clinical preventive Angeles (UCLA). health practices, and health-care access from a representative sample of Connecticut adults, as Lloyd M. Mueller, PhD, Senior Epidemiologist, well as the coordinator of the Connecticut School Health Care Quality, Statistics and Analysis Unit, Health Survey (CSHS), a written survey of Health Information Systems and Reporting Section, Connecticut middle and high school students. Dr. Connecticut Department of Public Health Aye received a BA in Biology from Smith College, Lloyd Mueller is a Senior Epidemiologist at the and an MPH in Environmental Health and a PhD in Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), in Environmental Epidemiology from Yale University. the Healthcare Quality, Statistics, Analysis and She has worked as an epidemiologist for the Reporting Unit, and he is the Acting Principal Connecticut Department of Public Health for 25 Investigator of the Connecticut Tumor Registry. years. During her long career with DPH, Dr. Aye Dr. Mueller is trained as a chronic disease has also been involved in lead poisoning epidemiologist and he provides general oversight prevention, health assessment of hazardous waste for surveillance of birth, death and inpatient sites, and cancer cluster investigations. hospital discharge data systems, and he has coordinated the development of new agency initiatives in health care quality. Part of his work at

DPH has consistently been directed at improving health information systems. Dr. Mueller and staff this encompasses programs such as asthma, have contributed to a wide range of analytic tobacco, injury prevention, crash outcome data studies in the areas of: women’s health; quality of evaluation system, WIC, and nutrition, physical care in Connecticut hospitals; chronic disease activity, and obesity programs. Mr. Peng has more burden; poor pregnancy outcomes; and mortality than ten years of epidemiological, research and trends and disparities; genomics and public health; computer experiences in government, healthcare, and methods for improving geocoding of vital and non-profit settings. Mr. Peng holds a Bachelor records data. Dr. Mueller currently holds of Science degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology appointments as a Lecturer in Epidemiology, and a Master of Public Health degree from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Connecticut. Yale University School of Medicine, and as an Alexander Vias, PhD, Associate Professor, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Department of Geography, University of Community Medicine, University of Connecticut Connecticut School of Medicine. Alexander Vias is Associate Professor and Director Jeffrey Osleeb, PhD, Professor and Head, of the Urban and Community Studies Program - Department of Geography, University of Storrs, Department of Geography, University of Connecticut Connecticut. Dr. Vias is a population/economic Jeffrey Osleeb is Professor and Head of the geographer, with an extensive background in the Department of Geography at the University of analysis and modeling of population change, Connecticut. His teaching and research interests especially migration, using a number of statistical have focused on national and international health (econometric) and geo-spatial tools. He received a issues and on geographic information systems MA and PhD in population geography from the (GIS). After graduating from the State University University of Arizona. He has published a number

Breakout Session Objectives and Speaker Biographies of New York at Buffalo with a B.A. in History, an of articles in leading peer-reviewed journals that M.A. degree in Economics and a Ph.D. degree in touch on population issues, including interstate Geography, he joined the faculty at The Ohio State migration and the development of micropolitan University where his teaching responsibilities areas. He has won grants from the USDA and included quantitative methods and location theory. NSF, and currently receives funding through the In 2005, he joined the Department of Geography USDA to participate in a Multistate Research at the University of Connecticut as its head. He Project (W1001), "Population Change in Rural has worked with the Connecticut Department of Communities." Dr. Vias’ current research projects Public Health on a mortality data geocoding project include: continued analysis of micropolitan areas of as well as investigations into health disparities. He the US; out-migration from rural areas and impacts is currently involved in a large multiyear USAID on public services such as health care; and project to look at water resource management changing health disparities in the state of including its health aspects in Ethiopia. He has Connecticut. also worked on UNICEF’s Dracunculiasis Eradication Project in Benin and a land use project in Nepal, Multi-Sector Strategies to Overcome which was sponsored by the World Bank. Dr. Obstacles Osleeb has published articles in numerous peer-  Increased participant awareness of the reviewed journals. organizational goals and activities being advanced by other sectors, disciplines, and Justin Peng, MPH, Senior Epidemiologist, Health cultural groups within our communities Education, Management and Surveillance Section,  Further exploration of the synergy between the Connecticut Department of Public Health social determinants of health and public health Justin Peng (facilitator) is a Senior Epidemiologist efforts at the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Health Education, Management, and Surveillance  Identification of the potential for innovative (HEMS) Section. Mr. Peng supervises five partnerships to overcome health inequities epidemiologists and has the primary responsibility through cross collaboration and community for all epidemiological activities under HEMS, and partnerships

Erin Boggs, Deputy Director, Connecticut Fair Housing Center three American nurses to found Khmer Health Erin Boggs is the Deputy Director of the Advocates, a Cambodian health organization that Connecticut Fair Housing Center. Ms. Boggs began has a mission to care for the health needs of work at the Center in 2005, initially concentrating survivors of the Cambodian genocide through on addressing increased incidences of predatory programs for torture treatment, support services, lending and foreclosure in communities of color. education, advocacy and research. Under her Since joining the Center, Ms. Boggs’ responsibilities leadership, Khmer Health Advocates has become have expanded to include the organization’s the National Cambodian Health Organization and systemic testing, policy and advocacy initiatives. the host for the National Cambodian American Most recently, this work has concentrated on the Health Initiative which brings together Cambodian Center’s Opportunity Initiative, which works to leaders from across the United States to plan and develop policy solutions to the opportunity advocate for the health needs of Cambodian disparities in Connecticut identified in a report that survivors. Ms. Kuoch represents the Cambodian the Center commissioned from the Kirwan Institute community in several national organizations. She for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. This report is on the board of directors of the National Asian demonstrates the stark racial element to American and Pacific Islander Mental Health opportunity isolation in the State. Prior to joining Association (NAAPIMHA); on the steering the Center, Ms. Boggs worked at the American Civil committee for the Out of Many, One Program, Liberties Union-CT as a staff attorney and then which focuses on ending disparities in health; and interim legal director. She came to the Center the National Health Information Technology from private practice. Ms. Boggs is a 2000 Collaborative for the Underserved. Khmer Health Advocates is a Center of Excellence for Ending

Breakout Session Objectives and Speaker Biographies graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center Disparities in Health for the Cambodian Community and a 1993 graduate of Wesleyan University. A in the areas of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and native of Washington, DC, she is a product of the serious psychological distress. This project, which District’s public schools. is part of the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Gloria Mills, Executive Director, Connecticut Community Health, is mobilizing the Cambodian Association for Community Transportation community to address prevention of conditions Gloria Mills is the Executive Director of the directly related to trauma. Ms. Kuoch is currently Connecticut Association for Community on the National Diabetes Education Program Transportation. Ms. Mills possesses over 33 years committee, which is addressing the impact of of experience with voluntary non-profit depression on diabetes. Khmer Health Advocates organizations and 15 years experience in the works closely with the Connecticut Pharmacists development of local, regional, and statewide Association and is currently involved in a coalitions. She began her career in the early telemedicine project for medication optimization 1970’s working in the field of developmental that links sites in Connecticut, Western disabilities. Ms. Mills’ work as an advocate and Massachusetts and Long Beach, California. The change agent in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio project focuses on the language and cultural issues spanned 23 years and addressed issues from the that are an important part of the use of medication rights of individuals with disabilities to child in a traumatized, low literacy community. Ms. welfare. In August 2000, she began her work with Kuoch has led in the development of spoken formal the Connecticut Association for Community education and evaluation tools that are an essential Transportation (CACT) to promote and improve part of Khmer Health Advocates medical record public transportation in Connecticut. Ms. Mills has and medical case management software for a a BA in Sociology from the University of California Khmer speaking people. at Los Angeles. Health Impact Assessments: A Tool to Theanvy Kuoch, Executive Director, Khmer Address Social Determinants Health Advocates  Explore the value and purpose of health impact Theanvy Kuoch arrived in the United States in 1981 assessment (HIA) as a tool for advancing healthy as a refugee and survivor of the Khmer Rouge public policy Regime in Cambodia. She worked together with  Review the steps and tasks of a typical HIA, and 2006. She is inspired by her partner Poncho, her successes and lessons learned from HIA case family of friends, individuals resisting oppression, studies and those who agree with Arundhati Roy that  Understand roles for community members, public “Another world is not only possible, she is on her agencies, decision-makers and other way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” stakeholders Elaine O’Keefe, MSPH, Executive Director, Megan Gaydos, MPH, Planning and Policy Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale Analyst, Program on Health, Equity and School of Public Health Office of Community Sustainability, Environmental Health Section, San Health, Yale University Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) Elaine O’Keefe (facilitator) is the Executive Director As the coordinator of SFDPH’s Program on Health, of the Office of Community Health (OCH) in the Equity, and Sustainability (PHES) Work School of Public Health at Yale University. She also Environment team, Megan works with community, serves as the Executive Director of the Yale Center academic, and agency partners to document and for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA). The improve working conditions faced by day laborers, OCH was established to enhance practice based domestic, restaurant and other low-wage and education, research and academic-community immigrant workers using participatory research, health partnerships. CIRA supports the conduct of health impact assessment, policy analysis, and interdisciplinary research focused on the prevention evaluation. Megan is also working with other of HIV infection and the reduction of negative SFDPH colleagues to increase internal capacity to consequences of HIV disease in vulnerable and

Breakout Session Objectives and Speaker Biographies monitor employer compliance and enforcement of underserved populations in the United States and labor and occupational health laws. As a member internationally. Elaine worked in the local of the PHES Urban Health and Place team, Megan governmental public health milieu for over two helps develop and provide trainings on health decades prior to joining the Yale School of Public impact assessment (HIA) methods, coordinates a Health, including 14 years as Health Director for public housing redevelopment HIA, and uses the Stratford, Connecticut and before that as AIDS Healthy Development Measurement Tool (HDMT) Division Director for the New Haven Health to increase consideration of community health Department. Elaine has held various state and needs in urban development plans and projects. national leadership positions. She is the former In 2008, Megan co-taught a course on Planning president of the Connecticut Association of and Health Equity and she has organized various Directors of Health and a longstanding member of health-equity related presentations and events, their board of directors. She is also the past such as the screenings of Unnatural Causes. president of the National Association of City and Collectively, Megan and her PHES colleagues seek County Health Officials. Elaine holds a masters to create and maintain sustainable and healthy degree in public health from the University of places for all San Franciscans to live, work, learn, Massachusetts at Amherst and she is a graduate of and play. Prior to her work with SFDPH, Megan the CDC Public Health Leadership Institute worked as a health researcher and advocate at Scholar’s Program, class of 93/94. various organizations including the Berkeley Media Studies Group, Physicians for Human Rights, Legal Solutions to Health Disparities: How Miriam Hospital Immunology Center, and Progreso Advocates Improve Health Latino. Megan graduated cum laude from Brown  Learn generally and through examples the ways University and received her masters in public in which attorneys can address health disparities health in Health and Social Behavior from UC by direct legal assistance Berkeley. She has been actively involved in  Develop a fundamental understanding of public supporting economic, racial, and social justice health advocacy and the legislative process, organizing over the past decade, most recently including a basic understanding of the role and through grassroots fundraising and movement authority of the Connecticut General Assembly building spade work with the Catalyst Project and and administrative agencies in developing new Causa Justa. She was also awarded the Henrik L. state laws and regulations Blum Award for Distinguished Social Action in  Understand the importance of collaboration BA from Harvard University. She resides in West between health care practitioners, public health Hartford with her husband and two-year-old son. practitioners, attorneys, and policy makers to Brad Plebani, JD, Deputy Director, Center for reduce health disparities Medicare Advocacy, Inc.  Learn about legal resources in Connecticut to Brad Plebani, JD, is the Deputy Director at the improve patient outcomes individually and Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc. Mr. Plebani systemically received his B.A. degree from The George Jamey Bell, JD, Executive Director, Connecticut Washington University in Washington, D.C., his Voices for Children J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School in New York, Jamey Bell is Executive Director of Connecticut and received a Reginald Heber Smith Fellowship Voices for Children, where she works on state tax through Howard University School of Law and the and budget, education and child welfare issues, National Legal Services Corporation. Mr. Plebani is and leads the organization's legislative advocacy. responsible for assisting the Executive Director with She was an attorney at the Greater Hartford Legal personnel, budgetary and organizational issues and Aid, Inc. for 26 years, concentrating on legal issues in engaging in community outreach efforts with affecting the well-being of low-income children and respect to universal health care coverage, health families, including health care access, education, reform and health disparities, particularly child protection and juvenile justice. She was lead disparities affecting the Latino population. He also counsel in successful class action litigation to assists with overseeing the Center's project

Breakout Session Objectives and Speaker Biographies require the Connecticut Department of Social development and advocacy efforts, including Services to provide adequate dental care to low- general advocacy and litigation efforts. He has income families on Medicaid. She has worked to been a frequent lecturer, around the country, to build broad-based coalitions to promote policy attorneys, paralegals, and other professionals reforms and for greater inclusion of immigrants regarding Medicare and related issues. He is co- and other minority populations. Jamey Bell has a author of numerous books, articles, and other B.A. in Comparative Literature from the University publications addressing Medicare coverage and of Michigan and a J.D. degree from Northeastern appeals issues including the Medicare Handbook University School of Law. (Aspen Publishers, Inc., updated annually). He Alyssa Norwood, JD, MPH, Health Program was a 2010 fellow of the Connecticut Health Associate, Advocacy and Membership Services, Foundation’s Leadership Fellows program for the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Alyssa Norwood, JD, MPH (facilitator) is a Health He also sits on the board of directors of the Program Associate for Advocacy and Membership Generations Family Health Center in Willimantic, is Services at the Connecticut Association of Directors a member of the Board of Corporators of the of Health. Prior to accepting this position, she was Windham Community Memorial Hospital and serves an attorney in Robinson and Cole’s tax and tax- on the Health Disparities and Equity Advisory exempt practice. She has worked for numerous Committee for Connecticut’s proposed SustiNet health advocacy and policy organizations, including health plan. the Connecticut Health Foundation, the Connecticut Jay Sicklick, JD, Director, Medical-Legal Urban Legal Initiative, the Medical-Legal Partnership Project; Deputy Director, Center for Partnership Project, and the Center for Medicare Children’s Advocacy, Inc. Advocacy. She was a 2009 fellow of the Jay Sicklick, JD, is Director of the Medical-Legal Connecticut Health Foundation’s Leadership Partnership Project and Deputy Director of the Fellows Program. She also is a board member and Center for Children’s Advocacy, Inc., where he has advocacy committee co-chair for the Connecticut worked as an attorney since 2000. Prior to this Public Health Association, serves on the Ethics appointment, he served on the faculty of the Committee of the University of Connecticut Health University of Connecticut School of Law, where he Center, and coordinates social action and women’s held the position of Assistant Clinical Professor of programming at Beth David Synagogue. Alyssa Law, teaching lawyering skills, and social welfare earned her juris doctor and masters in public law. Mr. Sicklick also served as a senior staff health from the University of Connecticut and her attorney at the Legal Aid Society’s Bronx Neighborhood Office for six years, as well as a Escamilla is a trustee of the Pan American Health private practitioner in Boston. He currently holds and Education Foundation based in Washington the positions of Adjunct Professor of Law at the DC. He is president-elect of the American Society University of Connecticut School of Law, where he for Nutrition’s (ASN) International Nutrition Council teaches courses in legal ethics and professional and vice-Chair of ASN's Minority Affairs Committee. responsibility, Clinical Instructor in the Department He has been a senior advisor to community of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School nutrition and household food security projects of Medicine, and Instructor in the Master of Public funded by FAO, USDA, USAID, PAHO, UNDP, WHO, Health Program at University of Connecticut School UNICEF, UNESCO, The World Bank and the of Medicine. Mr. Sicklick is a graduate of Colgate Governments of Colombia, Mexico and Brazil. Prof. University and Boston College Law School. Pérez-Escamilla has been a major advisor to over 40 masters and doctoral students, and post- Forum: Promoting the Health Equity Agenda doctoral researchers from all over the world, and in Connecticut has been the research thesis mentor of five  Discuss findings and recommendations of the undergraduate honors students. Prof. Pérez- Connecticut Health Equity Commission and the Escamilla is a nationally and internationally Sustinet Health Disparities Commission recognized scholar who has received numerous  Discuss strategies for collective action to advance professional recognitions and awards as a result of

Breakout Session Objectives and Speaker Biographies the health equity agenda in Connecticut his major contributions to his field of work. Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, PhD, Professor, Marie M. Spivey, EdD, RN, Chair, Connecticut Epidemiology & Public Health; Director, Office of Commission on Health Equity; Co-Chair, Health Community Health, Yale School of Public Health; Disparity and Equity Advisory Committee, SustiNet Co-Chair, Health Disparity and Equity Advisory Health Plan Committee, Sustinet Health Plan Marie M. Spivey is the Chair of Connecticut’s Dr. Rafael Pérez-Escamilla is Professor of Commission on Health Equity and co-chairs the Epidemiology & Public Health and Director, Office SustiNet Health Plan’s Health Disparity and Equity of Community Health, Yale School of Public Health. Advisory Committee. Both of these entities seek to He is also Director and PI of the Connecticut NIH eliminate health disparities and inequities in the EXPORT Center of Excellence for Eliminating Health state of Connecticut. She is currently working as Disparities among Latinos (CEHDL). His public the Administrative Consultant for the Allied Health health nutrition and food security research has led and Nursing initiatives and programs at Capital to improvements in breastfeeding promotion, iron Workforce Partners – serving 37 towns in the north deficiency anemia among infants (by delaying the central region of the state. Her primary work is clamping of the umbilical cord after birth), enhancing the academic skills and personal support household food security measurement and capabilities of diverse frontline workers in outcomes, and community nutrition education healthcare facilities who are interested in improving programs worldwide. His health disparities their opportunities to advance toward higher-level research involves assessing the impact of healthcare professions. Dr. Spivey is a Registered community health workers at improving behavioral Nurse, holds an Associate Degree in Nursing from and metabolic outcomes among Latinos with type 2 the former Greater Hartford Community College, diabetes. He has published over 100 research (Capital Community College); a Bachelor of Human articles and over 300 conference abstracts, book Services degree from Southern New Hampshire chapters, and technical reports. Prof. Pérez- University; a Masters Degree in Public Escamilla was a member of the 2009 Institute of Administration and Doctorate Degree in Medicine/National Academy of Sciences Pregnancy Educational Leadership, both from the University of Weight Gain Guidelines Committee, and a member Hartford. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor for of the 2010 USA Dietary Guidelines Scientific the University of Connecticut’s Department of Advisory Committee. He has served on the Pediatrics and the Department of Community editorial boards of the Journal of Nutrition, the Medicine and Health Care, and serves as the Co- Journal of Human Lactation, and the Journal of Chair of the Urban Health Initiative for the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition. Prof. Pérez- University of Connecticut ‘s Center for Public Health and Health Policy. Dr. Spivey has held leadership Medical Center in Meriden) to step into the position positions in healthcare, education and community- of Vice President of Community Relations. She based organizations over the past 30 years. Early worked with each of the hospitals in that system to in her career, she was a labor and delivery room develop plans to manage the education and charge nurse at Rockville General Hospital, an training of staff in the area of diversity appreciation operating room surgical nurse at Mt. Sinai Hospital, and cultural competency sensitivities. In 1996, Dr. and a staff nurse at the Hartford Methadone Spivey became the Vice President for Community Maintenance Treatment Program facility - all before Involvement at Hartford Hospital – its first African joining Community Health Services in Hartford as American to hold a vice presidential position. In its first Assistant Clinical Administrator. Within a the latter part of her service at Hartford Hospital, very short period, Dr. Spivey was asked to take on she moved as the hospital’s loaned executive into the position of Executive Director at the Charter the Chief Executive Officer position at the Learning Oak Terrace/Rice Heights Health Center. In the Corridor (the 16-acre campus of 4 magnet schools late 80’s, Marie was recruited by the Connecticut and a Performing Arts Theater), and launched its Department of Public Health to take on and elevate educational position and contribution to students in the department’s Community Health Division - first the Greater Hartford community. Dr. Spivey was as its Director, and eventually as its first Bureau appointed to the Connecticut Community College

Breakout Session Objectives and Speaker Biographies Chief. In that position, Dr. Spivey successfully System’s Board of Trustees in 1993 by Governor raised the state’s awareness of the need to work Lowell Weicker, and served for 16-years in key more effectively to improve the health status of the roles as the Chair of the Academic Policies and medically underserved and socio-economically Student Affairs Committee, and as the Board’s Vice deprived populations in our communities. Soon Chair. She is the Board President of the Black she was asked by the CEO of Hartford Hospital and Women’s Health Council, and volunteers on a host the CT Health System, Inc. (the parent of other boards and committees locally, regionally organization of Hartford Hospital, the Children’s and statewide. Hospital and the Veterans Memorial

Student Poster Session Interactive Medical Spanish are able to practice. Secondly, medical students Curriculum for Medical Students in Clinical designed standardized patient cases in Spanish in Settings each medical specialty listed above, incorporating Paige Armstrong; Jesus Gutierrez; Erica Hinz; clinical and cultural components. Thirdly, in Neena Qasba; Renee Robinson simulated patient encounters, students worked University of Connecticut School of Medicine with trained bilingual patient instructors from the The U.S. census estimates that Latinos will Clinical Skills Assessment Program. Bilingual comprise 30% of the U.S. population by 2020. Patient Instructors assessed student’s interview Given this increasingly diverse patient population, skills and clinical knowledge, provided feedback, Spanish language fluency will be a desirable and and evaluated language accuracy. Our poster necessary skill in medicine. Last year, UCONN focuses on the elective lecture design, standardized medical students developed an elective course with case design, cultural competency, and course the objective of providing clinically-focused outcomes. language instruction in order to produce more culturally competent and linguistically advanced CHANGE study: A comparison of healthcare physicians. Firstly, students are given lectures by utilization and cost analysis related to novel native Spanish-speaking healthcare providers. home based primary care and the traditional Topics include the Full Medical History, Diabetes, healthcare model for geriatrics Hypertension, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Erica Huang; Eric Addo Depression, and the Physical Exam. The lectures University of Connecticut: School of Pharmacy, provide specialty-specific Spanish vocabulary and School of Medicine an interactive component during which students The House Call Program (HCP) serves to decrease costs to the healthcare system and individual schools and sparse resources from the practices. This study analyzes the net benefit to government; and, more importantly, understanding

Student Poster Session the practice, as well as the cost associated with the and respect from the community. Conclusion: HCP. Additionally, a comparison of the incidence Treating children with ASDs is more of a social of drug related problems (DRPs) in HCP and non- issue than a medical one in China. The HCP patients will be performed in order to Chinese government needs to continue its determine the efficacy of HCP in decreasing DRPs. endeavor in advocating social justice. Design and Methods: Thirty experimental HCP Collaborative efforts are urgently needed among patients were compared with a group of thirty policy makers, health care providers, educators, control non-HCP patients matched based on age, researchers, and parents to make sure those gender, and disease states. The healthcare children with ASDs in China have equal health care, utilization and DRPs were quantified. A cost education and social acceptance as their peers. benefit analysis of the HCP was performed using total revenue- total cost method. Results: HCP Trauma-Informed Care in the Cambodian- reduced the overall healthcare utilization and American Community proved to be an economically viable program. Kevin Crozier (PharmD Candidate)1; Hannah While HCP and non-HCP both had the same Hughes (D.M.D. Candidate)2 average number of medications, non-HCP had a 1University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy; higher average number of DRPs. Implications: 2University of Connecticut School of Dental Further studies must be done to determine the Medicine effect on the practice’s productivity. The HCP is an Like most migrant populations, Cambodian- effective means of decreasing healthcare utilization Americans suffer from health disparities. Khmer and DRPs, and optimizing pharmacotherapy. Health Advocates, a non-profit organization in West Hartford, is working to alleviate these. Our project Children with autism spectrum disorders in created a curriculum used by the organization’s China: what resources are available to them community health workers to educate the and their families? Cambodian-Americans about their overall health Zheng Song and also about chronic diseases and conditions, University of Connecticut, Graduate Program in such as post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, Public Health depression, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and An estimated 405,172 children with Autism hyperlipidemia, which are commonly found in this Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) live in China. These population. Without the support from Khmer children are not as fortunate as their peers in Health Advocates, these people have difficulty developed countries in terms of receiving a accessing health care (due to finances and diagnosis, accessing early intervention, being availability), difficulty with health literacy, and included, and receiving social resources. This difficulty overcoming language barriers. In order study aims to approach research questions with to be a good health care provider, it is important to both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. understand Cambodian perspectives on healing Method: A mail survey was sent to 49 parents and Western medicine. Generally, the practices of identified via early intervention programs. Western medicine are not well received. Western Interviews were also conducted with 7 community medications are believed to be too strong, more health care professionals. Parents are often traditional healing methods are generally favored, embarrassed by limited resources and suffer from and most preventative care is deemed many psychological issues. Parents hope to have unnecessary. This leads to issues with lifestyle more care compared to providers, early choices, medication adherence, and dental intervention professionals, directors of early hygiene. To address these issues, KHA has intervention organizations and researchers. recently adopted a more interdisciplinary approach Children with ASDs in China often have delayed by adding new pharmaceutical and dental diagnoses, very limited and delayed early programs. intervention, problem with inclusion into public

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in HPV Vaccine participants in Connecticut’s 2009 Youth Risk

Student Poster Session Coverage in New Haven County, 2008-2010 Behavior Survey was analyzed. Multivariate logistic Niti Mehta; Pamela Julian; Alyssa Bilinski; Lynn regression modeling was used to evaluate the Sosa; James Meek; James Hadler; Linda Niccolai independent effect of predictor variables on the Yale School of Public Health and Connecticut outcome of obesity or overweight. The Emerging Infections Program; Connecticut multivariate logistic regression model was stratified Department of Public Health by sex to identify different associations in boys and Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a necessary cause girls. of cervical cancer and two vaccines are now approved by the ACIP for routine use among Physician Reports of Witnessed Healthcare females, ages 11-26 years. Reducing known Discrimination 1,2 3 disparities in cervical cancer will depend on Comfort Agaba ; Nanlesta Pilgrim ; Johanna 1 1 adequate vaccination coverage among racial and Elumn ; Rosana Gonzalez-Colaso ; Marcella Nunez- 1 ethnic minorities. The purpose of this analysis is to Smith 1 2 describe racial/ethnic differences in HPV Yale University School of Medicine, Department vaccination coverage among women with of Public Health, Southern Connecticut State 3 precancerous cervical lesions in New Haven University, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of County. Data were collected by telephone Public Health interviews among women reported to the Background: Although several studies have found Connecticut Department of Public Health through racial/ethnic minority patients commonly report ongoing surveillance efforts for precancerous healthcare discrimination and associated negative cervical lesions to assess vaccine impact (HPV- health outcomes, no published study to date has IMPACT Project) during 2008-2009 (pre-vaccine examined this issue from the physician perspective. impact). The sample consisted of 165 women Therefore, we sought to survey physicians on the aged ≤27 years, and was 71.5% white, 13.9% frequency with which they witness healthcare black, and 17.6% Hispanic. The median age was discrimination. Methods: A cross-sectional, 24 years. 85 (51.5%) women reported having national survey was conducted in 2006–2007 of received the HPV vaccine and 80 (48.5%) women practicing physicians (total n=529) from diverse reported not having received the vaccine. Black racial/ethnic backgrounds in the United States. women were significantly more likely than whites Using descriptive and bi-variate analyses, we to report not having received the HPV vaccine assessed the association between several physician (73.9% vs. 40.7%, OR=4.1, p<0.01). The characteristics and their reports of three outcomes: difference between Hispanic and white women was 1) witnessed racial/ethnic discrimination, 2) not significant. This finding of racial disparities witnessed racial/ethnic discrimination directed merits further investigation and indicates that towards patients and patient families, and 3) vaccination strategies should be modified to perspectives on racial/ethnic discrimination within increase coverage among minorities at risk for healthcare in general. Results: The physician cervical disease. sample was diverse across race/ethnicity, sex, years in practice, and specialty. Over half of the Gender-Specific Factors Associated with physicians reported witnessing racial/ethnic Obesity or Overweight in Connecticut discrimination at work; approximately 70% of Adolescents physicians had witnessed racial/ethnic Michael Albert1; Justin Peng2 discrimination specifically directed towards patients 1Yale University; 2Connecticut Department of Public and their families. Over 90% of physician Health respondents thought the healthcare system treats The purpose of this study was to identify factors people unfairly based on race. Female sex and independently associated with obesity or racial/ethnic minority status were the physician overweight in a representative sample of characteristics significantly associated with Connecticut public high school students and to affirmative response (p-values <0.05). Conclusion: determine if such associations were gender- We found the majority of physician respondents specific. Cross-sectional data from 2,392 reported witnessing healthcare discrimination.

Student Poster Session Perspectives of healthcare providers will be influenza vaccination behavior of community health invaluable in any comprehensive effort to reduce center workers. These individuals care for and eliminate healthcare discrimination or populations who are at high-risk for influenza persistent racial/ethnic health inequities. infection and are affected by racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities. This study examined A Geocoded Analysis of Socioeconomic the factors that influence community health care Disparities in Cervical Cancer Precursors in workers’ influenza vaccination, using a cross- Connecticut, 2008-2009 sectional survey research design based on the Alyssa Bilinski; Pamela Julian; Niti Mehta; Lynn Health Belief Model. Factors that significantly Sosa; James Meek; James Hadler; Linda Niccolai predicted current influenza vaccination within the Yale School of Public Health; Connecticut Emerging current flu season included the cumulative Infections Program, Connecticut Department of frequency of flu vaccination over the past five Public Health years, perceived susceptibility, perceived barriers, Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a necessary cause cues to action (social marketing), and influence of of cervical cancer, and the FDA has licensed two the H1N1 pandemic. The combination of perceived HPV vaccines. Understanding the burden of HPV- benefits, cues to action (social marketing), level of related disease can help focus vaccination patient contact, and the influence of personal strategies. Our objective was to describe the choice significantly predicted future influenza burden of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2 vaccination in the next influenza season. These and 3 (CIN 2+) and adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) findings help to understand the influenza in Connecticut by area-based measures of poverty. vaccination behavior of community health care 5170 geocodable cases of CIN 2+/AIS were workers and have the potential to increase reported to the Connecticut Department of Public compliance with influenza vaccination, protecting Health during 2008-2009, rendering it one of the the patients of community health centers from most common reportable diseases. Cases were influenza infection. geocoded to census tracts, and 2000 US Census population estimates were used to compute Community-Associated Clostridium difficile incidence rates. The annual rate of CIN 2+/AIS Infections in Select New Haven Area Towns among women 15-39 years was 362 per 100,000 From an Outpatient Reference Laboratory: (median age: 28). There were significantly higher Aug 2009-Jan 2010 rates of CIN 2+/AIS among women living in census Carol Lyons MPH; Richard Cain PhD tracts with ≥5% population living in poverty (210, Southern Connecticut State University 234, 273 per 100,000) compared to <5% (161 per The morbidity rate of Clostridium difficile infection 100,000). The association between poverty and (CDI) has been steadily increasing in both hospitals disease was reversed among women ages 20-24 and the community. Much of the current literature years, a finding that necessitates further focuses on the incidence of healthcare associated investigation. Though high incidence rates were CDI and on hospital laboratory test results. Less is observed throughout CT, clusters of high incidence known about the risk factors and the burden of rates and high poverty were observed in cities, disease in community associated cases from suggesting that urban populations may benefit outpatient laboratories. This study assessed the from targeted vaccination programs. demographics and potential risk factors for community associated CDI from an outpatient Factors Related to the Influenza Vaccination reference laboratory. The questionairre included Behavior of Community Health Care Workers nominal variables to measure: a) demographics, b) Pamela Cucinelli (Advisor: Richard E. Cain, Ph.D) use of antimicrobials, c) use of proton pump Southern Connecticut State University inhibitors, and d) health care associated contacts. Influenza is a serious illness that can be effectively The analysis described the frequency of prevented with a safe vaccination. Health care demographic characteristics. Further, it examined workers who are not vaccinated place patients, the risk factors associated with CDI in the families, and themselves at risk for influenza community. The findings helped to determine the

Student Poster Session illness. There is little research focusing on incidence of community associated CDI among patients who use an outpatient laboratory for stool Demographic and socioeconomic factors were testing. associated with mammogram use in logistic regression. The odds of using a mammogram had Predictors of Cataracts in African Americans increased with greater than high school education Akwasi A. Asante-Bio; Bethel Ndubueze (OR = 2.55, p<.001) and with health care Southern Connecticut State University coverage (OR = 3.77, p<.001). Race/ethnicity had This study was to examine the relationship no main effect on mammogram use, but had between gender, age, heavy alcohol consumption, limited interactive effect with education. Other smoking, obesity, diabetes and how they predict multiracial, non-Hispanic respondents, with greater the development of cataract among African than HS education (OR = .05, p =.01) were less Americans. The sample consisted of 6,095 likely to have a mammogram compared to white, respondents with 70.2% (N=4277) females. non-Hispanic. Among the sample, 24.7% (N = 1080) had cataract. The average age of the respondents was Testing for Toxins in Daycare Centers 51.7 (SD = 16.2). The independent variables that Marcy Sanders, Kohl DeStephanis, Chloe St. Rose, were found to be significant in the bi-variate Rachel Durante analysis were brought into the logistic model. Quinnipiac University, Occupational Therapy Smoking status, body mass index and heavy In the past decade, there has been increased alcohol were found not to be significantly related to recognition of widespread use of lead and being diagnosed with cataract, but age, gender, cadmium in consumer products for children and and diabetes were found to be significantly related. increased awareness of the effects of lead on A logistic regression analysis showed that the children’s health. The Consumer Product Safety model had a significant association, p < .001. This Improvement Act lowered the acceptable limit of finding also supports current literature which lead in children’s products to 300 ppm and may suggests age as the strongest known risk factor for lower the limit to 100 ppm by August 14, 2011, if having cataract (OR=1.1). This study also found technically feasible. There are no safe levels of that compared to females, being male decreases cadmium in products for children. While the CPSIA the odds of being diagnosed with cataract to .61 (p prohibits sale of such goods with lead or cadmium, < .001); and compared to having diabetes, not the potential exists for children to be exposed to having diabetes decreases the odds of being the toxins in day care centers where toys may have diagnosed with cataract to .49 (p < .001) among been donated or purchased. This poster presents African Americans. a service learning project in which OT students tested children’s toys for lead at area day care Trends in Mammogram Use Among Women centers using the Thermo Scientific Niton XL3. in Connecticut: Data from BRFSS 2001/02 Students tested over 300 children’s toys and found and 2006/08 that most toys were lead free (95%), however, Joy Eribo; Simbi Ebenuwa; Dr. Christine Unson specifically painted toys, red building blocks, and Southern Connecticut State University even some plastics had both lead and cadmium BACKGROUND: The study examined whether the contents. Regardless of location, all centers had 5- national decline in mammogram use reported by 10 toys that were detected containing high levels CDC was also experienced by Connecticut women of such toxins. This poster will present specific aged 40 and above. METHODS: We estimated details of the testing process and toys detected trends by comparing the combined BRFSS datasets with high levels of lead and cadmium. 2001/02 with 2006/08 dataset using SUDAAN to conduct the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Disability Prevention and Community Based Between 2001/02 and 2006/08, the prevalence of Rehabilitation in Nicaragua mammogram use increased from 92.2% to 94.5% Donald Kowalsky EdD, PT; Salvador Bondoc OTD, (t (5155) = 2.35, p<.001). However, the OTR/L; Juan Garbalosa PhD, PT; Jon Rovan, BS, proportion of eligible respondents who had a SPT; James Silva BS, SPT

Student Poster Session mammogram with in the last 12 months remained Quinnipiac University, Occupational Therapy, the same (74%) for the two time periods. Physical Therapy The purpose of this presentation is to describe the in tobacco cessation or in maintaining their tobacco experience of a team of health science faculty and cessation had a referral request and contact graduate physical therapy and occupational information sent to Free and Clear, Inc., the therapy students in promoting disability prevention agency responsible for implementing CT Quitline’s and community based rehabilitation for persons treatment program. Free and Clear, Inc. provides with disabilities across the lifespan in Nicaragua. a validated, free, telephone-based tobacco Over a course of eight days, the team engaged in a cessation program, funded by monies from the variety of health service and educational activities. tobacco companies’ settlement. RAs were able to The team brought with them medical supplies arrange referrals to a free tobacco cessation donated and provided a series of lectures to a local service for a large number of tobacco users among hospital staff on rehabilitation of upper extremity ED patients and visitors. This study demonstrates and spine conditions. The students at the the potential for a substantial public health supervision of faculty held screening and primary intervention in the emergency department with care to veterans in Leon and families in a far-flung minimal financial impact. community health clinic in La Ceiba. They also brought support to Walking Unidos, a local Supporting the Successful Occupational prosthetics clinic and PLUSAA, a local wheelchair Engagement of Pregnant Women in the supplier/manufacturer. The delegation learned University Setting first-hand the national health care system of Elizabeth Rider, MOT, OTR/L; Tara Glennon EdD, Nicaragua and health-related beliefs and practices OTR/L, FAOTA of the Nicaraguan people. The team immersed Quinnipiac University, Occupational Therapy themselves with the Nicaraguan people in many Under Dr. Tara Glennon, the author completed a ways: the students resided with host families; comprehensive literature review, needs assessment some members of the team visited homes of concerning the unique needs of pregnant college persons with serious disabling or life-threatening students and designed a service support manual, conditions due to environmental causes; while which is now being adopted by several universities. others visited communities devastated by long- The potential obstacles for pregnant college term use of banned pesticides. students, a review of service supports currently offered at the university level, and the illustration An Emergency Department Intervention for of the components of a potential program to assist Tobacco Cessation Among Patients and the pregnant student fully engage in meaningful Visitors Utilizing Pre-Health Professional university level occupations will be discussed. Students as Research Associates Several studies reviewed considered the needs and Stephanie Carro-Kowalcyk; Melanie Debakis; Chava interventions appropriate for pregnant women and Freund-Sandman; Daniel Glaser; Ryan King; new mothers, while others focused on college Michael Molloy students and the effectiveness of programs and Quinnipiac University interventions for this population. There is, During weekly four-hour shifts, RA’s- volunteer however, a lack of information regarding services college and post-baccalaureate students interested for women who are simultaneously students and in a career in the health professions and trained in mothers, thus a gap in services exists if supporting clinical research methods and the study protocol- student engagement is the responsibility of approached as many non-emergent patients and university staff. The issue of pregnancy in college visitors 18 years of age or older as possible. After directly impacts a woman’s ability to complete her obtaining informed consent, they used a scripted education, maintain a job, and engage in social format to get demographic information and a activities. This presentation will comprehensively detailed tobacco history. If a subject had used describe and discuss services considered tobacco products for > 30 days at any time in their appropriate for this population of students, with a lives, they were offered a referral to the CT focus on the services within the framework of

Student Poster Session Quitline, a service provided by the CT Department occupational therapy practice. of Public Health. Those who indicated an interest

Awards Presentation The C.-E.A. Winslow Award more remarkable and important work is no doubt The C.-E.A. Winslow Award is presented to a public in the realm of health equity. health professional that has demonstrated leadership and achievement in practice, research While serving as President of the Connecticut and /or education. The award commemorates Association of Directors of Health (2002-2006), Mr. Charles-Edward Amory Winslow (1877-1957), a Salsbury was one of the primary authors and pioneer in public health and medicine, who is proponents of the Connecticut Health Equity Index credited with founding the second oldest school of (HEI), an initiative that has captured national public health in the country at Yale University. attention for its potential to transform public health Among the most widely quoted health leaders and reverse the seemingly intractable inequalities during his lifetime, Dr. Winslow believed that equal in health now experienced by communities of color in weight with scientific ideas about health and and low income groups. He is a true trailblazer in disease was a commitment to social justice – that the field of public health and the beneficiaries of social ills must be the first conquest in the his labors will extend far beyond the communities “conquest of epidemic disease.” in which he works, to the entire state of C.-E.A. Winslow Award Recipients (1999-2009) Connecticut and beyond. In short, he genuinely  1999 – Holger Hansen believes, as did C.-E.A. Winslow, that social ills must be the first conquest in the “Conquest of  2000 – Richard F. Straus Epidemic Disease.” And he has the vision, strength  2001 – Marge Nelligan and commitment to act on this belief.  2002 – Alfreda Turner  2003 – Elaine O’Keefe The Ira V. Hiscock Award  2004 – Paul M. Schur The Ira V. Hiscock Award is presented annually to  2005 – Joan Segal a Connecticut layperson or organization that has  2006 – Ruth N. Knollmueller made notable contributions to the advancement of  2007 – Katherine A. Kelley public health through public service, education,  2008 – Elaine Anderson advocacy and/or leadership. Ira Hiscock was an internationally recognized epidemiologist and a  2009 – Michael J. Perlin public health professor at Yale University who The 2010 C.-E.A. Winslow Award winner is… inspired generations of students. Baker Salsbury, MPH, MSW, MHSA The 2010 Ira V. Hiscock Award winner is… This year’s C.-E.A. Winslow Award for outstanding Michel Nischan contributions to the public’s health by a The Connecticut Public Health Association is Connecticut public health professional goes to pleased to present the 20010 Ira V. Hiscock Award Baker Salsbury, MPH, MSW, MHSA. Mr. Salsbury is to Michel Nischan for his work in food equity. A well known to the public health community in well-known chef who, with Paul Newman, founded Connecticut, having served in local public health the Dressing Room Restaurant in Westport. Mr. since 1994. From 2007 on, he has been the Nischan is now just as well known for his activism, Director of Health for the Ledge Light Health logging thousands of miles each year “preaching District, after serving as Director of Health and the gospel of food equity, health and local food Social Services for East Hartford for seven years power” through a nonprofit foundation he started and, prior to that, as Director of Health for East called Wholesome Wave. The mission of Haddam. Wholesome Wave is “to nourish neighborhoods by The leadership role Mr. Salsbury has played as a supporting increased production and access to strategic advocate for public health sets him apart healthy, fresh and affordable locally grown food for

Awards Presentation for others. He has consistently applied his the well-being of all.” The organization aims to ingenuity, determination and agile mind to craft improve the distribution of food in America by innovative initiatives to protect public health and to making fresh, wholesome, locally grown food bolster a collective emphasis on primary accessible and affordable to populations living in prevention. While there are countless examples of “food deserts”—largely places inhabited by low Mr. Salsbury’s outstanding leadership and income populations and people of color. In three effectiveness as a public health professional, his years, Wholesome Waive has raised $2 million, partnering with existing community organizations Similar to Charles Huntington, Dr. Gould serves as and providing them with seed money to double the a role model to students ranging from those in value of the SNAP food program, WIC and Senior high school to those in medical and dental school, Farmers’ Market coupons redeemed at farmers’ and pharmacy and nursing students who are part markets. Today, the program helps support 160 of the UCONN Urban Service Corps he established markets in 18 states, including Connecticut. to increase the number of health professionals The White House recognized Wholesome Wave’s serving the inner city. He is a strong advocate for model in the May 2010 Childhood Obesity Task primary care, recognizing that the ability to truly Force Report. In the August 26, 2010 issue of the reform the health care system rests largely on the Hartford Courant, Mr. Nischan states, “if I go to ability to produce adequate primary care Washington and change the way SNAP dollars are practitioners. In short, Bruce Gould is a leader in used, it’s going to have more of an impact on the his profession, a role model to his colleagues and food system than if I could open a thousand students, a caring practitioner, and a humanist Dressing Rooms.” who advocates for both public health and the public’s health. The Charles G. Huntington Award The Charles G. Huntington Award is presented The President’s Award annually to a Connecticut health care practitioner Occasionally, the President of the Connecticut who has demonstrated public health leadership Public Health Association will choose to recognize and a commitment to the health and well-being of CPHA members for their outstanding work and for populations. Charles Huntington was a leader, a their significant contributions in the field of public role model, a dedicated humanist, a steadfast health. public health advocate and a caregiver of the first The 2010 President’s Award winners are… order. He was a leader in the physician assistant Linda Degutis and Jonathan Noel profession, a leader of the Connecticut Public CPHA recognizes Linda Degutis, DrPH, for her Health Association for many years, and at the time contribution to public health here in Connecticut of his death, was Associate Dean and Associate and nationally. We take this opportunity to honor Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Dr. Degutis as she readies to leave Connecticut Medicine. and join CDC as the Director of the National Center The 2010 Charles G. Huntington III Award for Injury Prevention and Control. Throughout her winner is… career in public health, Dr. Degutis has focused on Bruce E. Gould, MD, FACP improving the link between academia and the It would be difficult to imagine a candidate more practice community, particularly as it relates to worthy and fitting of the first Charles G. advancing public health policy. She served as Huntington Award than his close colleague, Bruce Associate Professor of Surgery (Emergency E. Gould, MD, FACP. In addition to being the Medicine) and Public Health, and Associate Clinical Associate Dean for Primary Care at the University Professor of Nursing at Yale University. As a 1996- of Connecticut School of Medicine, Dr. Gould wears 97 Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow, she a multitude of other hats: Director of the worked in the office of Senator Paul Wellstone (D- Connecticut Area Health Education Center (AHEC); MN). She also is the former Director of the Yale Medical Director of the Saint Francis Center for Public Health Preparedness and the Hospital/University of Connecticut Primary Care Connecticut Partnership for Public Health Center at the Burgdorf/Fleet Health Center; and Workforce Development. Dr. Degutis has worked

Awards Presentation Medical Director of the Department of Health and with national, state, and local coalitions on various Human Services for the City of Hartford, among other efforts that impact public health and public others. As important as these professional roles policy and has developed and taught programs on are, Dr. Gould has also found the time to work moving from research to advocacy. She has also tirelessly to improve the health and well-being of been an ardent supporter of public health the most vulnerable in our population: migrant and professional associations, including CPHA, and a seasonal farm workers, the homeless, and the proponent of the power of networking. She is a underserved urban population of Greater Hartford. member of an exclusive group of Connecticut CPHA public health professionals who have had the honor annual conference. Over the last year, even as he and privilege of serving as the President of the. moved to Boston to start his new job at Harvard, American Public Health Association. She also he took on a part time staff position with CPHA. served two terms as chair of the APHA Executive Working remotely, he supports the CPHA Board. We all wish her the best as she begins her membership database, membership new role at CDC. communications, the CPHA website, conference Jonathan Noel, MPH, CPHA is a Research Assistant registrations and the conference program. at the Center for Global Tobacco Control at Jonathan Noel has unselfishly given countless Harvard University. During his first year as an MPH hours to CPHA over the last four years. His student at the University of Connecticut, Mr. Noel dedication to the continued success of CPHA has became a CPHA member and began volunteering been invaluable. to support the written communications for the

Committee Reports Advocacy Committee Report  Environmental Health. Goal: Promote health for Co-Chairs – Alyssa Norwood, Katharine Lewis all Connecticut residents through minimizing Purpose: To establish, prioritize, and promote a exposures to toxins and waste; maintaining and legislative agenda directed at improving the public improving water and outdoor air quality; and health and well bring of Connecticut residents. protecting against indoor health hazards. Proposed Legislative Priorities: The Advocacy The Advocacy Committee also supports the efforts Committee of the Connecticut Public Health of other organizations to address additional public Association (CPHA) has identified three primary health concerns, including promoting screening areas of focus in addressing public health programs and awareness efforts that will concerns: strengthening public health contribute to the reduction in disease prevalence in infrastructure, promoting health equity, and Connecticut. promoting environmental health. The Advocacy Activities: The Advocacy Committee addresses Committee focuses on these areas to improve the each of the priority areas by educating CPHA health of Connecticut residents. members, public constituencies, and policymakers.  Public Health Infrastructure. Goal: Strengthen Advocacy activities include: the public health infrastructure within  Monitoring the status of pending legislation Connecticut by remaining vigilant in maintaining significant to the Advocacy Committee’s public and building resources needed to effectively health priorities; meet the public health needs of all state  Preparing fact sheets (position papers) and residents. legislative updates;  Health Equity. Goal: Promote health equity in  Presenting written testimony on behalf of the Connecticut by: CPHA before the Connecticut General Assembly o Supporting quality, affordable, and regarding proposed legislation; culturally competent health care;  Organizing lobbying efforts and grassroots o Strengthening the ability of Connecticut advocacy through outreach with our Convio residents to obtain, process, and software, through legislative education

Committee Reports understand basic health information and programs, and through telephone and letter- services so that they may make writing campaigns; appropriate health decisions;  Organizing and collaborating with CPHA o Enhancing the physical, social, and economic members to support the Advocacy Committee’s environment of all Connecticut residents to public health initiatives; support decent and affordable housing;  Maintaining relationships with leadership of the opportunities for exercise; access to nature; Connecticut General Assembly’s Public Health access to affordable, healthy foods; strong Committee and other relevant Committees, the social and community supports; access to a Executive Branch of the State of Connecticut and quality and appropriate education; and the Connecticut Department of Public Health freedom from discrimination grant proposals, partnering on the grant proposals  Collaborating with other organizations to ensure of other organizations, subcontract work with other that public health is a priority in the legislative grant recipients, and the development of a donor and policymaking process. base to support CPHA as well as specific initiatives. Members: The Advocacy Committee meets The Development Committee with provide support quarterly with its next meeting schedule for CPHA members and staff in reviewing grant and for Thursday, November 4th at 8:00 am at CPHA’s subcontract opportunities. The Committee will also office at 241 Main Street in Hartford. We work with CPHA entities in creating development encourage all CPHA members to join and make a opportunities, such as specific fund raising events real impact on the legislative and policymaking and donor opportunities. process. For more information, please contact Goals: The overarching goal of the Development advocacy committee chair Kathy Lewis at Committee is to add to the financial and [email protected] or co-chair Pat Wrice at organizational stability and capability of CPHA [email protected]. through non-dues related activities.

Communications Committee Health Education Committee Chair - Kathi Traugh Co-Chairs – Kimberly Pelletier, Tracey Van Oss Members: Mandy Parker. Jonathan Noel, Purpose: A forum for the exchange of information. Annamarie Beaulieu An opportunity to educate the public health Mission: To regularly disseminate information workforce and other health professionals by about the Association's activities to the general increasing the competency, skills and performance membership and community through newsletters as they relate to the core public health essential and the website. services. A networking opportunity for public This past year the communications committee health professionals that are employed in a variety produced two newsletters using the brand new of settings. online template that is designed to synch with the Activities: The Health Education Committee meets CPHA Website. The online allows CPHA to provide the second Wednesday of January, April, June, live links content to pages on the CPHA website as September and November. Refreshments and well as public health resources on the web. It also networking occur from 8:45 am – 9:00 am. The makes it easier to produce a more professional meeting is held from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. newsletter that can capture the many activities of Meetings are held at in the greater Meriden / the association. Looking ahead, the Wallingford area, most frequently at the American communication committee plans to have a Heart Association and the Universal Health minimum of four newsletters per year and to work Foundation. Meetings begin with (2) one hour with other CPHA committees to update and programs on a variety of health topics or skill enhance the content on the CPHA website. ability topics of interest to the group. The remainder of the meeting involves networking, Development Committee sharing of ideas, best practices and job Chair – Philip Greiner opportunities.

Committee Reports Purpose: The purpose of the Development Goal: The goal of the Health Education Committee Committee is to identify and help pursue is to offer networking opportunities to Connecticut opportunities for CPHA to increase non-dues health educators in addition to offering CHES related sources of income with which to fund credits for attending education sessions. special projects and to underwrite administrative Members: Members of the Health Education costs. Committee consist of public health professionals Activities: The initial activities of the Development who at local/state health departments, non-profit Committee are to identify funding opportunities and not-for-profit organizations, community based that are consistent with the Strategic Plan of CPHA. organizations, clinical practice, academia and other These opportunities include the development of healthcare settings.

Goals and Accomplishments, October 2009- Membership Committee October 2010: Through collaborations with our Chair – Monika Haugstetter members and a grant from the Association of Purpose: The CPHA Membership Committee States and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) we recruits new members and works to retain current have had a successful year in reaching youth and members. The Membership committee also their teachers, especially in communities with high promotes the efforts of the other CPHA minority populations. Committees, including advocacy, health education, Goal 1-Recruiting and training staff of MOR program planning, and finance. As of October 1, member organizations to provide workplace 2010, the CPHA has over 350 members. learning (e.g., job shadowing, classroom Activities: The Membership Committee meets presentations, project advising, workplace tours) periodically to plan the coordination of membership for educators and their students recruitment activities, membership events, to a. In 2010, the MOR membership expanded by identify opportunities for value added services to 33%, from 18 to 24 members. membership. The CPHA’s new management b. In 2010 MOR provided technical assistance or system provides CPHA with project and web materials to prepare workplace organizations in 6 content management and it has allowed sites. consolidation of the membership database. The committee strives to provide its members with Goal 2-Engaging middle through undergraduate opportunities to network with other members and level students through concepts and careers in to participate in public health advocacy efforts. public health The committee has sent out letters to active and a. Developed and presented three professional inactive members to streamline the membership development workshops (Teaching 21st Century process. The new and existing members are skills Through Public Health) for middle and high continuously updated (via electronic means) on all school educators. Reached 55 educators, resulting CPHA activities. in 49 CEUs. Goals: The Membership Committee's goals include b. Oct. 2009-Oct. 2010-CPHA worked at two career maintaining the CPHA memberships throughout the days and/or provided presentations for 1240 year; creating a plan to emphasize and inform middle, high school students and (30) members and public about the benefits of being a undergraduates CPHA member; increasing the sign-up of new c. June 2010 -A Health Education Initiatives (HEI) members. grant, (a DOE, DPH, OWC Collaboration) was Members: The Membership Committee currently awarded to UCONN MPH program. MOR partnered consists of the Committee Chair, Board Members, with the director of grant initiatives and special and the Board President. Interested members of projects at the CT Community Colleges and UCONN the Association are welcome and encouraged to Graduate Program in Public Health to develop this attend and participate. grant. The course can be taught for a semester credit or as a module in a variety of classes (allied health, math, science courses). It is in the

Committee Reports Mentoring Committee development stage. Workplace learning and MOR Co-Chairs – Cyndi Billian Stern, Kristin Sullivan members will be a significant part of this Mission: The mission of the MOR, started in 2007, curriculum. is to grow and diversify Connecticut’s public health Goal 3-Developing under-represented populations career and volunteer pipeline by preparing youth for the public health workforce by targeting Priority and young adults for community service, healthier School Districts and CT Community Colleges lifestyles and careers in public health, especially a. MOR reached students from 12 priority school the shortage areas. We achieve our mission only districts, including over 1000 students at a with committed MOR organizations, their staffs and Waterbury town-wide career day teachers from the assistance of public health students. Please community technical schools and 30 teachers from help us spread the word about public health the Hartford Public High School Nursing Academy. careers and volunteerism. Program Committee Chair – Elaine O’Keefe b. June 2010-MOR engaged four MOR members to Purpose: To plan, conduct and evaluate the provide public health experiences for the HEI program and all other details of the annual and Goal 4-Enhancing communication, networking and semi-annual meetings and special programs of the sharing materials through social media and Association, in cooperation with the Board and with national presentations the assistance of other committees/partners. a. November 2009-MOR presented “MOR for the Activities: The Program Committee meets Public Health Workplace” at the APHA convention periodically to: in Philadelphia PA.  Pick a theme for the annual conference b. May 2010-MOR presented results of ASTHO  Select and invite keynote speaker(s) training at ASTHO national workforce meeting in  Choose and coordinate workshop topics and Atlanta, GA. (Report published online at CPHA and speakers ASTHO site)  Establish the program agenda c. June 2010-MOR paper accepted for 2010 APHA  Publicize the conference, including brochure Annual Meeting in Denver on Teaching 21st skills development through public health  Identify and ensure an appropriate venue d. August 2010-Facebook page developed for  Identify conference sponsors, advertisers and CPHA MOR to post materials, announce workshops, exhibitors network, seek T.A. Goals: The Program Committee works throughout Goal 5- Establishing an income stream by the year to coordinate a timely and diversified marketing MOR services and applying for grants, educational program for the CPHA Annual Meeting with the help of paid students through a work- that will appeal to Connecticut’s public health study or internship program. community. Each year the program includes a wide variety of expert speakers on topics areas a. October 2009-September 2010- Secured $7,585 that center around a contemporary theme in public in grants and workshop fees in 2010, including a health. Meetings showcase best practices and $5000 grant from CT DPH via ASTHO. model programs; provide new information and Proposed Work Plan for 2010-2011 training on skills relevant to public health practice,  Apply to ASTHO through DPH, ASPH to fund and facilitate the exchange of ideas on current follow-up workshops for educators who have topics and trends in public health. Also featured attended the first training. are current research/trends from Connecticut master’s level programs in public health and health  Provide at least 6 educational trainings in policy developments that impact the public’s targeted priority school districts health.  Train MOR mentors to work with 7 community colleges involved in HEI grant/project. Members: Membership currently consists of the  Increase active participation (providing work- CPHA Board President, a program committee chair,

Committee Reports based learning) of MOR members by 50% to 18. and numerous CPHA members. Interested  Expand the MOR by 33% to 32 organizations by members of the Association are welcomed and engaging them to work with targeted schools encouraged to attend and contribute. and community colleges. Report: The theme of the 2009 conference, held at  Enrich MOR communication through Facebook the Aqua Turf on October 29th, was “Protect, page by October 2010 prior to the Annual CPHA Promote, Prevent: Think Globally, Act Locally”. meeting; link to CT SDE site and other The program was well attended and covered an educational sites array of timely issues from working cross culturally,  Hire student to monitor Facebook page, update to emerging infectious diseases, effective public the webpage, database, and prepare for health advocacy methods, evidence based workshops interventions for young and older populations, and myriad environmental health topics. This year’s conference “Equal Opportunities for Health: improve health for all in Connecticut. Conference Objectives are to: 1)Increase awareness of the Overcoming Racial, Ethnic and Socioeconomic scope and impact of health disparities in Disparities in Connecticut” focuses on the Connecticut; 2) Explore the root causes of health underlying causes of health inequities and features disparities; 3) Profile existing initiatives to end a diversity of regional and national speakers who health disparities; and 4)Promote multi-disciplinary will discuss program and policy interventions to and multi-sector solutions to health inequities tackle these inequities in our local communities, involving non-traditional public health partners. our state and our nation. The primary goal of the conference is to support the development of a public health agenda that promotes actions to

Sponsors, Exhibitors and Advertisers Thank you to all of our sponsors, exhibitors and advertisers. Your support is vital to CPHA’s continued involvement in Connecticut’s public health activities. Main Sponsor Silver Sponsors Connecticut Health Foundation Connecticut Area Health Education Center Connecticut Department of Public Health Platinum Sponsors Shipman & Goodwin Aetna Foundation Friends of CPHA Connecticut Association of Directors of Health Bill Derech Gold Sponsors Philip and Lydia Greiner Merck Vaccines Renee Coleman-Mitchell University of Connecticut Health Center, Center for Tracey and Sean Scraba Public Health and Public Policy Joan Segal

Exhibitors Connecticut Cancer Partnership Connecticut Public Health Association Health Education Committee with the Connecticut Poison Control Center Connecticut Influenza and Pneumococcal Coalition Connecticut Department of Public Health – Connecticut Health Associated Infections Program Connecticut Department of Public Health – Office of Multicultural Health, Connecticut Multicultural Health Partnership Connecticut Department of Public Health – Workforce Development/Genomics GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines MedImmune National Library of Medicine New England Consortium – UMASS at Lowell Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, Inc. Southern Connecticut State University University of Connecticut – Master of Public Health Program Walden University Yale School of Public Health Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS at Yale University/Connecticut Public Health Workforce Partnership