Public health leaders from around the United States to convene in May to explore strategies for the advancement of public health practice.

For Immediate Release

March 06, 2020

CONTACT

Erin Fitzgerald | efitzgerald@nnphi.org

Elaina Jackson | Fahrenheit Creative Group, LLC | elaina@fcgworks.com

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — On Tuesday, May 19, the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) will convene its twentieth annual conference in New Orleans, La., celebrating 20 years of public health impact and bringing together top public health representatives from across the country.

NNPHI’s annual conference is the only national meeting that supports and highlights the work of the nation’s public health institutes. This year’s conference marks two decades of NNPHI’s work to facilitate the advancement of public health practice and promote systematic improvements in population health.

“The types of public health challenges we’re facing right now, such as the Coronavirus outbreak and the growing health impacts of climate change on communities, require us to focus intently on strengthening the public health workforce, which is what we aim to do at this conference,” said Vincent Lafronza, President and CEO of NNPHI. “Public health institutes continue to provide the flexibility, adaptability, and scalability the country needs to address public health issues effectively, and during this year’s conference, we look forward to working with our partners to advance health equity and drive the next generation of multisector health efforts to improve the public’s health and wellbeing over the next two decades.”

During the three-day conference, public health professionals will engage in roundtable discussions, breakout sessions, networking poster presentations, and interactive social events. Subject matter experts with a wide array of backgrounds will present topics ranging from evidence-based public health to bridging the gaps between the public health system and the health care delivery system.

Keynote speakers for the conference are Boris D. Lushniak, MD, MPH,  dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Health and former U.S. Deputy Surgeon General, and Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, a national leader in youth empowerment, advocating for refugees, working towards a fair minimum wage, women’s rights, and environmental issues. The conference will also feature breakout sessions and roundtable discussions led by some of the nation’s leading public health practitioners and subject matter experts on topics such as disaster-related health recovery, responding to the opioid epidemic, health equity, and youth vaping.

NNPHI will also host a pre-conference session to discuss strategies for using the Project ECHO® model to build the capacity of public health practitioners and organizations. Conference participants will be able to attend this session at no cost, which will include presentations from public health institutes that are using Project ECHO® to support public health professionals addressing opioid misuse and abuse.

More information and registration details for the conference are available at www.nnphi.org/events/annualconference. To learn more about NNPHI, visit www.nnphi.org.

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About the National Network of Public Health Institutes

Mobilizing more than 40 public health institutes throughout 32 states along with ten university-based regional training centers and 40 training affiliates, the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) supports national public health system initiatives and strengthens public health institutes to promote multisector activities resulting in measurable improvements of public health structures, systems, and outcomes.