March 2017
Friends,
It has been an exciting first quarter thus far at THI! As a Board Member of Communities Joined in Action (CJA), THI partnered with them this year and also led in the planning of the CJA National Conference: Unleashing the Power of Communities, Achieving Health, Well-Being and Equity. The conference took place in our great state in historic San Antonio in February.

Given the current political landscape, I arrived to the event excited; but, I left on FIRE! I was so proud to see yet again so many examples of how all health truly is local and that change must begin at the community level as the community is the only one that understands its needs! We heard over and over about not bringing community to the table; rather, us as change agents should come to the communities' table. We heard from several great speakers including Natalie Burke, President and CEO, CommonHealth ACTION , Eduardo Sanchez, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Prevention, American Heart Association, as well as a great session hearing from funders. For more information and presentations, visit: www.cjaonline.net.

Despite all in my life, both personally and professionally, I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am to be able to do this work alongside all of YOU! Our team has accepted the challenges that lie ahead and look forward to continuing to update you via or newsletter on additional successes!

Be sure to also like our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernObesitySummit

Here's to a happy and healthy Spring!
  • THI Welcomes Meghan Cocking to it's Family - Throughout the Spring of 2017, Meghan will serve as THI's Masters of Science in Social Work Intern. She is currently a graduate student at the University of Texas, School of Social Work and expects to receive her Master's in August of this year. Meghan received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Texas in May of 2016. During her internship, Meghan's primary responsibilities will be to work with THI's Health Equity and Event Teams. Her education objectives make her a perfect candidate for an internship at THI. She hopes to "participate in program development, implementation and evaluation" and "to collaborate with a wide variety of community partners in an interdisciplinary setting." We look forward to working with Meghan and providing her the opportunity for a productive and fruitful internship and assisting her in achieving her educational objectives!
  • New Vector Control Training for Environmental Health Professionals - CDC, Texas Health Institute and the Region VI South Central Public Health Training Center are proud to announce the new virtual training Vector Control for Environmental Health Professionals (VCEHP). Register today for this training on using integrated pest management (IPM) to control vectors that spread diseases, including Zika virus. Nine in ten pilot testers said they would recommend this training to a colleague. It's free, practical, and you can earn CEUs. The training courses can be reached at: http://lms.southcentralpartnership.org/vcehp.php
  • Mountatin States Genetics Regional Collaborative - February 2017 Message from Project Directors, Kathryn Hassell, MD & Janet Thomas, MD. Click here!
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Seeks Cultural of Health Leaders - Culture of Health Leaders is a leadership development program that reaches beyond the traditional realm of health and health care to engage individuals working in any field or profession who want to build a healthier society. Participants, who each receive $20,000 per year, collaborate to address persistent health problems, seeking solutions that can emerge from the wisdom of their own communities. The inaugural class represented fields as diverse as architecture, education, urban farming, the arts and many others. For this year's class, we're looking for even broader representation from disciplines across the private, public and nonprofit sectors. Apply now at cultureofhealth-leaders.org.
  • Registration is now open! 5th Annual Texas Primary Care and Health Home Summit, May 11-12, 2017, San Antonio, Sheraton Gunter Hotel. Click here for more information.
  • 2017 Southern Obesity Summit - Save the Date! October 1-3, 2017, Marriot Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia. Click here for more information about the 11th Annual SOS!
 
Camille D. Miller
President/CEO
Texas Health Institute
Our mission is to provide leadership to improve the health of Texans and their communities through education, research, and health policy development. 

Editorial Board:
Camille D. Miller, Sherry Wilkie-Conway, Stephanie Ondrias, Carol S. Gamble 

Editors:
Sherry Wilkie-Conway, Stephanie Ondrias 

Texas Health Institute (THI) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on the development of health policy solutions to improve the lives of Texans and their communities. From acting as an honest broker and hosting unbiased health policy forums that facilitate dialogue among policymakers and other healthcare stakeholders, to creating a vision of an improved future healthcare system. The THI newsletter is a monthly publication of Texas Health Institute written to update THI Board of Trustees and Friends of Texas Health Institute. 

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