Thank you Angela Cox!

Administrator

Henry County Health Department

"Angela has done an exemplary job in our county with the COVID-19 Crisis. She has worked long hours with little staff and has always kept a great attitude while under extreme stress. She has also found time to serve on other boards in the county such as Safe At Home. 

She has a wide vision of the needs that our county has above and beyond COVID-19, and is moving forward to ensure that those needs are met in a timely manner. Through a health crisis of her own she maintained a positive attitude and continued to follow through on her responsibilities. She is a true hero in Henry County."

Submitted by Nancy Lewis

You can nominate a Public Health Hero too!

We're accepting nominations to feature Indiana's public health heroes each month, including the governmental and non-governmental workforce, professionals in community-based organizations, clinical care partners, academic faculty and staff, and students. Use this form to nominate a peer, colleague, or even yourself!

The Indiana Public Health Association is seeking new board members! As we continue to focus on advocating for health equity and supporting the public health workforce in 2022, IPHA board members have a unique opportunity to contribute to the future of public health for all Hoosiers.

Board members are vital in organizational planning and decision making and participate in monthly board meetings and at least one committee. Because of the variety of activities IPHA supports, there are plenty of opportunities to participate on committees and special projects that fit with candidates’ interests and skills.

Apply today or share the application with a connection you think would be a great fit!

Applications are due by March 18.

Apply at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IPHAPotentialBoardMembers.

Welcome to our newest IPHA members who joined us in February!

• Natalie Auberry
• Madison Strickler
• Julie Gries
• Angelitta Spells
• Malyne Harris
• Kylie Beaudreau
• Sandeep Kaur
• Amber Drake
• Gabby Long
• Monica Heltz

• Jo Nahod-Carlin
• Samuel Maze
• Melissa Thomas
• Natali Jouzi
• Khalil Bush
• Emma Norman
• Chloe Makris
• Kathy Weaver
• Erin Biesterveld
• Kiersten Hawkins

Join IPHA for our March Monthly Meet-Up! This virtual session will take place Tuesday, March 15 from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. ET. We will be joined by Jessica Yoder, the Project AWARE Specialist for the Indiana Department of Education. Her work increases mental health resources for both students and school staff!

IPHA serves as a part of the Governor's Public Health Commission, along with 14 other members representing statewide stakeholders. Throughout the rest of March, the Commission is hosting Listening Tours throughout the state to collect public input on the six topics being considered by the commission. The upcoming tour dates are:

• March 11: Huntington City-Township Public Library, Huntington
• March 18: Ivy Tech Community College, Monticello
• March 25: Calumet College of St. Joseph, Whiting
• March 31: Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library, Plainfield

You can view the full listening tour map and details here. If you want to provide feedback, but prefer to add your comments online, you can use the Public Comment Form to share your thoughts!

This month we celebrate the contributions of women to the field of public health! We also celebrate all of our public health heroes who continue to fight for health equity in Indiana.

Women face a variety of unique public health challenges, such as maternal healthcare access, reproductive rights, representation in research, and intersectional issues for women of color, transgender women, and women with disabilities. As we face these challenges together, we also acknowledge the resilience, joy, and culture-shaping present throughout women's history.

You can learn more about women's health and how public health professionals can get involved in women's health equity work from the CDC Office of Minority Health and Health Equity and the APHA Women's Caucus.

This month is Disability Awareness Month. Public health has an important role to play in ensuring access and inclusion in health, functional, social, and environmental aspects of disability. Last fall, the NIHCM Foundation put together infographics on Disability, Health, and COVID-19 that illustrate how public health professionals can start to make changes to make health factors more accessible. Find the infographics here.

To celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities to our communities and encourage equity, check out these resources:

• Visit the Indiana Governor's Council for People with Disabilities Disability Awareness Month website here.
• See what events accessABILITY is hosting this month here.
• Check out resources for service providers from the Disability Justice and Violence Prevention Resource Hub here.
• Follow the Indiana Civil Rights Commission on social media for more resources this month. Click here for Twitter and here for Facebook.

Upcoming IPHA Meetings:

Virtual Monthly Meet-Up

Tuesday, March 15, 12-1:00 p.m.

Click here to register.

IPHA Policy & Advocacy Meeting

Wednesday, March 16, 2-4:00 p.m.

Click here to register.

Governor's Public Health Commission Meeting

Thursday, March 17, 1:00 p.m.

Click here for the livestream link.

Health Equity Action Team Meeting

Thursday, March 24, 1:30-3:00 p.m.

Click here to register.

Other Public Health Events & Resources:

Jobs/Volunteer Opportunities:

• The Indiana Department of Health and the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction are launching a Youth Advisory Board for participants ages 13-23! Learn more here.

• The Salvation Army of Western Michigan Northern Indiana is hiring a Health/Fitness and Recreation Director.

Events

• The University of Minnesota School of Public Health has two upcoming series. Justice in Public Health will have its next session on March 16 (Register here). Advancing Health Equity in Related Fields will have a session on April 4th about applying principles of health equity to workplaces (Register here).

• Join the CDC Foundation for the final summit in the Lights, Camera, Action series for a summit on Catalyzing Cross-Sectoral Partnerships and Community Engagement. Sign up for the March 23 event here.

• Pubic Health Prepared is hosting a live training on Public Relations on March 15. Register here! You can also sign up for their March 29 training on Strengthening Partnerships for Community Engagement here.

• Mark your calendar for National Public Health Week! Join in the celebration April 4-10, and find event resources here.

Resources:

• The Call for Abstracts for the APHA Annual Conference is open! Learn more and submit your proposal here.

• The Indiana Department of Health, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity (IDOH, DNPA) has a Request for Proposals for the Produce Rx Grant, offering funding to organizations serving higher risk, underserved communities who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Learn more here. You can also learn about IDOH Community Food Systems Workshops on the same webpage!

• IDOH, DNPA also has a new grant program for Healthy Schools! Learn more here, and attend the informational session via Microsoft Teams here on March 15 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

• Check out Together We Will mini-action grants and technical support in eight different public health program areas here.

• The Coalition to End Social Isolation is seeking input from organizations that address or plan to address social isolation, loneliness, or social connection in older adults. Complete the survey here.

• The Indiana Department of Health is requesting applications from local and statewide service providers for the Health Issues and Challenges Grant Program. Learn more and apply here. (Applications due March 31)

• Public Health and You trainings from Expand: Indiana University's Portal to Professional Education are available online.

• U.S. residents can now place second orders for rapid at-home COVID-19 test kits. Click here to order tests or share this link with community members.