February 2023 Newsletter

3 Questions with Tulane LMS Learner of the Month:

Maria-Theresa C. Okafor, PhD, MCG

Maria-Theresa C. Okafor, PhD, MCG

Maria-Theresa C. Okafor, PhD, MCG, is a Clinical Gerontologist and Epidemiologist with extensive experience in public health and aging, with an emphasis on chronic disease prevention and control. Stark and growing racial disparities in maternal and infant health prompted Dr. Okafor to seek out tools and resources to better understand and address these disparities in her community. Currently, Dr. Okafor leads the Maryland Department of Health’s Surveillance and Evaluation Unit and served as Senior Advisor to Maryland’s COVID-19 Testing Task Force and Director of the Data Analytics and Decision Support Branch of Maryland’s COVID-19 Recovery Program from 2020-2022.


How did you hear about the Tulane Learning Management System?


I found the Tulane Learning Management System through CDC TRAIN. When searching for Child and Maternal Health trainings, I discovered Tulane’s Program Monitoring and Evaluation in Maternal and Child Health course offerings.


What’s the best thing about the trainings on the Tulane LMS?


Accessibility, self-paced learning, and comprehensive learning materials.


How have the trainings been beneficial to you?


Taking the trainings has expanded my knowledge base and introduced new ways to apply program evaluation methodologies.


Thank you for being our February 2023 Tulane LMS Learner of the Month, Dr. Okafor!

February is Black History Month

The Region 6 South Central Public Health Training Center recognizes the legacy of African Americans in the United States. We've compiled several resources to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of African Americans to society.

34 Black History Month Activities for February and Beyond

We know that Black history is American history and needs to be embedded into your classroom experiences year-round. At the same time, Black History Month provides the necessary opportunity to dig deeper with students. Every February, we can support students as they learn more, discover cultural impacts, and follow social movements from the past to the present day.

Read More

HHS Office of Minority Health: Celebrate Black History Month

Black History Month is observed each year from February 1 – March 1 to recognize the generations of Black and African Americans who struggled with adversity and to celebrate their many contributions to the US.

Read More

17 African American Public Health Heroes You Need To Know

A celebration of 17 African American public health heroes and the considerable impact they have had on public health and medicine.

Read More

Mardi Gras Holidays - February 20-21, 2023

The Region 6 South Central Public Health Training Center will be closed February 20, 2023 and February 21, 2023 in observance of Mardi Gras.


During this time, technical support for the Tulane Learning Management System will be limited. If you need assistance, please email trdirect@tulane.edu. Thank you for your patience.


Happy Mardi Gras!

UTMB Heath to offer new MPH in Public Health Practice

The School of Public & Population Health at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, is excited to announce a new Master of Public Health (MPH) concentration in Public Health Practice! The MPH in Public Health Practice is a 5-semester program that provides students with more applied education and experiences to individuals interested in practicing public health. Courses will focus on addressing skills gaps identified in national workforce surveys (PH WINS), such as systems and strategic thinking, community engagement, justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, and cross-sectoral partnerships. Students will be trained to succeed in a variety of public health careers including governmental public health, non-profit organizations, and other agencies/organizations meeting public health needs. 

 

The first cohort of students in the Public Health Practice concentration will start in the Fall 2023 term. Applications are now being accepted through WebAdmit through May 1st. Click here to learn more about the Public Health Practice concentration and the other MPH concentrations that SPPH offers.

Course Spotlight:

Weaving the Threads of Culture: Working Effectively with American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN)


Course Description:


This course is a series of lessons aimed at providing you with the information needed to improve your ability to communicate more effectively with the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) community in which you work as a health provider, health planner, counselor or however you interact with the Native communities. We will provide a view of many aspects of American Indian and Alaska Native culture and hopefully remove any stereotypes you may have acquired over your lifetime.


Similar to the stages followed when weaving a blanket, a basket or a sash, each of the lessons will depict a different aspect of culture competence. Just as all of these actions are necessary for the weaving to be a success, the lessons in this cultural competency course are necessary to help you work effectively with American Indians and Alaska Natives.


Learning Objectives:


  • Identify components of culture


  • Explain cultural competence


  • Describe the developmental model of intercultural sensitivity


  • Describe key elements of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) culture


  • Explain Historical Trauma Response (HTR) in relation to AI/AN


For more information about

this training, please click here.

Featured Course Bundle:

Safe Water Program Improvement e-Learning Series (SWPI)


The Safe Water Program Improvement e-Learning Series (SWPI) helps health department programs strengthen services to people that use wells, cisterns, springs, and other private drinking water systems not covered by the Safe Drinking Water Act.


Oversight for these systems vary, but core elements of successful, sustainable programs are similar. SWPI walks through the 10 Essential Environmental Public Health Services and the Environmental Public Health Performance Standards, and provides examples of using them to identify and fill program gaps in these types of drinking water programs.


Trainings in this bundle include:


  • SWPI 101 - Introduction: The 10 Essential Environmental Public Health Services for Unregulated Drinking Water Programs- 1 hour


  • SWPI 102 - Assessment: Monitor Health- 1 hour


  • SWPI 103 - Assessment: Diagnose and Investigate- 1 hour


  • SWPI 104 - Policy Development: Inform, Educate, Empower, and Mobilize- 1 hour


  • SWPI 105 - Policy Development: Policies and Plans- 1 hour


  • SWPI 106 - Assurance: Laws and Regulations- 1 hour


  • SWPI 107 - Assurance: Linking People to Services- 1 hour


  • SWPI 108 - Assurance: Assuring a Competent Workforce - 1 hour


  • SWPI 109 - Assurance: Evaluation and Research - 1 hour


For additional information about the

course bundle, click here.


Looking for more training on a specific topic in public health? Need additional training on a current public health hot topic? We want to help you address these needs.


Please fill out this brief survey. The survey is three questions long and takes fewer than 3 minutes to complete, on average.


We look forward to your feedback!

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