October 2021 Newsletter
Oklahoma Public Health Association welcomes new officers, thanks past-President
The Oklahoma Public Health Association (OPHA) recently welcomed new officers during their 2021 Annual Meeting last month. Emilia Hart will serve as President and DJ McMaughan, PhD, will serve as President-elect during Fiscal Year 2022. Aundria Goree will move into a new role as immediate past-President. During her year as President, Aundria worked around the clock to revive and strengthen OPHA's practice sections, as well as create and strengthen collaborative partnerships with other public health organizations. OPHA plans to continue on the trajectory that Aundria spearheaded. We thank Aundria for her service as 2020-21 OPHA President, and look forward to working with her in her new role this upcoming year.
Emilia Hart
DJ McMaughan, PhD
Aundria Goree 
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Breast cancer prevention starts with healthy habits. Research shows that lifestyle changes can decrease the risk of breast cancer, even in women at high risk."


  • Limit alcohol
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Be physically active
  • Breast-feed
  • Limit postmenopausal hormone therapy
Caesars Superdome participates in #LightUpMBC Campaign
The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana was among the 200+ landmarks lit up in green, teal & pink for Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day on October 13th. The #LightUpMBC campaign shines a light on the importance of critical funding for metastatic breast cancer research. MBC is stage 4 breast cancer, for which there is no cure.

For more information on Metastatic Breast Cancer research, support and awareness, please visit METAvivor.org.
New Mexico Community Health Worker Association (NMCHWA) and Nuestra Salud Launch Spanish Language Education Resources on Commercial Tobacco Control
New Mexico Community Health Worker Association (NMCHWA) and Nuestra Salud are excited to announce the release of new commercial tobacco control education tools in Spanish to support community education efforts in Hispanic/Latino communities. The New Mexico Community Health Workers Association /Nuestra Salud Health Network partnered with the New Mexico Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Program, and Nuestras Voces National Network (Our Voices), to develop Prevención y control del tabaquismo as a resource to help community health workers/promotores de salud address commercial tobacco control and promote awareness about the harmful effects of using tobacco products among Hispanics. Community health workers/promotores de salud are trusted members of the community and play a significant role in meeting the health needs of underserved communities, including tobacco-related disparities. Equipped with the right tools and information, they are effective health advocates for their communities and help advance health equity. 

This educational material was designed to help community health workers/promotores de salud implement educational sessions in Spanish addressing commercial tobacco use prevention and control. It was developed as a PowerPoint tool that can be adapted and updated to meet the educational needs across different audiences. A series of Infographics are also included for printing and distribution among session participants. Two additional supporting tools were also developed in Spanish that specifically address nicotine dependence and family intervention support. To download these resources, please visit https://bit.ly/MaterialesCHW
Preview of Module 1: Prevención y Control del Tabaquismo
Halloween & COVID-19: Have Fun While Staying Safe
The American Academy of Pediatrics and HealthyChildren.org have compiled a list of tips to keep you and your family COVID safe this Halloween. Recommendations include making masks part of your costume, trick or treating outdoors in small groups, always masking up indoors and incorporating family fun at home with a Halloween-themed movie night.

For more Halloween safety tips, please visit the link below.
Halloween & COVID-19: Have Fun While Staying Safe

For families fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the risk of being exposed to the virus during Halloween festivities may not be as scary as last year.

Read more
www.healthychildren.org
Course Spotlight:
Data into Action for Tribes: Introduction to Epidemiology

The purpose of the Data Into Action for Tribes: Introduction to Epidemiology course is to provide an overview of basic epidemiology for public health workers, including those working in the field of behavioral health. The primary objective is to increase the knowledge among tribal health departments of how to access available data from federal, state, and local resources for program planning surveillance, and data use. Topics included are basic epidemiology, research questions, measures, study types, interpreting data, epidemiology in Indian country, and behavioral health epidemiology.

The Data into Action for Tribes curriculum is designed to provide general guidance and understanding to increase the knowledge among tribal health departments of how to access available data from federal, state, and local resources for program planning, surveillance, and data use. The courses included in this curriculum will cover several topics related to data, including an overview of epidemiology, sources of publicly-available data, conducting assessments and writing reports, the use of Geographic Information Systems, and behavioral health.

Learning Objectives

  • Define the role of epidemiology

  • Develop research questions

  • Develop measures

  • Describe the types of epidemiology study designs

  • Interpret data


For more information about this training,
please click here.
Featured Course Bundle:
Safe Water Program Improvement e-Learning Series

Bundle Description:

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.

Bundle Courses:

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

  • SWPI 102 - Assessment: Monitor Health

  • SWPI 103 - Assessment: Diagnose and Investigate

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

  • SWPI 105 - Policy Development: Policies and Plans

  • SWPI 106 - Assurance: Laws and Regulations

  • SWPI 107 - Assurance: Linking People to Services

  • SWPI 108 - Assurance: Assuring a Competent Workforce

  • SWPI 109 - Assurance: Evaluation and Research

For more info about the Safe Water Program Improvement (SWPI) 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 email us and let us know about your current training needs/interests/issues. We will evaluate our current trainings to see if we have something that can address your area of interest. 
Email us at [email protected].
We look forward to your feedback!