Age-Friendly Public Health Systems in Action 

Note: This is a recording of a live webinar held on September 17, 2024. 

Training Overview:

Over the last 10 years, the number of adults in the U.S. aged 65 and over increased by over 34%, and is expected to grow to 98 million, or 24% of the U.S. population by 2060. Healthy aging has not historically been central to the public health agenda but clearly, public health interventions are at least partly responsible for the longevity we are experiencing today. Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) is working to elevate healthy aging as a core public health function through its Age-Friendly Public Health Systems (AFPHS) movement, based on a framework of six tenets that are guiding public health efforts to improve older adult health and well-being. This web training session will introduce participants to AFPHS, including examples from one local and one state health department that have adopted and implemented APHFS principles. 

About the Presenters:

Megan Wolfe, JD, is the Senior Policy Development Manager at TFAH, where she works with the Policy Development team to advance a modernized, accountable public health system. Ms. Wolfe has been engaged in public policy and advocacy for over 20 years and has represented Fortune 500 and non-profit organizations. Most recently she served as Government Relations Manager for ASCD, an international education association comprising teachers, principals, superintendents, and higher education professionals. Primarily focused on education issues, she advocated for a whole-child approach to education, increased support for educator professional development, and raising the federal investment for education overall. Prior to her association with ASCD, she served as Government Relations Manager for the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, coordinating and leading all their federal advocacy efforts, including their annual lobby day, public policy agenda, and state affiliate advocacy efforts. She also has Capitol Hill experience, serving as a staff member for the Senate Judiciary Committee working on the federal judgeship confirmation process. Ms. Wolfe received her undergraduate degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin and earned a J.D. from the Antonin Scalia Law School (formerly the George Mason University School of Law).

Karon L. Phillips, PhD, MPH, is the Policy Development Manager at TFAH, where she works with the Policy Development team on the age-friendly public health systems initiative. This initiative is focused on making healthy aging a core priority for public health. Prior to joining TFAH, she served as the Program Manager for USAging enGAGED, The National Resource Center for Engaging Older Adults. Dr. Phillips has also served as a Scientific Review Officer contractor for the Center for Scientific Review at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In this position, she supported the scientific review of research grant applications made to the NIH. She also has experience leading the implementation of programs and services focused on health promotion, including chronic disease self-management and falls prevention, and developing new partnerships to provide community -based services to older adults. Dr. Phillips received her undergraduate degree in English and Women’s Studies from Cornell University and earned her Master of Public Health degree and Ph.D. in Aging Studies from the University of South Florida. She currently holds leadership positions with the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and the American Public Health Association. She is also fellow of GSA.

Elizabeth Head, MPH, specializes in aging and injury prevention. As deputy director for Injury Prevention at the Georgia Department of Public Health, Elizabeth manages staff working on injury prevention across the lifespan. She also coordinates Georgia’s CDC BOLD project. This project aims to incorporate public health into dementia work happening in the state. Ms. Head works with national, state, and local partners to achieve equitable and sustainable approaches to Injury Prevention.

Ryan E. Mims, CPH, CHES®, is the Chief Health Strategist and Public Health Services Manager for the Office of Community Health Strategy & Planning at the Florida Department of Health in Walton County. During his career, Ryan has been able to develop a diverse resumé of knowledge, skills, and abilities that are required to be an effective and impactful public health professional. His continuous dedication to public health and his community has honed and intertwined his passions of early childhood literacy, healthy aging, emergency preparedness, and community design—while serving in one of the fastest growing counties in the United States, Walton County, Florida. He is experienced in planning, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based interventions that continuously improve policies, systems, or environments to ensure health is an obtainable goal for everyone. He is pursuing his Doctor of Public Health degree at the University of South Florida.

CERTIFICATE:  The course contains two modules: a module to access the webinar and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing the two modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a certificate button on their dashboard.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.