Region IV Public Health Training Center

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on June 10, 2019. Training Overview This webinar presents evidence that religion should be considered among the social determinants of health, based on epidemiological research.  Plausible mechanisms at the individual level are the lower smoking rates and greater social ties of those with religious participation.  At the community level, faith-based organizations engage in partnerships with public health agencies as a source of social capital to promote health and prevent disease, particularly in hard-to-reach populations. The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact emoryphtc@emory.edu. About the Trainers Dr. Idler holds additional appointments at Emory at the Rollins School of Public Health, the Center for Ethics, the Graduate Division of Religion of the Laney Graduate School, and the School of Medicine.  She received her Ph.D. from Yale University and attended Union Theological Seminary on a Rockefeller Brothers Fellowship. She studies the influence of attitudes, beliefs, and social connections on health, including the effect of self-ratings of health on mortality and disability, and the impact of religious participation on health and the timing of death among the elderly. Ms. Kiser joined the Interfaith Health Program in 1993 during its first seven years at The Carter Center and continues that work now at the school of public health.  She teaches interdisciplinary courses at Emory in faith and health, religion and development, and social justice.  Ms. Kiser has led the Academic Programs Working Group for Emory’s Religion and Public Health Collaborative. 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. Read more

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on August 31, 2020. Training Overview As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, schools across the country are deciding how to begin the 2020-21 school year, whether for in-person instruction, virtual learning, or a hybrid approach. In this webinar, health and education experts from the Center for American Progress will discuss the current state of school reopenings, considerations for local officials making decisions about reopening, and related health and education research. The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact emoryphtc@emory.edu. About the Trainers Maura Calsyn is the managing director of Health Policy at American Progress. In this capacity, she plays a leading role in American Progress’ health policy development and advocacy efforts. She has authored and co-authored work published in The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA Internal Medicine, U.S. News & World Report, and The Hill. Scott Sargrad is the vice president of K-12 Education Policy at American Progress. Prior to joining American Progress, Sargrad served as deputy assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education under then-Education Secretary Arne Duncan, as well as the acting director of the Office of School Turnaround. He joined the Education Department in 2009 as a presidential management fellow in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and also worked as a senior policy adviser in the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development.  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. Read more

Responding to Risk: Understanding Why We Do What We Do and What to Say When It Really Counts Note: This is a recording from the live webinar held on August 16, 2023. Training Overview: People are predictable. Unfortunately, the world around us rarely is as easy to predict or understand. Public health professionals are called on to respond to scary, unknown, urgent, and important issues every day in big and small ways. Learning strategies for risk communication can make this work a little bit easier and a lot more effective. This webinar introduces basic concepts of risk communication as well as the critical principles of how to communicate during an outbreak, crisis or emergency situation.  This training also provides insights into how and why people respond to risk, and helps participants understand the mental shortcuts that are common responses to hazards, risks, and threats. Practical tips are presented throughout to help participants gain skills in assessing and responding to their individual situations in their communities.   About the Trainer Dr. Cynthia Jorgensen is an Adjunct Professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, with joint appointments in the Department of Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences and the Executive MPH Program. Dr. Jorgensen recently retired from the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she was the Associate Director for Communication, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. In this role, she oversaw the communications efforts for a variety of vaccine-preventable and respiratory diseases and was actively engaged in CDC’s COVID-19 response. While at CDC for more than 30 years, Dr. Jorgensen applied her expertise in behavioral science and health communications to the development and implementation of several award-winning campaigns in hepatitis, cancer, genomics, and HIV/AIDS. Cynthia has held numerous leadership positions, including Chair of CDC’s Behavior and Social Sciences Working Group (BSSWG) and President of the National Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE). Cynthia received her doctoral degree in Health Behavior and Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her BA/MA in Health Communications from Boston University. CERTIFICATE:  The course contains two modules: a module to access the webinar and an evaluation module. After accessing both 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. Read more

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on September 2, 2020. Training Overview This webinar will focus on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Black community and discuss how stigma, disease prevention & awareness, and access to care & treatment play a pivotal role in elimination of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the national, state, and local level.    The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact emoryphtc@emory.edu. About the Trainer Mrs. Kiara Dale-Adenola currently serves as Chairwoman for the Black Treatment Advocates Network of Big Bend. The Black Treatment Advocates Network (BTAN) is a national network of HIV/AIDS stakeholders including providers, community members and leaders, educators, and people living with HIV/AIDS, who mobilize Black communities across the country to confront HIV. The Black AIDS Institute provides technical assistance to the BTAN chapters in various forms including content development and provision. 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. Read more

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on May 6, 2019. Training Overview The federal government is launching an initiative to end the HIV epidemic by 1) increasing the number of US Americans who know their current HIV status,  2) increasing the number of US Americans with HIV infection who are effectively treated and have sustained viral suppression, and 3) rapid expansion and reduced racial/ethnic disparities in PrEP provision to the estimated 1.2 million US American with sexual and injection behaviors that place them as substantial risk of HIV acquisition. This webinar will discuss what PrEP is, indicators for its use and how health departments can support its expansion and effective use. The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact emoryphtc@emory.edu. About the Trainer Dawn K. Smith, MD, MPH, MS is the Biomedical Interventions Implementation Activity Lead in the Epidemiology Branch of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She and conducts activities supporting the implementation of daily, oral, antiretroviral preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and other biomedical interventions to reduce rates of new HIV infections in the US, including the development of PHS clinical practice guidelines for PrEP. She spent 4 years as the associate director for HIV research at the CDC field station in Botswana where she established clinical trial infrastructure with integrated sociobehavioral research and initiated PrEP trials. Dr. Smith has served on scientific committees and review panels for WHO, UNAIDS, NIAID, NIDA, NIMH, the NIH Office of AIDS Research, and the Institute of Medicine. She serves on a CDC IRB and on a DSMB for the Canadian Center for Vaccinology. 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. Read more

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on March 14, 2016. Training Overview Leaders at all organizational levels assume many roles in establishing consensus, setting strategic direction, and motivating performance. One of the most important roles a leader plays is shaping the organizational culture. This webinar will introduce public health professionals to the essential tasks of effective leaders and highlight leaders' behaviors, attitudes and values that shape an adaptive organizational culture. Participants will also learn about principles and strategies for helping an organization become less bureaucratic and more adaptive.  The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact emoryphtc@emory.edu. About the Trainer Peter M. Ginter, Ph.D., is professor of strategic management and the Associate Dean for Graduate Education in the UAB School of Public Health. In addition, Dr. Ginter is the Director and PI of the Alabama-Mississippi Local Planning Site (LPS) of the Region IV Public Health Training Center (PHTC). Dr. Ginter is active in research in strategic management, leadership, and health care organizations. He is the author or co-author of 16 books including Strategic Management of Health Care Organizations, 7th ed. (2013) with Duncan and Swayne and Public Health Leadership and Management: Context and Cases (2002) with Capper and Swayne. Peter has published more than 150 articles, papers, and cases. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas.  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. Read more