Region IV Public Health Training Center

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on October 26, 2020. Training Overview As we begin discussions of re-opening the nation, we are all faced with the reality of walking back into a world that is vastly different than just a few months ago. Perhaps most noticeably, many public places have initiated mask policies. In a recent study completed in Hong Kong, it was determined that wearing a mask can decrease infection by 75%. In short, by wearing a cloth mask you significantly reduce your own risk of exposure to and spread of virus containing particles. Wearing a mask can be an effective protective measure in preventing community spread of COVID-19, however, we can’t ignore its effects on day to day life. Masks are annoying, uncomfortable, and inconvenient, especially when you need to vocally communicate while wearing one. The workforce is also moving towards virtual platforms in with thunderous acceleration. Virtual platforms also create challenges for communication from home-office ergonomic blunders to prolonged conference calls with less than superb equipment. This webinar is purposed to equip a diverse, public-facing group of professionals with information and skills necessary to overcome these communication barriers with excellence. Topic areas will include the anatomy and physiology of communication, purposeful enhancement of communication techniques to overcome physical and digital barriers, and recovery techniques to combat work and life related vocal fatigue. The webinar will be presented by Nathaniel Sundholm, MS, CCC-LSP, of the Emory Voice Center. 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 Nathaniel Sundholm, MS, CCC-LSP Nathaniel Sundholm, originally from Brooklyn New York, has a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology with voice specialization from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He completed his clinical fellowship at the Emory Voice Center and has since remained a permanent member of the team. Clinical interests and growing expertise include singing voice rehabilitation, cough suppression, reactive airway therapy, dysphagia management, and community outreach/engagement. Nathaniel also has a rich performance background with experience in classical voice, Gospel, R&B, Musical Theatre, and CCM. 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 self-paced online course. Training Overview Plain language is important to use to increase the understanding of our health promotion, education, and communication efforts for the communities we serve. After completing this course, you will know the basic principles of plain language and understand the benefits of clearer communication in all your work. You will also learn how to apply the principles to content ranging from educational materials to social media posts.  The course contains three modules: the content module, a resources module, and an evaluation. After finishing all three modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. The entire training is expected to take 20 minutes to complete. 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 Course Developers This course was developed by the Region IV Public Health Training Center at the Emory University Rollins Schools of Public Health. We would like to thank Cynthia Jorgensen, DrPH, Adjunct Professor at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health and former Associate Director for Communication Science for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for her contribution as the subject matter expert. We would like to thank Sheryl Golub, MPH and Tanya Hauth of Lexicon Strategies, for their contribution to the instructional design of this module.  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 June 11, 2020. Training Overview The COVID-19 pandemic has provided and continues to provide huge challenges to our public health system. One challenge has been behavioral, in that mitigating the consequences of the disease involves huge behavioral changes and long term cooperation on the part of the public at large. Changing behavior and gaining the public’s cooperation is in part a problem in communication and persuasion. In this webinar, we will discuss four challenges to communicating successfully during the COVID-19 pandemic including: (1) the need for clear, consistent, credible and apolitical communication (CCCaP); (2) how various types of informational uncertainty challenge CCCaP; (3) how misinformation challenges CCCaP and how it can be addressed (and not addressed); and (4) looking ahead to the virus’ demise with the development of a successful vaccine, public health campaigns must ready the public to accept vaccination especially in communities which have traditionally had low vaccination rates. 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 Joseph N. Cappella, PhD Joseph N. Cappella is the Gerald R. Miller Professor of Communication at the Annenberg School for Communication at The University of Pennsylvania. Professor Cappella has been a visiting professor at Northwestern University, the University of Arizona, and a visiting scholar at Stanford University and the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research has resulted in more than 185 articles and book chapters and four co-authored books in areas of health and political communication, social interaction, nonverbal behavior, media effects, and statistical methods. The articles have appeared in journals of psychology, communication, health, and politics. His research has been supported by grants from NIMH, NIDA, NSF, NCI, NHGRI, the FDA, the Twentieth Century Fund, and from the Markle, Ford, Carnegie, Pew, and Robert Wood Johnson foundations. He has served on the editorial boards of 20 different journals and directed 50 doctoral dissertations. 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 self-paced online course. Training Overview This course provides an introduction to community assessment, data collection and sharing data findings. It is an introductory-level course designed to build competence in data analytics and assessment as well as community engagement in public health professionals, especially those in the governmental public health workforce. There are no prerequisites. The course contains four modules: the content module, reflection questions, tools and resources, and an evaluation. After finishing all four modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. The entire training is expected to take 45 minutes to complete. 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 Course Developers This course was developed by the Region IV Public Health Training Center at the Emory University Rollins Schools of Public Health. The content was developed by Kirsten Rodgers, EdD, MSPH, MCHES®, Principal and Owner of Proximate Learning.  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 self-paced online course. Training Overview: Community assessments use qualitative methods to learn about beliefs, values, and perspectives of needs and assets of a community. Qualitative methods include interviews, focus groups, and forums. The purpose of this course is to introduce focus groups as a method to gain valuable community-level data and provide a practical strategy to plan for, conduct, and analyze the results of a focus group. It is an introductory-level course designed to build competence in data analytics and assessment as well as community engagement in public health professionals, especially those in the governmental public health workforce. There are no prerequisites. This course contains six modules: an interactive video, an activity, a handout, reflection questions, resources and an evaluation. The entire training is expected to take 60 minutes to complete. After finishing all modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. 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 Course Developers: This course was developed by the Region IV Public Health Training Center at the Emory University Rollins Schools of Public Health. The content was developed by Kirsten Rodgers, EdD, MSPH, MCHES®, Principal and Owner of Proximate Learning.    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 self-paced online course. Training Overview This course provides an introduction to planning for and conducting community surveys. It introduces concepts and applies knowledge and skills that are essential for planning for and conducting a survey and analyzing and disseminating survey data specifically for the purpose of community assessment.  It is an introductory-level course designed to build competence in data analytics and assessment as well as community engagement in public health professionals, especially those in the governmental public health workforce. There are no prerequisites. The course contains two modules: the content module and an evaluation. After finishing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard. The entire training is expected to take 45 minutes to complete. 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 Course Developers This course was developed by the Region IV Public Health Training Center at the Emory University Rollins Schools of Public Health. The content was developed by Kirsten Rodgers, EdD, MSPH, MCHES®, Principal and Owner of Proximate Learning.  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