Region IV Public Health Training Center

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on January 13, 2020. Training Overview The Future of Public Health report, published in 1988, by the Institute of Medicine, highlighted emerging issues and questioned health departments’ infrastructures and capacity to respond. The report revealed a public health system in disarray. Over the years, public health has evolved, and many health concerns have been addressed. Today Public Health 3.0 is positively informing public health practice. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) Upstate Public Health Region and Tennessee Department of Health have both embraced the Public Health 3.0 practice era. This presentation will discuss lessons learned by each of these states and how minor adjustments can lead to stronger cross-sectoral community partnerships. 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 Eric Harkness, Lillie Hall, MPH, and Kandi Fredere, MPH, PhD Eric Harkness holds a degree in public policy and sustainability studies from the University of Tennessee and is currently a Bloomberg Fellow pursuing his MPH at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Lillie Hall has a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and Minor in Sociology, a Masters in Health Science, a Masters in Public Health and currently pursuing a PhD in Public Health. Kandi Fredere has a Bachelor of Science in Health Science, a Masters in Administration and a PHD in Human Services with a concentration in Health Administration. 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 14, 2022. Training Overview The Emory Urban Health Initiative (UHI) has a mission to provide health disparities education and advocacy, build collaborative partnerships, and develop best practice models with low-wealth communities and those who work with them to advance equity in health and well-being. This webinar will describe the work of UHI in advancing the social, economic, and ecological wellbeing of communities in the Atlanta metro area. Participants will learn about best-practice models for participatory community engagement within low-wealth and underserved communities. Attendees will also gain perspective about the collaborative model of the program in developing health career students into future professionals who embrace and engage communities in self-efficacy and experiential approaches to solving the health problems affecting their communities. 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. 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. About the Trainer Stacie Schmidt, MD is an Associate Professor of General Internal Medicine and Co-Director of the Emory Urban Health Initiative (UHI). Dr. Schmidt also serves as Medical Director of the Primary Care Center (PCC) at Grady Memorial Hospital, an academic, safety net, hospital-based clinic accommodating approximately 70,000 visits a year, mostly to uninsured, low health-literacy patients with multiple chronic illnesses. She also provides inpatient care at Grady Memorial Hospital. Dr. Schmidt's research focuses on improving patient self-efficacy and self-management skills among underserved and underrepresented individuals with chronic diseases in the ambulatory setting.   Carolyn Aidman, PhD, a Certified Labor Doula, is the Associate Director of the Emory Urban Health Initiative and as such, she develops programs, engages Emory and other universities’ faculty, staff and student and community members as volunteers, interns, and Fellows. She attracts them to initiatives such as Atlanta Doula Connect, matching pregnant teens and women with birth supporters who help them through labor and delivery. She works on UHI’s Cancer Detecting Dogs project, the Rolling Suitcase Drive for homeless women and children, Dental Diversion, and many other projects.   Joan Wilson MS, JM, FACHE, is the Assistant Director of Emory UHI. Originally from Atlanta, Joan has worked for a number of healthcare, academic and scientific research institutions over her career, including Yerkes Primate Research Center, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Grady Health System, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Emory University School of Medicine prior to her work with UHI. Some of her current projects within UHI involve addressing food insecurity issues in urban Atlanta and teaching business skills, leadership principles, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects to inner-city youth in an entrepreneurial program she developed. 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 21, 2018. Training Overview This webinar will present the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors’ approach to effective communications about chronic diseases and chronic disease programming. It will include a brief overview of how some patient populations receive their healthcare information and common problems and solutions to reaching these populations effectively with empowering health information. General guidance for how to evaluate your own communications tools and procedures also will be included. 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 Paige L. Rohe, MPH At CHOA, one of the largest pediatric healthcare organizations nationally, Ms. Rohe oversaw clinical and operational communications for the medical staff, managed serious infectious disease communications, and led several flagship public affairs efforts, including the award-winning launch of the clinically integrated network, The Children's Care Network. She was assistant director for news and information at The Carter Center, which houses the press office for former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter. She supported publicity and social media for the Center's Health Programs. She traveled with President and Mrs. Carter to Haiti/Dominican Republic, South Sudan, and San Diego, CA, and brought documentary film crews to Ethiopia and Liberia to cover the Center’s work. She began her career in Washington, D.C., working for APCO Worldwide, a public affairs consultancy, and has since completed freelance writing and social media projects for several nonprofits and academic institutions. 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 7, 2018. Training Overview “There’s no typical flu season,” said Lynnette Brammer to the Washington Post in 2013. Years later, this is certainly still the case. Join this webinar to learn about the current findings about the current influenza epidemic and preparations for the season to come. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes FluView weekly which provides influenza data to state public health officials, epidemiologists, clinicians and the public. Lynnette Brammer and Kristen Norlund will share surveillance findings, risk communication messages, and ways public health professionals are preparing for the future. 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 Lynnette Brammer, MPH and Kristen Nordlund Lynnette has a lead role in the U.S. influenza surveillance system, a collaborative effort of CDC, state, local, and territorial health departments, public health and clinical laboratories, vital statistics offices, healthcare providers, clinics, and emergency departments.  They compile data from health departments, labs, and health care systems into a weekly surveillance report which monitors flu season progression, types of flu viruses circulating, amount of illness and severity of illness, and geographic spread of flu in the U.S. Kristen handles media around infectious disease and public health preparedness at CDC.  She was deployed to Sierra Leone twice in 2015 to help manage communications around CDC’s Sierra Leone Trial to Introduce a Vaccine against Ebola (or STRIVE).  She was also deployed to Ohio in late 2014 for the Ebola response and most recently to Utah in July 2016 for the Zika response.  She has a Bachelors in Journalism from the University of Missouri at Columbia. 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: These are recordings of live lectures held on May 5, 2015; May 6, 2016; May 19, 2017; and May 16, 2018. Training Overview Scott Maxwell, Founding Partner of Mathews and Maxwell, Inc. and Legislative Liaison for the Georgia Public Health Association will provide an update on the previous Georgia Legislative Session, including highlights of legislation and appropriations that will have an impact on public health. The presentation will also include a forecast for public health-related legislation. Scott will leave participants with some strategies for promoting public health in their local communities and across the state. 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. Each 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 Scott Maxwell Scott spent nearly a half-dozen years in Washington, where he served as Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Sam Nunn and the Senate Armed Services Committee. He has also provided media relations and communications training for private corporations as well as employees of the Division of Family and Children Services and UGA’s Small Business Development Centers. Scott’s public affairs experience includes service as the Reading Clerk on the floor of the Georgia Senate and as a Public Information Officer assigned to disaster areas by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Scott is the immediate Past-Chairman of the Board for the State YMCA of Georgia. He is an active member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Professional Lobbyist Association. He and his wife, Jeanne, have three children. 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 an on-demand webinar. Training Overview Without feedback, individuals and organizations cannot grow. Feedback is the key to better serving your community and getting the most out of your team. But giving and receiving feedback can be incredibly uncomfortable and unproductive. And when done poorly, feedback can actually be destructive. In this interactive and light-hearted session, learn the right questions to ask and how to handle the feedback – good or bad – with courtesy and professionalism. Get tools in how to deliver feedback that is specific, actionable, and measurable. So instead of shrinking from feedback, you can embrace it for the opportunity it is. 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 Shana Merlin, Founder of Merlin Works The Founder of Merlin Works, Shana Merlin, is a lecturer in the College of Medicine Texas A&M University and an associate at the Center for Health Communication at the University of Texas. Some of her most requested programs are on the topics of team building, communication, persuasion, leadership, medical communications, and creativity. 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