SPH Accepted as a Candidate School for CEPH Accreditation
Dean Lisa Klesges is pleased to announce that our School of Public Health has been accepted into candidacy by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) to begin our accreditation process. The School of Public Health is now an associate member of the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH).

School of Public Health Awards Luncheon
The School of Public Health Awards Luncheon will be held Tuesday, April 2nd from 11:30 am- 1:00 pm at the University Center. Our featured speaker is Dr. Blanton Godfrey, internationally renowned quality expert and former Chairman of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Awards will recognize 4 outstanding public health advocates, as well as graduate student teams participating in the inaugural School of Public Health Interdisciplinary Case Competition. (Click here and here for more information)

Doctoral Students Visit Tennessee Department of Health
Six doctoral students met with top administrators of the Tennessee Department of Health to learn about research and collaborative opportunities. Bruce Behringer, Deputy Commissioner for Continuous Improvement and Training, extended the invitation in support of the Department’s partnership with the School of Public Health. (Click for pictures)

Dr. Pratik Banerjee Leads FDA Grant
Dr. Pratik Banerjee, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health, is a Principal Investigator of a multi-institutional, multi-million dollar collaborative grant funded by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to provide standardized, effective training for food safety inspectors and stakeholders at all levels. (Click for more information)

Distinguished Teaching Recognition
Professor George Relyea, Assistant Research Professor of Biostatistics, was named a finalist for the Alumni Association's Distinguished Teaching Award.  The prestigious award is based on nominations from students, alumni, and faculty colleagues.

Public Health Services & Systems Research Award
Dr. Erik Carlton, Assistant Professor of Health Systems Management and Policy, received an award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study the integration of public health and medical care systems. His research will be based on principles in the 2012 Institute of Medicine report on integrating public health and primary care. The award seeks to examine the organization, financing and delivery of public health services. (Click for more information)

SPH Researchers Recognized
School of Public Health faculty and a doctoral student were honored at the University of Memphis’ 2013 Research Celebration. Pictured from left to right: Michael Schmidt, SPH doctoral student and Assistant Professor of Art, was recognized for his research totaling $1 million dollars. Dr. Latrice Pichon, Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Dr. SangNam Ahn, Assistant Professor of Health Systems Management and Policy; and Dr. Chunrong Jia, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health, were recognized as First Time Principal Investigators.

Memphis Healthy U Year 2 Kickoff
The School of Public Health helped coordinate the Memphis Healthy U Year 2 Kickoff, a campus-wide initiative to promote healthy lifestyles. The School of Public Health is part of the steering committee for this effort which encourages Tigers to "move more, eat healthier, and be tobacco-free." The Year 2 Kickoff featured free zumba, food, exhibits, and fun for all. Our own Angela Beckham was recognized for her commitment to health!

Public Health is Everybody's Business
The School of Public Health hosted Tennessee Commissioner of Health Dr. John Dreyzehner and his health policy team at a “town hall” discussion of public health and economic issues that affect our community. The event, titled "Public Health is Everybody's Business," was sponsored by the FedEx Institute of Technology. (Click for more information)

TPHA Named APHA’s 2012 Outstanding Affiliate
The Tennessee Public Health Association, Tennessee’s affiliate to the American Public Health Association, has been named APHA’s 2012 Outstanding Affiliate of the Year. Dr. Marian Levy, Assistant Dean of the School of Public Health, submitted the nomination for this award in July during her tenure as President of TPHA. She accepted the award on TPHA’s behalf at the American Public Health Association annual meeting in October in San Francisco. (Click for pictures).

Dr. David Rosenthal a Featured Panelist at
Care About Your Care
Dr. David Rosenthal is a featured panelist in a national discussion to explain best practices for improving health care transitions. The cornerstone activity of Care About Your Care will occur on February 13, 2013, when Drs. Nancy Snyderman—chief medical correspondent for NBC News—and Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will moderate this live event that will be simulcast on the internet.  Dr. Rosenthal co-authored the Take Charge for Better Health status report to RWJF on behalf of Healthy Memphis Common Table. (Click for more information)

MPH Graduates Lead Breastfeeding Advocacy
Dr. Julie Ware (MPH, 2012), chair of the Shelby County Breastfeeding Coalition, spearheaded the development of a new billboard/transit communication to promote breastfeeding in the county’s areas with the lowest breastfeeding rates. Dr. Ware's research with underserved groups, funded by a grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics, identified key communication messages. Ginger Carney, RD, IBCLC (MPH, 2012) co-chairs the Shelby County Breastfeeding Coalition and contributed to this effort. (Click for pictures).

MPH Student Visits Bolivia
MPH student Staci Somerville traveled to Yarvicoya, Bolivia as part of "Engineers without Borders" to help assess health aspects of the local water supply as engineering students evaluated water sources and worked to develop new water supplies. (Click for video).

Congressman Steve Cohen Visit
Congressman Steve Cohen recently met with students and faculty of the School of Public Health to discuss national issues and policies that impact public health. The Congressman represents Tennessee's 9th Congressional District in Washington. (Click for pictures).

Molly Caldwell Crosby meets with Doctoral Students
Molly Caldwell Crosby, author of "The American Plague," made a guest appearance in the SPH Doctoral Seminar. Her depiction of the Yellow Fever epidemic and its significance to Memphis' history was seminal reading in Professor Dan Gentry's doctoral course.

U of M School of Public Health's MHA Program Receives Maximum CAHME Re-Accreditation
The Master of Health Administration program of the School of Public Health at the University of Memphis has been re-accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) for a full seven years, the maximum period awarded by the agency. The MHA program was recognized by CAHME for its "continuing commitment to excellence in the field of Healthcare Management."  (Click here for CAHME accreditation letter, and MHA picture)

SPH Collaborates with Shelby County Health Department on Air Toxics Federal Grant
The School of Public Health is a major collaborator with the Shelby County Health Department in a $574,404 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement the Air Pollution Special Studies Grant Program. (Click for more details).

Public Health Student Association Featured in The Nation's Health
The Public Health Student Association's campaign during Public Health Week is featured prominently in the July 2012 issue of The Nation's Health, the official newspaper of the American Public Health Association.

HIE Evaluation Contract
The State of Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration, Division of Health Care Finance and Administration, Office of eHealth Initiatives has awarded a 16-month, $265,000 contract to the University of Memphis' Division of Health Systems Management and Policy in the School of Public Health, to conduct an evaluation of the State of Tennessee's Health Information Exchange (HIE) Program.

APHA President visits the School of Public Health
Mel Shipp, OD, DrPH, MPH, President of the American Public Health Association, visited the School of Public Health in May 2012.  In meeting with faculty, students, and SPH Advisory board members, Dr. Shipp shared his views on national and global public health concerns.

SPH Partners with Ampro, Inc. on Food Distribution
The School of Public Health partnered with Ampro, Inc, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, and Memphis Feeds to package 20,000 meals for the Memphis Food Bank.

SPH OPEN HOUSE
The School of Public Health hosted an Open House on April 26th to welcome the community and campus to our new building. President Shirley Raines, Dr. Kenneth Robinson, Mr. Calvin Anderson, and Dr. Rosie Bingham assisted Dean Klesges with the ribbon-cutting.