Master of Public Health (MPH)

The MPH program enjoys a strong relationship with the Memphis and Shelby County Health Department, as reflected in a monthly roundtable series “Public Health Academic Practice Bridges.” Academicians from the University of Memphis and public health practitioners share insights in research and best practices. Topics have included bioinformatics, geographic information systems (GIS), international tobacco control research, HIV prevention, and community health promotion for vulnerable populations. The MPH program has also partnered with the Health Department to spearhead community discussions based on the PBS documentary series Unnatural Causes, which investigates the sources of our alarming socioeconomic and racial disparities in health. Additionally, MPH students participate in community-wide emergency preparedness drills related to the Cities Readiness Initiative, funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Health Department serves as the primary location for MPH students’ practicum experience.

An additional strength of the MPH program is our emphasis on cultural competence. In partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the MPH program offers a Health Care Interpreter Certificate Program at the University of Memphis for bilingual-bicultural individuals. Students enrolled in the Healthcare Interpreter Training course conduct their practicum at St. Jude. In addition, the MPH program partners with the Tennessee Association for Medical Interpreters to host a national training conference each year to facilitate advanced interpreter skills. Likewise, the MPH program participated in an educational exchange with Chinese public health practitioners through the 2008 Summer Institute in Tennessee- China Program.

Community projects include collaboration with Memphis City Schools; Shelby County Mayor’s Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative; Healthy Memphis Common Table; Shelby County Tobacco-Free Coalition; South Memphis Renaissance Collaborative; Refugee Empowerment Program; and the Adoption Center of the Mid-South.

Master of Health Administration (MHA)

One of the strategic goals of the MHA program is to create and maintain value-added strategic partnership in the community it serves.   We are proud of our Graduate assistantships with area hospitals and healthcare organizations. Our students actually work in these facilities under the direction of a mentor at the facility and one of our program faculty.  The student's tuition is paid and they earn a stipend.  Thus, our student are able to gain valuable "on-the-job experience while still in school.

The MHA program has a relationship with Methodist Healthcare through the Maurice Elliott Leadership Institute (MELI).  The MHA program partners with Methodist to provide leadership development for a cohort of their middle-managers.  This unique program is one of only a few in the country.

Center for Community Health

In addition to the community engagement through the two graduate programs, the School of Public Health takes pride in the service work we perform within the local Memphis community and beyond through the Center for Community Health.

For 20 years, the Center for Community Health has been dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of the citizens of Shelby County. The CCH is a cross-campus collaborative effort of health researchers from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Communication and Fine Arts, Education, and Nursing.

The specific missions of the CCH are:

• Increase the capacity for health research and service on the U of M campus.
• Foster collaboration between health researchers at the U of M, community healthcare providers, and other health research institutions in the community.
• Provide leadership in health advocacy and policy development for Memphis and Shelby County.
• Respond to community health needs through engaged scholarship and service.
• Provide researchers with an infrastructure to support these efforts.

Here are some of those projects and information about them.

Memphis Job Corp Center Stop Smoking Clinic Within this program, we provide smoking cessation services for individuals at the university and in the community.

Tennessee on the Move We are partnering with this group to increase physical activity in our community. [more information]