Oregon State Hosting Annual Conference on Oregon Health Issues

Oregon’s Public Health Director Susan Allan will talk about the state of Oregon’s health.

Oregon State University

(CORVALLIS) - The future health needs of Oregonians will be examined during a two-day conference “Public Health – Today and Tomorrow,” scheduled for Oct. 23-24 at Oregon State University.

Held at OSU's LaSells Stewart Center, the meeting serves as the annual conference for the Oregon Public Health Association.

The conference is co-hosted by the OSU College of Health and Human Sciences’ Department of Public Health.

Tammy Bray, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, will open the conference, followed by opening remarks by Tom Engle, chair of the program committee for OPHA.

Plenary sessions will be given by Lawrence Wallack, dean of Portland State University’s College of Urban and Public Affairs, on “Talking Public Health: Articulating America’s Second Language”; and state representative Mitch Greenlick (D-Portland) will speak on the subject of “Influencing Public Policy for Fun and Profit.”

Break-out sessions include talks on the public health needs of Latinos in Oregon, overweight children, school beverages, smoking cessation interventions during prenatal care, and much more.

About 200 attendees are expected, said Marie Harvey, professor of public health and chair of the department. Harvey said the conference brings health professionals and researchers together.

“We’re looking at what we know today and what programs and services we have right now, and also what we will need to do to serve the needs of tomorrow,” she said.

The conference is open to the public.

For registration information, contact the Oregon Public Health Association by e-mail at tengle@teleport.com or visit their website at http://www.oregonpublichealth.org/index.html.