WHAT: “Swimming Upstream,” Keynote address at OPHA’s 73rd Annual Conference and Meeting WHERE: LaSells Stewart Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR WHEN: 9:30 am, Tuesday, October 10, 2017 WHO: 400+ public health professionals, partners, and stakeholders
The Oregon Public Health Association’s (OPHA) 73rd Annual Conference and Meeting is the premier event for Oregon’s public health professionals. This year’s conference will showcase the latest in public health research and trends, and feature thought-provoking speakers, and networking opportunities. The two-day conference will take place October 9 and 10 in Corvallis on the Oregon State University campus at the LaSells Stewart Center.
For the first time in its history, OPHA is offering tickets to attend only the keynote address on Tuesday. Dr. John Kitzhaber will give the keynote presentation titled, “Swimming Upstream.” Tickets are just $25.00 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at the OPHA website: http://www.oregonpublichealth.org/2017-featured-presentations---events.
Dr. Kitzhaber is a longstanding leader on health reform in Oregon and this year will speak to the importance of a public health approach. The healthcare debate has focused on “how to make health insurance more affordable?” The challenge is to refocus this debate on “how to make Americans healthier?”
“Dr. Kitzhaber is an expert on health reform and a dynamic speaker. We wanted to provide the opportunity to attend just this part of the conference for people unable to participate for one or two full days,” said Marti Franc, OPHA’s President-Elect and member of the conference planning committee.
“Importantly for improving the health of the public, Dr. Kitzhaber will discuss the need to reallocate resources from the medical budget to the community in order to go up steam and address the social determinants of health. We are delighted that Dr. Kitzhaber has agreed to be our keynote speaker and speak to this extremely
relevant and significant public health issue,” said Marie Harvey, OPHA’s Conference Planning Committee Chairperson.
Monday’s keynote speaker will be the current President of the American Public Health Association, Thomas Quade. Mr. Quade has a long career in public health serving in a variety of leadership positions at the county, state, national and international levels. He will bring a national perspective on advocacy and policy priorities as well as working with our partners to improve population health and build a national culture of health.
We will also feature a third speaker, Dr. Brian Gibbs. Dr. Gibbs is the Vice President for Equity & Inclusion and an Associate Professor at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. He serves as the chief diversity officer for the University, overseeing the Center for Diversity & Inclusion (CDI). He will discuss gun violence as a public health issue.
Additional highlights include more than eighty presentations on key and emerging areas of public health, facilitated discussion forums, an interactive poster session, and a closing plenary panel discussion titled, “Social Determinants of Health through the Lens of Equity and Social Justice” and moderated by Daniel López-Cevallos.
The conference is a unique and important opportunity for public health stakeholders throughout the state to come together for an in-depth, in-person meeting. For professionals working in Oregon’s remote locations, the conference is a rare chance to learn and network with their peers. Follow the Conference and Annual Meeting on Twitter @ORPublicHealth and the Conference hashtag at #OPHA17.
# # #
About Oregon Public Health Association - OPHA is a membership organization of health educators, doctors, nurses, dentists, researchers, professors, community leaders, students and citizens from all walks of life who share a commitment to public health in Oregon. Our membership includes individuals in regions across the state, providing OPHA with a strong combination of grassroots support and technical expertise. We succeed by bringing together the power of our members with community organizing, coalition building, public and professional education, and advocacy. Founded in 1944, OPHA is an affiliate of the American Public Health Association, the largest public health association in the nation. Our mission is to provide learning opportunities for public health professionals and the broader community. We advocate for policies that protect and promote the health of all Oregonians. For more information go to: http://www.oregonpublichealth.org/opha-conference
