WHAT: OPHA’s 71st Annual Conference and Meeting
WHERE: LaSells Stewart Conference Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR
WHEN: October 12 and 13, 2015; Registration is open
WHO: 400+ public health professionals, partners, and stakeholders
Registration is open for the Oregon Public Health Association’s 71st Annual Conference and Meeting in Corvallis on the Oregon State University campus at the LaSells Stewart Center. The two-day conference is the premier event for Oregon’s public health professionals. This year it takes place October 12 and 13 and showcases the latest in public health research and trends, focused learning sessions, thought-provoking speakers, and plenty of networking opportunities.
Two keynote speakers are featured at this year's conference. Monday’s keynote speaker will be Oregon State Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, MD, who has served in the Oregon Senate since 2011. She is a practicing physician who has worked tirelessly to promote policies that improve the health of Oregonians, including legislation to expand access to affordable healthcare, reduce the consumption of tobacco and gun violence, and to increase immunizations. Tuesday’s keynote speaker will be U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley. He was the Oregon House Speaker in 2007 where he worked to pass landmark environmental and energy legislation. He currently serves in the US Senate representing Oregon and is a member of the Senate Committees on Appropriations; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Environment and Public Works; and Budget.
This year there will be a third featured speaker, Alberto Moreno. He is the Executive Director for the Oregon Latino Health Coalition, a statewide organization whose mission is to eliminate health disparities for Latinos in Oregon. Mr. Moreno was recently elected as the Chair of the Governor's Commission on Hispanic Affairs. Mr. Moreno also founded the Oregon Community Health Workers Association and has informed state policy which supports this vital workforce including establishment of the Oregon Commission for Traditional Health Workers in Oregon. Mr. Moreno is also responsible for successfully leading a ten year campaign to make prenatal care a human right for all women in Oregon. As a result, all women in Oregon will now have access to prenatal care, regardless of documentation.
Additional highlights include more than eighty presentations on key functional areas of public health, facilitated discussion forums, and an interactive poster session. Sessions will cover a wide variety of topics, including: health care transformation, regional, academic, and community partnerships, tobacco and e-cigarette cessation and policies, nutrition, vulnerable populations, adolescent and school health, maternal/child health, environmental health and more.
OPHA’s Annual Conference has been the state’s leading public health conference for 71 years. The conference debuts new research and information on topics ranging from Latina health to incarcerated populations to motorcycle safety education to cancer prevention to child obesity. Many of Oregon’s leaders, including former governor Ted Kulongowski and former Oregon Health Authority Director Bruce Goldberg, have addressed audiences at OPHA conferences. 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 #OPHA15.
About Oregon Public Health Association - OPHA is a membership organization of health educators, doctors, nurses, 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/2015-conference-home.
