News & Events

National Public Health Week

COPH PHamily PHeud

Public Health Community Advisory –  The UNMC College of Public Health Student Association hosted a week of fun-filled events in April to celebrate National Public Health Week sponsored by the COPH Dean’s Office, COPH Alumni Association, COPH Research Committee, the UNMC Center for Healthy Living, and the NU Foundation. Starting on Monday with a PHamily PHeud style Game Day, hosted by Kathleen Brandert (pictured), more than 40 students, faculty, and staff attended and learned public health tips on how to be the Healthiest Nation in… Continue Reading

COPH faculty to lead new UNMC Office of Community Engagement

UNMC recently became the first health care campus to be designated by the Carnegie Foundation as a Community Engaged Campus. The Office of Community Engagement (OCE) was created by Vice Chancellor H. Dele Davies, M.D. to support the program aims of this community engagement classification. Denise H. Britigan, PhD. will serve as the Director and Ms. Anita Lee, EdS will coordinate the efforts of the OCE. Growing and enhancing student, faculty, college and institutional capacity for community engagement is the primary goal of the UNMC… Continue Reading

The HALO “Healing and Loving Ourselves” Project

Public Health Community Advisory- The HALO “Healing and Loving Ourselves” Project: An Academic-Community Partnership to Eradicate Racial/Ethnic and Gender Disparities Racial/ethnic and gender disparities persist across a myriad of health outcomes nationwide. African American (AA) women are disproportionately burdened by such disparities including but not limited to increased risks for maternal/infant mortality, unintended pregnancies, STDs and chronic diseases. These disparities are exacerbated by the social determinants of health, pejorative stereotypes and historical trauma; warranting immediate attention. The eradication of disparities require multi-prong approaches endorsed, designed,… Continue Reading

Adolescent Health Project Aims to Make Community-Wide Impact

Public Health Community Advisory – Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are an ongoing, significant problem in Douglas County. Since 1998, rates of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea in Douglas County have been substantially higher than state and national rates. There is also significant age and racial/ethnic disparities in STD rates in Douglas County. Youth ages 15-24 have the highest STD rates of all age groups, and STD rates are 10 times higher for African Americans than for Whites. Given the potential for serious and long-term complications from Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, including… Continue Reading

Shaping Nebraska to Become the Healthiest State in the Nation by 2020

Public Health Community Advisory –  Becoming the healthiest state in the nation will take a systematic and collective approach with collaboration between committed stakeholders throughout Nebraska. Nebraska’s current health ranking is 10th (America’s Health Rankings, 2015), so, not too bad…there are only 9 other states in front of us! However, to move up those nine spots by 2020 requires that Nebraskans band together to work on target priorities. Two identified priorities are binge drinking and colorectal screening. Nebraska currently ranks 44th and 35th respectively in these… Continue Reading

Patricia Lopez, RN, MSN Recognized as Outstanding Advocate for Public Health in Nebraska

Public Health Community Advisory-  Patricia Lopez, RN, MSN was recognized as an outstanding advocate for Public Health in Nebraska at the annual COPH Awards Ceremony. Ms. Lopez works with local health departments to assist them in preparing for national public health accreditation. For the past seven years, this project has taken her to National meetings allowing her the opportunity to work with peers in other states. She is currently a Site Visitor for the Public Health Accreditation Board for local health departments in other states…. Continue Reading

Refugee Health Collaborative of Omaha, Nebraska

Public Health Community Advisory –  According to the World Refugee Survey 2008, 14 million people are refugees and asylum seekers. A refugee is a person “who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of origin because of previous persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution, based on the person’s race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” Secondary migrants are those refugees who have originally resettled in one part of the country and have subsequently moved to… Continue Reading