Seven public health projects recently received support from the Mutual Fund and Collaborative Projects Programs in the COPH. A total of $110,000 was awarded by Dean Ayman El-Mohandes, MBBCh, MD, MPH, and the Great Plains Public Health Training Center. The COPH is firmly committed to the principles and practice of community engagement and collaboration as a means for promoting and protecting the public’s health. The Mutual Fund and Collaborative Projects programs can be leveraged to support public health activities across the spectrum: education, capacity building,… Continue Reading

Dr. Chandran Achutan, assistant professor in the COPH Department of Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, and Mr. Sergio Sosa, executive director of the Heartland Workers Center, will co-lead this project. The UNMC COPH will partner with the Heartland Workers Center to identify the occupational hazards faced by Latino workers so that a more tailored approach for intervention is developed. Long term, the project aims to improve the health of Latino workers in Omaha by identifying the health and safety challenges faced by Hispanic workers in… Continue Reading

Dr. Jim Stimpson, associate professor in the COPH Department of Health Services Research and Administration, and Ms. Diane Riibe, executive director, Project Extra Mile, will co-lead this project. The UNMC COPH will partner with Project Extra Mile to address the public health problem of alcohol outlet density as a way to reduce excessive alcohol consumption. The project will utilize GIS mapping systems to map liquor licenses, alcohol-related violations, and nuisance violations associated with alcohol-licensed establishments in Omaha and Nebraska City. The mapping will help identify… Continue Reading

Dr. Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, associate professor in the COPH Department of Epidemiology, and Ms. Erin Bock, assistant director of the Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless (MACCH) will co-lead this project. The UNMC COPH will partner with the MACCH to conduct a cost study to understand the impact of permanent housing initiatives on community and public systems such as hospitals, detoxification centers, correctional facilities, and mental health institutions. This will assist in the identification of characteristics of the homeless associated with high health care… Continue Reading

Dr. Chandran Achutan, assistant professor in the COPH Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, and Ms. Mona Zuffante, administrator of the Winnebago Health Department, will co-lead this project. Ms. Andrea Mulvenon, a graduate student in the COPH Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, will assist with the project. The UNMC COPH will partner with the Winnebago Health Department to (1) characterize indoor air quality, measuring carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, radon, and particulate matter in homes and schools on the Winnebago reservation, and (2)… Continue Reading

Dr. Christopher Fisher, assistant professor in the COPH Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health, and Dr. Adi Pour, director of the Douglas County Health Department, will co-lead this project. Mr. Dylan Zaner, an undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, will assist with the project. The Midlands Sexual Health Research Collaborative and the Nebraska Sexual Health Coalition will partner to research the sexual literacy of a generalizable population-based sample of Nebraska adults as a way to inform interventions aimed at increasing sexual literacy… Continue Reading

This project will be undertaken by the following project team: Dr. Ruth Margalit, associate professor, COPH Department of Health Promotion, Social and Behavioral Health; Dr. Monirul Islam, assistant professor, COPH Department of Epidemiology; Dr. Kari Simonsen, assistant professor, COM Department of Pediatrics; Dr. Uriel Sandkovsky, assistant professor, COM Department of Internal Medicine; Dr. Mark Foxall, interim director of corrections, Douglas County Department of Corrections; Ms. Mary Earley, captain, Douglas County Department of Corrections; Dr. Adi Pour, director, Douglas County Health Department; Ms. Ann Smolsky, outreach… Continue Reading