|
|
|
The ASTPHND Annual Meeting, Leading the Way in Public Health Nutrition and Physical Activity: Blazing New Trails, was an exciting, inspiring and informative gathering of public health nutrition leaders from around the nation. The event brought together 101 people from 35 states. The meeting, in Salt Lake City June 12 - 14, was held in conjunction with the National Society of Physical Activity Practitioners in Public Health.
The momentum is building from coast to coast, from federal agencies to our state health departments to the local level as more agencies and government entities are putting in place programs that will improve the nutritional health of all Americans. From healthier school foods to menu labeling requirements to school salad bars and community gardens, public health nutritionists are leading the way.
At the meeting we heard about the many achievements in public health nutrition as well as the challenges ahead at the federal level from Dr. William Dietz, CDC-DNPAO Director, and from Margo Wootan, with the Center for Science in the Public Interest. We also learned about new tools, resources and ideas for how we, as leaders in our state agencies, can effectively bring together people with a broad range of interests to move forward the initiatives that are so important for public health nutrition.
Members left the meeting recharged and ready to hit the ground running again. One member said, "The meeting was time well spent. I will go home with lots of new ideas and tools I can use in my work."
The meeting's focus on building leadership to increase our effectiveness on our priority issues and programs jibes with the new mission statement that the ASTPHND Board of Directors adopted at its June 12 meeting.
Read on to see our new mission statement, to read about the highlights of the Salt Lake City meeting and also to see some fabulous meeting photos! We videotaped many of the annual meeting sessions. We will let you know when those videotapes are available.
|
|
|
ASTPHND Awards
| | |
At the annual Awards Luncheon, ASTPHND's leaders proudly presented five awards this year. The Excellence in Practice Award went to Robin Stanton for her tireless efforts to promote breastfeeding and to prevent childhood obesity.
David Rath received the Award for Excellence in Association Work for his many contributions to ASTPHND. David has offered his leadership and guidance as a member of the advisory and executive committees of the National Council of Fruit & Vegetable Coordinators, the ASTPHND Nominating Committee, Membership Committee and other ad hoc ASTPHND work groups.
Diane Golzynski received the Award for Outstanding Leadership of the National Council of Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Coordinators. Diane was honored for serving as secretary of the Council in its formative stages and chairing the Council for two years, and also for representing the Council on the ASTPHND Communications, Membership and Advocacy Committees.
The 2011 Award for Outstanding Leadership for the Maternal & Child Health Nutrition Council went to Suzanne Haydu. ASTPHND leaders presented this award to Suzanne for her leadership in forming the MCH Nutrition Council and for her time and expertise in mobilizing members on critical MCH issues.
ASTPHND presented Lorelei DiSogra and Margo Wootan with the Excellence in Advocacy Award. These tireless advocates were honored for their leadership in the successful passage of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
ASTPHND is grateful to have such inspiring and unflagging leadership within the public health nutrition community.
|
|
"There has never been a time when so much progress has been made in such a short time"
|
| |
With our theme of Blazing New Trails, we heard from more than a dozen speakers who inspired us and challenged us to approach our work with fresh eyes. This year's presenters spoke on a wide range of pertinent topics, from Nutrition Policy Updates to How Physical Activity Policy Can Make a Difference, and from The Constitutional Basis for Chronic Disease Control to Leadership Development in Times of Change. Below are just a few brief highlights. Check the Annual Meeting page on the ASTPHND website for full Annual Meeting details, including recorded sessions, speakers' Powerpoint presentations, speaker bios and more.
Margo Wootan, Nutrition Policy Director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, kicked off the meeting by celebrating the many public health nutrition victories we have jointly worked to achieve over the last year, from the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act to menu labeling to healthier foods in schools. Although we have made great gains, there is still much work to be done. Priorities now include food marketing to children, expanding menu-labeling, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Ms. Wootan told participants that our collective work to educate the public and decision makers over the years has brought about many changes in people's behaviors!
In his update, CDC-DNPAO Director Dr. William Dietz said, "There has never been a time when so much progress has been made in such a short time in nutrition and physical activity." He cited the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative and the administration's goal of ending childhood obesity in a generation, restaurant menu labeling and front of package labeling requirements. Dr Dietz said, "never has there been a greater investment in prevention and programs across multiple settings, from schools to child care to the workplace." He also touched on the changes to the SNAP-Ed program outlined in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. ASTPHND submitted formal comments to the USDA in mid-June on the program's new efforts to more effectively address hunger and obesity.
Dr. Shani Dowd piqued the crowd's interest well into the evening with her presentation,  Encountering Culture: Working in Communities. Dr. Dowd challenged the way we approach or respond to people whose ethnicity or culture is different from our own. She urged us to practice "cultural humility" in working to engage minority communities in our public health nutrition programs. She gave us many tips and tools for improving our effectiveness. Dr. Dowd is the Director of Culture InSight, a program of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine.
|
|
| |
To blaze new trails in our field, we need new ways to think about the issues we face and what we want to accomplish. In Leadership Development in Times of Change, long-time ASTPHND member Margie Tate told us, "Leadership in MCH Nutrition is becoming more and more important. Ensuring that nutrition remains a vital part of MCH is critical." To help us think about our leadership skills, Professional Coach Hanna Cooper said, "Effective leaders know themselves and harness their strengths." She counseled participants to focus on their strengths, not their weaknesses, and on specific action steps we can take. Consultant Maggie Adamek shared with us the importance of how we structure our collaborations and design our meetings to give us the best outcomes.
Marice Ashe opened our eyes to the legalities behind the policies we are advocating in her presentation, Fundamental Liberties: The Constitutional Basis for Chronic Disease Control. Ms. Ashe explained what the legal constraints are on public health nutrition policy, how much change we can push for, and why. She discussed how public health, where we work to protect the common good, and the constitution, the document charged with protecting our civil liberties, intersect and conflict. Marice Ashe, JD, MPH, is the founder and executive director of Public Health Law and Policy. Ms. Ashe has launched many pioneering efforts to improve public health outcomes. ASTPHND has posted tools and information from Public Health Law and Policy on a number of topics under the Resources section of our website. Go to "Search Resources," then type in NPLAN. NPLAN is the National Policy and Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity, a program of Public Health Policy and Law.
Back to Top
|
|
|
Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools Training
Another highlight of the ASTPHND Annual Meeting in June was the Fruit and Vegetable Council's training workshop focusing on the Nutrition Coordinators' role in the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools Initiative. The Council's mini-grant awardees from five states all participated in the training and presented an overview of the projects they will launch this summer. In addition, participants learned more about the Salad Bar initiative from CDC's Larry Grummer-Strawn and Diane Harris and from United Fresh Produce Association's Lorelei DiSogra.
 Workshop participants brainstormed needs and steps they can take as state fruit and vegetable nutrition coordinators. Major topics from the brainstorming sessions were: building partnerships; coordinating trainings for school food service leaders, parents and kids; assisting with fundraising; and developing promotional materials.
The workshop closed with an inspiring success story. Jessica Shelly, Food Service Director for the Cincinnati Public Schools, gave a rousing presentation on the barriers she overcame not only to bring salad bars to her city's schools but also to gain the support of the district's leadership, staff, parents and the media.
Back to Top
| |
|
Special Breastfeeding Workshop: Building Effective Collaborations to Implement the Call to Action
In addition to the informative and action-packed annual meeting, ASTPHND presented a special workshop, Building Effective Collaborations: Implementation of the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. We presented this special session in coordination with the United States Breastfeeding Committee. Following CDC Nutrition Branch Chief Larry Grummer-Strawn's overview of the Call to Action, we learned about specific actions states are taking to implement the Call in the areas of health care, communities and employment.
A highlight of the workshop was Maggie Adamek's session, Leading Public Health Partnerships and Coalitions. Ms. Adamek presented new tools and out-of-the-box ideas for creating and maintaining successful coalitions. Among a wealth of ideas, participants learned about the 3 Cs of Learning for Public Health:
- Change: What does it take to generate and sustain systems change?
- Collaboration: What are ways to build effective and productive collaborations?
- Content: What do we need to know about this topic to effectively implement our program?
With these new tools and new information in hand, participants then spent time in small groups identifying action steps for work in their home states. We closed the workshop with a visit to University Hospital, a baby-friendly hospital in Salt Lake City.
Back to Top
| |
|
ASTPHND Board Adopts New Mission Statement
ASTPHND now has a new mission statement. With input from ASTPHND Board members, a Board sub-committee worked over the last several months to draft a new mission statement to better present ASTPHND to our members and partners. The Board adopted the new mission statement at its meeting on Sunday morning before the Annual Meeting. Our new mission statement reads:
The Association of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors develops leaders in public health nutrition who strengthen policy, programs and environments making it possible for everyone to make healthy food choice and achieve healthy, active lifestyles.
Back to Top
| |
|
Don't Miss Next Year's Annual Meeting!
Plan to join us for next year's ASTPHND Annual Meeting. We have set the date already, so mark your calendar for June 10 - 12, 2012. Check www.astphnd.org for an announcement of the meeting location.
Back to Top
| |
|
|
