CPHI is pleased to bring this new electronic edition of our tri-annual newsletter! The new version will continue to feature the work of CPHI fellows, MPH faculty and students, highlight upcoming events and opportunities, and engage our community around important public health topics. With an electronic format, we now offer more searchable and sharable content, including posts from our new CPHI blog. We plan to continue to expand our communications portfolio so we can increase the public health visibility and dialogue in and outside of Penn.

As always, CPHI welcomes new voices and representation from various sectors related to health. We invite Penn Faculty and Public Health Professionals to learn more about becoming a CPHI fellow. For more information, you may reach out directly to myself at [email protected] or Sara Solomon at [email protected].

Dr. Yehia, an Infectious Disease physician and CPHI Senior Fellow, recently launched the Penn Medicine Program for LGBT Health. The Program is collaborating with CPHI and LDI to plan a special event this April.  

If you saw someone collapse, stop breathing and not have a pulse, you would call 911 and probably start CPR. But would you know where to look for an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED)? AEDs are the only publicly accessible devices that can shock the heart back to life. Each device provides clear visual guides and audible instructions to the user. In spite of this, AEDs are rarely used in an emergency.

Right now, Penn is running a Defibrillator Design Challenge to draw attention to AEDs and their use. Anyone can participate by uploading a design or voting for your favorite. CPHI has an entry, too: you can vote for us here! 

CVS Caremark recently announced that it would stop selling tobacco products, a move that Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Health and Human Services, called "an unprecedented step in the retail industry." Here in Philadelphia, the decision could result in a 22% decrease in the number of pharmacies selling tobacco products in the city.

This map from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health illustrates the potential change. Take a look at CPHI's statement in support of a smoke-free campus on our website. 

Jane is a second-year full-time MPH student who has spent time as an AmeriCorps VISTA, a teaching assistant, a researcher with the Mixed Methods Research Lab, and more! Read about her experience at Penn and beyond.