Happy New Year from the Region 6 South Central Public Health Training Center!

We wish everyone a happy, healthy and successful 2023.

"Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day."

- Michael Josephson

Dr. MK Peek

Dr. Peek is the Dean, ad interim, of the newly established School of Public and Population Health and the Chair, ad interim, of the Department of Population Health and Health Disparities in the new school. She has a PhD from Duke University in Medical Sociology and has research interests in the impact of stress, community, and the environment on health disparities, particularly among older adults. She has been continuously funded for 20 years as either co-I or PI and all funding has focused on aspects of health disparities and inequities, a key theme and vision (Health Equity for All) in the School of Public and Population Health. Her overarching research goal is to investigate the impact of social and environmental factors on the inequitable production of health. This has been manifested throughout her career with foci on two specific areas: 1) social relationships, aging and health among older adults and 2) connections between race/ethnicity, stress, stress-related biomarkers, and health. More recently, she has begun expanding her research to address health inequities in climate change, a burgeoning field of research that significantly

affects all communities.

She is an active teacher, mentor, and educational administrator previously serving as Vice Chair for Education and the Graduate Program Director for Population Health Sciences in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Population Health in the School of Medicine, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the Director, ad interim, of the MD/PhD Combined Degree Program. She has been actively involved in and co-directed training grants for pre and post doctoral fellows and has extensive experience in mentoring students, postdocs, and junior faculty.

Welcome to the Region 6 South Central Public Health Training Center team, Dr. Peek!

The Region 6 South Central Public Health Training Center and Tulane University will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2023 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

""Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." - Martin Luther King Jr.

The Texas Association of City and County Health Officials (TACCHO) is engaged in numerous activities that are focused on moving public health forward in 2023. These include:

• Health Equity – TACCHO has begun a process of developing a health equity narrative for TACCHO, as well as to be used by TACCHO members in their local communities. Funding was received from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps project and the National Association of County and City Health Officials to educate members on health equity and health disparities and identify a narrative on health equity and strategies for implementing the narrative with policymakers and community members. 

• Workforce Development – TACCHO will host its annual Public Health Conference on February 27-28, 2023 with the theme “Moving Public Health Forward through Data, Equity, Community, Workforce.” Speakers will discuss data modernization, equity infusion, community partnerships and workforce retention and reward strategies at the national, state and local entities that will help move public health forward through policies and programs.

Akash Bhatia

After graduating from the Institute of Hotel Management Chennai, Akash Bhatia took a position as a cook for MSC Cruises. Bhatia recently completed the Environmental Public Health Online Courses (EPHOC) and Vector Control for Environmental Health Professionals (VCEHP) bundles in the Tulane Learning Management System. Bhatia took the trainings to help pursue his career goal of becoming a Public Health Officer on cruise ships. 

How did you hear about the Tulane Learning Management System?

The Fleet Public Health Manager shared the link to Tulane Learning Management System and asked me to take specific courses.

What’s the best thing about the trainings on the Tulane LMS?

The best thing about trainings on Tulane LMS is the course content; the teaching techniques are also above expectations. I've found the trainings helped me gain knowledge of how the things work. 

How have the trainings been beneficial to you?

After completing the trainings, I will apply for higher positions. I hope gaining work experience along with taking these trainings will help me achieve my goal of becoming a Public Health Officer.

Thank you for being our January 2023 Tulane LMS Learner of the Month, Akash Bhatia!

Course Spotlight:

Gaining New Perspectives of Flood Response in a Texas Community

Course Description:

The goal of this course is to provide a learning opportunity for participants to demonstrate leadership, persuasive communication, crisis management, and action plan development skills while dealing with coastal flooding scenarios that impact their local Texas communities.

This course is designed to provide vital information about the roles and responsibilities of Texas-based Incident Command System (ICS) Commanders and Emergency Team Managers. It will describe the issues of critical infrastructure, environmental health, vulnerable populations, and infectious diseases that occur with flooding events. 

The course will also challenge participants to use their knowledge to critically think about the issues and determine the best courses of action for their communities.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and utilize critical infrastructure during an emergency

• Identify and respond to environmental hazards caused by flooding

• Outline plans for assisting vulnerable populations

• Recognize the dangers of vector-borne diseases following floods and identify mitigation measures

For more information about

this training, please click here.

Featured Course Bundle:

Environmental Public Health Online Courses (EPHOC)

Course Bundle Description:

Environmental Public Health Online Courses (EPHOC) is a comprehensive package of courses for environmental public health practitioners. The 15 courses are taught by experts in their field and include information on various roles and responsibilities of environmental public health staff. Target audiences include: new-hire environmental public health professionals; individuals preparing for a state or national credential exam; environmental health and other students; and environmental public health professionals wanting to improve their technical knowledge. 

Trainings in this bundle include:

• E001: General Environmental Health (3 hours)

• E002: Statutes and Regulations (3 hours)

• E003: Food Protection (4 hours)

• E004: Potable Water (6 hours)

• E005: Wastewater (4 hours)

• E006: Solid and Hazardous Waste (3 hours)

• E007: Hazardous Materials (1 hour)

• E008: Zoonoses, Vectors, Pests and Weeds (4 hours)

• E009: Radiation Protection (2 hours)

• E010: Occupational Safety and Health (1 hour)

• E011: Air Quality and Environmental Noise (2 hours)

• E012: Housing Sanitation and Safety (3 hours)

• E013: Institutions and Licensed Establishments (3 hours)

• E014: Swimming Pools and Recreational Facilities (3 hours)

• E015: Disaster Sanitation (5 hours)

For additional information about the

EPHOC course bundle,  click here.