Office Of Special Programs

Public Health Practice Programs

 

 

To expand the practice of public health as well as the public health infrastructure at local, regional, and state levels; while creating activities and training programs which enhance the skills and competencies of the current public health workforce.

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Here are some examples of the activities that take place with our programs. Please note that this list is not inclusive of all our activities and training opportunities, but provides a good overview of how we work together to improve public health in rural communities.

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• Community Roundtables
  The School of Rural Public Health has pioneered a Rural Health Roundtable (RHR) methodology that has proven effective in engaging stakeholders in a rural community or communities around a specific topic; identifying the rural public health system and other stakeholders; local strengths and resources; existing relationships and gaps within the current system; identifying and educating local decision makers; and working together to address a specific rural health issue. This methodology has been used successfully to support a wide variety of outcomes including improving local emergency preparedness planning; developing networks of health professionals working in the HIV/AIDS arena; facilitating dialog to identify local resources and access issues; and identifying coalition building, obesity prevention and rural disaster planning best practices and success stories.
   

• Texas Public Health Training Center
  The Texas Public Health Training Center, established in 1999, represents a collaborative of three academic public health partners, the University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health, the University of North Texas School of Public Health, and the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health (SPRH).  The Texas Department of State Health Services is the practice partner.  The goal of the Texas Public Health Training Center is to provide training modules to enhance the knowledge, skills, and ability of the existing Public Health workforce.  The Texas Public Health Training Center assures that the current and future members of the Texas public health workforce have access to quality learning programs to: (1) strengthen the technical, scientific, managerial and leadership competencies and capabilities of the current and future public health workforce, (2) contribute to improved performance of the public health system, and (3) disseminate evolving public health performance concepts and standards. The training objectives reflect local priorities and needs, track national performance standards, reflect the core functions of public health, and reflect essential public health services.

Texas Public Health Training Center
TPHTC Newsletter Fall 2006

TPHTC Newsletter Spring 2007

TPHTC Newsletter Summer 2007

• National Rural Public Health Interest Groups
  This is a great example of how communities, health centers, and local health departments work together with the Office of Special Programs, State and Federal agencies, and national associations to discuss many different topics relating to rural public health. In February 2006, the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Public Health Interest Group, the HRSA Public Health Training Centers (PHTC) Rural Interest Group, and the National Rural Development Partnership Public Health Interest Group kicked off their first joint national conference call. The purpose of these conference calls is to provide information and discussion on rural issues such as public health infrastructure, workforce, health priorities, and economic development, in addition to other rural health topics. By joining together, members of each group are able to share ideas as well as build partnerships and opportunities for collaboration. The School of Rural Public Health co-chairs two of the three national partners.
   

• Rural Public Health Infrastructure
  The goal of the Healthy People 2010 focus area on Public Health Infrastructure is to ensure that Federal, Tribal, State and local health agencies have the infrastructure to effectively provide essential public health services (Healthy People 2010, 2000).  Included in this goal is the examination of disparities between public health infrastructure in rural communities and their urban counterparts, to address four areas of potential concern: data and information systems; workforce; public health organizations, and resources.
   

• Memberships and Collaborations
  The Office of Special Programs (OSP) remains actively involved in many public health, rural health, and rural focused organizations at the state and national levels. Through participation on many different boards, planning committees and annual meetings, OSP continues to represent and promote different aspects of rural public health. Examples of our affiliations include:

• Texas Rural Health Association (TRHA) - The Texas Rural Health Association is a non-profit organization whose primary goal is to improve the health of rural Texans. The OSP remains an active participant in this organization, presents at the annual conference each year, and currently holds representation on the Board of Directors.

• National Rural Health Association (NRHA) - The NRHA is a national organization that provides leadership on rural health issues. The association’s mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of rural Americans and to provide leadership on rural health issues through a network of Public Health Training Centers. The Office of Special Programs has actively supported NRHA through presentations at their annual conference.
   

• Training Opportunities

Training Links
 

Updated: 06/20/2007