Public Health Law at NACCHO Annual 2009

Local health officials, along with federal and state public health practitioners, are responsible for the public’s health and safety. This responsibility requires that local health officials and senior local health department (LHD) staff understand the legal powers and responsibilities of local public health. The purpose of the pre-conference panel discussion and workshop is to improve the understanding and use of the law as a tool for effective public health practice.

Target Audience: Local health officials and other senior level local health department staff (supervisors or managers)

Registration Fee for Panel Discussion and Workshop: $30 (includes continental breakfast, lunch, and all meeting materials)

Attention: There are a very limited number of travel stipends available to attend the public health law pre-conference panel discussion and workshop at NACCHO Annual (estimated value $1,200, includes travel, one night hotel, and conference registration). If you are interested, please e-mail Angela Ablorh-Odjidja (aablorh@naccho.org) no later than COB Friday, June 19. To be eligible for this travel stipend, you must be a local health official or a senior level employee of a dues-paying LHD.

Wednesday, July 29, 8:30 AM–10:00 AM (EST)
Panel Discussion: Strengthening the Public Health Infrastructure—The Use of the Law in Public Health Prevention, Promotion, and Protection

Facilitator:
Shari Kinney, MS, MPH, RN, Administrator, Cleveland and McClain County (OK) Health Departments

Panelists:
Michelle Ann Larkin, JD, MD, RN, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Scott Burris, JD, Temple University School of Law
Ian McClaughlin, JD, Public Health Law and Policy Center

As a result of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the use of the law in public health practice;
• Describe the roles of at least three national organizations in promoting effective legal approaches to improving the public’s health;
• Discuss current and emerging legal challenges in public health;
• Discuss the implications of current and emerging legal challenges for local public health practice; and
• Identify practical legal tools and resources to assist with public health efforts.

Wednesday, July 29, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM (EST)
Workshop: Public Health Law 101 for Non-Lawyers: Using the Law as a Tool to Protect and Promote the Public’s Health – Public Health Prevention, Promotion, and Protection

Facilitators:
Maggie Mahoney, JD, Deputy Director, Tobacco Control Legal Consortium
Warren Ortland, JD, Staff Attorney, Tobacco Law Center, Tobacco Control Legal Consortium

During this workshop, participants will learn about the foundations of public health law and how legal principles are applied in local public health practice.

Thursday, July 30, 1:45 PM–2:45 PM (EST)
Concurrent Session: [How LHDs Can Implement] Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change Strategies to Promote Healthy Behaviors among Youth and Adults

Panelists:
Janet Collins, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Matthew McKenna, MD, MPH, CDC
Tony Moulton, PhD, CDC

Goal: Outline the mechanisms used by CDC/National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) to coordinate and implement policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to promote healthy behaviors among youth and adults, specifically as they relate to local health departments (LHDs).

Friday, July 31, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM (EST)
Concurrent Session: Legal Issues Surrounding the 2009 H1N1 Outbreak

Panelists:
Toby Merlin, MD, CDC
Tony Moulton, PhD, CDC
Susan Sherman, JD, MPH, Department of Health and Human Services