NEWSVol. 1 No. 1 • Autumn 2014

Welcome to WRPHTC! The Western Region Public Health Training Center (WRPHTC) is fund-ed by HRSA to support the public health workforce in HRSA Region 9, which includes Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii and US Affiliated Pacific Islands.

We are a consortium of public health professionals that have a mission to develop, provide and monitor need-based trainings for current and future community health workers to strengthen their public health competencies. We also provide additional expertise on nutrition, physical activity and obesity to the national network of PHTCs.

The consortium consists of a local performance site (LPS) in University of Nevada, Reno, School of Community Health Sciences; University of Hawai’i, Manoa, Department of Public Health Sciences; Pacific Island Health Officers Association; and University of California, San Francisco, California Area Health Education Center Program.

Our vision is to have a strong collaborative public health network and public health workforce that collectively works towards the development of healthy communities in HRSA Region 9 and the Nation.

C A L I F O R N I A Public Health

Training Center

WRPHTC Central OfficeThe Arizona Public Health Training Center (Az-PHTC) will serve as the WRPHTC central office. In collaborating with county health departments and numerous community leaders and partners, the AzPHTC was able to accomplish during its first round of funding:

• Collaborated with the Arizona Department of Health Services and AHCCCS, (Arizona’s Medicaid Office), to certify all WIC employees for Arizona, the Navajo Nation, Guam, Com-monwealth of Northern Marianas Islands, and American Samoa

• Developed and implemented an online competency and training needs assessment for 4 Arizona county health departments and other public health organizations based off the Public Health Foundation Core Com-petencies for Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 public health professionals

• Created 15 online courses for AZTRAIN and 6 in-person public health trainings

• Supported statewide and Arizona-based national conferences

• Created a AzPHTC YouTube which has had more than 39,527 views and 192 subscriptions

• Created a series of Public Health Oriented Quality Improvement Podcasts

Western Region Public Health Training CenterOperational Chart

WRPHTC CentralOffice

The AzPHTCLocal Performance Sites

Needs Assessments

Local AdvisoryCommittees

WRPHTC ExecutiveCommittee

(LPS Directors and CentralOffice Key Personnel)

WRPHTC AdvisoryCommittee

(Exec Committee and Selected Local Advisory Committee Members)

National PHTC Network

Trainings

In-personOnline

Live Broadcasts

Via TRAIN

Course and Systems Evaluation

HRSA Reporting

A Member of the Nation’s Network of Public Health Training Centers

Upcoming Activities Below is a list of some upcoming events at each LPS site. If you have any ques-tions or would like to learn more about any of these activities, please email us at wrphtc@arizona.edu. ARIZONA1. Provide Return on Investment course in Maricopa County2. Public Health Essentials in Action training with the Gila River

Pima Tribe on November 21, 20143. Developing 3 interactive interactive, case-based learning modules using

Decision Simulation software by December 31, 20144. Implement needs assessment in Mohave County Public Health Department 5. Present at the Arizona Local Health Officials Association meeting on Dec.

11, 2014

CALIFORNIA1. Establish partnerships with California’s network of Area Health

Education Centers2. Trainings for community health workers to do outreach and

education for the health insurance exchange3. Establish a standardized needs assessment

NEVADA1. Create a database of community partners/stakeholders through-

out Nevada2. Implement a community needs assessment throughout Nevada among

public health stakeholders3. Begin planning meetings for Cultural Considerations in Health Care, a train-

ing conference for health care providers and the public health workforce that will be held in February 2015

4. Conduct in-person meetings and key informant interviews with public health workforce leaders in rural Nevada

5. Begin setup of Project ECHO, video conferenced public health cases and grand rounds with rural areas

PACIFIC ISLANDS1. Begin translating the current public health courses part of

Federated States of Micronesia College of Medicine’s Asso-ciate of Sciences Degree in Public Health into both non-accredited short courses and accredited courses

2. Begin providing courses to public health workers in Yap, Chuuk, and Kosrae States of Micronesia

3. Begin providing courses to public health workers both at the Pohnpei State Department of Health Services and the National Department of Health, Federated States of Micronesia

HAWAI’I1. Community Enrichment Storytelling Event, October 30, 20142. Workshop on Health Literacy and Improving Equality, Novem-

ber 14, 20143. Homeless Awareness Conference, November 21, 20144. Workshop on HIV Counseling, December 12, 20145. Workshop on Critical Concerns in Genetic Research for Indigenous Health,

January 9, 20156. Offer trainings in collaboration with the Hawaii/Pacific Basin Area Health

Education Center Program

Central Office Staff Spotlight

Erich Healy

Erich is the Online De-

signer for the WRPHTC.

He holds a BA in Music

with emphasis in Busi-

ness Management/Pro-

duction. Erich is skilled

in creating interactive

online and in-person

learning experiences

through web development and videography. He

has been part of the AzPHTC for the past 2 years

and is an expert at managing the State-wide LMS

(AZ-TRAIN) for the public health workforce.

In his spare time, Erich enjoys performing at

local venues playing jazz and Latin music and

upkeeps the vegetable garden at the Central

Office. He has just helped build an aquaponic

system with fish and will start growing herbs

in the systems at the central office. You are

invited to come by and see it.

ARIZONA PHTC

Douglas Taren, PhDProject Director Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public HealthUniversity of Arizonataren@email.arizona.edu • Phone: 520-626-8375

Lubna Govindarajan, MPHProject CoordinatorMel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Healthlshaikh@email.arizona.edu • Phone: 520-626-1086

Raymond Andrade, M.Ed.Instruction DesignerMel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Healthraymondandrade@email.arizona.eduOffice: 520-626-5017, Cell: 520-271-1852

Erich Healy, BAOnline Designer Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Healtherichh@email.arizona.edu • Phone: 520-626-2450

James Cunningham, PhDEvaluatorMel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Healthjkcunnin@email.arizona.edu

Paul Akmajian, MA, MFAGraphics Designer/Outreach Coordinator Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Healthpakmajian@email.arizona.edu • Phone: 520-626-5837

Additional Support for the AzPHTC is provided by Rod Gorrell, Daniel Derksen, MD and Myra Muramoto, MD, MPH

CALIFORNIA PHTC

John Blossom, MD Program DirectorCalifornia Statewide AHEC Programjblossom@fresno.ucsf.edu • Phone: 559-241-7650

Brenda Mitchell Program Manager California Statewide AHEC Programbmitchell@fresno.ucsf.edu – Phone: 559-241-7650

NEVADA PHTC

Trudy Larson, MDProfessor and DirectorSchool of Community Health Sciences University of Nevada, Reno tlarson@unr.edu • Phone: 775-682-7103

NEVADA PHTC (cont)

Gerald Ackerman DirectorNortheastern AHEC Program gackerman@medicine.nevada.edu • Phone: 775-738-3828

Gerold Dermid-GrayCommunity Relations and Field Studies Coordinator School of Community Health Sciences University of Nevada, Renogdermid@unr.edu • Phone: 775-682-7096

US AFFILIATED PACIFIC ISLANDS PHTC

Greg Dever, MDRegional Human Resources for Health CoordinatorPacific Island Health Officers Associationgregd@pihoa.org • Phone: 680-488-4900

Emi ChutaroExecutive Director Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA)emic@pihoa.org

Cerina MarianoAdministratorPIHOAcerinam@pihoa.org

Mark Durand, MD, MPHPerformance & Health Information Systems Initiative CoordinatorPIHOAdurand@pihoa.org • Phone: 808-537-3131

HAWAI’I PHTC

Valerie Yontz, RN-BC, MS, MPH, PhDSpecialist & Practice CoordinatorHawai’i PI-Public Health Training Center (CALPACT)University of Hawaii Manoavyontz@hawaii.edu • Phone: 808-956-5771

Kelley Withy, MD, PhDProfessor and DirectorAHEC Program, University of Hawai’i Manoawithy@hawaii.edu • Phone: 808-692-1070

Kevin Rogers, MA, MHAAssociate Director AHEC Program, University of Hawai’i Manoakevinrog@hawaii.edu • Phone: 808-692-1060

Contact Us