The Oregon Public Health Division is joining in the 2007 National Public Health Week observance with organizations all over the country to celebrate National Public Health Week. In Oregon, activities will take place statewide, highlighting the work of the state’s public health system and focusing on the ways public health helps keep people healthy every day.
Read the Governor's proclamation
Activities
County public health departments are holding activities around the state -- from recognizing Public Health heroes in Multnomah County, to launching a "Get Active 2007" educational effort in Umatilla County.
Oregon's Public Health week activities will kick off April 2 at the State Capitol in Salem. You can meet public health staff and view interactive exhibits all week at these locations:
Monday, April 2: Galleria at Capitol Building in Salem, all day
Displays in the galleria will include those focused on emergency preparedness, this year's public health week theme. Other displays will include information on the state’s overall public health system, physical activity and nutrition, communicable diseases, emergency medical services, environmental public health and family health (see map).
Tues-Wednesday, April 3-4: Portland State Office Bldg. lobby, all day
The Public Health displays will be moved from Salem and exhibited in Portland (see map). Visit 12 tables of displays that demonstrate the work of public health, including:
- Public health emergency preparedness planning
- Safe Drinking Water
- Emergency Medical Services
- Beach water monitoring
- Immunization
- WIC
- Communicable disease
- Obesity prevention
- Radiation protection
- Adolescent health
Tues & Wed - April 3,4: showing of the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth"
A healthy and stable environment is a critical component to maintaining the public's health. The documentary An Inconvenient Truth highlights the basic science of global warming and discusses its potential environmental impacts. These impacts relate to public health in many ways--such as increased spread of West Nile from a higher incidence of mosquitoes due to warmer weather and more precipitation, compromised water systems due to flooding and an increased rate of asthma due to a decline in air quality.
- When: April 3rd, 2pm & April 4th, 10am
- Where: 827 NE Oregon St, Suite 250, Room 827 A (across street from PSOB)
Friday, April 6: OPHA Student Symposium, OSU, Corvallis, all day.
Co-sponsored by the Oregon Public Health Association (OPHA), the 5th Oregon Master of Public Health Program Student Symposium provides a venue for students to present current and ongoing work through poster sessions and presentations and an opportunity for public health partners and practitioners to come together for a day of sharing new information. This year's student symposium's theme is "Next Steps: Students and Community Partners in Public Health." It is scheduled for 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Friday April 6, at the LaSells Stewart Center, at OSU (see map).
About Public Health in Oregon
Oregon's public health system is comprised of the Oregon Public Health Division, DHS, 34 county health departments, community-based health groups, tribal governments, private health foundations and associations, and health care providers – doctors, nurses, dentists and others.
State Public Health programs addresses more than 100 health issues to help create and maintain conditions to keep people healthy. Public health services are fundamental and cost-effective, including:
- Tracking and investigating health problems and hazards,
- Preparing for and responding to public health emergencies,
- Developing and enforcing regulations to improve health and ensure safety,
- Linking families to health services,
- Helping mobilize communities to address vital health issues,
- Teaching good health practices.
Public health is science-based and prevention-oriented. State and county public health programs are as essential as police, firefighters, and medical personnel. Public health professionals respond to emergencies and protect health and safety of Oregonians every day.
More Resources
Read the Public Health-County Bulletin March 2007: This month's county bulletin focuses on Public Health Week activities and the importance of public health in people's lives. Included are county activities planned from Umatilla, Hood River, Multnomah, Union, and Jefferson, besides information on the statewide kick-off at the Capitol on April 2.
Visit the National Public Health Week website for more information about Public Health Week 2007.
Governor's Proclamation
WHEREAS: Promoting, protecting and preserving health and quality of life for people in Oregon is a major goal of our state; and
WHEREAS: Public health programs and services benefit everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic strata and are essential to a strong, successful health care system; and,
WHEREAS: Public health activities help people be healthy by protecting Oregonians from infectious disease, environmental and workplace hazards, chronic disease, unintentional injuries and violence; and
WHEREAS: Public health emphasizes prevention including strategies that improve infant mortality rates and childhood immunization rates, promote child and adolescent health, prevent teen pregnancies, reduce child abuse and obesity rates; and
WHEREAS: Educating and encouraging people to adopt healthy behaviors helps them attain well?being and prevents chronic illness and premature death; and
WHEREAS: Oregon's public health system of state, local and public-private partnerships is crucial to achieving the vision of healthy people living in healthy communities throughout our state;
NOW,
THEREFORE, I, Ted Kulongoski, Governor of the State of Oregon, do hereby proclaim
April 3 through 9, 2006 as
PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK
In Oregon and call upon Oregonians to celebrate with activities that promote health and acknowledge the benefits of public health to everyone in our communities.
In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand and cause the Great Seal of the State of Oregon to be affixed. Done at the Capitol in the City of Salem and the State of Oregon, on this day, April 3, 2006
Ted Kulongoski
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