Our mission
The mission of the UNTHSC School of Public Health is to advance public health knowledge and practice through education of students, professionals and scientists; research; and service that enhances disease prevention, health promotion and the achievement of effectiveness, efficiency and equity in the delivery of health services while minimizing health disparities among populations.

Special thanks!
Thanks to this year’s North Texas Health Forum planning committee, who put together the 2010 conference on Infant Mortality:  Dr. Kathryn Cardarelli, UNTHSC Center for Community Health; Kathleen Donaldson, UNTHSC Obstetrics & Gynecology; Dr. Josephine Fowler, JPS Health Network; Barbara Greer, Cook Children’s Medical Center and the Tarrant County Infant Mortality Network; Julie Griffin, UNTHSC Institutional Advancement; Jennifer Hill-Green, Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Worth; Marcy Paul, YWCA Fort Worth & Tarrant County and The Fort Worth Commission for Women; Amy Raines, City of Fort Worth Women’s Health Initiative; Jerry Roberson, Tarrant County Infant Mortality Network; Ann Salyer-Caldwell, Tarrant County Public Health; and Joy M. Thomas, Fort Worth Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Alumni Chapter.

Did you know?
Did you know that over the course of the 20th century, public health has changed our world in significant ways, through the control of infectious disease; advances contributing to the decline in deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke; better access to family planning information and resources; the fluoridation of drinking water, which has resulted in reduced dental cavities and tooth decay in both children and adults; factors impacting healthier mothers and babies; continued efforts toward a healthier, safer food supply; the recognition and promotion of tobacco use as a health hazard; measures creating safer vehicles and highways; safer workplaces; vaccinations; and much more?

Degree programs
The UNTHSC School of Public Health offers the following degree programs:  Master of Health Administration (MHA); Master of Public Health (MPH); Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree; a proposed PhD program currently under review by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; and dual degree programs.  Other programs include a special three-week Summer Institute that appeals to working professionals, lifelong learners and upper-level undergraduates interested in public health.

Public Health is changing the world
“Keeping up with the public health needs of our world is critical.  Our goal at the UNT Health Science Center is to help prepare future public health leaders, researchers and practitioners for their essential roles in the state of Texas, the nation and around the world.”    
-Dr. Richard Kurz, Dean, SPH

CEPH accredited
The UNTHSC School of Public Health is one of only 43 schools of public health in North America accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

Keeping you informed
Welcome to the first issue of SPH Updates, your quarterly news source about happenings at the University of North Texas Health Science Center’s (UNTHSC) School of Public Health.  We care about the environment, which is why you’re receiving this newsletter electronically.  In an effort to save trees and consider costs, we have opted to keep you informed via email, rather than through traditional printing and mailing.  We look forward to sharing our news with you, and to hearing your questions and comments as well.   For more information on our school, be sure to visit our website at http://www.hsc.unt.edu/education/SPH/ … and follow more ongoing news about our faculty, students, programs, research and activities.  Thanks for taking the time to catch up with us!
- Dean Richard Kurz, UNTHSC School of Public Health

Focusing on infant mortality
Infant mortality has long been recognized as a significant problem in areas of Tarrant County, Texas, where more babies die each year than in almost any other county in the United States.  According to the Fort Worth Commission for Women, researchers believe that birth outcomes are a culmination of women’s health throughout their lives, and by improving women’s health overall, we can lower infant mortality in Fort Worth and beyond.  Some of the critical elements highlighted by experts in the battle against infant mortality include education, nutrition, stress reduction and preconception health.

These were among the key issues presented at this year’s third annual North Texas Health Forum, held April 8 and 9, and sponsored by the UNTHSC School of Public Health.  A record-breaking, capacity attendance of more than 200 guests participated in the event, titled “Reducing Infant Mortality in Tarrant County:  It’s Time for Action.” 

Both national speakers and local panelists were featured in this exploration of the root causes of infant mortality in our community, joining participants together to design solutions for change.

For more information on the program and to view guest speaker presentations online, visit:  http://www.hsc.unt.edu/education/sph/documents/InfantMortalityConf2010.pdf

New cancer prevention grant significant for North Texas
The UNT Health Science Center recently received almost $300,000 to fund a breast cancer education project in Dallas County.  With its award, UNTHSC will partner with the Dallas Cancer Disparities Community Coalition to implement a community–based breast cancer prevention education program aimed at reducing breast cancer disparities in the South Dallas/Fair Park area.  This award is part of a $6.8 million slate approved by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to fund 12 new cancer prevention programs through local clinics, health districts, community-based organizations and academic institutions across the state.

Assistant Surgeon General speaks to public health students
Epifanio (Epi) Elizondo, PhD, PA-C, Assistant Surgeon General and Rear Admiral, U.S. Public Health Service, recently spoke to UNTHSC students as part of National Public Health Week.  Dr. Elizondo serves as the senior federal public health official and scientist for his region and performs essential functions for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in three major areas:  disease prevention, all hazards preparedness, and agency-wide coordination.

Faculty & student honors
Faculty awards were recently presented to Dr. Karan Singh for Research; Dr. Sumi Suzuki for Teaching; and Dr. Terry Gratton for Service.   Dr. Singh is professor and Chair, Department of Biostatistics.  Dr. Suzuki serves as assistant professor in Biostatistics, and Dr. Gratton is assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.

Congratulations also to public health student Katandria Love Johnson, who was honored during Women’s History Month in March 2010 by the Fort Worth/Tarrant County Minority Leaders & Citizens Council Inc.  The event, “Hats Off to Women,” recognized women in the community who exemplify hard work and commitment to their professions. 

Faculty chair named to national advisory committee
Dr. José Pagán, professor and Chair, Department of Health Management and Policy, has been named to the National Advisory Committee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health & Society Scholars.  The Health & Society Scholars program seeks to improve the nation’s health by addressing factors that both affect health and inform policy. 

Professor quoted in New York Times
Dr. Jim Stimpson, assistant professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, has been quoted in the New York Times and interviewed by other news media sources regarding a study he published in Health Affairs indicating that immigrants are not a health care cost burden, despite widely held beliefs to the opposite.  Dr. Stimpson’s research, titled, “Trends in Health Care Spending for Immigrants in the United States,” was co-authored with Dr. Fernando Wilson, UNTHSC assistant professor of Health Management and Policy, and Dr. Karl Eschbach, internal medicine professor at the UT School of Medicine, Galveston.

Professor's presentation goes international
Dr. Lori Fischbach, vice chairman and assistant professor of Epidemiology, was recently invited to present a state-of-the-art lecture as part of the American Gastroenterological Association’s Digestive Disease Week conference in New Orleans … and the presentation will now be included in the “Best of Digestive Disease Week” workshop in Spain this September.   

If you do not wish to continue receiving this quarterly e-newsletter, please send us an email at sphdean@unthsc.edu.