Packing our bags for Boston
It's the week after
Labor Day, which means it's good-bye summer and hello fall. (Sort of. This
blogger is still simmering in 100-degree weather — summer, it seems, is having a
hard time sharing the calendar year.) But while we wait for the leaves to turn,
hope for the breeze to cool and desperately try to convince ourselves that it's
never too early — or too unhealthy — to buy a giant bag of Halloween candy corn,
we can keep ourselves busy by preparing for
APHA's 141st Annual Meeting
and Exposition!
The world's largest gathering of public health
professionals officially kicks off in less than two months at the Boston
Convention and Exhibition Center. From Nov. 2–6, thousands of public health
folks will descend upon one of our nation's most historic cities to swap best
practices, showcase their healthy successes, meet new and old friends, and
celebrate the role of public health in making all of our lives better. In fact
this year, Annual Meeting organizers are quite literally working to bring the
world of public health to Boston. With a meeting
theme of "Think
Global, Act Local," sessions and activities will zero in on highlighting the
best public health practices from around the globe.
For example, ever
wonder how to build local awareness around men's health issues and encourage
more men to seek out preventive care? Then check out this
Nov. 4
session on "Men's health: Thinking globally while acting locally," which
will feature perspectives from men's health initiatives in Germany and
Australia. Looking for effective ways to incorporate alternative medicine into
more traditional medical settings? Consider attending the
Nov. 5
session on "Integration of alternative and complementary health practices:
Best practices around the world," which will feature experiences from India and
Bangladesh. Looking for urban health tips to bring home to your community? Then
make time for this
Nov. 6
session on "International urban health issues," which will offer a
presentation on how youth from around the world perceive violence and its
effects on their lives.
These three sessions are just a tiny (and I mean
tiny) fraction of the hundreds of scientific sessions and events that
will take place during the Boston meeting. There's the
Public Health Expo, the
great speakers lined up for the
Opening
and
Closing
General Sessions, the Public Health Awards Reception and Ceremony, the
opportunity to earn
continuing education
credits, APHA's
Public Health
CareerMart, the
Public Health Film
Festival and so much more to look forward to.
To start making sense
of it all, visit the
online
program and take advantage of our handy
personal
scheduler. Still need to register for this year's public health
extravaganza? No problem — click
here to receive discounted
registration fees, which end Sept. 26.
And to really stay on top of
things, connect with APHA's many
social media outlets,
especially our
@PublicHealth and
@APHAAnnualMtg Twitter feeds.
While you're at it, why not
sign
up to receive regular updates from this very blog. Your loyal APHA public
health bloggers will begin posting more regular updates as we get closer to the
meeting and we'll be bringing you all the breaking news and highlights directly
from Boston.
To steal a historically inaccurate, but legendary phrase
from Boston's native son — and the city’s first health commissioner — Paul
Revere: Public health is coming!
— K.K.