40th annual Maine Public Health Association conference
The 40th annual Maine Public Health Association conference was hosted this year in collaboration with the UMaine Institute of Medicine at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland on October 2, 2024. This year’s theme focused on innovations in public health, showcasing a broad array of programs, projects, and initiatives – both formal and informal – that aimed to improve individual and community health while demonstrating strategy, innovation, and creativity in addressing complex public health challenges. Speakers throughout Maine, and nationally, presented on development of skills and expanding knowledge through oral sessions, poster presentations, and networking opportunities. With over 450 people registered, the event offered informed innovation strategies being conducted throughout Maine’s healthcare industry and offered exciting opportunities for collaborations.
Tanya Pinkham, assistant director for development and administration at IoM, was part of the planning committee and was the session chair for the following two break out sessions:
How to Swim Upstream: Leveraging Existing Resources to Screen for HRSNs and Address SDOH with speakers Eisha Khan, ALM (MaineHealth) and Naomi Schucker, MPH (MaineHealth) (with Dora Ann Mills, MD, MPH, FAAP (MaineHealth) contributing towards this research). Their presentation delved into the nexus between healthcare and public health. Embracing a holistic approach that encompasses both healthcare and public health, the MaineHealth Center for Health Improvement utilizes a community-centered approach to screen patients for health-related social needs (HRSNs) while addressing broader social drivers of health (SDOH) through targeted community engagement and closely working with community-based organizations.
Improving Family-Provider Communication and Understanding About Developmental Screenings with speakers Sarah Lewis, MBA (Maine Access Immigrant Network), Simane Ibrahim (Maine Access Immigrant Network), Cristina Nzumba (Maine Access Immigrant Network) and Emilie Swenson (Data Innovation Project) (with Angela Mowat (MaineHealth) & Christine Stam (MaineHealth) contributing towards this research). They shared that since 2019, MaineHealth, Maine Access Immigrant Network (MAIN), and the Data Innovation Project have been working together to better understand and improve the developmental screening experiences of immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking families and their young children. These organizational goals focus on all children (and their caregivers) being able to experience culturally appropriate and relevant developmental screenings; increase parents (caregivers) awareness of the meaning and purpose of these screenings; educate and train staff and medical providers to provide positive experiences for parents (caregivers) through the screening process.