Annual Report Magazine 2006

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH | 2005 – 2006

Annual Report

M A G A Z I N E

S T R A T E G I C

C H O I C E S

Vision To make a difference in the health of the public by advancing knowledge through multidisciplinary research and education and by reaching out with knowledge, service and leadership to Ohio and the world.

Mission Statement The Ohio State University School of Public Health exists for the improvement of the health of the public through the creation, dissemination, and application of knowledge. It prepares students for the challenges of leadership and service in public health and related professions, adds to knowledge through basic and applied research, and serves the tradition of land-grant universities.

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006

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Table of contents

Editorial Staff Christine O’Malley, Communications Director Julie Johnston, Communications Project Coordinator Publication design by The Drawing Room School of Public Health Home Page: http://sph.osu.edu “Advancing Knowledge. Improving Life.”

Dean’s Message

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Progress Report

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Research: How NOT to Repeat History

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Research News and Selected Projects

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Teaching and Learning: New Undergraduate Minor

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Teaching and Learning News

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Service and Outreach: Biostatistics Summer Program

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Service and Outreach News

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Faculty News

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Alumni Feature: Surviving Hurricane Katrina

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Alumni News

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Development

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All photo credits are from University Photography except: page 4 (Courtesy of the National Museum of Health and Medicine, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C.,NCP 1603); page 15 (photo of Waverly Gordon by Julie Johnston); page 23 (UCLA Communications); page 27 (ProMedica Health System); page 29 (Amy Wermert).

The SPH Annual Report Magazine is published annually every September by the OSU School of Public Health for the alumni, faculty, students, staff and friends of the school. This is the second issue. Copyright 2006. Permission to reprint any portion must be obtained from the school. Contact: School of Public Health Communications Office, 320 W. 10th Ave., StarlingLoving M116, Columbus OH 43210. Phone: (614)293-9406.

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

DEAN’S MESSAGE A choice for public health There are certain decision points in life that alter your path. You ask yourself, “Should I go to College A or to College B? Should I go to graduate school? Should my first job be in the Midwest or the West Coast? Should I get married? Should we buy that house or keep renting for a while?” Every decision moves your life along a path, a very different path than you would have taken with the alternate decision.

In 1998, the movie Sliding Doors followed Gwyneth Paltrow’s character, Helen Quilley, along two paths after losing her job one morning. In one scenario, she misses the train on the way home, and in the other, she makes the train. The rest of the movie examines how that one difference dramatically alters her life.

Three years ago, The Ohio State University made one of those path-changing decisions. The university decided to strengthen its School of Public Health by appointing its first permanent dean, separating the School from the College of Medicine and

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providing new resources for the recruitment and hiring of many new faculty members.

We became our own independent academic unit, doubling the size of our faculty in only three years and tripling our research funding. We have now submitted our application for college status.

University leaders have shown a commitment to building a top-tier school of public health. Those decision points have altered the future course for the university and the world we live in. Because of the university’s choice, we have pursued a strategy of building a dynamic leadership team, a robust research program and a strong academic profile.

Of all the highlights from the past year, what will have the biggest impact on the future of the school and university? What will bear the best fruit for the health of Ohioans?

• The completion of our leadership team and faculty we’ve brought to Ohio State.

Every faculty person has the potential to improve lives.

• Our strategic investment in public health preparedness, as described in this publication.

• Our new undergraduate minor, which makes public health courses accessible to all students.

• Our expertise in tobacco cessation, cancer control and prevention, environmental health, health policy and public health education as the first and only accredited school of public health in Ohio.

• Bringing our school together under one roof in Cunz Hall by 2009.

While certain decisions send us down different paths, the results often hinge on the help of others and a little luck. The extent of our success and the scope of our impact will be influenced by people who want to invest in the public’s health and safety.

As I take stock of how far we have come, I am optimistic about the paths we have chosen. Join us on this road to the future. The future is now.

Dean Stanley Lemeshow

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006

PROGRESS REPORT

Two divisions move into new space The School of Public Health moved two divisions into new spaces this year. The Divisions of Health Services Management and Policy (HSMP) and Health Behavior and Health Promotion (HBHP) moved into the renovated fourth floor of Cunz Hall.

The School expects the rest of the building to be available for renovation in 2007.

Eventually, we hope to have the whole school in one building.

School honors public health ‘Champions’ The Ohio State University School of Public Health celebrated its 10th anniversary during the 2005-2006 academic year by presenting the first Champions of Public Health awards.

The 2005 winners of the School’s Champion of Public Health Awards were: • Kathryn Peppe, RN, MS, in the Community Leader category; • Maurice "Mo" Mullet, MD, in the Public Health Practitioner category; • Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics in the Organization category.

The School held the 2006 Champions of Public Health Awards Lecture and Reception on Oct. 5, 3:30-6:00 p.m., at the Longaberger Alumni House. The event included presentations of the Champion of Public Health Awards and a lecture by distinguished alumnus David Savitz (MS, ’78).

Savitz is the Charles W. Bluhdorn Professor of Community & Preventive Medicine and director of the Center of Excellence in Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Disease Prevention at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

His primary research activities and interests are in reproductive, environmental and cancer epidemiology. Savitz spoke about his work reassessing the role of epidemiology in public health.

Winners of the 2006 Champions of Public Health Awards are: • William C. “Bill” Myers, retired health commissioner from the Columbus Health Department, in the Public Health Practitioner category; • Tri-County Nurse Team from Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull Counties, in the Group category; • Gregory L. Halley, Wayne County Health Commissioner, in the Community Leader category.

The OSU School of Public Health created the Champions of Public Health Awards in 2005 to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the health of Ohioans.

Leadership team completed The School took a big step in its quest to build a top-tier public health faculty by filling out the leadership team over the past year. In the preceding 12 months, the school added: • Mary Ellen Wewers, PhD, associate dean for research and faculty development; • Timothy Buckley, PhD, chair of the Division of Environmental Health Sciences; • David Murray, PhD, chair of the Division of Epidemiology; • Mei-Ling Ting Lee, PhD, chair of the Division of Biostatistics; • Allard E. Dembe, ScD, chair of the Di-

vision of Health Services Management and Policy and director of the Center for Health Outcomes Policy and Evaluation Studies (HOPES).

They join the School’s current leaders: • Dean Stanley Lemeshow, PhD; • Jeff Caswell, PhD, associate dean for academic affairs; • Phyllis Pirie, PhD, chair of the Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion; • Ann Florentine, assistant dean of administration and finance.

Other Highlights • Submitted our application for college status with the intent to become a college during this academic year; • Offered two new master’s level specializations, veterinary public health and clinical investigations; • Participated in the country’s first national town hall meeting on health care, connecting via satellite to 21 colleges and universities across the country.

• Received university approval for the undergraduate minor in public health.

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THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

RESEARCH

Make Ready How NOT to repeat history

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By Julie Johnston SPH Communications

Almost 90 years ago, the world was gripped by the most horrific pandemic ever recorded in human history. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates the influenza pandemic of 1918 killed as many as 50 million people worldwide, including more than 600,000 Americans. Between 2.5 and 5 percent of the world’s population died from influenza during a 12-month period in 1918 and 1919. As World War I was coming to an end, the flu pandemic proved to be far deadlier than the war itself.

By the end of the 20th Century, medical and technological advances gave many people in the United States a false sense of security about the threat of infectious disease. In fact, few people born in the latter half of the 20th century even knew of the 1918 influenza pandemic. Then came 9/11, anthrax attacks, the threat of bioter-

rorism, SARS and now the emergence of a new highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza, H5N1. Suddenly, biowarfare and pandemic influenza are a part of our everyday lexicon.

While few survivors of the 1918 pandemic are still around to tell the stories of mass quarantines and mass graves, public health experts still look toward those dark months in 1918 and 1919 as a reminder of the catastrophic effects infectious disease can have on mankind and how preparation and interdisciplinary science are key to saving lives.

As SARS and the avian flu have shown us, we are not much better prepared for an influenza outbreak today than we were in 1918. SPH faculty will be at the forefront of a new initiative to tackle what continues to be one of humankind’s biggest challenges – public health preparedness. The Ohio State University School of

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006 Left: Emergency hospital during 1918 influenza epidemic, Camp Funston, Kansas.

Courtesy of the National Museum of Health and Medicine, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C. (NCP 1603).

“Early detection is critical to containment, and that is what we are all about in public health, whether it is through surveillance, biostatistical methods or monitoring within high risk groups.”

– Tim Buckley, Chair, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health

Public Health in collaboration with colleagues in five other colleges at Ohio State will focus on emerging infectious disease threats and how communities and the country can respond. This proposal was one of 10 University Targeted Investments in Excellence (TIE) awarded in 2006.

“Together, these faculty will accelerate and expand the work that’s being done in avian flu, anthrax, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases important in biodefense and in meeting public health challenges,” said Barbara Snyder, OSU executive vice president and provost.

Snyder played a key role in conceptualizing the university’s TIE program.

Tim Buckley, chair of the school’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences and TIE co-principal investigator, said that the multidisciplinary team will focus on all aspects of emerging infectious disease threats – from bench science such as developing vaccines all the way to the application of preparedness techniques among local community emergency workers.

“This TIE will provide fertile ground

for innovation and new discovery by virtue of the diversity of scientific discipline spanning the spectrum from basic science to application,” Buckley said.

Buckley said that the School of Public Health factors prominently into this initiative, from the biostatistics and epidemiology research used to detect an outbreak to the preparedness planning that will dictate a community’s emergency response during an infectious disease outbreak.

“Public health preparedness can prevent or mitigate a pandemic. It is possible that an astute veterinarian trained in public health could prevent a pandemic by recognizing infection within a poultry house and implementing effective containment,” Buckley said. “Early detection is critical to containment, and that is what we are all about in public health, whether it is through surveillance, biostatistical methods or monitoring within high risk groups.” continued on p.6

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RESEARCH

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An ounce of prevention

As the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS illustrated, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Approximately 700 people worldwide died during the SARS outbreak, a relatively small number compared to many more commonplace viruses and diseases.

The U.S. State Department estimates that this relatively unknown coronavirus cost East Asia, Australia and Canada nearly $40 billion from declines in tourism, travel and investment during that period.

It is predicted that the death toll from an avian flu pandemic would be orders of magnitude greater than SARS. There are two approaches to responding to the threat of a pandemic. The expensive and ineffective option is to be unprepared and then spend billions of dollars on treating sick and dying individuals. The effective and inexpensive option hinges on preparation and prevention.

Frank Holtzhauer, director of Ohio’s Center for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) at the School of Public Health, runs one of 52 such centers in the coun-

try. Established by CDC in 2000, the centers strive to strengthen terrorism and emergency preparedness by linking academic expertise to state and local health agency needs.

Holtzhauer will work closely with Buckley and the other researchers in implementing the TIE program.

Holtzhauer said one possibility for the initiative might be to create a simulation lab at the university, as well as a mobile unit, to provide public health personnel around the state with hands-on training in emergency operations.

Strength in numbers

In the past, Holtzhauer said, public health officials had not been as aware or involved in terrorism preparedness.

“Since 2001, we’ve become much more realistic about the threats out there and aware of the skills we will need to work with various law enforcement agencies in the event of an attack,” he said. “But it is still difficult to provide people with the practice they will need in the event of an attack or epidemic. It’s tough to get

engaged in tabletop exercises.”

Public health officials in Ohio laud the university’s decision to put more resources into preparedness research and outreach.

“The state is interested in the broad picture and practical solutions,” said Steve Wagner, the Ohio Department of Health’s Assistant Chief of Preparedness. “We need the focus (of this research) to be on developing tools to help communities and the state be better prepared for disasters.”

Wagner said that since 9/11, a cultural shift has taken place among emergency responders.

“We do see more collaboration among groups at the state and national level, but there is still a gap in preparedness between training and real life situations.”

Return on investment – saving lives

The five-year TIE program began July 1, 2006. The university will reallocate $50 million in central funds over the next five years to support 10 highimpact programs chosen for the TIE program. These funds will be matched

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006

Left: Emergency response team training organized by the School of Public Health’s Center for Public Health Preparedness.

“Since 2001, we’ve become much more realistic about the threats out there and aware of the skills we will need to work with various law enforcement agencies in the event of an attack, but it is still difficult to provide people with the practice they will need in the event of an attack or epidemic.”

– Frank Holtzhauer, Clinical Associate Professor and Director, Ohio Center for Public Health Preparedness, School of Public Health

by the participating colleges for a total investment of $100 million.

It is anticipated that the combination of central funds and funds provided by the colleges for this initiative will lead to new external grants, providing new teaching and research initiatives and community outreach projects.

“These TIE programs will become part of the institutional fabric of each participating college because each college had to commit its own resources, independent of whether the proposal received central funds,” said W. Michael Sherman, vice provost for academic administration. Sherman worked closely with Provost Snyder on the funding and now on implementation and reporting aspects of the TIE proposals.

Though the new initiative is still in its early stages, Buckley said that the increased focus on preparedness by the university and participating colleges is already paying off through additional outside funding opportunities.

Buckley said that the university’s investment in this program comes with

the understanding that the project will produce life-saving research and applications in the field of public health preparedness.

“The stakes are quite high,” he said.

“This is serious business and we have to manage our resources very effectively and strategically.”

The uncertainty in preparedness planning will always exist, experts say, but almost all agree that a major infectious disease outbreak is inevitable, whether it comes via bioterrorism or natural spread.

“Public health officials will never be prepared enough to prevent every death from a pandemic flu or act of bioterrorism. What we can do as public health officials is mitigate or minimize those deaths,” Wagner said. “We are in the field of prevention, but outside of the development of vaccines, we must focus our attentions on response.” ■

Population and Health targeted for investment In addition to public health preparedness, The Ohio State University has selected Population and Health as one of its 10 Targeted Investments in Excellence.

This particular collaboration will examine the issues of healthcare costs, advances in medicine, the aging of the industrialized world’s population and access to healthcare among various socioeconomic and cultural groups.

OSU experts will examine both the macro-level study of health across populations and the microlevel study of individual health behaviors.

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences will lead the initiative, which also includes partnerships with the School of Public Health and the Colleges of Human Ecology and Nursing.

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THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

RESEARCH NEWS

The American Cancer Society (ACS) presented a check to Christopher Weghorst, associate professor in the School’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences, at the society’s Relay for Life event. The ACS supports Weghorst’s research to study the potential of black raspberries to slow or prevent oral cancer in humans.

SPH cancer research covers prevention, treatment and care

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Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States, and Ohio ranks ninth in the nation for the highest overall cancer mortality. School of Public Health researchers across disciplines are focused on ways to prevent and treat cancer, as well as improve the lives of cancer patients.

Research conducted by Christopher Weghorst, associate professor in SPH’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences, will examine the chemopreventive potential of black raspberries to slow or even prevent oral cancer in humans.

Weghorst received a four-year, $960,000 grant from the American Cancer Society to study whether black raspberries and their powerful antioxidants help treat oral cancer among Appalachian populations, who tend to have a higher incidence of oral cancer.

“Oral cancer is a disease with a very high recurrence rate and a high mortality rate,” Weghorst said. “For those patients who have been surgically treated for oral cancer, approximately 20 percent will return within 18 months with another oral cancer.”

Weghorst’s previous research has shown that cancerous mouth tumors in hamsters were reduced by as much as 44 percent when black raspberries were part of their diet.

The new study will be conducted in two phases, first with 60 patients who have been diagnosed with oral cancer and are awaiting surgery at the James Cancer Hospital at The Ohio State University.

They will be given 4 grams of black raspberries per day in the form of troches, similar to a small candy. Each troche is made from raspberries harvested from the same Ohio farm to ensure controlled growing conditions.

This dosage will continue until surgery. Weghorst and fellow researchers will determine whether the black raspberries impact the expression of key genes in the tumors.

The second phase of the study will examine whether the long-term administration of black raspberries is actually feasible and if so, whether this can prevent the oral cancer from recurring. Following surgery, patients will receive troches for six months.

Weghorst said patients in the study will keep journals and receive regular

phone calls asking whether they have continued to use any form of tobacco and/or alcohol. Patients will be examined by physicians over the next few years to check for recurrent cancer.

Another cancer-related project by an SPH researcher is the Ohio Patient Navigator Research Program (OPNRP).

Electra D. Paskett, an epidemiology professor in the School of Public Health and the Marion N. Rowley Professor of Cancer Research, is leading the OPNRP to help patients with an abnormal cancer screening exam navigate the health care system.

The maze from diagnosis to treatment can become a major burden, adding stress and even delaying effective treatment.

Those who are uninsured or have language or other cultural barriers often face a more difficult road to survivorship.

Patient navigators are highly trained liaisons who coordinate health care for patients and help them understand the health care system.This project aims to alleviate disparities in relation to the timely diagnosis and treatment of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer.

This project is a partnership between The Ohio State University Comprehen-

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006

Mira Katz, PhD

Electra Paskett, PhD

Lei Shen, PhD

sive Cancer Center, OSU Primary Care Network, the Columbus Neighborhood Health Centers, the American Cancer Society Ohio Division and the Ohio Commission on Minority Health.

The Ohio project will implement and evaluate the effect of the patient navigator program on reducing delays in treatment in 12 clinics/health centers, conduct a cost-effectiveness evaluation of the program, and assess patient satisfaction with care. The American Cancer Society has awarded the Ohio Patient Navigator Research Program $1.4 million.

In another new project, the National Cancer Institute has awarded Mira Katz a five-year, $675,000 grant to improve colorectal cancer screening rates among underserved Columbus residents. Katz, assistant professor in the Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion, will focus the research in a Columbus Neighborhood Health Center. The centers serve neighborhoods that are diverse in race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

If this model is successful, it can be shared with other cities that have similar health centers in low-income areas.

Help with aging parents may improve workers’ productivity

of employer-sponsored elder care programs,” he said.

The study will result in a set of policy recommendations, best practices and identification of model programs.

Providing services to workers who care for aging parents may improve workforce productivity and job satisfaction. Allard Dembe, ScD, associate professor and division chair in Health Services Management and Policy, will explore this issue as part of a two-year grant from the Retirement Research Foundation.

Absenteeism, stress, unhappiness and early retirement are becoming major issues for employees who need to balance work and care for elderly parents.

Dembe, principal investigator for the $215,600 grant, will explore programs instituted by employers around the country that assist employees in addressing their elder care needs.

His research will focus on large companies, including many Fortune 500 corporations. Dembe and his coinvestigators from Brandeis University and the University of Massachusetts Medical School will examine how widely these programs are used, their costs and benefits, and their effects on workers and employers.

“There is virtually no credible information about the use and effects

The best defense is a good – database?

One of the greatest lines of defense against infections in a hospital setting may be an electronic database.

Kurt B. Stevenson, associate professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health and associate medical director of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at the OSU Medical Center (OSUMC), is researching hospitals’ electronic healthcare data to more efficiently and effectively track infections in the hospital.

Stevenson was awarded a five-year, $1.97 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to set up an Epidemiology Center for the Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections (Prevention Epicenter) program at OSUMC. The CDC is establishing five such centers around the country to develop and test new approaches to reducing infections in healthcare settings.

The CDC estimates that 2 million

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THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

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infections are acquired in healthcare settings annually, resulting in about 90,000 deaths and more than $4.5 billion in excess healthcare costs.

The first step in infection control is surveillance, Stevenson said. For the most part, surveillance data is already tracked by hospitals, but the key is to develop algorithms to glean all of the necessary information from an electronic database regarding certain health problems, such as resistance to antibiotics.

In most hospital settings, infection control practitioners and doctors spend many hours manually reviewing medical records and reports to track hospital infections. If a database query can provide better, more reliable results in just minutes, he said, then the health professionals who track disease would be able to spend more of their time on infection control and prevention.

Co-investigators from the School of Public Health include David Murray, Jeff Caswell, David Jarjoura and Dean Stanley Lemeshow.

Lung disease, suicide may be job risks of police, fire crews John “Mac” Crawford, assistant professor in SPH’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences (EHS), is investigating the health risks of police officers and firefighters in Ohio. His study, titled “The Health of Ohio Police Officers and Firefighters,” focuses on the occupational health risks of members of the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund (OP&F).

Preliminary data show that firefighters may be at an increased risk of developing pneumonitis, a lung disease that can eventually lead to scarring.

Police officers may be at a greater risk of death by homicide, while both firefighters’ and police officers’ deaths have a higher proportion of suicide than the general population.

In addition, combustion byproducts,

Carl Blaesing, an MPH graduate student, attaches monitoring equipment to a firefighter in advance of a controlled training fire. Blaesing and fellow MPH student Nathan Knapp worked with Professor Mac Crawford on a study funded by the U.S. Coast Guard to monitor firefighters’ workplace exposure to toxins.

microwave radiation, depression and other factors all pose a threat to health.

In firehouses without strong air filtration systems, Crawford discovered strong spikes in carbon monoxide, black carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Logs showed that these spikes in pollutant levels coincided with the large fire trucks and emergency equipment being started inside the firehouse.

OP&F, which has provided funding for the study, would like to know more about the risks its members face from work environments. The pension fund leadership will use the information to make more equitable decisions about granting disability due to occupational exposures.

RODS allows early detection of disease outbreaks Preventing an epidemic starts with recognizing a potential disease outbreak.

The real-time outbreak and disease surveillance system (RODS) is a collaborative project with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) that will enable Ohio’s hospitals to report disease data to their local health department and ODH 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The RODS collaboration will fulfill a component of the Ohio Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program.

RODS is being implemented on a state-by-state basis. Ohio is one of a dozen states to have started the program, and it has one of the highest levels of participation. More than 70 hospitals are now connected.

Lei Shen, assistant professor of biostatistics, is collaborating with ODH to evaluate and improve a number of statistical methods.

By studying food-borne disease outbreaks in Ohio from the last several years, they hope to find a reliable method to detect future outbreaks based on the sales of over-the-counter pharmaceutical products. Most of the major pharmacy chains in Ohio are linked to RODS, which provides real-time sales data for 18 categories of products.

“Just as the increasing sales of thermometers may signal an influenza outbreak, it is expected that products in a number of the categories are related to, and helpful in signalling, a food-borne outbreak,” Shen said. “The statistical method sought in this project should be able to detect real outbreaks with high sensitivity while minimizing the number of false alarms.”

Total funding for the RODS project is $219,000 awarded to date. ■

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006

Selected Projects 2005–2006 A randomized comparison of a low fat versus a low carbohydrate dietary pattern for weight loss and impact on biomarkers associated with breast cancer in overweight and obese premenopausal women Sponsor: The Breast Cancer Research Foundation Principal Investigator: Electra D. Paskett A randomized study to prevent lymphedema in women treated for breast cancer Sponsor: Lance Armstrong Foundation Principal Investigator: Electra D. Paskett Adherence to NAGCAT and injury risk reduction Sponsor: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Principal Investigator: John R. Wilkins III Cancer chemoprevention by cyclooxygenase (COX-2) blockade Sponsor: Pfizer Inc. Principal Investigator: Randall E. Harris Chemoprevention of oral cancer in Appalachia Sponsor: American Cancer Society Principal Investigator: Christopher Weghorst Chemopreventive agent-responsive genes in oral cancer Sponsor: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research/National Institutes of Health (NIH) Principal Investigator: Christopher Weghorst Cognitive bases of hindsight effects Sponsor: Social and Economic Sciences/National Science Foundation Principal Investigator: Hal R. Arkes Community youth development study Sponsor: University of Washington/NIH Principal Investigator: David M. Murray Comparing administrative coding data to epidemiologic surveillance for infection control Sponsor: The Research Foundation, a division of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Principal Investigator: Kurt B. Stevenson Connecting Ohio hospitals to the real-time outbreak and disease surveillance system Sponsor: Ohio Department of Health Principal Investigator: Lei Shen Costs and outcomes associated with introduction of biological therapies in psoriasis Sponsor: Centocor Inc. Principal Investigator: Rajesh Balkrishnan Developing resource information on workers’ compensation medical care for California policymakers Sponsor: California Healthcare Foundation Principal Investigator: Allard E. Dembe Evidence and empowerment among consumers in the public mental health system Sponsor: Ohio Department of Mental Health Principal Investigator: Sandra J. Tanenbaum

Health behavior among religiously active black youth Sponsor: Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH)/CDC Principal Investigator: Kenneth Steinman How demanding work schedules affect the risk for occupational injuries and illnesses Sponsor: W.E. Upjohn Institute of Employment Research Principal Investigator: Allard E. Dembe Improving cardiovascular care for minority Americans: Assessing organizational readiness to change Sponsor: George Washington University Principal Investigator: Ann Scheck McAlearney Individual and age-dependent risk of cancer in Cowden Syndrome Sponsor: Cleveland Clinic Foundation Principal Investigator: Stanley Lemeshow Ohio Patient Navigation Program Sponsor: American Cancer Society Principal Investigator: Electra D. Paskett Ohio Public Health Leadership Institute Sponsor: ASPH/CDC Principal Investigator: Francis Holtzhauer Patient activation to increase colon cancer screening Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)/NIH Principal Investigator: Mira Katz Power and sample size for microarray studies Sponsor: National Human Genome Research Institute/NIH Principal Investigator: Mei-Ling Ting Lee Prevention of oral cancer by dietary and topical administration of lyophilized strawberries Sponsor: California Strawberry Commission Principal Investigator: Christopher M. Weghorst Public Health Training Center Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh/Prime: Health Resources and Services Administration Principal Investigator: Francis J. Holtzhauer Reducing cervical cancer in Appalachia Sponsor: NCI/NIH Principal Investigator: Electra Paskett Study of employer-sponsored elder care programs Sponsor: Retirement Research Foundation: Principal Investigator: Allard E. Dembe Testing the effects of interactive computer programs for smoking cessation Sponsor: Walther Cancer Institute Principal Investigator: Mary Ellen Wewers Tobacco free nurses Sponsor: UCLA/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Principal Investigator: Mary Ellen Wewers Trial of activity in adolescent girls: Coordinating center Sponsor: University of North Carolina/NIH Principal Investigator: David M. Murray What accounts for racial disparities in colon cancer Sponsor: NCI Principal Investigator: Michèle Shipp

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THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

TEACHING & LEARNING

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Minor makes major splash for SPH

By Julie Johnston SPH Communications

Starting in the fall of 2006, undergraduate students at Ohio State will have the opportunity to learn about public health through the School of Public Health’s new undergraduate minor.

The timing for this new program is fitting. During the past 5 years, 9/11, SARS, Hurricane Katrina and the avian flu have made headlines around the world.

“Schools of public health really have an obligation to offer courses to undergrads,” said Jeff Caswell, associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Public Health. “By offering an undergraduate minor, we also believe we can raise greater awareness about public health issues and the public health profession.”

The Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C., released a report about the importance of public health education in the United States. The report, Who Will Keep the Public Healthy? Educating Public

Health Professionals for the 21st Century, discusses the importance of offering public health education to undergraduates.

The committee believes that public health is an essential part of the training of citizens, and that it is immediately pertinent to a number of professions . . .

Further, education directed at improving health literacy at the undergraduate level could also serve to introduce persons to possible careers in public health.

The committee recommends that all undergraduates should have access to education in public health.

– From “Who Will Keep the Public Healthy?”

Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2003

The demand for public health workers is expected to grow exponentially in the next several years. Officials with the American Public Health Association (APHA) estimate that 50 percent of the federal public health work force and 25

ANNUAL REPORT | 2004 – 2005

Courses for the undergraduate minor in Public Health Required: Introduction to Public Health Introduction to Epidemiology Plus two of the following three courses: Current Issues in Environmental Health The Role of Behavior in Public Health Health Care in America

“We hope to see students who are interested in a variety of issues, such as access to healthcare, bioterrorism and justice issues.”

– Jeff Caswell, PhD Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

percent of the state public health work force will retire in the next five years.

The undergraduate public health minor, which was approved by the university in May, will focus on five core areas of public health knowledge: • biostatistics • epidemiology • environmental health sciences • behavioral sciences of health • health administration Students will complete 20 credit hours in public health disciplines, along with a prerequisite in statistics. If early registration is any indication, the courses seem to be attracting students’ attention.

“Public health as a field is incredibly popular right now,” SPH Dean Stanley Lemeshow said. “Whether it’s a course in environmental health or healthy behaviors, this field affects lives.”

Lemeshow added that the minor in public health may eventually lead some students to pursue a master’s degree.

School officials hope that attracting students at a younger age will help foster a lifelong career path in public health for many students who might not have been aware of the opportunities in the field.

“Public health is not very visible to most people. People know it exists, but they do not really understand the field and public health’s impact on society,” Caswell said. “We hope to see students who are interested in a variety of issues, such as access to healthcare, bioterrorism and justice issues.”

Caswell said that besides students who are simply curious about the field, there is probably an even larger group of undergrads who are interested in health professions such as dentistry or medicine and will use the public health minor to

Electives: Students may take any course in the School of Public Health as an elective as long as it is available for undergraduate credit. Approved courses from outside the School of Public Health that have a focus on analytic methods or issues related to population health may also be used as electives. A few sample courses already approved for this purpose are listed below.

Ethical Conflicts in Health Care Research, Policy, and Practice (Philosophy) Prevention and Wellness in Aging (Allied Medicine) Geology and the Environment (Geological Sciences)

complement a major in chemistry, for example.

The School of Public Health at OSU is still relatively young, and the undergraduate minor is one of many steps to transition the school into a college. Eventually, SPH may offer an undergrad major.

While health departments and other entities can only benefit from a better educated workforce, this minor may, in turn, offer undergrads interested in public health an advantage in the job market.

“The local department of health would likely prefer the biology major with the minor in public health as opposed to the biology major with little or no experience in the field.” Caswell said. ■ For more information on the undergraduate minor, visit http://sph.osu.edu/academicprograms/minor

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THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

TEACHING & LEARNING NEWS

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Access to healthy food is focus of coursework Randi Love, clinical associate professor in SPH’s Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion, received a 2006 Outreach and Engagement Grant from The Ohio State University. Her winning project includes multi-disciplinary service-learning courses that will help the Columbus Health Department to improve access to healthy food.

The students will focus on the availability of and access to healthy food. The physical availability of healthy food is particularly important when considering socioeconomic status and race. Previous studies have reported that supermarkets were four times more likely to be in predominantly white neighborhoods and that the small corner grocery store is most likely to be located in the predominantly African American, poor neighborhoods.

“Research shows that the lack of availability of healthy food in small grocery stores located in low income neighborhoods, and the higher cost of the

healthier food items may be a deterrent to eating healthier among very low income consumers,” Love said.

Specific geographical boundaries of the project have not been identified, but will likely include the south side of Columbus, said Love.

“The south side is an economically disadvantaged area and has an ethnically diverse population,” she said.

Students enrolled in Allied Med 670 will conduct an environmental scan and a visual food item survey in neighborhood food stores in designated areas of the city.

Students enrolled in Public Health 850 will conduct focus groups with community residents and administer surveys on healthy food access.

The health department will use the data to create an action plan addressing access issues for the identified community.

Love’s award was one of four Interdisciplinary University/Community ServiceLearning Team Grants.

Hospital administration student to lead grad student council Waverly Gordon, a student in the School of Public Health’s master of health administration program (MHA), was elected in May as the 2006-2007 president of The Ohio State University’s Council of Graduate Students (CGS), where she oversees the 15-member executive board and 150 delegates of CGS. In this role, Gordon is also serving on the OSU presidential search committee to seek a successor to university president Karen A. Holbrook, who will retire June 30, 2007.

The council is the graduate arm of Ohio State student government, representing OSU’s 10,000-plus graduate students.

Gordon is the second African American to serve the role of president in the council’s 51-year history.

CGS initiatives in the upcoming year include campus safety issues and the strategic plan. Compensation and benefits for graduate students is an ongoing project

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006

Waverly Gordon

for the CGS, Gordon said. Because of the diverse backgrounds of the other CGS officers and delegates, the CGS is really able to take a strong, interdisciplinary approach to solving problems, she said.

“The OSU administration also boosts up the students, bringing us to the table and allowing our voices to be heard,” Gordon said.

Sharon Schweikhart, associate professor and director of the MHA program, said Gordon will be a natural in her new role as CGS president.

“Waverly is one to get along very well with her peers, and she has a great ability to reflect on her work and take criticism well,” Schweikart said. “I fully expect Waverly to be in a leadership role some day.”

MPH student project results in successful grant funding In October 2005, 48 percent of individuals who took Ohio’s Registered Sanitarian exam passed the test. In March 2006, the passing rate fell to 37 percent.

These low pass rates caught the eye of Bill

Mase, a student in the School’s master of public health program. He graduated earlier this year.

In June, Mase and former Clermont County Health Commissioner Janet Rickabaugh were awarded a one-year Ohio Environmental Education Fund (OEEF) grant for $50,000 from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to research this issue and come up with solutions to address this problem. Writing the grant proposal was part of Mase’s academic requirements for graduation. The funding was a happy bonus. Rickabaugh is the principal investigator on the funded grant, while Mase serves as Co-PI. Registered Sanitarians perform a vital role in the realm of public health – most are trained and experienced to carry out inspections and enforcements that assure safe environmental conditions for residents. Eighteen states require sanitarians to become registered through a state agency and pass an examination.

In Ohio, this regulatory body is the State Board of Sanitarian Registration.

Mase said Ohio has some of the highest standards in the country in terms of its sanitarian licensure.

“Some people in Ohio are taking the exam four times, and the cost is about $110 each time,” Mase said.

Over the years, many students in the School’s MPH program have written grant proposals as part of the required culminating experience. Some of those proposals have been funded, but the School’s associate dean of academic affairs, Jeff Caswell, believes Mase’s award sets a record for highest dollar amount.

As part of his culminating experience, Mase decided to investigate what educational resources were available to people hoping to become registered sanitarians and develop new learning tools to help those individuals study for and pass the examination.

The State Board of Sanitarian Registration has given the blessing to the project and will be involved in reviewing the content of this education tool.

“This web-based tool can be a real

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THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

MID company founder Wayne Poll second from right, and MHA student Jodi Wolfe far right, accept the award for winning the 2006 Fisher Business Plan Competition. Also present were Caroline Crisafulli, MID vice president of operations, and Larry Hilsheimer of Deloitte & Touche USA.

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asset in elevating the pass rates of this exam,” said Lynn Jones, the former Executive Secretary of the State Board of Sanitarian Registration.

Mase is currently the associate director of the MPH Program at Wright State University. He said his culminating experience, as well as his other coursework at Ohio State, has provided him with a broader understanding of all areas of public health.

Caswell, who also serves as associate

company founder Wayne Poll, and other company executives.

Minimally Invasive Devices (MID) is developing Clear-Vu, a film allowing surgeons to perform laparoscopic surgery quicker and with fewer distractions. The Minimally Invasive Devices team received the highest scores in the final round of the competition on May 19.

MID was also chosen as a finalist in two additional business plan competitions: the FSB Student Showdown Competi-

This annual event helps pair students with prospective employers for internships and post-graduate opportunities.

Each MPH student is required to complete an internship, or practicum, usually between their first and second year of study, and this event offers students a way to meet several potential employers in the public health field at one time.

This year, approximately 25 health departments, non-profit organizations and other employers took part in the fair,

professor in the Division of Health Services Management and Policy, was one of Mase’s advisors on this project.

“These culminating experiences are designed to integrate aspects of the public health curriculum into current issues and problems,” Caswell said. “Bill dealt with a real-life problem, finding real solutions.”

tion, which is sponsored by Fortune Small Business Magazine; and the Purdue Life Sciences Business Plan Competition.

“This has been a wonderful opportunity for me,” Wolfe said. “I’ve been exposed to the entire commercialization process from A to Z, and discovered what is required to put a solid business plan together.”

and many students walked away from the event with internships in hand, said Lori Bolton, assistant director of practice education and career services at the School of Public Health.

“I thought this year’s fair was a very energetic event,” she said. “We had so much buzz between the students and employers, and we were really impressed with how professional the students were.”

Opportunities Fair matches students with potential employers One important step in finding the perfect job is finding the perfect internship first.

More than 60 students in the School

Tom Joswick, a recruiter for the Office of Ohio Health Plans (Medicaid), said that his office normally recruits a handful of SPH graduate students through the Opportunity Fair. Students work in a variety of the health plans’ bureaus,

of Public Health’s master of public health (MPH) program participated in the 13th annual Opportunities Fair in February.

including community access, plan operations and managed healthcare.

“Many of the students who work for

Business plan for surgical device earns accolades for student Jodi Wolfe, a student in the School of Public Health’s master of health administration (MHA) program, was a member of the winning team at the 2006 Fisher Business Plan Competition at The Ohio State University. Wolfe, vice president for business development at Minimally Invasive Devices Inc., shares the award with

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006

Students attending the 2006 Opportunities Fair met with potential employers.

us part-time during the summer end up getting hired down the road,” Joswick said. “We have a strong track record of offering people permanent appointments.”

Four SPH students present research at OPHA conference Four students from the School of Public Health presented research at the 2006 Ohio Combined Public Health Conference, May 15-17, which is sponsored by the Ohio Public Health Association.

MPH student Yini Hu presented her poster, “Substance Use among American Indian Youth in Franklin County, Ohio: Prevalence and Risk Markers.” Yini’s work examined the prevalence of various types of substance use among urban American Indian (AI) youth in Franklin County, and how AI/White disparities in substance use differ by age, gender, and family structure.

Two MPH students from the Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion also gave poster presentations at the Ohio Combined Public Health Conference in May. Athe Bambakidis and Amia Downes were both second-year students.

Athe Bambakidis’ paper titled “Characteristics of religious congregations that provide health promotion activities”

estimated the prevalence of different types of health-related programs in a congregational setting and examined the congregational characteristics associated with offering different types of programs.

Amia Downes’ paper was titled “Evaluation of Health Literacy and Cholesterol Knowledge.” Her research investigated whether health literacy was associated with cholesterol knowledge in patients and their primary caregivers visiting a pediatric lipids clinic in West Virginia.

Prajakta Valavalkar, a graduate student pursuing an MS degree in biostatistics, gave an oral presentation at the 2006 Combined Public Health Conference.

Her paper was titled “Estimation of Cholesterol-Attributable Mortality in the United States.” In addition, Valavalkar won third place at the 20th Annual Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum in April.

MHA students take 2nd in national competition Two graduate students in the master of health administration program in the OSU School of Public Health earned second place in the 10th Annual Everett V. Fox Student Case Analysis and Presentation Competition. The winning students

were Waverly Gordon and T’Nita Waters.

This competition was open to minority graduate students currently enrolled in a health administration program. It was held in Detroit, Mich., at the annual meeting of the National Association of Health Care Executives (NAHSE), on October 4-8, 2005. Nineteen teams from leading graduate programs competed.

Each team was evaluated on the analysis and presentation of a case study derived from a real-life situation at Mercy Place, a free outpatient clinic aligned with St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital in Pontiac, Mich.

Each member of the OSU team received a check for $2,000. A permanent plaque is also on public display in the Health Services Management and Policy Division office. This is the fifth consecutive year an Ohio State team has placed in this national competition. OSU teams placed second in 2001, first in 2002 and 2003, and third in 2004. The School of Public Health also fielded a first place team in 1998 and a second place team in 1997.

The MHA graduate students’ participation in this national competition was made possible in part by a grant from The Ohio State University Health System. ■

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THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

SERVICE & OUTREACH

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Telling a story with data Biostatistics summer program draws health professionals from around the world

By Julie Johnston SPH Communications The 2006 Summer Program in Applied Biostatistical and Epidemiological Methods brought together many of the brightest researchers, students and practitioners in the fields of biostatistics and epidemiology for two weeks this summer.

The annual event, which ran from July 8 through 21, was established in 2000 and is organized by the Center for Biostatistics and the OSU School of Public Health.

The 2006 Summer Program consisted of 21 courses in the application of statistical methodology and epidemiology to a wide range of biomedical and public health problems. World-renowned

faculty in the fields of epidemiology and biostatistics taught new approaches to data analysis in epidemiologic studies as well as the analysis of biologic, clinical trials and laboratory data. The courses are designed to provide valuable hands-on experience in the analysis and interpretation of real data.

Some of the more unusual courses were offered in the Practice-Based Epidemiology Series (PBE Series), which focuses on the practical application of epidemiological methods for public health professionals, said Stan Lemeshow, the Director of the Center for Biostatistics and Dean of OSU’s School of Public Health. Lemeshow teaches a course during the Summer Program, along

with Mei-Ling Ting Lee, chair of SPH’s Division of Biostatistics, and Amy Ferketich, assistant professor in SPH’s Division of Epidemiology.

The award-winning PBE series was developed by Tim Sahr, an epidemiologist and the director of research at the Health Policy Institute of Ohio. Sahr, an alumnus of the School of Public Health, and a statewide committee of public health professionals and faculty developed a model to address the training needs of epidemiologists from all areas of the state.

“Public health capacities surveys showed us that many local health departments in Ohio, particularly those located in the farm rural, Appalachian, and some suburban areas did not have the resources

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006 Left: Dean Stanley Lemeshow teaches a course at the 2006 Summer Program in Applied Biostatistical and Epidemiological Methods.

Statistically Speaking – A breakdown of the 2006 Summer Program • 268 participants taking 576 course units • 22 faculty from 14 universities and research institutions around the country • Participants come from 6 countries (Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore and the United States), 17 states and all 88 Ohio counties • 223 researchers, epidemiologists and biostatisticians hail from the Buckeye State (representing 90 percent of participants) • Greatest distance traveled by participants: approximately 9,450 miles

to either secure graduate trained epidemiologists or to train their current skilled personnel in applied epidemiological methods,” Sahr said. “The PBE Series includes some of the best faculty from within the U.S. and provides epidemiologists from around the state with the best, latest methods in applied, practice-based epidemiology.”

The beginning course in the PBE Series, “Introduction to PracticeBased Epidemiology,” focuses on the concepts and logic of epidemiology, as well as the decision making processes used by epidemiologists to address population-based health threats. Other courses include “Infectious Disease Epidemiology,” “Environmental Epidemiology,” and “Public Health Field Epidemiology.” All of the courses specifically focus on addressing methods – how to manipulate data, how to tell a story with data and how to address the public health threats associated with that data.

In 2004, organizers of the PracticeBased Epidemiology Series expected 30-35 participants, but ended up turning people away after the series enrolled 114 people from around the state. Tuition for the series is sponsored by a mix of government and health foundation sources so that all Ohio health departments, regardless of their resource limitations, can send representatives. This year, various state and local agencies and other

sponsors provided $88,000 to help offset participant costs.

Those participants who complete the series receive special certification by the Summer Program. So far, 39 practicing epidemiologists have completed the fivecourse series since it was introduced at the Summer Program in 2004.

“The university has shown a solid commitment to the skill needs of Ohio’s local health departments,” Sahr said.

Bob Brems, an epidemiologist with the Zanesville – Muskingum County Health Department, is responsible for covering five counties in rural southeastern Ohio. He completed the practice-bas ed epidemiology course work at this year’s Summer Program. He said the series offers tangible applications to community issues, such as cancer or environmental concerns, seen by local health departments.

“I think this program affords everyone practicing epidemiology in Ohio with many of the same basic skill sets,” Brems said. “It allows those of us at the county health departments to really get involved at the local level.”

Outside of the Practice-Based Epidemiology Series, the Summer Program also offers a wide variety of courses in other health research subdisciplines, including scientific writing, introduction to clinical trials and analysis of microarray gene expression data. The Summer Program attendees range from established re-

searchers in the field of epidemiology and biostatistics to graduate students who are just beginning their coursework in public health or a related field.

“Some of our Summer Program participants have been here 4 or 5 times,” Lemeshow said. “The courses are always changing from year to year, so many of our attendees come back.”

Marek Smieja, an infectious disease researcher and physician from Hamilton, Ontario, has participated in the Summer Program for two years. This July, he took the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course with Ellen Cromley, a professor of geography at the University of Connecticut. The course explored GIS applications as they relate to public health. Smieja said he would use the information learned in the course to track and monitor influenza outbreaks and other respiratory infections.

“This conference is always so well organized,” Smieja said. “I really appreciate the opportunity to hear Dr. Lemeshow and the other (faculty).”

All courses during the two-week conference were taught at Pfahl Executive Education and Conference Center at The Ohio State University. The 2006 Organizing Committee for the annual program was comprised of Daniel Jensen, Amy Lehman, Lisa Routt, Julie Stephens and Rori Taylor, all from OSU’s Center for Biostatistics. ■

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THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

SERVICE & OUTREACH NEWS

“NetWellness is an important tool for improving health literacy, that is, the ability of consumers to understand and make use of health information.”

Phyllis Pirie, Chair, Division of Health Behavior anbd Health Promotion

NetWellness.org excels in providing health information

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It started with a single topic: pharmacy and medications.

In the 10 years since its inception, NetWellness.org has added 100 topics, 400 medical experts and a host of other resources for people needing up-to-date health information.

One of the most popular websites of its kind, Netwellness.org has over 6 million hits per month. Its medical team of experts pride themselves on accurate, unbiased and current medical information.

The Ohio State University School of Public Health is one of three academic centers operating NetWellness. The others are Case Western Reserve University and the University of Cincinnati.

Phyllis Pirie, chair of SPH’s Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion, serves as faculty leader on the OSU NetWellness project, and Brenda Clark, an SPH alumna, is program manager.

“NetWellness is an important tool for improving health literacy, that is, the ability of consumers to understand and make use of health information. It’s an excellent forum to allow faculty to get the word out to consumers about the best ways to improve and protect their health,” Pirie said.

NetWellness.org continues to win awards and recognition for its innovative coverage of health issues. It was the Ohio winner of the 2006 Health Information Awards for Libraries presented by the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS). It also received four out of five stars on content and interface in Medicine on the Net’s 2005 ratings of consumer health sites.

Strategic Health Care Communications named Netwellness.org as a July Pick in its July 2006 newsletter, eHealthcare Strategy & Trends.

NetWellness.org highlights original feature articles written by an interdisciplinary team of faculty from the three partner institutions and links to many high-quality websites. This team approach with university experts is rarely available directly to consumers.

A popular feature of the site is its Ask an Expert service. Health care professionals from the three universities answer consumer health questions posted the site. Unlike other similar services, NetWellness experts answer all legitimate questions received.

Some of the questions are a bit unusual and beyond the scope of any internet web site. One person submitted a picture

of his tongue and requested a diagnosis.

“This site is not designed to diagnose or give specific medical advice,” Clark said. “But we give consumers information so that they can take the next step in addressing a health issue.”

After pharmacy and medications, women’s health is a very popular topic among visitors to the site, as are areas such as oral health, eye care and vision, she said. Since its inception, NetWellness experts have answered nearly 32,000 questions.

The site incorporates many other features including information on hundreds of topics, current health news, an extensive health encyclopedia, monthly homepage features and health care provider referrals.

MHA students volunteer in book club for disabled adults What began as a community project has evolved into a weekly act of giving back to the community by Master of Health Administration (MHA) students through The Next Chapter Book Club (NCBC), a book club for adults with intellectual disabilities.

The students who volunteered for the organization were second-year MHA

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006

Approximately 50 people attended the virtual town hall meeting. At left, Deena Chisolm, PhD, a principal investigator at Columbus Children’s Research Institute’s Center for Innovation in Pediatric Practice and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University, discusses the issues at the event.

students: Emily Allinder, T’Nita Waters, Erick Vidmar, David Reisman and Alumnus Katrina Buchholtz (MHA, ’05).

“I fell in the love with the program and the people,” Buchholtz said.

She then recruited Vidmar. The participation grew when they left for their summer residencies and had Reisman and Waters take over for them. When they returned, the two new recruits decided to stick with the program.

The book club meets twice a week. At

same as the norm,” she said. “Book club does a great job of dispelling biases and getting people to change their perception of adults with disabilities. The participants enjoy laughing, sharing stories, building friendships, drinking coffee, and having a good time just like anyone else.”

the meetings, the members of the book club take turns reading aloud and discussing the books.

“The purpose of NCBC is to encourage and promote learning and to help improve individual reading skills, while providing a safe, nurturing environment for adults with developmental disabilities to socialize with their peers,” Allinder said.

Waters agreed.

“The value of the program is that it illustrates the importance of respecting all types of individuals. I think that as a society we place certain stigmas and labels on individuals who don’t look or act the

hall meeting to guide policymakers about how today’s health care system should work for all Americans.

The local event was part of a national webcast titled “What is Your Health Worth?” that was presented via satellite with 22 simultaneous live audiences from colleges and universities across the country. The webcast was presented by the Big 10 Conference schools, Citizens’ Health Care Working Group and the Association of Schools of Public Health.

The national Citizens’ Health Care Working Group is a 15-member working group formed by Congress for the express

SPH sponsors local site of virtual town hall meeting The Ohio State University School of Public Health took part in a virtual town

purpose of finding out what the public thinks about the accessibility, cost and quality of health care, and turning that input into policy recommendations for the federal government.

The virtual town hall meeting was transmitted via satellite to simultaneous public meetings at all the Big 10 schools, plus to the campuses of 11 additional schools of public health around the country. Audiences at these town hall meetings had the opportunity to share their input electronically with panelists in Ann Arbor.

The Columbus event was moderated

by Sandra Tanenbaum, associate professor in the Division of Health Services Management and Policy at the OSU School of Public Health.

Religious beliefs may affect teens’ sexual behavior Teens who feel close to God are less likely to have sex, according to preliminary results from a study by researchers from The Ohio State University School of Public Health, Department of Sociology and Department of African-American and African Studies.

The results were presented at a community dialog meeting, “It’s not about sex: A community dialogue on how churches affect teen behavior,” on May 24 at the Columbus Urban League. More than 50 community members attended the panel discussion.

Kenneth Steinman, assistant professor in the School of Public Health, is the principal investigator on the study and participated in the panel.

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THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

As part of National Public Health Week, the School of Public Health held a healthy cooking demonstration on campus.

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The study is part of a project, Columbus Congregations for Healthy Youth and includes survey results from nearly 500 teens in 18 African-American Columbus congregations.

Two-thirds of teens in the study attended church every week. Males were

answers directly into a palm pilot rather than using paper and pen.

Steinman’s team recently completed a second wave of interviews with three quarters of the youths who took the survey last year. By following these teens for one more year, they will be able to

During National Public Health Week, April 3-9, the School of Public Health presented several opportunities to learn about living healthier.

Electra Paskett, PhD and Marion N. Rowley Professor of Cancer Research, presented the lecture “Diet and Exercise:

more likely to have talked to a youth pastor about a personal problem. One of the emerging patterns is that certain types of religious beliefs and activity make a difference in teen behaviors.

“Considerable evidence suggests that religion influences young people’s sexual behavior. Our study demonstrates how researchers and congregations can work together to understand which aspects are

statistically model how changes in different aspect of religion influence changes in sexual behavior. The project is funded by a grant from the Association of Schools of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As the life expectancy of Americans

Practical Applications.” The School also offered an interactive Public Health Dialogue on “Overweight and Obese: The Trend, the Toll, and Public Health’s Call to Action.” Brian Focht, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion, was guest panelist.

Other activities included a healthy cooking demonstration featuring a Thai

most important,” said Steinman.

What makes this study different from many national studies exploring students’ religious background and sexual behavior is that this survey closely ties the two together and asks many questions about

continues to increase, the pressing concern for many public health professionals has shifted from living longer to living healthier.

Good nutrition and physical activity are integral parts of the healthy living

barbecue dinner and a “Raising Healthy Kids Day” in partnership with the YMCA Powell Branch and the Delaware General Health District. “Raising Healthy Kids” activities included nature walks, a booster seat education program, games, a bike

both aspects of youths’ lives, Steinman said. Students were also given a high degree of anonymity, entering their survey

equation, and researchers are always searching for innovative ways to instill healthy behaviors.

rodeo and fitness activities. ■

Public Health Week activities include lecture, cooking demo

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006

FACULTY NEWS

Dean inducted into UCLA Hall of Fame

Dean Stanley Lemeshow was inducted into the University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Health’s Alumni Hall of Fame last April.

Abdelmonem A. Afifi, PhD, dean emeritus of the UCLA School of Public Health and professor of biostatistics and biomathematics, nominated Lemeshow.

“He is one of the leading biostatisticians in this country today. He has demonstrated his stellar academic leadership both in the field of biostatistics and by his current position as dean of the School of Public Health at Ohio State,” Afifi said.

The Alumni Hall of Fame, established in 2002, celebrates the accomplishments of outstanding UCLA alumni who make substantial and distinctive contributions to the field of public health that demonstrate leadership and vision.

“We think Stan has made biostatistics a better field because of his contributions both to new methodology and to the teaching of biostatistics through the excellent books he has co-authored,” Afifi said.

Lemeshow joined The Ohio State Uni-

versity in 1999 as a biostatistics professor in the School of Public Health, director of the biostatistics core of the Comprehensive Cancer Center and director of the University’s Center for Biostatistics.

He was appointed Dean of the School of Public Health in 2003. His biostatistics research includes statistical modeling of medical data, sampling, health disparities and cancer prevention.

Internationally known for his expertise in biostatistics and epidemiology, Dean Lemeshow has published extensively in the applied and methodological literature and has co-authored three textbooks.

Lemeshow maintains an ongoing relationship with the University of Bordeaux School of Public Health in Bordeaux, France, and is a member of the faculty at the Erasmus Summer Program, Rotterdam, Holland.

In 2003, he was elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He is also a fellow of the American Statistical Association. ■

Dean Stanley Lemeshow, second from left, was inducted into the UCLA School of Public Health Alumni Hall of Fame. With him from left are: A.A. Afifi, dean emeritus and professor of biostatistics at UCLA; Stan Azen, professor of biostatistics at the University of Southern California and 2004 Alumni Hall of Famer; and Bill Cumberland, chair of the department of biostatistics at UCLA.

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THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

FACULTY NEWS

Tanenbaum honored for excellence in teaching

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Sandra Tanenbaum, associate professor in SPH’s Division of Health Services Management and Policy, received the School’s 2006 Excellence in Teaching award.

Tanenbaum teaches health care organization, introduction to health policy, and disability policy and politics. She has been with the division for 16 years.

This annual award recognizes School of Public Health faculty members for exemplary performance in the teaching mission of the School. The selection committee chose her based on criteria such as mentorship, approachability, teaching style and organization.

NEW FACULTY Division of Health Services Management and Policy Allard E. Dembe, ScD, joined the School of Public Health May 1 as the chair of the Division of Health Services Management and Policy (HSMP). He also serves as director of the School’s Center for Health Outcomes, Policy and Evaluation Studies (HOPES).

Dembe received his doctor of science degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Prior to joining the OSU School of Public Health, he

Sandra Tanenbaum, PhD

Allard E. Dembe, ScD

was an associate professor and senior research scientist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Center for Health Policy and Research.

Dembe’s interests include health policy and health services research, disability and employment, occupational epidemiology, and social aspects of work and health. Current research projects include the health impacts of demanding work schedules and the effects of employersponsored elder care programs.

“This is a period of tremendous growth for OSU’s School of Public Health,” Dembe said. “It provides opportunities for building our research capacity, recruiting new faculty and students, expanding our research profile, and enhancing our educational programs, especially at the doctoral level.”

Dembe said the HSMP division is positioned to benefit from these initiatives, and can build on the fine national reputation of its existing Master of Health Administration program.

The Center for HOPES was established in 1994 to respond to the needs of health care policy decision-makers in both the public and private sector.

“HOPES provides an opportunity to build a first-class multi-disciplinary research center that becomes a resource for credible applied health research for constituencies throughout Ohio,” he said.

The center is planning a post-election invitational conference on health care in Ohio.

Go to http://sph.osu.edu/hopes for more info.

Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion Janet de Moor, PhD, joined the faculty as assistant professor in the Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion on August 1. She earned her doctorate in behavioral science from the University of Texas School of Public Health in 2004.

De Moor’s research addresses aspects of cancer survivorship including health behaviors and health care utilization following a cancer diagnosis. She focuses much of her work on the intersection of social issues and health outcomes as well as the impact of social issues on psychological adjustment among cancer survivors. During the upcoming year, her research will examine the impact of cancer on employment and other workrelated outcomes.

“I was attracted to OSU for several reasons. Given my training and research agenda, it was important for me to work in a place that has both a school of public health and a cancer center,” de Moor said.

De Moor said OSU is home to many world-renowned researchers who have complementary interests to her own.

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006

Janet de Moor, PhD

Song Liang, PhD

Qinghua Sun, PhD

Consequently, there are many potential collaborators as well as opportunities to receive mentorship and guidance from senior faculty.

“The leadership, opportunities for mentorship, and supportive environment for new faculty make the School a unique institution,” she said. “In addition, the School is in a period of rapid growth and expansion, which has created a dynamic environment in which to conduct research and develop as a scientist.”

disease transmitted to humans via water.

He is initiating a new study to explore the environmental factors underlying the spread of avian influenza.

His appointment is expected to begin October 1.

Qinghua Sun, PhD, joined the Division of Environmental Health Sciences as an assistant professor in August 2006.

Previous to his appointment, Sun was a research assistant professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

He received his PhD from Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Science in Beijing.

Sun said he came to OSU because of its reputation as a top research institution and because of the School of Public Health’s rapid expansion in recent years.

The division is chaired by Tim Buckley, PhD. “Tim Buckley is one of the top researchers in the field of air pollution and its effects on health, and I look forward to having him as a mentor,” Sun said.

Sun is particularly interested in the effects of particulate air pollution on human health, including its effects on the cardiovascular system, cancer growth and metabolic syndrome.

sion of Biostatistics from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in North Carolina. He received his PhD in biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Pennell has focused much of his research on Bayesian methodology. He will continue to research random effects models and their applications to environmental health and epidemiology.

“I came to OSU because I appreciated the emphasis on collaboration. I think the senior faculty and others do an excellent job in combining applied research with theoretical methods,” he said.

Pennell will begin his new position on October 1.

Zhang-sheng Yu, PhD, joins the Division of Biostatistics as an assistant professor on October 1. Yu recently completed his PhD at the University of Michigan.

Yu’s current research focuses on statistical methodology in multivariate survival data, which arise frequently in health sciences research. Yu’s research interests also include longitudinal data and functional data analysis. Yu hopes to continue collaborations with medical researchers in the areas of cancer, renal health, women’s health issues and other fields.

“I think the School of Public Health and the OSU Medical Center offer wonderful opportunities to collaborate,” he said. ■

Division of Environmental Health Sciences Song Liang, PhD, joins SPH’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences as assistant professor. Most recently, Liang served as assistant researcher and lecturer in the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health, where he earned his PhD in environmental health sciences.

“One of the major reasons I chose OSU’s School of Public Health was the research and teaching environment here. Particularly in the Division of Environmental Health, I see the school as truly global in its scope and outlook,” Liang said.

Liang’s primary areas of research are risk assessment, the environmental determinants of infectious disease, and environment-orientated interventions.

Liang studies schistosomiasis, a parasitic

Division of Biostatistics Michael Pennell, PhD, comes to the School as assistant professor in the Divi-

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THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

ALUMNI ALUMNI NEWS

Inside a hospital during Hurricane Katrina How one SPH alumnus and her hospital made it through disaster

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By Julie Johnston SPH Communications Beth Walker looked out her window on a hot, beautiful August day in 2005 at the long avenue out front. The only car visible from her New Orleans Garden District apartment was her own.

This was the eve of Hurricane Katrina, and almost everyone who could leave the city had evacuated. For the next three weeks, Beth Walker, an SPH alumna, would stay in the hospital she called her “second home.”

Walker grew up in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and is the director of clinical services at Ochsner Medical Center. As an undergraduate, she majored in health services administration at Ohio University. She came to The Ohio State University School of Public Health for her graduate studies. She has been an employee at Ochsner since earning a master of health administration degree from Ohio State in 2002.

Located a half-mile from Orleans Parish, Ochsner is situated along the Missis-

sippi River in Jefferson Parish. Like most New Orleans hospitals, Ochsner has an extensive hurricane preparedness plan.

Walker left her apartment on Sunday, Aug. 28. She was part of a core group of Ochsner Medical Center administrators, medical personnel, housekeepers, and others who would ride out the storm with patients too ill to be transported.

By Sunday evening, 350 out of 478 hospital beds were filled, mostly with the very sick as well as residents of nearby nursing homes. The hospital allowed two family members to stay with each patient.

Approximately 1,500 patients, family members and hospital staff rode out Hurricane Katrina’s rain and 120 mph winds over the next several hours.

“A group of the female staff decided to share a room on the fourth floor, and I remember waking up on my air mattress around 5 a.m. Monday and being surrounded by water,” she said.

The hospital wasn’t inundated from street flooding, but rain poured through leaks in the roof and broken windows.

The wind was deafening, Walker said, and

storm covers over the windows banged against the hospital “like hammers.”

For the next two days the hospital functioned on one generator. As the rain and wind calmed, temperatures on the upper floors were reaching well above 100 degrees.

“We had enough energy to run lights in the hallways and keep the essential hospital equipment running, but no air conditioning,” she said.

One of the most essential tasks, Walker said, was to move the patients to lower floors, where temperatures were at least 10 degrees cooler. Everyone pitched in to move the patients, including Ochsner CEO Patrick Quinlan, MD. Even with these challenges, the hospital still had room for city residents who needed care. However, communication across the city was almost non-existent, and many emergency workers did not know that Ochsner had beds available.

Staffers used bright red biohazard bags to spell “OPEN” on top of a parking garage.

Helicopters transporting patients over the city got the message, Walker said.

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006 Left: Communication across New Orleans was almost non-existent in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Staffers used bright red biohazard bags to spell “OPEN” on top of a parking garage. Helicopter pilots transporting patients over the city got the message.

National Guardsmen with M-16s stood at hospital entrances to keep out looters and ensure that only patients were admitted.

Walker remembers sitting in a lounge when power had been restored and watching the news with co-workers.

Several levees broke and flooded some employees’ homes with 11 feet of water.

Walker’s apartment was spared.

“Sometimes I have survivor’s guilt,” Walker said. “I didn’t lose everything, and just a few of my things were looted back at my apartment.”

Of Ochsner’s 7,000 pre-Katrina employees, 1,500 opted not to return to New Orleans. The hospital has hired 1,000 new employees in the last year.

Walker has never second-guessed her career decision. Spending three weeks inside Ochsner has reinforced that decision.

“I can honestly say that after the storm, I have never been more proud to be a part of something. You see that everyone has a role to play,” she said.

Taft appoints alumnus to university trustees Even during his years at the University of Michigan Medical Center, Alan Brass adorned the walls of his office with his favorite colors: scarlet and gray.

It has been more than 35 years since the hospital administrator received his master’s degree in hospital and health services from The Ohio State University, and yet his ties to the university remain strong. In July, Governor Bob Taft named Brass to the 15-member OSU Board of Trustees.

Brass has served as the CEO and president of ProMedica Health System, the largest health system based in Toledo, since 1998.

Alan Brass

Eboni Taylor

Brass began considering a career in healthcare after he nearly lost a son to a serious illness in the early 1970s. His son pulled through the ordeal, but the wonderful care he received from hospital staff left a lasting impact.

While working on his master’s, Brass joined Columbus Children’s Hospital.

Brass continued his career at several hospital systems around the country, many of which were large teaching hospitals, including the University of Michigan, BJC Health System in St. Louis and St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

In the eight years since Brass joined ProMedica, the system has expanded to 233 facilities in 23 counties in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Modern Healthcare recently named it the most integrated health system in the country.

Brass has remained involved in OSU, including as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Public Health and as a Distinguished Alumnus Honoree.

Brass looks forward to his tenure on the Board of Trustees.

“Joining the Board of Trustees at OSU is a fantastic honor,” Brass said.

Gov. Taft complimented Brass for his distinguished career in the medical field.

He said that Brass had “demonstrated an outstanding commitment and devotion to the university, the students it serves and the faculty it employs.”

Statewide professional award given to MPH alumnus Eboni Taylor (MPH, ’06) was chosen by the Ohio Public Health Association to receive the 2006 Young Public Health Professional Award. The award was presented at the 2006 Combined Public Health Conference, May 15-17.

She was nominated for the award by Amy Ferketich, assistant professor in the Division of Epidemiology. Dr. Ferketich praised Taylor’s academic performance, community service and leadership.

“She was an outstanding student, public health worker and volunteer. Her achievements have made the Division of Epidemiology extremely proud,” said Dr. Ferketich.

For her practicum Eboni worked at The Neighborhood House, Inc., and continued that work following the practicum. She organized the Minority Health Month activities and developed a database to track health outcomes among participants.

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THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

ALUMNI ALUMNI NEWS

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“I’ve come away with so much from the professors and classes at the School of Public Health,” she said. “It has not only increased my desire to learn more about public health issues and really broadened my perspective, but I also believe my analytical skills are much stronger now.”

Eboni also worked at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) as a Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) intern.

This is the second year in a row an SPH graduate has won the OPHA’s Young Public Health Professionals Award.

Institute’s focus on finance includes Frist as keynote The HSMP Alumni Society presented its 29th Annual Management Institute last fall with the title of “Dollars & Sense: Strategies for a Successful Financial Future.”

The Institute’s keynote speaker was Thomas Frist, Jr., MD, chairman emeritus & co-founder of HCA (Health Corporation of America). Frist spoke on leading change, commenting on his experience guiding HCA from infancy to the present.

Approximately 135 health care executives attended.

Sponsors of last year’s Institute were Cardinal Health, Ohio Health, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Delta Dental, Cleverley & Associates, Lash Group, MaternOhio and The Ohio Hospital Association.

Hospital association honors alumnus with service award In a career that has spanned four decades, OSU alumna Sister Judith Ann Karam has watched the healthcare industry evolve through eras of HMOs and managed care, cutbacks by government, and spikes in the numbers of patients who are uninsured.

For her contributions and dedication to the field of health care administration, Karam was awarded the 2006 Distinguished Service Award from the Ohio Hospital Association.

Karam is the president and chief executive officer of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine Health System (CSA Health System) in Cleveland. Karam also serves as President and CEO of the Sisters of Charity Providence Hospitals in Columbia, South Carolina.

“I truly believe that hospital administration requires a passion for the mission to serve others.” she said.

Karam received a master of science degree in hospital and health services administration from Ohio State in 1979.

Her leadership resulted in the formation of three new charitable foundations in the mid -1990s, The Sisters of Charity Foundations, which have awarded millions in grants to address poverty. She has been the President and CEO of CSA Health System since 1998.

Water pollution supervisor faced Cuyahoga River crisis When a storm roared through Cuyahoga County on June 22, it brought record levels of flooding and damage to

several Cleveland suburbs. Rick Novickis and his fellow public health sanitarians were on the job.

Novickis, a School of Public Health alumnus (MPH, ’06), is the environmental health services supervisor for the Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) and has been a public health professional for more than 20 years.

In some areas, 7 inches of rain fell in about an hour, he said. The Cuyahoga River reportedly reached 7 feet over flood stage level, and hundreds of homes in the area were severely damaged.

“In unique situations, it’s time to circle the wagons and do what’s necessary to help these communities and homeowners,” he said.

CCBH focused its efforts on stemming mosquito-borne disease outbreaks near standing water and providing a tetanus vaccine clinic. Novickis and other sanitarians from the area were particularly busy with addressing water quality issues, such as sewer back-ups and mold inside homes.

Many homeowners dealt with homes where raw sewage had filled basements and where water levels reached several feet high in the first floor of homes in low-lying areas.

“With the difficult soil up here and the amount of surface runoff, there is absolutely no place for all this water to go,” Novickis said. “Some areas were decimated by this storm.”

Cuyahoga County is one of nine northern Ohio counties to be declared major disaster areas by President Bush from storms in June and July. ■

ANNUAL REPORT | 2005 – 2006

DEVELOPMENT

High-impact giving

What inspires philanthropy? The answer may be different for all of you.

However, your commitment to the continued growth and success of the School of Public Health serves as a foundation of excellence and innovation for the future.

After reading this publication, you realize the impact that the school makes through research, teaching and service.

Electra Paskett’s work will make it easier for cancer patients to make sense out of a complicated health care system. Tim Buckley and Frank Holtzhauer help keep our communities safe with their work in public health preparedness. Our new undergraduate minor will ensure a steady stream of alumni to maintain and protect the health of your communities.

The Ohio State University School of Public Health is in the midst of its most exciting and important moment of its history, and we are presented with an unparalleled opportunity. As Ohio’s only accredited School of Public Health and one of only 37 nationally, our vision for the future is ambitious – inspiring us to attain a top-tier national reputation, the very best students and prominent faculty, and to serve as leaders locally, nationally and internationally.

Simply put, this vision demands that

we do more in the pursuit of excellence.

To build upon this success, next year the School will conduct its first ever capital campaign in conjunction with a university-wide campaign.

We know you can be a part of this vision by considering a gift.

Through the act of giving to the school, you will have an impact on reallife issues that improve people’s lives in our state, our country and our world.

Thank you for all that you do for the School of Public Health. Your involvement, insights and overall support are vital to the future of the School of Public Health.

How you can help Your support of the School of Public Health has a direct impact on the education of our future public health workforce, research conducted by our faculty and the life and health of communities worldwide. Below are just a few easy ways you can contribute: • Specify School of Public Health Fund #306584 in your annual gift to OSU. • Consider making a bequest to the School of Public Health in your will.

• Endow a faculty position, scholarship or fellowship.

• Support bringing the whole school together in one building.

For more information, call 614-293-3913.

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The Ohio State University’s new Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC) at sunset. This new facility is located in central campus, next door to Cunz Hall, future home of the School of Public Health.

School of Public Health The Ohio State University M116 Starling-Loving Hall 320 W. 10th Ave. Columbus OH 43210