OEHA E-Blast: Welcome to New Board Members, Another Great REHS Trainee Study Session, and more!
A BIG thank you to the OEHA 2023 Conference Planning Committee!
There's a lot going on with Environmental Health in Oregon! Read about the OEHA AEC, register for Private Well webinars, learn how you can support REHS Trainees in Oregon, and more in this edition of the OEHA E-Blast. Please pass these helpful resources along to others in your agency and community who may benefit from this important public health information!
Oregon Environmental Health News and Resources:
OEHA's Trainee Study Group is going strong! We will begin our third Trainee Study Group session on Friday, January 5th, 2024 and will meet nearly every Friday from 9-10am on Teams until early June. If you know of any REHS Trainees in your area, please point them our way! REHS Trainee Resources | OEHA (oregoneha.org) The OEHA Trainee Study Group is available at no cost to all Oregon REHS Trainees who are current OEHA Members. Register by contacting us here.
Join OEHA for Regional Events in 2024! Meet Trainees in your region, tour interesting facilities and gather with other EHSs. Dates and locations to be announced!
OEHA's Annual Education Conference took place Tuesday-Thursday, October 24-26, 2023 at the Agate Beach Inn in Newport, Oregon. The OEHA AEC featured a great line-up of speakers, including two tracks packed with presentations covering both general Environmental Health and Onsite Wastewater. The presenters included Keynote Speaker Dr. David Dyjack, President of NEHA, June Bancroft,
senior epidemiologist from OHA’s Acute and Communicable Disease Prevention Program, Katey Kennedy from the FDA, David Nelson from Orenco, Dan Bush, EN Tech, Verbal Judo training from Detective Jason Spano from Lincoln County, and many more.
The conference featured a first-ever and very successful raffle, OEHA Awards, and several Board elections.
Learn more here: 2023 AEC | OEHA (oregoneha.org). Select presentations from the AEC are available on the Members Only pages of the OEHA website.
Welcome to the New OEHA Board Members!
OEHA welcomed several new Board Members at the Annual Membership Meeting held during the OEHA 2023 AEC. They include:
Randy Trox, who moved from President-Elect to President.
Luke Prinz, who stepped into the role of President-Elect.
Clara Weidman, who is now serving as Vice President.
Sarah Puls, who stepped down from her position as President and is now Past President.
Caroline Gross-Regan, who is now the Southwest Regional Representative.
Thank you to all of the OEHA Board Members for your service, and an especially warm welcome to our new OEHA Board Members! Find all of your OEHA Board Members here.
OEHA E-Blast Highlight: Your Opportunity to Serve!
Can't wait for the next OEHA AEC? The Conference Planning Committee for OEHA's 2024 AEC is just starting to form. Be a part of shaping the future of our profession and develop some serious event planning skills. You won't be alone! All experience levels and skill types are welcome - trainees, those nearing retirement, artists. writers, social butterflies, organizational wizards, penny counters, and fundraisers are needed. Our awesome new President Elect Luke Prinz will be leading the team. Contact us to join the fun!
Upcoming Webinars and Conferences:
Learn about groundwater, well construction, water quality, and well care best practices for environmental health professionals and others who serve well owners. November 29, 2023 11am Pacific
PFAS, Sociodemographic Factors, and Implications
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is hosting a panel of experts on November 29 to discuss the scientific evidence of PFAS exposure and sociodemographic factors, impacts to communities, and the implications for environmental justice.
Applied Foodborne Outbreak Investigation Course
Intermediate level course to teach epidemiological skills during a foodborne outbreak investigation.
Enforcement and Compliance History Online
Webinar from U.S. EPA on the Hazardous Waste Facility Search and Hazardous Waste EPA/State Dashboard.
Waterborne Infectious Disease Burden and Illness in the U.S.
Webinar from NACCHO on December 4 on the burden of waterborne infectious disease and a focus on the prevention of recreational water-associated illness.
2024 InFORM The Integrated Foodborne Outbreak Response and Management (InFORM) Conference, slated to be held January 22-24, 2024 in Washington, DC, brings together the network of public health officials involved with foodborne and enteric disease outbreak response. This includes current federal, state, and local public health and environmental health specialists, epidemiologists, health communicators, and laboratory scientists. This year’s theme is “The State of Enterics: Capitalizing on Opportunities." Early bird registration pricing ends on December 1.
AEC Attendee Registration Opens Soon
Attendee registration for NEHA's 2024 Annual Educational Conference & Exhibition in Pittsburgh, PA on July 15-18, opens December 1.
Register at the Early Bird Rate for the Longest Running Conference on Emergency Preparedness As the first and longest running national preparedness conference, the 2024 Preparedness Summit is the place for you to reenergize while gaining the knowledge, resources, and relationships necessary to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies. Register for the Preparedness Summit, held March 25-28, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio, at the early-bird rate today!
Interested in Public Health and Law? Register for the 2024 Public Health Law Practitioners Convening
Registration for the 2024 Public Health Law Practitioners Convening — being held April 30-May 2, 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana — is now open! Join your fellow public health leaders, attorneys, policy professionals, and practitioners from state, local, tribal, and territorial jurisdictions and gain valuable insights, strategies, and tools to utilize in your work. Showcase and share your research findings, best practices, tools, or other resources that speak to how law and policy can be leveraged to support public health practice in your jurisdictions. Register now and be a force for positive change! For more information and updates, subscribe to the Public Health Practitioners Law Convening e-newsletter.
HACCP Plan Development for Food Processors
Hosted by Rutgers University, Office of Continuing Professional Education Online | May 21 - 23, 2024 In this two and a half day online workshop, participants will learn to write an effective HACCP plan by doing it! Our HACCP expert will guide students through the process step-by-step so they can create an effective plan to help their facility avoid the liability associated with contaminated food products. Participants will review examples of real HACCP plans and learn why they fail, so they can make sure their plans succeed. Register with Suzanne Hills, suzanne.hills @ rutgers.edu, 848-932-7234
Scholarships and Opportunities:
2nd Annual Photo Exhibition and Photo Contest
NEHA is pleased to announce that they will be hosting the 2nd Annual Photo Exhibition and Contest at the 2024 AEC in Pittsburgh, PA. Keep an eye out and snap of photo of the images you come across that exemplify your work in EH. Details coming soon.
The call for abstracts for the 2024 NACCHO360 Conference, to be held July 23–26, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan, is now open!! This year’s theme, Heard it Through the Grapevine: Public Health Partnerships, Collaboration, and Innovation, will attract the largest gathering of public health professionals in the United States, offering hands-on experience and innovative solutions to the challenges that local health departments face.
EcoAmerica Leadership Awards: Consider applying for EcoAmerica’s American Climate Leadership Awards. They are awarding $175,000 to organizations and individuals who have demonstrated success engaging communities in the climate movement. Apply by December 15.
Recognize Outstanding Public Health Practices: Apply for a NACCHO Award by December 31
Every year, NACCHO recognizes the remarkable accomplishments of local health departments and health officials through the its annual awards program. With these awards, we aim to continue the tradition of honoring local health department leaders and programs that demonstrate extraordinary responses to distinct local public health needs. The following awards are currently accepting applications:
The deadline to apply for a NACCHO award is December 31, 2023 at 11:59 PM PST. Winners will be honored at a special ceremony and reception at the 2024 NACCHO360 Conference in Detroit! Learn more about NACCHO awards on our webpage, and please email membership@naccho.org with any questions.
It's Not Too Late to Give Your Input on Data
Accurate data informs our interventions. If your role includes collecting, cleaning, storing, or analyzing environmental public health data, please complete our assessment or pass it on to the person who does. The results will help NEHA to provide resources to create a sustainable and standardized environmental health data system for all of us! Assessment closes December 31.
Learn How You Can Contribute to National Outbreak Data
The Explorer Program is a short, 4-month program that gives you an overview of the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS). The program provides up to $5,000 for staff to attend training and purchase equipment. Applications are due by December 1. State programs will be given priority.
Apply for the Small Communities, Big Challenges Competition
Join this competition for local governments to demonstrate innovative strategies to engage with rural communities. Deadline to submit is January 31, 2024.
Be Recognized on Our Retail Food Safety Standardization Map
If you lead retail food safety standardization in your jurisdiction, take 20 minutes to tell NEHA about your local program’s standardization practices. Your input will directly inform the specific, tailored assistance available to you, whether to maintain your existing program or support training and standardization.
Verification Auditor Resource Listing
AFDO connects jurisdictions with qualified auditors to support their efforts toward conforming with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards. If you're an auditor, provide your qualifications to be listed as a resource.
Apply for the Guzewich Award
Nominations are open for the John J. Guzewich Environmental Public Health Award for individuals and agencies for contributions to the national food safety system during foodborne illness outbreaks. Nomination deadline is December 1.
Safer Choice Standard Proposed Updates
Public comments requested for U.S. EPA updates to the Standard. Updates are due by January 16. Informational webinar on December 19.
Applications for the Health Career Connection's (HCC) Summer 2024 paid Public Health and Healthcare internships are now open. HCC is dedicated to empowering students to discover and achieve your health career goals. Spend your summer in an experiential learning internship program designed to develop the next generation of diverse health professionals and leaders. Explore health careers and advance health equity in your community and nationwide! Application deadline: December 11, 2023. Learn more and apply here.
Environmental Health Advocacy
World Congress on Environmental Health
NEHA's board member, CDR Anna Khan, will be speaking at the 17th Annual International Federation of Environmental Health’s World Congress on Environmental Health in Perth, Australia, in May 2024!
It’s Not Too Late to Nominate for NEHA's Board of Directors
See how you can impact environmental health at the national level. Four positions are open for 2024. Nominations are due by December 1.
Be Part of NEHA's Community Contributing Panel
NEHA is looking for members in our online Community to be part of their Community Contributing Panel. The panel will meet monthly and be responsible for actively posting and responding to posts in Community. The commitment is one year. Email Heather Folker if you are interested.
NEHA was Invited to the U.S. EPA National Environmental Advisory Committee
NEHA has been invited and will serve as a member of the U.S. EPA National Environmental Advisory Committee.
NEHA Went to Mallorca, Spain
Dr. David Dyjack, NEHA's CEO, discussed information as a social determinant of health at the European Mosquito Control Association conference in Mallorca, Spain.
Employment Opportunities
Looking for a job? Have a vacancy in your business or department? Check out the OEHA Job Opportunities page at Job Opportunities | OEHA (oregoneha.org) or send us a message for a free job posting!
Did you know NEHA has a Job Board? Members get one free post per year. Use code 23CAREERS. We also list NEHA job openings—we currently have several open positions.
Visit the NACCHO Career Center, where job seekers can browse hundreds of vacant positions and employers can recruit new talent.
NACCHO also offers Fellowship Programs for students to gain experience in public health and Mentorship Programs which provide the chance to learn and share resources across local health departments.
Thanks for reading!
Please contact us with any information you would like to have included in the next OEHA E-Blast.
Sincerely, your Oregon Environmental Health Association Board