OPHA SECTIONS, CAUCUSES & COMMITTEES

Listed below are OPHA's active and inactive Sections, Caucuses, & Committees (SCCs). All members are encouraged to select an SCC that fits their area of work or interest and to participate in the selected SCC's activities. Membership in the American Public Health Association provides an opportunity for involvement in national sections and caucuses.


Ten or more OPHA members may petition the OPHA Board to form a Section to address a particular field or area of public health or to form a Caucus around a particular public health issue. Following board approval, SCCs must elect officers, develop bylaws, and hold at least one business meeting scheduled during OPHA's annual conference. 


Community Health Worker Section

Monthly meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of every month at 1pm. Contact the Community Health Workers Chair Kerstin Reinschmidt for more information on meeting times and events.

Membership includes:

Community Health Worker /

CHW (Umbrella Term) 

CHW Ally (Umbrella Term)

 Community Health Representative / CHR

Community Health Advisors

Case Managers/Case Workers

Community Health Advocate

Community Health Outreach Worker

Community Liaison

Community Organizer

Health Educator

Health Ambassador

Enrollment Specialist

Lay Health Advisor

Public Health Aide

Patient Navigator

Peer Counselor

Peer Educator

Promotor/s

Promotor/a

Community Health Aid

Community Health Navigator

Healthcare Providers

Social Service Providers

Payers

Public Health Departments

Businesses

Education Institutions

Public and Private Agencies 

Objectives include:

Policy Development

  1. Develop and support policies for the CHW workforce.
  2. Share best practices and advance institutional, local, state, and national policies that support the CHW workforce.

Leadership

  1. Ensure CHWs have a voice regarding their workforce development
  2. Ensure CHWs have a voice at all levels of public health planning and decision-making tables to improve health outcomes in Oklahoma.

Membership Engagement

  1. Recruit and retain CHWs and CHW allies as members of the section. This will occur through local and regional networks, health networks, academic networks, and tribal communities throughout Oklahoma.


Continuing Education Committee (New Section!) 


Please contact Continuing Education Committee Chair Tracy Freudenthaler for more information on Committee activities and events.

Membership includes:

  • At least one member with active CPH credentials
  • At lease one member with active CHES/MCHES credentials
  • The Chair of each of OPHA's active Sections, Caucuses & Committees

Objectives include:

  1. Maintaining accrediting body compliance and ensuring CE competency is held to the highest standard in all continuing education activities.



Emergency Preparedness & Response Section


Monthly meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of every month at 10am. Contact the Emergency Preparedness & Response Chair Michael J DeRemer II for more information on meeting times and events.

Membership includes:

  • Regional Planners
  • Regional Nurses
  • State/County Preparedness
  • Individuals (Annex H, Medical Reserve Corps, MMRS/RMRS, SNS Coordinators)
  • Volunteer Coordinators
  • Grant Developers
  • Emergency Management Staff
  • Medical Professionals

Objectives include:

  1. Providing a mechanism of sharing of preparedness and emergency response initiatives, ideas, and experiences between individuals engaged in supporting public health preparedness and emergency response.
  2. Providing an avenue for improvement and collaboration of communication and preparedness skills relating to public health preparedness and response.
  3. Providing an opportunity for networking, relationship building among response personnel engaged in public health preparedness and response.


Epidemiology & Laboratory Section (New Section!)


Contact the Epidemiology & Laboratory Chair Lauren Kidwell for more information on meeting times and events.

Membership includes:

  • Infectious and Chronic Disease Specialists
  • Physicians
  • Nurses
  • Epidemiologists 
  • Microbiologists

Objectives include:

  1. Promoting scientific knowledge and interaction through presentation of scientific studies
  2. Recognizing excellence in scientific inquiry and outstanding student scientists through awards



Health Equity Caucus


Contact the Oral Health Chair Amy McGehee for more information on meeting times and events.


Members include:

  • OPHA members who are interested in promoting health equity for all and who designate the Health Equity Caucus as their choice.

Objectives include:

  1. Provide a mechanism of sharing of ideas and experiences among people engaged in supporting public health.
  2. Provide an avenue for awareness for the Health Equity Campaign.


Public Health Education & Promotion Section

Monthly meetings are held the 1st Friday of every month at 10am. Register online to attend. Contact the Public Health Education & Promotion Chair  Wendy Frankenburger for more information. 

Membership includes:

Individuals working for public health education and health promotion within:

    • Communities
    • Schools
    • Health care facilities
    • Businesses
    • Public agencies
    • Private agencies

    Objectives include:

    1. Promoting understanding of health promotion and disease prevention. 
    2. Educating the general public on issues affecting their health.
    3. Impacting legislation affecting health issues.
    4. Presenting continuing education involving the rapidly evolving field of public health issues.
    5. Aiding in the establishment of standards and guidelines in the health promotion field.
    6. Initiating projects designed for improving the health of the population.
    7. Striving for the prevention of disease for all age groups.

    Oral Health Section


    Contact the Oral Health Chair Nicole Reynolds for more information on meeting times and events.

    Goal: Promoting understanding, capability and action in oral health promotion and disease prevention

    Membership include:

    • All dental health personnel
    • Others interested in the promotion and public health aspects of oral health 

    Objectives include:

    1. Educating the general public
    2. Presenting continuing education involving this rapidly evolving field
    3. Aiding the establishment of standards and guidelines
    4. Initiating projects designed for improving the health of the population
    5. Striving for the elimination of oral disease for all age groups

      Public Policy Committee

      Monthly meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 4pm. Contact the Public Health Policy Committee Chair McKenzie Cowlbeck for more information.

      Membership include:

      • All OPHA members who are interested in public health policy that will have a positive impact on the health and safety of the citizens of Oklahoma and advancing those concerns within our own association, communities and with legislative bodies and policy makers at all levels.

      Objectives include:

      1. Assist in shaping OPHA’s public policy agenda by helping to identify and prioritize relevant public health issues. 
      2. Make recommendations on legislative priorities to the OPHA Board.
      3. Work with OPHA to build strategic relationships with public officials, nonprofit colleagues and other sectors. 
      4. Gather information relevant to the development and promotion of Public Policies, such as public opinion and stakeholder surveys, demographic trends, political and economic environment. 
      5. Assist in building grassroots support for positions. 
      6. Scan the environment for advocacy in order to identify factors conducive to, and factors inhibiting, achievement of the expected advocacy outcomes. 
      7. Identify different targets for advocacy initiatives.
      8. Develop strategies and operational plans for implementing advocacy.


      Learn more about OPHA's inactive Sections & Caucuses below!


      Maternal & Child Health Section

      Membership includes:

      • Physicians
      • Administrators
      • Nurses
      • Social workers
      • Statisticians
      • Patient care assistants
      • Nurse practitioners
      • Technical specialists
      • Clerical staff

      Objectives include:

      • Providing a forum for an exchange of information and ideas to benefit the personal growth of individuals who deliver services.


      Public Health Nursing Section


      Public Health Nursing is leading the way in building healthy communities, achieving health equity and social justice, and improving quality of life for all communities.

      The OPHA Nursing section provides an opportunity for the members to express their specific concerns about community health nursing as it related to total health care and allows persons with like interests to promote preventive health measures, and provide leadership in the development and promotion of Public Health education in the State of Oklahoma.

      Membership includes:

      • Nurses
      • Those interested in the nursing profession

      Objectives include:

        1. Serving as a forum for expressing concerns about community health

        2. Working as a group to promote preventive health measures

        3. Providing programs of interest on current trends in nursing practice

        4. Collaborating with other sections of OPHA to bring about general public health objectives.



        Oklahoma Public Health Association
        121 NE 52nd Street, Ste. 260
        Oklahoma City, OK 73105
        405-605-2099
        opha@opha.net