OPHA SECTIONS, CAUCUSES & COMMITTEES

Community Health Worker Section

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

Membership includes:

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.

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.
   

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.

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

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.

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.

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
   

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.