IPHA 2011-2012 Annual Report - Illinois Public Health Association

IPHA 71st Annual MeetingIllinois ComptrollerJudy Baar-TopinkaWorking Together for Public Health PolicyIPHA’s 71st Annual Meetingand Legislative Action DayWorking to raise public health’s profile continuesto be an important element of IPHA’s AnnualMeeting and Legislative Action Day. The 71stAnnual Meeting “Working Together for PublicHealth Policy” was undertaken in collaborationwith the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA),Illinois Association of Public Health Administrators(IAPHA), Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium(NIPHC), and the Southern Illinois Public HealthConsortium (SIPHC) and co-located with the Associationof Community Mental Health Authorities ofIllinois (ACMHAI). IPHA is proud of the significantprogress made in developing a collaborative andeffective relationship with our public health partnersand believe that the 71st Annual Meeting providedan opportunity to build upon this success to positivelyimpact the entire public health system andthose we serve. This event, which was held April17-18, 2012, in Springfield, Illinois, was an excellentopportunity for members to increase awarenessof legislative issues affecting public health, fosterrelationships with state legislators and other stateleaders, and to gain education in the practicalaspects of public health advocacy.We appreciate the hard work of the annualmeeting committee, especially the leadership ofConference Chair, Cathy Ferguson, Public HealthAdministrator of Lee County Health Department.We were pleased with the top-notch technicalprogram developed by the committee whichincluded interactive and educational sessions oncritical public health topics such as maternal andchild health, food and nutrition, HIV/AIDS, chronicdisease prevention and health promotion, Statebudget and fiscal conditions, public policy developmentand public health advocacy.This year’s opening session focusedon the messaging of the PatientProtection and Affordable Care Actwith presentations by Jim Duffett,Campaign for Better Health Careand Sherry Prowda, Herndon Alliance.The conference also providedattendees with exposure to a numberof state dignitaries such as IllinoisComptroller Judy Baar-Topinka(left), Julie Hamos, Director of theIllinois Department of Healthcareand Family Services, and MichaelGelder, Senior Health Care PolicyAdvisor to Governor Pat Quinn.71st Annual MeetingCommitteeJ. Maichle Bacon, IPHA PresidentCathy Ferguson, ChairKaren AyalaSusan BekensteinJames BloydBrian BongnerChrissy CarlsonTsoetsy HarrisMichael “Doc” HollidayMaureen McHughBerneice Mills-ThomasKaren PetersDavid RemmertRosalyn RossPhyllis RussellLarry SwacinaJeffery J. WaddyJeff Workman10www.ipha.com