Affiliates soon | The health of the nation

Iowa Children’s Book Supports Vaccines

The Iowa Public Health Association is helping children (and adults) better understand the importance of vaccines through a new children’s book.

A book from the Iowa Public Health Association supports vaccines.

Image courtesy of IPHA

In September, the APHA-affiliated organization partnered with Iowa Immunizes to publish “Bye Bye, Big Sick.” Written by Iowa pediatrician and IPHA member Nathan Boonstra, MD, and illustrated by Claire Sedovic, the book is aimed at children ages 5 and younger and addresses common fears about doctor visits and vaccines. It is also available as a board book for younger children and in Spanish.

IPHA and Iowa Immunizes members received free copies to support their vaccination advocacy work. The chapter also partnered with the Iowa Medical Society, a chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, to distribute the books to pediatricians across the state.

Free downloadable information and activity sheets are available for children and parents.

For more information, visit https://iowapha.org/big-sick.

Maine hosts joint state-to-state collaboration

Public health leaders in Maine are at the forefront of efforts to strengthen the nation’s health, working in partnership with APHA’s network of affiliated state and regional public health associations across the country.

In September, the Maine Public Health Association launched the Healthy States Collaborative, an initiative dedicated to advancing federal and state policies that protect public health and expand wellness opportunities.

The collaboration prioritizes sustained investment in chronic disease prevention, strengthening the rural health workforce, supporting local economic growth, ensuring clean air and clean water, and safeguarding the nation’s food supply.

The collaborative has partnered with nearly 30 APHA affiliates across the country, including public health associations in Oregon, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

For more information, visit www.mainepublichealth.org.

Connecticut connects academia and practice

Among universities, departments, and public health organizations, institutions often compete rather than collaborate.

Recognizing the divide, the Connecticut Public Health Association has worked to strengthen connections between academia and practice. In 2023, the APHA affiliate revamped its Academic Advisory Council to foster greater collaboration between institutions.

The council now includes members representing 11 universities from across the state. Council members meet monthly to share best practices, identify opportunities for collaboration, and address common classroom challenges. By acting as a liaison to the association’s board of directors, the council helps guide organizational priorities by elevating academic perspectives.

The work has not only eliminated silos between institutions, but has also strengthened relationships between universities, according to council chair and APHA member Anuli Njoku, DrPH, MPH.

“We get together and share ideas, which has been very fruitful,” said Njoku, a professor of health equity and promotion at Southern Connecticut State University. The health of the nation.

Emerging issues explored by the council include the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom, maintaining student engagement amid public health challenges, and addressing diversity, equity and inclusion in the wake of funding cuts.

For more information, visit https://cpha.info.

Delaware building community health

The Delaware Academy of Medicine and Public Health and its partners are leading efforts to strengthen the capacity of the state’s workforce.

In 2022, the Public Health Management Corporation and the Sussex County Health Coalition, based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and southern Delaware, respectively, received funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Office of Health Workforce to expand community health worker capacity throughout Delaware.

Recognizing an opportunity for collaboration, the APHA affiliate convened organizations to determine how to best use funds to train the greatest number of community health workers without reinventing wheels or working in opposition to each other.

The partnership resulted in the Delaware Community Health Worker Project, which combines shared resources to expand training. The corporation contributed its learning management system, offering 75 hours of core competency instruction, while the coalition added 49 hours of virtual health literacy training through the Institute for Healthcare Advancement.

The organizations connected community health workers to online training and placed them in apprenticeship programs. Between March 2023 and June 2025, more than 230 Delaware residents completed the training.

“The plan is to continue the program and be a good example of how community health workers can be used to fill gaps in the health care field,” said Kate Smith, MD, MPH, executive director of the Delaware Academy of Medicine and Public Health. The Health of the Nation.

For more information, visit https://delamed.org.

Affiliates sharing best practices

The 52 state and regional public health associations affiliated with APHA are learning from each other’s successes to build their organizational capacity.

APHA’s Affiliate-to-Affiliate Webinar Series helps leaders share proven best practices, practical tools, and innovative strategies.

Photo by Iryna Melnyk, courtesy of iStockphoto

Launched in October, the Affiliate-to-Affiliate webinar series features APHA affiliate leaders sharing proven best practices, practical tools and innovative strategies to strengthen performance in key areas.

Affiliate leaders from Illinois, Iowa and Delaware have led webinars on topics ranging from creating funding strategies to encouraging high school engagement to working with local media.

“The webinar series is a great tool for members to share their success, inspire others, and learn how to implement proven strategies within their organizations,” said Michelle Loosli, MS, director of membership affairs for APHA. The health of the nation.