February 01, 2006
Taking the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to all county health workers statewide is the idea behind the N.C. Public Health Academy, a new initiative created by the UNC School of Public Health-based N.C. Institute for Public Health.The Duke Endowment has announced plans to fund the start of the academy with an $873,000 grant during a three-year period.

The Duke Endowment, established in 1924 by N.C. industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, serves the people of North Carolina and South Carolina by supporting selected programs of higher education, health care, children’s welfare and spiritual life.

The N.C. Public Health Academy will partner with UNC School of Medicine-based Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) to provide conveniently accessible professional training and development opportunities for public health professionals. Nine AHECs are located statewide, offering a broad array of educational programs in partnership with area hospitals, health departments and other agencies.

“We are delighted to be working with the institute on the new academy, since it will allow health professionals to remain in their own communities and access state-of-the-art educational programs and other resources,” said AHEC director Dr. Thomas J. Bacon.

Photograph of Dr. Ed Baker

Photograph of Dr. Ed Baker

Institute officials project the academy will be operational in eight months. The offerings will include on-site learning as well as the use of training technologies such as videoconferencing, the Internet and DVDs to expand the educational opportunities for those serving the public’s health in the field, said Dr. Ed Baker, director of the N.C. Institute for Public Health.

The academy will offer schools or specialty programs leading to credentialing, for categories of professionals such as health directors and medical residents.

“We will begin by assessing the needs in different regions for training, education and professional development,” Baker said. “Then we will design and deliver programs that will address competency and certification needs for specific jobs or disciplines.”

“We are concerned that many public health managers are nearing retirement age,” he added. “We want to make sure we have a qualified work force and qualified professional health executives to lead our community health organizations and provide high-quality services to the people in our state.”

The N.C. Institute for Public Health, which directs numerous training programs and conferences, provides technical assistance and consulting services to local health departments and other health organizations. More information is available at sph.unc.edu/nciph/nciph-home/.

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N.C. Institute for Public Health contact: Bev Holt, (919) 966-6274 or bev_holt@unc.edu.

For further information please contact Ramona DuBose either by phone at 919-966-7467 or by e-mail at ramona_dubose@unc.edu.

 

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