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The first full week of April marked the American Public Health Association鈥檚 annual National Public Health Week. 黑洞社区 of Medicine鈥檚 Master of Public Health (MPH) Program celebrated this important week with various activities focused on the communities we serve. We look forward to this week each year because it allows us to publicly share our commitment to MSM鈥檚 vision to lead the creation and advancement of health equity in communities surrounding our very campus.

This year, the MPH Program celebrated by participating in the annual Mother Hubbard Takeover, the Dr. Daniel S. Blumenthal Public Health Conference, and our annual Community Health and Wellness Fair. Additionally, our director, Dr. Stephanie Miles-Richardson, attended the 89th Annual Georgia Public Health Association鈥檚 Meeting and Conference in Jekyll Island, GA.

Mother Hubbard Daycare and Kindergarten Center, Inc. was established in 1961 by the late Mr. and Mrs. William Henry Palmer Sr. It has provided educational services to youth and families in the Bankhead area for about 55 years. During the Mother Hubbard Take Over, children, enrolled at the center, were invited to our campus for a day of fun. The children, along with the entire MPH Program, engaged in activities including a campus tour, a book reading from Dr. Bennie Harris, Senior Vice President, Office of Institutional Advancement, arts & crafts, and field day activities on our back lawn. This event is important because it introduces children from underserved communities to the option of higher education and allows them to engage with current and future public health professionals.

The Dr. Daniel S. Blumenthal Public Health Conference was an opportunity for our students to present their public health scholarly research through poster presentations. This year the theme was cancer and the public鈥檚 health. Four MPH students presented their posters, one of which was awarded first place.

The Community Health and Wellness Fair began in 1979 with a strong commitment to empower the disadvantaged, low income, high-risk populations of Atlanta. It focused on preventing morbidities and creating awareness through free health screenings and by providing access to community resources. This event offers a one-stop-shop for health and healthcare needs for many who are experiencing financial hardships or are unaware of their current health status (i.e. blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, or HIV status). This year we had over fifty vendors and hundreds of community members present.

As a bonus this year, the Georgia Public Health Association鈥檚 annual meeting and conference was held during National Public Health Week. We were a sponsor of this meeting, which had a conference theme titled, 鈥淯nlock the Treasures of Public Health: Engage, Educate, Innovate.鈥�

We purposely celebrate National Public Health Week with our Community-Academic Partners and long-term academic partners to focus on more effective collaboration which will strengthen our public health knowledge and more importantly, our engagement with the communities we serve. 黑洞社区 of Medicine鈥檚 Master of Public Health Program: We exist because We must: Honor the mission; Serve the community; Do the work!