Hundreds of public health professionals attended “Collaborative Innovations in Public Health: Forming a More Perfect Union,” the 2008 Pennsylvania Public Health Association (PPHA) and Public Health Institute annual conference. A number of PHMC employees participated and exhibited at the conference, November 17-19 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel.

“The 2008 PPHA Conference was the largest in recent memory and we were thrilled to have so many outstanding presenters, as well as plenary and keynote speakers,” says PPHA president-elect Jessica Boyer, who also served on the conference planning committee and is a senior program officer at PHMC. “The conference provided a wonderful learning and networking opportunity for our colleagues in public health from across the commonwealth.”

PHMC employees presented in a variety of fields, including youth gun violence, nutrition, advocacy and policy, HIV/AIDS prevention, leadership development, health care access and tobacco control.

PPHA treasurer and PHMC Director of Training Beth Shuman served as chair of the 2008 conference planning committee, along with committee members Boyer and PHMC employees Francine Axler, Allegra Gordon, Amanda Innes and Alex Lehr O’Connell. “PHMC has always been a leader,” says Shuman, “and seeing our employees take the lead in planning and participating in the conference was an indication of PHMC's commitment to the public health of our region.”