A Message from Richard J. Cohen

The first thing you might notice as you look through this issue is that our newsletter has changed.

With the new name Public Health Directions and an updated design, we are emphasizing our role on the leading edge of public health service, partnership, innovation, policy, research, technical assistance and workforce development. These are all elements of our strategic plan that support our mission to create and sustain healthier communities. We’ll go into more depth about the strategic plan in our winter issue.

As an institute that helps to set the direction for public health in our region, it is fitting that this issue explores the role of technology in the work we do. From text messages to Twitter, from Facebook to web-based applications, technology is helping us to bring public health messages and services to a wider audience and gain greater understanding about those we serve. As the Community Health Data Base article shows, it’s also focusing a new lens on disparities in access. Even where traditional technologies work best—such as print messages that help address hypertension and diabetes—you’ll see that we engage our audience by borrowing from the language of technology with our Black Men in HD initiative.

I’m someone who loves new technology; ask anyone who knows me whether I can pass up the latest handheld innovation. But I also appreciate that tried-and-true methods can have persistent value (I’ll never stop reading newspapers…in paper form). That’s a key message behind our story on street outreach. As leaders in public health, we must know the cutting edge but cannot be blinded by the next new thing. We must apply our experience and our analytic skills to employ the right methods in the right places, for the right people, at the right times.

Some things never have a right time, such as saying good-bye to a colleague and friend who has been with PHMC from the very beginning. However, as you’ll see, while one of our founders and leaders is leaving us it is the right time for him, and even as we will miss him we can feel very happy for his next steps.

Finally, you’ll also read that we are welcoming someone new—and a new role—to the ranks of PHMC. But this is just a teaser; look forward to more comprehensive information on what’s new at PHMC in our winter issue, where we will look at how we are planning for the organization’s second 40 years.

With that in mind, please put the evening of April 3, 2012 on your calendar. More information to come…but we’ll be celebrating PHMC’s 40th anniversary and we hope that you—our friends, supporters, partners and employees—will be with us for a great event.

Yours in public health,