It is an honor for me to serve as president of the Ohio Public Health Association. I enter the position at a time when our organization is steadily moving toward fulfilling its mission of being the Inclusive Voice of Public Health in Ohio. I sincerely thank our immediate past president, Natalie DiPietro Mager, for her focused leadership in guiding our association through a period of transition and setting us on the right course. It is now my charge to help find new solutions to some of the old, yet persistent, public health challenges.
I intend to
set the following three priorities as we move forward in this
journey:
Improve the
Fiscal Health of OPHA – Our
organization has done quite well furthering public health through the kindness
of donors, the volunteer efforts of committed public health professionals, and
through the creative and careful use of our limited resources. However,
if we want to continue to lead on the more significant public issues, we will
need to build a fiscal infrastructure capable of sustaining our
efforts.
In this
process, I pledge to work with OPHA’s Executive Director, David Maywhoor, to
seek out and establish funding partnerships that are mutually beneficial. For
example, OPHA currently has a promising funding source — the Public Health
Professional Services program. The PHPS program benefits our partners by
providing a pool of qualified public health professionals to fill their
employment needs, and OPHA benefits through the administrative fee it charges
for the services.
The PHPS may
be one of the best kept secrets in state, and now we have a great opportunity
to further promote and expand the program. Additionally, OPHA could and
should establish more organic partnerships to benefit public health, including
reaching out to public and private organizations concerned with climate change
and the environment. I believe these opportunities are boundless, and we simply
need to be more deliberate in our efforts to expand and grow the organization.
Continue Our
Statewide Leadership in Health and Equity in All Policies – Through the work of our Health and
Equity in All Policies legislative initiative, OPHA is now seen as the
statewide leader in addressing the many social and geographical factors that
influence health. This is a mantle we
all can be proud of. I believe we only have scratched the surface on what
can be achieved in this area. Active engagement and collaboration is
key, and we must continue to build a coalition of interested stakeholders
prepared to assist in the sustained progress of this
initiative.
During the
next year, I would like to see more formal and enthusiastic engagement of the
entire OPHA membership through education, communication, and training. This
will increase buy-in at all levels, and allow each of us to become more
effective public health advocates.
Elevate the
Profile of OPHA – Through
the dedicated and active work of the various OPHA Sections and Committees, we
are well on our way to becoming a respected and recognized force in the field
of public health in Ohio. By encouraging greater internal coordination
and interaction, we can continue to build our reputation as a trusted and
expert resource. I intend to focus on
ways to lift the profile of OPHA statewide, so that we always are invited to
the table when important public health issues are discussed.
I look
forward to the many opportunities that lie before us. Together as we implement elements of our
strategic plan, and set attainable goals and objectives, we will move ever
closer to realizing our vision: “A healthy Ohio, where all communities are
thriving, and all people have access to the care, information, and resources
they need to be healthy.”
I invite
each of you to actively engage in these efforts and share your ideas. Please
feel free to contact me any time at jennings.robertl@gmail.com
Sincerely,
Robert Jennings
President
Ohio Public Health Association