WVU School of Public Health represented in many ways at KidStrong Conference and Immunization Summit

Representatives from the School of Public Health attended the annual KidStrong Conference on June 11-12 at the Charleston Civic Center.  The conference provided collaborative lectures, workshops and keynotes for health-care providers and state educators aimed at helping school-age children and their families.  The 2013 WV Immunization Summit was held in conjunction with the conference.  

Graduates from the School of Public Health programs who spoke at the conference include one of the conference organizers, Don Chapman, MS, Assistant Director and Coordinator of Driver Education Office of Health Schools, WVDE;  Kate Flack, MPH, WV Free, WISE Program Manager; Keri Kennedy, MPH, Office of Child Nutrition, Darlene Koerber, MS School Health; Tyler Consolidated Middle School; Jill Nolan, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Education, Concord University; Kathy Paxton, MS, Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities WVDHHR; Gina Sharps, MPH, RDH, School Health Technical Assistance Center, Marshall University; Linda St. Claire, MS, RD, LD, CEDE, Office of Child Nutrition. 

In addition to the speakers, School of Public Health alumni who stopped by the exhibit, and are working as public health professionals in the state include Electa Crowder, MS School Health, Bobbi Jo Muto, MPH, Adam Flack, MPH,  and Elaine Darling, MPH.

School administrators, teachers, nurses, counselors, school-based health center staff, mental health professionals and public health specialists attended the conference to gather the latest information on how to improve the well-being of West Virginia’s school age population. Keynote speaker R. Booth Goodwin II, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of W.V. presented a report Tuesday on school safety and debuted a video for young people on the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

The KidStrong conference is organized by the state departments of Education and Health and Human Resources, Marshall University's medical school and the West Virginia Immunization Network.