Public Health Summit VIII Scheduled for October 18; Public Invited to Attend

Brewster, NY- The Putnam County Department of Health and its community partners have set the date of October 18 for Public Health Summit VIII. The event is held annually to gather together community organizations to focus on local public health concerns, and to help strategize and plan on how best to address these issues. This year residents are being encouraged to take part in the event at Putnam Hospital Center, which co-sponsors the half-day of activities with the health department. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. with check-in and ends at 1 p.m.

“The summit is instrumental in bringing together not only our county agencies, but also community-based organizations that work to preserve and improve the health of our residents,” says MaryEllen Odell, County Executive. The summit also provides a forum for the health department to share valuable information and data with its partners about Putnam-specific health problems. Past summits have focused on health disparities, substance abuse issues and chronic disease prevention programs, among other Putnam challenges.

“Residents have always been welcome at the public health summits,” says interim Health Commissioner Michael J. Nesheiwat, M.D. “This year we are reaching out more proactively, inviting interested residents to attend to learn and help us strategize about public health solutions. This work helps us plan our CHIP,” Dr. Nesheiwat continues, referring to Community Health Improvement Plan, required of all health departments in New York State.

On the agenda this year is an in-depth look at the “Forces of Change” in Putnam County through the use of a “best-practice” assessment tool that guides users to question the external influences and trends that can affect the local public health system. Influences may be economic, environmental, legal/political, social, medical, technical, scientific or ethical. This assessment has been used by since 2013, when it was first implemented by Putnam County Department of Health during its successful quest for national accreditation.

For more information or to register for the summit, click here: Putnam County Public Health Summit.

The mission of the Putnam County Department of Health, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), is to improve and protect the health of the Putnam County community, composed of nearly 100,000 residents. Core services include community health assessment, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, environmental health protection, family health promotion and health education. For more information, please visit our County website at www.putnamcountyny.com; or visit our social media sites on Facebook at www.facebook.com/putnamhealth  and Twitter @PutnamHealthNY.

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Please let us know if we can provide any additional information. Feel free to contact our Public Information Officer Barbara Ilardi with any questions at 845-808-1390.