Brandon Grimm, Ph.D., director of the Office of Public Health Practice in the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Public Health, was named president-elect of the Public Health Association of Nebraska (PHAN) at its annual conference recently in Grand Island. His election marks the first time anyone from academia has been elected to the state association’s leadership.
As president, Dr. Grimm will be the face of PHAN. He will promote the organization and assist the executive director with membership and strategic goals during his two-year term. He also will promote PHAN opportunities and work with the board to recommend public health legislation, support new public health policy and secure additional resources for the organization.
He is a recognized resource for practitioners in Nebraska. His relationships with frontline public health professionals have led to his election and appointment to a number of influential boards and committees, including the PHAN board of directors in 2012, the Nutrition Physical Activity and Obesity State Advisory Group, and the State Health Improvement Plans Advisory Committee.
Dr. Grimm was one of a handful of people who supported the formation of the College of Public Health and was instrumental in its first accreditation. He has been part of all three accreditation cycles, and has been instrumental in reaching out to ensure that the college is meeting the needs of public health practice across the state.
After receiving his master’s of public health degree from the University of Nebraska, Dr. Grimm became the project coordinator for the Great Plains Public Health Leadership Institute and the Nebraska Educational Alliance for Public Health Impact (2006-2012).
In his role with the institute, Dr. Grimm assisted in the successful recruitment and graduation of more than 100 participants from Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota over seven years.
In 2011, Dr. Grimm led the application process to establish a federally-sponsored public health training center in Nebraska. That application was funded, and as a result, Nebraska’s Public Health workforce has a dedicated infrastructure for professional education and training.
In 2012, Dr. Grimm became the director of the Office of Public Health Practice, where he works to strengthen academic and practice partnerships through a commitment to practice-based research, service, education and training.
Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Its education programs train more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Learn more at unmc.edu and follow us on social media.
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