For the past three years, university officials have laid the foundation for the UNMC and University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Master of Public Health Program (MPH). In May, their efforts were rewarded when the program received national accreditation.
Now, campus officials are searching for a new director to further develop the program.
Magda Peck, Sc.D., has completed her three-year appointment as program director and is on sabbatical leave. She will assume other responsibilities when she returns. Meanwhile, James Anderson, Ph.D., has agreed to serve as interim MPH program director through June 2005.
The MPH program, which kicked off in January 2002, educates and trains students to become public health professionals and addresses rural and urban concerns, health disparities and under-served populations.
The program, based at the UNMC/UNO Collaborating Center for Public Health and Community Service (Annex XI) in midtown Omaha, has 58 active students and 11 who have deferred enrollment for one or two semesters, said Valdeen Nelsen, MPH program coordinator. By January 2005, the program will boast 19 graduates.
About 40 faculty make up the program from the UNO and UNMC campuses, including areas of medicine, nursing, public administration, social work, business administration, sociology, and health, physical education and recreation.
This past spring, the Council on Education for Public Health granted the program accreditation through May 2009, the maximum period allowed. Now, program officials are looking at ways to further grow and develop the program, Nelsen said, by exploring the possible creation of dual degrees (MD/MPH, MSN/MPH and MSW/MPH) and the feasibility of becoming a school instead of a program.
In addition, officials are considering expanding the program’s areas of concentration. The MPH program currently offers two specialties — community health education and health administration. Community health education encompasses educating communities on what they need to know to keep healthy. Health administration includes educating and training students to design and administer public health programs that use taxpayer dollars wisely and efficiently.
Applications and nominations are being accepted for the director position, a three-year renewable term, subject to review by the college deans.
The MPH program director is appointed collaboratively by the deans of the Colleges of Medicine (UNMC), Education (UNO) and Public Affairs and Community Service (UNO), as recommended by the chair of the Department of Preventive and Societal Medicine (UNMC) and the Directors of the Schools of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (UNO) and Public Administration (UNO).
For more information on the program, visit www.unmc.edu/mph. Curriculum vitae and letters of application from interested faculty members are requested by Nov. 30. The position will remain open until filled. Letters of application and CVs should be sent to the MPH Program Office, c/o Ms. Valdeen Nelsen, 210 South 49th Street, Omaha, NE 68132.
The individual appointed to the position will assume responsibilities on July 1, 2005. Contact Dr. Anderson at janderson@unmc.edu or 559-4112 with questions.