President's Message | Christian Williams, DrPH, MPH
I am excited and humbled to serve as your 2021-2022 TPHA President. I have been a member of TPHA since 2008 when I started as a student member. I can still clearly remember the excitement of attending my first annual conference in Franklin, TN. That sense of anticipation, possibility, and enthusiasm is what I hope each of you felt during our 2021 annual conference. Though we were not able to connect in person, I hope each of you found the speakers and information presented to be salient and inspiring. It has been a difficult 20 months to be in public health and I know many of you are experiencing high levels of stress and burnout. This is where the importance of TPHA comes in. Our Association is the voice of public health in Tennessee and there has never been a time when that voice is more needed. Our new strategic plan, debuted by Immediate Past President Dr. Alisa Haushalter at the conference closing session, focuses on four pillars - Organizational Infrastructure, Membership Recruitment and Retention, Public Health Workforce, and Health Policy and Advocacy. Each of these pillars is key to the Association's relevancy, sustainability, and future. Over the next year as we implement this strategic plan, I will be highlighting each pillar in my role as President.
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Why is Public Health Important?Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private communities and individuals." - CEA WinslowPublic health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. This work is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing and responding to infectious diseases. Overall, public health is concerned with protecting the health of entire populations. These populations can be as small as a local neighborhood, or as big as an entire country or region of the world. Be Part of the Solution!TPHA is the official professional organization for those engaged or interested in public health services and is endorsed by the administration of the Tennessee Department of Health. In an effort to maintain high standards of quality in all aspects of public health, TPHA offers opportunities for health professionals representing diverse service areas to learn and share ideas throughout the calendar year. Continuing education credit is available for most public health designations. COVID-19 Video Updates Sponsored by ETSUThe Southeast Region has had the benefit of information and guidance from Dr. Randy Wykoff, dean of the College of Public Health at East Tennessee State University, throughout the pandemic. Stay informed by viewing his COVID-19 video updates Weekly Pandemic Updates here.
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Membership in the Tennessee Public Health Association is far more than attending an annual conference at a discounted rate. Membership includes working together with like-minded professionals on committees, in professional sections and community volunteer efforts to make Tennessee a healthier and safer place for residents and visitors to live, work and play. Benefits include professional growth and development, access to resources and events, leadership and skill building, networking and job searching, peer support, internships and mentoring programs and advocacy. 
TPHA is the Voice of Public Health in Tennessee. Whether working to expand the role of its professionals, advance the practice of public health or promote racial, ethnic and gender diversity and inclusion, TPHA members effect change in these areas and more through policy and systems change and by taking a position for or against legislation on the local and state levels.
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Tennessee Public Health Association is an affiliated association of the American Public Health Association (APHA). APHA is the national voice of public health and champions the health of all people and all communities. They are the only organization that combines a 140-plus year perspective, the ability to influence federal policy to improve the public’s health and a member community from all public health disciplines and over 40 countries.
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2021 Conference Recap | Post-Pandemic Environment and TPHA's New Strategic Plan Showcased
This year's virtual conference was a huge success! Three hundred and forty-eight people joined us online to hear forward-thinking local, state and national speakers discuss the current state of public health and predictions for how things will change going forward. The pandemic certainly accelerated the transition to technology, which given the right amount of investment and training, should increase productivity in identifying, tracking and delivering services to meet the needs of the public. It has also led to a high rate of employee turnover because of retirements and others seeking less stressful working environments leaving the field with a dearth of knowledge and practical experience that will take years to replace. This clearly leaves Tennesseans vulnerable as practitioners begin to address the tremendous opportunities to increase education and awareness among policy makers, partners and the public about the critical importance of public health to the welfare and prosperity of all Tennesseans while carving out their role in what is sure to be a more complex system of public health. The prospect of change can be unsettling for many folks, but TPHA's Board of Directors and Staff see these next few years filled with some of the greatest opportunities for public health in many generations to come.
In her final duties as president officiating at the Association's business meeting on October 1, Dr. Haushalter thanked all frontline workers who have worked tirelessly over the past twenty-plus months keeping Tennesseans safe as the spread of COVID seemed to minimally ebb and increasingly flow throughout the state. She also applauded the seventy public health professionals who have retired since September 2020. It will take years to replace the knowledge and practical experienced represented by these individuals. For a list of retirees, go to 2020-2021 Retirees