GIS in Public Health Conference
URISA's Second GIS in Public Health Conference
June 5-8, 2009
Providence, Rhode Island
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May 29, 2007 - 160 attendees converged on New Orleans for URISA’s First GIS in Public Health Conference. The conference program was very well received. Even seasoned veterans commented that they learned something new in every single session. The student papers presented were of exceptional quality and the international participation was very strong. |
Here's what some attendees had to say after the 2007 conference...
From Greg Babinski, GIS Manager, King County - Seattle, WA:
"From the perspective of an enterprise GIS for a large county, I came away from the GIS in Public Health Conference with a number of strong images: first, there are many scary public health threats out there that GIS can help to monitor more effectively; second, public health professionals around the world are using GIS as a research and analytical tool in many innovative but isolated ways; three, except for a few large agencies GIS is still not integrated well as a business tool for most local public health agencies; and lastly, the Conference provided an outstanding environment for public health and GIS professionals to share ideas and information. The Conference provided me with an opportunity to share our vision of GIS for local public health with other practitioners and to get critical feedback and useful suggestions. I have already started following up on leads and ideas that I brought back from New Orleans within our agency and I look forward to repeating the process at the next URISA GIS in Public Health Conference."
From Alex Charleston, Centers for Disease Control, Environmental Public Health Tracking - Atlanta, GA:
"The GIS in PH conference was a great conference to present my program's work and get feedback from experts in the GIS community. In addition to presenting on our work, I was able to hear about new tools and methodologies that I took back to my program. I look forward to future conferences. Thanks for a great conference."
From Jim Tobias , BearingPoint Contractor, CDC Enterprise Geodatabase Manager:
"The URISA Public Health Conference brought together public health, GIS, and epidemiology professionals from around the globe and across the USA. The keynote address, delivered by Dr. Charles Croner, described the disparities in health outcomes among whites and blacks in the city of Cleveland, OH. Dr. Croner's address was the finest that I have heard in any conference (bar none). He eloquently made the point that the disparities in Cleveland are present in all major cities in the USA and also reiterated how events such as Hurricane Katrina unveil this issue in dramatic fashion. I am inspired by Dr. Croner and the rebuilding that is taking place in the great
URISA was well-informed and made a great choice to host this conference in New Orleans at this critical time for the rebirth of the city. The networking with public health professionals at this conference was outstanding and the caliber of the presentations vastly exceeded that of any other conference that I have attended. I am very proud to have been a part of the pre-conference workshop, conference, and to have met so many great people that are making a difference in their communities."
From Russell Kirby, PhD, MS, FACE, Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham:
"The URISA sponsored GIS in Public Health Conference in May 2007 was the first national conference specifically focused on this topic held in the US since 1998. While the audience was small, it was quite rarified, and included noted experts from the fields of GIScience, spatial statistics, urban planning, epidemiology, health services research, and public health informatics. Given the nature of the topic, multidisciplinary exchanges are only to be expected at a conference like this one, and indeed, the cross-fertilization of ideas and approaches that occurred during interactions both in the formal sessions, and in the hallways and during planned social activities was extraordinary. It’s my hope that this will become a regular event, perhaps with more specific themes or foci at subsequent conferences, and I pledge to participate in the planning of the next conference."
From Chuck Croner, Geographer and Survey Statistician, Editor, Public Health GIS News and Information, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
"Congratulations to URISA and the Planning Committee for their first-ever "GIS in Public Health" conference. I believe you advanced the key issues of public health geospatial science in this dynamic forum while engaging a very knowledgeable and responsive audience, from many disciplines and the global community. This was a successful ground breaking event for URISA and it sets the stage for what will now be a much anticipated 2009 "GIS in Public Health" conference."
From Joan N. Gardner, GIS Core Research Facility, University of Massachusetts - Boston:
"As Chuck Croner said in his opening address at the URISA GIS and Public Health conference, "health is global" and the conference reflected that with attendees from around the globe. Being in New Orleans and hearing from local health officials about how they are dealing with the rebuilding of the city and its impact on health delivery was eye opening. Thanks to URISA for sponsoring this wonderful event."
From Christopher Kinabrew, MPH, MSW, Public Health Marketing Specialist at ESRI:
"I met many public health leaders at the inaugural URISA GIS in Public Health conference, as well as graduate students, the public health leaders of tomorrow. The paper sessions exceeded my expectations. The exhibit hall was a great place to meet with existing users of GIS software and also to make connections with the other exhibitors.”
URISA was pleased to present this new specialty conference, to explore the many uses of GIS for public health access, processes, and decision-making. The conference was developed as a result of a high level of interest in the 'public health track' at URISA's annual conference over the past few years.