In Nebraska, the need for expanded training in public health is great.
To help meet that need, UNMC’s College of Public Health has expanded its educational offerings with two new, one-year certificate programs in emergency preparedness and infectious disease epidemiology.
The new certificates, announced Friday at the University of Nebraska Board of Regents meeting, will be part of the fall curriculum and will be available through distance learning.
Programs provide rare opportunities
Similar programs are offered at only a handful of public health colleges in the nation, said Ayman El-Mohandes, M.B.B.Ch., M.D., M.P.H., dean of UNMC’s College of Public Health.
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Sharon Medcalf |
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Dana Loomis, Ph.D. |
Mission based programs
Core classes in the emergency preparedness certificate program are modeled after four of the missions of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said Sharon Medcalf, preparedness education program director.
“I don’t know of another program in the country is organized around these missions — prevent, protect, respond and recover — and will reinforce DHS’s target capabilities. UNMC’s will be public health driven, which is different from other programs that are more focused on law enforcement and counter-terrorism,” she said.
Students will learn emergency preparedness and response skills that are now required in hospitals, public health departments, business and industry, Medcalf said.
Vital tools
The infectious disease epidemiology certificate will introduce students to concepts and tools they can use for disease surveillance and investigation of outbreaks, said Dana Loomis, Ph.D., professor and chairman of epidemiology.
“This certificate will increase the capacity of public health practitioners and provide them an opportunity to advance professionally,” he said. “Infectious diseases are a major responsibility for public health agencies worldwide and this program will enhance the capabilities of the public health workforce in this important area.
“We expect a significant demand for this program locally, nationally and internationally.”