The American Public Health Association (APHA) is now accepting proposals for Special Sessions scheduled during the144th APHA Annual Meeting (October 29-November 2, 2016), Denver, CO. The theme of the meeting is: “ Creating the Healthiest Nation:  Ensuring the Right to Health” . These sessions are prestigious invited panels that are chosen  by the at-Large members of the Program Planning Committee with the direction and support of the APHA President and Executive Director.  

These sessions are 90 minutes in length, theme-related and should be broad-based to appeal to a large cross-section of our meeting participants. They should not be section-issue specific but rather should strive to present a balanced view of an issue. If the issue is controversial, both sides of the debate should be presented.  They are highly prestigious sessions and as such, presenters should be experts in their respective areas of presentation, having national and international appeal to potential attendees.  Attendees should be inspired and challenged to move forward with expediency to inform positive and sustained changes toward a more equitable health system.

The overall theme is focused on health in all policies as a strategy which aims to include health considerations in policy making across different sectors that influence health. This year’s special sessions will focus on the following broad areas:

• The right to health - International perspectives
• Discrimination, racism and bias as social determinants of health
• Politics and ideology as barriers to health: the health coverage gap
• Underserved populations such as: Immigrants, migrants the homeless, disabled and aging populations
• Achieving parity for access to mental health services
• Violence as a barrier to health

Session Organizer

The proposal must identify one person as the session organizer and that person must complete the online conflict of interest disclosure form/biographical qualification statement before submitting the proposal. The organizer is required to submit the session title, session overview (550 words or less) and up to 3 measurable learning objectives. In addition, the organizer must submit the name and contact information of each potential speaker along with their presentation title. Once that information has been submitted on-line, each speaker will receive an email which links them to the submission form to complete their abstract of 250 words or less, learning objectives and a conflict of interest disclosure form/biographical qualification statement.

The session organizer will handle all communication with APHA and share all relevant information with speakers. In addition, the session organizer will obtain any additional information/materials/logistics requested by APHA from speakers by set deadlines and cooperate with APHA staff to ensure compliance with CE requirements.

Continuing Education Requirements

As an organization committed to providing quality continuing education (CE) activities to its membership and meeting registrants, APHA must adhere to the requirements of various accrediting bodies and professional organizations with which it collaborates. In the past APHA has made CE credits/contact hours available in a variety of professional disciplines. Each discipline has its own unique requirements of educational activities, and of the organizations that provide them. Because APHA strives to make as many of its educational activities as possible eligible for CE, it is essential that the presenters (authors, faculty, etc) meet all CE requirements and follow discipline-specific regulations. 

Selection Criteria

The APHA Program Committee At-Large members participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of all APHA-Special Sessions. In the selection phase, they will consider the proposed session using the following criteria: 

1. Relevance of topic to public health
2. Prominence of speakers and likelihood of significant interest
3. Appropriate, well written, and clearly stated session objectives
4. Methodologies of a quality consistent with session content, objectives, and appropriate for effective learning
5. Capacity for the sessions to be webcasted live and captured as an enduring event
6. Completed BioData/Conflict of Interest Form for session organizers for each planner and faculty that demonstrate expertise/credentials relevant to the proposed topic

Acceptances of proposals will be made known to the session organizer by April 30, 2016.  For more information contact Donna Wright.

Note: Consistent with longstanding APHA policy, APHA does not reimburse members for Annual Meeting expenses even if speaking in a Plenary Session. On rare occasions, APHA will help offset travel costs of prominent non-members, but such exceptions require the personal approval of the Executive Director and proposed sessions should not assume such costs are acceptable.

Start a Special Session Submission

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Program Planner Contact Information:

Karlene Baddy, MEd.
Center for Professional Development, Public health Systems and Partnerships
APHA
800 I St., NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-777-2494
Fax: 202-777-2530
karlene.baddy@apha.org

and
Donna Wright
APHA
800 I St.
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-777-2477
donna.wright@apha.org