SPH broadcasts TV series that showcases public health
The School of Public Health is in its second successful quarter of producing “Designs for Health,” a televised program that offers cutting-edge education to both SPH students and a potential television audience of more than two million viewers.
In January, the SPH revamped the weekly Dean’s Seminar lecture series—a non-credit graduation requirement—into “Designs for Health.” The show airs live from 12 noon to 1 p.m. PST on Loma Linda Broadcasting Network (LLBN) eight Tuesdays during each of the 2008 winter, spring, and autumn academic quarters.
"Health education is an important component of LLU’s mission 'to make man whole,' and I think that a free broadcast about current issues in public health is a great public service," says epidemiology student Allison De Vries.
SPH alumni who would like to watch “Designs for Health” can visit www.llbn.tv for satellite information. Additionally, each episode is archived online at www.designsforhealth.org. Also at this website, the public can view the lineup of speakers and topics for the rest of spring quarter and for the fall quarter.
Each program begins with an interview of an SPH faculty member or other public health expert. The April 16 show, for example, featured Margaret M. Beed, MD, health officer for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, who discussed the department’s work to improve health in the county.
The main speaker follows the interview. The theme of the spring quarter episodes is specific issues in public health. April 16, for instance, featured Harvey Elder, MD, who spoke about the history and emerging issues of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Dr. Elder treats HIV-positive patients at the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health Early Intervention Clinic, and he is also a professor in both the School of Public Health and School of Medicine at LLU.
Health promotion and education student Paula Guillory was fascinated by the presentation. “It was so exciting to hear someone speak about AIDS with passion and authority on the subject,” she says.
After their presentations, the speakers answer questions from students—both from those who are part of the small studio audience, and those who are watching at the School of Public Health via teleconferencing technology.
“The presenters give a fresh-from-the-field perspective on what is really happening in the greater world of public health,” says Boaz Papendick, a global health student who hosts the show.
“Designs for Health” is made possible by a grant from the Pfizer Public Health and Government Group and broadcast courtesy of LLBN.