Public Health Genetics Training at the UAlbany School of Public Health

1. Public Health Genetics Trainingat the UAlbany School of Public Health Timothy Hoff, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management University at Albany, SUNY School of Public Health May 4, 2004 ASPH Panel on Human Biology and Genomics

2. Approach: Development of A Public Health Genetics Certificate/MPH Concentration • Broad-based, interdisciplinary • Reflect CDC Core Competencies for all Health Professionals • Reflect NHGRI Expanded Research Focus for Next 5 Years • Reflect the relevance of genetics/genomics to all areas of public health • Accessible to wide range of health stakeholders

3. Health care delivery system Community Assuring the Conditions for Population Health Governmental Public Health Infrastructure Employers and Business Academia The Media Rationale for Approach: Genomics and the Ecological Model(IOM, Future of the Public’s Health)

4. Rationale for Approach: Considering All Public Health System Actors(IOM, Future of the Public’s Health) • The health care delivery system • The governmental public health infrastructure • Community • Business and employers • The media • Academia

5. Target Audiences • Certificate content aimed at a variety of public health/health stakeholders • Public health workers, physicians, nurses, lawyers, policymakers and legislators, journalists, industry (e.g., drug reps) • Students on the UAlbany campus in other graduate programs • Have all stakeholders “speaking the same language” and “looking through similar lenses”

6. Target Audiences • MPH interdisciplinary concentration • For stakeholders who wish to earn the entire MPH and audiences seeking specialized PHG training in a specific public health core area • Early career individuals of high quality who are full-time students • For UAlbany students in other graduate programs

7. Epistemology of a Public Health Genetics Training Approach • Emphasis on basic literacy and skills building • Studies show large gaps in understanding among doctors, nurses, public health professionals • Peripheral audiences (e.g., lawyers, legislators, genetics counselors, journalists, others who interact with the public health/health care system, need exposure to PHG) • Must simplify to be integrated into public health. Individuals must want to learn and use it

8. Logic for the UAlbany Approach • Genetics/genomics knowledge on a fast growth curve—emphasizing ways of thinking, core basics and tools, literacy, etc. assures some stability in knowledge base provided • Systematic and anecdotal evidence exists for needing to educate everyone in and around public health at a basic level first • Overly scientific approach to teaching public health genetics limits reach. Makes a perceived complex topic seem even more complex • Too much asked of existing courses in the core MPH tracks to integrate genomics in a meaningful way • Interdisciplinary approach allows each SPH department to develop niche concentrations in genetics aimed at specific workforce targets

9. Barriers/Concerns around Approach • Will the target markets realize the value of engaging the topic at this still early time? • Creating perceived value for different target markets around the certificate concept (i.e. competing in the “educational marketplace” around genetics/genomics) • Is there a limit to “oversimplifying” PHG training? • How best to deliver the courses and content (e.g., distance vs. in-class learning approaches) • Getting buy-in across the school for PHG training