New Years Resolutions

So as today is the last in 2010! So what does this mean to you...

1) One more year till 2012 when the earth will end?

2) The year you start working out more and eating more healthy?

3) Stop smoking?

Whatever your thoughts are on a new year beginning, I encourage you to take time to reflect on the past year and where you've seen your life grow. I have been doing a lot of this and have accomplished so much at the same time learning a lot from decisions I've made. In addition, I am one of hose that wants to start working out more and eating healthier, which will be realized in the next couple weeks hopefully!

A story that got me thinking of all this was in Huffingtonpost.com about anti-smoking adds that New York City was going to enforce be placed at business. The signs were struck down by a 1965 law that states that the federal government has to deal with cigarette labeling and advertising. The law also stated that no state law could impose a requirement or prohibition with respect to advertising or promotion of cigarettes. I was shocked that in 2010, almost 2011, that we are still debating and arguing over the health effects of smoking. It irritates me to see so many still smoking, with so much help to quit, but this may fall on the part of health promotion of public health agencies and the need for diverse was to market prevention programs to a wide variety of individuals.

In all, I hope you have a safe and healthy New Years and see you in 2011~

Ryan

Food Safety Bill and Public Health!

As I was catching up on headlines today I came across another example of public health: Food Safety and Prevention. There was a new bill passed by the Senate and finally the House that is waiting the signature of President Obama.

The bill focuses a lot on prevention and gives the federal government new powers to inspect processing plants, order recalls and impose stricter standards for imported foods. The bill would also requires larger farms and food manufacturers to prepare detailed food safety plans and tell the Food and Drug Administration how they are working to keep their food safe at different stages of production.

This story reminded me a lot of when I was an intern at Rock Island County Health Department and there was the suspected tomato Salmonella outbreak, which ended up being Jalapenos Peppers. There was a lot of investigation after the fact and not a lot of prevention before or steps put in place to catch the origin of the outbreak quickly. I hope this new food safety bill will implement better practices and learn from past experiences, because I am definitely a firm believer that history does repeat itself in some form or shape. Here are a couple highlights from the new bill, what do you think?:

• Allow the FDA to order a recall of tainted foods. Currently the agency can only negotiate with businesses to order voluntary recalls;
• Require the FDA to create new produce safety regulations for producers of the highest risk fruits and vegetables;
• Increase inspections of domestic and foreign food facilities, directing the most resources to those operations with the highest risk profiles. The riskiest domestic facilities would be inspected every three years;
• Require farms and processors to keep records to help the government trace recalled foods;
• Require grocery stores to proactively alert consumers about recalls.

However, the bill would not apply to meat, poultry or processed eggs, which are regulated by the Agriculture Department. Those foods have long been subject to much more rigorous inspections and oversight than FDA-regulated foods.

Ironically though, where I read this story and pulled the bullet list of highlights from the bill had the egg picture I have in the blog. The estimates from the CDC below were quoted at the end of the story and I thought they were a nice reminder of how serious this issue still is in the United States,

Ryan

New estimates released by the federal Centers for Disease Control this month say that about 48 million people – or about one in six Americans – are sickened, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die each year from foodborne illnesses.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/21/food-safety-bill_n_799963.html

Holiday Break! WINTER! Calmness...

So it's been awhile since I have last written, but reassured I am still alive and well. Going for a dual degree and just being in the College of Public Health will keep you busy. I wrapped up finals last week on Wednesday and just about passed out that night, which was much needed. If you couldn't tell by my last post, I got some new glasses and wore them pretty much from that date throughout finals.

I was able to see my Mentor for the last time on Thursday night for a ugly sweater bar crawl and just a little relaxation and fun before everyone headed home for the holidays. I ended up staying through Saturday to finish up a couple work/club assignments and email that I had pushed off until finals were over with. Sometimes I wish I had a BlackBerry but then I see some of my friends who you sometimes want to say they have "Crack Berries" because they are so addicted to checking them! It is kind of funny but seriously thinking about it, I think I like just waiting till I get to my laptop or a computer to check Facebook, Twitter and email. Sometimes you just need a little calmness in life and for me, that means not having a smartphone, which is fine by me.

I would definitely suggest if you are busy during the year with school, work , family to make sure you take time for yourself. We all need to find time for ourselves and I propose to you that you take an hour, close the door and just enjoy the moment of calmness, even if it's at night before bed. It will help sort your thoughts, especially if your deciding what to do with the next step in your life.

Hope you take a little time for yourself today!

Ryan

PS - The picture is one I got off of Bing.com...one of my favorite websites to get a great picture while studying :) Enjoy!

Finals, Celebration and Snow :)

So the final end of the semester is finally upon us. I feel like they should just call the last couple weeks "Finals Period" because most professors have their projects/papers due the week before finals and then their exams during the actual "Finals week".

Celebration

Amongst all the stresses and rushing around to get things accomplished, there is much to celebrate, like those MPH graduates! I attended a celebration ceremony put for the MPH graduates for December 2010. They were from a wide variety of disciplines, including the department I fall under, Health Management and Policy. My mentor Alexis, pictured above with me, graduated with a dual degree MHA/MPH in Policy. She will start her fellowship at Geisinger Health System this summer! I am so proud of her and it was exciting to hear again all the experiences she had here at Iowa. There was also a Practicum Poster Session, where MPH graduates and those completing their Practicum course, could showcase a public health experience they had over the past several months. Practicum projects ranged from tracking Novel H1N1 influenza abroad to implementing a occupational and health curriculum for health professionals in the field.

Snow

So as I sit here on a Saturday night to tired to study anymore for finals next week, I am admiring the snow falling outside while watch "Devil Wears Prada" to get myself motivated again for tomorrow. Even though I enjoy learning the material in my classes, there is always the distractions of playing in the snow, watching movies and going to the last christmas parties that are always on the mind ;)

Enjoy the weekend and stay warm!

Ryan

Friday Freak Out!

There comes a time each year where finances get a little tight, and it can seem like you will never pull through and ask questions like "how am I going to pay for this now, or next semester?" I had one of these moments today and it was not fun. As the day went on and after a couple stressful moments looking at my bank statements, university bill, and holiday expenses...I was able to calm myself down and reacquainted with reality.

Sometimes you just have to sit back and look at the whole picture, so as I go into final exams, projects and reports I sit back and look at all from a distance pecking away bit by bit till it all gets done, because the reward will be great know I had worked the best that I could to accomplish it all.

So for a belated Thanksgiving, I want to thank my friends and family for always reminding me that everything will be alright and that life isn't always easy and that down moments are just opportunity to learn.

Ryan

World AIDS Day

If you already didn't know, it is World AIDS day, which is a huge public health mission.

HISTORY

World AIDS Day was first conceived in August 1987 by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter, two public information officers for the Global Programme on AIDS at the Wold Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Bunn and Netter took their idea to Dr. Jonathan Mann, Director of the Global Programme on AIDS (now known as UNAIDS). Dr. Mann liked the concept, approved it, and agreed with the recommendation that the first observance of World AIDS Day should be 1 December, 1988.

UNITED STATES

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. It is common to hold memorials to honor persons who have died from HIV/AIDS on this day. Government and health officials also observe the event, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an official proclamation on World AIDS Day. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_AIDS_Day)

WORLD AIDS CAMPAIGN

In addition the World AIDS Campaign's mission on this day and everyday is to ensure that governments and policy makers meet the HIV targets they set, the commitments they made, and mobilize the necessary resources for a world where people do not die of AIDS and opportunistic infections like TB. At the heart of the global commitment is the publicly stated ambition of Universal Access by 2010 - enabling everyone to have non-discriminatory and non-judgemental access to adequate HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. (http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/WAC2)

IOWA

On Iowa's campus there is blood drive going on to recognize World AIDS day and to remember that those that are not infected by a disease and can give blood, should.

World AIDS Day Blood Drive

Sponsored by the World Health Initiative

Wednesday, December 1st

11AM - 3PM in the Lucas-Dodge Room at the IMU or all week at the DeGowin Blood Center (right near the CPH hallway!)

Make an appointment at: http://www.givesblood.org/give/get_started.php?orgID=136

or Walk-ins are welcome at both locations!

I hope you have learned a little about World AIDS Day and the global pull to combat it. The topic of AIDS is quite personal to me because of my Uncle Don who died of AIDS and my boyfriend Cody who works for the local county health department helping improve access to HIV testing and outreach.

Ryan

Cyber Monday and Homework!

Hello All,

So as I am sitting trying to get all my projects finished up here for the semester, I find myself lost in the Cyber Monday distraction that is pulling me away now for an hour of looking up things I can't afford and just shopping for fun! In the mix of everything, I found a funny video of nature at its best to help end my distraction and get me back on track.

Enjoy :)

Ryan

TSA and Pardoning the Turkey!

Good Morning!

I have included some funny bumper stickers about the TSA full body scanners and pat downs that seem to be the topic of talk on the news networks today, but wanted to focus on the Holiday that is upon most Americans, Thanksgiving!

What do you have to be thankful for, is it family, friends and act of kindness by another. Is it public health efforts that have saved millions of lives around the world, including clean drinking water and traffic signs that keep those traveling this weekend safe on the roads. Whatever your thankful for, remember there are those out there that still need to be reached by public health and that even in the United States, issues such as poverty are very real.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and Safe Travels :)

Ryan

Thanksgiving and Windmills!

Hello All,

After a crazy couple weeks, it is finally Thanksgiving Break! To get the holiday spirit rolling, ISAHL (Iowa Student Association of Healthcare Leaders) held a holiday feast for the Health Management and Policy Department. I am spent my lunch hour making my (Mom's) famous Corn Casserole! I can't believe there are only a couple weeks left of this semester after Thanksgiving.

The days are getting colder and more windy. To adapt to the windy Iowa winters and overall weather, the group I am president of, ECO Hawk, teamed up with the Sierra Club to promote Wind Energy on the University of Iowa campus, Iowa and within Congress Policy. We helped form an Iowa "I" on Hubbard Park to promote the national campaign.

In addition, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is going full force with offering offshore wind power permits expedited to spur Atlantic coast projects. To read more of this story, and many more that I always browse daily, visit HuffingtonPost.com or this link.

Have Happy Thanksgiving!

Ryan

Happy Friday - Final Buzz!

Hello all,

When you think you might have reached your limit on workload and capacity to balance everything in your life, there is always an example out there that pushes us to try even harder to accomplish are goals.

The video below was a reminder of when we put our minds to accomplishing a project, it can be done and efficiently! Project management is one the most fascinating topics for me, because it involves fluent communication, along with realistic goals (i.e. budgets, workload, etc.). This week was very busy with exams, projects and quizzes but through it all, I kept reminding myself I can get it done, but it wasn't without the support of classmates, friends and some red bull ;)

One thing grad school and particularly my program has taught me is to self evaluate your strengths, so you know where you excel and also can seek out help in the areas you are not so strong in. It's okay to admit when you don't know something, but I know a lot of times, it is hard to openly disclose those to others. So lesson from the week, admit what you don't know and what you do, it will help ease communication, work and life!

Happy Friday!

Ryan

Happy Friday and Election Week!

Happy Friday!

I hope all made it through mid-term election week and whether you were happy or sad on the results, I think we can all agree it will be in interesting next couple years. To lighten up the mood at the end of the work week and to transition into the weekend, I have included the video above of Meghan McCain on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.

In other more relevant policy news and classroom time, I was reminded again by professor Dr. Kaskie of how important Public Health is in our society and how intricate public health measures are woven in the new health reform law (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act). Dr. Kaskie is my advisor and was guest lecturer of the law colloquium I am taking this fall. Some of the highlights from the lecture included :

• Government can purchase vaccines in bulk, but not prescription drugs
• Funds were approved to use medication to improve smoking cessation efforts aka (use drugs to get people from using another drug)
• $50 million is not a lot to implement new programs to all states

There is always going to be different opinions and compromises amongst federal agencies, states, city officials and individuals. A person has to realize that policy, especially those in public health, do not occur or evolve overnight and with patience and persistence we can make change happen and improve the HEALTH of our communities. A great example is tobacco policy, which has taken decades to transform a culture into everyday smoking to one that is hardly thought of as the norm.

I am interested to see how the rest of this year pans out on the news networks, but at least for now we can all rest and let the results of the mid-term election marinate on our brains for a bit!

Have a great weekend!

Ryan

Tube Tuesday!

Hello all,

As I was shopping this weekend, I tried to find the tubeless toilet paper rolls I had just witnessed on the evening news Sunday night. I unfortunately did not find them since Scott Tissue, who is making the product is only selling them at Walmart's and Sam's Clubs in the Northeast to see their market viability.

I thought the idea was simple and practical. It made me think of how far the "Green" movement has really come and how consumer demand can really make companies change they way they produce their products. I'm glad to see such change and hope that a story like this encourages you to recycle or use less of what y0u currently have to reduce, reuse and recycle. Ultimately, sustainability can save money, which I am sure it is doing for Scott by not putting that cardboard roll in the middle. Here is the full article if you want to read more: Kimberly-Clark Tube Free Rolls

Ryan

Trick or Treat Monday!

Hey all,

Here is fun story about how some parents and children are sorting and donating those pieces of candy they might not enjoy as much as others. You could almost call this a "Green" way to get rid of the candy you don't like. The article also goes on to describe how to maintain your candy indulgence.

Have a Happy Monday Morning!

Ryan

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition/2010-10-27-halloweencandy27_ST_N.htm

Halloween!

Hello all,

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween weekend! This has been another amazing week in Iowa City, with lots academic and social events, along with a winning Hawkeye football game during one of the most strange and fun holiday of the year.

Hansen Lecture:

The 2010 Hansen Leadership Award and Distinguished Lectureship, is an annual lectureship that was given by Ed Wagner, MD, MPH, director of the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation at the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle, WA.

Dr. Wagner delivered the Hansen Distinguished Lecture, "Primary Care and the Future of American Medicine" and opened up the statewide policy conference, "Prevention and Chronic Care Management: Community Strategies to Address Chronic Disease in Iowa". The conference was co-sponsored by the UI College of Public Health, the Iowa Prevention and Chronic Care Management Advisory Council, and the Partnership for Better Health.

I was able to attend an afternoon session that Dr. Wagner had with CPH students in a more informal setting. It was nice to have such an experience and to listen on what his opinions were on our current state of healthcare. He reminded all of us, that it has been decades since a healthcare reform bill has made it through to the American public and we should all be appreciative for the exciting situation we have in front of us. It is hard sometimes to realize what kind of opportunity we have, and to hear it from such an experienced and distinguished member of the healthcare community.

ISAHL Halloween Social:

Friday night was another great social event put on by the Iowa Student Association of Healthcare Leaders (ISAHL). Everyone was dressed up and if you didn't notice, I was Ronald McDonald! My friend Meg Duffy, also in the program and dual degree MHA/MPH Policy. She was Ronald McDonald last year and so only natural to reuse a wonderful and amazing costume. The rest of the weekend was a continuous Halloween hot mess madness and an interesting array of costumes....everything from Rachel Maddow to Snoki!

Hawkeye Football:

And...if you hadn't heard...the Hawkeye's won again Michaigan State!

Until next time...Good Morning Good Morning!

Ryan

Checking In: Mid-Terms

Hi All,

As you might of noticed, there has not been much activity lately due to the amount of mid-terms and activities going on here at Iowa! It is hard to believe it has been a week, but I wanted to update you all on life and what has been going on.


Follow-up to Teen Suicides:

There was a candle-light vigil that I think I told you all about a few weeks ago on-campus but the discussion and issues are still circulating through the minds here at Iowa. This upcoming Tuesday, October 26, there is going to be a panel to discuss LBGT suicides. The information is below. This event reminds of why I picked Iowa to come to study my Master's programs, because of the open-minded community and ability to organize issues that are real and relevant to a campus-community. I know it may seem that I am highlighting this issue more than others, but it's more than me just being gay, it's part of a culture change that is occurring across our country. Everything from the recent activity with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to Iowa's ballot decision whether or not to retain judges is reason enough to keep this particular issue on people's agenda and up-to-date on the news. (When referring to Iowa's judges, there is a ballot initiative to either retain them or elect new judges. The current judges helped pass the legality of gay marriage in Iowa, and there are many who want to elect new judges. You can look at from either side, but I hope if your in Iowa reading this you will look into the decision a lot closer)


Panel to Discuss LGBT Suicides Oct. 26

The University of Iowa’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) Resource Center is sponsoring a panel discussion about LGBT mental health issues from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26 in the MacBride Hall Auditorium.

Networking and Health Symposium:

In addition to mid-terms this week, there were a lot of events occurring in Health Management and Policy, which is the department I am obtaining my MPH/MHA degrees. There were networking events all Thursday evening, ranging from an HMP Alumni network at Kinnick Stadium to a St. Luke's Hospital (Cedar Rapids, IA) sponsored Iowa Association for Healthcare Leaders (IAHL) networking event at One-Twenty Six restaurant. Both events were great opportunities to connect with fellow classmates but also with alumni of the program, professors and others from the College of Public Health.

Then on Friday, there was the Iowa Health Symposium which focused on "Physician Relationships" within hospitals. This is a very current topic, considering a lot of physicians are now forming group practices and also joining health systems as a way to stay competitive and share resources to serve patients better. Some of the take aways from the conference were:

• To always treat those you work with as "Care Givers" no matter status or position within the hospital because it takes everyone to make a patient's stay comfortable and safe. Another
• Turn metrics into measures
• Realize that not everyone is a leader, but make sure to make available those resources for physicians who may want to lead/you identify should be leaders within the organization.

Here is funny video one of the speakers told us to look up on "YouTube" which I thought was kind of comical, but reminds us to define things and research them before diving into any new situation or action:

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Good Morning Good Morning,

Ryan

"It gets better"

Hello all,

Today I was sent a video that made me cry and realize how well I had it coming out as gay to my friends, family and community. There are so many out there that do not have the respect from their community when wanting to be accepted for who they are.

I hope you have time to watch this video, as it is a reminder that our communities, country and world still have a lot of growing to do. No one should be treated the way these young men were:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax96cghOnY4

"Joel Burns tells gay teens "it gets better"

Thank you to all my friends, family and Augustana/Iowa community for accepting me for who I am.

With Love,

Ryan

Avoid the Stork!

Hi all,

Just thought I would pop in before I leave for Peoria for the weekend to go see the broadway show "Spring Awakening"! I will report with pictures and longer blog as soon as I get back, but before then, wanted to open your eyes to an Iowa City campaign that has had a lot of impact on the College of Public Health and the community:

http://cph.uiowa.edu/media/digest/2010/ad-mats/101510-cphsa.html

It is called "Avoid the Stork", which aims to educate women between the ages of 18 and 30 about family planning methods in an effort to reduce unintended pregnancies. They present to the College of Public Health Association (CPHSA) on Friday Oct. 8th :)

Good Morning Good Morning!

Ryan

Walmart and Local Farmers!

Hey all,

Found this to be an interesting and promising article to finish out 350.org week!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/15/business/15walmart.html?_r=1&src=busln

Have a great Thursday evening!

Ryan

Bill McKibben

Hey All,

There is an awesome event happening on campus tomorrow! We are getting Bill McKibben, author, educator and environmental activists to come speak at the Englert Theatre.

His lecture will be: "Creating a Sustainable World"

7:00PM

Englert Theatre

Free Admission

http://sustainability.uiowa.edu/mckibben-iowa/

If your in town, I hope to see you there :D

Ryan

350.org

Hey All,

Just participated in the 350.org event on campus today! If your unfamiliar with 350.org, just visit this website:

http://www.350.org/en/about/science

Here is the link to our event on-campus today:

http://sustainability.uiowa.edu/bike-walk-act-for-350-org-2/

Hope your all having a awesome Sunday!!!

Ryan

College of Public Health: What we're about!

Hey all,

Here is an awesome video of what we're all about here in the College of Public Health at Iowa!

http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/campaign/gallery/video/mission/

Ryan

Homecoming 2010

Hello all,

So it has once again been a very busy and fun week! All wrapped into last weekend was Homecoming, 23rd Birthday and celebrating from mid-terms!

Homecoming 2010:

So football if you haven't figured out is culture here at the University of Iowa, but even if your not a football fan (like I was before attending the UIowa) you easily transform into Hawkeye! There is a lot more than just the football game during Homecoming weekend, including the Parade, which myself and others in the CPH participated in. The College of Public Health Student Association (CPHSA) got everything arranged and we walked as a group supporting Breast Cancer Awareness. This was decided on because it was Breast Cancer Awareness week and because it was very Public Health relevant to our mission. I will be posting pictures of the event tomorrow on our Facebook page. It was a great time to see all the community pride and how many little kids want candy! It was seriously like Halloween, but in parade kid heaven fashion, with the givers of delicious treats doing the walking, while the kids held there bags wide open! Even though it was not the most public health gift, we gave the kids Smartee candies and Breast Cancer Awareness wrist bands, so they were both getting an "IQ" boost and supporting an awesome cause! ;)

Then it was on to the next day (Saturday), which was the football game! It was held in the evening with different sections of the stadium alternating colors of Black and Gold! As you can see in the picture, it was quite a sight and amazing how so many can coordinate their outfits for such a large venue and event! It is hard not to get a school spirit high when your at a game, wich everyone eating, breathing and completely consumed with Hawkeye love, while we all waved our Black and Gold pom poms the Homecoming Organizers had handed out to everyone.

Birthday (23rd):

For my birthday, I decided to gather my friends at two locations downtown: Formosa and Brothers. Both are bars and restaurants downtown and have completely different atmospheres. Formosa has Asian inspired cuisine, while Brothers is more bar food and drink specials. It was nice to get together with a lot of the people in my department since the start of school. It can be hard sometimes in the beginning of the year to get everyone to go out on the same night since people have so many varying schedules. I danced, met new people and had a great time sharing my birthday with the Homecoming crowd that had already infiltrated the Iowa City area anticipating the game the next night.

Mid-Terms:

I guess I should end on a reality note of school. Mid-Terms were last week and they are always a stressful time of the semester but also rewarding. This term, as I previously stated in my last blog is a big learning curve, because I am taking a lot of finance class for my MHA degree, which being a Biology undergraduate, had no previous finance classes other than personal finance, which just gave someone the basics of taxes, loans and credit cards. Even though I am at a learning curve, one of the 3rd years in my department of Health Management and Policy is helping tutor anyone needing help (i.e. myself) and the professors are very understanding of everyone's backgrounds. They know we are here for a reason and won't just slack on work and really respect that some of us have learning curves and are very accommodating to say the least.

I hope to post a blog "Fun Fact" everyday and possibly a picture or video to keep things more interesting and current. Hit me up a comment or link to something fun!

Have a great weekend!

Ryan

Decisions, Family and Homecoming!

Hi all!

Hope you all had a marvelous last week and are enjoying this change in fall weather, which is probably my favorite season because of change in colors and premieres in TV shows, which I only have time for a couple to take a break from studying and daily life.

Decisions:

What are you going to do after you graduate? The question that I think a majority of you reading this and I know I get most often that always has a different answer most of the time depending on where I am on my career soul search. I obviously want to go into a career that will be health administration and policy focused but the exact agency or job is another story. Even as a graduate student, there are unknowns and uncertainty to what exactly you might end up doing someday, but the constant that holds everything together in your program.

I am in the Health Management and Policy (HMP) department. The HMP department is within the College of Public Health (CPH) and houses me because I am pursing my Masters of Public Health (MPH) in Policy and Masters of Health Administration (MHA). The HMP department provides us with networking opportunities with a variety of professionals to be exposed and follow-up with alumni that spark our interests. I can't say enough or give any better advice then to follow something you love or that energizes you. Everyone in the program has different interests, you have to choose for yourself, what route you want to take and organization that best fits your needs and culture.

I have been dealing with this ever since I started last Fall 2009, but each semester have been narrowing my interests and specialities to two main areas: Program Operations (Health Administration) and Policy work at the State level (MPH in Policy). Each of these can provide me with two vary different careers but as the ear goes on, I hope to have a more narrow focused answer to the question I first posed and even if I don't, I know things will be okay because the drive and motivation are there, which is half of what is needed to take you to where you want to be!

Family:

My family was in Iowa City this past weekend to visit and celebrate my 23rd birthday! My brother, Dad, Cody and I all went to the "Vine" in Coralville to watch the Ball State vs. Iowa game, to which we dominated and gave everyone across campus the boost we needed going into Homecoming week! In addition, my Mom and sister-in-law went shopping at the outlet mall just 20 minutes west of Iowa City in Williamsburg. The whole family gathered back together for a night downtown to where we had a fabulous meal at "Givanni's" and indulged in some pumpkin pie back at the apartment. It was a great relaxing weekend with the family which ended with some more eating ;) at Iowa River Power (converted restaurant) that has probably one of the best brunches in Iowa City with complimentary Mimosas!

Homecoming:

The homecoming game is on October 2 @ 7PM again Penn State and the College of Public Health has a couple events that are always a must when it comes to Homecoming!

There is a full week of activities for Homecoming Week, September 25 - October 2. Most everyone across campus participates and the CPH is holding some of it's own events that I will be looking forward to attending, given two mid-term exams I have this week.

HOMECOMING PARADE - FRIDAY, OCT. 1

Come cheer for the College of Public Health Student Association's entry in the homecoming parade! The parade starts at 5:45 p.m. in downtown Iowa City and will feature student and alumni floats, the Hawkeye Marching Band, and the Hawkeye Spirit Squad. View map of the parade route.

CPH HOMECOMING TAILGATE - SATURDAY, OCT. 2

Before the game, stop by the College of Public Health Tailgate from 4-6 p.m. on the patio area directly outside the CPH administrative offices in General Hospital (view map). Hot dogs, cookies, and soft drinks will be provided.

I will definitely be attending the tailgate for sure! So if your in town or want to join, just follow the map directions. Until next time, Good Morning Good Morning!

Ryan

Birthdays, Forums and again Lunch!

Hello all!

So this past week (4 out of 15) for the semester was yet another busy and amazing week! I learned that Biostats, which is one of the core classes for the MPH is going to be a lot more time intensive than I originally thought, but with only one previous stats class I guess I could have seen it coming, haha. I was able to attend a lunch presentation by Chris Atchison, one of the Associate Deans of the CPH, clinical professor and director of the State Hygienic Lab in Iowa. The week then ended with a Birthday bash for my boyfriend Cody and his friends!

Lunch:

Chris Atchison, one of my favorite professors who also teaches "Intro to Public Health Practice" gave a lecture over the lunch hour related to Iowa policies that have been and are working towards meeting the goals of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). It was interesting and very informative to learn some of the laws and bills that are in action within the Iowa legislature and to learn about programs that have been successful in providing more coverage and better quality to Iowans. It also got me thinking of my future career after my degree programs here at Iowa. More and more I have been leaning towards state and local policy instead of at the national level, but I know my overall passion is obviously for public health and health administration. Even as graduate students, we are still indecisive about specifics of where in the country we want to end up and what exactly we want to do (i.e. policy for a private, local, state or federal agency...which one, etc.)

Forum:

At the end of the week there was a CPH forum with Dean Curry, which included all staff, faculty and students. It was a great time to get an update of the building which is still scheduled to be moved in during November 2011! Hopefully I will be able to experience some of the newness my last semester. In addition, she mentioned the "Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)" which is the accrediting body that is coming this fall to reaccredit our college. This is a very big deal for any college of public health and involves many hours of preparation and the support of faculty, staff and students, including yours truly.

CEPH is definitely a factor that made me choose Iowa and is something if you are a prospective student reading this that you should check into when searching for College's of Public Health. In addition of course to tuition, social life and overall experience :)

Birthdays:

The week ended on a Birthday Bash with my boyfriend Cody and his friends with the theme being "What's your Sign?" in terms of your zodiac sign, which his was Virgo's and mine is Libra. It was a great time and fun to see everyone trying to match their individual zodiac signs, there was everything from mother earth, feathers of phenix and madonna!

I can't believe it will already be week 5 coming up tomorrow...hope you all had a wonderful weekend and have a Great Morning!

Ryan

Seminars, Lunch and Golf!

Hi all!

If you couldn't already tell by my picture, football at Iowa has already begun! That was the first HOME football game against Eastern Illinois, in which we dominated and I described the experience in my last blog. We also played Iowa State, one of the big rivalries here in Iowa, this past weekend and currently have a 2-0 record for the season.

The past week has been jammed pack with seminars, networking lunches, golf and of course lots of course work ;)

MPH Seminar:

So almost every Tuesday during the semester, the MPH program coordinates "MPH Seminar" where a wide variety of topics are presented. Everything from professors, current and past students to public health professionals. This past Tuesday, Dr. Osterberg from the Occupational and Environmental Health (OEH) department presented "Green Bike Tour in Romania Touting Renewable Energy”. The past 10 or so years Dr. Osterberg has been going on bike tours all around the world to promote the innovations that are renewable energy, which include his bike that is solar powered, kind of like an electric bike that uses the sun instead of gas to power you along. His message was clear, that it is cost effective and relatively easy for organizations and governments to invest in renewable energy. I was shocked to learn that the state of Iowa gets 20% of its energy from Wind! In addition, there has actually been a decrease in energy expenses for Iowans versus other states that use other sources of energy to power their towns and cities.

All and all it was a very informative topic and very relevant to me, since I am the president of ECO Hawk, which is an environmental group I cofounded last year with other CPH students. We have already put on two waste sorts, field trips to city recycling and landfill sites and have had many gains towards sustainable practices that will be changed and implemented in the new College of Public Health building scheduled to open Fall 2011. We have a lot of events planned for this upcoming fall and are excited to have our first meeting of the academic year this Wednesday!

Lunch and Golf:

On Thursday I was able to have lunch with Iowa Alumni from Alegent Health in Omaha, NE. This was an event put on by my department in Health Management and Policy and was a great way to connect with recent graduates and reconnect with Alumni that had come to Iowa last year for the annual "Iowa Student Association of Healthcare Leaders (ISAHL) Golf Outing". I am the VP for Professional Development for the student organization and our major fundraiser and event of the year is our annual Golf Outing which was held at Brown Deer Golf Club in Coralville, IA (just next to Iowa City). The Friday event was very successful and a lot of fun. I am not an avid golfer but I was able to make it on the "green" a couple times and almost hit a couple people in the process with my flying balls, haha. The event draws in Alumni from all over and was a great way to network and get to know professionals in the field of Health Administration. It is one of my favorite events and I am already looking forward to being able to participate again as a student next year (which will be my final year in the program).

Life:

I was unable to make it to Iowa vs. Iowa State game since I traveled back to my hometown for my cousins wedding, but couldn't wait to get back to Iowa City, where I am now catching up from the long weekend of events and golfing and will update later this week which entails seminars on Emergency Preparedness, All student meetings/outings and a potluck with friends at the end of the week!

Post questions/comments on the blog or send me an email: ryan-landi@uiowa.edu if you all want to know more about my life and Iowa!

Good Morning! Good Morning!

Ryan

First Couple Weeks!

Hi All,

I hope you all read a little bit of my bio before reading this post, but just in case I am entering my 2nd year as a dual degree MPH in Policy and MHA candidate within the College of Public Health (CPH) at Iowa! I'm starting the third week of classes and so much has happened that I think I would need a couple book chapters just to fill you in on my life. For tidbit of my summer, I interned at TRICARE Management Activity in San Diego, CA which if you would like to know more, just write a comment on the blog and I'll make it my next entry :)

In the meantime, here are some of the highlights that have gone on:

CPH Picnic/Brothers:

This was my first year attending the picnic in which all of CPH is invited to lower city park for brats, burgers, hot dogs and veggie burgers too! It was great to see all the professors and deans in their picnic gear and to be able to meet some of their family members. Also, I always like going to these events because everyone is out of the classroom setting and everyone can kick back and have a good time. I took a lot of pics, which can been seen on our MPH Facebook Page

After the picnic, a lot of us that are in the College of Public Health Student Association (CPHSA) went downtown to a bar called "Brothers" for some drinks and to meet others who couldn't make it to the picnic. It was great to reconnect with friends that I hadn't had time to catch up with since we all got back and Brothers is probably one of my favorite bars downtown when I want to go out for the night.

Football:

So this past weekend was the first Home football game, which was against Eastern Illinois. We dominated them and I forgot how much fun a big-ten football game can feel. I celebrated with others in the program, which I am specifically from the Health Management and Policy (HMP) department within the CPH, but I found myself running into others as the game went on. I will try and post pictures up soon, but for now imagine a sea of gold t-shirts, 10's of thousands of fans all breathing and yelling for the Hawkeyes! I never was a huge football fan until I experienced the magnitude of how serious they take football here, it is definitely a culture ;)

I am looking forward to more fall like weather coming up so I can hit up the apple orchard and enjoy the season in which my birthday falls! I can't wait for this Friday, for the annual Iowa Student Association of Healthcare Leaders (ISAHL) Golf Outing at Brown Deer, which I will blog about in my next entry...until then Good Morning Good Morning, because there's always someone waking up around the world!

Ryan