About this course

Following a short overview of the causes and mechanisms of climate change, the course reviews current and expected human health impacts, with particular emphasis on impacts in Vermont and the northeast. These include heat-related illness, water-related impacts, vector borne diseases, air quality impacts, and mental health and well-being. Because climate change affects some people more than others, populations of concern and measures of vulnerability are addressed. The course culminates with examples of strategies used in Vermont and nationally to reduce climate change impacts on health and to improve health through climate change mitigation actions. Learners can select Level 1 for an overview or Level 2 for a deeper exploration of the five types of health impacts.

What you'll learn

After completing this course, you will be able to...

• Explain how and why the climate is changing.
• List the health conditions exacerbated by climate change, explain how weather/climate affects each health condition, and how we expect future climate change to modify health risks.
• List those populations more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and explain why they are vulnerable.
• Describe the health co-benefits of climate change mitigation strategies.
• Describe climate adaptation and preparedness strategies to reduce climate-related health risks.

Subject Matter Experts

• 
  Jared Ulmer, MPH, AICP

  Climate & Health
  Program Coordinator,
  Vermont Department of Health

• 
  Lynn Blevins, MD, MPH

  Clinical Assistant
  Professor,
  University of Vermont
  College of Medicine



• 
  David Grass, PhD

  Environmental Health
  Surveillance Chief,
  Vermont Department of Health

• 
  Elizabeth Faye, MPH

  Instructional Technologist
  Activist Lab,
  BU School of
  Public Health

Enrollment and Contact Hours

Note there are two different options for enrolling in this course highlighted in the table below.

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the module. Contact hours may be applicable towards continuing education requirements for certain credentials. Check with your credentialing body to verify if the topic meets its continuing education requirements.

Having trouble accessing the course? Contact support@nephtc.org

Acknowledgement:

This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP27877 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program”. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

About this course

This course reviews the four health hazards common to recreational waters: biological, chemical, physical, and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). Information is provided on water sampling and testing, visual monitoring, reporting, and recreational water management (i.e., beach closure, signage). This training is intended for the environmental public health workforce, state and municipal employees responsible for management of recreational waters, as well as anyone interested in understanding how recreational waters are monitored and managed from a public health perspective.

This training is intended for public health and environmental personnel, state and municipal employees responsible for management of recreational waters, citizen scientists participating in a cyanobacteria monitoring program, as well as anyone interested in learning about cyanobacteria and how recreational waters are monitored and managed from a public health perspective.

While the regulations and administrative processes cited are specific to Vermont, the underlying science and public health implications are applicable to all states and jurisdictions.

What you'll learn

After completing this course, you will be able to address the following questions.

• Identify common recreational water hazards
• Describe regulations and strategies to prevent recreational waterborne illnesses
• Describe methods to monitor, sample, and test recreational water
• Explain the process for posting warning signs and closing beaches

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Lynn Blevins

  Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Vermont
  College of Medicine

Enrollment and Contact Hours

Note there are two different options for enrolling in this course highlighted in the table below.

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the module. Generally 50 – 60 minutes is equivalent to 1 contact hour. Contact hours may be applicable towards continuing education requirements for certain credentials. Check with your credentialing body to verify if the topic meets its continuing education requirements.

If you wish to receive contact hours in Massachusetts, please go to the Massachusetts-specific training on Recreational Waters.

About this course

This course provides an overview of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and the risks it poses to people and pets. Learn how to monitor recreational waters for cyanobacteria (including distinguishing it from look-alikes), manage recreational waters when cyanobacteria is present, and track blooms. Information is provided on documentation through photographs, water sampling and reporting systems.

This training is intended for public health and environmental personnel, state and municipal employees responsible for management of recreational waters, citizen scientists participating in a cyanobacteria monitoring program, as well as anyone interested in learning about cyanobacteria and how recreational waters are monitored and managed from a public health perspective.

This training was developed in conjunction with the University of Vermont, Vermont Department of Health, and Lake Champlain Committee to address the concern about water quality in Vermont. Therefore, the regulations and administrative processes cited are specific to Vermont. However, the underlying science and public health implications are applicable to all states and jurisdictions.

What you'll learn

After completing this course, you will be able to answer the following questions.

• What are cyanobacteria?
• What are the risks to people and pets?
• How do you monitor for it?
• What should you do if you find it?
• How can you track instances?

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Lynn Blevins

  Clinical Assistant Professor
  University of Vermont
  College of Medicine

Enrollment and Contact Hours

Note there are two different options for enrolling in this course highlighted in the table below.

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the module. Generally 50 – 60 minutes is equivalent to 1 contact hour. Contact hours may be applicable towards continuing education requirements for certain credentials. Check with your credentialing body to verify if the topic meets its continuing education requirements.

If you wish to receive contact hours in Massachusetts, please go to the Massachusetts-specific training on Recreational Waters.

About this course

This 10 module training series covers the basic principles of infection prevention and control that form the basis for CDC recommendations for dental health care settings.

The training was recorded with an audience of dental professionals in Vermont on June 10th 2019.  Adhering to the CDC script, presenter comments are excluded.  

Vermont and Rhode Island dental health care personnel and administrative staff  have a new option for learning about infection control in a dental practice setting! This 10 module series takes approximately 3.5 hours to complete and is based on the CDC's Basic Expectations for Safe Care training modules. This free course has been approved for 3.5 CE credits by both the RI and VT Boards of Dental Examiners.

CDC citation:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. .Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Dept of Health and Human Services; October 2016.

Adapted from: Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care

What you'll learn

After completing this course, you will be able to...

• Provide basic infection prevention principles and recommendations for dental health care settings.
• Reaffirm standard precautions as the foundation for preventing transmission of infectious agents during patient care in all dental health care settings.
• Access links to full guidelines and source documents that can be referenced for more detailed background information and recommendations.

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  

  Kathy J. Eklund
  Director of Occupational Health and Safety, RDH MHP
  

More

Ms. Eklund is the Director of Occupational Health and Safety, and the Forsyth Research Subject and Patient Safety Advocate at The Forsyth Institute. She is adjunct faculty at Regis College, Dental Hygiene Program where she teaches senior level courses in Oral Health Research and Evidence-Based Decision Making. Ms. Eklund serves as faculty for the New England AIDS Education and Training Center and HIVdent.org. She is a member and 2017-2019 Chair of the Organization for Safety Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) Board of Directors. Ms. Eklund is a consultant to the ADA Council on Dental Practice.




Enrollment and Contact Hours

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the module. Contact hours may be applicable towards continuing education requirements for certain credentials. Check with your credentialing body to verify if the topic meets its continuing education requirements.




Having trouble accessing the course? Contact support@nephtc.org

About this course

This course provides an overview of basic principles of infection transmission and the role of healthcare staff in preventing the spread of infections to themselves, colleagues and patients. It contains non-graded knowledge checks so learners can interact with the content. The course may be taken in more than one sitting.

What you'll learn

After completing this course, you will be able to...

• Explain the basic modes of infection transmission

• Recall the differences between bacteria and viruses
• Recognize the three basic transmission principles
• Recognize common ways diseases are spread
• Recognize common signs of active infection
• Recognize the three stages of an infection


• Describe your role in preventing infection transmission

• Recall at least three ways you or others can prevent disease transmission
• Recognize the importance of teamwork in infection prevent in healthcare settings

Subject Matter Experts

• 
  Louise-Marie Dembry
  MD, FACP, MS, MBA

  Professor of Medicine
  and Epidemiology
  Director, Hospital Epidemiology
  VA CT Healthcare System

• 
  David B. Banach,
  MD, MPH

  Assistant Professor of Medicine, Head of Infection
  Prevention and Hospital
  Epidemiologist
  UConn Health

Enrollment and Contact Hours

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the module. Generally 50 – 60 minutes is equivalent to 1 contact hour. Contact hours may be applicable towards continuing education requirements for certain credentials. Check with your credentialing body to verify if the topic meets its continuing education requirements.

Having trouble accessing the course? Contact support@nephtc.org

Acknowledgement:

This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP27877 “Regional Public Health Training Center Program”. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

About this course

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  

  Tom Carpino, MPH
  Gordis Teaching Fellow, PhD Candidate,
  Infectious Disease Epidemiology, John Hopkins University

More

Tom Carpino is a teaching fellow and PhD candidate in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University and is supported by the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (F31AI178878) to study the epidemiology of mpox in the US. He has a wide set of research interests which includes stigma, emerging infections and outbreaks, and STIs in diverse communities. He is a member of Hopkins’ Center for Public Health and Human Rights.

Prior to his PhD, he earned an MPH from Columbia University in biostatistics and was a co-investigator on several projects to study topics ranging from HIV and Covid-19 to health systems more broadly.

About this course

This self-study course introduces learners to personal protective equipment (PPE) and safe surfaces, two components of Standard Precautions. After a quick review of Standard Precautions, this course provides an overview of types and use of PPE in the ambulatory setting and when and how to treat potentially contaminated surfaces. The course may be taken in more than one sitting.

What you'll learn

After completing this course, you will be able to...

• Recognize commonly used personal protective equipment
  
• Recall actions to take is a surface may have been exposed to patient body fluid
  

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  David B. Banach
  MD, MPH

  Assistant Professor of Medicine
  Head of Infection Prevention
  and Hospital Epidemiologist
  UConn Health

Enrollment and Contact Hours

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the module. Generally 50 – 60 minutes is equivalent to 1 contact hour. Contact hours may be applicable towards continuing education requirements for certain credentials. Check with your credentialing body to verify if the topic meets its continuing education requirements.

Having trouble accessing the course? Contact support@nephtc.org

About this course

After a quick review of Standard Precautions, this course provides an overview of how to prevent respiratory infection transmission. The course may be taken in more than one sitting.

What you'll learn

After completing this course, you will be able to...

• Recall two types of respiratory infection transmission
  
• Recognize the correct approach to patient with a cough
  
• Recognize patient symptoms that require additional infection control actions
  

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  
  David B. Banach
  MD, MPH

  Assistant Professor of Medicine
  Head of Infection Prevention
  and Hospital Epidemiologist
  UConn Health

Enrollment and Contact Hours

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the module. Generally 50 – 60 minutes is equivalent to 1 contact hour. Contact hours may be applicable towards continuing education requirements for certain credentials. Check with your credentialing body to verify if the topic meets its continuing education requirements.

Having trouble accessing the course? Contact support@nephtc.org

About this course

This course provides an overview of standard precautions, the practice of hand hygiene and the role of healthcare staff in preventing the spread of infections to themselves, colleagues and patients. The course may be taken in more than one sitting.

What you'll learn

After completing this course, you will be able to...

• Define Standard Precautions
• List at least two reasons whyhand hygiene is important to infection prevention
• Recall when hand hygiene should be performed
• Recall how long hands should be rubbed when using long soap
• Recall two advantages of using alcohol- based rubs

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Louise-Marie Dembry
  MD, FACP, MS, MBA

  Professor of Medicine
  (Infectious Diseases)
  and of Epidemiology
  (Microbial Diseases);
  Director, Hospital Epidemiology
  VA CT Healthcare System

Enrollment and Contact Hours

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the module. Generally 50 – 60 minutes is equivalent to 1 contact hour. Contact hours may be applicable towards continuing education requirements for certain credentials. Check with your credentialing body to verify if the topic meets its continuing education requirements.

Having trouble accessing the course? Contact support@nephtc.org

About this course

This self-study course introduces learners to Transmission-Based Precautions. This course provides an overview of why and when Transmission-Based Precautions should be used, along with examples of how these precautions can be applied in the ambulatory care setting. The course may be taken in more than one sitting.

What you'll learn

After completing this course, you will be able to...

• Define Transmission-Based Precautions
  
• Recall the three categories of Transmission-Based Precautions
  
• Describe the unique features of each category of Transmission-Based Precautions
  
• Recognize when to use each category of Transmission-Based Precautions
  
• Recognize when to combine Transmission-Based Precautions
  

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Louise-Marie Dembry
  MD, FACP, MS, MBA

  Professor of Medicine
  (Infectious Diseases)
  and of Epidemiology
  (Microbial Diseases);
  Director, Hospital Epidemiology
  VA CT Healthcare System

Enrollment and Contact Hours

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the module. Generally 50 – 60 minutes is equivalent to 1 contact hour. Contact hours may be applicable towards continuing education requirements for certain credentials. Check with your credentialing body to verify if the topic meets its continuing education requirements.

Having trouble accessing the course? Contact support@nephtc.org

About this course

Local health departments are responsible for creating and maintaining conditions that keep people in their communities healthy and safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has defined and recently updated 10 essential public health services that communities should undertake to protect and promote the health of all people in their community. This training uses a case study (based on an actual infectious disease outbreak) to relate each step of the investigation to one of the 10 essential public health services. Public health professionals should be able to describe each of these essential services, and should work to ensure that all 10 services are provided in their community.

What you'll learn

After completing the training, you will be able to...

• Summarize the 10 essential public health services
• Describe the three local board of health (LBOH) responsibilities for infectious disease investigation: reporting, case investigation, and controlling further spread of infectious diseases
• Classify disease investigation activities into one of the 10 essential public health services
• Give examples of partners that are necessary to deliver the 10 essential public health services
• List the signs and symptoms of a specific pathogen linked to this case study

Subject Matter Experts

• 
  Anne Fidler, ScD
  
  

  Assistant Dean and
  Professor,
  Boston University
  School of Public Health

• 
  Kathleen MacVarish, MS
  
  

  Associate Professor
  of the Practice
  Boston University
  School of Public Health

Enrollment and Contact Hours

The Certificate of Completion will include the length of the module. Generally 50 – 60 minutes is equivalent to 1 contact hour. Contact hours may be applicable towards continuing education requirements for certain credentials. Check with your credentialing body to verify if the topic meets its continuing education requirements. Select the Enroll Me button below to enroll for this course. 

Having trouble accessing the course? Contact support@nephtc.org

About this course

This course introduces the idea of change management, specifically the ADKAR model. This model can be used by public health leaders to ease the process of change within an organization and increase the likelihood that changes will be successfully implemented. Learners will have the opportunity to use a real health department scenario to apply ADKAR and better understand how it to use it in their own work.

What you'll learn

After completing the training, you will be able to:

• Define change management
• Recognize the steps of the ADKAR model of change management
• Explain how a collaborative approach can be integrated with the ADKAR model
• Apply  the ADKAR model in a Health Department case study
• Discuss the importance of change management to public health practice

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Doe Hentschel, PhD

  Leadership of Greater Hartford

More

Dr. Doe Hentschel joined the staff of Leadership Greater Hartford in 2000 after retiring from a long and distinguished career in higher education. She began her LGH career as program director to develop the Third Age Initiative™, LGH’s program to identify, develop and engage older adults in meaningful ways in the community. As Senior Program Director (2006-2007) and then Vice President for Programs (2008-2019), she was involved with developing and implementing many of LGH’s core programs and its consulting and training services. In her current role as “Leadership Preceptor,” she continues to direct the Third Age Initiative™, contribute as curriculum designer and facilitator in many LGH programs and services, and serve as a guide and mentor to her colleagues. A seasoned administrator in higher education, “Dr. Doe” served as Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at Pine Manor College, Dean of Extended and Continuing Education at the University of Connecticut, and Dean of Adult and Continuing Education at SUNY College at Brockport. She was on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the department of Administrative Leadership/Adult Education where she taught graduate courses in Adult Learning and Development, Continuing Professional Education, Program Development and Implementation, Evaluation, Leadership for Change, and Group Dynamics. Prior to earning her Ph.D. in Urban Education with a focus in Administrative Leadership/Adult Education, she held administrative positions at William Rainey Harper Community College in Palatine, Illinois, and in the statewide public service administration at the University of Illinois. “Dr. Doe” has published more than 50 articles, chapters, and research papers. A leader in curriculum design, she has drawn on her expertise to enrich and expand community leadership programming for people of all ages. In her first book, Look Ma! No Hands! Life’s Lessons Learned the Hard Way (2022) she shares her philosophy of life and leadership drawn from stories about the six months after she broke both elbows in a bicycle accident and had no use of her hands and arms. In 2010, the Association of Leadership Programs honored Dr. Doe with the Preceptor Award, its highest recognition. She was named a Top Ten member of the Connecticut 60 over 60 class of 2018. In 2013, Dr. Hentschel was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame. Dr. Hentschel relocated to Hartford in 2010 from her historic home in Willimantic. She is a trustee of the Watkinson School and serves on the Advisory Board of the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership at Goodwin University. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2009, she serves on the Patient and Family Advisory Council for the Chase Family Movement Disorders Center at Hartford HealthCare. Dr. Doe is the proud mother of two and grandmother of four. Her son and his family live in San Diego, and her daughter and her family live in Preston, CT.

Enrollment and Contact Hours

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this course. If you have any trouble accessing the recording, contact  support@nephtc.org.

Acknowledgement: This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of award 2 UB6HP31685‐05‐00 “Public Health Training Centers.” The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

About this course

This course introduces the idea of positionality to public health practitioners and researchers. This framework can be used by people working in public health to reflect on their own identity, and how it may show up in the work they do. Through a lecture and several activities, learners will practice reflection to better understand how it can apply to their own work. 

What you'll learn

After completing the training, you will be able to:

• Discuss positionality and its influence
• Reflect on your own positionality using frameworks 
• Describe how positionality shows up in public health practice work

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Susan Nappi, 

  Executive Director
  Office of Public Health Practice at the Yale School of Public Health

More

Susan Nappi is the Executive Director of the Office of Public Health Practice at the Yale School of Public Health. With a diverse portfolio in public health practice and research, she has held multiple positions in Connecticut including Senior Director of Community Impact at the United Way of Greater New Haven, Executive Director of the Community Center of Excellence in Women's Health (CCOE) at Griffin Hospital, and Practice Administrator of the Griffin Faculty Practice Plan. Susan has also managed research teams at the Yale School of Public Health and the VA Alcohol Research Center. Her primary interest is building collaborative, equitable, and mutually beneficial community-academic partnerships that espouse a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the social drivers of health. Susan is a first-gen college graduate and received her BA in psychology from the State University of New York, Purchase, and her MPH from Yale University in chronic disease epidemiology. She is currently pursuing her DrPH in Public Health Leadership at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health.

Enrollment and Contact Hours

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this course. If you have any trouble accessing the recording, contact  support@nephtc.org.

Acknowledgement: This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of award 2 UB6HP31685‐05‐00 “Public Health Training Centers.” The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

About this course

This informative and engaging leadership series explores the relationship between organizational culture and the ability of an organization to adapt and respond to external and internal challenges. The three part self-paced virtual series introduces participants to what culture means in health profession settings, culture diagnosis, values based and resilient leadership, and makes a case for integrating kindness and appreciation into culture.

What you'll learn

After completing the training, you will be able to...

• Define key attributes of value based and resilient leaders
• Describe strategies for diagnosing your organization’s culture
• Identify basic tools to lead organizational change

Subject Matter Experts

• 
  Joan Bohlke Kaijala, MPP
More

Joan is an independent consultant currently working on public health projects related to health professions workforce, health equity and organizational development. For many years, Joan worked in both federal and state service. In these positions she was an integral part of the creation of the Massachusetts Health Care Workforce Center and helped establish the first health professions workforce surveys tied to licensure. As an organizational development specialist she helped institute a first of it’s kind culture survey within a federal agency, while also leading numerous people and culture projects. Other leadership roles include President, Board of Directors of the TSC Childcare, Inc., and Vice President of USA Track and Field New England. An avid runner, Joan competed for the New Balance Boston track club, qualifying for the U.S. Nationals. Joan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Policy and Management from Providence College, and a Master of Arts in Public Policy from Stony Brook University; she is the proud mom of Theo and Kai.

Enrollment and Contact Hours

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this course. If you have any trouble accessing the recording, contact  support@nephtc.org.

Acknowledgement: This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of award 2 UB6HP31685‐05‐00 “Public Health Training Centers.” The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.