President's Message

Tom Bridges I welcome you to our web page from which you can learn more about the Southern Health Association. During my Public Health career, as I relished having strong and capable leadership to mentor me, they began to retire, expire, or take other positions in other capacities. I found myself facing the challenge to help meet the leadership needs of our various public health organizations. Those of us who remain are, and will continue to be called on to assume leadership roles, and those leaving/retiring have the awesome responsibility to pass along the best of our experiences and knowledge. We also need to realize that while many things in public health do remain the same, we should recognize the need when appropriate for innovation and rejuvenation.

I've made a short list of benefits of how the Southern Health Association should benefit you:

Networking - this is a vital opportunity everyone should take advantage of.
Diversity - here is an opportunity to meet with professionals in other disciplines, backgrounds, etc.
Trends - Annual meetings give us the opportunity to view/forecast trends. We may take the opportunity with others to get away from the inner perspective and view our efforts from some greater altitude.
Assurance/reassurance/validation - our efforts may be checked against other agencies/individuals what we have been doing, or what course corrections may be appropriate for us.
New perspectives - this can lead to growth, both personally and professionally
Leadership - there is always room for active involvement
Re-charge/energize - this is much more than just R&R

Now, one thing more: Join Southern Health Association if you have not done so. Why? Legislative advocacy is something that many public health workers need a channel to share our public health issues and concerns. We are all subject to what happens at the national, state and local levels of our government.

We in public health face some of our greatest challenges and opportunities. Public Health is threatened if we don't convey our worth as a public trust. We must endeavor as public health professionals to assure that trust. We face a tremendous opportunity and we need to learn more effective ways that we can work together to assure that trust. It's time for us all to step up to the plate and make our efforts count. And for those of us who are nearing retirement, the job is not really done 'til our best is shared and learned by our successors. I agree that public health will advance in new technologies and practices, but public health is still a calling - a ministry. The heart still needs to be there and that must be passed on. Please don't fail...

President

Mission:
To serve as the regional advocate for public health and for the development and growth of its leadership.

Purpose:
To foster and stimulate a greater degree of scientific effort in the protection and improvement of public health, and to bring about better understanding, integration and promotion of public health service.

Southern Health Update

SHA publishes a newsletter three times a year which is sent to all individual,fellow, retiree, student, contributing and associate members. Members are encouraged to contribute articles for publication.

In addition to articles relating to SHA, the Southern Health "Update" also includes a section on what's going on in the various states in the region, state affiliate association news, and a consumer news section.

Editor: Jan Cooke
Managing Editor: Sandra Whittle

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