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JCCC recognized nationally for developing quality public health program

March 22, 2016

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Johnson County Community College is being recognized for creating new paths and re-imaging instruction for public health professionals. It is one of only six community colleges nationwide receiving the award.

The Community Colleges and Public Health (CCPH) Award will be presented March 22 at the Innovations Conference in Chicago. Lenora Cook, dean of health care and wellness professions at JCCC, will accept the honor. Cynthia Wilson, director of the CCPH Project, will present it.

“New career opportunities in public health and health navigation are emerging across the nation, and community college programs will provide training and credentials for graduates who are hired into these new positions,” Wilson said.

“We are pleased to recognize the initial efforts of community colleges that are responding to changes in the public health field by creating education and career pathways for their students.”

In early 2015, community colleges were to submit plans for new programs in public health or health navigation at their institutions. A series of webinars was held in summer 2015 to assist interested colleges in developing their plans. The CCPH Award recognizes the quality of those plans.

The CCPH Project is a collaboration between the League for Innovation in the Community College and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health.

The two organizations came together to re-envision the educational pathway to public health careers, updating the continuum to include community colleges.

While at the conference, Cook will share JCCC’s plans and the progress the college has made to implement them during the forum “Health Education Associate and Bachelor’s Degrees.”

For more information, visit https://www.league.org/ccph.

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