WNC Health Network (WNCHN) and UNC Asheville – UNC Gillings Master of Public Health (MPH) Program have announced their partnership to support each other’s efforts to enhance public health efforts in Western North Carolina.
Ameena Batada, co-director of the UNC Asheville – UNC Gillings MPH Program, said, “This partnership offers students and our entire program more opportunities to learn about, engage with, and contribute to critical and creative regional public health activities. The WNC Health Network has deep connections and relationships and a history of collaborative cross-sector work in the region and we are excited to formally partner with them.”
WNC Health Network supports graduate student learning through applied learning experiences in the program’s Health Communications, summer practica, and culminating experiences. In addition, members of the WNCHN team provide regional public health expertise by serving on the MPH stewarding group and as course instructors and co-educators.
Students also contribute to the WNC Health Network activities in the region. In the Health Communications course, they provide technical assistance to public health communications professionals and local public health agencies in the region. In spring 2024, an MPH student will engage as a community fellow with the WNC Health Network, supporting the organization in the areas of health communications, population health data, and the WNC Healthy Impact initiative. WNC Healthy Impact is the WNC Health Network’s partnership and coordinated process between hospitals, public health agencies, and key regional partners in support of a regional approach to community health assessment and improvement.
Erin Braasch, executive director of WNC Health Network and new instructor in the MPH program, reflected, “We are excited to support students in their growth and readiness to enter the public health workforce while being a conduit for students to make meaningful contributions to health and well-being in our region.” Additional opportunities for collaboration may include collaborating on manuscript writing to share joint efforts and increasing awareness about the MPH program in the region.
WNC Health Network supports people and organizations to improve community health and well-being across western North Carolina, envisioning a region in which every community has the capacity, resources, and trusted relationships to effectively address complex, deeply-entrenched, and emerging health issues at a local level. The organization works in collaboration to strengthen the “how” of health improvement, collect and curate high-quality regional data, and enhance and support health communications. For more information, visit: https://wnchn.org.
The UNC Asheville – UNC Gillings MPH Program began as a branch campus of UNC Gillings in 2018 in Asheville and is now a joint program where students earn a degree in place-based health from both UNC Asheville and UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in Chapel Hill. Students attend classes with their cohort once a week during the academic year. In 21 months, they earn an MPH in place-based health. The UNC Asheville-UNC Gillings MPH Program is enrolling now for fall 2024.
Prospective students may apply by priority due date December 1 (for scholarship consideration), March 1 (for regional scholarships), or April 1 to pursue an MPH in place-based health in Asheville at MAHEC. Learn more at https://sph.unc.edu/resource-pages/unc-asheville-unc-gillings/
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