Tom Oliver, PhD, MHA [Faculty]

Tom Oliver is a professor of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He serves as director of the UW Master of Public Health program and the Wisconsin Center for Public Health Education and Training and is a faculty affiliate with the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs. He provides faculty direction to the Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship Program.

Tom graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in human biology. He received a master's degree in health administration from Duke University and received master's and doctoral degrees in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Pew Health Policy Program at the University of California, San Francisco. Before coming to Wisconsin, he taught at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. Tom's research examines critical issues in health policy, politics, and system reform. His recent work includes studies of state and national health care reforms; intersectoral leadership and governance for population health improvement; and comparative analysis of health policies in the US, the European Union, and other countries.

Todd Stanley [Program Coordinator]

Todd Stanley is the program coordinator for the Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship.




P.S. His name is Moose. We are best buds. He is so soft!

Todd graduated in May 2013 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He hopes to someday pursue a career in occupational therapy. However, working with the Fellows has inspired him to consider public health as well.  

In addition to the Fellowship, Todd is the program coordinator for the UW/MCW Healthy Wisconsin Leadership Institute (HWLI) team, working alongside Fellowship and HWLI program director Marion Ceraso.

With cold winter days ahead, Todd looks forward to spending time on the ski hills and cross-country ski trails in the area. He keeps himself busy playing volleyball on multiple recreational teams with friends and by serving as an adult leader and guitarist for Young Life College-Madison, a faith-based ministry for college-age students.

Casey Schumann, MS [Preceptor]

Casey has been an Epidemiologist within the Wisconsin Division of Public Health’s AIDS/HIV Program since 2008 and is currently Christina Hanna’s preceptor. Casey enjoys nothing more than working with large HIV-related datasets to characterize the trends in HIV diagnoses and health outcomes, and developing mechanisms to better use surveillance data for public health action.

Casey is no stranger to the Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship- she has served as the preceptor for two Fellows and is herself a former Fellow. She was part of only the third cohort of Fellows and graduated from the program in 2008. Casey looks forward to continuing her ties with the Fellowship.

Prior to her Fellowship, Casey completed her Masters of Science in Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked in various capacities for Merck Pharmaceutical Company.

Jill Ness, MPH [Preceptor]

Jill Ness is the Deputy Director at Health First Wisconsin, and she is currently preceptor to Carly Hood.  Health First Wisconsin advances policy solutions to make our state a healthier place. Health is not something that begins in a doctor's office. It starts in our homes, schools, workplaces and in our playgrounds and parks. It's in the air we breathe and the water we drink. Viewing health in this way, offers a unique and effective opportunity to improve health before the onset of disease.

Jill earned her BA from Luther College in Decorah, IA, in Political Science, Sociology and Russian Studies and her MPH from University of Michigan School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education. Jill’s main interest has always been at the intersection of politics and health, and her career has centered on facilitating healthy, community-level changes through the democratic process.

 

Her first public health job was with Hennepin County (MN) Health Department where she worked as a tobacco control coordinator in the western suburbs of Minneapolis before moving to Madison to join the team at SmokeFree Wisconsin. Initially Jill worked with communities around the state as they pursued local smoke-free workplace ordinances and provided technical assistance on grassroots organizing and coalition building for statewide policy efforts, such as cigarette tax increases and preserving funding for the state’s tobacco control program.

In 2011, SmokeFree Wisconsin became Health First Wisconsin in order to incorporate other pressing public health issues into its agenda. With the organizational realignment, Jill’s role shifted to oversee a staff who offers policy and grassroots technical assistance in the areas of tobacco prevention, alcohol abuse prevention, healthy eating, and physical activity.

Jill lives in Madison with her husband, two sons, and two cats. She spends her free time wrestling with such important questions as: “Which part of the yard should we convert to a vegetable garden next?” and “When is our next trip somewhere cool, and which friends will be coming with us?” and, “What’s for dinner tonight, anyway?”

Marion Ceraso, MHS, MA [Program Director]

Marion Ceraso is the program director for the Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship and the Healthy Wisconsin Leadership Institute in the UW Population Health Institute.

Before joining the UWPHI in 2002, Marion’s professional experience included serving as the Assistant Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Global Tobacco Control and directing two statewide tobacco control programs in the State of Maryland. During this time, she was involved in teaching and international research projects related to capacity building in tobacco control. She’s also developed professional education programs in public health, translated cancer-related research information for the public at the US Environmental Protection Agency, and worked as a community organizer in Newark, New Jersey.

Marion was trained in Behavioral Sciences and Health Promotion at the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, and completed a Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research and program interests focus on the impact of public policies on health, as well as the use of journalistic tools in the investigation and communication of public health issues.

In addition to working with Fellows, Marion and the UW/MCW Healthy Wisconsin Leadership Institute team (including former Fellowship coordinator Lesley Wolf and current Fellowship coordinator Todd Stanley) work with communities around the state who are mobilizing to address local priorities and improve population health.

Marion considers herself lucky to live in a community with great accessibility to open space and community gardens where her family, including dog Luna, can get their hands/paws into the earth.

Reflections on Native American Heritage Month from the Menominee Reservation

Lauren Lamers, MPH

Population Health Service Fellow

Menominee Tribal Clinic

Keshena, Wisconsin

Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department

Shawano, Wisconsin

 

 

On October 31, President Obama declared November 2013 to be National Native American Heritage Month - a time to celebrate Native American culture and recognize the rich contributions Native Americans have made to the United States.  Prior to beginning the fellowship, I would likely have given this month little more than cursory notice. Since beginning my placement with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, however, Native American heritage has taken on a whole new meaning for me. 

As the president acknowledged, along with celebrating the culture and traditions we might typically associate with Native American heritage, “we must not ignore the painful history Native Americans have endured - a history of violence, marginalization, broken promises, and upended justice.”[1]  Unquestionably, coming to understand some of the more painful events in the history of the Menominee Tribe has been one of the most personally challenging learning experiences of my fellowship so far.

In the early 1800s, the Menominee Tribe resided on a land base of approximately 10 million acres in what is now Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois.  Through a series of treaties in the nineteenth century, the tribe’s lands were reduced to the 235,000 acres of its present-day reservation.  Menominee children were separated from their parents and sent to boarding schools where they were forbidden to speak their language or practice traditional elements of their culture.  In the 1950s the Menominee Termination Act removed federal recognition of the Menominee as a sovereign American Indian tribe.  In addition to losing their tribal status, the Menominee suffered severe economic hardships and lost portions of their land and many of the healthcare and educational services the government provides to federally recognized tribes.  Although the Menominee fought for and eventually won back federal recognition in 1973, the effects of termination were devastating.

Perhaps the most disconcerting part about this history, however, is that the Menominee, like American Indian and other historically marginalized communities around the country, are still struggling with the impact of the injustices they experienced.  This phenomenon is known as historical trauma, which has been defined as the “cumulative emotional and psychological wounding across generations, including the lifespan, which emanates from massive group trauma.”[2]  In other words, experiences like forced relocation, assimilation, and termination so profoundly disrupted the lives of American Indian people and caused such emotional and psychological damage that their effects still plague American Indian communities. 

This historical trauma manifests itself in clear and tangible ways among the Menominee Tribe today.  Menominee County is the poorest county in Wisconsin and one of the poorest in the United States.  Rates of obesity, diabetes, teen pregnancy, and substance abuse are high, and according to the County Health Rankings, the county ranks last for health outcomes in Wisconsin.

Yet when I think about American Indian heritage and my experiences on the Menominee Reservation so far, one theme resonates more powerfully for me than past injustices or historical trauma:  resilience.  The Menominee Nation has shown incredible determination, innovation, and passion for improving lives in their community.  They have fought to preserve their language and culture, and several programs currently work to pass traditional teachings and practices to Menominee youth.  They have carefully protected their natural resources and have been nationally recognized for their sustainable forestry management.  They have also made great strides toward improving the health of their community.  Just a few of their recent efforts to improve community health include:

·         Convening a community engagement workgroup that brings stakeholders together from numerous sectors of the Tribe and county to address youth obesity, teen pregnancy, and school readiness

·         Providing school-based preventive dental services to Head Start, elementary, and middle school children

·         Planting a community orchard

·         Expanding opportunities for physical activity in the community and implementing healthier nutrition guidelines in schools

·         Holding Bridges out of Poverty trainings to help health and social service professionals better understand how to work with clients struggling with intergenerational poverty

·         Identifying innovative ways to address adverse childhood experiences and implement trauma-informed care in local health, education, and social service agencies

 

While the social, economic, and health challenges in Menominee are great, the dedication and passion of local leaders and community members to address these challenges is truly awe-inspiring. I am humbled and privileged to have the opportunity to work in this community. 

So this November as the nation recognizes Native American heritage, I would challenge us all not only to learn more about traditional American Indian culture or the historical injustices American Indians have faced, but to truly celebrate the legacy of strength and resilience that enables tribes like the Menominee to continue striving to improve lives in their communities.    

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[1] The White House. Office of the Press Secretary.  Presidential Proclamation – National Native American Heritage Month, 2013.  Available online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/10/31/presidential-proclamation-national-native-american-heritage-month-2013

 

[2] Brave Heart, M.Y.H., Chase, J., Elkins, J., Altschul, D.B.  2011.  Historical trauma among indigenous peoples of the Americas:  Concepts, research, and clinical considerations.  Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 43 (4): 282-90.

2nd Year Fellow Interview: Carly Hood

Carly Hood, MPA, MPH

Population Health Service Fellow

Wisconsin Center for Health Equity

Health First Wisconsin

Wisconsin Division of Public Health

Madison, Wisconsin

When did you begin your Fellowship?

I started the Fellowship in August 2012. While I participated in orientation activities in early July, I was finishing credits for my global health certificate during the month so I didn’t actually start at my placement sites until August.

Where is your Fellowship placement?

My placement sites were originally at Health First Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Division of Public Health in the Coordinated Chronic Disease section. Since my interest area has evolved and much of my work is equity focused, I have maintained my Health First Wisconsin placement, but transitioned to doing more work with the Wisconsin Minority Health Program and the Wisconsin Center for Health Equity. It’s nice that the program is adaptable; my preceptors and sites have changed to suit my interests and ensure I’m getting the most I can out of the Fellowship.

What were you up to prior to your Fellowship?

Prior to the Fellowship I had been gallivanting internationally for several years; I was teaching English, volunteering, working on photography, and shaking my sense of wanderlust (never leaves btw…). Post international work, I moved to Wisconsin to pursue my Master of Public Affairs at the Robert M. Lafollette School of Public Affairs and kept finding health justice was the policy area I was most interested in. Just before starting the Fellowship I completed both my Master of Public Affairs and Master of Public Health degrees. My coursework was heavily policy analysis and global health.

What inspired you to take the Fellowship route rather than a different type of job/school/etc.?

The Fellowship seemed a great way to TRY ON different aspects of public health. It’s such a broad field and it’s so easy to get pigeonholed in specific roles and jobs. Rather than jumping into a particular job, the fellowship has allowed me to dabble in a wide variety of projects, requiring use of different skills and specialties. To me, this meant I’d be better equipped in the long run to choose a job that aligns most closely with my desired professional objectives and the skills I enjoy using. It’s allowed me to both determine what I LIKE to do day in and day out, and what I DO NOT like to do. I should also note, this flexibility means the Fellowship requires a lot of self-direction. Since there’s no pre-determined “job deliverable” or particular skill set required, you sometimes have to look harder for those projects you want to work on or create them yourself! But I enjoy that.

What are your main areas of interest within public health?

Having the economics and policy background that I do, I definitely come at public health with that lens. My main area of focus is how social policies—those related to income/poverty, employment, education and housing—ultimately impact health outcomes. Having studied economics in undergraduate school at Lewis and Clark College, I view things at the systems-level and often take a very global perspective (details aren’t my forte. See? I’m learning about how my brain works in the Fellowship!). I’m fascinated by how we set up our societies, programs, institutions, etc. to support or inhibit health and well-being—which I believe is a human right. There are a lot of countries around the world that have established recognized pillars or foundations for their citizens (access to education, housing, healthcare, and financial support in times of need) which leave their populations healthier, living longer, and requiring less money to be spent on “band aid” solutions down the road.

What are some things you are working on right now in your fellowship?

The biggest projects I’m currently working on include:

1) Implementing and evaluating a professional development training for my public health colleagues to encourage a focus on the social determinants of health;

2) Researching the link between social policy and health outcomes and presenting this information at orientations, trainings and conferences; and

3) Trying to turn efforts towards writing/publishing for my last 7 months as a Fellow!  

What is one public health achievement you think will happen in the next 25 years? What is one you would like to see in the next 25 years?

I think people will start to connect poverty to health a bit more and I HOPE this means we start considering bigger poverty reduction/child support policies at the national and state levels (we could take a page out of the books of some other countries in this respect).

I would LIKE to see traditional health professionals (doctors, nurses, hospitals, clinics) adopt practices/advocate for broad policy change that would have a more far reaching impact on patient health outcomes than individual, clinical care alone. I think this, too, is attainable. The more people can understand that health is not just in the hospital or clinic, the quicker the solutions will come.

Do you have any fun insider tips about life in Madison?
Get a CSA! Community Supported Agriculture is HUGE here and it’s amazing! For 2 summers now, I’ve picked up a box of veggies from a local farm every other week and spent about $50 a month on yogurt, tofu, and beans in the store. It saves money, it’s delicious, and it supports Wisconsin farmers. Do it!

2nd Year Fellow Interview: Erica LeCounte

Erica LeCounte, MPH

Population Health Service Fellow 

City of Milwaukee Health Department

Center for Urban Population Health

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

When did you begin your fellowship?

July 1, 2012

Where is your fellowship placement? 

I’m placed with the City of Milwaukee Health Department and the Center for Urban Population Health.

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on four main projects: 

1) I’ve been developing an evaluation plan for the DAD Project, a new home visiting program for fathers with young children or men in a father role.  I’ve been researching and designing surveys and evaluation tools to measure outcomes, and I will also be facilitating focus groups with mothers and fathers to get feedback about the program.

2) I am also working on a home visiting evaluation to see how well the Empowering Families of Milwaukee, Nurse Family Partnership, and Prenatal Care Coordination programs are doing in helping mothers have healthy pregnancies and healthy children.  So far I have been working on an IRB application and will soon begin analyzing program data.

3) I am working to develop a prematurity surveillance system and analyzing data to get a better understanding of premature births in Milwaukee.

4) Finally, I am working on a life expectancy project, which involves calculating and mapping life expectancies for all zip codes in Milwaukee County.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in public health?

I took a course in undergrad in maternal and child health.  The course introduced me to public health, and I realized that there are other ways of improving health than becoming a physician.  I also learned a lot about developing programs and evaluation plans, which really introduced me to the field of public health and made me want to pursue a career in this area.

What made you decide to join the fellowship program as opposed to other career or educational options?

I chose the fellowship because I had spent my entire life in school and I wanted more work experience, which I knew I would need for the jobs I am interested in pursuing.  I also thought the fellowship would be a great opportunity to grow and develop in ways that I wouldn’t be able to if I had stayed in school for another degree or accepted a job right out of grad school.

What has been your favorite part of the fellowship so far?

The ability to explore different career options.  My background is in epidemiology, so in my first year I focused mostly on projects involving data.  In my second year I have been able to focus more on planning, implementing, and evaluating programs.  It has helped give me a broader range of experience and a better idea of what I want to do career-wise.

What is one of the most important things you have learned over the course of your fellowship so far?

Definitely to take advantage of every opportunity I’m given and utilize the people around me.  It’s great to be able to take advantage of my preceptors, especially when I have questions about any ideas I have or about different career paths.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

This is a hard question for me – there are so many places I want to go!  I guess I’d say Hawaii because it would be great to take a nice long vacation on the water.