New York Public Health Now
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New York Public Health Now
s3e04 Integrating Public Health and Social Welfare: A Transformative Merger with Dr. Erin Bell
In this episode, New York Commissioner of Health Dr. James McDonald and Executive Deputy Commissioner Johanne Morne welcome Dr. Erin Bell, the new dean of the UAlbany College of Integrated Health Sciences, to discuss the strategic merger of the School of Public Health and the School of Social Welfare, creating a groundbreaking interdisciplinary approach to addressing community health and well-being.
The conversation delves into Dr. Bell's passion for community engagement and her vision for the new college, where students and faculty work hand-in-hand with local communities to identify and address their unique health and social needs. The new college, which includes over 1,000 students, aims to address health disparities through interdisciplinary approaches.
If you have an idea for topics we should discuss, please let us know: PublicHealthNowPodcast@health.ny.gov
Welcome back to New York Public Health now podcast. This is where we talk about the why, so you can decide what to do. So greetings again from our 14th floor here at Corning Tower. I'm Dr. Jim McDonald, the New York State Commissioner of Health. And joining us today, of course, is our Executive Deputy Commissioner here at the Department of Health, Johanne Morne. Hi Johanne, how are you today?
Johanne Morne:I'm doing great. Thank you.
Jim McDonald:It's great to be here around the table. Again, we have a great guest that I'm excited about. And you know, I don't know why I constantly comment about the weather whenever we do our recordings, but again, it's just a gorgeous autumn day here in downtown Albany, and I'm loving the view from the 14th floor. The leaves are starting to change colors. The mountains look majestic. Again, it's great to be here in New York State. We're going to jump right in today with our guest from the University at Albany, Dr. Erin Bell, thank you for joining us for this conversation.
Erin Bell:Thank you for having me!
Johanne Morne:So Dr. Bell was previously the interim dean of the University at Albany's School of Public Health, and this summer, was named full time dean of a new college within UAlbany that incorporates both the School of Public Health and the School of Social Welfare.
Jim McDonald:in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, that's where I did my Master's in Public Health, so we both know Chapel Hill and the Research Triangle well. Her research interests focus on examining the association of environmental exposures and adverse birth and child health outcomes, including neurodevelopment.
Johanne Morne:And Dr. Bell keeps an interesting day. Currently a co-Principal Investigator with the New York State Department of Health. It's on a cohort study that's aimed at recruiting and enrolling participants, I believe that's for both adults and for children, to investigate long term health effects of PFAS-contaminated drinking water. Previously, she also led investigations into adverse reproductive outcomes that were linked to air pollution levels as part of the Environmental Health Tracking Program, also here at the Department of Health. Dr. Bell, I'm hopeful that you can help us better define exactly what I'm speaking
Erin Bell:Sure. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances refer about. to chemicals that are a family of chemicals used in manufacturing for nonstick pans as well as firefighting foam, and unfortunately, they've contaminated drinking water nationally, including in both rural and urban communities here in New York State. We know those communities; New York State has been active in identifying those communities, and we have partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with eight other states across the country to examine the health effects related to these exposures.
Jim McDonald:And you know, recognizing that strong link between excess exposure to environmental contaminants, poverty and racial inequalities, Dr. Bell's research and community service have recently shifted to exploring health outcomes associated with these disparities, which really dovetails with our core mission here at The New York State Department of Health, which is to eliminate all health disparities. Dr. Bell, we just did a little bit of introduction to you. Did I miss anything important there?
Erin Bell:This is my 23rd year here and doing partnerships and research with the Health Department. I'm excited for the next chapters.
Jim McDonald:Yeah, partnership is what public health is all about. It's very much a team sport. And by the way, congratulations on your appointment as dean. Let's talk about this. What is the name of the new college, and why the merger?
Erin Bell:Sure that's an excellent question. We're the college of integrated health sciences. We're an accredited College of Public Health. We will include public health, social welfare and nursing in our new college. And the time was so appropriate, as you outlined my own research, but as we work in public health, we really need to address health and well being for all members of our community with a full team approach. And we need clinicians, we need social workers, we need people who understand policy and the social determinants of health, whether someone has housing or has food insecurity, we know plays into health, and so we need to understand and work together on those things.
Johanne Morne:So I'm certainly interested in the merger, but I'm also interested in the history of the School of Public Health. How was that started?
Erin Bell:So it's really interesting. So in January, we will begin our 40th year as a partnership with the New York State Department of Health. Commissioner Axelrod created this partnership with the University at Albany back in 1985. Through that partnership, we are the only College of Public Health in the country that has this formal partnership with a state health department. Over 90 Health Department researchers mentor our students and train them in the workforce. And that was really the impetus behind the college, was to create an opportunity to foster a workforce, to train a workforce, and provide them with that hands on learning.
Johanne Morne:And what about the history for the School of Social Welfare?
Erin Bell:So the School of Social Welfare has a wonderfully rich history. They're 60 years old this year, so 100 years together is what we're saying, and they have a very long history working in healthy aging, mental health, child welfare, and have also contributed heavily to the workforce and social work.
Jim McDonald:So what do you see as the current opportunities within the College of integrated Health Sciences?
Erin Bell:So we have both academic and research opportunities right now, one of the best opportunities that our students have, have, we have a combined MPH and MSW program, so Masters of Public Health and Masters of Social Welfare, but our students, regardless of the program they're in, also have opportunities to take classes together. So they're learning from one another, they're learning each other's vocabulary, their respective disciplines, and how to work together to improve the health and well being in the communities that they will ultimately have their profession in. Research wise, we are working together on public health and social welfare areas of concern that include health disparities, mental health, healthy aging, policy development in all of these areas to improve health and well being for members of our communities.
Johanne Morne:So we're really fortunate here in the department, a lot of our colleagues are graduates from the SUNY system and from either program, whether it be social welfare or public health. What other types of careers do you see students embarking on?
Erin Bell:So many of our students can work directly at certainly county and state and federal health agencies as well as community organizations, certainly in state and federal government around policy development and legislation, they are community advocates. Many will work in a clinical setting as well as in not for profit settings.
Jim McDonald:How many students altogether will you have in the College of integrated health sciences?
Erin Bell:We have over 1000 students in our new college. About half of those students are in the master's programs in public health and social welfare. And then we have just over 200 each in our undergraduate programs, including our new nursing program and in our doctoral programs.
Jim McDonald:Yeah the nursing and public health programs combined is really quite interesting to me. You know, really a chance to be very practical about all this. So the School of Public Health has a long partnership with the State Department of Health. You mentioned Dr. Axelrod. I've told this before I did my preventive medicine residency at the School of Public Health up in Rensselaer, back in 2007, 2008, when you walk in, you can't miss the picture of Dr. Axelrod, inspirational quotes, the biography, it's really quite telling. And he's a worthy legend in public health. You know, I think one of the things about New York State probably doesn't realize how better off they are because of all the great work Dr. Axelrod, Department of Health did with the School of Public Health, and the rich partnership is really important. You know, the School of Public Health, in many ways, was born from the Department of Health. So how do you see the partnership continuing? And I guess I have a voice in that too, but I'd love to hear what you see about our future.
Erin Bell:I'm very excited about our future, I think certainly expanding opportunities for students in social welfare and nursing. We very intentionally have placed our nursing programs within the public health context so that they can learn about preventive medicine and risk factors and working with patients and clients in that setting. And I think our research, what we've learned over the years, and certainly with my own research, is when we partnered together on research areas of concern across the state, we're able to do much more together, and the work and the findings that we learn from those projects are actually applied at the federal level. So it's very important as we work together. So I think the future is very bright for our partnership.
Johanne Morne:It sounds very bright indeed. And going forward, does a new college plan to add on any new programs?
Erin Bell:We do, we will continue to grow our nursing opportunities as well as our master's programs in social justice and undergraduate programs in social justice in those students at the undergrad level that study social justice will be able to work at the policy and legislative branches as well as in community work. Moving forward, we're looking forward to expanding our doctoral training in health policy and coordinating with social welfare on those opportunities.
Jim McDonald:You know, I was struck by how intentional the process was when you merged the schools. And one of the things I just think about is how intentional this is. It's so important, right, when I think about where healthcare is heading, right, so many healthcare dollars are spent on an exam room, an operating room, an emergency room or a delivery room. In other words, so many healthcare dollars are spent in direct patient care. Yet when you look at how we work in public health, sometimes public health works over on this side of the world, and sometimes clinical medicine works on this side of the world. And the reality of it is it really does need to merge, right because we all want the same things. We want healthy populations and funding moving into both directions to me, seems like the right direction where we're actually taking care of everybody from a population health standpoint. Do you want to just touch a little bit on how intentional your process was on putting these tool schools together? Because it was very interesting to me how intentional you were. You didn't just say it's time to merge schools. You guys were very thoughtful about this.
Erin Bell:We were. This was a culmination of a two year process. We formed work groups of faculty, students and staff to explore our various programs to help us understand what the new name should be, what the organizational structure should be, and, most importantly, what our vision, mission and values will be moving forward. And we had representatives from across the university on those work groups, and we had multiple opportunities for people to comment on because, of course, faculty, we have to comment and proofread everything, and we do lots of wordsmithing. And all that we do, we're carrying that discipline with us this year as we work on our operational bylaws and how we will function as a college and as we grow and review and enhance our academic programming.
Jim McDonald:One of the things about the New York State Department of Health that separates us from other health departments is we don't have just the public health function here, we actually have the office of health insurance programs, so we're not just trying to keep people healthy. We're actually the largest payer in the state because of Medicaid and New York State Health. There's a real integration with us as well, which I think is really a strength of ours, and think I think it's really helpful. So I want to just go back to you with another question. You know, when people choose their careers, you obviously chose to get a PhD in epidemiology. That's something that, something must have inspired you to do that. When I think about what inspired me to be a physician was this overwhelming urge to help other people, and I don't like seeing people hurting or suffering. I just wanted to help people. What just really inspired you to get your PhD in epidemiology at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill?
Erin Bell:As an undergraduate student, I studied biology and math, and I was fascinated with trying to understand how and why people were sick. And as I completed my master's and I started my career, I was really interested in women, and pregnant women in particular, and their exposures and the impact it could have on children. And so I was able and fortunate enough to go to University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, which is very well known in in the area of reproductive and environmental epidemiology, for my training, and then was able to take that knowledge and training up here to New York, where I've been engaged in that area of research for over 20 years.
Jim McDonald:What's your inspiration right now as you're moving forward? And I'll share a little story about me real quickly, like when I think about as a pediatrician, I helped one person at a time, and that was sacred and beautiful and awesome. And I loved helping one person at a time. As a public health physician, as a state health commissioner, I'm really trying to help all the people all the time, and that's what inspires me. It's just the ability to help all the people all the time. I'm just curious, as you look at your future with the College of integrated health sciences, what's inspiring you?
Erin Bell:Our community engagement. We're very much on the same page with that. I think one of the key changes I've seen in public health research over the last 30 years is the emphasis in the importance of community engagement and partnering with our communities. My favorite opportunity I don't get as much anymore with with my new duties, but is to go out and walk the streets and in, whether it's a rural community or urban community in New York State, and talk to people and learning how we can partner with them to improve health and well being.
Jim McDonald:Getting out and talking to people, getting into the community, and just seeing what needs are. One thing is we really live and breathe out the Department of Health is information, and yet the needs people have here are different the needs in different parts of the state.
Johanne Morne:Absolutley, we can never underestimate the value that individuals of lived experience offer to us as we continue to do our work in advanced public health.
Jim McDonald:Well we've been talking to Dr. Erin Bell today, the first dean of the UAlbany's new College of integrated health sciences. I want to thank you all for joining us today, for this conversation, and thank you for stopping up to the 14th floor today, Dr. Bell.
Erin Bell:Thank you very much.
Jim McDonald:So that's going to do it for today's New York Public Health Now Podcast. If there's a topic of interest you'd like to hear us talk about, why don't you go ahead and send me an email. The email address is publichealthnowpodcast@health.ny.gov
Johanne Morne:And to hear the latest New York Public Health Now episode on your favorite podcast player app, like Apple Podcast, Overcast, Spotify, YouTube and Google Podcast, search by our podcast title, New York Public Health Now, or by keywords, NYSDOH then tap the subscribe or follow button to be notified when we release a new episode, which is about every other week.
Jim McDonald:And if you like what you hear, please leave a review. For the New York Public Health Now Podcast, I'm Dr. Jim McDonald.
Johanne Morne:I'm Johanne Morne.
Erin Bell:I'm Dr. Erin Bell,
Jim McDonald:And thank you for listening.
Monica Pomeroy:New York Public Health now is a production of New York State Department of Health's Public Affairs Group. Michael Wren is the executive producer and engineer, with additional production support provided by Sarah Snyder, Genine Babakian, Barbara Stubblebein, Alicia Biggs, Monica Pomeroy and Kyle Kotary. Copyright 2024 All rights reserved. We welcome your feedback. Please email us at publichealthnowpodcast@health.ny.gov.
