About this Event
Annual Conference and Award Ceremony of
New Jersey Public Health Association
150 Years of Public Health in NJ: Where Do We Go From Here?
Thursday, October 16th, 2025
Conference: 1pm-5pm & Awards Ceremony: 6pm-8pm
The National Conference Center - 399 Monmouth Street, East Windsor, NJ 08520
Conference Objectives
1. To learn about historical context and ongoing advancements in public health for New Jerseyans
2. To examine the persistent and emerging challenges as well as solutions that lie ahead for public health
https://www.njpha.org/
Agenda
150 Years of Public Health in NJ: Where Do We Go From Here?
🕑: 12:30 PM - 01:15 PM
Student Meet & Greet
Host: Dr. Wathington, APHA President
🕑: 01:00 PM - 01:45 PM
Registration & Lunch
Info: Lunch will be available from 1-2 PM
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:00 PM
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Host: Dr. Sreelekha Prakash, NJPHA President
🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:30 PM
Keynote Speaker and Q&A
Host: Dr. Deanna Wathington MD, MPH, FAAFP Incoming APHA presi
🕑: 02:30 PM - 02:45 PM
Break / Poster Session & Sponsor Exhibits
🕑: 02:45 PM - 04:10 PM
Breakout Sessions: Policy and Advocacy for Public Health in NJ
Info: Speaker 1: Closing Gaps in HPV Vaccination Amid New Jersey Youth: Evidence-Based Strategies for Policy and Public Health Action by Tanni Dina (confirmed)
Speaker 2: Pathways 2 Recovery: A Partnership Between Rutgers and the NJ Department of Labor by Kelley Hamilton from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University (tentative)
Speaker 3: NJ’s Mount Laurel Doctrine: Advancing Public Health Through Affordable Housing Policy by Al-Tariq Witcher from Fair Share Housing (tentative)
Speaker 4: Federal 340B Policy Changes and Their Impact on Disproportionate Share Hospitals Serving New Jersey’s Most Vulnerable Populations: A Saint Peter’s University Hospital Analysis by Fatimah Muhammad from St. Peters University Hospital (tentative)
🕑: 02:45 PM - 04:10 PM
Breakout Session:Public Health Technology and Innovation
Info: Speaker 1: The TikTok Triage: How Social Media Has Become New Jersey's First Responder by Angelina Mazahreh from Rowan University (tentative)
Speaker 2: Reimagining A Community Health Needs Assessment Through Digital Innovation: A Scalable CBPR Model to Elevate Community Voice by Caleigh Dwyer from Hospital for Special Surgery (tentative)
Speaker 3: Machine Learning to Predict Heavy Metal Concentrations for Public Health by Paromita Nath from Rowan University (tentative)
Speaker 4: Data-Driven Approaches to Drive the Future of Public Health in New Jersey by Chris Kirk from The Trenton Health Team (tentative)
🕑: 02:45 PM - 04:10 PM
Breakout Session: Sustainable Public Health Programs & Funding Models
Info: Speaker 1: Sustainable Youth Health Outcomes Through Integrated Care: Lessons from a Pediatric Behavioral Health Home by Amy Faus from Bergen’s Promise (tentative)
Speaker 2: Using a Community-Engaged, Place-Based Approach to Sustain an Innovative Public Health Campus: Lessons for Funding and Program Longevity by Lola Al-uqdah from Public Health Management Corporation (tentative)
Speaker 3: Increasing Food Bank Equitability: An Innovative, Data-Driven Approach for Allocation of Resources by Eva Nelson from Community Food Bank of New Jersey (tentative)
Speaker 4: Camden AHEC Sustainable Health Programs from a CBO's Perspective by Amir Gatlin-Colon from Camden Area Health Education Center (tentative)
🕑: 04:10 PM - 04:15 PM
Break
🕑: 04:15 PM - 04:45 PM
2nd Keynote/Plenary
Host: Michelle Larkin, JD, MS, RN, VP of Program Management, R
🕑: 04:45 PM - 05:00 PM
Closing Remarks, Evaluation and CEUs
Host: Dr. Nicole A. Vaughn, NJPHA Vice President, Program Comm
🕑: 05:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Networking/Poster Session & Sponsors
Dinner & Awards Ceremony
🕑: 05:30 PM - 06:00 PM
Buffet Dinner
🕑: 06:00 PM - 06:15 PM
Welcome and Presentation of Joint Assembly Proclamation
Host: Dr. Lisa Harrison Gulla, NJPHA Past President, Awards Co
🕑: 06:15 PM - 06:30 PM
History of NJPHA
Host: Kevin McNally, MBA, Chairman, Executive Board of NJPHA
🕑: 06:30 PM - 08:00 PM
Presentation of Awards
Continuing Education
Info: 3.0 PH and CHES CEUs and 3.0 CPH Credits will be issued to participants
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The National Conference Center, 399 Monmouth Street, East Windsor, United States
USD 24.02 to USD 123.53
