Northwest Center for Public Health Practice

Public Health Training, Research, and Evaluation for the Northwest

Hot Topics in Practice is a monthly webinar forum to discuss issues currently affecting public health practice.

Each month guest speakers from local, state, tribal, and national public health organizations present and take questions from the audience. Hot Topics is moderated by Allene Mares.

Next Session

Hot Topics Is Going On Summer Break

Our next Hot Topics session will be in October, 2021. To receive an announcement when we have our next session scheduled, join our mailing list.

We’ve covered many aspects of the COVID-19 response through Hot Topics in Practice over this past year. Check out the Hot Topics archives to see our past presentations.

Previous Sessions

Below you may browse previous Hot Topics webinar sessions. All are available for viewing in PH LearnLink free of charge.

Ethical Issues in Public Health Data Use

February 27, 2020

In this one-hour Hot Topics webinar, two attorneys explore the legal and ethical issues related to public health data use.

Close up view of green camera lens reflecting a crowd and computer code

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Rural America

January 28, 2020

In this one-hour Hot Topics webinar, two leaders from Idaho review why local public health agencies should be involved in mental and behavioral health issues and the role they can play in rural suicide prevention.

Image of people having a conversation

Clearing the Air on Youth Vaping

December 18, 2019

This one-hour Hot Topics webinar reviews vaping-related products, health impacts, and prevention efforts underway in Washington State.

Photo of the lower quarter of a man's face blowing out smoke, while he holds a vape pen.

Visually Communicating Public Health Data

November 21, 2019

This one-hour Hot Topics webinar discusses the latest strategies and tools for using data to tell compelling public health stories.

Photograph of a chart formed from a rainbow of colored pencils.

Economic Development for Rural Health

October 29, 2019

This one-hour Hot Topics webinar discusses a unique community coalition in Klamath County, Oregon, that is connecting economic improvements to health.

Oregon high desert skyline

Strengthening Tribal Public Health Partnerships

September 23, 2019

This one-hour Hot Topics webinar reviews how non-tribal public health agencies can better collaborate with tribal entities to support community health.

Photograph of tribal members at the annual canoe journey.

Messaging Strategies in the Era of Misinformation

August 27, 2019

This one-hour Hot Topics webinar reviews messaging strategies for hot-button issues like vaccines, climate change, and fluoridation.

Photograph of a girl holding a glass of water.

Comics for Health Promotion

July 23, 2019

This one-hour webinar explores how comics can be used for creative public health messaging.

Clark County’s 2019 Measles Outbreak: Vaccination Science, Controversy, and Public Trust

June 25, 2019

This one-hour Hot Topics webinar describes how Clark County Public Health in Washington State responded to an outbreak in a community with large populations of unvaccinated children.

Photograph of a sign reading Measles Alert: STOP.

Finding Strength in Small Numbers: Epidemiology in Urban Indian Communities

May 21, 2019

This one-hour Hot Topics webinar reviews strategies for working with small data sets to better understand health issues, with examples from urban Indian communities.

Photograph of an AI/AN woman and young child.

Changing the Narrative About Homelessness

April 30, 2019

This one-hour webinar reviews how to address homelessness with new messages and interventions.

Transitioning to Population Health Services

March 26, 2019

This one-hour Hot Topics webinar reviews how a large health department reduced their clinical services to focus more on primary prevention.

Photograph of a stethoscope and apple resting on a photo of a crowd of people.

A Public Health Approach to the Opioid Crisis

February 26, 2019

This one-hour webinar reviews how public health professionals can take a lead in preventing opioid misuse.

Photograph of pills on a sheet of paper which is marked in a diagram.

Systems Thinking in Public Health

January 29, 2019

In this one-hour webinar, Mary Kay Chess explores how systems thinking can be used to understand and resolve difficult public health problems.

Photograph of several post-it notes laid out on a larger diagram.

Cleaner Air For Oregon

December 20, 2018

In this one-hour webinar, David Farrer, MS, PhD, reviews how his Oregon colleagues addressed community concerns after high levels of arsenic and cadmium were detected in a Portland neighborhood.