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

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.

Previous Sessions

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

Borders and Barriers: How Population Health Nurses Are Moving Upstream to Address Refugee Health in Oregon

July 25, 2017

In this one-hour webinar, Kristen Beiers-Jones, MN, reviews how population health nurses in Oregon are moving upstream to improve refugee health.

Breastfeeding is Food Sovereignty

June 29, 2017

In this one-hour webinar, lactation consultant Camie Goldhammer reviews how communities of color are reclaiming breastfeeding as an indigenous food source.

Drug Use and Dignity: Exploring the Potential for Supervised Consumption Sites in King County, Washington

May 23, 2017

In this one-hour Hot Topics webinar, members of the Seattle and King County Heroin and Prescription Opiate Addiction Task Force discuss implementing “supervised consumption sites” where people can safely use in the presence of a trained health professional.

Photograph of a supervised injection facility stocked with necessary equipment.

Climate Action in Oregon: New Resilience Plan for the Public Health System

April 18, 2017

In this one-hour webinar, Emily York, MPH, Oregon Health Authority, presents the state’s new climate resilience plan.

Behind the Wall: Public Health Outreach for Alaska’s Dads Who Are Incarcerated

March 27, 2017

In this one-hour webinar, Public Health Nurse Deborah Giedosh, EdD, shares how her team developed and delivered public health curriculum to support incarcerated dads in Alaska.

Expanding Access to Long-Acting Reversible Contraception in Washington’s North Sound

February 21, 2017

In this one-hour Hot Topics webinar, representatives from the North Sound Accountable Community of Health discuss unintended pregnancies and expanding contraception access in their area.

Photograph of a woman consulting with a health care provider.

Public Health is Essential! Stories and Action for Rebuilding Washington’s Core Services

January 24, 2017

In this one-hour Hot Topics webinar, government affairs specialists discuss a statewide plan to build public support for funding essential public health services in Washington.

Understanding and Preventing Childhood Deaths and Injuries

December 13, 2016

In this one-hour Hot Topics webinar, representatives from Public Health - Seattle & King County describe their work investigating and preventing childhood deaths through a multi-sector review team.

Photograph of a baby laying in a "baby box."

Take the Data and Run: Applying New Training Survey Results in Your Organization

November 28, 2016

In this one-hour webinar, speakers share the results of NWCPHP's 2016 regional public health training needs assessment and discuss what one health department in Washington State is doing with the data.

The Journey to a Quality Management Culture

November 21, 2016

In this one-hour Hot Topics webinar, public health leaders from Washington State discuss how to institutionalize a quality management culture in big and small organizations.

Photograph of several people ascending a mountain trail.

Sharing the Sandbox: New Evidence about Cross-jurisdictional Sharing for Local Public Health Services

October 18, 2016

In this one-hour Hot Topics webinar, speakers present new evidence and examples about cross-jurisdictional resource sharing among local public health jurisdictions.

Photograph of two plastic buckets with plastic shovels side by side on a sandy beach.

Power to the People: Windstorm Impact and Response in Northern Idaho

September 27, 2016

In this one-hour Hot Topics webinar, representatives from the Coeur d’Alene tribe and Idaho’s Panhandle Health District discuss how they responded to a significant windstorm.

Photograph of a residential street strewn with downed trees and branches.

Something to Smile About: Expanding Oral Health Services in Northwest Tribal Communities

August 23, 2016

In this one-hour Hot Topics webinar, Christina Peters, Native Dental Therapy Initiative Project Director at Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, speaks about the use of dental aides to expand oral health services in tribal communities.

Photograph of a dental health aid therapist examining a patient.

From Access to Taxes: Strategies for Reducing Sugar Consumption in the U.S.

June 21, 2016

In this one-hour Hot Topics webinar, Jim Krieger, MD, MPH, discusses policy and communications strategies for lowering sugar consumption.

Photograph of a spoon pouring sugar onto a pile.

Zika Preparedness: Lessons for the US Public Health System

May 17, 2016

In this one-hour Hot Topics webinar, leaders from Washington State discuss what Zika preparedness means for the region's public health and emergency management systems.

Photograph of a mosquito biting a person's skin.