RWGNYC's Blog
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Guttmacher Institute
Jennifer Nadeau was the guest speaker for the COMHE 400.40 class today and she represented the media department of the Guttmacher Institute. The institution, founded in 1967 to provide medical and reserch evidence about health disparities, now publisches scholarly reproductive advocacy on a global base. The organisation is comprised of four different interrelated divisions and Jennifer Nadeau focused mainly on the reserch and editorial sections. The Website has grown from its original splash front page over a collectin of PDFs to its state these days; an outreach tool which provides different access portals for its visitors. The approach reminded me a bit of the layout of the Hunter College webpage.
Further, we were introduced to the personal one on one or small group approach the organization utilizes to reach out to policy makers. The concept of outreach in the media was described and we were introduced to the HPV vaccine. In detail we heard about the integration of birth control medications and screenings into employer based health insurance, the comprehensive configuration options of a comparative table maker tool and the new IntelliContact software the organization uses. In addition the conceps of audiobriefing in form of conference calls, the electronic advisory network and skype, a computer to computer telephony platform were discussed. Overall the presentation showed us a collection of different tools which can be utilized to relay health information on a professional even semi professional level.
But while digging a bit deeper I found a few things I would have never expected. After over 20 years of doing outreach work in HIV/AIDS, I get stomach cramps if I see a professional organization talk about "the AIDS virus" on their website. There is no AIDS virus, its name is HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus. For me this is an indication of being either outdated or ignorant to aspects of health education. Further, the statements throughout the presentation painted an ethnocentric image of the U.S. with the whole world lagging behind its internet technology. While I was living in Morocco, the country introduced access to the internet on a broad and very reliable base via Itissalat Al Maghrib (IAM). Eastern Germany has a fiberglass networks that rivals any in the world and I have yet to find a city in the United States that like Birmingham, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and Oxford, along with the London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Camden and Islington is providing citywide wifi coverage. Actually Philly is starting to think about a project like this right now.
I know that every organization has its little flaws, but the presentation today left the aftertaste of a marketing session in my mouth. (I might be spoiled by previous presenters.)
Further, we were introduced to the personal one on one or small group approach the organization utilizes to reach out to policy makers. The concept of outreach in the media was described and we were introduced to the HPV vaccine. In detail we heard about the integration of birth control medications and screenings into employer based health insurance, the comprehensive configuration options of a comparative table maker tool and the new IntelliContact software the organization uses. In addition the conceps of audiobriefing in form of conference calls, the electronic advisory network and skype, a computer to computer telephony platform were discussed. Overall the presentation showed us a collection of different tools which can be utilized to relay health information on a professional even semi professional level.
But while digging a bit deeper I found a few things I would have never expected. After over 20 years of doing outreach work in HIV/AIDS, I get stomach cramps if I see a professional organization talk about "the AIDS virus" on their website. There is no AIDS virus, its name is HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus. For me this is an indication of being either outdated or ignorant to aspects of health education. Further, the statements throughout the presentation painted an ethnocentric image of the U.S. with the whole world lagging behind its internet technology. While I was living in Morocco, the country introduced access to the internet on a broad and very reliable base via Itissalat Al Maghrib (IAM). Eastern Germany has a fiberglass networks that rivals any in the world and I have yet to find a city in the United States that like Birmingham, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and Oxford, along with the London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Camden and Islington is providing citywide wifi coverage. Actually Philly is starting to think about a project like this right now.
I know that every organization has its little flaws, but the presentation today left the aftertaste of a marketing session in my mouth. (I might be spoiled by previous presenters.)
:: posted by R. W. Graf, 12:45 PM
4 Comments:
you are quite welcome Lina
In response to your correction, "there is no AIDS virus"
Do you read William Safire's column On Language?
I'm a big fan. All manner of semantics (and improper usage) is discussed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/magazine/09wwln_safire.html
Do you read William Safire's column On Language?
I'm a big fan. All manner of semantics (and improper usage) is discussed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/magazine/09wwln_safire.html
Diana, I think I get into too many discussions as it is. Unfortunately there are still individuals out in the health care industry who use "popular" Terminology.
Alisa, perhaps I should, but my schedule at present makes it necessary to even tape the BBC news.
