ESRI Announced as Platinum Sponsor of URISA’s GIS in Public Health Conference

Thursday March 29th 2007
Filed Under ESRI, URISA 



March 29, 2007 (Park Ridge, IL) - URISA is pleased to welcome ESRI as the Platinum Sponsor of its inaugural GIS in Public Health Conference, taking place May 20-23, 2007 in New Orleans. The conference begins with three full-day preconference workshops, followed by an exceptional program developed through a Call for Presentations.

“URISA was extremely pleased with the response to the Call for Presentations”, noted Wendy Nelson, URISA Executive Director. “The quality of submissions went beyond our highest expectations and we’re looking forward to this becoming a regular event on URISA’s conference schedule. We greatly appreciate ESRI’s support of this educational program.”

Thirty-two educational sessions will be presented within these program tracks:

  • Hazard Preparedness, Emergency Response, and Disease Surveillance
  • Environmental Health
  • Infectious & Food-Borne Disease Outbreaks
  • Urban Health
  • Social Factors in Health
  • Chronic Disease
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Public Policy and Health Advocacy

  • Models, Methods and Spatial Data Infrastructure

The keynote address will be delivered by - Charles Croner, PhD, NCHS/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on “GIS in Public Health: Exciting Developments and Horizons“. Geospatial technology and science are responsible for continued advancement of public health well-being. The geospatial toolkit is empowering and now provides a responsive and integrated role for effective public health improvement from local to global settings. Through geospatial enablement, public health challenges can be better understood, prepared for and responded to, more than anytime in our history. These are new and exciting times for GIS and public health.

The closing plenary session,  “Rebuilding a Healthy New Orleans -  How can information systems help?” will be a panel discussion on the role of information systems in rebuilding a healthy New Orleans. Speakers include Susan Bergson, Program Manager of Urban Health Initiatives for the Louisiana Public Health Institute, Craig Colten from Louisiana State University and author of ‘Unnatural Metropolis’, an environmental historical geography of the city of New Orleans, and Lynn Dupont from the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission.  Each of these speakers will discuss the future public health of New Orleans and the role of information systems in creating a healthy city.  The session will be chaired by Dr Russell Kirby.

For complete program information, including speakers and specific presentation topics, visit the conference website: http://www.urisa.org/conferences/health
For information about exhibiting, visit http://www.urisa.org/health/exhibits

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The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) is a non-profit professional and educational association that promotes the effective and ethical use of spatial information and information technologies for the understanding and management of urban and regional systems. It is a multidisciplinary association where professionals from all parts of the spatial data community can come together and share concerns and ideas.

Since 1963, URISA has been the professional home of choice for Public Sector GIS and IT Executives throughout the United States, Canada and other countries worldwide.

Contact:
Wendy Nelson
Executive Director
URISA
wnelson@urisa.org
www.urisa.org
847-824-6300

Mark Your Calendar -
Geospatial Integration for Public Safety Conference - April 15-18, 2007, New Orleans
GIS in Public Health Conference - May 20-23, 2007, New Orleans
URISA’s 45th Annual Conference - August 20-23, 2007, Washington, DC