Public Health Live! wins 10th Telly Award

ALBANY, N.Y. (June 25, 2020) – The University at Albany School of Public Health has received a Bronze Telly Award for its Public Health Live! webcast, “Raising Community Voices to Reduce Maternal Mortality.” The Telly Awards, judged by leaders from video platforms, television and production companies, honors excellence in video and television.

Public Health Live! is a monthly webcast produced by the UAlbany Center for Public Health Continuing Education (CPHCE) that provides free continuing education credits on current public health issues. A winner in the Telly Awards’ social issues category, this special edition Public Health Live! was a collaboration between CPHCE, the UAlbany Maternal and Child Health program, and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Division of Family Health.

The webcast featured community members from across the state, representatives from community-based organizations, hospitals, and NYSDOH, and opening remarks from Dr. Howard Zucker, Commissioner of Health for New York State. It aimed to increase viewers’ awareness of racial disparities in maternal mortality in New York, and to share the voices of women of color across the state about their experiences with pregnancy and the health care system. In addition, the webcast identified promising approaches in both community and clinical settings that are working to reduce those disparities and respond to the concerns shared by women and their families.

Originally presented on March 28, 2019, the webcast was funded by the New York State legislature in conjunction with the NYSDOH.

The Directors of UAlbany’s Maternal and Child Health program, Rachel de Long and Christine Bozlak, note that partnerships between health departments, schools of higher education, educational centers, and community organizations create forward-thinking, people-focused initiatives.

“In public health—and specifically maternal and child health—we want to ensure that community voices are at the center of our work. The combined expertise and resources of the NYSDOH, CPHCE, and UAlbany’s Maternal and Child Health program allowed us to come together to spotlight this  through Public Health Live!” says de Long.

The webcast was also aligned with the larger body of work underway to address racial disparities in maternal mortality in New York, becoming one of the many resources and educational pieces available for educators, program directors and practitioners.

“Public Health Live! educates the public health and health care workforce through an engaging medium, and we are thrilled that ‘Raising Community Voices to Reduce Maternal Mortality’ won our Center its tenth Telly Award,” says Dawn Bleyenburg, Director of CPHCE.

The award-winning Public Health Live! webcast is available online at CPHCE’s website.