The Bridge: Hofstra MPH Newsletter

Aging Café 2020 Vincenza Bartolillo Masters of Public Health Hofstra University   Every year, Hofstra University takes part in National Public Health week. For the first full week of April, universities and organizations across the country hold a variety of events in order to shed light on the important topics of our nations health. One of the events I had a pleasure to be a part of during NPHW was the Aging Café, created and held by students enrolled in the course dedicated to Population Aging within Hofstra’s Master of Public Health Program. The purpose of this event is to reframe the way people think and talk about aging so that it is more positive, accurate and inclusive. A better understanding of aging is important because the number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060. To put it in perspective, in just 40 years, the over 65 population will represent 25% of the US population (Source: Population Re

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hofstra University has continued to host a series of events and lectures virtually for National Public Health Week. On Wednesday, April 15 th , over 100 participants joined the virtual event, “The State of H.O.P.E. (Healthcare Opportunities and Policy Exchange) presents: Closing the Gap on Health Emergencies.” The discussion was facilitated by State Senator Kemp Hannon, who is the Health Policy fellow in the School of Health Professions and Human Services at Hofstra University. The event featured expert speakers in the public health and medical fields addressing the COVID-19 public health emergency and the pressing issues associated with the crisis.     Dr. Anthony Santella, an Associate Professor of Public Health at Hofstra University, spoke about the public health methods and strategies applied in the past pandemics such as the Flu of 1918 and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. The public health response has involved testing and contact tracing as