The call for abstracts is closed

The theme of this year’s Public Health in the Rockies (PHiR) conference is Public Health: Community, Connection & Action. At the 2022 PHiR, we Forged Forward Together with renewed hope and commitment. This year CPHA comes together with our Wyoming colleagues. We bring that hope and commitment into action by focusing on our communities, our connections to those communities and to each other. We come together as we act to improve our communities. In the face of public health threats that can seem daunting, there is strength in our connections and hope for a healthier future in our actions.

PHiR is one of the ways the Colorado Public Health Association continues to promote science, highlight the breadth of public health work, support our workforce working toward a more equitable future, and share more about our journey to become an Anti-Racist Organization. Ending racism is essential to creating that future, and is a consistent and enduring focus in the public health work we do. 

Public Health in the Rockies will take place at Keystone Conference Center September 21 – 23, 2023. 

The purpose of the Public Health in the Rockies Conference is to provide an opportunity for education, networking and skill development of professionals in Colorado, and neighboring regions.  PHiR is designed to build a more competent public health workforce. Your submission should reflect CPHA’s formal commitment to health equity. 

CPHA defines health equity to be the active assurance that everyone is afforded the opportunities essential to attaining their highest level of health.

In our ongoing effort to recognize the impact of bias on our work and participation, we will not use any photos submitted with an application in consideration of abstracts. We ask that photos and bios are uploaded with the abstract to avoid having to try to get them from everyone before the conference.

The call for abstracts is closed

Session Information:

The PHiR Planning Committee invites abstract submissions from a person or organization wishing to present a:

• Program/Research “Showcase” Session (30 minutes)
• Program/Research “Showcase” Session (1 hour)
• Skill building Session (2 hours)
• Poster Session

All Submissions Should Include:

1. The substance areas and populations that your poster/presentation focuses on:

Substance Areas

• Behavioral Health- Mental Health & Substance Use
• Chronic Disease
• Climate Change and Health
• Community Engagement & Partnerships
• Community Health
• Emergency Preparedness & Response
• Environmental Health
• Food and Nutrition
• Homelessness & Housing
• Infectious Disease
• Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health
• Physical Activity
• Public Health Education & Health Promotion
• Public Health Nursing
• Public Health Policy/Law
• Public Health Workforce
• School Health and Wellness
• Sexual and Reproductive Health
• Tobacco Prevention and Control
• Violence & Injury Prevention
• Workforce Development & Resiliency
• Other

Population Areas:

• Aging
• Disability
• LGBTQ+
• Intersectional (select if 2 or more populations represented)
• Military & Veteran
• Racial & Ethnic Minorities
• Refugee & Immigrant
• Women
• Other

2. How the presentation/poster relates to the theme of the conference – Public Health: Community, Connection, and Action. Focus your poster/presentation on what you have accomplished and how you will move forward. Describe your next steps and plans for future work.

Submission Options:

• Program/Research Showcase Session (30 minutes): These short (30 minutes) Program/Research Showcase Sessions are intended to provide attendees with a quick synopsis of a public health program or relevant research. Presenters should plan on a presentation of no more than 20 minutes to allow time for audience questions and answers.  

• Program/Research Showcase Session (1 hour): 1 hour Program/Research Showcase Sessions are intended to provide attendees with in-depth presentation and discussion opportunities, featuring a successful practice, program, or research on key issues. This session differs from a 30 minutes Program/Research Showcase Session in that presenters are expected to engage participants in interactive learning activities and discussions. Presenters should plan to leave a total of at least 15 minutes for interactive discussion between the audience and panel members. 

• Skill-building Session (2 hours): Skill-building or workshop sessions are intended to teach a specific skill needed by public health professionals and include one or more exercises that let attendees practice using this skill. Attendees should begin to develop a skill that is important for public health. This session differs from a Program/Research Showcase Session in that attendees will have a hands-on opportunity to practice the skill versus a lecture-based session. Abstracts should clearly describe how presenters plan to provide and engage participants in the hands-on learning opportunity.

• Poster Session: Poster Sessions are intended to provide a graphic presentation of program or research findings by displaying graphs, photos, diagrams and descriptive text. The authors will then hold discussions with the registrants who are circulating among the poster boards during the designated poster session time frame. The presenter should remain by their poster board for the duration of the one hour session to answer questions.

Please Note: Acceptance to present requires all presenters to register and pay to attend the conference.

Submission Instructions:

Complete and submit the online form; one submission per presentation. You will be able to stop and complete your abstract submission at a later time. Please assure the abstract is submitted completely, indicated by a completion message and abstract submission summary email immediately following the submission. The lead presenter will receive a confirmation of receipt. Once submitted, revisions to abstracts cannot be accepted. Late submissions will not be accepted. Communications will be directed to the lead presenter only.  Call for abstracts closes on May 31st at 5:00 pm. You will receive notice of your acceptance/rejection status by early July.

Your abstract submission must clearly state:

• Presentation Title
• Presenters (up to 6, one lead and 5 co-presenters) and Contact Information (Name, job title or role (e.g., student), organization, address, phone number, email address, and headshot)  *All communication regarding presentations will be sent to the lead presenter only.
• Lead Presenter’s and Additional Presenters’ Biographies and Credentials (word limit 500)
• Are you a part of any CPHA Committees? (select all that apply)
  • Professional Education (COSPHE, Culture of Data and/or Public Health in the Rockies conference planning committees)
  • Public Health Policy
  • Membership
  • Emerging Leaders
  • Communications
  • Health Equity
• Preferred Session Format (30 or 60 minute Program/Research Showcase, Skill-Building, Poster)
• Learning Objectives of Session (up to 3). Describe, in measurable terms using a behavioral verb (such as describe, discuss, explain) what attendees will be able to do following participation in the session. The learning objectives should provide a clear focus for your session. Words to avoid: understand, know, learn. Refer to the SOPHE guidance document to craft strong learning objectives.
• Abstract Text:
  • Program/Research Showcase Sessions: In 300 words or less, clearly describe why your submission is relevant to public health professionals and to the theme of the conference? Include the following information:
    • Background / Purpose: Present main research questions, hypothesis, needs.
    • Methods: Include descriptions of participants, procedures, instrumentation, data analysis, or the equivalent.
    • Results: Include the results of any research related to the presentation.
    • Implications: Clearly present the “take home messages” you want participants to leave with.
    • If requesting a 1 hour session, explain why you request an additional 30 minutes for your session AND how you plan to facilitate attendee interaction and discussion.  
  • Skill-Building Sessions: In 500 words or less, clearly describe the purpose or need for the skill-building session, content that will be covered, how the session would support best practices and skill-development related to public health, and why the session would be relevant to public health professionals and the theme of the conference. You will be required to answer follow-up questions to describe the instructional methodologies that will be utilized to support skill development during the session (e.g., small group discussion, role play, etc.) and how to measure the skills developed. 
  • Poster Sessions: In 300 words or less, clearly describe why your submission is relevant to public health professionals and the theme of the conference––as you consider what you have accomplished, how will you move forward. What are your hopes for this work in the future?  Include the following information in your poster submission:
    • Background / Purpose: Present main research questions, hypothesis, needs.
    • Methods: Include descriptions of participants, procedures, instrumentation, data analysis, or the equivalent.
    • Results: Results presented in the poster can be preliminary, incomplete (in process of data collection), and can include anticipated or speculated results.
    • Implications: Clearly present the “take home messages” from your investigation as it relates to public health.
• Brief Description of Session for Conference program (3-5 sentences)
• Level of Session Content/Skill Level
  • Introductory
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced
• How the presentation relates to Colorado’s Core Public Health Services and Foundational Capabilities: Must select at least one.
  • Foundational Capabilities:
    • Assessment and Planning
    • Communications
    • Policy Development and Support
    • Partnerships
    • Emergency Preparedness and Response
    • Organizational Competencies
    • Health Equity and the Social Determinants of Health
  • Foundational Services:
    • Communicable Disease Prevention, Investigation and Control
    • Environmental Public Health
    • Maternal, Child, Adolescent and Family Health
    • Chronic Disease, Injury Prevention, and Behavioral Health Promotion
    • Access to and Linkage with Health Care
• Audio/Visual Needs
• Special accommodations for presenter(s)/presentation

The call for abstracts is closed

Abstract Reviewers:

Abstract reviews and selection of sessions will be completed by a diverse conference planning committee and recruited reviewers. Based on the abstracts submitted, the planning committee will ensure that the program is representative of the variety of topics and geographic areas represented in public health.

Are you interested in being a reviewer?

The Public Health in the Rockies (PHiR) Planning Committee is looking for reviewers for the 2023 PHiR Conference. The theme of the conference this year is Public Health: Community, Connection and Action.

Reviewers have the opportunity to get a firsthand look at the abstracts submitted during the Call for Abstracts and to help develop the content presented during the conference.

Instructions to become a reviewer:
1. Access the application here. You will be required to select up to four topic areas/populations that you would like to review.
2. You will also be required to complete a conflict of interest form. This is a requirement by the Continuing Education Credentialing Bodies and we must be in compliance with this requirement.
3. We will review your information and assign you up to 10 abstracts to review. You will receive an email in early June with instructions.
4. You will then be required to read your assigned abstracts and rate them according to the criteria provided. The review due date will be June 13th. Please do not sign up if you can’t meet this timeline.