2014 Iowa Governor’s Conference
on Public Health
Call for Abstracts Procedures
You are invited to be part of this premier Iowa public health conference. The conference theme for 2104
is Making Connections: Partnerships for Better Health Outcomes. The conference partners encourage
you to submit a proposal for a concurrent session or a poster session at the 2014 Iowa Governor’s
Conference on Public Health, April 1 & 2, 2014.
Conference partners include:
 Child Health Specialty Clinics
 Iowa Counties Public Health Association
 Iowa Department of Public Health
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Iowa Environmental Health Association
Iowa Public Health Association
State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa College of Public Health
This general call for abstracts will be open to the public. Conference partnering organizations will also
specifically encourage or solicit abstracts for submission. Approximately 50% of the concurrent sessions
will be selected using this open call for abstract process.
Deadlines:
Call for abstracts announced
August 1, 2013
October 1, 2013
Final date to submit abstracts
Abstracts reviewed by conference planning committee
October 1 – October 31, 2013
Abstracts selected and notified of acceptance
November 8, 2013
Conference registration brochure distributed
January 11, 2014
Conference dates
April 1 & 2, 2014
Who Should Submit Abstracts?
 Local and state governmental public health agency staff
 Community public health, health education or promotion agencies (or programs/projects)
 Faculty, staff and students from academic institutions
 Specific professionals including, but not limited to: health educators, behavioral health researchers,
health & patient educators, health communication specialists, community health specialists,
psychologists, sociologists, epidemiologists, health administrators, health/social policy experts, clinical
professionals, health program managers/administrators and others
Abstract proposals are solicited for sessions that are interactive (e.g. facilitated dialogue, exploration of
new ideas, group exercises) as well as scientific presentations that promote audience discussion (e.g.
best practices, research, case study, lessons learned, and focus on process or results). An abstract
submission provides an opportunity for those engaged at all levels and settings of public health,
environmental health, health education, community health, human rights, and philanthropy to reach
professionals in the public health professional community. Innovative programs are invited that reach
beyond traditional health circles to collaborate with other disciplines working on conditions influencing
health including food, education, poverty, immigration status, housing, criminal justice, and freedom from
all forms of discrimination.
Authors are encouraged to submit abstracts on current and emerging public health issues. Submission of
an abstract implies a commitment to make the presentation at the 2014 Iowa Governor’s Conference on
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Public Health if selected to do so. Although a broad range of topics and presentations are encouraged,
the following topic areas were identified by 2013 conference attendees as being of particular interest at
this time:
1. National Health – Affordable Care Act/Accountable Care Organizations
2. Environmental Health issues including bed bugs, global warming/climate change, recycling,
environmental factors in health, nuisance issues
3. Maternal/Child Health issues including mental health, childhood obesity, adverse childhood
experiences, adolescent health
4. Management issues including strategic planning, addreditation, budgeting, leadership, policy
5. Disaster preparedness
6. Worksite wellness/personal wellness
We recognize that public health covers a wide range of topics (not all are listed above) and
encourage all emerging and relevant issues to be submitted.
Target Audience:
The purpose of the presentation should meet the needs of a target audience. The Iowa Governor’s
Conference on Public Health as a whole targets public health professionals. If there is a specific audience
of public health professionals that would be especially interested by the practice application,
program/project or research to be presented, indicate who that population is. NOTE: Consider the target
audience as a highlighted segment of the general public health professional population, not a limitation on
it. For example, environmental health specialists working with septic systems, CHES working with
teenage mothers, physicians involved in HIV/AIDS policymaking, social workers counseling families of
cancer patients.
Notification and Communication:
You will be notified by email when your complete abstract proposal (including attachments) has been
received, regardless of submission method. Please designate one presenter as the Session Chair; this
individual will serve as the single point of contact and will be responsible for sharing information with the
other presenters. Applicants will be informed by email whether their abstract proposal was accepted or
declined, so a current email address MUST be provided.
Presenter Registration, Expenses and Presentation Materials:
Presenters (concurrent session or poster) are not eligible for reimbursement or honoraria from general
conference funds. If selected, presenters MUST register for the Iowa Governor’s Conference on Public
Health through the special presenter registration process. The conference registration fee will be waived
for the day of the scheduled presentation only for up to three concurrent session presenters and up to
two presenters per poster session. Presenters who wish to attend the full two-day conference will be
required to pay the one-day registration fee. Audiovisual equipment for oral presentations must be
requested in advance and will be provided, if available, at no expense to presenters. Presenter handouts
& materials are available to conference attendees online prior to the conference. Successful abstracts
will be required to submit presentation materials no later than Tuesday, March 18, 2014 to be
posted on the IPHA website so that attendees may access the information prior to the conference.
Conflict of Interest:
A conflict of interest includes, but is not limited to, any significant financial interest in a company, product,
or procedure that is mentioned in an abstract or presentation to be given at the meeting. If the presenter
feels that such a conflict exists, the box provided on the Abstract Submission Form should be checked
and expounded upon, so that the conflict of interest may be noted in the conference program. A conflict
of interest does not automatically exclude a proposal from being accepted. The committee will weigh it
against other merits of the proposal and the nature of the conflict of interest.
Session Formats:
A variety of instructional formats are used for presentation at the Iowa Governor’s Conference on Public
Health.
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Oral Presentation
Accepted proposals will be presented at 50-60-minute sessions. Presenters are encouraged to allot time
for questions and comments from the audience.
Single-presenter session: A single presenter may be paired with other presenters who have similar
abstract topics. A moderator would be assigned to facilitate dialogue and assist with the organization of
the presentations.
Multiple-presenter session: Organizers should solicit proposals and submit them together along with the
name of the session chairperson who will serve as the point of contact. It is requested that sessions be
presented by no more than three presenters in order to allow adequate time for each presentation.
Extended Presentation/Workshop
Accepted proposals will be presented at 90-minute sessions. This should include presentation time
followed by hands-on application or workshop time with attendees. These sessions must be presented
on Tuesday, April 1.
Poster Presentation
Poster presentations are a visual presentation of research and/or new and innovative projects combined
with informal discussion between the presenters and the audience. Authors illustrate their findings by
displaying graphs, photographs, diagrams and limited text on poster boards. Authors hold discussions
with registrants who circulate among the poster boards. Poster boards will be provided and measure eight
feet wide by four feet high, and each session lasts one full day. Presenters may choose to participate in
one or both days of the conference. Poster presenters identified on the application and in all subsequent
conference promotional materials should be limited to the actual presenters and should not include
authors or sponsoring faculty unless they plan to represent the poster at the conference. Presenters are
not expected to remain by their board for the duration of the day, however some key or peak times will be
recommended to you when traffic is anticipated to be the greatest. No audiovisual equipment is permitted
for this format (other than the poster board). Conference partners reserve the right to request that poster
submissions be merged if they are received from the same agency/organization.
The Conference Planning Committee reserves the right to request a format other than what is
specified in the application. This request can be accepted or denied by the applicant.
Abstract Evaluation/Criteria for Judging All Program Abstract Submissions:
1. All components of the abstract are included?
2. Sound conceptual framework: Does the abstract indicate the development and implementation of
a theory-based intervention or research project? Does the abstract relate to the “real world”? Is
the abstract an example of a best practice?
3. Methodology: Are objectives clearly stated? Are findings included and do they correspond to the
objectives?
4. Usefulness and Practical Application: Can the project program, plan, or research be applied in
concrete ways in a real-world public health setting? Is it useful to practicing public health workers,
educators, researchers, students, and/or academicians? Is the abstract proposal relevant and
timely in terms of public health practice/issues?
5. Innovation: Does the abstract represent a program, a project, or research that is unique, new,
different, or creative?
6. Clarity of content: Does the abstract clearly outline what the presentation is about, such as project
type, target audience, setting? Does the abstract have substance?
7. Format: Does abstract reference objectives, methods or interventions, results or major findings,
implications? Are there specificity, practicality and clarity of educational objectives?
8. Bias: Is there absence of bias related to a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation
with an organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in a session?
Guidelines for Submitting an Abstract:
Proposals must be submitted online. Required attachments must be e-mailed to the conference
coordinator. See the attached Abstract Submission Guide.
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Abstracts must be limited to 250 words or less. Please develop your abstract off-line before accessing
the online submission form. Use the spell checking and word count features of your word processor to
check the text of the abstract before submitting it. Learning objectives must be described. Below please
find guidelines for writing learning objectives:
Guidelines for Writing Learning Objectives:
The following guidelines are provided to assist in the development of appropriate learning objectives for a
proposed educational experience.
Step 1: Describe the information, skills, behaviors, or perspectives participants in the session will acquire
through attendance and participation.
Step 2: Clearly identify the outcomes or actions participants can expect to demonstrate as a result of the
educational experiences. See the action words below.
Step 3: Write the learning objectives that relate to these outcomes and that reflect the content of the
session. Objectives describe the behavior of the learner, and are stated clearly, define or describe an
action, and are measurable in terms of time, space, amount, and/or frequency.
Measurable Action Words (examples)
Recognize
Prioritize
Analyze
Create
Discuss
Construct
Articulate
Describe
Apply
Assess
Evaluate
Identify
Develop
Define
List
Example:
At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to:
1. List five indicators that link a healthy community to healthy economy.
2. Articulate the procedure for assessing the health status of a patient with Alzheimer's disease.
3. Develop a care plan for a family of six supported by an annual income of $32,000, and caring for a
child who has cystic fibrosis.
The deadline for submitting an abstract is: October 1, 2013
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Abstract Submission Guide
2014 Iowa Governor’s Conference on Public Health
April 1 & 2, 2014 - Scheman Center, Ames, IA
The abstract proposal application process for concurrent oral, extended presentation/workshop
and poster sessions requires completion of the following steps by October 1, 2013:
1. Submit online application (reference items below) at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BJ5MZ9R
2. E-mail required attachments (MS Word or pdf file format) to conference coordinator, Sara
Patkin, at mspatkin@yahoo.com.
You will receive an e-mail from Sara Patkin confirming receipt of your complete application.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOT COMPLETE UNTIL PRESENTER RESUMES AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES ARE
RECEIVED.
To help you prepare for your online submission, please reference the items below.
1. Presentation title:
2. Presentation description (250 words maximum):
3. Measurable objectives of the presentation (minimum of three). See description above for
guidelines:
4. Indicate the setting(s) in which the information will be used (check all that apply):
Community
Health care
Local public health agency
State Government
Worksite
School (K-12)
University/campus
Other (specify)
5. Rank order your preferred methods of presentation and the number of presenters:
Concurrent oral
Number of presenters:
Extended presentation/workshop
Number of presenters:
Poster
Number of presenters:
NOTE: If requesting an Extended Presentation/Workshop, please state the need for longer time
period and the planned use of the 90-minute session.
6. Target audience (describe who might be interested in participating in your concurrent session):
7. Provide contact information for all presenters for this session. For multiple presenters, please
list the session chairperson first; this individual will serve as the point of contact. Concurrent
sessions are limited to a maximum number of three presenters, poster sessions are limited to a
maximum of two presenters.
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First and last name
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Street address
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Credentials
Professional title
Workplace or school
City, state, zip code
Phone, e-mail
Professional Memberships
Related web page (optional)
8. Disclosure statement: Is there any organization or institution whose products or services will be
discussed and for which there is a real or potential conflict of interest?
Yes
No
If yes, please describe.
9. Preferred day and time for presentation. Extended Presentation/Workshops will be presented
on April 1.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014 AFTERNOON
Wednesday, April 2, 2014 MORNING
Wednesday, April 2, 2014 AFTERNOON
No preference
9. Presentation Materials: All presenters (oral & extended presentations only) understand that they are
required to submit presentation & materials intended to be distributed to attendees no later than
Tuesday, March 18, 2014.
Yes
No
11. Please indicate if a conference planning committee member asked you to submit this abstract
proposal:
Yes
No
If yes, who?
Required Attachments
E-mail to mspatkin@yahoo.com upon complete submission of online abstract.
 Bibliography related to the presentation (a list of sources used during or in preparation for the
presentation)
 Biosketch, resume or curriculum vitae for each presenter
Thank you for submitting a proposal.
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