Local University Starts Master's Program in Public Health

by KYW’s Sonia Rincon

With health scares like SARS and bird flu, ever wonder if there are qualified people in the public sector prepared to handle an outbreak or epidemic? There is a new program aimed at training people who could save thousands of lives in the future.

Philadelphia's University of the Sciences is starting a Master's of Public Health program. Its director Doctor Richard Stefanacci says it's not just terrorism and global spread of disease that health officials today and tomorrow need to worry about. There are health issues that affect large parts of the population, like obesity and aging:

"We're going to see the doubling in the number of seniors especially in Pennsylvania, where there's a high concentration. So the amount of resources that needs to go to manage that population will become a greater concern."

He says students will work side by side with leaders in the industry, and they'll graduate ready to go into local, state and federal government, where hopefully they will help shape future public health policy.

October 1, 2006