The executive director of the American Public Health Association, Georges C. Benjamin, M.D., will be the guest speaker at the 22nd Annual Homer G. Philips Public Health Lecture, 6 p.m. on Friday, October 27 at the Eric P. Newman Education Center at Washington University School of Medicine, 320 S. Euclid Ave. in St. Louis .
“Noting how our community continues to be ravaged by gun violence, we decided to focus this year’s Homer G. Phillips lecture on the effects of traumatic stress on our youth,” Will Ross, M.D., associate dean for Diversity and professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, said. “Dr. Benjamin is an outspoken supporter of initiatives to reduce gun violence.”
Dr. Benjamin previously served as Maryland’s secretary of health, where he oversaw the expansion and improvement of the state’s Medicaid program, and as acting commissioner of Public Health for Washington, D.C. Dr. Benjamin has led the American Public Health Association (APHA) since 2002.
Additionally, at the Homer G. event, the organization Alive and Well St. Louis will receive honors for its work focusing on stress and trauma-informed care.
“We are honoring Alive and Well STL, which conducts community-wide programs and training to reduce the impact of toxic stress,” Dr. Ross said.
Dr. Benjamin speaks on social justice issues, improving diversity among the country’s public health and healthcare workforce, climate control and gun violence.
“This terrible tragedy is another reminder that we still need to address the role of gun violence in our country,” he stated, following the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas. “Individuals everywhere deserve laws that protect them from random acts of violence like this one. Comprehensive gun safety laws are a key component of violence prevention and a public health priority, and we stand ready to work with lawmakers to treat this issue with the urgency it deserves.”
In April 2016, President Barak Obama appointed Dr. Benjamin to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, which advises the president on how best to assure the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure.
Dr. Benjamin is board-certified in internal medicine. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the National Academy of Public Administration, a fellow emeritus of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and serves on the boards for many organizations.
Dr. Benjamin is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois College of Medicine.
The Homer G. Philips Public Health Lecture event on Friday, October 27 includes cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the lecture at 7:30 p.m.
Free parking is available in the North Garage located across the street from the Center for Advanced Medicine (CAM) Building or the Metro garage by bringing the parking ticket to the lobby.
The Washington University School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity Programs sponsors the annual event.
The event is open to the public. RSVP by calling 314-362-6854 or by emailing ginabiondo@wustl.edu.
The 2017 Homer G. Philips Public Health Lecture event on Friday, October 27 includes cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the lecture at 7:30 p.m. Free parking is available in the North Garage located across the street from the Center for Advanced Medicine (CAM) Building or the Metro garage by bringing the parking ticket to the lobby. The event is open to the public. RSVP by calling 314-362-6854 or by emailing ginabiondo@wustl.edu.
