FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MILWAUKEE Dr. Ed Ehlinger, M.D., speaks on “College Health –Value Added for the Campus and the Community on Friday, Sept. 30, at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Union Ballroom, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd., from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The presentation is free and open to the public.
Dr. Ehlinger is the director and chief health officer of Boynton Health Service at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He is board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics, and has a master of science degree in public health.
There are a number of public health challenges that impact each of us individually and the campus community as a whole, says Dr. Julia Bonner, M.D. and director of UWM s Norris Health Center. With the emerging health problems of the 21st century such as SARS and avian influenza, and the impact of tobacco and alcohol use, we all need to educate ourselves.
Dr. Bonner said that the Sept. 30 presentation is designed to create a dialogue on campus. We hope to engage the UWM community in the task of creating a healthier campus environment for faculty, staff, students and visitors, which will have both short-term and lifelong impact on all of these stakeholders.
Issues that are part of this discussion include how members of the campus community can improve public health by modeling healthy behaviors, teaching good health practices, developing programs and policies that support good health, and establishing the healthy normative behaviors and values on campus.
As director and chief health officer of Boynton Health Service, Dr.
Ehlinger directed the first comprehensive assessment of the health of students. His reports on tobacco and alcohol use, credit card debt, and mental health issues among college students have led to changes in programs and policies at the local, state and national levels.
