Unity Conference

            The Center for Sustainable Health Outreach (CSHO) will hold its 10th annual Unity conference July 27-29, 2009 at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri.  Unity 2009 is a national conference designed for and about community health workers.  The theme for this year’s conference is “Community Health Workers - Celebrating Our Past and Charting the Future.”
            Unity 2009 will address the role community health workers play in strengthening and enhancing public health in times of healthcare provider shortages, tight budgets, and impending public health crises.  The conference will stress the importance of community health workers to the health care and human services delivery systems; ways to develop and sustain CHW programs; strength-based responses to community health shortfalls; new and emerging roles for CHWs; and methods of overcoming barriers to CHW program success.
            The conference format will include plenary sessions with addresses from keynote speakers and panelists, as well as numerous breakout, poster, skill-building, and roundtable workshop sessions.  Community health workers are strongly encouraged to attend.  Unity 2009 is an opportunity for community health workers to share knowledge, information, and expertise with other community health workers and interested parties. 
            The conference registration fee is $250 and includes training, materials, and lunch each day.  Discounted registration fees are available for community health workers and students.  A number of limited conference fee waivers are available to community health workers upon request.  Conference information is available at http://www.usm.edu/csho  by going to the Unity Conference links. Exhibit space will be available during Unity 2009.  The Center encourages community health worker programs and related service providers and educational programs to exhibit during the conference. To discuss exhibiting during Unity 2009, contact Rebekah Young at (601) 266-5388 or Rebekah.Young@usm.edu. 
            There are also opportunities for your organization and partnering agencies to get national recognition by becoming sponsors for Unity 2009.   For more information to sponsor Unity 2009 or other conference activities, please contact Susan Mayfield-Johnson at (601) 266-6266 or susan.johnson@usm.edu. 
            St. Louis attractions offer so many things to see and do that you’ll probably run out of time before you run out of options.  Whether it’s a Cardinals baseball game, a visit the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, or a tour of the St. Louis Arch, there are plenty of attractions, museums, nightspots, casinos and cultural opportunities to keep you occupied.  St. Louis is also home to an abundant collection of unique boutiques, antiques stores, specialty shops and big name department stores.  World-class dining and cultural events are all at your fingertips.  Be sure to mark your calendars now to join us in St. Louis for Unity 2009!

Brochure - Click here

Registration Form - Click here

Sponsorship Form - Click here

Presentation Proposal Form - Click here

CHW Fee Waiver Request Form - Click here (Microsoft Word format)

Unity 2008 Article - Click here

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