Cornell M.P.H.: One Health impact across New York state

In just three years, Cornell’s Master of Public Health Program (M.P.H.) has formed partnerships with over 30 organizations throughout New York State, helping build capacity for One Health impact across multiple sectors and disciplines. Coalitions of community partners and M.P.H. students, faculty and staff impact NY State population health through infectious disease management, sustainable and equitable food system development, emergency preparedness, antimicrobial resistance mitigation and much more.

Through community-engaged methods courses, internships and capstone projects, these coalitions continue to support many ongoing initiatives, including the first Farm to School Project in Tompkins County; tick-borne disease management and education for summer camps, physicians and state parks with the Northeast Regional Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (NEVBD); outdoor and nature-based education in New York state schools through the Healthy Kids Healthy Planet initiative; emergency disaster scenario planning for flooding, bioterrorism, and pandemics; addressing the social determinants of health;  and, multiple research studies with rural communities, ranging in topic from community-supported agriculture for low-income children and families, to mental health among dairy farmers and  their perceptions of antibiotic use, to novel Salmonella infection risks in Northeastern dairy cattle.

The list goes on. Among their partners in New York state, including many agencies and non-profit organizations in Tompkins County, Cornell M.P.H. invests in ongoing relationships and projects with multiple public health networks, including Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cayuga Health Partners, and Health Departments in several counties, as well as the Cornell Center for Health Equity, bridging Cornell’s New York City and Ithaca campuses.