Over the past several months, we’ve been thrust into a number of new circumstances and roles that seemed almost inconceivable prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we are learning to adapt to our new reality, the uncertainty of the virus has remained constant and will continue to impact our work for the foreseeable future.
As leaders in public health nutrition, it’s vital we remain nimble—able to quickly and effectively respond and reorient—no matter what the situation or challenge may bring. To help you navigate the changes, ASPHN has developed and compiled various COVID-19 resources we encourage you to explore.
COVID-19 Resources Web Page
ASPHN’s COVID-19 dedicated web page contains well-curated and categorized links that are vetted, grounded in CDC guidance, and relevant to our members. Links are organized into nearly a dozen categories of interest and public health nutrition practice areas.
These resources are reviewed and updated regularly, with new categories being added on a monthly basis. The page uses a “new” tag to call attention to fresh information, and it includes a date stamp at the bottom showing when it was last updated.
Since going live, the COVID-19 Resources page has received a high volume of traffic, ranking fourth among the association’s most viewed web pages. As ASPHN board member Jennifer Dellaport, MPH, RD explains, “I was searching other sites, and when I learned of the ASPHN site, I was pleased to find what I needed in one place. I highly recommend bookmarking this page.”
Webinar: COVID-19 Public Health Nutrition Implications: Overview of Federal Food and Nutrition Assistance
On May 28, ASPHN’s Fruit & Vegetable (F&V) Nutrition Council hosted a webinar on the implications of COVID-19 on public health nutrition. Presented by Sheila Fleischhacker, PhD, JD, Public Health Law Researcher and Nutrition Scientist at Georgetown University, this robust session contains a wealth of information regarding legislation and other efforts impacting nutritional assistance programs. From the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Dr. Fleischhacker shares specific content that can help you in your current work.
Webinar: Working from Home
While the sudden shift to working from home has launched countless memes, a new dress code, and a Zoom boom, the challenges posed by the new work environment have been stressful for the vast majority of us. Given that ASPHN is a virtual organization, the association’s Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Nutrition Council hosted a webinar on Tips for Working from Home on April 9. This webinar contains helpful information from many of our consultants and other experts in the work-from-home (WFH) realm. To obtain a link to the recorded session, be sure to email Sandy Perkins.
The Role of Public Health Nutritionists During COVID-19
The immediate and sudden economic and societal impact of the pandemic has sent shockwaves throughout our most vulnerable communities, upending meal security for millions of children, families, and elderly citizens.
To salute our members and call attention to the critical work public health nutritionists are doing to combat malnutrition, ASPHN crafted a special message about the role of public health nutritionists during COVID-19. This message was added to ASPHN’s See It. Say It. Share It. website in late March.
Please use this message and this site to demonstrate the value and necessity of your work, especially during times of crisis. Now, more than ever, public health nutritionists are essential to the fight against preventable conditions related to poor nutrition that can further complicate or impede the ability to recover from COVID-19.