The seven-year period is the maximum length of time that CEPH will reaccredit schools of public health.
“This speaks to the dedication of our faculty and staff, and I commend them for their efforts,” said Craig Blakely, SPHIS. “The university and its administration have made a commitment to building the school. We are well positioned to become a leader in our community; we are developing new and exciting instructional programs; and we are planning to make some signature contributions to global public health initiatives, which will further expand our teaching and research opportunities.”
SPHIS has five departments that offer nine graduate degree programs. In Fall 2014, SPHIS plans to add both a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in public health.
Since its establishment in 2002, SPHIS has been awarded more than $40 million in grants and contracts from such entities as the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Science Foundation. Last year, SPHIS researchers generated more than 75 publications in peer-reviewed, professional journals.
The school also has a service component with both local and international activities. SPHIS has international initiatives with Ghana and China. It works to foster the health and wellness of the Louisville area through such efforts as the weekly Gray Street Farmers Market to the 2009 mass swine flu immunization effort at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium through its Center for Health Hazards Preparedness and the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health. Almost 20,000 people received vaccinations.
The Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics also offers consulting services through its Statistical Consulting Center (StCC), which provides statistical expertise in support of research. The center’s services are available to health researchers at UofL, health care and research centers, businesses and nonprofit organizations.