Public Health in Action: Westat APHA 2024 Highlights

Westat staff made their mark at the 2024 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Expo, which was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 27-30. We followed up with some of our experts in public health research, including maternal health and nutrition, and human resources to see how the conference went.

Sharing Our Public Health Expertise

Our public health experts presented on important and timely topics, including maternal health, child nutrition, and community-engaged research.

They also helped represent the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL), engaging with attendees at the CEAL booth. Westat’s Busola Saka, MPP, Health Communications Director, said “It’s always a privilege to support our CEAL client and their work in community-engaged research. I enjoyed listening to attendees share their experience and interest in how research impacts communities and supporting them with information on CEAL. APHA continues to be a great opportunity to improve understanding of and appreciation for research efforts that work closely with communities.” “CEAL projects highlight the importance of community engagement for tailoring interventions to the local context, which have the potential to improve patient care and health outcomes,” added Patricia Chen, PhD, a Lead Research Associate.

Research Associate Jordan Stangle, MPA, said of his presentation on the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model: “It’s so important to understand that rates of maternal opioid misuse have trended up in recent years, but there are various efforts, such as the CMS Innovation Center MOM Model, that are trying to mitigate this trend and support patients in seeking care.  APHA gave our team the opportunity to highlight this important work and share insights with other maternal health experts.”

“Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) presented on Westat-developed child nutrition dashboards and other food and nutrition-related projects at this year’s conference,” noted Associate Vice President Kelsey Gray, MS. “I hope that these presentations sparked ideas and conversation with other attendees to keep moving this important work forward.”

Networking at the Booth: Careers and Internships

Westat staff met with hundreds of APHA attendees at our exhibit booth, where we shared information about our work, talked to current and potential partners, and shared information about internships and careers.

“I connected with so many passionate individuals at APHA,” said Mayra Hayes, a Westat recruiter. “It was an incredible opportunity to meet many talented professionals eager to make a meaningful impact. I look forward to continuing our conversations and collaborations about careers and internships at Westat.”

Interested in careers with us? Check out our website’s Careers page for open positions, including the first of our 2025 summer internships, and follow us on LinkedIn.

Breakfast and Conversations with Westat

With APHA’s packed schedule, there never seems to be enough time to connect with everyone. This year, we invited clients, partners, and job seekers to get a “smooth” start to the day with a Westat-hosted breakfast, coffee, and a delicious smoothie bar.  Attendees got a chance to talk with us about our work, chat with a recruiter about jobs and internships, and network with other conference attendees before daily conference activities began.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth, sat in on one of our many presentations, or came to the breakfast. It was great connecting with you, and we’re looking forward to seeing you next year in DC!