UND Public Health Program

Stop by and say hi to Ivy this week at the 2026 North Dakota Immunization Conference in Bismarck, ND! 👋🏻

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡!

Happy Juneteenth!🌟 Today we recognize our history, so we can continue to learn and work together to build healthier communities.

Learn more and join in the celebration at nmaahc.si.edu/Juneteenth.

We enjoyed spending today with the R COOL Health Scrubs Programs Scrubs Academy! We explored how public health is all about preventing illness, protecting our communities, and promoting healthier lives.

Don't forget to drink your water! 💧 Check out all of the unexpected benefits below⬇️

💧As the weather heats up, don't forget... Water is your bestie! Did you know staying hydrated helps with digestion, focus, and energy levels? Add a twist with cucumber, lemon, or berries to mix it up! 🍋

👏👏 Another great Dakota Conference on Rural Health! of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff for showcasing their valuable work.

The Dakota Conference on Rural Health is finally here and we really enjoyed Day 1!

North Dakota's public health professionals make up an unmatched network of caregivers, reaching every corner of our state with skill and passion, and to all of them we are thankful. 🫶

Still considering your next step in public health? 🤔It’s not too late to apply for Fall 2026 admission to the UND Public Health Program — including the Master of Public Health (MPH) and the Public Health Graduate Certificate!

📅 Deadline: August 3
Apply now ➡️
https://med.und.edu/.../public.../masters/admissions.html

Make an impact. Start your public health journey with
us. 🌟

📣 Amazing (awesome, astounding, awe-inspiring) alumni alert!

Stacie ('24) was just published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, one outcome from her MPH Applied Practice Experience at Mayo Clinic. Their work focused on the prediction of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction with AI electrocardiography. This work is an important contribution to enhancing the lives of those with atrial fibrillation.

Lucky us -- Stacie is now a medical student at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences, so we still get to see her around! 💚

A link to the article is located in the comments.

Congratulations to Isaac Karikari '25 alumni who recently had his ILE paper published with his advisor, Dr. Andrew Williams:

𝑬𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 (𝑵𝒐-𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒔) 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝑹𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍-𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑭𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝑪𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔.
Missed appointments at rural Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) undermine care continuity, strain limited resources, and exacerbate health disparities. This study analyzed 12,454 appointments from 321 patients in a rural North Dakota FQHC and found a 23.9% no show rate. Older age, and female gender identity were significantly associated with fewer missed visits, highlighting the influence of demographic factors. Higher no show among American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic patients, and among self pay or Medicaid Expansion patients, point to structural inequities. Findings underscore the need for policies that strengthen transportation access, integrate social risk screening, leverage zip code–level data for targeted interventions, and invest in rural care coordination to improve appointment adherence and reduce disparities.

https://doi.org/10.1080/19371918.2026.2672483