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CORVALLIS, Ore. - The two-day Oregon Public Health Association Conference will be held Oct. 26-27 at Oregon State University, bringing to LaSells Stewart Center public health officials, researchers and the public to address pressing health concerns of local communities.

"This conference is the only meeting of its kind in Oregon, drawing together public health experts from throughout Oregon's state and county public health departments, colleges and universities," said Charlie Fautin, co-chair of the conference program committee. "This year's conference includes keynote speakers focusing on critical public health challenges including the health effects of climate change, our aging population and health system reform."

Dr. Melvin Kohn, interim public health director for the state of Oregon, will open the conference. His talk, "The State of Public Health in the State," begins at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 26.

Other notable speakers include Philip Mote, director of the new Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at OSU, discussing the impact of climate change on public health, and Karen Hooker, director of OSU's Center for Healthy Aging Research, addressing the trends and latest research in aging.

Virginia Lee, program manager of the Prevention Institute in Oakland, Ca. is also scheduled to speak.

The conference is open to the public and media are welcome to attend. For registration information, go to http://www.oregonpublichealth.org

The OPHA conference is sponsored by OSU's Department of Public Health, Northwest Health Foundation, Coalition of Local Health Officials, Samaritan Health Services, Oregon's Masters in Public Health Program, Community Health Partnership - Oregon's Public Health Institute, PacificSource, Yakima Valley Farm Workers, Corvallis Family Medicine, and Salem Hospital.