Public Health in the Rockies 2026

To support professional development and practical readiness, we propose an interactive, skill-building session designed specifically for public health nurses (PHNs). We will focus on strengthening nurse leadership skills at all employment levels. This session will include a panel discussion from public health nurse leaders and peer-to-peer education. Topics have yet to be finalized based on feedback from the PHN section members on their most pressing needs. Topics under discussion include: public health policy, partnership building, navigating funding challenges, and fostering public health nurse leadership in changing times. This session will provide participants with both theoretical frameworks for thinking about leadership and specific techniques that can be applied to their local practice. It will also facilitate connections between public health nurses at a variety of levels of practice and across jurisdictions.

Access to comprehensive, person-centered contraceptive care remains limited in rural and underserved communities, where workforce shortages and restricted clinical scope impede timely service delivery. The Full Scope Forward (FSF) RN Nexplanon Training is a program innovation designed to expand rural registered nurse (RN) capacity to provide evidence-based contraceptive care, including etonogestrel implant (Nexplanon) insertion and removal, within Title X and public health settings.


This hybrid training model integrates asynchronous and synchronous learning using the Podia learning management system and Vimeo for delivery of eight videos, complemented by twelve competency-based job aids. The curriculum emphasizes application of national clinical guidelines, including the U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria and Selected Practice Recommendations, alongside structured approaches to person-centered contraceptive counseling. Eight Colorado RNs serving rural communities are currently enrolled, with a focus on building clinical confidence, procedural competency, and workflow integration. RNs must complete Nexplanon REMS certification and Organon’s Nexplanon training prior to provision of Nexplanon.

The FSF Training Hub aligns directly with CPHA's strategic plan and objectives, as well as the PHiR conference mission by: (1) strengthening application of evidence-based guidelines to improve contraceptive care outcomes; (2) integrating person-centered counseling frameworks that support reproductive autonomy and informed decision-making; and (3) advancing innovative workforce models by expanding RN scope of practice and leveraging digital tools to increase access and efficiency in low-resource settings.

Preliminary outcomes include increased RN knowledge, improved readiness to provide implant services, and enhanced clinic capacity to offer same-day contraceptive care in rural clinics. Ongoing evaluation will assess competency attainment, service uptake, and patient experience.

CORE would like to demonstrate how collaborative, technology enabled training models can transform the SRH workforce and improve equitable access to high quality contraceptive care.

Background / Purpose: Breast cancer mortality in the United States falls unevenly across racial and ethnic lines. Black women have a 38% higher breast cancer mortality rate than White women despite a 5% lower incidence, and they carry significantly higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity, comorbidities that interact syndemically with breast cancer to worsen outcomes. Federally-funded clinical trials shape the evidence base for breast cancer care, yet the extent to which they account for these metabolic comorbidities in trial design has not been systematically examined.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 90 completed NIH- and other federal agency-funded female breast cancer clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov as of July 2023. Three parallel evaluation methods were applied: systematic review of inclusion and exclusion criteria; pharmacologic analysis of FDA-labeled and off-label drug indications for every intervention, conducted by credentialed pharmacology team members; and AI-assisted keyword recognition across protocol texts, with human adjudication. Trials were stratified into pharmacological and device interventions (n=72) and behavioral interventions (n=18).

Results: Fewer than 15% of trials explicitly addressed T2D in eligibility criteria; only one trial explicitly addressed obesity. Approximately 75% made no mention of diabetes, and over 90% made no mention of obesity. Only five trials considered both comorbidities together. Behavioral interventions targeting diet, exercise, and weight management failed almost universally to screen for or stratify by metabolic status.

Implications: Federally-funded breast cancer research remains predominantly reductionist in design, overlooking the metabolic and syndemic realities that shape outcomes for Black women, Latina, South Asian, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women. Future NIH funding should prioritize trial designs that integrate metabolic comorbidities into eligibility, stratification, and analytic frameworks to advance equity in cancer research.

Mental health challenges—including stress, burnout, and emotional fatigue—continue to rise across populations, underscoring the need for accessible, preventive strategies that support wellbeing at both individual and community levels. Mindfulness has emerged as an evidence-informed, low-cost intervention that can enhance emotional regulation, resilience, and overall mental health across diverse settings.

This interactive session introduces mindfulness as a scalable public health approach to promote mental well-being and resilience. Grounded in research from public health, neuroscience, and behavioral health, participants will explore practical, accessible mindfulness techniques that can be integrated into clinical, educational, workplace, and community-based environments. Emphasis will be placed on prevention, early intervention, and health promotion across populations.

Participants will engage in guided mindfulness practices, reflective activities, and group dialogue to better understand how these strategies can reduce stress and support psychological resilience. The session will also highlight approaches for embedding mindfulness into existing systems and programs, including community health initiatives, interprofessional education, and organizational wellness efforts.

Audience polling will be used to capture shifts in participant awareness and perceived stress before and after practice. Attendees will receive curated resources—including digital tools and implementation strategies—to support dissemination and sustainability in their own settings.

By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with actionable, evidence-informed strategies to promote mental well-being, foster supportive environments, and contribute to a culture of health within their communities.