VIRTUAL: Great Falls Forum with Nirav Shah and Katie Boss
The 2020-2021 season of the Great Falls Forum continues on Thursday, January 21st, featuring Dr. Nirav Shah, Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, interviewed by local public health professional Katie Boss of Healthy Androscoggin, on the topic “New Year’s Resolutions for Maine’s Health: COVID-19, Vaccines, Mental Health and Looking Ahead.” The program will take place from 1 to 1:45 PM virtually via Zoom and streamed to the Lewiston Public Library Facebook page.
Please note that due to the quickly changing nature of the pandemic, the date and time of this program are subject to change at any time. Check back here for the most current information.
While COVID dominates the headlines, Katie will ask Dr. Shah about what Mainers should expect the course of the pandemic to look like in 2021 as vaccinations increase. In this Great Falls Forum, they will examine how the state of Maine and Maine CDC are protecting the mental health of Mainers and what other health issues Dr. Shah is concerned about that may be out of focus for the general public.
In June 2019, Nirav Shah, MD, JD, was appointed as the Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC). Dr. Shah comes to Maine CDC with broad experience in public health, most recently as Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, where he implemented key initiatives to address the State’s opioid crisis, reduce maternal and infant mortality, and reduce childhood lead poisoning. As an attorney and public health economist, Shah previously advised professionals and governments around the nation and globe on improving the delivery of health care. Earlier in his career, he worked for the Ministry of Health in Cambodia, where his work included investigating and managing disease outbreaks as an epidemiologist. Shah received both medical and law degrees from the University of Chicago. He also studied economics at Oxford University.
Katie Boss is a public health professional and grant writer, representing Androscoggin County’s local public health non-profit, Healthy Androscoggin. Throughout her public health career, Boss has focused on healthy housing, physical activity, nutrition and food systems. Boss is a City Councilor in Auburn, Chair of the Auburn Agriculture Committee, and has served on the Good Food Council of Lewiston-Auburn for the last three years.
Healthy Androscoggin is a local community health non-profit serving Androscoggin County whose mission is to empower people to live healthy lifestyles and to improve the public health of our communities through ongoing planning, community action, education, and advocacy. Healthy Androscoggin creates a community of thriving residents by giving individuals tools to live a healthy life and by making healthy living more accessible to all. Healthy Androscoggin focuses on: supporting physically active communities; promoting healthy eating; preventing substance misuse; supporting tobacco-free lifestyles and preventing childhood lead poisoning.
The Great Falls Forum is a monthly, brown-bag speaker series featuring statewide and regional leaders in public policy, business, academia and the arts. Admission is free to all Forum events. The Forum is a co-sponsorship of the Sun Journal, Bates College, and LPL. Recordings of the virtual Great Falls Forum programs will be archived on the Library’s YouTube channel following the live event.
For more information, please contact the Lewiston Public Library at 513-3135 or LPLReference@lewistonmaine.gov.
