Injury & Violence Prevention INdepth

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Host Mighty Fine and guest Dianah McGreehan explore how to make the case for converting a building into a homeless shelter. Together, they discuss strategies to address community concerns, navigate "not in my backyard" opposition, and build support for the project during a town hall meeting. 

Host: Mighty Fine, MPH, CHES  

Mighty Fine is the Associate Executive Director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), where he provides leadership across initiatives that advance public health science, policy and systems change. In this role, he helps shape APHA’s strategic direction while leading efforts to design, implement, and evaluate programs that strengthen public health practice and improve health outcomes. He also provides technical assistance, consultation, and evidence-to-practice translation to local, state, and national partners.

Guest Information: Dianah McGreehan 

Dianah McGreehan serves as the Director of Violence Prevention Programs for the City of Carbondale, where she leads initiatives focused on collaborative partnerships to enhance community safety. As a dedicated civic leader, she actively serves on numerous local committees and boards. As President of the Good Samaritan Ministries Board of Directors, she is helping guide the development of a new low-barrier, non-congregate homeless shelter that will support the Southern Illinois region. 

McGreehan is also a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Communication Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Her scholarship centers on complicated grief, traumatic loss, and community resilience. Her chapter, "Lost in Hope: (De)constructing Hope in 'Missing Person' Discourses," published in Doing Autoethnography (2017), examines her personal experience with ambiguous loss following the disappearance of her sister in 2002. 

Her current research looks at the complicated grief associated with the traumatic loss of a loved one to homicide. For her dissertation, she is working with the national organization Parents of Murdered Children Inc. (POMC) to better understand community building through shared stories and rituals surrounding loss. 

Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianah-mcgreehan-b159b2136/ 

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Host Mighty Fine and guest Pualani Vazquez explore how to make the case for investing in a hospital injury and violence prevention (IVP) program. Together, they discuss strategies for demonstrating the value of IVP programs beyond certification requirements, engaging hospital leadership and internal partners, and advocating for the resources needed to strengthen and sustain prevention efforts. 

Host: Mighty Fine, MPH, CHES  

Mighty Fine is the Associate Executive Director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), where he provides leadership across initiatives that advance public health science, policy and systems change. In this role, he helps shape APHA’s strategic direction while leading efforts to design, implement, and evaluate programs that strengthen public health practice and improve health outcomes. He also provides technical assistance, consultation, and evidence-to-practice translation to local, state, and national partners.

Guest Information:  Pualani Vazquez 

Trauma Injury Prevention Community Outreach Coordinator 

Scripps Mercy Hospital 

As a member of the trauma response team and in collaboration with community-based organizations, Pualani helps develop and implement a diverse array of evidence-based programs via public health outreach. Her primary objective is to diminish the frequency, severity, and fatality of unintentional injuries in San Diego, prioritizing safety and equity in her initiatives. Deeply committed to fostering healthier, more equitable communities, Pua actively participates in numerous regional, state, and national task forces. She centers her work on promoting trauma-informed care through authentic community engagement and collaborative efforts. 

Social Media: linkedin.com/in/puatogetherinsafety 

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Host Mighty Fine and guest Josephine Peterson explore how to make the case for partnering on a pedestrian safety research project. Together, they discuss strategies for building trust with community members, approaching initial conversations, and navigating situations where community priorities differ from the project's goals. 

Host: Mighty Fine, MPH, CHES  

Mighty Fine is the Associate Executive Director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), where he provides leadership across initiatives that advance public health science, policy and systems change. In this role, he helps shape APHA’s strategic direction while leading efforts to design, implement, and evaluate programs that strengthen public health practice and improve health outcomes. He also provides technical assistance, consultation, and evidence-to-practice translation to local, state, and national partners.

Guest Information: Josephine Peterson, MPH

Josephine Peterson, MPH, is a public health leader dedicated to advancing injury and violence prevention through equity-centered programs and cross-sector partnerships. She serves as the Injury Prevention Specialist at NYU Langone Hospital – Long Island’s Level 1 Trauma Center, where she leads a growing portfolio of evidence-based initiatives that promote injury-prevention, support trauma recovery, and improve safety across the lifespan. With more than 20 years of experience in health communications, community engagement, and public health education, Josephine brings both vision and lived experience to her work. A longtime volunteer with Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety, she now chairs Everytown’s AANHPI Caucus. After taking time off to raise her two daughters, she returned to full-time public health work in 2023.  

Social Media: linkedin.com/in/josephinecpeterson 

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Host Mighty Fine and guest Micaela Harris explore how to make the case for bystander intervention training with student leaders. Together, they discuss strategies for balancing compelling stories with meaningful data, addressing common misconceptions about sexual violence, and connecting prevention efforts to students' desire to create lasting change on campus. 

Host: Mighty Fine, MPH, CHES  

Mighty Fine is the Associate Executive Director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), where he provides leadership across initiatives that advance public health science, policy and systems change. In this role, he helps shape APHA’s strategic direction while leading efforts to design, implement, and evaluate programs that strengthen public health practice and improve health outcomes. He also provides technical assistance, consultation, and evidence-to-practice translation to local, state, and national partners.

Guest Information: Micaela Harris, Violence Prevention Professional

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Host Mighty Fine and guest Paige Colburn-Hargis explore how to make the case for dedicating community health benefit resources to a drowning prevention and water safety program. Together, they discuss strategies for demonstrating community need, aligning injury and violence prevention efforts with hospital priorities, and securing support from hospital leadership. 

Host: Mighty Fine, MPH, CHES  

Mighty Fine is the Associate Executive Director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), where he provides leadership across initiatives that advance public health science, policy and systems change. In this role, he helps shape APHA’s strategic direction while leading efforts to design, implement, and evaluate programs that strengthen public health practice and improve health outcomes. He also provides technical assistance, consultation, and evidence-to-practice translation to local, state, and national partners. 

As a trained social epidemiologist, Mighty brings a population health perspective to some of the most pressing issues in public health, with particular attention to how social, structural, and environmental conditions shape health outcomes and inequities. His expertise spans injury and violence prevention, family health, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, social policy, and chronic disease prevention. Through his work, he is committed not only to preventing disease and injury, but also to shaping community conditions that promote collective well-being. 

Mighty’s leadership extends beyond program strategy and implementation as he represents APHA across a variety of initiatives that inform public health policy, strengthen practice, and elevate the field nationally. He brings a practice-informed perspective to these efforts, drawing on his experience as both a social epidemiologist and health educator to help shape the future of public health. He is also committed to highlighting public health as a meaningful career pathway, particularly for emerging professionals seeking to make an impact through community-centered public health practice. Through university guest lectures, national conference presentations, and other professional engagements, he continues to share knowledge, foster learning, and contribute to the development of the field. 

Having lived and worked in rural and urban environments, Mighty credits this empirical insight with anchoring his understanding of systematic levers of oppression. Thus, a core part of his work has focused on addressing the structures that serve as pillars of disadvantage. He has built expertise in the social determinants of health and brings a social justice perspective to the assessment and prevention of public health issues. 

Mighty holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Rutgers University and a Master of Public Health from Yale University, with concentrations in Social and Behavioral Sciences and Chronic Disease Epidemiology. He is also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), credentialed by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. In his free time, Mighty enjoys traveling, spending time with loved ones and attending concerts. 

Guest Information: Paige Colburn-Hargis

Paige Colburn-Hargis Injury Prevention Program Coordinator, Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla 

Paige Colburn-Hargis serves as the Injury Prevention Community Outreach Coordinator for Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, a Level I Trauma Center. She brings more than a decade of experience leading injury prevention initiatives across hospital, community, and national platforms. Paige is past chair of the Injury Prevention Committee for the Trauma Center Association of America and is an appointed member of the Aging and Independence Services Advisory Council for San Diego County. She has led regional coalitions, developed nationally recognized fall-prevention initiatives and projects, and created impactful public health campaigns, including the My Grey Matterz helmet safety initiative. 

She also coordinates the San Diego County Lifeguard Advisory Committee, a multi-agency coalition focused on improving prehospital care, enhancing interagency collaboration, and strengthening injury prevention efforts along San Diego’s coastline. Most recently, she was appointed as a Sector Leader to the Binge and Underage Drinking (BUDI) Alcohol Policy Panel Advisory Board, further supporting her commitment to equity-driven, community-based prevention strategies. 

Paige’s passion for injury prevention is deeply rooted in lived experience: as the parent of a child who sustained a severe TBI while skateboarding without a helmet, she has a profound appreciation for the importance of trauma-informed care, community education, and prevention-focused systems. This personal journey continues to shape her work and advocacy across the trauma care continuum. 

She is the recipient of the 2023 Women of Impact Award for her leadership in e-bike and micromobility safety education and recently received a Proclamation in honor of National Bike Safety Month from the County of San Diego. She remains a dedicated advocate for systems collaboration, policy change, and trauma prevention nationwide. 

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In this episode, host Mighty Fine is live with attendees at the Safe States 2025  Annual Conference held virtually this year. Hear how they are "Rising Up and Branching Out" in their injury and violence prevention work through networking, attending sessions and getting involved during the three day conference held September 9-11 online.

Guests include:

• Lisa Roth, Deputy Director, University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center
• Dilenny Roca, Program Manager, Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Medical Center
• Stacey Pinto, Trauma Injury Prevention & Outreach Coordinator at Good Samaritan University Hospital
• Scott Proescholdbell, Epidemiologist/Manager at North Carolina Division of Public Health
• Amy Schlotthauer, Founding Principal, AES Consulting
• Joanne Miles-Holmes, Injury Prevention Program Administrator, New Hampshire Department Health & Human Services
• Tracy Mehan, Director of Research Translation & Communication, Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital
• Victoria Broussard, Senior Project Officer, Health Resources in Action
• Lynnsey O'Rourke, Program Coordinator, Safe States Alliance
• Jessica Ritter, Safe Kids PA Office Coordinator, American Trauma Society, Pennsylvania Division

Musical transition credit: Pixabay "Conga-man Groove" by Miyagisama

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In this episode, host Mighty Fine along with cohost Deltavier Robertson speak with guests from the Future Healers program from Kentucky and Sources of Strength program from Wisconsin that received seed grants from Safe States this year for injury and violence prevention programming. 

The Future Healers program is focused on building stronger bridges between the Louisville health care community and our city’s youth most impacted by gun violence. Our goal is to introduce more youth to the field of medicine while helping them navigate through the emotional trauma that stems from the increasing violence currently plaguing their communities. Through compassion, mentorship, and advocacy, this program will do its part to uplift and empower our city’s young individuals to aspire for better futures for themselves and for the communities in which they reside.

Social Media:

[email protected]      @futurehealersky (Instagram)

[email protected]                https://www.instagram.com/2xgamechangers/

The Sources of Strength program at CESA6 equips students with trusting peer networks that create a mentally healthy atmosphere while also providing suicide, violence, and bullying prevention methods to best support student well-being. It allows staff to grow in awareness of strength-based solutions to enhance student resilience.

Social Media:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/cesa6/   https://www.instagram.com/cesa6wi/

Member Feature: Mac Parkman Foundation

Our Mission

The Mac Parkman Foundation is committed to raising awareness on the impact that Repeated Head Impacts (RHI) and Repeated Blast Exposure (RBE) have on the brain and mental health of children, athletes and veterans.

We aim to improve societal brain health by promoting education, early diagnosis, and innovative treatments to reduce and mitigate the long-term effects of subconcussive trauma to include mental illness and suicidality while promoting brain health as a priority for medical as well as psychological education and care.

Through advocacy and community engagement with parental, scientific, medical, psychological, sports and legislative communities as well as non-profit organizations focused on brain and mental health, we strive to create a safer environment in sports and military service, improving treatment for those athletes and veterans affected, and to ensure a healthier future for all.

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In this INbetween episode, host Mighty Fine provides some insight into the upcoming "Virtual" Safe States Annual Conference which will be held September 9-11, 2025 online using the Whova app. Participants can expect an agenda packed full of sessions, activities, networking opportunities, gameification and so much more. Listen in to hear Mighty share some of the details about the agenda and activities planned for the upcoming Safe States conference and if you haven't registered, please visit www.safestates.org to get signed up!

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In this episode, host Mighty Fine talks with Safe States staff Eva Bland and Catherine Guerrero about the upstream prevention work happening among Safe States members. Also, they share resources available on the Safe States website to assist those working on upstream prevention work.

RESOURCES:

https://www.safestates.org/page/MappingOutIVP

https://www.safestates.org/page/ConnectionsLab

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In this episode, Safe States Executive Director Sharon Gilmartin is the guest host and talks with Allison Arwady, Director of the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. To kick off the conversation, Dr. Arwady shares that the CDC has recently released 2024 provisional drug overdose death data that highlights a nearly 27% decrease in predicted deaths from the previous year's data and is seen in 48 states nationwide. Dr. Arwady credits changes in drug use, public health investments, and interventions along with community coordination and collaboration in the successful effort to reduce deaths from drug overdoses. During their conversation, they also discuss public health infrastructure, prevention strategies, and the role the CDC's Injury Center plays in these including the importance of the programs they offer.