Public Health Institute

Our current five-year CDC Cooperative Agreement centers on improving epilepsy education, systems of care, and health outcomes through national and community partnerships. To achieve these goals, we must recognize and address the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) - conditions in places where people live, learn, work, and play which affect a wide range of health and quality of life risks and outcomes. In Year 5, we are focusing on coalition building and strategic partnerships to address epilepsy inequities. 

Conference Objectives

Our conference objectives are:

• To convene the Epilepsy Foundation network and its partners to learn how to address epilepsy disparities through coalitions and strategic partnerships, in addition to other public health approaches.
• To improve the capacity of the EF network and its partners to build effective and mutually beneficial collaborations and partnerships to address unmet social needs of those living with epilepsy.
• To increase engagement between the EF network and shared-mission professionals, including injury prevention, stroke, and traumatic brain specialists.

Additional information, such as session topics, featured speakers, frequently asked questions and more, is forthcoming.

Pre- and Post-PHI Trainings

Pre-conference Training: Collaboration in Practice Workshop
(In-person only, not Hybrid)
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 - 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Hyatt Regency, Room TBD, 100 East Second Street, Tulsa, OK 74103

This workshop delivered by Collaborative Capacity Co (CoCap) is designed to amplify the epilepsy network’s capacity to leverage collaborative approaches to address the social determinants of epilepsy through partnerships and coalitions. Participants will learn how to “see” their work as a system of relationships and identify where stronger collaboration can create the greatest impact. This workshop is tailored to participants with little to no formal background in public health or collaboration frameworks, while still offering depth for more experienced practitioners.

Learning objectives for the skill-building session may include:

1. Identify key partners needed to address the social determinants of epilepsy.
2. Assess the strength and gaps in your current partnerships.
3. Apply 2-3 strategies to strengthen cross-sector collaboration.
4. Develop a short-term action plan for advancing a priority partnership.
5. Provide two examples of actions you can take to advance equitable outcomes through your collaborative efforts.

Workshop Facilitators:

• Stephanie Bultema, PhD, MAAL, Founder & Principal Strategist, CoCap
• Esmeralda Salas, BS, Engagement Partner, CoCap
• Thometta Cozart, MS, MPH, CPH, MCHES®, Senior Director, Multicultural Outreach & Health Equity, Epilepsy Foundation

Post-conference Training: Seizure First Aid Certification Training

Friday, August 28, 2026 – 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
Location: Langston University, Tulsa Campus, Auditorium, 914 N. Greenwood Ave., Tulsa, OK 74106

If you are yet to become certified in Seizure First Aid or if you want to observe a live instructor-led training before you start conducting your own trainings as a new SFA Instructor, this training is for you. 
Pre-Registration and Pre-Assessment via Epilepsy Learning Portal are required to receive the two-year certification.

Epilepsy Foundation Affiliate Travel Stipend

Each Epilepsy Foundation Affiliate will be offered $1,200 to send representation to the Public Health Institute (PHI) held Wednesday, August 26th through Friday, August 28th, 2026 in Tulsa, OK.

We recommend the executive director, program staff and/or relevant outreach staff attend PHI.

It is preferred that you stay at the host hotel (Hyatt Regency) so you can utilize the free shuttle to and from the Tulsa Campus of Langston University. Each Affiliate is responsible for making and paying for their own travel and hotel reservations. The travel grant will be awarded after the conclusion of the PHI meeting. On-site registration will be utilized for attendance verification. The stipend will not be offered to those who attend PHI virtually.

After this date, any EF Affiliate interested in requesting additional funds to support their travel efforts may contact Shel Lessington at [email protected] to determine if there are unclaimed travel stipends.
Travel stipends should be requested by completing this form by Tuesday, June 30, 2026.

Please note the travel stipend for EF Hawai’i will be $1,800. These travel stipends are for EF Affiliates ONLY.

If there are any questions related to travel stipends for EF Affiliates, please contact Thometta Cozart at [email protected].