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Dan Blumenthal was born in St. Louis, Mo. in 1942. He is a physician and educator focused on community health and preventive medicine and has worked in public health as part of the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization Smallpox Eradication Program, and as the Founding Chair and Associate Dean of the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine at the Morehouse School of Medicine. Blumenthal currently lives in Atlanta, Ga., where he continues his work as an educator and researcher., In this interview, Dan Blumenthal discusses his family and early life, his attempts to avoid the Vietnam War draft, and how these experiences ultimately led him to public health service. He then describes his service as part of the AmeriCorps VISTA program and the difficulties of opening a medical clinic in rural Arkansas during the 1960s. Blumenthal also briefly recounts his time as a medical journalist working for the underground newspapers The Ungarbled Word, NOLA Express, and The Great Speckled Bird. He then provides an overview of his work as part of the Centers for Disease Control's Epidemic Intelligence Service and his teaching career at Emory University and Morehouse School of Medicine. Blumenthal concludes by sharing his experiences as part of the World Health Organization Smallpox Eradication Program.

The Breast Health Intervention Evaluation (BRIE) Study evaluated the relative effectiveness of three different approaches to breast health messages--a fear appeal, a positive affect appeal, and an affectivity neutral, cognitive appeal. The three interventions were structured as three 10-12 minute videotaped presentations targeting 450 African American women residing in three rural communities in Georgia (150/community). Each site received all three intervention approaches which were randomly assigned within the site sample. The intervention was contextualized within a 60-minute breast health workshop. Workshops were coordinated and conducted by a Community Lay Health Worker at each site. Pre-/post-intervention KAP surveys were administered. Participants were provided with breast self-examination information and breast screening referral information. A telephone follow-up was conducted. We provided referral services to ACR-approved sites for study participants. The BRIE Study was conceptualized as a collaborative research venture between Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and Georgia State University (GSU). The collaboration of a minority medical school and a large research university created unique strengths that do not currently exist elsewhere in Georgia. In addition to fiscal management and general oversight, MSM provided key input into the initial qualitative work (focus groups), the development of the survey instrumentation, and the pre-testing of both the surveys and the videotaped interventions. GSU provided analysis of the qualitative data, creation, development and production of the videotaped interventions, the development and implementation of the follow-up protocol, and the final data analysis.

The Breast Health Intervention Evaluation Study will evaluate the relative effectiveness of three different approaches to breast health messages--a fear appeal, a positive affect appeal, and an affectively neutral cognitive appeal. The three interventions will be structured as three 10-12 minute videotaped presentations targeting 450 African American women residing in three rural communities in Georgia (150/community). Each site will receive one of the three intervention approaches, randomly selected, to be presented within a 60-minute workshop format. Workshops will be coordinated by a Community Lay Health Worker at each site. Pre-/post-intervention KAP surveys will be administered. Participants will be provided with breast self- examination information and breast screening referral information. A 12-month follow-up will be conducted. We will provide referral services to ACR-approved sites for study participants. Analysis and development of the videos will be a collaborative effort between Morehouse School of Medicine and Georgia State University which will also provide expertise in focus group leadership, audience analysis, and lay health worker training. The collaboration of two institutions creates unique strengths that do not currently exist elsewhere in Georgia. Further, working collaboratively will enable us to combine communications theory with public health research practice.

The Breast Health Intervention Evaluation Study will evaluate the relative effectiveness of three different approaches to breast health messages--a fear appeal, a positive affect appeal, and an effectively neutral cognitive appeal. The three interventions will be structured as three 10-12 minute videotaped presentations targeting 450 African American women residing in three rural communities in Georgia (150/community). Each site will receive one of the three intervention approaches, randomly selected, to be presented within a 60-minute workshop format. Workshops will be coordinated by a Community Lay Health Worker at each site. Pre-/post-intervention KAP surveys will be administered. Participants will be provided with breast self-examination information and breast screening referral information. A 12-month follow-up will be conducted. We will provide referral services to ACR-approved sites for study participants. Analysis and development of the videos will be a collaborative effort between Morehouse School of Medicine and Georgia State University which will also provide expertise in focus group leadership, audience analysis, and lay health worker training. The collaboration of two institutions creates unique strengths that do not currently exist elsewhere in Georgia. Further, working collaboratively will enable us to combine communications theory with public health research practice.

The Breast Health Intervention Evaluation (BRIE) Study will evaluate the relative effectiveness of three different approaches to breast health messages--a fear appeal, a positive affect appeal, and an affectively neutral, cognitive appeal. The three interventions will be structured as three 10-12 minute videotaped presentations targeting 450 African American women residing in three rural communities in Georgia (150/community). Each site will receive one of the three intervention approaches, randomly selected, to be presented within a 60-minute workshop format. Workshops will be coordinated by a Community Lay Health Worker at each site. Pre-/post- intervention KAP surveys will be administered. Participants will be provided with breast self-examination information and breast screening referral information. A 12-month follow-up will be conducted. We will provide referral services to ACR-approved sites for study participants. Community access and participant recruitment will be facilitated through our Health Promotion Resource Center. Analysis and development of the videos will be a collaborative effort between Morehouse School of Medicine and Georgia State University which will also provide expertise in audience analysis and lay health worker training. Working collaboratively creates unique strengths that do not currently exist elsewhere in Georgia, and will enable us to combine communications theory with public health research practice.