How Local Health Departments Can Commit to Transformative Change through Racial Healing
In this new era of public health care and practice, as our global community continues to endure the impact of a pandemic, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to ensure we do not fall back into old patterns. This is our chance as a larger health-focused collective to use our expertise, influence, and resources to change the landscape of health. Governmental agencies, nonprofits, clinical and non-clinical groups, and funders have an important role in the future of public health.
Incarceration and Public Health: Going Bold to Achieve Health Equity
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the field of public health has sprinted a marathon to address the ongoing crisis — we have implemented mass vaccination plans, pushed back against misinformation campaigns, and taken action in the face of slashed budgets and outright assaults on our lives. But as a public health researcher and advocate, I believe there is a critical place where we have fallen short, and with dire consequences: connecting the dots between incarceration and health.
Investing in Nutrition Security Post-Pandemic
During the first year of the pandemic, despite being a rural agricultural region with over 4,000 small farms, the food insecurity rate across the North Country counties of New York rose from 11 to 15 percent. In March 2020, with funding from New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth), the Adirondack Foundation, and the Cloudsplitter Foundation, AdkAction partnered with the Hub on the Hill, a nonprofit food hub, to launch its Emergency Food Packages (EFP) project to assist local families facing food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EFP succeeded in delivering thousands of healthy, locally produced food packages to people in need while also supporting hard working farmers across the region.
On the Precipice: Why Health Funders Should Care about Abortion Access
Reproductive health and justice in the United States are at a crossroads. We are seeing positive developments such as growing (though still inadequate) attention to maternal health and reinstatement of the family planning safety net after years of reductions in access to these services. We invite funders focused on health more broadly to join us in an effort to support the dignity of women and families; protect women’s lives; and mitigate the health, economic, and social harms that can result from being denied an abortion.
Perinatal Safe Zone: Supporting Women-led Birth Equity Work
We believe that creating a Perinatal Safe Zone will require multisector mobilization at the regional level. A mobilization at this level will require participation from hospitals, legislators, and state agencies, while centering Black and Brown led organizations and leaders working to achieve stable and affordable quality housing; welcoming, flexible, and equitable workspaces, with paid parental leave and universal child care services; a just food system; safe and walkable neighborhoods; a caring and supportive network of community members; and access to holistic and culturally congruent wellness practices.
Less Criminalization = Better Health + More Justice
Last year, New York State passed the most sweeping parole reform measure in the country. The Less Is More Community Supervision Revocation Reform Act has far-reaching implications for the health and liberty of tens of thousands of people every year, by making critical changes in how the state handles noncriminal violations of parole conditions.
The Power of Partnerships in Improving Health Care Access and Outcomes
Partnerships are essential to improving health care access, and outcomes, and forming partnerships require listening, learning, transparency, and flexibility.
Resolutions for a Revolution in Philanthropy
Heading into the new year, we are now asking one another, “What risks did our foundations take during these past two years that we may want to continue? What has philanthropy done differently over the last two years that perhaps has made our sector more effective, inclusive, and responsive? We highlight three ways our foundations changed for the better during the pandemic, strategies funders are using to support building or shifting power to nonprofit partners.
Homelessness and Health Equity: Health Funders’ Alignment and California’s Next Medicaid Waiver
California has a new plan under its recently-approved Medicaid waiver that builds on innovations implemented in recent state programs and is centered on health equity, especially for people experiencing homelessness.
All Hands on Deck: The Importance of Pursuing Funder Partnerships to Address Perinatal Mental Health
Today, too many new mothers and birthing people are isolated and their well-being is overlooked, with severely negative consequences for maternal and child health and society.