Reflections on the 2022 GIH Annual Conference and the Road Ahead
It was so wonderful to see everyone in Miami at the 2022 Grantmakers In Health Annual Conference, especially those who joined us for the first time, and to learn more about the work you are doing to achieve better health for all through better philanthropy. The conference occurred at an important moment for our country. As Admiral Rachel Levine, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health, said during our strategy session on advancing LGBTQ health equity “even after decades of social progress, the most vulnerable among us continue to suffer.” The conference provided an opportunity for us to reconnect, to reflect on the considerable health challenges facing the United States, and to learn and grow together as we explore and share solutions.
2021 Fall Forum Lauren LeRoy Lecture
In 2012, Grantmakers In Health established the Lauren LeRoy Health Policy Lecture series in honor of former GIH President and CEO Lauren LeRoy and her commitment to increasing communication between the worlds of philanthropy and policy. This year, we heard from Dr. Alice Huan-mei Chen, Chief Medical Officer of Covered California.
Will We Hear the Voices of the LGBTQ Community?
Across the United States we are seeing a coordinated campaign to restrict lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights and limit access to affirming, lifesaving health care. According to the Equality Federation, nearly 400 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced across the country in 2021, and over 240 bills have already been filed in 2022. These policies directly impact the health and safety of members of the LGBTQ community. Recent data from The Trevor Project show that 66 percent of LGBTQ youth, including 85 percent of transgender and/or nonbinary youth, report that recent debates around state laws to restrict the rights of transgender people have negatively affected their mental health.
Millions of Children Still at Risk of Losing Health Insurance Coverage
Despite recent progress toward expanding health insurance access for families, millions of children are at risk of losing coverage when the public health emergency comes to an end.
Civic Engagement Is a Social Determinant of Health
What is the civic health of the communities you serve? Are community members equitably engaged in democratic processes and civic life? How might increased levels of civic engagement influence the distribution of public sector resources, population health outcomes, and health inequities? Is it possible to imagine transformative changes in community health absent a meaningful shift in community power and civic participation?
Advocacy That Builds Power
The California Endowment supported the Center for Evaluation Innovation and Gigi Barsoum to examine what it takes for advocacy to build power through an evaluation of advocacy efforts that were part of the 10-year Building Healthy Communities initiative.
Evelyn Delgado to Be Honored with the Andy Hyman Award for Advocacy
Evelyn Delgado, President and Executive Director of Healthy Futures of Texas and Chair of the Women’s Healthcare Coalition will receive Grantmaker In Health’s (GIH) 2022 Andy Hyman Award for Advocacy.
40 Years and Future Focused: Introduction of GIH’s New Strategic Plan
Grantmakers In Health was created nearly 40 years ago. In the four decades since then, much has changed in the world related to philanthropy, policy, health care, and our understanding of health and wellness. GIH President Cara James provides a first look at GIH’s new strategic plan.