Category: Health Disparities, Health Equity, Social Determinants of Health

Primary Competency Area

The Swag Deficit: How and Why Public Health Sucks All The Fun Out of Everything

Course Objective

  • Understand primary gaps and weaknesses in how public health presents itself and engages communities
  • Define and discuss “swag deficit” at a barbeque or cocktail party
  • Identify ways to develop a swag surplus or make your public health organization swag neutral

Date: September 5, 2023

Presenter:
Jerel Ezell, PhD MPH
Director of Cornell Center for Cultural Humility
Assistant Professor in General Medicine
Weill Cornell University


Jerel Ezell presents on the importance of “swag” and what that means in the context of public health departments working to build a stronger public presence. He begins by describing three primary factors that contribute to a “swag deficit”. Ezell goes on to discuss approaches for engaging with communities. He ends by suggesting implications for practice and next steps.

Participants will be able to:

  • Understand primary gaps and weaknesses in how public health presents itself and engages communities
  • Define and discuss “swag deficit” at a barbeque or cocktail party 
  • Identify ways to develop a swag surplus or make your public health organization swag neutral
Public Health’s “Equity Clout” Problem: What Is It And How Do We Address It To Achieve Structural and Cultural Humility?

Course Objectives

  • Examine what equity clout means in the context of public health departments’ efforts to build structural and cultural humility.
  • Describe three primary factors contributing to diminished equity clout.
  • Identify three approaches for bridging the equity clout gap.

Date: June 04, 2023

Presenter:
Jerel Ezell, PhD, MPH
Director, Cornell Center for Cultural Humility
Assistant Professor in General Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine


Dr. Jerel Ezell presents on the importance of equity clout and what that means in the context of public health departments working to build structural and cultural humility. He begins by describing three primary factors that contribute to diminished equity clout. Ezell goes on to discuss approaches for bridging the equity clout gap. He ends by suggesting implications for practice and next steps.

Participants will be able to:

  1. Examine what equity clout means in the context of public health departments’ efforts to build structural and cultural humility.
  2. Describe three primary factors contributing to diminished equity clout.
  3. Identify three approaches for bridging the equity clout gap.
Occupation and COVID-19 Mortality in New York City

Course Objectives

  • Examine the impact of COVID-19 on mortality across occupational groups in New York City
  • Describe mortality across occupational groups during the COVID-19 pandemic study
  • Describe the evidence demonstrating disproportionate mortality across occupational groups by age, race/ethnicity, and gender

Date: May 2, 2023

Presenter:
Blanca Bernard-Davila, MPH, MS
COVID-19 Data Coordinator and Analyst
Bureau of Vital Statistics
Division of Epidemiology
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene


In this month’s Log-in2Learn, Blanca Bernard-Davila, MPH, MS presents on the importance of occupation COVID-19 mortality in NYC. The presenter begins by examing the impact of COVID-19 mortality across different occupational groups in New York City and how it realtes to public health. She then describes the COVID-19 pandemic study period and the mortality across occupational groups. She goes on to discuss the evidence demonstrating mortality across occupaitonal groups by age, race and ethnicity, and gender and the public health relevance.

Participants will be able to:

  1. Examine the impact of COVID-19 on mortality across occupational groups in New York City.
  2. Describe mortality across occupational groups during the COVID-19 pandemic study period.
  3. Describe the evidence demonstrating disproportionate mortality across occupational groups by age, race/ethnicity, and gender.
Public Health Law in the 21st Century: Exploring Authority, Equity, and Advocacy

Course Objectives

  • Describe how law serves as a foundation for public health practice.
  • Provide examples of how law serves as a social determinant of health.
  • Identify efforts to limit or diminish public health authority and how these efforts impact public health outcomes.
  • Provide examples of how law can be used to advance health and racial equity.
  • Highlight activities under way to strengthen public health advocacy at the local, state, and national levels.

Date: April 4, 2023

Presenter:
Montrece Ransom, JD, MPH, ACC
Director, National Coordinating Center for Public Health Training 

Dawn Hunter, JD, MPH
Director, Southwestern Regional Network for Public Health Law


Montrece Ransom, JD, MPH and Dawn Hunter, JD, MPH present on public health law fundamentals. The presenters begin by explaining the basics of law in the United States and how it realtes to public health. They then discuss landmark supreme court cases and changes to public health authority since the COVID-19 pandemic. The presenters go on to discuss law as a tool for equity and racism as a public health crisis. Finally, the presenters explain how law can be used as a tool for public health practice.

Participants will be able to:

  • Describe how law serves as a foundation for public health practice.
  • Provide examples of how law serves as a social determinant of health
  • Identify efforts to limit or diminish public health authority and how these efforts impact public health outcomes.
  • Provide examples of how law can be used to advance health and racial equity.
  • Highlight activities under way to strengthen public health advocacy at the local, state, and national levels.
The Science of Trust: Implications for Public Health Research and Practice

Course Objective

  • List key determinants of trust and trustworthiness at the community, population, and patient levels
  • Discuss the impact of trust and mistrust on behavioral and social outcomes as related to a variety of health topics
  • Describe implications of “the science of trust” for public health research and practice

Date: March 7, 2023

Presenter:
Renata Schiavo, PhD, MA, CCL
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health


Renata Schiavo presents on the importance of trust in public health research and practice. She begins by defining “trust” and explaining the importance of gaining trust among communities. Schiavo goes on to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted trust and presents commonly used models of trust. “The science of trust” is then explained by the interconnected nature of biological, social, political and environmental factors, and a new model of trust is presented. Schiavo ends by suggesting implications for practice and next steps

Participants will learn about trust in public health research and practice from Renata Schiavo, PhD, MA, CCL, from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.Participants will be able to:-List key determinants of trust and trustworthiness at the community, population, and patient levels-Discuss the impact of trust and mistrust on behavioral and social outcomes as related to a variety of health topics-Describe implications of “the science of trust” for public health research and practiceRecommended Reading:-Renata Schiavo (2022) The ‘Science of Trust’: moving the field forward, Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 15:2, 75-77, DOI: 10.1080/17538068.2022.2089611https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17538068.2022.2089611-Renata Schiavo (Moderator and Roundtable Chair/Organizer), Gil Eyal (Participant), Rafael Obregon (Participant), Sandra C. Quinn (Participant), Helen Riess (Participant) & Nikita Boston-Fisher (Co-Organizer) (2022) The science of trust: future directions, research gaps, and implications for health and risk communication, Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 15:4, 245-259, DOI: 10.1080/17538068.2022.2121199https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17538068.2022.2121199

 

This program has been approved for 1.0 Category I Continuing Education Credit for CHES/MCHES by the Rutgers School of Public Health. The Rutgers School of Public Health is a certified CHES/MCHES provider by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

This program has been approved for 1.0 Certified in Public Health (CPH) credit by the Region 2 Public Health Training Center. The Region 2 Public Health Training Center is a certified CPH provider by the National Board of Public Health Examiners.

Monkeypox: Epidemiology, Clinical Features, Challenges and Opportunities

Course Objective

  • List key epidemiological features of the Monkeypox 2022 Outbreak
  • Describe stigma and disparities in relation to Monkeypox
  • Describe lessons learned from HIV and COVID-19 that should inform the monkeypox response

Date: October 4th, 2022

Presenter:
Wafaa M. El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA
Executive Vice President, Columbia Global
University Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine at Columbia University
Director of ICAP at Columbia University


In this month’s Log-in2Learn, Dr. Wafaa M. El-Sadr, Executive Vice President at Columbia Global, University Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine at Columbia University, and Director of ICAP at Columbia University, presents an update on the current Monkeypox outbreak. She begins by explaining the Monkeypox virus and the epidemiology of the current 2022 outbreak. She then explains its clinical characteristics, along with current vaccinations and treatment. Finally, Dr. El-Sadr discusses stigma and disparities surrounding Monkeypox, as well as lessons from HIV and COVID-19 that can inform the Monkeypox response.

Participants will be able to:

  1. List key epidemiological features of the Monkeypox 2022 Outbreak
  2. Describe stigma and disparities in relation to Monkeypox
  3. Describe lessons learned from HIV and COVID-19 that should inform the monkeypox response
Promoting Equity in Public Health and the Role of Change Management

Course Objective

  • Define key concepts that contribute to health equity in society: justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
  • Identify the impact of health equity for vulnerable populations
  • Clarify the role of public health leaders in creating greater health equity
  • Establish links between change management and making improvements in health equity
  • Assess the status of health equity in a local community
  • Gather diverse perspectives about factors that affect the health of vulnerable populations
  • Identify ways to communicate about challenges and opportunities for public health equity

Date: June 30th, 2022

Subject Matter Expert: 
Emil J. Sadloch
President, Sadloch Development Associates
Instructor for Rutgers University’s Executive and Professional Education, School of Public Health, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences


This training is the fourth module in the Strategic Skills Training Series focused on Change Management for Public Health Professionals developed by Region 2 Public Health Training Center. This learning module will look at health equity from a “change management” perspective. Specifically, this module will provide learners with insights about how awareness of various concepts can support local public health efforts to take action and move forward on the road to achieving health equity. Learners will be exposed to valuable content about topics linked to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and see how to facilitate change in a typical public health setting using a case study approach set in the fictitious Tycho County.

Learners will be able to:

  1. Define key concepts that contribute to health equity in society: justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
  2. Identify the impact of health equity for vulnerable populations
  3. Clarify the role of public health leaders in creating greater health equity
  4. Establish links between change management and making improvements in health equity
  5. Assess the status of health equity in a local community
  6. Gather diverse perspectives about factors that affect the health of vulnerable populations
  7. Identify ways to communicate about challenges and opportunities for public health equity
Improving Well-Being of Low Wage Food Workers: What Role for State and Local Governments?

Course Objective

  • Identify key threats to the well-being of low-wage food workers
  • Describe the role of policy and programs related to low-wage workers across sectors in reducing or increasing health and other inequities
  • Describe current responsibilities of state and local health departments and other public agencies in protecting the well-being of food workers
  • Identify at least three examples of policy or program initiatives that state and local health departments can undertake to improve the well-being and life chances of low-wage food workers
  • Describe one specific action your agency can take in the coming year to better protect the health of low-wage food workers

Date: June 30th, 2022

Subject Matter Experts:
Nicholas Freudenberg, DrPH, MPH
Distinguished Professor of Public Health, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy
Director, CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute

Emilia Vignola,
PhD candidate, CUNY School of Public Health

Luis Saavedra,
Research Associate, CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute


Ensuring and maintaining our nation’s food supply is the responsibility of approximately 19.7 million workers. The U.S. food system – including production, processing, distribution, retail, and service – relies on these workers to ensure the dietary needs of every American. Despite their critical role in our society, food workers are paid some of the lowest wages in the entire workforce, have limited access to benefits, and have high rates of occupational morbidity and mortality. As public health professionals, promoting the health and well-being of low-wage food workers is part of our responsibility to meet key public health goals, including protecting food safety, reducing food insecurity and hunger, preventing occupational illnesses and injuries, and reducing the income inequality that is the fundamental driver of health inequities. In essence, threats to low-wage food workers are threats to us all.

Learners will be able to:

  1. Identify key threats to the well-being of low-wage food workers
  2. Describe the role of policy and programs related to low-wage workers across sectors in reducing or increasing health and other inequities
  3. Describe current responsibilities of state and local health departments and other public agencies in protecting the well-being of food workers
  4. Identify at least three examples of policy or program initiatives that state and local health departments can undertake to improve the well-being and life chances of low-wage food workers
  5. Describe one specific action your agency can take in the coming year to better protect the health of low-wage food workers
How to Recruit, Hire, Monitor and Train Community Health Workers: Guide for Local Health Departments

Course Objective

  • Describe the unique attributes of community health workers (CHWs)
  • List the core roles and competencies of CHWs
  • Define the importance of CHWs in driving public health improvements
  • Discuss ideas for integrating CHWs into public health departments

Date: June 30th, 2022

Subject Matter Expert:
Saehee Lee, MPH, CHES
Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health


This course developed by the Region 2 Public Health Training Center (PHTC) aims to describe the integral role that community health workers (CHWs) can play in public health departments. After illustrating their unique attributes and core roles, the course goes on to discuss ideas for integration into public health departments. The module is designed for local health departments, population and community health organizations, and other relevant organizations.

Learners will be able to:

  1. Describe the unique attributes of community health workers (CHWs)
  2. List the core roles and competencies of CHWs
  3. Define the importance of CHWs in driving public health improvements
  4. Discuss ideas for integrating CHWs into public health departments
Commercial Determinants of Health : A New Framework for Improving Population Health and Reducing Health Inequities

Course Objective

  • Define commercial determinants  of health and explain the historical origins of this concept
  • Identify the  potential and limitations of the commercial determinants of health framework for development of more effective strategies to improve population health and reduce health inequities
  • Discuss key current needs for research, education  and practice on commercial determinants of health

Date: May 3rd, 2022

Presenter:
Nicholas Freudenberg, DrPH
Distinguished Professor of Public Health
CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy
Senior Faculty Fellow, CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute


In this month’s Log-in2Learn, Dr. Nicholas Freudenberg presents how the commercial determinants of health framework can help reduce health inequities, guided by the belief that another world is possible. He starts by defining commercial determinants of health and reviewing the cascade of public health crises that have happened in the 21st century. He goes over a framework that attributes this cascade and increases in stratification, inequality, and inequity to changes in 6 characteristics of capitalism. He then reviews the importance of changing corporate practices and political and economic structures that harm health, and lists key ideas and strategies that can help tackle that change. He finishes by providing specific examples of how public health professionals can build more alliances and move practice beyond business as usual, and answers questions from attendees.

Participants will be able t0:

  1. Define commercial determinants of health and explain the historical origins of this concept
  2. Identify the potential and limitations of the commercial determinants of health framework for development of more effective strategies to improve population health and reduce health inequities
  3. Discuss key current needs for research, education and practice on commercial determinants of health
Region 2 Public Health Training Center