Tag: racism

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.
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For NYS Employee

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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.
A public health perspective on dismantling systemic racism: What role for health departments?

Course Objective

  • Explain why state and local health departments have the opportunity, mandate, capacity and imperative to take action to dismantle elements of systemic racism that harm health
  • Give examples of specific actions health departments can take to interrupt pathways by which racially disparate access to healthy food, criminal justice policies, and educational policies contribute to the health burdens of Black, Latinx, indigenous, and other populations of color.
  • Identify one or more ways that they can take action now within their institution to strengthen its actions designed to dismantle systemic racism
Begin Module
For NYS Employee

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Date: September 1, 2020

Presenters
Nicholas Freudenberg, DrPH, MPH

Erinn Bacchus, MPH

Craig Willingham, MPH

City University of New York Urban Food Policy Institute

In this month’s Log-in2Learn, participants learn about three distinct approaches to address the intersections between public health and systemic racism in the United States. Dr. Nicholas Freudenburg, DrPH, MPH, discusses the relationship between the key determinants of health and racism and the need to end the inequitable provisions of education, housing and healthcare by creating communities of opportunity. Errin Bachhus, MPH, addresses racism in the criminal justice system and the role of public health organizations. In light of recent incidents of police brutality, she highlights the need to reevaluate the role of police departments and the best ways for health departments to intervene through programs and policy. Craig Willingham, MPH, examines how food policy can be crucial in increasing racial equity. He reviews the Good Food Purchasing Program and other city-wide efforts and shares how they can be targeted at minority groups to help alleviate inequities. Lastly, the speakers suggest a to-do list for public health organizations to actively make changes to current structures, provide creative examples to inspire action and recommend books to further broaden perspectives.

Participants will be able to:

  1. Explain why state and local health departments have the opportunity, mandate, capacity and imperative to take action to dismantle elements of systemic racism that harm health
  2. Give examples of specific actions health departments can take to interrupt pathways by which racially disparate access to healthy food, criminal justice policies, and educational policies contribute to the health burdens of Black, Latinx, indigenous, and other populations of color.
  3. Identify one or more ways that they can take action now within their institution to strengthen its actions designed to dismantle systemic racism.
Region 2 Public Health Training Center