ChangeLab Solutions

On Thursday, February 27, at 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern, we’re kicking off our new Accelerating Policy Change series with our webinar The Power of Local & State Solutions. We’ll discuss the advantages of local and state policy solutions, detailing why local governments often serve as laboratories for policy change. Our panel of community leaders will share inspiring stories of local policy successes and examine fundamental concepts such as preemption and community engagement, to support you in implementing effective health policies in your own community. Register here: https://lnkd.in/g9zWeYUn At ChangeLab Solutions, we believe that collective action to reduce health disparities can be extremely successful when it begins at the local level; that’s why we’re focusing this series on community-led solutions. The Accelerating Policy Change series brings together leaders and changemakers from local government, public health agencies, and community-based organizations to address pressing health challenges. In-person and online events will provide engaging and interactive opportunities to share knowledge, tools, and strategies for policy change at the local level. We hope you’ll join us! #APCseries #LocalGov

Tomorrow, University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) is hosting Bridging the Gap: Health Justice and Exclusionary School Discipline. You can join the event online to learn about the research, structural interventions, and policy reform specific to exclusionary school discipline’s implications for health equity. Alexis Etow and Cesar De La Vega of ChangeLab Solutions will be participating in the panel on Current Health Justice Collaborations and Identifying New Interventions to Eliminate Exposure to Exclusionary School Discipline. Don’t miss it! Register here: https://lnkd.in/gS2-PAtV

Recent federal executive orders are sowing uncertainty for public health practitioners at all levels of government. These orders, along with other federal activities, could influence public health practice in a range of ways, changing government agency operations and affecting the health of communities across the United States. ChangeLab Solutions and our partners in Act for Public Health have just released a set of answers to frequently asked questions on executive orders, to help public health officials, policymakers, and community health advocates better understand the effects of recent federal activities. This FAQ resource offers explanations of . . . -         What executive orders are -         How they affect public health practice and agencies -         Some recent federal executive orders that are relevant to public health -         How public health practitioners can respond to executive orders Public health practitioners and policymakers need to stay informed amid the shifting legal landscape brought about by recent federal activities. These answers to FAQs are designed to help public health practitioners navigate these changes and put in place the supports they need to make informed decisions. Read the FAQ: https://lnkd.in/gS-XkRDW #A4PH

We are starting the new year with exciting changes on our board of directors! I am pleased to welcome Alexandra Bhatti JD MPH, Viengkeo Kay Bounkeua, Emily Parento, and Heather A. Walter-McCabe to our team. All of our board members have rich experience in improving community health; they bring perspectives from government and public health, law and policy, and data and analytics. We look forward to the creative leadership that each new member will bring to ChangeLab Solutions. https://lnkd.in/gHpRPzTK

To ensure that health agencies can continue to protect the public’s health and reduce health inequities while also respecting the rights and liberties of all Americans, public health advocates must implement a new court-based strategy, according to a report issued today by the Act for Public Health Partnership — a diverse group of public health professionals including Temple University’s Center for Public Health Law Research, ChangeLab Solutions, the Public Health Law Center at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Public Health Law Watch at Northeastern University School of Law’s Center for Health Policy and Law, and the Network for Public Health Law. Northeastern Law’s Center for Public Health Policy and Law hosted the partnership’s May 2024 convening, which resulted in this report. #NUSLPride https://lnkd.in/gitPhZmR

Lots to do for sustainable food systems in 2025 so we’re kicking things off with special webinar programming for Jan. On 1/16 we’ll zoom out to explore market consolidation in the food & ag sector with USDA Senior Advisor, Andy Green. Then on 1/21 we’ll zoom in & learn about the public health impact of CA’s soda tax from leading #publichealth experts Kristine Madsen & Marice Ashe. Register for these live events today. https://ow.ly/6LEN50UCLX0 #climate

ChangeLab Solutions and the CDC’s Public Health Law Program launched a two-part training series on how public health laws impact social determinants of health and equity. Part 1 covers core topics like health equity and structural discrimination with real-world examples. Part 2 focuses on how health departments can use laws and policies to improve social determinants and close health gaps. https://lnkd.in/etcmU7hS

As 2024 comes to a close, I’m filled with gratitude for ChangeLab Solutions’ community of supporters and partners who helped us advance high-impact, community-centered solutions to systemic health problems. Our team released over 50 trainings, publications, and resources, collaborating with organizations across the country to deliver evidence-based legal and policy tools to support local communities. I’ve invited a few of my colleagues to share their favorite publications of the year. Take a look at their top projects! https://lnkd.in/g3RRA5Td #HealthEquity #PublicHealth #FoodJustice

Looking to advance health equity and create thriving communities? Check out "From Start to Finish: Health in All Policies" by ChangeLab Solutions. This guide offers actionable steps to integrate health equity into policy-making across sectors. Whether you're a policymaker, advocate, or community leader, this resource is packed with strategies to create healthier, more equitable environments for everyone. Explore it here: https://lnkd.in/eFHqWzYz #HealthEquity #PolicyChange #HealthyCommunities Thanks to the ChangeLab Solutions team for developing this awesome resource and shout out to Greg Miao for getting this on my radar! 

As the end of the year brings leadership changes to ChangeLab Solutions’ board of directors, I offer tremendous gratitude to Oxiris Barbot, Adolph P. Falcón, Audrey Tayse Haynes, and Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP for their excellent guidance over the past many years. I invite you to read more about their contributions in service of ChangeLab’s mission: https://lnkd.in/gXTUnjeq