A Web-Based Course for the Public Health Workforce

A Web-Based Course for the Public Health Workforce

THIS COURSE CONSIDERS the root causes of inequity in the distribution of illness, disease, and death. The course, based on a social justice framework, is a conceptual introduction to ground public health practitioners in concepts and strategies for taking action in everyday practice. EACH MODULE EXPLORES a particular concept or aspect of public health practice related to health equity and social justice. The course answers questions such as the following: What can public health do about the unequal structuring of life chances beyond repairing the consequences of poor health outcomes? Where does public health begin to act on root causes? How can public health respond to daunting social injustices such as racism, class oppression, and gender inequity? How can public health broaden its mandate to act on root causes, given barriers and political pressures? MAJOR THEMES Public health has a legitimate role and responsibility in acting on root causes of health inequity. Social and economic inequality is bad for health. Successful strategies require a challenge to the processes, structures, and rules that generate negative social and economic conditions. Health inequity is about social injustice, derived from systematic imbalances in political power, not accidents of history, nature, bad luck, or individual failure. Achieving health equity requires a form of practice beyond remediation and treating the consequences of inequity. Today s public health practice has evolved as the result of political struggle over time. Major increases in life expectancy result primarily from social change. Health inequalities are not fixed or inevitable. The public health workforce can work more effectively with community residents by sharing knowledge and power. 2 The Roots of Health Inequity: A Web-Based Course for the Public Health Workforce

COURSE UNITS WHERE DO WE START? Assess the relationship between internal capacity building and authentic community engagement, reflect on the impact of political pressures, and explore possibilities. PERSPECTIVES Consider how mental models or frames influence practice. Consider how values, assumptions, and interests impact public health work and the capacity for tackling health inequity effectively. ROOT CAUSES Examine the importance of class structure, racism, and gender inequity on tackling health inequities. THE EVOLVING ROLE OF PUBLIC HEALTH Explore the transformation of public health over the last 150 years, the forces that influenced its advances and limits, and the implications for contemporary transformation to address health inequity. SOCIAL JUSTICE Explore the principles of social justice and ways to influence the institutions and agencies that generate health inequity. Photo credit: Jeff Turner, 2007 The Roots of Health Inequity: A Web-Based Course for the Public Health Workforce 3

FEATURES Animated presentation on class structure Geographic storytelling: Racism and Hurricane Katrina Interactive timeline of the history of public health Multimedia presentation: A Neighborhood Fights Back The story of the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant in West Harlem. A map of West Harlem depicting poverty, race, asthma rates, and the location of polluting sites. Related resources: A variety of selected reference materials, including books, articles, reports, images, websites, and videos. 4 The Roots of Health Inequity: A Web-Based Course for the Public Health Workforce

Voices from the field: Public health practitioners discuss their experiences in tackling health inequity. Discussion forums: Create customizable online communities. Observe and track other people s comments and contributions; add your own comments. Upload documents, share links and original content, and join in and initiate discussions. Create custom notifications and landing pages for learning groups and the Commons to facilitate dialogue, collaboration, and social networking. Opportunities to engage with social media. The Roots of Health Inequity: A Web-Based Course for the Public Health Workforce 5

BENEFITS FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION Learn critical concepts in the field of health equity. Reflect on social processes that continually produce health inequity. Identify strategies for acting on root causes and transforming practice. BENEFITS FOR THE LEARNER Work within groups or independently. Identify colleagues committed to working for health equity. Share ideas and experience with colleagues. Self-paced course. USING THE COURSE Visit www.rootsofhealthinequity.org to create a user name and password. Continuing education for Where Do We Start? is pending. See the website for details. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center s Commission on Accreditation. Organizations can work with NACCHO to establish team leaders for organizations that would like to take the course as a group. Participants will learn approaches for effectively using the course. 6 The Roots of Health Inequity: A Web-Based Course for the Public Health Workforce

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS NACCHO STAFF Richard Hofrichter, Senior Director Mikhaila Richards, Senior Program Analyst Ashley Bowen, Program Analyst Sarah McHugh, Intern Elena Pearl, Senior Web Specialist Gulzar Shah, Senior Research Scientist ADVISORS AND CONSULTANTS Francesco Aimone, Public Health Historian, Chicago, IL Jean Cheng, Web project management and design, Albany, CA John Cheng, American History Historian, Chicago, IL Maureen Dilg Bullen, Photo Consultant Interactive Knowledge, Interactive Website Designer, Charlotte, NC Phyllis Jask, Copyeditor, Fairfax, VA Vincent Lafronza, President, Institute for Public Health Innovation, Washington, DC Vernice Miller-Travis, Vice Chair, Maryland State Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities Faith Rogow, President, Insighters Educational Consulting, Ithaca, NY Shannon Sullivan, President, MeltdownFreeMedia Makani Themba-Nixon, Director, The Praxis Project, Washington, DC Frances Varela, President, The Varela Group, Albuquerque, NM Nina Wallerstein, Professor, Master of Public Health Program, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico Sheryl Walton, Director, Walton & Associates, Oakland, CA Richard Wolff, Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst SPECIAL THANKS Doak Bloss, Health Equity Coordinator, Ingham County (MI) Health Department Irene Dankwa-Mullen, Program Officer, Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health Linda Rae Murray, Chief Medical Officer, Cook County (IL) Health Department NACCHO Cross-Cutting Health Equity and Social Justice Team NACCHO Health Equity and Social Justice Committee NACCHO Workgroup for the LHD National Coalition for Health Equity Kyu Rhee, former Public Health Officer, Health Resources and Services Administration Umair Shah, Deputy Director, Harris County (TX) Public Health Department Najeebah Shine, Director of Community Health Services, Cuyahoga County (OH) Board of Health Noelle Wiggins, Founder and Manager, Community Capacitation Center, Multnomah County (OR) Health Department This project was made possible through support from the National Institutes of Health. Support was also received from the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NACCHO is grateful for this support. The Roots of Health Inequity: A Web-Based Course for the Public Health Workforce 7

June 2011 The mission of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) is to be a leader, partner, catalyst, and voice for local health departments in order to ensure the conditions that promote health and equity, combat disease, and improve the quality and length of all lives. 1100 17th St, NW, 7th Floor Washington, DC 20036 P 202-783-5550 F 202-783-1583 2011. National Association of County and City Health Officials.