Public Health Institute

PHI is doing a study to learn more about how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities feel about their health care and the doctors or nurses who help them. If you are living with disabilities or a family member or caregiver of a person with disabilities, please take this survey to share your experiences with health care. This information will be used to create a tool for doctors and nurses to check how inclusive and helpful their services and offices are for people with disabilities. Learn more:

Earlier this month, PHI's Build Healthy Places Network hosted their Network Commons virtual conversation: "Self-Determination and Community Investment: How Native Leaders and Multi-Sector Partners are Investing in Health while Strengthening Self-Determination."?The live conversation, which aired on November 18, 2024, delved into how partners can cultivate trust with Tribal and Native organizations, ensuring that efforts are rooted in the principles of Native self-determination. Watch a recording from the event:

Indigenous-led environmental planning can help build more inclusive, just and sustainable communities. The?Clan Mothers Healing Village--an Indigenous-led development in Manitoba that engages and supports women and two-spirit individuals who have survived trafficking and sexual violence--provides an example of what this can mean in practice for communities and urban developers. From the beginning of the project, the Clan Mothers lead every step of the development process--ensuring that everything from design to execution reflects Indigenous principles. The physical layout of the village promotes accessibility and safety, both psychological and physical. It celebrates Indigenous culture and a deep connection to the land. By honoring Indigenous communities’ wisdom and sovereignty, the Clan Mothers Healing Village is helping to promote equity, reconciliation and healing:

Across the country, school gardening programs are growing in popularity. Now, a new study shows that hands-on food education can improve children’s eating habits in underserved communities--demonstrating that “kids that grow their own food and cook with their own foods are much more likely to be willing to try it," according to Jaimie Davis, lead researcher from University of Texas.

Millions of Americans say they have been harmed by a loved one’s drug or alcohol use, finds a recent study from PHI's Alcohol Research Group (ARG). One in 3 adults who responded to a nationwide survey said they had suffered “secondhand harm” from another person’s drinking, and more than 1 in 10 said they had been harmed by a loved one’s drug use. "There are more harms than people think," explains study co-author Dr. William Kerr. "They affect families, relationships and communities."

In an interview with the LA Times, PHI's Dana Sherrod, Co-Founder & Executive Director of PHI’s California Coalition for Black Birth Justice discusses the importance of including and addressing systemic racism in California's plan to improve inequities in Black maternal mortality rates. “When all things are equal when we look at protective factors — education level, healthy weight, marital status — they aren’t as protective for Black women,” Sherrod said.

A new webinar series from PHI’s Lotus Project will address domestic violence among Asian American & Asian immigrant (AAAI) communities. Join The Lotus Project on Tuesday, December 10 from 12-1:30pm PT for the first webinar in the series, focusing on the background, current issues, and unique challenges of domestic violence and service access experienced within AAAI communities. Speakers will also explore how different forms of domestic violence impact the physical and mental health of AAAI children and families and what can be done to prevent, support, and advocate around this issue. This webinar will set the foundation for later webinars in the series on clinical interventions and community programs for victims of domestic violence. Learn more and register:

PHI's Build Healthy Places Network has announced the awardees of their Community Innovations for Racial Equity (CIRE) initiative, a program aimed at tackling structural racism and health inequities in disinvested communities. Supported by a generous grant from the Kresge Foundation, these five community development organizations, led by and serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, have demonstrated a strong commitment to community-led strategies and racial equity. Each organization will receive a $50,000 grant. "We are so excited to partner with these incredible organizations that are leading the way in community-driven solutions for racial equity. Through the CIRE initiative, we aim to amplify their impact and foster a collaborative learning environment that will benefit communities across the nation," said PHI's Kevin O. Leacock, Program Manager, Build Healthy Places Network.

Join PHI’s Pacific ADA Center on Thursday, December 12 at noon PT to discuss how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects your rights to effective communication. Learn about the ADA and your civil rights as a person with a disability. Registration for this session will close December 11 at 3pm PT.

Today at 12pm PT—join PHI's Tracking California to explore three of their powerful GIS-based tools—the Data Explorer, the Traffic Tool, and the Pesticide Mapping Tool—designed to help Californians navigate complex environmental health data at the state and local levels. This webinar will explore?how practitioners and advocates can leverage these?tools to track environmental hazards and related health outcomes, helping to equip participants?with?skills to make data-driven decisions.