We Are All Public Health: PHI's 2022 Annual Report

If there is one thing we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that public health is all around us. It is part of our daily lives. It is in the actions that we take, big and small, in seeing and caring for each other. Whether we have a crisis or not; we need a strong public health system. And every one of us—from teachers to farmworkers, church deacons to community leaders—is a critical part of public health infrastructure.??

In our 2022 annual report, we share some of the unique roles we each play in making public health stronger, reach farther and connect better.?When funding, goals and power are shared, public health is liberating and inclusive—especially to communities already abundant with the creativity, expertise and trust they need to build health and justice in their neighborhoods. As one of the largest nonprofit public health organizations in the country, the Public Health Institute has a mandate to use our resources and reach to connect across all areas of public health: sharing power, creating access, connecting new partners and contributing research. Working together, more funders can participate in “trust-based” giving to communities; together, we can gain more recognition for the Promotoras and community health workers who serve as vital connectors in their neighborhoods; together, we can ensure more resources for all of public health, including governmental public health, so we can each focus on what we do best.?

When we are all public health, a healthier, more equitable world is within our reach. Read the report?→

Each and every one of us plays an essential role in building a more just, healthy, and thriving world. Every day this week, PHI will be exploring?how these interwoven roles make up the fabric of public health?with insights from?our 2022 Annual Report. Today we focus on government.

Government is Public Health.

When many of us think about public health, the first thing we think of is the federal, state and local public health departments. From labs to research, resources to policies, governmental public health plays a topline decision-making role in how we address health issues, emerging crises?and the root causes of health.?PHI partners with governmental public health: extending their reach into communities; accessing our networks to share information and expertise; and getting funding out the door quickly and effectively. See examples of our impact below, and explore the annual report to learn more?→

Bringing Racial Equity Tools to SNAP-Ed

PHI’s Center for Wellness and Nutrition partnered with the USDA to ensure a racial equity lens is used in SNAP-Ed nutrition education programming and evaluation activities, to more equitably and better serve the unique needs of diverse low-resourced communities. Recommendations from their assessment included disaggregating data, diversifying the workforce, and compensating community engagement.

?“The eyes with which we see the cancer problem"

Through the National Cancer Institute and in partnership with the State of California, PHI oversees the Cancer Registry of Greater California?(CRGC), which captures and tracks more than 100k cancer cases every year. One of the largest and most diverse registries, CRGC includes data from particular cancer populations, such as Hmong, LGBTQ+ and Pacific Islanders,?that are often unavailable in other cancer repositories.?In 2022, this meant identifying that LGBTQ+ patients have higher rates of breast cancer mortality, and recommending MRI screenings for women at high risk of cancer. The largest research study to ever examine disparities in prostate cancer among African American men is currently underway.

Valuing the Contributions of CHWs

PHI’s Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP) advocated for a new statewide Medi-Cal reimbursement policy, through the California Department of Health Care Service’s Asthma Preventive Services benefit, that covers asthma education and home environmental asthma trigger assessments conducted by community health workers (CHWs), Promotoras and other non-licensed professionals. Promotoras provide home visits and custom mitigation plans, bridging causes of health disparities. The community health workers build their capacity to improve asthma management through trainings and capacity building from RAMP.?

Support for LHDs to Address Climate Change & Equity

With climate-related disasters increasing, we need substantial sustained investment of state and federal funds focused on expanding the capacity of local health departments (LHDs) to effectively address the intersection of climate change, health, and equity, says?Local Health Departments and Subject Matter Experts Address Climate Change Readiness in California: Findings and Recommendations, developed by PHI’s Public Health Alliance of Southern California and partners.?

Building a Global Health Workforce

Credence Management Solutions and PHI implement the Global Health Technical Professionals (GHTP), a project of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Technical professionals at all career stages work in D.C. and around the world to augment the Agency’s programs. They support USAID offices, teams and working groups by bolstering technical leadership, accelerating innovation, increasing science and technology capabilities, strengthening local capacities and promoting gender equality. And through the PHI/CDC Global Health Fellowship Program, emerging public health professionals have the opportunity to build their capacity and skills in global public health and receive hands-on, experiential training to support this important work. The top three fellowship career paths for alumni were: working for the CDC; pursuing higher academic training (PhD, MD), and working for state public health departments.

Help Spread the Word

• Explore the full report?→
• Share on Facebook →
• Send a tweet:?From labs to research, resources to policies, gov't plays a key role in how we address health issues, emerging crises & root causes. Learn more in "We Are All Public Health," @PHIdotorg's 2022 Annual Report, showcasing the unique roles of different sectors: https://ctt.ec/dE01T+?→