A new statewide policy, training, and research collaboration in California is seeking to amplify the voice of schools and programs of public health in partnership with communities disproportionately impacted by health disparities in order to build a common agenda: to grow a workforce dedicated to advancing health equity.
Launched late last year, the California Alliance of Academics and Communities for Public Health Equity unites researchers at more than 30 California colleges and universities with community healthcare organizations that are already working to promote better health in both the state’s rural and urban centers. It is housed at the Public Health Institute, and funded by The California Endowment, The California Wellness Foundation, the California Health Care Foundation, and the Blue Shield of California Foundation.
Here is the background history as described on the organization’s website: In 2016, the University of California, Berkeley, together with statewide schools and programs of public health, convened Deans, Directors, and Chairs to build the California Schools and Programs of Public Health Network (CA-SPPH). With the support of the Public Health Institute and its funders and partners, CA-SPPH came together in 2022 to develop a statewide learning network called the California Alliance of Schools and Programs of Public Health (Cal-SPPH Alliance), focused on addressing the needs and interests of communities most impacted by health inequities.
Cal-SPPH Alliance quickly recognized the importance of collaborating with government public health and community-based organizations to more effectively and symbiotically advance health equity on the ground. With a mandate to ensure that Cal-SPPH Alliance authentically responds to the priorities of underserved communities, it began launching relationships with public health departments and community organizations statewide.
In January 2023, Cal-SPPH Alliance was re-named the California Alliance of Academics and Communities for Public Health Equity to better align with its collective mission and values. It is currently developing a community advisory board and building out a sum-greater-than-parts hub of effective advocacy and action by leveraging the power and resources of its growing network of members and partners.
Researchers want to increase diversity in California’s public health workforce and to train students to fight the impact of racism on health. They also want it to function as an engine for policy change on many issues, including environmental justice, domestic violence, gun violence, and the intersecting crises of homelessness, hunger, and discrimination.
“We’re doing something that hasn’t been done before in the U.S.,” said Michael Rodriguez, M.D., M.P.H., executive director of the Alliance, in a statement. “This is about building those bridges between the silos that have historically existed, so we can work together on a common policy agenda.”
The Alliance is also pushing for loan forgiveness for public health students and will soon launch the Community Action Fund, a new grant program to pay for community-based organizations in California to partner with faculty and students from the state’s public health schools and programs.
