Other Events, Opportunities and Resources

  EVENTS

Bullitt History of Medicine Club presents, “Narrative Medicine as an Ancient Practice”

October 1; hybrid: Roper 4302 (UNC-Chapel Hill) and Zoom

In this talk Janet Downey will look at three idiosyncratic examples of medical narrative from the ancient Greek and Roman worlds: a letter exchange filled with details of the correspondents’ aches and pains; a personal diary of illness and divine healing; and a funerary inscription in which a father and mother record the details of their child’s fatal illness. These ancient medical texts – all intended for publication – challenge modern readers to think about the relationship between illness and aesthetics. New directions in narrative medicine (Y. Liatsos; cf. A. Kleinman, R. Charon) offer some possible avenues of interpretation, with their emphasis on aesthetic practices of close-reading and slow-looking, and on narrative process rather than interpretive closure.

Register for Narrative Medicine as an Ancient Practice.

12th Annual VCBH Conference: Tobacco Use: Intersections with Other Addictions, Chronic Disease, and Health Disparities

October 2-4

Learn more about the conference.

Learn more about the VCBH Lecture Series.

Talking Data Equity series

October 4; October 25; online

Talking Data Equity is a series of weekly drop-in conversations addressing questions with people who are working on operationalizing data equity. Hosted by We All Count.

As a community, we share our experiences going from wanting to embed equity in your data work to actually feeling competent doing so.

Feel free to join every week or occasionally and stay as long as you like. There are opportunities to ask questions live from experts and beginners alike.

• October 4:   Robyn Autry will join us as a special guest to discuss the implications of the new US government data policies on ethnicity and race.
• October 25: Special guest  Dr. Clare Evans joins us to share their work on new methods of accounting for intersectionality in data analysis.

Register for Talking Data Equity sessions.

Immigration, Disability and Sexual Orientation: An Intersectional Analysis of Contacts to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 2016-2021

October 9; online

Part of the Connect, Empower, Prevent: IVP Webinar Series, hosted by the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center.

Register for Immigration, Disability and Sexual Orientation.

Advancing Trust in Science: Institutional Obligations to Promote Research Integrity

October 10; hybrid: Widener Lecture Hall (UPenn) and Zoom

How should institutional stakeholders – including universities and publishers – address concerns about research misconduct, from prevention to response? How should institutions build and maintain a culture of scientific integrity? When problems arise, how should they ensure procedural protections for those accused of misconduct, protect accusers from retaliation, conduct comprehensive investigations, facilitate rapid resolution, and promote transparency? Should responses differ when institutional leaders are accused of misconduct or when misconduct arises outside the health sciences?

This symposium, which will be published in an open access special issue of the Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics in Spring 2025, will present commentaries on these issues and others from leading experts in ethics and law, those with experience identifying research misconduct, and those sharing relevant stakeholder perspectives, including researchers, academic leadership, and journal editors and publishers.

Learn more and register for Advancing Trust in Science.

Saving Lives: Establishing Reproductive Justice a Matter of Health Equity

October 15; online

Every day, people encounter life-threatening situations related to pregnancy, childbirth, and contraception that severely impact their health, including ectopic pregnancies, harmful birthing practices, and unsafe abortions. The politically charged nature of reproductive health exacerbates these risks due to policies and systemic barriers that restrict access to quality care, insurance, contraception, and abortions, especially for marginalized communities.

This webinar will bring together voices from reproductive health – advocates, practitioners, and scholars – to share their insights on reproductive health challenges and the importance of enshrining reproductive justice in policies for the advancement of health equity. Speakers will discuss ways that organizations across sectors can effectively collaborate to develop, implement, or champion reproductive justice policies in pursuit of improving health outcomes for all. Additionally, the discussion will highlight the significance of health outcome data in measuring the impact of these policies and how this data can be leveraged to advance health equity in the current political climate.

Hosted by Partners for Advancing Health Equity.

Register for Saving Lives.

Collecting REaL, SOGI and SDOH Data

October 15; online

Garbage in, garbage out. Data drives decisions and lack of data, dirty data, or inadequate data result in poor decision-making. As organizations continue to seek meaningful change for their employees, customers, and patients it is critical that sociodemographic data is captured in a standardized, consistent, and accurate manner. Collection of REaL (Race, Ethnicity, and Language), SOGI (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identify) and SDOH (social drivers of health) data can prove challenging. Learn evidence based strategies to overcome objections to collecting this critical data.

Register for Collecting REaL, SOGI and SDOH Data.

October 2024 Jam Session (Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity)

October 16; online

CHE at Johns Hopkins offers monthly Health Equity Jam Sessions on the second Wednesday of each month, from September to May. Jam Sessions offer opportunities for colleagues and community members to engage with one another in an informal setting. The goal of these Jam Sessions is to provide a supportive forum to discuss research ideas, proposals, research-in-progress, responses to peer review, career development, collaborations, and opportunities to be inspired and energized by each other.

Register for upcoming Jam Sessions.

Brown School Professional Development Summit: Policy and Equity: Collaborative Frameworks for Inclusive Change

October 18 & 19; St. Louis, MO

Take your policy skills from advocate to leader in this practical, hands-on weekend professional development summit. Dive into interactive courses designed to empower you to become a powerful storyteller, analytical thinker, and savvy communicator who can combine data, evidence, and lived experience to advance innovative policy solutions.

Choose between two specialized tracks: one focusing on advocacy strategies, and the other on data and evidence. You can also mix and match sessions from both tracks to customize your experience. Up to 12 CE/CPH units are available for those requesting continuing education units based on course attendance during the summit.

All participants will receive a Brown School Certificate in Policy and Equity: Collaborative Frameworks for Inclusive Change.

Register for Policy and Equity by October 8.

FEATURED Relationship-Driven Rural Research (UNC Rural) (University Research Week)

October 23; online

Relationship-Driven Rural Research session invites the campus community to a panel and Q&A on the importance of relationships in research, particularly as it applies to North Carolina with the 2nd largest rural population in the U.S.

Join us virtually to learn more and ask questions about the research and stories of two rural community-campus partnerships: Helping Rural Pharmacists Overcome Buprenorphine Dispensing Barriers in Martin and Pender Counties; and Our State, Our Work: Re-Engaging Rural Opportunity Youth in 25 Counties.

CLE credit is available for UNC-Chapel Hill students.

Register for Relationship-Driven Rural Research.

Allyship in Practice: Leadership Panel on Learning to be an Ally (AAMC IDEAS)

October 24; online

Building off the foundational practices shared in the first webinar, this webinar features a facilitated panel of experienced allies in academic medicine to share information for those new or experienced in their allyship practice.

Register for Allyship in Practice.

APHA 2024 Annual Meeting & Expo

October 27-30; Minneapolis, MN

APHA’s 2024 Annual Meeting & Expo brings together nearly 13,000 of your peers to network, educate and inspire each other. Registration includes access to the Public Health Expo and all session and events except Learning Institutes, Ticketed Meals and Pre-Conference Workshops. You may purchase these optional events on the registration form. Entry to sessions is on a first-come, first-served basis. You do not need to sign up for individual sessions.

💡 Look for CHER and Abacus colleagues at APHA!

Register for APHA 2024.

  RESOURCES

🧰 Achieving Health Equity

“Why health equity matters and what you can do to help give everyone a fair shot at being as healthy as they can be.

Across the nation, gaps in health are large, persistent and increasing—many of them caused by barriers set up at all levels of our society. After all, it’s hard to be healthy without access to good jobs and schools and, safe, affordable homes. Health equity means increasing opportunities for everyone to live the healthiest life possible, no matter who we are, where we live, or how much money we make.”

Resources from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

🧰 HDPulse Interventions Portal

The Interventions Portal provides access to a repository of interventions and resources that can help researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and communities implement and evaluate evidence-based interventions. The Interventions Portal allows users such as minority health and health disparities researchers, program planners, and intervention developers to submit, find, sort, and download evidence-based interventions and resources.

From the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).

🧰 Health Equity Performance Measures and Toolkit for Community Health Workers

In 2023, NACCHO funded the Center for Public Health Systems (CPHS) at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health to create a toolkit to increase LHDs’ capacity to define, measure, and track progress toward health equity as a part of their performance improvement.

To best inform creation of a useful toolkit, CPHS first conducted an environmental scan in February and March of 2023 of peer-reviewed literature and plans written by public health departments. Next, CPHS held three listening sessions in January and February 2024 with professionals from LHDs across the country. The goal of the listening sessions was to understand LHDs’ working definitions of health equity, their HEPM strategies, and their data sources. Thirdly, much of the content included in this toolkit builds on Measuring What Matters in Public Health, published by NACCHO in 2018. This report provides guidance on building a performance management system, supplemented with templates, worksheets, and stories from the field. We add to this report by focusing specifically on performance measurement (an aspect of performance management) of health equity.

📰 #EquityandData Summer 2024 newsletter

The summer issue of the #EquityandData newsletter is out now, with resources, updates, events and more!

▶️ Health Equity Jam Sessions (Johns Hopkins)

CHE offers monthly Health Equity Jam Sessions on the second Wednesday of each month, from September to May. Jam Sessions offer opportunities for colleagues and community members to engage with one another in an informal setting. The goal of these Jam Sessions is to provide a supportive forum to discuss research ideas, proposals, research-in-progress, responses to peer review, career development, collaborations, and opportunities to be inspired and energized by each other.

2024-2025 schedule coming out soon; share this as a way to catch up and explore.

📃 2nd Annual Heart of America National Poll: The Power of Racial Healing

The National Collaborative for Health Equity (NCHE), in partnership with BSG and the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U), conducted a survey among a nationally representative sample of 1,306 American adults to delve into their experiences of division in our country, their aspirations for overcoming these divisions, and strategies for promoting racial healing.

📰 People, Policy, & Well-Being Update (Urban Institute)

This month marks the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Yet, despite these legal protections, disabled people continue to have inequitable access to jobs, housing, affordable health care, and other key facets of well-being.

To help advance equity and help people with disabilities thrive, the Urban Institute has several suggestions for federal policymakers, agencies, and decisionmakers. These changemakers could develop a more accurate, inclusive way to count disabled people in the US, close the employment and education gap, and more.

🧰 The Health Equity Inventory

The Health Equity Inventory (HEI) is a coordination tool to help institutions and community organizations communicate about their health equity work and form effective partnerships. The HEI gathers information about health equity-related programs, initiatives, strategies, partnerships, and other activities across institutions’ research, clinical, education, and community engagement missions, and identifies opportunities for alignment and efficiency. The HEI was designed, developed, and tested by academic health systems like yours, using REDCap, a software you already know. It’s a central location where your institution can document health equity work and share the information you want with your community partners so you can take action together for your community’s health.

If you’re ready to get started, fill out the interest form via the button below. Once you submit your response, we’ll reach out to schedule an introductory call. In that call, we’ll get to know you, your team, and more about your institution’s health equity work to make sure the HEI is the right fit. We’ll provide more information about the HEI and next steps for gathering the data we need to build the tool for you. Questions? Contact the AAMC Center for Health Justice!

📖 AJPH Supplement focused on RADx-UP

Yesterday, the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) published a special supplement focused on RADx-UP and its prioritization of community-engaged research.

The supplement includes perspective pieces, editorials, and RADx-UP project summaries that emphasize the vital importance of community-engaged research. These articles demonstrate the mutual trust and tangible benefits that arise from authentic partnerships between community organizations and academic health researchers.

📖 Carolina Public Health Spring 2024 (magazine from the UNC Gillings School)

This issue explores how public health and policy work to achieve healthier communities, with emphasis on evidence-informed strategies and community engagement.

from Matthew Chamberlin, editor and Associate Dean for Communications and Marketing:
“What do we mean when we talk about “health policy?” Sometimes we think of policy as a shorthand for legislation, but that is only a part of how successful policies are created and implemented.

In this issue of Carolina Public Health, we aim to share a 360-degree overview of the inner workings of health policy. This is also the first multimedia edition of the magazine, with live links to video content. As always, thank you for your support of the Gillings School.”

📃 AAMC Center for Health Justice letter to the FDA on race and ethnicity data in clinical trials

The AAMC and the AAMC Center for Health Justice submitted a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 3 in response to the agency’s draft guidance for a standardized approach for collecting race and ethnicity data in clinical trials.

In its letter to the FDA, the Center highlighted key areas in the draft guidance that are consistent with the new updates to The White House Office of Management and Budget’s race and ethnicity data standards, as well as areas that should be reevaluated.

🧰 North Carolina School-Based Medicaid Billing Toolkit

This toolkit is designed for any public school, district or charter, in North Carolina looking to increase their Medicaid billing capabilities. By enhancing the capacity to effectively bill Medicaid for services, schools can boost their revenue and provide more mental health support to students.

With more funds, your school can offer additional mental health services, supporting our studentsʼ wellbeing and success.

▶️ Artificial Intelligence and Health Series (NIHCM) (recordings)

The latest webinar in NIHCM’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Health Series provided a comprehensive exploration of the intersection between AI and health equity. Harnessing AI’s full potential to improve health equity requires developing unbiased, comprehensive solutions. Expert speakers discussed:

• Identifying biases in different areas of health care AI algorithms and their role in exacerbating health disparities.
• Emphasizing the importance of keeping humans at the center of AI design, with a focus on community involvement in the development process.
• Strategies to responsibly build AI that ensures equitable health care, along with methods for addressing existing biases.

#Equity and Data Newsletter Spring 2024 Issue

The latest edition of the #EquityandData newsletter is out! This issue focuses on recognizing the importance of data reflecting women’s needs which is crucial for developing effective programs in health. As we strive for equality in healthcare, it is essential to address disparities in access, treatment, and research that affect women’s health outcomes daily. The newsletter is distributed by the National Collaborative for Health Equity.

New Tip Sheet for Inclusive Recruitment in Clinical Trials (CEAL)

The CEAL Inclusive Participation Work Group (IPWG) shares best practices and community-engaged, evidence-based approaches for recruitment in clinical trials. Check out their new tip sheet for researchers and communities with strategies about how to support effective community engagement.

Racial Disparities in Lung Cancer Start With Research

Improving lung cancer outcomes in Black communities will take more than lowering the screening age, experts say. Disparities are present in everything from the studies that inform when people should get checked to the availability of care in rural areas

Video: Importance of Multisector Collaboration for Health Justice

The AAMC Center for Health Justice is committed to partnering with public health and community-based organizations, government and health care entities, the private sector, and community members to achieve the goal of better health for all. In 2022, the center convened a Multisector Partner Group to bring together people of diverse backgrounds and sectors to use their expertise and leadership to contribute to the work of the center. A new video features members of the Multisector Partner Group and highlights the importance of collaboration across sectors to achieve health justice.

Find Neighborhoods Facing Health Disadvantages with the Area Deprivation Index

The PolicyMap team added a new dataset to help identify neighborhoods that are most socioeconomically disadvantaged to assist researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in guiding health resources and outreach efforts to areas in need. This information is provided by researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Center for Health Disparities Research, who have published the Area Deprivation Index to summarize the social determinants of health in a precise geographic area – a neighborhood – noting socioeconomic conditions that can contribute to poor health outcomes.

BELIEVE works to improve Black maternal health

A collaboration between Carolina and NC A&T is focused on strengthening birthing teams, including lactation consultants and doulas, and addressing the problem of Black maternal mortality and Black maternal health in general.

Podcast series: Health Equity in Rural Hospitals

This four-part podcast series from the National Rural Health Resource Center brings together a variety of voices to elaborate on the steps rural hospitals can take to implement sustainable health equity programs and efforts.

Health Equity and Behavioral Health Integration

A new resource from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Academy provides a brief overview of the role of behavioral health integration in reducing disparities in health and healthcare, and shares practical strategies and resources for ensuring integrated practices are advancing health equity.

A Playbook for New Rural Healthcare Partnership Models of Investment

From PHI’s Build Healthy Places Network, the Playbook is an action-oriented guide designed for healthcare organizations who want to pursue partnerships with rural communities, economic development and other sectors, to create the community conditions that support improved health. It includes case studies from across the country and four core strategies used by healthcare entities as examples for future multi-sector rural partnerships to follow.

Which strategies will make North Carolinians healthier?

Gillings School researchers say the focus should be on tobacco-use policies and excise taxes to reduce binge-drinking, sugary drinks and smoking.

Critical Term: Why are Black mothers and babies dying?

The latest documentary from WRAL News shines a light on the maternal and infant health crisis and how local programs are working to lower this rate.

Recap and Live Recording of ‘Housing as a Human Right: Next Steps to Health Equity’

If you missed the Housing as a Human Right webinar from Partners for Advancing Health Equity and Tulane University on Sept 26, the live recording is now available for viewing.

Study Demonstrates Black and Hispanic People in NC Have Highest Risk of Dying at Home Due to COVID-19

David Wohl, M.D., member of the Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases and professor of medicine in infectious diseases, and first author Jessie Edwards, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of epidemiology at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, examined the cumulative probability of dying at home from COVID-19 in a new study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

NIH Issues Data Management and Sharing Policy

The National Institutes of Health has issued its Data Management and Sharing Policy, which becomes effective on Jan. 25, 2023. The policy aims to promote the sharing of scientific data.

Advancing Racial Equity in Maternal-Child Health and Addressing Disparities through a Reproductive and Birth Justice Lens

From 2014 to 2015, W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) partnered with the University of New Mexico evaluation team to conduct a study to examine if and how the Foundation’s investments in the strategies of folic acid initiative, home visiting, doulas, breastfeeding peer counselors and baby-friendly hospitals were improving maternal-child health in WKKF’s priority places in New Mexico.

AAMC Health Equity Public Opinion Polling

The AAMC Center for Health Justice conducts regular nationally representative polling to ask the public about the health equity issues that matter to them. Check out these research briefs and infographics to learn more about what communities have to say about their own opportunities for health.

Supporting Communities and Local Public Health Departments During COVID-19 and Beyond: A Roadmap for Equitable and Transformative Change

In this new report, the Public Health Alliance of Southern California and the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity share policy, program, and resource recommendations and best practice examples to help ensure that local public health departments are adequately prepared to protect communities most vulnerable to the health and socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19, as well as future public health emergencies.

Grapevine Health Media Company

Grapevine Health is a data-driven health media company that delivers trusted health information to people where they are. They use technology and digital media to engage underserved communities in their health through relatable, culturally-appropriate multi-media content. They have a YouTube channel, Twitter account, podcast and more.

Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

North Carolinians can get critical help to pay for high-speed internet from a $3.2 billion federal program opening in May for families and households working, learning and shopping from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.