At our Network Commons live discussion on June 19, 2017, three leading experts with federal-level experience discussed opportunities to promote health equity amid the current policy environment.

This year, many organizations working to advance health equity find themselves in a new policy environment than in years before. Advocates may be unsure of how to navigate shifting national priorities, budget changes, and policy challenges. Fortunately, we can look to leaders forging ahead on health equity efforts for guidance—particularly those from the community development, public health, and healthcare sectors—amid this new policy landscape. Our guest panelists, all with significant federal-level experience, shared their insights, practical tips, and key resources during our June 19 Network Commons event.

The Network’s Executive Director, Douglas Jutte, moderated a rich discussion with three prominent leaders:

• Howard Koh, Professor, Harvard School of Public Health & Harvard Kennedy School, Former US Assistant Secretary of Health
• David Lipsetz, Senior Fellow, Housing Assistance Council, Former Associate Administrator for Rural Housing and Community Facilities at USDA
• Ellen Seidman, Senior Fellow, Urban Institute, Former Director, U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Thrift Supervision

Rewatch the event. Missed the event or need a refresher on our speakers’ practical tips? Check out this video recording of the June 19 event on the Build Healthy Places Network’s YouTube channel.

Peruse these resources mentioned during the event:

• The Build Healthy Places Network’s web resources including RWJF’s blog defining health equity, and our Crosswalk essays on innovative neighborhood investment models and community development/health partnerships.
• The RWJF-supported National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, “Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity” examines solutions to promote health equity.
• The Wall Street Journal’s article, “Rural America is the New ‘Inner City‘”, describes how sparsely populated counties compare poorly to large cities by key measures of socioeconomic well-being.

Check out these noted tools for collaboration:

• The Democracy Collaborative provides an overview and toolkit for anchor institutions, including a comprehensive toolkit for hospitals.
• The Network’s Partner Finder helps you find the community development and health organizations nearest to you, and our Jargon Buster helps different sectors speak the same language.
• Healthy People 2020 offers a collection of  science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans.

Explore these innovative financing models shared by the speakers:

• The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) offers a portfolio of various payment and service delivery models, such as the clinical care-community services-bridging Accountable Health Communities Model.
• The Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program, the Duty to Serve Program, and the USDA Rural Development Department offer resources for rural communities.
• Resources on Program-Related Investments, new regulations that boost social impact investing, and guidance on the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund can help organizations seeking to invest in low-income communities.

Continue the conversation.

Still pondering how to advance health equity? We’re continuing to answer this and other audience questions via Twitter @BHPNetwork #NetworkCommons. Join the conversation and tell us what you think!

Catch up on Network Commons.

Interested in learning more about Network Commons? Check out highlights from our past events.