State Health Commissioners Speaking On Campus

Next Tuesday at Mailman, public health officials are thinking and acting locally.

On November 18th, the Center for Public Health Systems will host Massachusetts Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein and New York Health Commissioner James V. McDonald in a discussion with Professor Magda Schaler-Haynes. This panel will cover how the Northeast Public Health Collaborative is working together to share resources and strengthen public health in our current political climate.

The Northeast Public Health Collaborative is a collection of public health agencies from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York State, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and New York City. This coalition aims to stand against threats to public health at the federal level, including attacks on vaccinations and reproductive health rights. Additionally, the group seeks to increase regional preparedness for emergencies and strengthen the currently tenuous trust in public health.

As a student, this panel falls at a critical time for the field I both study and work in. Over the last few years, public health––a sector focused on prevention––has been bathed in the limelight. Currently, the field is facing unforeseen funding cuts and the slashing of positions and programming at the federal level. Science is being slowly abandoned, and the country is unprepared for an epidemic or crisis. The Northeast Public Health Collaborative is a novel group trading federal-level leadership for a network of local guidance, aiming to tackle these issues.

This event is a great chance for students with an interest in this innovative restructuring to hear about an evolving public health system firsthand.

Zinnia Finn is a second-year MPH student in the Department of Health Policy and Management.