A growing recognition of the relationship between a representative democracy and the health of the community serves as a call to action for public health practitioners. Healthy Democracy Healthy People (HDHP) is a nonpartisan initiative of major public health and civic engagement organizations. Their overall aim is strengthening our collective capacity to realize health and racial equity by advancing an inclusive healthy democracy that promotes civic and voter participation. In this PHAN Cafe HDHP will discuss the interconnection between inclusive representative democracy and community health while offering examples and opportunities for Public Health professionals to act as Healthy Democracy Champions.
We hope you will join PHAN for our September PHAN Café, September 5th beginning at 1:00pm CDT/12:00 MDT.
Speakers:
Jeanne Ayers, RN, MPH
Executive Director and Founder
Healthy Democracy Healthy People
Prior to establishing this coalition in August 2020, Ayers held leadership roles in state governmental public health for over 9 years. She served as the Wisconsin State Health Officer and Assistant Commissioner and Chief Health Equity Strategist for the Minnesota Department of Health. Jeanne has long been a recognized leader in national efforts to assure health and racial equity and improve population health. She was selected as the 2010 University of Minnesota Josie R. Johnson Human Rights and Social Justice Award winner for her work and was responsible for development of the Minnesota Department of Health, award-winning report “Advancing Health Equity in Minnesota: A report to the State Legislature”. Jeanne has worked extensively with many groups to deepen the public understanding of the social determinants of health and their relationship to race, place, class, and power. She led health equity initiatives in the faith-based organizing group, ISAIAH, and launched Healthy Heartland, a partnership of community organizing groups and public health organizations in five Midwest states building collective capacity to impact public policy.
Prior to establishing this coalition in August 2020, Ayers held leadership roles in state governmental public health for over 9 years. She served as the Wisconsin State Health Officer and Assistant Commissioner and Chief Health Equity Strategist for the Minnesota Department of Health.
Jeanne has long been a recognized leader in national efforts to assure health and racial equity and improve population health. She was selected as the 2010 University of Minnesota Josie R. Johnson Human Rights and Social Justice Award winner for her work and was responsible for development of the Minnesota Department of Health, award-winning report “Advancing Health Equity in Minnesota: A report to the State Legislature”. Jeanne has worked extensively with many groups to deepen the public understanding of the social determinants of health and their relationship to race, place, class, and power. She led health equity initiatives in the faith-based organizing group, ISAIAH, and launched Healthy Heartland, a partnership of community organizing groups and public health organizations in five Midwest states building collective capacity to impact public policy.
Gnora Mahs, DrPH, MPH
Partnerships Director
Gnora Mahs, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., is the Partnerships Director for Healthy Democracy Healthy People. Gnora grew up in a family filled with organizers and started her professional career as a community organizer after graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University. She strengthened grassroots movements for reproductive health equity and voting rights in Oregon before pursuing her graduate degree at the George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. Previously, Gnora worked at the Alliance for Youth Action as a Director of Network Capacity where she supported youth centered organizing on democracy reform and economic justice across the country. Gnora brings a deep understanding of the voting rights movement and what it takes to build strong community organizing campaigns. Gnora received a Doctorate of Public Health at George Washington University and her dissertation research focused on the relationship between voter participation and community health.
Connecting Public Health in Nebraska for over 70 Years
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