Press Release
Contact: Gita Rampersad, JD, MHA
Telephone: 202.765.2500
Cell: 773.398.2021
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.nationalcollaborative.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2016
NATIONAL COLLABORATIVE FOR HEALTH EQUITY AND WAYNE COUNTY, MI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, VETERANS AND COMMUNITY WELLNESS ANNOUNCE COMMUNITY CONFERENCE AND ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION FOR FLAGSHIP EQUITY ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM
WASHINGTON DC, October 27, 2016– The National Collaborative for Health Equity and the Wayne County Collaborative for Health Equity team at the Wayne County Department of Health, Veterans and Community Wellness announce an inaugural Community Conference and accompanying 10th Anniversary reception in Detroit, MI on November 10, 2016. The ticketed event will be held at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Detroit Riverfront hotel. Funded by a generous grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Collaboratives for Health Equity National Community of Practice (CHE) is a groundbreaking program designed to build the capacity of leaders to identify and address social, economic, and environmental factors that shape health and life opportunities.
In its 10th year, CHE will convene 30 leaders from public and private sectors to engage in conversation and share strategies for advancing equity and opportunity on a local level. This one-day Community Conference showcases how national, regional, and local organizations that focus on improving the health and well-being of communities collaborate for success and features examples of innovative multi-sector policy change campaigns, and programs from around the State of Michigan.
The theme for this year’s meeting is People. Power. Purpose. Working Together to Advance Equity & Improve Community.
CHE reflects the National Collaborative for Health Equity’s mission and commitment to promote health equity by catalyzing collaboration among racial equity advocates, grassroots and community-based organizations, researchers, public health professionals and other stakeholders.
CHE is a growing learning community of 21 teams working in over 27 jurisdictions throughout the United States. Teams work to leverage the experiences of local leaders to create just and equitable communities for vulnerable children and their families.
Commenting on the program, Executive Director, Brian Smedley, Ph.D. remarked;
“Collaboratives for Health Equity teams have successfully improved conditions for health at the local level while participating in a national community of practice which provides innovative examples of health equity work for communities around the country. With a strong focus on understanding how racism operates at many levels to increase risks for poor health in communities of color, CHE teams are supporting communities as they leverage their resiliency and power to advance health equity.”
Gita Rampersad, JD, MHA, Senior Director for Program and Strategy at NCHE, added;
“We are excited to host a Community Conference in Detroit, MI during our 10th anniversary year of the Collaboratives for Health Equity program. A key to developing national equity experts centers on supporting effective engagement and action in our local communities.”
Dr. Mouhanad Hammami, MD, Director of the Wayne County Department of HVCW also commented;
“Public health departments should have an important role in ensuring equities and eliminating disparities in health in communities and be the chief health strategists for what makes their communities well. This Inaugural Community Conference is a perfect example of how HVCW works together with The National Collaborative for Health Equity and other stakeholders to address the social determinants of health and community wellness in Wayne County.”
About The National Collaborative for Health Equity: The National Collaborative for Health Equity was launched in August 2014 as a project of the New Venture Fund to serve as catalysts of the kinds of partnerships and collaboration – between policymakers, researchers, industry, community groups, and others – necessary to create healthier, more equitable communities. The National Collaborative supports several programs and initiatives incubated over many years at the Health Policy Institute of the Joint Center for Political & Economic Studies while also working to develop new initiatives to advance the health equity movement. For more information visit https://www.nationalcollaborative.org/.
About the Wayne County Department of Health, Veterans and Community Wellness: The Department of Health, Veterans and Community Wellness is responsible for coordinating and administering health, social, educational, Veterans and youth services to communities and residents in Wayne County so they can lead healthy and productive lives. For more information visit www.waynecounty.com.
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