The following article was written by Carlie Austin, BSN, RN, maternal and child health policy specialist at MHA.
One of my primary goals in my role as MHA's Maternal and Child Health Policy Specialist is to use my expertise to advance health equity for marginalized birthing mothers and their children, and to grow my influence and It was about building relationships that strengthened the purpose. Participating in the 2nd Annual General Meeting michigan Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Summit Confirmed how intended impact is achieved.
Sponsored by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services from January 23-25, this event examines important issues impacting the health and well-being of Michiganders and what solutions can drive change when it comes to SDOH. A variety of informative sessions were offered. Presenters covered maternal health, behavioral health, child care, food access, housing, and more. There will also be a health equity policy panel discussion featuring my colleague Jim Lee, MHA's senior vice president of health and data policy, and how data and communities work together to advance health equity. The focus was on how to promote it.
As a health professional who also works in the policy field, I often ask myself how I can have the most impact. I left the event with his three key points. I will mention it now. sign:
- Collaboration is very important. Health equity efforts often feel impossible, especially in the maternal and child sector, and there are numerous initiatives across the state aiming to achieve the same goals. The summit emphasized the importance of being intentional about how to reduce silos and duplicative efforts to ensure we maximize knowledge, resources, and reach.
- Usefulness of information It often feels like an undervalued tool for achieving health equity. The summit highlighted various ways to effectively communicate and exchange information. In addition to leveraging quantitative data, we also need to seek out and listen to the lived experiences of our community members. Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist said in his keynote that “lack of information is deadly,” and I'd like to build on that thought and add: Lack of information. use Information is deadly. Knowledge is not only powerful because of its existence, but also because of how it is used.
- dedicated effort That was a theme that ran throughout the summit. Every person, program and future path is rooted in a serious effort to simply serve others. A commitment to health equity is about understanding what people need to achieve fulfilling lives and how we can equitably share resources to get there. is based on a serious response to We thank the Summit for once again emphasizing the importance of having similar partnerships. I liked this behavioral art because it aligns with who I am at my core and that while my earnest efforts are essential to eradicating health inequities, This is because I re-centered and realized that if we are united, we can achieve this path.
I really enjoyed the summit and am looking forward to attending again next year.
