We find ourselves in a new and trying time. Now, more than ever, the coronavirus (COVID-19) demonstrates the critical importance of your work in public health. You — our partners in health care, government, community-based organizations, education, and the private sector — are doing difficult and indispensable work in mitigating this pandemic. ChangeLab Solutions’ staff and I recognize and thank you for the incredible work you are doing to ensure that the sick get needed care and vulnerable communities continue to have access to services during this critical time.
COVID-19 will test us in many ways we can’t predict. If we are not able to flatten the incidence curve, public health scientists have predicted that millions of people in the United States could die. Our society’s full participation and cooperation are required to reduce the number of lives lost, but that will come at a significant cost to each of us. While we as a society need to distance ourselves from one another, it is in the name of health, to ensure that we all prevent the spread of COVID-19.
On a personal level, we are all dealing with upheaval and concerns. Many of us are working from home, coping with layoffs, or working on the front lines, balancing the demands of our jobs (if we have that privilege) and caring for young children or aging parents. Everyone is trying to manage anxiety in the face of insufficient and constantly changing information. For those who face discrimination, social exclusion, poverty, or unequal opportunities, COVID-19 will continue to be particularly devastating.
Right now, ChangeLab Solutions is partnering with public health law experts to help with the legal and policy questions that may arise due to this pandemic. Many questions and scenarios are swirling, and we want to be of assistance. To start, we have assembled an online resource page with some of the best legal and policy resources to help communities navigate the varied needs that will evolve over the coming weeks and months.
If you have law and policy questions, contact us; we will help you find the answers. We may be physically alone or socially distanced from one another, but we are in this together!
Please stay safe and take care of yourselves.
In partnership,
Sara de Guia, JD
CEO, ChangeLab Solutions
3/18/2020