The Network for Public Health Law is hosting their annual Public Health Law Conference in Minneapolis on October 24–26, and we’ll be there! This year’s convening aims to change public health systems in order to reduce the prevalence of structural discrimination and focus on the social determinants of health as core work.
We’re excited to join the event with a range of presentations that advance these goals. See below for a list of our sessions.
Pre-Conference Workshop: Racism as a Public Health Crisis — From Declaration to Action
Monday 10/23, 1:00pm–3:30pm
Alexis Etow, managing director
The Collaborative for Anti-Racism and Equity (CARE) works to improve community well-being and to address and redress the tangible, daily harms of systemic racism on all people. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn about CARE’s work in amplifying community-led efforts and community-generated ideas to advance health equity, racial equity, and justice. Through roundtable discussions, participants will explore policy recommendations and implementation strategies for anti-racism efforts as well as connect with others who are working on racism as a public health crisis.
Pre-Conference Workshop: How to Communicate the Value of Public Health
Tuesday 10/24, 9:00am–12:00pm
Sara Bartel, senior attorney
Whether their aim is communicating to decision makers, potential partners, or the public at large, participants will learn about and practice using tools and tactics to communicate about the value of public health in order to advance policies to protect its legal authority to keep communities healthy and safe. The workshop will be led by organizations that have developed dynamic, complementary communication frameworks, including Berkeley Media Studies Group, Network for Public Health Law, and de Beaumont Foundation.
Act for Public Health: Legislation & Litigation Impacting Public Health Authority — Opportunities & Challenges
Wednesday 10/25, 9:15am–10:30am
Sara Bartel, senior attorney
In reaction to the use of public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccination, masking, and social distancing requirements, a majority of states enacted legislation limiting public health authority, and there was a marked increase in litigation challenging public health measures. Join representatives of Act for Public Health, an initiative of public health law organizations, to learn about the current legislative and judicial landscape, as well as opportunities to push back against these challenges and move forward with law and policy that protects the public’s health and advances health equity.
Developing an Equity-Minded Public Health Workforce
Wednesday 10/25, 10:45am–12:00pm
Cesar De La Vega, senior policy analyst; Tyra Satchell, policy analyst; Wesley Hartman, attorney; and Alexis Etow, managing director
This session will explore opportunities to prepare the next generation of the public health workforce and strengthen the capacity of the existing workforce to leverage the tools of law and policy to respond to some of today’s most pressing public health challenges — such as deeply entrenched drivers of structural inequity and widespread harms of health misinformation.
Strategies & Lessons for Protecting HIV Patient Data, Ensuring Data Privacy & Assessing HIV Criminalization Laws & Policies at the State & Local Level
Thursday 10/26, 9:45am–11:00am
Iyanrick John, vice president of external affairs; Wesley Hartman, attorney
This panel will focus on local and state efforts to protect an individual’s HIV data and to prevent the use of data to criminalize people with HIV. Speakers will discuss data privacy laws, HIV criminalization laws, efforts to protect data on HIV and other communicable diseases, and considerations in releasing data to law enforcement. Speakers will share content from a practical HIV criminalization legal and policy assessment tool and discuss actionable steps for public health professionals.
Good Governance to Advance Health Equity: Preemption & Equitable Enforcement
Thursday 10/26, 11:15am–12:30pm
Sabrina Adler, vice president of law; Maya Hazarika Watts, managing director; Katie Hannon Michel, senior attorney
Laws and policies are powerful tools for making our communities healthier and more equitable. A good governance process is inclusive, transparent, and effective, and fosters a clear understanding of policy landscapes, local resources, and potential partnerships. This panel will explore two tools — preemption and enforcement — that play a role in determining whether and how law is used to advance health equity. The panelists will explain how these tools fit into a broader good governance framework.
10/11/2023