Small wins for BIG goals!

January 2024

Welcome to January's
Simmons MPH Monthly

Simmons MPH alums, students, faculty and friends:

Remembering to write that new digit at the end of the date for the first time after a new year starts can be hard. But when we get it right it can feel like a small win & like we're finally on the right track for the year. The work of health equity requires so many of those small wins that we then piece together to build a just world in which everyone can live well. And those small wins can keep us committed, energized, and pressing on towards our goals.

In this issue, we share some wins that caught our attention over the past year. And in the MPH program, small wins abound! After a period of intense change, we welcome two faculty members who bring a fresh spirit into the program with their knowledge and expertise in health education, sexual health and reproductive justice, Black mental health, and embedding equity in health systems. We're excited to introduce them and the work they're doing to get small wins and bring about change in their communities and in public health.

Welcome to a new year with us! Thanks for reading,
Leigh Haynes (MPH Program Director)
& Nat Thomson (MPH Graduate Assistant)

In The News

"In The News" is our opportunity to share with you a few things from the health equity world we want to be sure you don't miss.

Bottom right credit: northJersey.com

January's Topic: Small wins for BIG goals!

The Department of Veterans Affairs reported that nearly 50,000 veterans, who are at a greater risk of dying by suicide, sought out their no-cost suicide prevention program.
Paterson, New Jersey's RealFix program provides quick and easy access to suboxone to people battling addiction and shares inspiring success stories from just under a year of operation.
In its 2023 rundown of environmental and climate victories, Greenpeace highlighted agreement of the Kunming-Montral Agreement which moves towards Indigenous-led environmental conservation methods to become standard practice.
Illinois passed the Wellness Checks in Schools Program Act requiring annual mental health screenings for its 2 million students with the goal of intervention and prevention.

Media Corner

Where we share some of our favorite podcasts, videos, documentaries (and more) since the last issue; public health and otherwise.

Dr Harriet Fraad, pictured top, Veronique Boglio pictured bottom left

For D@W (Democracy At Work), Dr. Harriet Fraad, second wave feminist, thinker and host of the Capitalism Hits Home podcast breaks down the definitions and intersections of the terms white supremacy, settler colonialism, hetero-patriarchy & capitalism, while exploring their roles as social divisions functioning together.
Julie Winkle Giulioni advises leaders to try some sub-optimization over constant optimization, writing about the power of this practice and how the casualties of an extreme drive towards productivity include joy, serendipity and sustainable energy levels.
In conversations with Samantha Bee, Freakonomics author Stephan Dubner explores the challenges of balancing logic and emotions as some of us try to make better choices this year, including the addictive nature of social media and whether or not new generations will learn from the misteps of the previous.
Veronique Boglio takes a look at the idea of top individual talent as a bit of a misconception, positing instead that it's really teams of people that deliver the organizational goods.

New Simmons Public Health Faculty

The Simmons Department of Public Health is proud to announce two great new additions to our team. To kick the year off right we wanted to highlight their great backgrounds and experiences with earning small wins while bringing about change both in their communities and in public health. We are super excited to welcome them to the team.

Tiffany Crank, MPH, DrPH

Tiffany W. Crank joins the Simmons Department of Public Health having recently completed her doctorate in 2023 at University of South Florida (congratulations Dr. Crank!). Tiffany currently serves as the Director of Health Equity and Community Impact for The American Diabetes Association, overseeing awareness, screening and prevention programming within the Carolinas region. Tiffany’s current research projects and interest are largely in health equity, health disparities, root cause solutions for social determinants of health, and overcoming medical mistrust in communities of color. Tiffany has been awarded the Candy Airey Leadership Award presented by the Cleveland County YMCA, the Good Ambassador Award from the Gaston County Department of Health and Human Services, and the Distinguished Woman of the Year presented by the Cleveland County Commission for Women. Outside of work, Tiffany enjoys mountain biking, spending time with her family, and anything relaxing.

Education

Doctor of Public Health - Concentration Advanced Leadership - University of South Florida (2023)
Master of Public Health - Concentration Social and Behavioral Science - Capella University (2013)
Bachelor of Science - Microbiology - North Carolina State University (2008)

Welcome to Simmons, Dr. Crank, we are excited to have you here on our public health team!

Kristen Brewer, MS, MPA, PhD

Kristen Brewer comes to the Simmons Department of Public Health with a decade-plus of experience in public health and academia. Kristen has experience in community-building, teaching, and research in the field of sexual and reproductive health education. Kristen also co-founded a grassroots organization, Ruth's Army, in middle Tennessee to help rural communities access sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and education. In addition to educational workshops and panels, this led to a partnership with a local women's health clinic to open the REACH Clinic (Reproductive Education and Contraceptive Health), a no-cost education and reproductive clinic in Clarksville, TN. In addition to finding ways to increase equity in education and access around sexual and reproductive health, Kristen loves watching stand-up comedy and going hiking with her partner and her dog. Kristen is a major Swiftie and loves live music of any kind.

Education

BS in Political Science and an MS in Public Health Education from Austin Peay State University

MPA in Public Administration from Tennessee State University

PhD in Health Education from Southern Illinois University

Welcome to Simmons, Dr. Brewer, we are very glad to have you join us here in the public health department!

On Our Radar

Events focused on health, wellness, equity and education.

February 1 (Online) – The Power of Policy: 10 Tips for Getting Things Done in Public Health

Policy Engagement is a field guide for public health practitioners on engaging with policymakers to create a healthier, more equitable world.

Join the authors (Shelley Hearne, DrPH, MPH; Keshia Pollack Porter, PhD, MPH; and Katrina Forrest, JD) as they dive into best practices for moving evidence into action through policy.

February 2 (Baltimore, MD) – 2024 American Muslim Public Health Conference

The Conference, co-hosted by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will feature clinicians, researchers, healthcare entrepreneurs, and public health pioneers who will speak about pertinent health topics that impact our communities. The conference is open to all health professionals, students, and anyone interested in improving the health of all Americans.

February 7 (Online) – How to Harness Power and Be an Effective Social Changemaker

Presented by Julie Battilana, Professor of Organizational Behavior at Harvard Business School and Professor of Social Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School, this webinar will explore the factors that can enable one changemaker to succeed in a situation when the vast majority fail.

February 8 (Online) – We Will Vote–National launch event

Civic Health Alliance, Healthy Democracy Healthy People, and Vot-ER are partnering on a strategic initiative, We Will Vote, to increase voter participation. Join the launch event, with the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), Roundtable on Population Health, February 8th at 2pm ET.

February 9 (Boston, MA) – DeeDee's Cry Mental Health While Black Summit: Feel Something Say Something

Join DeeDee's Cry for an empowering and eye-opening summit, where the important topic of mental health within the Black community is explored, along with ways to support each other and promote mental well-being.

February 15 (Online) – State of the Public Health Union

In the American Journal of Public Health's 2024 State of the Public Health Union, Denise Octavia Smith, director of the National Association of Community Health Workers will speak on the loss of health workers and the growing component of community health workers in the public health workforce.