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Network for Public Health Law

Bloomberg American Health Initiative to Sponsor 2020 Public Health Law Conference in Baltimore

The Network for Public Health Law (Network) is proud to announce the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as a Partner Sponsor of the 2020 National Public Health Law Conference, taking place September 16 – 18 in Baltimore, Maryland. The conference is organized by the Network, and is the only national conference on public health law and policy, attracting more than 500 attendees from across the country who are decision makers and practitioners in public health and other sectors. More at PHLC2020.org.

As a Partner Sponsor of the conference, the Bloomberg American Health Initiative supports training and education for officials, policymakers, attorneys, practitioners and advocates, particularly in the critical areas prioritized by the Initiative: addiction and overdose, environmental challenges, obesity and the food system, risks to adolescent health, and violence.

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says the goals of the conference strongly align with the mission of the Initiative, which works to tackle critical 21st century challenges in the United States through education, research and practice.

“We are looking forward to welcoming some of the most dedicated members of the public health workforce to Baltimore in 2020. These are the people who are on the front lines of our nation’s great challenges, working on programs and policies that will improve the health of their communities,” said Dr. Sharfstein. 

“The conference is a critical gathering for the public health community to advance shared goals toward better health and health equity in our communities,” said Donna Levin, National Director of the Network. “We couldn’t have found a better partner at a better time to support our efforts to facilitate the development of smart strategies and new approaches.”

The Network works to improve the health of communities across the United States by helping those who grapple with the legal complexities of modern public health. The Network provides research, analysis, strategic consultation and training in the use of law and policy to protect and promote health, and advance health equity. Visit networkforphl.org to learn more.

The National Public Health Law Conference convenes every two years, with generous support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Key public health issues presented in sessions at the 2018 Conference are examined in a number of articles in a symposium issue of the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, including: Civil Rights Law and the Determinants of Health: How Some States Have Utilized Civil Rights Laws to Increase Protections Against Discrimination; Legal and Policy Responses to Vaccine-Preventable Disease Outbreaks; Health Equity, School Discipline Reform and Restorative Justice; A Public Health Approach to Gun Violence, Legally Speaking; Opioid-Related Legislation in Kentucky and West Virginia: Assessing Policy Impact; and Healthy Spaces: Legal Tools, Innovations, and Partnerships.

Through education, research, and practice, the Bloomberg American Health Initiative aims to impact five challenges to the nation’s health: addiction and overdose, environmental challenges, obesity and the food system, risks to adolescent health, and violence. One part of the Initiative, the Bloomberg Fellows Program, offers full scholarships for MPH and DrPH degrees for individuals working on the front lines to advance health in the United States. The Initiative was founded with a gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies in honor of the centennial of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Visit americanhealth.jhu.edu to learn more.