As Co-Director, Mid-States Region, Colleen Healy Boufides, J.D., is responsible for overseeing development and expansion of the region’s state-specific and workforce development activities. She is particularly interested in legal issues relating to public health authority and decision-making; environmental health and justice; community health workers; and collaboration with medical-legal partnerships (MLP). Before joining the Network in 2016, Colleen provided policy and operational support to federally qualified health centers at the Michigan Primary Care Association. Prior to that, she worked as a litigation associate at a large Michigan-based law firm. Colleen received her law degree from the Duke University School of Law and her Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University – the Barrett Honors College. She is licensed to practice law in Michigan.
by Overview Emergency responders (EMS) request that public health officials provide the name and residential address/location of each positive COVID-19 case in their…
This issue brief provides an overview of key federal lead-poisoning prevention laws applicable to federally-assisted housing.
Apply to join a 6-month cohort of MLPs seeking to improve the safety and quality of housing in their communities through upstream efforts, ranging from informing implementation and enforcement strategies, to spearheading impact litigation, to contributing in large and small ways to legal changes.
The medium through which an environmental exposure occurs (e.g., water, air, soil) is often geographically based and/or clustered. For this reason, responding to an environmental health threat in a meaningful and timely way requires real-time, granular data and prompt local action. The broad range of potentially relevant environmental health data sources highlights one of the key legal challenges with obtaining and using local data: often each type of data (hazard, exposure and health outcome) is governed by a different law and may be collected by a different entity.
This resource examines legal and non-legal strategies to improve childhood lead screening rates in Illinois and Ohio.
The connection between health and social factors like housing, food security, education and exposure to violence is clear. So, too, are the challenges faced by a health care system that is increasingly expected to address these connections despite the disconnection between treating individual symptoms and participating in population-level strategies to reduce barriers to good health. In this Q&A, the authors of this article from the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics explore how partnerships among health, public health, and legal experts are essential to addressing the upstream causes of poor health.
The connection between health and social factors like housing, food security, education and exposure to violence is clear. So, too, are the challenges faced by a health care system that is increasingly expected to address these connections despite the disconnection between treating individual symptoms and participating in population-level strategies to reduce barriers to good health. In this Q&A, the authors of this article from the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics explore how partnerships among health, public health, and legal experts are essential to addressing the upstream causes of poor health.
Medical-legal partnership (MLP) attorneys are ideally situated to identify and define the contours of specific legal issues affecting a community’s health. MLPs can also play an important role in informing, guiding, and effectuating strategic legal changes to improve health at the population level. In addition to working with MLPs on public health law and policy initiatives, there are many additional opportunities for public health departments and MLPs to collaborate on a day-to-day basis.
Community health workers (CHWs) are key members of both health care teams and the public health workforce and, with their close understanding of the communities they serve, are uniquely suited to help address root causes of poor health. As the CHW workforce grows, continuously evolving state laws and policies have the potential to improve public understanding of the CHW role and facilitate sustainable financing for CHWs.
Public and private employers across the U.S. are considering the potential for COVID-19 vaccine requirements for their workforces, especially among health care workers. This resource examines the likelihood of employer vaccine mandates.
There is growing recognition of the unique role that Community Health Workers (CHWs) can play in addressing social determinants of health. Health departments and community-based organizations are increasingly relying on them to provide a variety of services. This issue brief explores legal issues relating to the regulation and employment of community health workers.
Gubernatorial executive orders and directives can serve as powerful tools for furthering public health goals. In addition to directing public health agency activities, establishing policies and priorities, and responding to emergencies, executive orders or directives can also play a role in shaping agency culture to promote effective public health decision-making.
