Network News

It is with great excitement and gratitude that I write to you as the new National Director of the Network for Public Health Law. I am taking on a role that was previously held by the brilliant Donna E. Levin, under whose leadership the Network has become an essential partner for public health. I feel extremely fortunate to join a team of eminent leaders and dedicated staff at the Network who are tireless in their pursuit of advancing law and policy that promotes public health and health equity. 

Dr. Vineeta Gupta, a maternal and child health physician and human rights lawyer with three decades of experience in clinical and public health, health justice and equity, and organizational development, has been named the new National Director of the Network for Public Health Law (Network). In this role, Dr. Gupta will serve as chief architect and advocate for the Network’s continued growth and impact.

This feasibility study, commissioned by the Network, includes insights gathered from personal interviews with public health advocates and leaders from 45 organizations. The purpose of this report is to stimulate wide-ranging discussion and engage those who share a sense of urgency in collective, purposeful action to strengthen public health advocacy in the United States.

The Network for Public Health Law (Network) today announced that its National Director, Donna E. Levin, is retiring July 1 after a remarkable career which spanned 44 years in public health law, eight of those at the Network. Donna will be integral to guiding the leadership transition process for the Network over the next four months.

Arnold Ventures has renewed funding support for the Network for Public Health Law’s Harm Reduction Legal Project, which works to address the legal and policy barriers that impede the establishment and expansion of evidence-based harm reduction measures such as naloxone distribution, syringe access programs, and access to evidence-based substance use disorder treatment.

The Network's Southeastern Region Director Dawn Hunter submitted a response on January 10 to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Solicitation of Written Comments on Proposed Healthy People 2030 Objectives and Request for Information on the Relationship Between Voter Participation and Health. Read the response here. The Healthy People initiative serves as key guidance to health departments and their partners in developing a robust and comprehensive agenda that improves public health and health equity in the communities they serve.

In 2010, the same year that the Network launched, the ACA was enacted and the nation took a critical step toward improving access to health care. Now, ten years later and in the wake of the pandemic, we know there is still much to be done and that we must build not only on the advances made by the ACA, but strategize and argue for systemic change on multiple levels.

The Network for Public Health Law is accepting applications for the Climate Change, Health Equity, and Public Health Law Learning and Practice Collaborative (Climate LPC) – a learning and practice collaborative for partners interested in the intersection of climate change and health equity to discuss law and policy solutions to mitigate public health impacts from climate change.

The Network for Public Health Law is pleased to announce this call for applications from organizations seeking legal and policy support to promote racial health equity.

The Network’s CC LPC will engage partners interested in the intersection of climate change and health equity to discuss law and policy solutions to mitigate the public health impacts from climate change. Following an informational webinar, applications will open in winter and will be reviewed early 2022.

In the course of our work to provide legal resources and legal technical assistance to support an effective public health response to the COVID-19…

The Network is committed to working with our partners and constituents to identify laws, policies and actions that can advance equity and address the barriers to good health in our communities. We invite you to contribute to this growing body of work by completing a brief survey. Your responses will provide valuable insight into the interests and needs of people and organizations working to advance racial equity in the communities they serve. The survey is anonymous. No identifying information will be connected to your survey responses. We also invite you to join us for one of our virtual focus group sessions where we will have a deeper conversation about this topic.