The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the landscape of STEM-based youth development programs in 2020. Public health directives prohibited in-person laboratory experiences for high school students, resulting in many STEM programs significantly adjusting or cancelling their activities. This posed a challenge for the LEAH Knox Scholars (LKS), a compensated summer enrichment program that provides an immersive biology… Read more »
“Wheels of Hope has been successful because of the commitment and effort of all those involved…[W]e see the impact of this month to month as rides continue to increase across the [Merrimack] Valley.” – Cindy Lopez, Program Manager for the MA Helpline & Wheels of Hope Every September, folks in the substance use space observe… Read more »
The article below originally appeared on Medium.com on 6/13/2021, reprinted and lightly edited with permission from the author. As I learn more about the teachings of Black feminists like bell hooks and Audre Lorde, I see the importance of healing to the liberation — freedom of oppression and constant presence of self-determination — of Black… Read more »
June 19th is Juneteenth, a holiday that marks a pivotal moment in our American history. This day commemorates the day the Emancipation Proclamation was recognized in Texas, specifically Galveston, TX on June 19, 1865 – more than two years after it had been enacted. This holiday represents the moment when the Emancipation Proclamation reached every… Read more »
Today (June 1, 2021) marks one year since Massachusetts’ flavored tobacco ban went into effect. The following reflection was written by HRiA staff member Lauren Ansong dePass, a Black woman who leads and contributes to many HRiA programs including the Fight All Flavors/No Menthol. Know Why. Campaigns that mobilized communities in support of the ban, as well… Read more »
Decades of racist policies enforcing racist systems have created an environment in which Black communities suffer from high rates of infection and death from COVID-19, police brutality, and economic hardship. Since all these issues have a direct effect on community health, public health professionals are presented with a question that has needed an answer for… Read more »
Grants of $10,000 to $50,000 are now available to 501(c)(3) community-based organizations and faith-based organizations (and other groups with a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor) who serve the communities impacted by COVID-19 in Massachusetts. The goal of COVID-19 Community Grants is to reduce COVID-19 infections, morbidity, and mortality among Black, Latinx, and other people of color in target communities including Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New… Read more »
In October 2020, HRiA staff members participated in the first all virtual annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA). These presentations illustrate some of our work in training, capacity building, community engagement, and evaluation around topic areas including gun violence prevention, harm reduction, substance use prevention education, and tobacco legislation. Read the abstracts… Read more »
In September 2020, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced the first round of awardees for its Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds (known as “The Funds”). The Funds, established in 2018 as part of a landmark revision of the Determination of Need (DoN) regulations, are intentionally invested throughout the Commonwealth to disrupt and… Read more »
“We know what works. We know what will center the humanity and dignity and ensure that Black folks are not just surviving but thriving . . . But we don’t fund it.” US Rep. Ayanna Pressley, MA-07 In this powerful quote, Rep. Ayanna Pressley is highlighting two important ways philanthropy and other sectors can drive… Read more »
Boston, MA (October 29, 2020): The MassHealth Provider Access Improvement Grant Program (PAIGP) recently announced the 65 recipients of the 2020 Cycle 2 PAIGP grant awards. In total, PAIGP will award over $2M to help these providers increase access to healthcare and improve outcomes for patients with disabilities, or for whom English is not a… Read more »
Election day (November 3, 2020) is just weeks away, and early voting has already begun in several states. To mark the start of early voting Massachusetts (tomorrow, October 17th), HRiA has put together this special edition blog post about the power of voting, the history of voter suppression, and what we can do to get… Read more »
Please join the National Maternal Health PCOR Network (NMHPN) for a virtual symposium: Moving Towards Justice in Maternal Health: A Roadmap for Action Join us on October 14th, 21st, and 28th from 5:00pm – 7:00pm ET as we discuss maternal justice and the key systems that impact maternal health. The goal of the symposium is… Read more »
Grants of $10,000 to $50,000 are now available to 501(c)(3) community-based organizations and faith-based organizations (and other groups with a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor) who serve the communities impacted by COVID-19 in Massachusetts. The goal of COVID-19 Community Grants is to reduce COVID-19 infections, morbidity, and mortality among Black, Latinx, and other people of color in… Read more »
Health Resources in Action denounces the police brutality and the murders of black people in this country and grieves the recent, senseless killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and so many others. While our national attention is rightly focused on these deaths and protests, we have to use this moment in… Read more »
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has initiated drastic public response, including calls for social distancing and self-quarantine for those who may be ill. For most, these steps are an inconvenience. But for our most vulnerable, social distancing can spell trouble. Children who rely on schools for food may go hungry. People and families in crowded shelters… Read more »
Tonayo Crow is an Administrative Coordinator in Training and Capacity Building at HRiA and a key member of the planning team for the Youth Work Intensive Conference. She has graciously shared the follow reflection on the conference from her perspective. After six years on hiatus, the Youth Work Intensive (YWI) Conference returned in full force… Read more »
The Fight All Flavors campaign was an incredible effort and significant victory against the tobacco industry’s harmful tactics targeting youth and communities of color. Massachusetts is now the first state in the U.S. to ban all flavors of combustible tobacco and vapes, including menthol, mint and wintergreen flavors. HRiA and its many partners, particularly the… Read more »
On Tuesday, January 28th, Dr. Camara Jones visited HRiA for a presentation and discussion on racism with staff and board members. The session was held in the conference room named in her honor. Dr. Jones enthralled us with her most well-known allegories, followed by an engaging discussion on the levels of racism, identifying how racism… Read more »
Last July, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced that her office began investigating Juul Labs, Inc. and other online e-cigarette retailers that sell JUUL over concerns about the marketing and sale of electronic smoking devices and products to youth. On February 12, 2020, members of HRiA’s Fight All Flavors team and young people from The 84 attended a press conference at… Read more »
The Provider Access Improvement Grant Program (PAIGP), funded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services and managed by Health Resources in Action, is now accepting proposals on PAIGP.org. PAIGP aims to help eligible MassHealth providers increase access to healthcare and improve outcomes for patients with disabilities, or for whom English is not… Read more »
by Kira Jamieson, age 16 In late 2019, HRiA’s Carly Caminiti received a prestigious award in honor of her youth advocacy work for tobacco control. We asked Kira Jamieson, one of the many talented young people that Carly has worked with over the years, to interview her for this blog. Kira joined The 84 in 2019 and has… Read more »
Dear HRiA friends and colleagues, Happy New Year to you all! January affords us the opportunity to reflect on the past year and set goals for the future. As we begin this new decade, I’d like to take a moment to think back on HRiA’s accomplishments and our path ahead. One of the most significant… Read more »
Health Resources in Action is part of a powerful statewide movement in Massachusetts to address health inequities and seize the momentum across the Commonwealth to mobilize communities about the impacts of flavored tobacco. For decades, the tobacco industry has targeted Black communities with predatory marketing of mentholated products. That deliberate marketing continues today with heavy… Read more »
In any given classroom, at least two or three students are likely to have asthma. Children experiencing asthma symptoms often stay home from school or struggle to participate. Clearing the Air: An Asthma Toolkit for Healthy Schools is a new toolkit containing sample policy language, best practices, and curated resources & tools to help schools… Read more »
Abby Atkins and Mary V. Davis As the fields of health care and public health have been evolving dramatically since the Affordable Care Act, it’s important to take a meaningful look at the progress that partnerships between hospitals, public health, and community stakeholders have made to improve community health. With support from the Robert Wood… Read more »
Nineequa Blanding joins Health Resources in Action as Vice President of grantmaking, overseeing community health grantmaking in partnership with health care, governmental, and community-based clients, as well as the growth of biomedical research grantmaking through The Medical Foundation. Ms. Blanding brings expertise in program planning, grantmaking, research, and evaluation in academia, health care, and local… Read more »
On July 24th, HRiA co-hosted with the Massachusetts Public Health Association and the Medical Legal Partnership Boston a Public Health Leaders Breakfast Roundtable with Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu. The listening session included public health and organizational leaders around the city representing healthcare, housing, community development, philanthropy, advocacy, and other sectors that play a critical… Read more »
The Provider Access Improvement Grant Program (PAIGP), funded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services and managed by Health Resources in Action, is now accepting proposals. PAIGP aims to help eligible MassHealth providers increase access to healthcare and improve outcomes for patients with disabilities, and for whom English is not a primary… Read more »
The Leaders through Education, Action, and Hope (LEAH) Project of HRiA is pleased to be the recipient of a $40,000 Project Innovation grant. Project Innovation is a competitive grant program presented locally by NBC10 Boston, Telemundo Boston, and NECN in partnership with the NBCUniversal Foundation. It recognizes non-profit organizations that are using innovative solutions to… Read more »
HRiA, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA), co-hosted an informational breakfast with State Senator Julian Cyr, a key public health ally in the Massachusetts State Senate. The breakfast session gave leaders from public and private institutions an opportunity to share their top public health priorities with the senator, in his second term… Read more »
A growing movement is revolutionizing how we approach substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and view recovery – changing our language, helping to remove stigma, and celebrating the hard work of maintaining sobriety. HRiA has guided people in Massachusetts to treatment and recovery resources through the Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline for over 22 years. In that time,… Read more »
Springboard to Active Schools, a collaborative initiative between HRiA, the National Network of Public Health Institutes, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a set of new resources for educators to help integrate physical activity into the classroom. These resources will help schools use evidence-based strategies to incorporate classroom physical activity and… Read more »
Among transgender respondents of a national survey: [1] 40% have attempted suicide in their lifetime, nearly nine times the rate in the U.S. population (4.6%). 30% of respondents who had a job in the past year reported being fired, denied a promotion, or experiencing some other form of mistreatment related to their gender identity or… Read more »
HRiA and the Helpline hosted a press event on October 18 highlighting the Commonwealth’s aggressive response to the opioid epidemic and substance use disorder, featuring speakers Governor Charlie Baker, Secretary Marylou Sudders of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and Commissioner Monica Bharel of the MA Department of Public Health. They spoke of… Read more »
Project Here, funded by the GE Foundation and the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, promotes social-emotional learning and empowers middle school students to make healthy decisions. HRIA serves as a fiscal sponsor and program manager to Project Here. On September 17, 2018, Project Here staff and partners participated in press conference at the Massachusetts… Read more »
Friday, September 21st was the kick-off event for the MassHealth Accountable Care Organizations and Community Partners technical assistance (TA) program. HRiA was announced as one of the approved TA providers offering services through the Massachusetts Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Program. As health care system and payment reform has required multiple stakeholders to evolve and… Read more »
Although there is now national consensus on community health worker (CHW) core roles and skills, and health care reform has led to the recognition of community health workers’ role in improving health outcomes and reducing costs, most CHWs in the Commonwealth are not paid living wages. This key finding of a report commissioned by the… Read more »
Sixty years after our founding, Health Resources in Action continues to carry out its original mission to support medical research and health education – albeit in terms and approaches that continue to evolve with the times. HRiA was originally founded in 1957 as “The Medical Foundation of Metropolitan Boston” by founding partners including the Massachusetts… Read more »
Recently we wrote about the changing health care landscape brought on by multiple factors, including payment reform and provisions of the Affordable Care Act and IRS regulations. Until a few years ago, hospitals and health systems had been charged with monitoring and improving the health outcomes of their patients, as measured by disease rates, morbidity,… Read more »
