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Summary and Next Steps
Background
The Wisconsin Healthiest State Initiative represents a collective effort to advance health equity in Wisconsin. Spearheaded by the UW Population Health Institute’s Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health (MATCH) Group, the initiative includes convening statewide partners, setting shared priorities around health equity, leading workgroups to make progress on shared priorities, and hosting statewide Summits. During odd years, Agenda Setting convenings are held to assess progress and to refine and identify shared priorities. In even years, a statewide Summit is held to provide training and capacity building and to support coalition building and further alignment around priorities.
Six health equity priorities were identified at the inaugural Healthiest State Agenda Setting Convening in 2017:
- Center leadership of those most impacted by inequity
- Build diverse alliances and partnerships
- Declare racism a public health crisis
- Develop a health equity narrative with strong frames
- Create a health equity legislative/policy agenda
- Identify and support public health champions
For more background information, see the Wisconsin Healthiest State Initiative and read the summaries from the previous two convenings: 2017 Healthiest State Agenda Setting Convening Report and 2018 Healthiest State Summit Report.
2019 Agenda Setting Convening Overview
A strategic group of individuals came together in Madison on September 23 - 24 for the 2019 Healthiest State Agenda Setting meeting. The goals and objectives of this meeting are below.
Goal : Convene and support diverse leaders in setting and taking action on a common set of priorities to align and catalyze efforts to advance health equity
Objectives:
- Build and strengthen relationships to support future action
- Reinforce our shared understanding of the role of power in shaping conditions of health
- Review and refine existing health equity priorities and identify the actions we can take within our own sphere of influence to advance those priorities
- Identify new health equity priorities and explore options for collective action
- Build relationships with policy makers and Wisconsin legislators as a step toward collective action
Building on the past two years’ progress on the six health equity priorities identified in 2017 (see Appendix A for a summary of work), participants reaffirmed several existing priorities and discussed how to move forward.
Taking into account ideas generated during the meeting, the following three areas emerged as priorities for further refinement and implementation over the next two years:
- Centering the voices of those most impacted
- Advancing a health equity narrative
- Coordinating around a health equity policy agenda
Agenda
Setting
Convening
Shared
Action
Shared
Action
Summit
Advancing the work to support declaring and taking action on racism as a public health crisis, as well as cross-cutting values of alliance building and cultivating champions, will be embedded within these areas as appropriate.
2019 Agenda Setting participants were comprised of leaders from across the state who are committed to advancing health equity. This included representatives from the Wisconsin Public Health Association, the Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards, local health departments, state government, health care systems, coalitions, community organizing groups, academic institutions, non-profit organizations and others (see Appendix B for the full participant list).
Colleagues from Human Impact Partners (HIP) joined the meeting to support facilitation and to lead the training portion of the agenda.
Agenda
The convening’s agenda was designed to: (1) provide updates on the three action-oriented priorities from 2017 (including challenges and lessons learned), (2) incorporate learning and provide concrete examples; and (3) recommit to a shared agenda for the coming two years.
Over the past two years, the six 2017 priorities have emerged into two categories: three action-oriented priorities that have active workgroups and three cross-cutting priorities that guide how we do this work. While all of the priorities were addressed throughout the agenda, there were specific sessions devoted to the three action-oriented priorities, with narrative as the container and catalyst through which we can advance health equity.
In preparation for refining our shared agenda, participants were directed to consider each priority using the following questions:
- What’s the most exciting thing you heard related to the progress on the health equity priorities?
- Where do we have opportunities to continue work and/or add new work to deepen our progress and impact?
- What needs to be in place to move this work forward after we leave here?
- What is your role in these efforts?
Lili Farhang - Co-Director, Human Impact Partners
Ana Tellez - Communication Director, Human Impact Partners
Day 2 Activities
Building Infrastructure for a Statewide Health Equity Policy Agenda
The purpose of this session was to explore what infrastructure is needed for a more coordinated effort to advance a health equity policy agenda in Wisconsin. Through a panel discussion, this session: (1) provided an overview of the work to date; (2) highlighted the needs and experiences of local and state level organizations; and (3) explored what collaborative support structures could look like and opportunities moving forward.
Over the past two years, the Health Equity Policy workgroup produced Building Health Equity Policy Agendas: A Guide for Wisconsin, designed to help organize and bridge to additional resources on how policy change can address health equity. This resource was previewed at the convening and the final version will be distributed in early 2020.
Panelists:
- Amanda Dederich - Health Officer, Juneau County Health Department
- Victoria Faust - Action Researcher & Evaluator, MATCH, UW Population Health Institute
- Stephanie Munoz - Project and Community Engagement Associate, Kids Forward
- Carleigh Olson - Policy Coordinator, MATCH & Tobacco Control and Prevention Program, WI Department of Health Services
Refining Our Shared Agenda
After walking through progress, challenges, and opportunities related to the original six priorities, Lili Farhang led participants through an activity to collaboratively shape the agenda for the next two years. Participants were instructed to identify ideas and also rate others’ ideas based on the following criteria:
- Is it big and bold?
- Does it enhance statewide impact?
- Can you see your organizational self-interest and potential commitment reflected?
- Can we make progress on it?
The activity and discussion ended with the group agreeing to recommit, refine, and take further action on three of the existing priorities: centering the voices of those most impacted, advancing a health equity narrative, and coordinating around a health equity policy agenda. Participants committed to which of the priorities they or their organizations could support.
Skill Building and Legislative Visits
As in 2017, a group of public health leaders visited the Capitol for meetings with legislators. Recognizing the importance of building relationships with legislators, the goals of these visits were to (1) provide an opportunity for participants to experience preparing for and leading a meeting with their legislative representative(s), and (2) to position Wisconsin’s Healthiest State Network as a growing, knowledgeable, cross-sector resource for legislators on what it will take to nurture strong, healthy communities across the state.
To prepare for the visits, T.R. Williams, Advocacy & Government Relations Specialist with the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association, provided a brief refresher on best practices for legislative visits, including the difference between advocacy and lobbying. Participants then worked in small groups to prepare for their visits, utilizing materials that incorporated the draft values and transformational narrative work. Preparation activities included reviewing legislative district profiles and bios of representatives, selecting two or three priorities highlighted during the Agenda Setting Convening to discuss with their representative, and identifying specific local issues based on legislators’ interest or pressing in-district priorities.
Participants’ words of reflection after Day 1
Eleven scheduled meetings took place with legislators (or their staff) representing eight counties across Wisconsin. Following the visits, participants debriefed with the convening staff. While participants reported generally positive experiences, several expressed the challenge around not having a specific ask for a legislator. Additionally, participants expressed a desire for more concrete examples that help articulate what shapes health, which reinforces the need for and energy around the refined priorities.
Next Steps
Immediate next steps from the 2019 Agenda Setting include convening workgroups and conversations with strategic partners, continuing to hold the bi-monthly Healthiest State Network calls, and planning for the 2020 Healthiest State Summit.
Health Equity Priority Workgroups
Workgroups will convene to refine and operationalize the following areas identified during the Agenda Setting meeting:
- Centering the voices of those most impacted
- Advancing a health equity narrative
- Coordinating around health equity policy agenda
Advancing the work to support declaring and taking action on racism as a public health crisis, as well as cross-cutting values of alliance building and cultivating champions, will be embedded within these areas as appropriate.
Healthiest State Network
MATCH staff will continue to convene the Healthiest State Network through bi-monthly calls. The goals for these calls are to:
- Create space for updates and accountability across the workgroups and shared priorities
- Provide space for thought partnerships across a diverse cross-section of partners
- Recognize and highlight best practices and shared action across the state
- Discuss emergent health equity work and issues
2020 Healthiest State Summit
Planning for the 2020 Healthiest State Summit is underway. The Summit will be a space for training and capacity building, accountability to shared action around the priorities, and celebrating successes.
Acknolwedgements
The 2019 Healthiest State Agenda Setting Convening is funded in part by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment and the Wisconsin Partnership Program. Support is also provided through partnership with the Wisconsin Public Health Association.
Questions? For more information about the Wisconsin Healthiest State Initiative, please reach out to MATCH staff at [email protected].
There is no clear blueprint to advance health equity. We rely on a commitment to collaborative, accountable action that combines our shared influence, expertise, and resources. We know that to make progress on health equity we need to address structural factors while centering the lived experiences of those most impacted by inequities. The work is imperfect, full of tensions we need to embrace, and relies on building bridges. Inequities exist because of narratives, systems, and policies that prohibit the full belonging of all Wisconsin residents.
“The history of public health might well be written as a record of successful redefinings of the unacceptable.” –Sir Geoffrey Vickers
We have what it takes to make change on the unacceptable. It is our hope that the Healthiest State Initiative can support strategic alignment around a shared agenda for change.
Save the Date!
2020 Wisconsin Healthiest State Summit
September 9-11, 2020
KI Convention Center Green Bay, WI
Kristi Anderson UW Population Health Institute, MATCH
Sam Austin UW Population Health Institute
Jeanne Ayers Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Sarah Beversdorf Ascension Wisconsin
Shiva Bidar-Sielaff UW Health
Maureen Busalacchi Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment
Amber Canto UW-Madison Division of Extension
Molly Clark-Barol FREE/Micah
Bridget Clementi Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Jessi Corcoran UW Population Health Institute, MATCH
Evelyn Cruz Centro Hispano of Dane County
Andrea Dearlove Wisconsin Partnership Program
Amanda Dederich Juneau County Health Department
Emily Dieringer WI Public Health Association/Winnebago County Health Department
Teresa DuChateau Ascension
Allison Dungan Public Health Madison and Dane County
Lindsey Eierman Central Wisconsin Health Partnership
Niki Euhardy Winnebago County Health Department
Victoria Faust UW Population Health Institute, MATCH
Tana Feiner WI Tobacco Prevention & Control Program
Sarah Ferber EXPO
Susan Garcia Franz Winnebago County Health Department
Gary Garske Portage County Health & Human Services
Elizabeth Giese Eau Claire City/County Health Department
Marjory Givens UW Population Health Institute
Gina Green-Harris UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Pamela Guthman UW-Eau Claire College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Janel Heinrich Public Health Madison and Dane County
Marques Hogan Milwaukee County Office on African American Affairs
Paula Tran Inzeo UW Population Health Institute, MATCH
Sheri Johnson UW Population Health Institute
Heidi Keating Outagamie County Public Health Division
David Kindig UW Population Health Institute
Amy Korth healthTIDE
Eric Krawczyk Oneida Community Health Center
Robin Lankton UW Health
David Liners WISDOM
Ann McCall UW Population Health Institute, MATCH
Stephanie Munoz Kids Forward
Raymond Neal UW Population Health Institute, MATCH
Carleigh Olson UW Population Health Institute, MATCH
Fern Orie Wisconsin Native Loan Fund
William Parke-Sutherland Kids Forward
Jennifer Park-Mroch UW-Madison Division of Extension
Susan Passmore UW-Madison Collaborative Center for Health Equity
Mary Pesik Wisconsin Department of Health Services
David Pluymers SSM Health - Wisconsin Region
Carol Quest Watertown Department of Public Health
Corinda Rainey-Moore Kids Forward
Appendix B: 2019 Healthiest State Agenda Setting Convening Participant List
Darren Rausch Greenfield Health Department
Sarah Salewski Wood County Health Department
Courtney Saxler Wisconsin Partnership Program
Kathi Seiden-Thomas healthTide
Shelly Shaw UW-Madison Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
Sweta Shrestha UW Population Health Institute, MATCH
Keetah Smith UniteMKE, Inc./ United Voices CHW Collaborative of WI
Geof Swain UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health
Mallory Swenson UW Population Health Institute, MATCH
Janice Valenzuela Wisconsin Division of Public Health
Langston Verdin Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin
Geeta Wadhwani Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin
Chuck Warzecha Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health
Lakeeta Watts UniteMKE
T.R. Williams Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association
Tracy Wilson Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment
Lesley Wolf Healthy Wisconsin Leadership Institute, UW Population Institute, MATCH
Appendix B Continued: 2019 Healthiest State Agenda Setting Convening Participant List
