Description
National Public Health Week is a celebration of all things public health! For over 25 years, APHA has led this week-long effort to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight the things that ensure everyone has a chance at a long and healthy life. Communities across the U.S. are celebrating, so check out our calendar to find an event that’s local to you, or RSVP for APHA’s virtual events, available no matter where you are! A conversation about the intersections of public health and how public health can collaborate with community leaders to build trust and a strong foundation for healthy change.A transcription of this recording can be found in the resources tab. Take this quick survey to help design future events.
Contributors
Kaye Bender, RN, PhD - President, American Public Health Association
MODERATOR
Kaye Bender, PhD, RN, FAAN, is president of APHA. She
is an independent public health, organizational, and education consultant and
strategist and the owner of Kaye Bender Consulting, LLC. She was appointed as
the executive director of the Mississippi Public Health Association in May 2020.
She was the president and CEO of the Public Health Accreditation Board from
2009-2019. She was the dean of the University of Mississippi Medical Center
School of Nursing for six years immediately before PHAB. Prior to that, she
worked in local public health for several years in Mississippi and was the
deputy state health officer for the Mississippi Department of Health for 12
years. She chaired the Exploring Accreditation Steering Committee, the
precursor study for the establishment of the Public Health Accreditation Board.
Kaye is a board member of the National Board of Public
Health Examiners, the Public Health Foundation and the Mississippi Public
Health Institute. She is an active member of the American Academy of Nursing
and served on its board from 2016-2019. She has numerous publications and
presentations related to governmental public health infrastructure improvement.
Bernadette Lim, MS, Founder, Freedom School for Intersectional Medicine and Health Justice
Bernadette Lim is a creator, healer and warrior and daughter of Filipinx
and Toisanese immigrants. She is the founder and director of the Freedom
Community Clinic, a community healing movement that imagines and works towards
a Whole-Person Healing Future prioritizing Black, Brown, Indigenous,
undocumented and immigrant communities. She is also the founder of the Woke WOC
Docs Podcast, Freedom School for Intersectional Medicine and Health Justice and
part of the founding team of the Institute for Healing and Justice in Medicine.
By day, Bernadette is a fourth year medical
student at UCSF School of Medicine. She recently earned her Master’s at UC
Berkeley School of Public Health through the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical
Program and publicly announced that she will be foregoing residency after
medical school to run Freedom Community Clinic full-time. She graduated from
Harvard University in 2016 with cum laude honors and went on to be a
Fulbright-Nehru Scholar in India. For her work, she has received honors
including World Policy Forum Young Global Changer, Yamashita Prize Outstanding
Emerging Social Activist in California, National Minority Quality Forum 40
Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health, California Senate District 29 Women of the
Year Honoree, UCSF Dean's Prize Scholar in Health and Society and Pacific
Standard Top 30 Under 30 Thinkers in Policy and Social Justice, among many
others. Through pursuing and working towards a Whole-Person Healing Future for
the people, Bernie envisions and works towards a world where each person is
affirmed, loved and cared for.
Wawa Gatheru, Founder, Black Girl Environmentalists and Rhodes Scholar at Oxford
Wanjiku "Wawa" Gatheru is an
environmental justice advocate and storyteller. She is a proud first generation
American of Kenyan descent and the founder of the organization Black Girl
Environmentalist, an intergenerational community for Black girls, women and
non-binary environmentalists. Her advocacy revolves around upfliting the voices
of those most adversely impacted by the climate crisis. Wawa is currently
completing a MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance at Oxford,
where she is a Rhodes Scholar in Residence. For her work in collaboration with
other thought leaders, Wawa has been recognized as a Young Futurist by The
Root, a Grist 50 FIXER and as a Glamour College Woman of the Year."
Conrado E. Bárzaga, MD, CEO, Desert Healthcare District and Foundation
Conrado E. Bárzaga is chief executive officer at
the Desert Healthcare District & Foundation. He is a public health leader
with over 25 years of experience tackling public health challenges. Prior to
this appointment, he served for over seven years as president & CEO at the
Center for Oral Health, where he raised over $21million to support underserved
communities’ access to healthcare and created effective community- and
school-based programs. He also served in top leadership positions for Los
Angeles County Commission on Children and Families, Planned Parenthood Los
Angeles and Sacred Heart University. Dr. Bárzaga has directed the development
of public health programs in the U.S. and abroad. He is a fellow of the Global
Child Dental Fund at King’s College, London, and a fellow of Coro, a leading
nonpartisan public policy institution.
Dr. Bárzaga serves as a board member in the California
Association of Healthcare Districts, where he chairs the Association’s Advocacy
Committee. He also serves as an advisor to the School of Medicine at University
of California Riverside, and to the Center for Health Disparities Research at
University of California Riverside. A native of Cuba, he has extensive
experience in philanthropy and international public health systems, such as
developing the Community Health Infrastructure with the Bolivian Ministry of
Health and Doctors without Borders. He earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD)
degree from the University of Havana in 1994.
Flor Hernandez, CHW, Beginnings, Inc.
Flor Hernandez is from Alexandria, Va., but now lives
in Somerset, Penn. She is a student at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.
Flor has been a community health worker based out of Johnstown, Penn., for two
years. Flor enjoys advocating for her community and hopes to encourage others
to voice their concerns and solutions.
Kennedy Pace, Youth leader, Delta Foundation Voter Engagement Project in Mississippi
Kennedy Pace is from Gulfport, Miss. She is currently
a sophomore at the University of Southern Mississippi, and she is majoring in
Speech-Language Pathology. She is passionate about helping others and learning
about different cultures. She participated in the 2020 Presidential election by
helping others register to vote. She continues to work alongside the Voter’s
Registration because she believes that there is power in voting. Kennedy has a
passion for learning languages and hopes to attend a study abroad in Japan in
the fall.