Although I studied, and have a graduate degree in political science I learned early there is no “science” to trying to change public policy. It is more of an art. An art that is constantly evolving and growing through the development and sharing of good ideas and lessons learned. The cohort of HealthConnect Fellows is not a group of novices. All of them, as well as the mentors, have experiences to share and contribute to this growing body of knowledge.
Even the most participatory training or interactive class is built on the same assumption: The presenter has mastered a finite body of knowledge and the recipients can attend the training and receive it. The HealthConnect Fellowship is not a training! Instead we have deliberately chosen a fellowship format to maximize the sharing among peers. All of us are practitioners. None of us are masters.
So, the teachers will learn and the students will teach. All while we are trying to create real change. Because win, lose or draw there are always lessons learned and mistakes not to be repeated (by you are anyone else).
Advocates connect through a shared commitment to improve health outcomes.
How UpLift's collaboration with many partners led to greater impact
Iowa funders are making shifts to center communities and advance equity.
Working together to improve housing is leading to better health outcomes.
An incentive program has provided a model for increasing access to nutritious foods and improving health outcomes.
A needs assessment of Oakridge Neighborhood residents is informing ways to improve health and well-being
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An Iowa Doula Project is expanding community-based health care to improve Black maternal health outcomes.
How AMOS engaged hundreds of advocates to push for a children's mental health crisis response system
New report highlights central Iowa Latinos contributions and disparities and elevates Latinx leaders
The Vision Council has led conversations on how Iowa's families and children can be safe, secure, healthy, and well in our communities.
Outcomes from Mid-Iowa Health Foundation's HealthConnect Fellowship, October 2019-June 2021
The Dream Cube, a monolithic structure constructed of pillows piled 8-feet high, popped up in downtown Des Moines late last fall. The provocative piece sparked conversations about the potential of our youth—if they have a safe place to dream.
dsm Magazine features a unique collaboration that is engaging youth who’ve experienced homelessness in identifying new solutions to address this issue in central Iowa.
Iowa ACEs 360 shares this story about how supervisors in the Polk County Dept. of Human Services’ Child Welfare Division are addressing trauma in their workforce.
Teenagers in jumpsuits lying on yoga mats, their eyes closed, their bodies still. This is the image Megan Hoxhalli describes as remarkable for juvenile detention, a place where youth arrive shaken, dysregulated, and scared about their future.
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