Category : Community

A fellow's perspective: Getting to do the work we should be doing

11/25/2019 74

Remarks shared by Fellow Andrea Dencklau at the HealthConnect Fellowship Celebration on November 18, 2019. Andrea shares what the fellowship experience has meant to her and the hope it brings that we can address critical issues in our community.

Community

18 HealthConnect Fellows to advance system changes to improve children’s health

11/15/2019 302

Eighteen fellows have joined Mid-Iowa Health Foundation’s HealthConnect Fellowship for a second 18-month phase focused on building a network of advocates to lead system changes that improve children’s well-being in central Iowa.

Community

A call to action for Latino youth

11/12/2019 160

Dawn Martinez Oropeza shares her journey as part of the first cohort of fellows. Her project focused on advocating for more inclusive policies and practices in school districts to address the mental health needs of Latino students.

Community

Connecting systems, connecting families

11/04/2019 95

Andrea Dencklau shares her journey as part of the first cohort of fellows. Her project focuses on keeping youth in foster care connected to families.

Community

Decolonizing Every Table

07/31/2019 109

Unless power and privilege are being explored and addressed at the top levels systems, there will not be a significant change. Inclusion and diversity will be in appearance without substance, without systemic change.

Community

Compassion Architects Activate and Spread Compassion

10/04/2018 404

Research suggests that to change the social architecture of an environment (e.g., the “I” versus “Us” mentality) is to act as a “compassion architect” or a person that can activate and spread compassion.

For all children in Central Iowa to have equal opportunity for good health, greater attention and resources must be directed to addressing the fundamental causes of poor health for children and youth. These fundamental causes, or social determinants, of health are often largely impacted by public and private, organization, local, state and federal policies and practices.

The Mid-Iowa Health Foundation HealthConnect Fellowship strives to engage and build the capacity of key professionals working to improve social determinants of children's health, and help them grow as public policy change agents to improve children's health in central Iowa.

This HealthConnect Fellowship Blog is intended to share learnings from the Fellows and other national experts with our broader community of children's health advocates.