Advocacy

As extreme heat waves become more frequent and intense, informal workers are forced to labor in hazardous conditions without adequate protection. Christy Adeola Braham ’23 advocates for integrating worker protections into national climate policies and frameworks at the municipal, national and international levels.

Nick Grant '23 served as the president of GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality. His role focused on supporting the advocacy, education and research efforts of the organization including coalition building to combat attacks that LGBTQ+ individuals are facing in the United States.

Medical-legal partnerships address social determinants of health by integrating legal advocacy into healthcare for a range of vulnerable populations. Sarah Hooper ’18 is working to ensure that aging people are included in these partnerships moving forward by creating a medical-legal partnership that focuses on older adults.

Anne Laux ’19 developed a peer support program for first responders in Ohio and advanced legislation that makes peer support privileged communications.

Nkem Osian ’20 is a dedicated advocate raising awareness about fibroids with The White Dress Project. Her journey began in 2015 with debilitating pain and a severe health scare due to a large fibroid. With up to 80% of Black women affected by fibroids by age 50, Nkem’s story is a reminder of the importance of early detection.

Oscar Ramírez ’21 encourages civil society organizations and community leaders to strengthen alliances to end the tuberculosis pandemic.

Elena Rivera ’20 led training for rural health workers on the best practices of using storytelling for advocacy. Participants discussed various advocacy issues, including housing, health care, immigrant rights, nursing, families experiencing disability, child care and resource navigation.